THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 500 SERMON - OUTLINES Prophetic - Doctrinal - Devotional By Frederick F. Schwindt, Evangelist Lodi, California Distributed by General Conference Ministerial Association Silver Spring, Maryland - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - P R E F A C E In presenting to the public in completed form this Encyclopedia of over 500 Sermon Outlines, it is fitting that an explanation should be given of the reasons for the appearance of so comprehensive a work. After devoting a lifetime to the study of the word of God and over forty years in public evangelism, I feel impelled to share with my fellow workers such Bible information as I have gained in the School of Christ. The author of this work is fully conscious of his limitations and for that reason does not claim perfection. The reader is, therefore, asked to be charitable with the mistakes he may find in this work. There is, however, to the best of our knowledge, nothing in print among us comparable to this undertaking. Our aim is to continue to serve the Cause of Truth to the best of our ability. Over 20,000 key Bible references and over 2,700 life Bible illustrations form the body of the Sermon Outlines. A complete Topical Index to the outlines is provided for quick and ready reference for the convenience of the owner of this Encyclopedia. The reader will note, please, that the outlines are divided into nine main sections: Section I 20 Outlines on Bible Prophecy Section II 125 Outlines on Bible Doctrine Section III 54 Outlines on Jesus Christ Our Lord Section IV 20 Outlines on the Holy Spirit Section V 48 Outlines on Christian Witnessing Section VI 100 Outlines on Decisions Section VII 60 Outlines on Christian Living Section VIII 50 Outlines on Prayer Section IX 25 Outlines for Funerals We are sending this Encyclopedia of Sermon Outlines on its way in the interest of a more efficient ministry. If God will honor our humble effort in placing this work, we shall feel fully compensated for years of prayerful effort embodied in this Encyclopedia. Frederick F. Schwindt __TABLE OF CONTENTS__ 1. Outlines on Bible Prophecy - Bible Prophecy - The World of Tomorrow - The Kingdom of God - The Kingdom and Power of Satan - The Kingdom of Jesus Christ - The Second Coming of Christ - Manner of Christ's Second Coming - The Theory of a Secret Rapture - Signs of Christ's Second Coming - Modern Spiritism - The Modern Jew in Bible Prophecy - Babylon the Great - The Anti-Christ - The Reformation - The Elijah Message - The Sabbath Reform Movement - Armageddon - The Millennium - The Kingdom of Glory - Our Eternal Home 2. Outlines on Bible Doctrine - The Holy Bible - The Sufficiency of Bible Revelation - The Saints' Estimate of the Word of God - The Right Reception of the Word of God - Our Attitude Toward the Bible - God - The Godhead - Creation - Not Evolution - The Creation of Man - The Creation Sabbath - The Lord's Day - How Sunday Came into the Church - The Ten Commandments - The Seal of God - The Mark of the Beast - The Two Laws - The Covenants - Law and Grace - Obedience - Is God Particular? - Jewish or Christian - Our Conscience - A New Commandment - The Judgment - The Investigative Judgment - Weight and Found Wanting - The Soul - Immortality - The Resurrection - The Strange Act of God - Good Angels - Fallen Angels - The Origin of Sin - The Trinity of Sin - The Unknown Depth of Sin - The Tragedy of Sin - Sin, The Plague of the Soul - The Madness of Sin - The Sin of Unbelief - "White Sins" - Sins of Silence - The Deceitfulness of Sin - Sin, Its Own Detective - The Rule of Sin Over Man - The Unpardonable Sin - The Plan of Salvation - Salvation - Wells of Salvation - Walls of Salvation - The Price of Salvation (Part I) - The Price of Salvation (Part II) - Predestination - Adoption - Our Justification - God's First Man - False and Futile Attempts for Salvation - The Chasm Bridged - Four Spans in the Bridge of Salvation - The Gospel of God - The Gospel of Jesus Christ - The Four Square Gospel - The Proclamation of the Power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Our Lord - Beware of Counterfeit Gospel - Sanctification - Bible Sanctification (Part I) - Bible Sanctification (Part II) - God's Righteousness - Christ Our Righteousness - Evangelical Righteousness - Grace, Marvelous Grace - Grace Triumphant Over Sin - State of Grace - The Throne of Grace - The Heart - A New Heart and a New Spirit - The New Birth - The Old and the New - A New Creature - The World's Mystery Man - "When Thou Art Converted" - "What Is Your Life?" - A Sinless Life - Life More Abundant - The More Abundant Life - Life for a Look - There is Life in a Look - "Be Thou Perfect" - Christian Perfection (Part I) - Christian Perfection (Part II) - Christian Perfection (Part III) - Under the Divine Influence - Bible Conversion - Water Baptism - The Ordinance of Feet Washing - The Lord's Supper - "In Remembrance of Me" - In Remembrance and in Hope - Importance of Regular Communion - Divine Healing - Eating and Drinking to God's Glory - Stewardship - Support of the Gospel Worker - Christian Temperance - The Church - The Church, God's Peculiar Treasure - Marks of the True Church - The Church and the Keys to the Kingdom - The Church and Salvation - The Church Militant - The Church of God Triumphant - The Church Built Upon Peter - The Church Has One Foundation - The Key of the House of David - Church Standards - "Except These Abide in the Ship Ye Cannot Be Saved" - Unusual Enemies of the Church - Church Hypocrites - Why I Am A Seventh-day Adventist - Public Worship - True Worship - Cheap Worship - Defective Worship - God's Regards for the Assembly of His People - Fellowship - Attachment to God's House 3. Outlines on Jesus Christ Our Lord - "I Am That I Am" - The Word of God - Immanuel - God With Us - The Son of God - The Son of Man - The Angel of His Presence - The Messiah - The Lamb of God (Part I) - The Lamb of God (Part II) - The Word Made Flesh - The Name of Jesus - The Man Christ Jesus - The Mighty God - Behold the Man - The Servant of God - Christ the Judge of the Universe - Christ Our High Priest - Christ Our Passover - God's Stairway to Heaven - Our Master - The Great Physician - The Thief Versus the Good Shepherd - The Gentleness of Christ - My Lord and I - The Believer's All Sufficiency Is In Christ - A Plant of Renown - Wisdom From Above - The Cross and Its Meaning - The Cross of Christ - The Light of the Cross - The Attraction of the Cross - The Peace of the Cross - The Smitten Rock - Travesty Upon Justice - "Let Him Deliver Him Now" - "They Watched Him There" - The Agony of Christ - The Wounds of a Faithless Friend - "It Is Finished!" - Christ Centered Faith (Part I) - Christ Centered Faith (Part II) - Precious Faith - A Public Profession of Our Faith - Living Faith in Action - The Four Acts of Saving Faith - The History of Little Faith - Christward Faith A Divine Prerequisite For A Spirit Filled Life - "Where Is Your Faith?" - Have Faith in God - Stand in the Faith - The Obedience of Faith - Contending for the Faith - The Trial of Our Faith - God's Special Questionnaire 4. Outlines on the Holy Spirit - The Holy Ghost - The Person of the Holy Spirit - Names of the Holy Spirit - The Divine Comforter - The Power of the Holy Ghost - Activities of the Holy Ghost - Mission of the Holy Ghost - The Special Commission of the Holy Ghost - The Dew of the Spirit - A Still Small Voice - "Be Filled With the Spirit" - Spirit-Filled Christians - Sealed With the Spirit - The Spirit of Prophecy - Speaking With New Tongues - Power to Witness - Effects of the Presence of the Holy Spirit - The Prerequisite to Fullness of God's Spirit - The Believer's Part in Becoming Spirit Filled is Yielding - Poverty or Power 5. Outlines on Christian Witnessing - A Call to Work - The Royal Priesthood of the Believers - The Priesthood in the Home - Work in the Master's Vineyard - Our Heaven Appointed Mission - Christian Witnessing - Teamwork and Its Effect - Doing Exploits for God - The Salt of the Earth - "Such As I Have" - "What Is That in Thine Hand?" - Personal Responsibility - The Ministry of Gratitude - Self-Consecration - Christian Surety - Strength, Service, Reward - Passion to Save Souls - God's Well Diggers - On Fire for God (Part I) - On Fire for God (Part II) - Zeal for God - The Day of God's Power - The Day of Small Things - "He Brought Me Forth into a Large Place" - High Places and Low Motives - Criminal Neglect - The Curse of Meroz - What Meanest Thou O Sleeper? - "Where is Abel Thy Brother?" - "Am I My Brother's Keeper?" - "I Am Your Brother" - Others and I - Business Here and There - "What Do Ye More Than Others?" - The Iron Did Swim - The Making of a Missionary - The Christian Debtor - Mutual Christian Duties - God's Soul Winners - Life's Burdens and I - Cumberers of the Ground - A Captain Who Won His Decoration - The Unconventional Way - In Memory of Christian Mothers - In Remembrance of Dorcas - Camp Meeting Objectives - When Satan Comes Out Ahead - The Man By the Side of the Road 6. Outlines on Decisions - "What Must I Do To Be Saved?" - What Shall I Do With Jesus? - "This One Thing I Do" - Christ or Chaos - Go Forward - The Hour of Decision - Man's Cooperation - Four Big Cheats - Reasoning With God - The Choice of a Master - "Remember Lot's Wife" - There Can Be No Retreat - "Where Art Thou?" - "Thou Art the Man" - The Tenth Man - Touching the Master - The Touch of the Master - Who Shall Go? - God's Today - How Shall We Escape? - Marred Vessels - Looking To Jesus - "Eternity" - The Momentous Word - Idols in the Heart - Lies and Falsehood - The Peace Christ Gives - A Brand Plucked Out of the Fire - "Thou Hast Sold Thyself To Do Evil" - Untenable Excuses - "How Much Owest Thou To My Lord?" - Immortal Decisions - Building for Eternity - A Cure for Our Worries - Overcoming Bad Habits - "Awake Thou That Sleepest" - Stopping Short of the Promised Land - "What Wait I For?" - That Fatal Night - The Handwriting On God's Hands - What Is Truth? - The Way of Truth - "Buy the Truth and Sell It Not" - The Solemn Caution - Gilead's Balm and Physician - The Bow in the Clouds - God's Life Insurance Policy - The Valley of Achor, The Door of Hope (Part I) - The Valley of Achor, The Door of Hope (Part II) - Why Every Infidel Should Be a Christian - The Spirits in Prison - Bidding Good-bye to God - Sowing and Reaping - "We Will Serve the Lord" - God's Mountains - The Revealing of the Face - A Promise to the Overcomer - The Loving Kindness of God - The Marvelous Grace - What Lack I Yet? - The Profanity of Esau - Take Heed What You Hear - "Is There Not a Cause?" - "Be Troubled, Ye Careless Ones" - Repentance, Forgiveness, Retribution - The Supremacy of the Spiritual - Christ Receiving Sinners - Bruises and Wounds - The Value of Man - The Power of Memory - Man, A Tomb or A Temple - The Searching Test - Prepare to Meet Thy God - Divine Pardon - Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness - Objects of the Divine Delight - The Hope of the Backslider - "And The Lord Shut Him In" - The Bruised Reed - The Poor Man's Market - The Unanswered Question - Pilate Washed His Hands - Life Belts for Sea Voyagers - The Folly of Self-Confidence - Playing With the Fires of Hell - The Visible and the Invisible - Buried Idols - The Measure of God's Love - Christ's Yoke - Kept by the Power of God - A Castaway - When the Guests Failed to Come - Coming Soul Famine - The Deadly Danger of Drifting - Seeking a Right Way - Two Ways to Live - Unconscious Loss - "Give Me My Price" - The Choice of a Master - My God Is Able - Past - Present - Future 7. Outlines on Christian Living - A Bible Christian - The Mind of Jesus Christ - God's Estimate of Character - Love to Jesus - A Christian, A Light - The Christian Birthright - The Christian Race - The Christian Warfare - The Whole Armour of God - Christian Perplexity - Christian Constancy - "We Are True Men" - Trust Inextinguishable - God's Call to Awake - With Jesus Through the Storm - For Christ's Sake - The Discipline of Change - "Hold That Fast Which Thou Hast" - Whence Hath It Tares? - "Blow the Trumpet in Zion, Sound the Alarm" - The Talebearer - Divorce - The Modern Dance - "Examine Yourselves" - Victory Over the World - The Christian Conflict - God's Gracious Provision for the Defense of His People - We, as a People, are on Trial - The Second Mile - "Follow Peace With All Men" - Popularity, The Most Trying Test of Our Character - Christian Endurance - The Day of Prosperity - The Day of Adversity - A Goodly Heritage - Friends of God - A Christian Home - The Mote and the Beam - Loving and Hating to the Glory of God - The Secret of the Lord - Redemption of God's People - The Liberty of God's Children - The Ten Virgins - Humility - Christian Unity - The Anchor of the Soul - To Know Him - "I Have Found David" - Truth and Freedom - Cause of Apostasy - Consolation in the Furnace - Tempted But Triumphant - Our Lord's Compliments - Bible Border Markers - A Covenant by Sacrifice - "Who May Abide the Day of His Coming?" - God's Three Requirements of Man 8. Outlines on Prayer - Prayer - With Christ in the School of Prayer - "Our Father Which Art in Heaven" - "Hallowed Be Thy Name" - "Thy Kingdom Come" - "Thy Will Be Done" - Our Daily Bread - Forgiving, A Condition of Receiving Forgiveness - Temptation - Deliver Us From Evil - The Prayer of a Righteous Man - Successful Prayer (Part I) - Successful Prayer (Part II) - Conditions of Successful Prayer - The Power of Prayer - Prayer Changes Things - "Pray Without Ceasing" - The Prayer of Thanksgiving - Prayer for Light and Truth - The Prayer of the Aged - Answers to Our Prayers - Is Prayer Profitable? - The Cry of the Perishing - "Thou God Seest Me" - The Prayer of Praise - "Thou Restrainest Prayer" - Private Devotions - Secret Prayer - Intercessory Prayer - The Lord's Remembrancers - Importunity of Prayer - Posture in Prayer - "Speak, Lord; For Thy Servant Heareth" - "Watch and Pray" - Limiting God - When Prayer Becomes Sin - Short Prayers - The Open Window - "Ask - Seek - Knock" (Part I) - "Ask - Seek - Knock" (Part II) - True and Not True - "Prepare to Meet Thy God" - Acquaintance With God - "Have Faith in God" - Faith and Doubt - God's Own Cause - Secret Faults - The Prayer God Cannot Answer - The Royal Priesthood of the Believers - The Throne of Grace 9. Outlines for Funerals - In the Morning - Asleep in Jesus - "Is There Not An Appointed Time?" - "Set Thine House in Order" - "Enter Thou Into Thy Chambers" - Like as a Shock of Corn - "I Am Now Ready" - "Precious Is the Death of the Saints" - "Blessed are the Dead" - A Voice From Heaven (Part I) - A Voice From Heaven (Part II) - "He Careth for You" - Everlasting Love - "If A Man Die, Shall He Live Again?" - "Refrain Thy Voice From Weeping" - The Momentous Event - Man's Two Inevitables - "So Moses, The Servant of the Lord, Died" - "Fear Not For I Am With Thee" - "There Is But One Step Between Me and Death" - Only A Step - When A Son Is Handed Back to His Mother - Calamity Versus Hope - The Resurrection - "Precious In the Sight of the Lord Is the Death of His Saints" # Section I: 20 Outlines on Bible Prophecy ## BIBLE PROPHECY - 2 PETER 1:19 A. GOD REVEALED HIMSELF 1. In creation: a. Genesis chapters one and two b. Creation is the key to the knowledge of His eternal power and Godhead - Rom. 1:20 c. It is a declaration of His glory and majesty - Ps. 19:1-6; 111:1-9 2. In and through His only begotten Son, who is the express image of His person: Heb. 1:3; John 1:18 3. Through the written word: John 5:39; 2 Tim. 3:15 B. BIBLE PROPHECY IS STILL ANOTHER SOURCE OF THE REVELATION OF GOD 1. It brings to light God's hand in the affairs of men: a. The story of the human race - Gen. 1:26, 27; Ps. 8:4-9; Acts 17:26 b. Nothing happens in the world but what God reveals things to His servants, the prophets - Amos 3:7, 8; Jer. 13:18-22 2. Bible prophecy outlines God's plan beforehand: a. Consider the history of the great nations - Dan. 2; 7; 8; 11; Rev. 12; 13; 15; 16 b. It portrays the great conflict between Christ and Satan - Rev. 12 3. It gives glimpses of coming glory: a. Rev. 21:1-17 b. 1 Cor. 2:9-11 c. Isa. 65:17-20; 66:22, 23 4. It gives full assurance of faith's final reward: a. Isa. 34:16; 55:10-13 b. Rev. 22:1-17 c. Isa. 35:1-10 5. It holds the key to an intelligent understanding of current events: a. Amos 3:7 b. Isa. 60:1-5 c. 2 Pet. 1:19, 20 6. It alone can lift the curtain from what the world of tomorrow has in store for the human race: a. Isa. 43:18, 19 C. OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD BIBLE PROPHECY 1. The unbelieving world: a. 2 Pet. 3:1-13 b. Matt. 23:1-18; Luke 17:26-28; 21:25-30 2. God's people: a. Heed the words of the prophets - Isa. 8:16, 20; 2 Chron. 36:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:19, 20 b. They are guided by the message of the prophets - 2 Chron. 20:20; 1 Thess. 5:20; 2 Pet. 1:19, 20 c. They joyfully believe God's prophets - 2 Chron. 20:20; Luke 24:25-28; Acts 24:27 3. Blessing of Bible prophecy: a. It is a bright light that shineth in a dark and sinful world - Isa. 60:1-6; 2 Pet. 1:16-20; 3:1-13 b. If heeded, it will bring spiritual prosperity - Isa. 7:9; 2 Chron. 20:20 c. It will open up to our faith vistas of eternal glory - 1 Cor. 1:9-11; Rev. 22:1-6 4. The prophetic gift is, in fact, the eyes of the church: a. "Where there is no vision the people perish" - Prov. 29:18 b. Spiritual drought prevailed among God's people when there was no vision - 1 Sam. 3:1-6; 2 Chron. 15:3 c. That was true during the dark ages, when the written word was unknown to the common people; and the two witnesses had to prophecy in sackcloth - Rev. 11:1-11 d. That will be true just prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ; when the world, at large, will reject Bible prophecy - Isa. 60:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:1-9; 4:1-6 e. How wonderful it is to have the Light of Bible prophecy at a time like this - 1) It is as light upon our path in a dark and sinful world! Ps. 119:105 2) It will give us a wonderful view of things to come in the world of tomorrow! 1 Cor. 2:9-11 f. Dear Reader, shall both of us be more eager to study Bible prophecy, as the noble Bereans did? Acts 17:11 ## THE WORLD OF TOMORROW - ISAIAH 21:11 A. OUR PRESENT WORLD IS WITHOUT PARALLEL IN THE HISTORY OF THE NATIONS 1. Scientific development: a. Harnessing the Atom b. The intercontinental missile c. Space travel 2. Things that were new, but yesterday, are old today: a. Nations are in great fear of what shall be tomorrow - Luke 21:25, 26 b. Feverish preparation against the inevitable of tomorrow seems like a nightmare to a careful observer of current events - Joel 3:9-14; Isa. 24:17-23 c. The alarming part of present day conditions is the steady decline of the morals of the people in the home and in society in general - 2 Tim. 3:1-9 B. THE WORLD OF TOMORROW 1. What about the world of tomorrow? a. Are you interested in the predictions of Bible prophecy about the world of tomorrow? b. Nebuchadnezzar was: Dan. 2:29 c. Peter was: 2 Pet. 3:13 d. The saints of all ages have been deeply interested in Bible prophecy - Heb. 11:13-16 2. Who holds the future in his hand? a. Is it the scientist? Dan. 2:1-45 b. Christ and Christ alone has the destiny of the world of tomorrow in His hand - Isa. 40:12-15; 41:21-24; Ps. 2:6-12 c. He is the lawful heir to the world of tomorrow - Matt. 21:38; Heb. 1:1-9 3. Prophetic forecast about the world of tomorrow: a. Babylon - 606-538 B.C. b. Medo-Persia - 538-331 B.C. c. Greece - 331-168 B.C. d. Rome - 168 B. C. - 376 A.D. e. The ten kingdoms follow Rome; only seven of them remain 4. It is significant that all human attempts to hold the nations together have failed: Dan. 2:43 C. THE WORLD OF TOMORROW 1. Is not of an earthly nature: a. "My kingdom is not of this world" - John 18:36 b. It will not be the fruit of human effort or modern skill - Zech. 4:4-8; Dan. 2:34 2. It is the ultimate result or triumph of God's love: a. Reclaimed by the second Adam - Mi. 4:8; Rom. 5:12-19 b. The fulfillment of God's promise to His children - Ps. 2:1-6; Luke 1:32-34; 12:32 c. It is the earth made new - Rev. 21:1-6; 2 Pet. 3:13; Isa. 65:17; 66:22 d. It is the "Stone Kingdom" of Dan. 2:32-45 3. The world of tomorrow is still in the process of development: a. At the present we are living in the kingdom of grace - Tit. 2:11; Rom. 5:12-19 b. This kingdom has its throne in the heart of the Christian believer - Luke 17:20, 21; Col. 1:27 4. Subjects of the world of tomorrow: a. Not chosen because of race or wealth - Acts 10:34, 35; Deut. 7:7; Gal. 3:26-29 b. Not flesh and blood - John 1:10-12; 1 Cor. 15:50 c. The new birth is the basic condition to become a citizen of the world of tomorrow - 1) "Ye must be born again" - John 3:3-9 2) "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" - 1 Cor. 15:50 d. We must bring the fruit of the kingdom of heaven - Matt. 21:41 e. The world of tomorrow belongs to all who have part in the first resurrection - Rev. 20:5, 6; John 5:28, 29; Luke 14:14 f. Who are pure in heart - Matt. 5:5, 6; Ps. 15:1-6 g. Only the undefiled shall enter the world of tomorrow - Rev. 19:27; Gal. 5:16-23 h. Friends of mine, will you be among the citizens that will make up the inhabitants of the world of tomorrow? ## THE KINGDOM OF GOD - DANIEL 2:44 A. THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF TWO OPPOSING KINGDOMS IN THE UNIVERSE 1. The kingdom of Satan: a. He claimed the kingdoms of this world as belonging to him because they had been given to him - Luke 4:4-6 b. Our Lord recognized that Satan had a kingdom - Matt. 12:26 c. It is the power of darkness - Col. 1:23 d. Christ spoke of "the prince of this world" - John 12:31; 16:11 2. The kingdom of God: a. It is the realm where God is King, controlling the affairs of men - Isa. 52:7; Ps. 22:28 b. For God is still governor among the nations - Dan. 2:21, 44; 4:17; Ps. 22:28 c. Lucifer got possession of the nations of this world through fraud, beguiling Adam and Eve to sin against their Maker - Luke 4:1-6; Rom. 6:16; Gen. 3:1-6 B. NATURE OF GOD'S KINGDOM 1. It is a dual kingdom: a. Presently it is the kingdom of grace. b. It functions in the heart - Luke 17:20, 21; Col. 1:27 2. This phase of the kingdom of God was set up as soon as Adam and Eve became victims of Satan: a. The first promise - Gen. 3:15 b. Grace became the hope of the fallen race - Tit. 2:11; Rom. 5:12-19; Eph. 2:7, 8 3. All believers, in all ages, have been subjects of the kingdom of grace: a. Paul teaches this truth - Tit. 2:11; Eph. 2:7, 8; Rom. 5:12-18 b. The Bible is full of references to the kingdom of grace - Gen. 6:8; Jer. 32:2; Ex. 33:12, 16; Zech. 4:8 c. This part or phase of God's kingdom prepares the subjects for the kingdom of glory - Matt. 1:21; Acts 4:12; John 3:16 d. It is the development of our character, suitable for glory - Matt. 5:5; Rev. 19:7; 2 Cor. 3:18 4. The kingdom of grace is symbolized by: a. The seed cast into the ground - Mark 4:26 b. The grain of a mustard seed - Mark 4:31 c. A leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal - Luke 13:21 C. THE MESSAGE OF THE KINGDOM 1. Was brought to our first parents: a. The promised seed - Gen. 3:15 b. Evangelists before the flood proclaimed it - 1) Enoch the seventh from Adam preached it - Jude 14, 15 2) Seth preached it - Gen. 4:26 3) Noah proclaimed it - 2 Pet. 2:5 2. The Patriarchs preached the gospel of the kingdom: a. Abraham - Gen. 18:17-19; Gal. 3:8 b. Isaac and Jacob built altars for the Lord, which symbolized their faith in God's kingdom - Gen. 35:1; Heb. 11:14-18 3. This gospel of the kingdom centers in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ: a. It is called "the gospel of Christ" - Rom. 1:16 b. He and He alone can bring about the consummation of the kingdom of God - Acts 4:12; Luke 23:42-44 c. It is He who teaches us to pray, "Thy kingdom come" - Matt. 6:9-11 d. When we receive the Lord Jesus into our hearts, He establishes His throne in our hearts. We become the seat of the King of kings and Lord of lords - Col. 1:27; Eph. 3:17 4. Seven Bible musts to enter the Kingdom of God: a. "Ye must be born again" - John 3:3-9 b. Christ must increase and I must decrease - John 3:30 c. We must worship the Father in spirit and in truth - John 4:22, 23 d. We must do all the Lord has commanded us to perform - Num. 23:26 e. We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ - 2 Cor. 5:10 f. We must, through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God - Acts 14:22 g. We must believe that God will keep His word to all who walk in His way - Heb. 11:6 These are some of the musts that mark the pathway to the kingdom of God. ## THE KINGDOM AND POWER OF SATAN - MATTHEW 12:26 A. A CAREFUL STUDY OF THE BIBLE REVEALS 1. That Satan has a kingdom: a. This was acknowledged by the Son of God - Luke 11:18; Matt. 12:26 b. Satan asserted, boldly, before the Son of God, that the kingdoms of this world and their glory are his - Luke 4:5, 6 c. Our Lord spoke of Satan as, "the prince of this world" - John 12:31; 14:30 d. Paul wrote about "the prince of the air" - Eph. 2:2 2. It is important for us to know: a. That the behavior of the nations is indicative that they are motivated, in many ways, by Satan - Dan. 7:1-17; Rev. 12:1-17; 16:13 b. They carry out, in most instances, the will of Satan - John 8:44; 1 John 5:16-19; Rev. 17:1-11 B. THE KINGDOM AND POWER OF SATAN 1. How he got possession of this world: a. By lies, deception, and default. b. When our first parents yielded their lives to Satan, they yielded their kingdom to the devil. When we yield our lives to sin, we give him possession of our lives, our talents, our influence, and all the things we may possess - Gen. 3:1-22; Rom. 6:16 2. Satan maintains his power in this world: a. Through the children of unbelief - Heb. 3:12; Rev. 21:8 b. But some become slaves of sin, and so he uses them to carry on his work - Luke 15:11-16 c. This fact must be kept in mind if we are to understand the strange behavior of some people - John 8:44; Mark 5:1-14; Acts 7:57 3. He who yields his or her heart to Satan becomes an accessory of Satan and his kingdom: a. Satan makes untold numbers captives to his will - 2 Tim. 2:26 b. How sad it is to realize that men, born to be free, become slaves to Satan and his kingdom. 4. Marks of the kingdom of Satan: a. It is full of darkness - Luke 22:53; Eph. 5:11 b. It practices the art of disguise - Gen. 3:1-3; 2 Cor. 11:13, 14 c. Satan's agents parade in sheep's clothing - Matt. 7:15; 23:27 d. Bitter opposition to the law of God is his chief work - Rom. 8:6, 7; Ps. 94:20 e. Self-exaltation is still another mark of his kingdom - Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:12-16 f. This is one of the marks of the anti-Christ - Dan. 7:25; 2 Thess. 2:3-7; Rev. 13:6 g. Cold blooded murder is the nature of his kingdom - John 8:44; 1 Pet. 5:8 C. FINAL DOOM OF SATAN AND HIS RULE 1. His final doom was foretold in the Garden of Eden: Gen. 3:15 a. This is one of the missions of the Son of God - 1 John 3:8; Gen. 3:15; Rom. 16:20 b. Christ came to reclaim the kingdom that Adam lost through transgression - Mi. 4:8; Rev. 11:15 2. Satan and his kingdom will be destroyed: a. He and his fellow rebels will be judged by the saints - 1 Cor. 6:1-3 b. They will be imprisoned for one thousand years - Rev. 20:2, 3; Isa. 24:21, 22 c. God will bring them to final justice - Ezek. 28:12-18 d. His final end will come at the end of the thousand years when he will be cast into the lake of fire where the beast and the false prophet are - Rev. 19:20; 20:10 e. Thus the reign of sin will come to an end; and the kingdom of our God and His Christ will reign over the universe; it will be an everlasting kingdom - Dan. 2:44-45 f. Iniquity shall not arise the second time - Nah. 1:9; Rev. 21:1-6 g. This conflict between good and evil began in heaven - Rev. 12:7-12; it will end on this earth in the triumph of the Son of God, who loved us and delivered us from the kingdom and power of Satan - Col. 1:13 ## THE KINGDOM OF JESUS CHRIST - JOHN 18:36, 37 A. OUR LORD ASSURES US THAT HE IS A KING 1. John 18:36, 37; Matt. 22:11 2. That He has a kingdom: Luke 16:28; 22:30; John 1:49; 12:13 3. The Bible speaks of Him as "King of kings and Lord of Lords": a. Because the world and all that is in it was made by and for Him - Col. 1:14-17; Heb. 1:3, 8, 9 b. He is the rightful heir to the universe - Heb. 1:1-6; Matt. 21:38; Ps. 2:6-12 4. He assures us that one reason why He went back to His Father was to receive a kingdom: Luke 19:12; Dan. 7:14 5. He was anointed King: Heb. 1:8; Ps. 24:1-10 6. He is the King of glory: a. Because He was valiant in battle and His right hand has given Him glorious victory. b. He defeated Lucifer in heaven and He defeated him on the earth - Rev. 12:7, 8; Luke 4:1-11; Matt. 4:1-9 B. NATURE OF THE KINGDOM OF JESUS CHRIST 1. It is not of this world: That means that His kingdom is not the result of war and bloodshed. John 6:15; 18:36 2. The kingdoms of this world are based upon physical force: Dan. 2:7, 8; John 5:19 3. His kingdom is based: a. Upon love - John 13:1-3; Hos. 11:4 b. Everlasting righteousness - Heb. 1:8, 9; 2 Pet. 3:13; Isa. 11:5 4. Subjects of His Kingdom: a. The meek of the earth - Matt. 5:5; Ps. 11:5 b. The overcomers - Rev. 21:7 c. The faithful - Matt. 25:31-34 d. They that endure unto the end - Matt. 24:12 e. Those that keep his commandments - Rev. 14:12; 22:14 f. They that are born again - John 3:1-9; 2 Cor. 5:17 5. Territory of His kingdom: a. The earth made new - 2 Pet. 3:13; Heb. 12:28; Isa. 65:17; 66:22 b. The curse which rested upon the earth because of sin will have been removed for ever. Compare Gen. 3:17 with Rev. 22:3 c. His kingdom will be the reign of peace for ever and ever. C. WILL YOU BE THERE? 1. Many will seek to enter in but shall not be able: Matt. 7:13, 14; Luke 13:23-27 2. At the present they prefer to remain on the broad road: Matt. 7:13, 14 3. They are unwilling to pay the price of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ: EXAMPLES - a. The rich young ruler - Matt. 19:16-19 b. The invited guests - Luke 14:16-32 4. Seven specific conditions of being citizens of the kingdom of Christ: a. Accept Christ as our personal Saviour - John 3:16; 8:31-36; Luke 23:42-44 b. We must be born again - John 3:1-9; 1 John 5:1-6 c. We must bring the fruit of the kingdom - Matt. 21:43 d. We must do the will of our Father which is in heaven - Matt. 7:21-26; Rev. 22:14 e. Purity of heart is a must - 1 John 3:1-6; Rev. 19:27; Matt. 5:8 f. We must be overcomers - Rev. 21:7, 8 g. Keep God's commandments - 1 John 2:4-7; Matt. 5:17-19; Rev. 12:17; 14:12 5. Our being in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ depends also on our wanting to be there: a. Some simply do not want to be there - John 5:40; Luke 14:16-25 b. The way is open to all - John 14:6; Rev. 22:17 c. The invitation to enter the kingdom of Christ still holds good; if we fail, it will be our own fault. ## THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST - JOHN 14:1-3 A. THE PROPHETIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST COVERS THE SACRED PAGES OF THE BIBLE 1. The first recorded promise: a. Was given to our first parents at the time He had to sentence them because of sin - Gen. 3:15 b. During the reign of sin and sorrow the believers found a gleam of hope in the promise of the Messiah. 2. It is inspiring to note how Enoch, the seventh from Adam, pointed to the second coming of Christ: Jude 14, 15 3. The theme of the Patriarchs centered in the coming of the Redeemer: a. We think of Job, in the hour of great sorrow and pain, pinned his hope on the return of his Redeemer - Job 13:17; 14:13; 19:25 b. The Psalmist emphasizes the importance of the coming of the Lord - Ps. 50:1-9 c. Abraham rejoiced that he was permitted to see the consummation of God's promises, which will culminate in the second coming of Christ - John 8:56 d. Angels reassured the sorrowing disciples that Jesus would come again - Acts 1:10, 11 B. THE BLESSEDNESS OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST 1. Paul called it the "blessed hope": Tit. 2:13 a. It is the blessed hope of the sleeping saints - John 5:28, 29; 1 Cor. 15:22, 23 b. In John 14:1-3 the Lord assures us that He will come to reunite with the believers. 2. Events connected with the second coming of Jesus Christ: a. The first resurrection takes place; it is the time when the dead in Christ shall come forth out of their dusty chambers - Dan. 12:2; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; John 5:28, 29 b. It is the time when the Lord will bestow immortality upon the saints - 1 Cor. 15:13-18; 50-58 c. Saved families will be reunited - Jer. 31:15-17; 2 Thess. 2:1-3. That will be wonderful to behold - Ps. 126:2 3. For the world: a. Separation of the wheat from the tares - Matt. 13:40-44; 25:12, 31-38 b. It will not be a time of conversion of the wicked, as assumed by some people. Compare Luke 13:25 with Heb. 9:28, 29; Matt. 25:31-33; Rev. 6:14 c. That will be a real shock for some deluded souls when they find that their hope was pinned on falsehood and deception. C. ATTITUDE OF MEN TOWARD THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST 1. The saints: a. They are praying, "Come Lord Jesus" - Rev. 22:20 b. They will say, "we have waited for him" - Isa. 25:9 c. They have actually looked for His appearing - Heb. 9:28; Phil. 3:20 d. They are making preparation for His coming. Compare 1 John 3:1-3 with Rev. 19:7, 8; Matt. 22:1-12; 24:44; 25:12 2. The world at large: a. Will be occupied with the sinful pleasures of this world - Matt. 24:37-39; Luke 17:26-31 b. Many professed Christians will be indifferent to His coming - Matt. 24:48-51; Luke 14:16-32 c. Some will actually scoff at the promise of His coming - 2 Pet. 3:1-3 d. To all these the Lord will come suddenly, when they do not think that He will come. Compare 1 Thess. 5:1-6 with 2 Thess. 1:7-9 e. They will seek shelter beneath the rocks and the mountains - Rev. 6:13-17 3. "Be ye ready also": a. This is the admonition of the Lord, and we are wise if we heed it. b. As it is, we are a long way from being ready to stand before the Son of man when He comes - Rev. 3:14-17 c. We know considerable about the coming of the Lord; it is, therefore, up to us to be prepared when He comes. d. May the God of mercy and grace give us the courage to make ready for that blessed event. ## MANNER OF CHRIST'S SECOND COMING A. I KNOW OF NO OTHER BIBLE SUBJECT ABOUT WHICH THERE IS MORE CONFUSION THAN ABOUT THE MANNER OF OUR LORD'S SECOND COMING 1. The secret rapture theory: a. This theory would have us believe that the second coming of Christ will be secret to the world at large. b. We are told that the saints will be raptured away, unknown to even some of their very close relatives. 2. There are, of course, different views held by different organizations, even about the secret rapture: a. Russelism teaches that a certain selected group (144,000) will be removed secretly from this earth to the realm of the spirit. b. Others have other concepts about the secret rapture of the saints. B. BUT WE ARE PRIMARILY INTERESTED IN WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT THE MANNER OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST 1. The Bible teaches that: a. The second coming of Christ will be both personal and visible. b. "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" - Acts 1:11 c. "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen." - Rev. 1:7 2. Out of these Bible passages three facts stand out against the secret rapture theory: a. It will be the same Jesus that ascended up into heaven in the presence of the disciples. They saw Him ascend! b. He will come in like manner; He ascended in a cloud and He will come in clouds. c. Every eye shall see Him; that excludes the secret rapture theory. d. The effect of the second coming of our Lord is visible and universal - Rev. 6:15-17 e. "They shall look upon me whom they have pierced" - Zech. 12:10 3. Other facts about the manner of the second coming of Christ: a. He will appear with a shout, the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God - 1 Thess. 4:16 b. The dead in the graves will hear his voice - John 5:28, 29 c. He will come the second time with power and great glory - Matt. 16:27; 25:31 C. THE EFFECTS OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST ARE ALL AGAINST THE SECRET RAPTURE THEORY 1. Upon the world: a. They will pale when they see Him coming in the clouds. Compare Luke 21:34, 35 with Rev. 6:14-17; 1 Thess. 5:1-6 b. They will seek to hide beneath the rocks and the mountains - Rev. 6:14-17 2. Upon the children of God: a. To them it will be the signal of their deliverance from all their enemies, including death. b. That is what the prophet Isaiah foresaw - Isa. 25:9; 1 John 2:28; Rom. 8:18-23 3. Upon the earth: a. The earth will reel to and fro like a drunkard, and it shall be removed like a cottage - Isa. 24:17-20 b. No, dear friends, there will be nothing secret about the second coming of the Lord - Heb. 12:26 c. There is nothing in the Bible that supports the secret rapture theory. d. The living wicked will be slain by the breath of His mouth at His appearing. Compare 2 Thess. 1:7, 8 with Rev. 19:11-19; Isa. 11:4; Jer. 25:31-34 e. The secret rapture theory is one of Satan's master deceptions to deceive the people who have not heeded the instructions of the Bible about the second coming of the Lord - Matt. 24:4, 5, 24; 2 Thess. 2:9-11 f. These few facts should safeguard us against the deception of the so-called "Secret Rapture Theory". ## THE THEORY OF A SECRET RAPTURE A. A POPULAR THEORY ABOUT THE OBJECT OF CHRIST'S SECOND COMING 1. He, according to this theory, will come in secret: Matt. 24:44 a. Two will sleep in the same bed, one will be taken away, while the other will not know anything about it. b. The bride of the Lamb, the church, will be snatched away in a rapture, while the world will continue as usual. 2. It is then, according to this theory, that anti-Christ will begin his reign upon the earth: a. He will cause all men to receive his mark; and those who refuse it will have great tribulation. b. Christ will begin His thousand year reign in old Jerusalem; the Jews will see that they were wrong when they crucified Him and they will accept Him as their Saviour. B. BIBLE FACTS ABOUT THE APPEARING OF THE SON OF MAN AND ITS EFFECT UPON THIS WORLD 1. His coming will not be secret by any means: a. ". . . every eye shall see Him" - Rev. 1:7 b. The living wicked will seek cover in the rocks and beneath the mountains from the face of Him that sitteth upon the throne - Rev. 6:15, 16 c. Christ will come with a shout which will awaken the dead - John 5:28, 29; Matt. 16:27; 24:30; 1 Thess. 4:16 2. It will not be a time for a second chance: a. Experience of the five foolish virgins - Matt. 25:1-12 b. The bitter disappointment that will come to those who accepted the second chance theory - Luke 13:24-28 c. The time of salvation is "Now" - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; John 9:4; Heb. 3:7-9 d. This gospel of the kingdom, which is now going to all nations, will be preached before probation ends; then the end will come, and no other opportunity for salvation is open - Matt. 24:14 C. EVENTS WHICH WILL MARK THE SECOND COMING OF OUR LORD 1. The Righteous: a. Will be immortalized - 1 Cor. 15:50-57; Mark 10:28-30; John 5:28, 29; Dan. 12:2, 3 b. They will be removed from this planet - John 14:1- 3; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; Rev. 4:6; 15:1-3 2. The living wicked: a. Will be slain by the breath of the mouth of the Son of God. Compare 2 Thess. 1:7, 8 with chapter 2:9-11; Isa. 11:4; Rev. 19:15 b. There will be no living human being on this earth after the second coming of Christ for the space of one thousand years - Jer. 4:25; 25:31-38 c. The earth will not be suitable for human survival - Isa. 24:17-20 3. Just before the Lord comes, the people who have been deceived by the false shepherds: a. Will turn upon them with all the fury to destroy them. b. The false preachers themselves will weep because God will destroy their pasture - Isa. 56:9-12; Jer. 25:34-38 4. Bible facts to keep in mind: a. The time of probation is now - John 9:4; 2 Cor. 6:1-3 b. There will be bitter disillusionment for many, who accepted the second chance theory - Luke 13:25-28; Matt. 25:12; Rev. 1:7 5. Beware of the so-called secret rapture theory: a. It is not true; it is false and must be rejected by every truth-loving person. b. This theory was invented by Satan to keep the minds of men from recognizing the great prophetic truths for our time. c. Theological claims for this theory gave no Biblical foundation and are intended to keep the people from accepting God's message. d. To escape these deceptions we must study Present Truth and cleave unto it with all our hearts. ## SIGNS OF CHRIST'S SECOND COMING - MATTHEW 24:1-28, 43-51 A. THE THREEFOLD QUESTION OF THE DISCIPLES 1. "When shall these things be?" 2. "What shall be the sign of thy coming?" 3. "And of the end of the world?" Matt. 24:3 B. OUR LORD'S ANSWER 1. What He did not do: a. He did not brush aside their questions. b. He did not tell them that it is not important for them to know the sign of His coming. 2. What He did do in consequence of their questions: a. He emphasized the importance of paying close attention to the signs of the times, particularly the sign of His coming and the end of the world - Luke 21:34, 35; Matt. 24:33-35 b. He speaks out against those who ignore the signs of the times - Matt. 16:1-3; Luke 19:44 3. The apostles warn us to take heed to the signs foretelling the nearness of the coming of our Lord's return, and the end of the world: a. Paul warns us against indifference - 1 Thess. 5:1-6; Rom. 13:11-14 b. James, too, warns us of the last days - Jas. 5:1-9 c. So does Peter warn us of conditions in the last days - 2 Pet. 3:1-13 4. Some of the signs of our Lord's second coming: a. Worldwide deception - Matt. 24:4, 5, 24 b. The apostles, too, warn against being mislead by the errors of the last days - 2 Thess. 2:1-7, 9-11; 2 Cor. 11:13, 14; 2 Pet. 3:1-4; Jude 24-26 c. Signs among the nations - 1) Wars and rumors of war 2) Distress among the nations 3) Moral breakdown in society. Compare Mi. 7:5, 6 with Luke 17:26-30; 2 Tim. 3:1-9; 1 Tim. 4:1-3 d. Signs in nature: There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars - Luke 21:26; Amos 8:9; Acts 2:19, 20; Rev. 6:13. Earthquakes in divers places - Matt. 24:7; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11. It must be noted that all these heavenly phenomena have taken place and are no longer in the future. C. WHAT THESE THINGS MEAN: 1. To God's children: a. They are signals of the nearness of the coming of the Lord - Matt. 24:32, 33, 42; 1 Thess. 5:1-3 b. They admonish us to be ready for the coming of the Lord - Matt. 24:42-44 c. They urge us to share our faith with others as quickly as possible. d. We are to put off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light - Eph. 6:10-18; Rom. 13:11-14 e. It means that we must secure purity from all defilement - 1 John 3:1-3 f. We must be clothed with the garment of salvation. Compare Rev. 3:14-17 with chapter 16:15; 19:7, 8 2. To the world: a. The world will ignore the signs of our Lord's return - 1 Thess. 5:1-6; Luke 21:34, 35; 2 Pet. 3:1-13 b. But those signs indicate plainly that long- suffering of the Lord has reached its final limits - 1 Pet. 3:1-9 c. That soon the Lord will leave the throne of mercy, put on the garment of vengeance against those who have rejected His mercy and despised sacrifice - Luke 14:14-28; 17:26, 27 3. Finally: The fulfillment of the predictions of our Lord's return has been consummated. It means that God's people are to look up with hope and confidence because the time of their deliverance is drawing near. What a wonderful experience it will be when the shout of deliverance will come from the open graves, the prisons, and the hiding places, where God's people are sheltered during the storm! ## MODERN SPIRITISM A. HISTORICAL SETTING OF MODERN SPIRITISM 1. Date: 1847-48 A.D. 2. Place: Hydesville, New York 3. Actors: The Fox Sisters B. CLAIMS OF SPIRITISM 1. "The dead seek to communicate with the living": 2. "Spirit Mediums are agents used by the departed spirits to commune with the living": 3. Methods of communication: a. Knocking or rapping; usually three knocks in succession. b. Floating objects in the air; table dancing. c. Spirit Photos are used to prove the phenomena of Spiritism. 4. Unusual success claimed for Spiritism: a. Millions subscribe to Spiritism, openly and secretly. b. A number of noted scientists are among the proponents of Spiritism. c. Power of bodily healing is claimed by Spiritualists. 5. Fertile soil for Spiritism: a. In time of war and great loss of life. b. The loss of loved ones in the home where members of the family are deeply devoted to each other. c. People filled with great curiosity about the state of the dead. d. Demonstrations in their meetings and the eagerness of some people contribute to the success of Spiritism. e. They believe that the soul is immortal, which is another contributing factor to the growth of Spiritism. f. It is said that the cult of Spiritism has millions of secret adherents in the Catholic church and also among many Protestant organizations. C. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTS ABOUT THE PHENOMENA OF MODERN SPIRITISM? 1. Blind denials of the claims of Spiritism are not necessarily proof against it: 2. The claims of Spiritism must be tested with the Bible: a. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them" - Isa. 8:19, 20 b. Only in the light of the Bible can the truth about Spiritism be known. 3. A study of the claims of Spiritism: a. The Bible teaches that the dead know not anything - Eccl. 9:5, 6; Ps. 6:5; 146:3, 4 b. Proof is found in Isa. 63:16; Job 14:21; 17:13 c. Christ did all His work in the open, never in the dark - John 18:20; Matt. 24:26 4. The Bible warns us against Spiritism: a. The practice of consulting the dead was forbidden by the severest punishment for those who practiced consulting the dead. Compare Lev. 19:31; Deut. 13:1-5 with Deut. 18:9-13; Isa. 8:19; Acts 16:16 5. Spiritism is not new at all: a. It was introduced by Lucifer in the Garden of Eden - Gen. 3:1-3 b. Ancient nations practiced it in different forms; in Egypt; in Greece; and among the Romans. 6. The facts are that Satan and his angels are the true actors of Spiritism: 2 Cor. 11:14, 15 7. Saul's meddling with Spiritism brought disaster to him: 1 Sam. 28:1; 1 Chron. 10:13, 14 8. New Testament times witnessed this phenomena: Mark 5:9; Matt. 8:29; Acts 13:8; 16:16 9. A full explanation of Spiritism: 1 Tim. 4:1; Matt. 24:23-25; Rev. 13:13; 2 Thess. 2:9; Eph. 6:12 ## THE MODERN JEW IN BIBLE PROPHECY A. THE MODERN JEW IN THE LIGHT OF BIBLE PROPHECY 1. The modern state of Israel: a. A problem child for the United Nations. b. The Arab League seeks to destroy the state of Israel. 2. Some Theologians claim: a. That the state of Israel is the answer to Bible prophecy. b. That the prophets foretold the reconstituting of Israel as a state shortly before the second coming of Christ. B. LET US TAKE A BRIEF LOOK AT THE MODERN JEW IN THE LIGHT OF BIBLE PROPHECY 1. Israel: a. Origin and meaning of the name: It was given by the angel of the Lord to Jacob at the ford of Jabbok - Gen. 32:22-28 b. It signifies: a prince having power with God and men prevailing - Gen. 32:28 c. An Israelite is one in whom there is no guile - John 1:47; Zeph. 3:13 d. A person circumcised in the heart is a true Israelite - Rom. 2:28, 29 e. All who are Christ's are Israelites indeed - Gal. 3:26-29 2. This shows that the name - Israel - is of spiritual origin and is a misnomer when applied to the flesh: Rom. 9:6-8 3. There are two kinds of Israel: a. Israel after flesh - 1 Cor. 10:18; symbolized by Ishmael, son of the bond woman - Gal. 4:21-28; a false seed - Isa. 57:4, 11 b. Israel of God - Gal. 6:16; symbolized by Isaac, son of the free woman - Gal. 4:31. This is the seed according to the promise made to Abraham - Rom. 9:6-9 C. LET US CONSIDER, PRAYERFULLY, GOD'S PROMISES TO ABRAHAM AND HIS SEED 1. The seed of Abraham, to whom God made the promise, is: a. None other but Jesus Christ our Lord - Gal. 3:16 b. Christ and Christ alone is the true heir to God's eternal promise - Heb. 1:1-3 c. The Jews knew that - Matt. 21:37, 38 2. All who accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour become fellow heirs with Christ to all God's promises: Gal. 3:26-29; 4:7; Rom. 8:17 3. It must be remembered: a. That God is no respecter of persons - Acts 10:34, 35; Job 34:19; Rom. 2:11 b. The new birth is the key to sonship in Christ - John 3:3-9; Rom. 8:14-17 c. Flesh and blood are excluded - John 1:12, 13; 1 Cor. 15:50 d. Character, and not blood relation, is what qualifies one to be an heir to God's promises. e. Character comes to us when we become partakers of the divine nature - Eph. 3:6; 2 Pet. 1:2-9 4. One of the missions of our Lord was: a. To remove the wall of partition, set up by the selfishness of sinful human beings - Eph. 2:11-16; to bring into union all men into one faith and one hope through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ - Compare Eph. 2:11-16 with chapter 1:10-12 Our Lord considered this objective a Must - John 10:15, 16; the modern Jew occupies the same place in the scheme of God as does any other sinner for whom Christ died - Gal. 3:26-29 ## BABYLON THE GREAT - REVELATION 17:1-15 A. BABYLON THE GREAT 1. Why this subject? a. Nations have committed spiritual adultery with her - verses 3 and 15 b. Nations are drunk with the wine of her teaching. c. Her spiritual daughters practice the same lewdness toward civil powers. 2. God's judgment is pending against her: Rev. 14:9-11, 16:19; 17:1 B. WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT 1. Origin and meaning of the word - Babylon: a. Dates back to the building of the tower of Babel - Gen. 11:7-11 b. The gate to heaven c. Utter confusion - Gen. 11:3, 4, 5-9 2. Mystery of iniquity: a. 2 Thess. 2:7 b. Rev. 17:5 3. Mother of Harlots: a. That indicates that this woman has daughters which follow her practices. 4. She holds a golden cup in her hand: a. That symbolizes her doctrines with which she has made drunk all nations. b. This was foretold in prophecy - 2 Tim. 4:1-6; 1 Tim. 4:1-6 5. This woman is carried by a scarlet colored beast: a. A beast, in Bible prophecy, stands for a civil power or government. Compare Dan. 7:1-15 with Rev. 13:1-17 b. To be carried by a beast or a civil government simply means that the woman uses civil governments to subjugate the people to her doctrines and will. c. This happened during the dark ages when over 50,000,000 persons lost their lives for refusing to follow the teaching of Rome - Rev. 17:6; 18:24 C. TRUTHS ABOUT BABYLON THE GREAT TO BE MADE KNOWN TO THE WORLD 1. There are many of God's people in her system: Rev. 18:4 a. That is one great reason why God is withholding her final destruction. EXAMPLES - 1) Long suffering of God in the days of Lot - Gen. 18:23-32; 19:22 2) Jonah and the city of Nineveh - Jonah 4:11 3) The city of Corinth in the days of Paul - Acts 18:10 b. These must be brought out of her before she will be destroyed - Rev. 18:4; John 10:15, 16 2. Specific marks of this fallen system: a. Speaks blasphemy against the most High. Compare Dan. 7:25 with Rev. 13:6; 2 Thess. 2:1-7 b. Destroys God's people - Dan. 7:25; Rev. 13:7, 16-18 c. Attempts to change times and law - Dan. 7:25; Ps. 94:20 3. The burden of the Advent Movement: a. To present the specific prophesies of the Bible which will expose this great fallen and counterfeit system - Isa. 58:1, 2; Rev. 18:1-4 b. To call out of the fallen churches the people that hunger and thirst for the truth which will save their souls. c. That shows that the Advent Movement is prophetic in its existence and also in its worldwide mission - Rev. 14:7 4. End of Babylon the Great: a. She will be visited with one of the seven last plagues - Rev. 16:10-13 b. She will be burned as with fire - Rev. 17:16; 18:6 ## THE ANTI-CHRIST A. THE WORD "ANTI-CHRIST" IS MENTIONED THREE TIMES IN THE EPISTLES OF JOHN 1. "Little children, it is the last time; and as ye have heard that anti-Christ shall come, even now are there many anti-Christs; whereby we know that it is the last time." - 1 John 2:18 2. "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of anti-Christ." 1 John 4:3 3. "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an anti-Christ." 2 John 7 B. THE STUDY OF BIBLE PROPHECY REVEALS CLEARLY 1. That the anti-Christ is not a person but a system: a. Daniel speaks of the anti-Christ as a beast power - "the little horn" - Dan. 7:24, 25 b. John writes about a "Leopard beast" - Rev. 13:1-9 2. It is a religious system personified: a. In the man of sin - 2 Thess. 2:3-7 b. "The throne of iniquity" - Ps. 94:20 c. "The son of perdition" - 2 Thess. 2:3 3. The anti-Christ is the man of sin, the throne of iniquity, and the man of sin: a. Because of the crime committed by this system against the law of God - Dan. 7:25 b. Because this system is a centralized organization - the city of Rome - Rev. 13:1-10 c. And finally, this system centers in a person, the head of the church, to whom all render absolute loyalty at all times. 4. To be noted is the fact that this anti-Christ system is: a. Worldwide - Rev. 13:3 b. The world pays homage to this system c. Even civil power supports and upholds this system - Rev. 13:2 C. FOUR UNMISTAKABLE MARKS OF IDENTITY OF THE ANTI-CHRIST 1. He speaks great words against the Most High: a. Uses titles that belong to God alone - 2 Thess. 2:6, 7; Rev. 13:6, 7; Dan. 7:25 b. Wears out the saints of the Most High; that is, he seeks to destroy all who oppose this system. Think of the martyrs of the dark ages - Rev. 12 c. He attempted to change God's law and the seventh day Sabbath commanded in the fourth commandment - Dan. 7:25; Ps. 94:20 2. He claims: a. Power to forgive the sins of the people. b. He claims that his priests have creative power when they read the mass to turn the Son of God into a piece of bread. c. He claims infallibility when speaking doctrines. 3. This system teaches the doctrine of holy flesh: a. Since Christ came in the flesh, John 1:14, this system claims that its saints are, including their flesh, holy. b. But the Son of God states that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God - John 3:1-6; 1 Cor. 15:50 4. It may be useful to add that the ladder seen by Jacob in his dream, Gen. 28:12, symbolizes Christ; but the Papacy claims that its priest-craft represents the stairway to heaven: 5. It must be noted, further, that the system of the anti- Christ has been working since the days of the apostle: a. Paul says of it, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work" - 2 Thess. 2:7 b. John connects this system with Pagan Rome - Rev. 13:17 c. He saw this power reappearing with renewed vigor in the end of time - Rev. 13:1-9 ## THE REFORMATION A. WHY THIS SUBJECT? 1. Current efforts of nominal Protestants to curry the favors of Rome: a. Lutheran leaders, brushing aside many plain and direct testimonies of Martin Luther against the Papacy, seek reapproachment with Rome. b. Methodists and other Protestants invite Roman leaders to participate in their devotional gatherings, something unheard of a few years ago. 2. What do all these things mean? a. Was the Reformation ill-conceived? b. Do Protestants owe an apology to the Papacy? c. Has Rome had a change of heart toward the hated heretics - called rebels? 3. Claims of Seventh-day Adventists: a. That it is here in answer to Bible Prophecy - Rev. 12:17 b. To finish the Reformation - Acts 3:19-21; Isa. 58:1-14 B. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE REFORMATION 1. The great reason for it: a. The apostasy following the apostolic movement - Acts 20:28, 29; 2 Tim. 4:1-6 b. The Papal supremacy was foreseen - 2 Thess. 2:1-7; Dan. 7:8-12; 8:12; Rev. 13:5-9 2. The Reform movement: a. Was to continue until all gospel truths, brushed aside by the Papacy, would be restored to the believers - Acts 3:19-21 b. That includes the restoration of the creation Sabbath - Isa. 56:1-7; 58:13 3. The Platform of the Reformation: a. The Bible and the Bible only. b. The slogan of Protestant incentives. c. A free will to make our own decision as to what is the truth. 4. Justification by faith: Rom. 5:1-6; Eph. 2:7, 8 5. Forming our own convictions about our duty to God, based upon what the Bible teaches, regardless of the theory of the church of Rome: 6. Putting the main emphasis of the doctrine "saved by grace" in deference to the works of the flesh: 7. Restoration to God's people of all the duties and provisions of the Bible: a. Including the Bible teaching on the nature of man - Gen. 2:15, 16; 3:1-6, 19-23; John 3:16 b. The Sabbath of the fourth commandment - Acts 20:8- 11; Jas. 2:8-11; Rev. 12:17; Isa. 56:1-7; 58:1-14 C. WHAT GOD WILL ACCOMPLISH THROUGH THE REFORMATION 1. Will restore to His church all truths brushed aside or buried by the Papacy during the 1260 years of its supremacy: a. Based upon Bible prophecy. Compare Dan. 7:25 with Rev. 13:1-18; 14:7-12 b. Paul warned the Elders of the apostasy in no uncertain language - Acts 20:20-28; 2 Thess. 2:1-7 c. This is the work of the Holy Ghost as foretold by our Lord - John 16:12, 13 d. He will prepare a people for His second coming - Mal. 4:1-4; Rev. 14:1-12 e. It will be a remnant only - Rev. 12:17; 14:12; 22:14 2. The glorious Banner of Truth: a. God's people will hold it high to be seen by all the inhabitants of the earth and the seas - Isa. 13:2; Ps. 60:4 b. The banners of God's people are emblems of conflict and glorious victory - Ps. 20:5; Song of Solomon 6; 7 c. Let us do our prayerful and dedicated part to hasten the consummation of the Reformation begun by the Apostles and to be completed by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in this generation. ## THE ELIJAH MESSAGE - MALACHI 4:5, 6 A. THE ELIJAH MESSAGE 1. A reformatory message: 1 Ki. 18:19 2. Directed - mainly to Israel: Mal. 4:5 3. Accompanied by great power: 1 Ki. 18:30-38 4. The work of Elijah was symbolic of: a. The work of John the Baptist - Matt. 11:1-14; 16:14 b. The Three Angels' message of Rev. 14:6-12; Mal. 4:1-7 B. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT 1. The man Elijah: a. He was a man of like passions as we are - Jas. 5:17 b. Those passions revealed themselves on a number of occasions in his ministry. Compare 2 Ki. 1:10-12 with 1 Ki. 18:40; 19:4 2. He was a man of great power: a. Heaven withheld rain for the earth the space of three and one-half years at his petition - Jas. 5:17 b. Fire consumed the offering, the water, the stone - 1 Ki. 18:37, 38 c. This power was recognized by his disciples and they desired a portion of it - 2 Ki. 2:9 3. Secret of this great power: a. The presence and indwelling of the Holy Ghost in his life - Acts 1:8 b. It is the Holy Spirit which energizes human beings to do exploits for God - EXAMPLES - 1. Joseph - Gen. 41:38 2. Daniel - Dan. 4:8, 18 3. Our Lord - John 7:26 4. The Spirit and Power of Elijah was to be repeated: a. In the ministry of John the Baptist - Matt. 3:1-9 b. In the Second Advent Movement - Rev. 18:1; Acts 2:17 C. NATURE OF THE ELIJAH MESSAGE 1. A reformatory message: 1 Ki. 18:1-32; 19:1-26 2. A reform that would affect the family relationship:Mal. 4:6 3. The work of Elijah was typical of the work of John the Baptist: a. That is what Christ said - Matt. 11:14 b. The work of John the Baptist was a preparatory work, preparing the way for the first coming of the Son of God - Luke 1:17 4. Of special interest to us today is that the closing work of the Third Angel will be marked by great power: Rev. 18:1-3 a. This work, too, is a reformatory work - bringing, among other things, the Bible Sabbath to God's people - Isa. 56:1-7; 58:1-14 b. It will restore to the believers all those gospel truths that the Reformers in the earlier days of the Reformation were either unwilling to preach or were uninformed about it. c. The Advent message, too, will affect family life in its truest relationship to godliness and love for the truth - 2 Cor. 6:14-17 d. God will have a people separated from the world and its defilements - Rev. 18:4; 1 John 2:15, 16 e. God's people will have come out of Babylon in every word, thought, and action - 2 Cor. 6:17; Rom. 13:11-14 f. God's ideal for His people will have been brought about through the proclamation of Present Truth - John 8:32-36; Rev. 14:12; 19:7; Eph. 5:26-28 g. Significant to us is the fact that the closing work of the third angel will be accompanied with great power - Early Writings, pages 277-278. ## THE SABBATH REFORM MOVEMENT - ACTS 3:19-21 A. THE SABBATH REFORM MOVEMENT 1. Pertinent questions by our Sunday keeping friends: a. "If the keeping of the seventh day of the week is obligatory of Christians, why was such an obligation not emphasized by the great Reformers?" b. "Why did Paul not command believers in so many words, 'if ye fail to keep the seventh day Sabbath, ye are lost'?" c. "If the Reformers were led by the Holy Spirit, why did they ignore the Sabbath?" 2. These and similar questions have been brought to my attention on many occasions: a. They are asked in the assumption that the supposed silence of the Reformers is proof that the seventh day Sabbath is not a moral obligation to the Christian believers. b. That the assumed silence of Paul is further evidence against the Sabbath concept. B. FACTS IGNORED, OVERLOOKED, BY OUR SUNDAY KEEPING FRIENDS 1. That the Reformation, as guided by the Holy Spirit, is: a. Progressive - Acts 3:19-21 b. It is cognizant of man's limitation to recognize and accept light and truth - John 16:12; Luke 18:34; 24:25 2. That the path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day: Prov. 4:18 3. That twelve hundred and sixty years of darkness cannot be dispelled in the minds and lives of the people in a short time or through the preaching of a few men: a. Human beings do not possess the capacity or willingness to accept light all at once. b. God, in mercy and long-suffering, adjusts His program to our comprehension. C. THE SABBATH REFORM MOVEMENT BASED UPON BIBLE PROPHECY 1. Peter, on the day of Pentecost, assures us: a. That Christ will not come the second time until complete restitution has been made of all things spoken by God since the world began - Acts 3:19-21 b. James seems to allude to the same work of restoration - Acts 15:15-18 2. The Prophet Isaiah speaks about the Sabbath reform movement: a. In Isa. 56:1-7 b. Isa. 58:1-14 3. Four prophetic facts stand out in the above two chapters: a. Special emphasis is placed upon the proper keeping of the Sabbath of the Lord - Compare Isa. 56:1-3 with chapter 58:13 b. The keeping of the Bible Sabbath is spoken of as "repairing the breach" - Isa. 58:12 c. That indicates that someone had made a breach in the law of God - Compare the Ten Commandments as written in Ex. 20:1-17 with the law as changed by the Church of Rome - Dan. 7:25; Ps. 94:20 d. This breach is brought to God's people's attention through the Sabbath Reform Movement today. Upwards of over one hundred thousand people take off their foot from God's holy day every year in all the world. 4. Both our Lord and the apostles did not only keep the true Bible Sabbath but they gave strong emphasis to its loving observance: a. Compare Luke 4:16 with Matt. 12:8; Mark 2:27, 28; Luke 6:5; Matt. 24:20 b. Compare Rom. 3:31 with Acts 13:42-44; 16:13; 17:1-9; 18:1-6; Rev. 22:14 ## ARMAGEDDON A. ARMAGEDDON 1. Bible students among us are sharply divided as to the nature of the Battle of Armageddon: a. One school of thought, toward which I lean, holds that "the Bible Armageddon" is both a physical as well as a spiritual battle. b. A relatively new theory holds that the Armageddon of the Bible will not be a physical but a spiritual battle. B. BIBLE FACTS 1. Historically, the valley of Megiddo is noted because many historic battles have been fought there: a. The battle between Israel and her neighboring nations - Judg. 5:19; 2 Ki. 9:23-27; 2 Chron. 35:22, 2 Ki. 23:29 b. It is this area to which the book of Revelation seems to have reference to - Rev. 16:12-16 2. It is the crossroad between the East and the West; the inevitable place of conflict between the nations. The vale of Kishon and the region of Megiddo are known in history as "The battlefield between nations": 3. It is my humble opinion that Joel 3:9-14 has a double application: a. It predicts a feverish preparation by the nations for the final conflict. b. And also the time when Satan will seek to exterminate the people of God. c. When we consider Rev. 16:12-16 in the light of Joel 3:9-14 we cannot come to any other conclusion. 4. Let us keep in mind these prophetic facts: a. Our Lord's prophecy of the closing events prior to His second coming - Matt. 24:6, 7; Luke 21:25, 26 b. Joel's forecast of what the nations would do in the last days - Joel 3:9-14. c. Let us interpret these forecasts in the light of the feverish preparation of the nations for war today. 5. From the reading of our text, five facts seem to stand out: a. The battle of Armageddon takes place under the sixth plague. That is after probation closes. b. It must be a physical battle because the earth and all that is on the earth will be affected by it. c. That is the devastation the angel of Revelation 7 must have reference to - Rev. 7:1 d. Satan is the instigator of this conflagration - Rev. 12:12; 1 Pet. 4:8 e. All nations will be involved in this battle - Joel 3:9-14 C. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BIBLE ARMAGEDDON 1. If Armageddon is a spiritual battle and not a physical battle: a. Why does Satan stir up the nations to prepare for war? - Joel 3:9-14; Matt. 24:6, 7 b. Why are the angels called upon to hold the winds of strife until the work of the gospel has been finished? - Rev. 7:1; Matt. 24:14 c. Why does the Lord say that "nation shall rise against nation" - Matt. 24:6, 7 d. Why does Satan lead the nations to the valley of Jehoshaphat? - Joel 3:12 2. We realize, however, that the details of the battle of Armageddon are not given in Bible prophecy: a. The prophets interpreted the battle in the light of the knowledge they had of methods of warfare of their own day. b. Methods have changed but the objectives of Satan have not changed; he still seeks to destroy the nations - Isa. 14:12-17 c. It is true, also, that God's people are, in the end, the real target of Satan, and he will use the nations to destroy them - Dan. 12:1; Rev. 12:12-17 d. The views of the Pioneers are correct, even if they did not know the details of the final conflict. ## THE MILLENNIUM A. THE BIBLE MILLENNIUM 1. The word "Millennium" is not found in the Bible: 2. It is of theological origin and signifies a period of one thousand years: Rev. 20:2, 4, 5, 7 B. THE BIBLE MILLENNIUM AND THE EVENTS CONNECTED WITH IT 1. The opening events of the one thousand years as spoken of in Bible prophecy: a. Satan will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit. b. His imprisonment will last one thousand years; spoken of in Isaiah as "many days" - Isa. 24:22 2. The victorious saints will be occupied with sitting in judgment over Satan, his angels, and the wicked: a. Daniel saw this scene - Dan. 7:22 b. John confirmed this vision as seen by Daniel - Rev. 20:4 c. Paul, too, foretold of this work by the redeemed - 1 Cor. 6:1-6 3. The Millennium, or the binding of Satan, begins with the second coming of Jesus Christ: a. Satan is bound by a chain of events that are connected with the second coming of Christ. b. When Christ comes, the dead in Christ are raised - 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:22, 23; John 5:28, 29 c. All the saints are removed from the earth to the third heaven. Compare John 14:1-3 with 1 Thess. 4:13-17 d. The living wicked will be slain by the breath of the Son of God at His appearing. Compare 2 Thess. 1:7, 8 with Rev. 19:15 4. These events bind Satan; he has no one to tempt or to torment or to use against God: a. He is bound by a chain of events which he cannot break. b. He is confined to this earth. 5. The earth, during the thousand years, will be in a desolate condition: a. The prophet Jeremiah gives us a vivid description of the condition of the earth during the thousand year period. Compare Jer. 4:23-25 with chapter 25:31-38 b. The heavenly constellation will not function during the thousand years - Amos 8:9; Ezek. 32:7 C. CLOSING EVENTS OF THE MILLENNIUM 1. Christ will come from heaven: a. To make His home on the new earth - Rev. 21:3 b. The New Jerusalem will come down from heaven and in it the saints of the most High - Rev. 21:10 2. The second resurrection, or the resurrection of the wicked, takes place: a. The Bible speaks of two resurrections - 1) The resurrection of the righteous or just takes place at the second coming of Christ - John 5:28, 29; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:22, 23 2) The wicked will not live again until the thousand years are ended - Rev. 20:5 b. It is this event that frees Satan for a short time and he re-engages in his work of deception as before - Rev. 20:8 c. But this deception will climax his work because both he and the deceived will meet their final doom; they will be destroyed by fire which will fall down from heaven - Rev. 20:9, 10 3. It is significant: a. That Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed with fire that came down from heaven - Gen. 19:24, 25 b. The same fate will end the reign of sin for ever and ever - 2 Pet. 2:4-6 4. The earth, purified by fire, will be made new and will become the home of the redeemed for ever and ever: 2 Pet. 3:9-11; Isa. 34:8-10. Compare, also, Isa. 65:17- 19 with chapter 66:22, 23; Rev. 22:1-9 Will you be there? ## THE KINGDOM OF GLORY - MATTHEW 25:30 A. WE HAVE LEARNED IN OUR FORMER STUDY THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS A DUAL KINGDOM 1. At the present it is the kingdom of grace: a. It is the reign of grace - Rom. 5:21 "as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." b. Christ makes the heart the seat of His kingdom - Col. 1:27; 1 Cor. 15:25 c. The life of the believer is under the control of Christ the King - Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:16, 17 2. The kingdom of glory follows the reign of grace: a. The very purpose of grace is to prepare the subjects of God's kingdom for the kingdom of glory; there can be no hope for glory without the effectual preparation of the subjects of the kingdom - 1 John 3:1-3; Rev. 19:7, 8, 27 b. The kingdom of grace, when it has finished its work, will usher in the kingdom of glory - 2 Cor. 3:17, 18 B. THE KINGDOM OF GLORY 1. It consists of: a. A King - Ps. 2:6; 24:7-10; Rev. 19:16 b. Subjects of the kingdom - Isa. 52:3; Matt. 5:5; Ps. 37:11; Dan. 7:22 c. Territory - the whole earth will be the territory where Christ, our King, will reign - Rev. 11:15; Heb. 12:28 2. Adam and Even reigned on this earth for a short time: a. He had been crowned - Ps. 8:4-9; Gen. 1:26-28 b. He lost his kingdom through transgression - Gen. 3:1-23 c. They sold out to Lucifer - Luke 4:5, 6; Isa. 52:3 d. That is how Satan got control of this world - John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; Luke 4:6 3. Christ regained the first dominion: a. His victory was foretold - Mi. 4:8; Luke 19:10 b. He brought it back to be repossessed by the redeemed - Gen. 13:14, 15; 17:8; Acts 7:5; Heb. 11:8-13 c. It is the earth in its renewed state - Isa. 65:17- 20; 2 Pet. 3:13 C. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE KINGDOM OF GLORY 1. Its capitol: The New Jerusalem. a. Heb. 11:8-11; Rev. 21:2; Gal. 4:26 b. Dimensions of the capitol. It is four square - 375 miles on each side; covers an estimated 90,000,000 acres of land. c. It has twelve foundations and twelve gates. 2. It will become the center of the universe: a. Throne of God will be moved from the third heaven to this earth - Rev. 21:1-6; Luke 1:32, 33 b. The tree of life will be in the New Jerusalem - Rev. 22:1-6 3. Inhabitants of the kingdom of glory: a. All who are born again - John 3:1-9 b. The pure in heart - Matt. 5:8 c. They that keep the commandments of God - Rev. 22:14; Matt. 5:17-19 4. Will we know each other in the kingdom of glory: a. Negatively - not as we have known each other in our present state - sin, sorrow, wickedness, and pain; not as we know each other in a state of imperfection, for the former things have passed away. b. Positively - we shall know one another in our redeemed state - no sin, sickness, sorrow, nor death. All will be love and eternal harmony. ## OUR ETERNAL HOME - 2 PETER 3:13 A. "NEVERTHELESS WE, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE, LOOK FOR NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH, WHEREIN DWELLETH RIGHTEOUSNESS." 1. The promise of a new heaven and a new earth is indicative: a. That this earth was created to be the eternal home of the children of men - Ps. 115:16 b. God made it, not in vain, but to be inhabited - Isa. 45:18 c. Our first parents were fully informed about God's plan with this earth - Gen. 1:26-31; 2:8-14 2. But our opening text reveals, further, that the Creator's original design had been prevented by: a. Man's disobedience or transgression - Gen. 3:23, 24 b. Man became a vagabond, a pilgrim, and a stranger upon the earth, which was intended to be his eternal home - Heb. 11:13-16 c. Jacob, as well as the Psalmist, speak of their pilgrimage - Gen. 47:9; Ps. 119:54 d. The earth has become a battlefield between good and evil; a vale of tears; a graveyard filled with the bones of dead men. B. OUR ETERNAL HOME: "A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH" 1. This has been the hope of all God's pilgrims ever since our first parents lost their home because of sin: a. Must have been the consolation of Adam and Eve when they lost their Edenic home. b. The God-fearing Patriarchs understood this promise and lived accordingly - Heb. 11:7-16 c. Many of those, who looked forward to this eternal home, refused deliverance that they might obtain a better home - Heb. 11:40; 12:28 2. This glorious promise of our eternal home is indicative of: a. That God's original plan will be carried out in due time - Acts 15:18; Hab. 2:4 b. A new heaven and a new earth will become a reality - Isa. 65:17-25 3. That the earth, defiled by sin, having been under the curse since sin began: Gen. 3:17, 18; Isa. 24:5, 6 a. Will be purified by fire. b. Will be made new - Isa. 34:8-10; 2 Pet. 3:10 c. Presently it is growing old like a garment - Heb. 1:9-12 C. NATURE OF OUR ETERNAL HOME 1. The new earth will be: a. Free from sin. b. Will be free from the curse that rested upon it ever since sentence was passed upon Adam and Eve - Rev. 22:3 c. Again, like the Garden of Eden - Isa. 35:1-10; 51:3 d. The great seas will be no more - Rev. 21:1 e. The garden, which was removed from the earth, will be brought back again to this earth after the earth has been purified - Rev. 2:7; 22:1-3 f. The beauty of the eternal home is beyond our comprehension and beyond description - 1 Cor. 2:9, 10 2. Inhabitants of the new earth: a. They, too, will be new - John 3:1-6; 2 Cor. 5:17 b. Meekness will be the nature of their being - Matt. 5:5; Ps. 37:11 c. Immortality will make them suitable for their eternal home - Rev. 21:1-4; Isa. 35:3-10 d. Eternal joy will fill their mouths with laughter - Ps. 126:2; Isa. 51:11 e. They will see the King in His beauty - Rev. 21:1- 3; Isa. 33:17; Matt. 5:8 3. How the knowledge of the eternal home affects our lives: a. Think of the saints in past ages - Heb. 11:13-16 b. Does it make us homesick for heaven and the glories we shall behold there? c. Has it made us willing to set out hope and affections on things above? Col. 3:2 d. Has it made an impression upon our moral life? 2 Pet. 3:13, 14 # Section II: 125 Outlines on Bible Doctrine ## THE HOLY BIBLE A. THE BIBLE IS CALLED 1. "The book of the Lord": Isa. 34:16 2. "The scripture of truth": Dan. 10:21 3. "The holy scriptures": Rom. 1:2; 2 Tim. 3:15 4. "The lively oracles": Acts 7:38 5. "The gospel of God": Rom. 1:1-3 B. EVIDENCE OF THE DIVINE ORIGIN OF THE BIBLE 1. Its fulfilled predictions put the stamp of divinity upon its pages: a. God's challenge to the doubter - Isa. 41:22-26; Dan. 7:1-17 b. The spade in the field of science confirms its claims to truth - Isa. 29:4 2. The accuracy and truthfulness of its message attest to its divine nature: a. Its record of creation is incomparable - Gen. 1:2; Ps. 19:1- 6; 111:1-4 b. The Bible story of the flood is still another witness for the divine origin of the Bible - Gen. 6:7, 8; Luke 17:26, 27; 2 Pet. 3:1-5 c. The story of our Lord, His birthplace, add greatly to the verification of the Bible - Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23; Mi. 5:2; Isa. 53:1-12 3. Its singular unity: a. It was written by priests, prophets, shepherds, and fishermen; yet it is one single unit from start to finish. b. What is so remarkable, in most instances, is that the writers of the books of the Bible had no contact with each other, could not compare notes, yet their message is the same throughout. c. There are no other compilations of records of sixty-six books that are as harmonious as the sixty-six books of the Bible - Isa. 34:16 4. Finally, its moral sublimity is irrefutable proof that God is its Author: a. It gives the most elevated concept of God; this in sharp contrast to the Pagan deities - Ex. 34:6; 1 John 4:16; Matt. 6:9 b. That is true, also, of man - Gen. 1:26-29; Eccl. 7:29; Ps. 8:4-11 c. It teaches the highest concept of morality - 1) The golden rule - Matt. 7:12 2) The Ten Commandments - Ex. 20:3-17 3) The Sermon on the Mount - Matt. 5:1-48 4) Paul's writing - Phil. 4:8 C. BEST OF ALL, IF THAT IS POSSIBLE 1. Its elevating influence upon mankind: a. It uplifts and enables as nothing else can - Heb. 4:12; Ps. 1:1-6; Acts 19:18-20 b. It holds out to the believers the most glorious promise of the future - 2 Pet. 1:19-21; 3:1-13; Rev. 21:22 2. The Bible has stood the test of the ages: a. The enemies of the Bible predicted its doom over and over, and yet it is the most wanted and most bought book of all books sold. b. It has been burned by the millions, yet it multiplied in increasing numbers. c. It is the most revered book of all the books read by intelligent persons. d. Empires have come and gone, yet the Bible which foretold their rise and fall still lives. e. It is at one and the same time the most ancient and also the most modern book to be read by modern man. 3. Let me repeat, reverently: a. No other book has influenced the hearts and the lives of people as has the Bible - 2 Tim. 3:15-17 b. Its very name is revered by Christians, Jews, and even by Pagans. c. I have often asked the question "What would my life be or have been if it had not been for the influence of the Bible?" d. What would the world be today if it were not for the influence of the Bible? e. What would the American home be today if it were not for the Bible? 4. The Holy Bible: a. Is the best book in the world. b. It opens vistas to the human mind that make the difference now and in eternity! c. It is, indeed, as Paul says, the book of God. Let us keep it that way. ## THE SUFFICIENCY OF BIBLE REVELATION A. "AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, IF THEY HEAR NOT MOSES AND THE PROPHETS, NEITHER WILL THEY BE PERSUADED, THOUGH ONE ROSE FROM THE DEAD." - Luke 16:31 1. The words of our text are, as you know, a part of the conversation between Abraham and the rich man of our Lord's parable: 2. In this parable Christ shows that the people, who live for themselves in this world, will reap the fruit of their selfish heart: Rom. 6:23 B. "THEY HAVE MOSES AND THE PROPHETS; LET THEM HEAR THEM . . . IF THEY HEAR NOT MOSES AND THE PROPHETS, NEITHER WILL THEY BE PERSUADED, THOUGH ONE ROSE FROM THE DEAD." 1. That establishes these facts: a. That the sixty-six books of the Bible are the all-sufficient Revelation to prepare us for a sanctified life and also for glory land - 2 Tim. 3:15-17 b. That no other supernatural manifestation can supplant the written word of God - Gal. 1:8, 9; Rev. 22:17, 18 c. "To the law and to the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." - Isa. 8:20 d. Man-made traditions, too, are out as far as saving revelation is concerned - Mark 7:7-13; Isa. 29:13, 14 e. Dreams, too, unless they are in harmony with the written Word of God - Jer. 23:28 2. The grand purpose of revelation: a. To reveal Christ to the sinner - John 5:39; Luke 24:25-28 b. To make known the plan of redemption - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; John 5:46, 47 c. To establish saving faith upon a sound foundation - Rom. 10:17; John 7:37, 38 d. To safeguard us against the deception of the last days - 2 Thess. 2:9-11; 1 John 2:3-7 3. Let us keep in mind: a. That persons have been raised from the dead, yet some people refused to believe the truth - EXAMPLES - 1) Lazarus, the friend of our Lord was brought back from the dead - John 11:4-48; 12:17-43; 2) the daughter of the centurion was brought back to life - Matt. 8:8-13; 3) the son of a widow was raised from the dead by the power of Christ - Luke 7:14 b. Yet, the Pharisees refused to accept the Word of God - John 9:18 C. THE BIBLE HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE A SUFFICIENT REVELATION TO INSTRUCT US IN THE WAY OF SALVATION 1. It was recognized by Jesus Christ as the all-sufficient source of light: a. He always appealed to the Bible as the supreme authority for truth - Matt. 4:1-12; Luke 4:1-9 b. He based His faith in Him upon what the Bible said concerning Him - John 5:39, 46, 47; 7:37-39; Luke 24:25-28 2. It was the very basis of the preaching by the apostles: a. Paul warns against departing from the Bible - 2 Tim. 4:1-6 b. Peter, too, admonishes us to heed the Word of God - 2 Pet. 1:16-20; 3:1-6 3. Think, dear friends: a. What would the world know about the origin of sin? Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18 b. What would we know about creation? - Ps. 33:6, 9; Rom. 1:20; Ps. 19:1-6 c. What would we know about redemption? - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Matt. 22:29 d. What would we know about the second coming of Christ? - John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11 e. What would we know about the state of the dead and the resurrection? - 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:12-57 f. What would we know about the World of Tomorrow? - 2 Pet. 3:13; 1 Cor. 2:9-17; Rev. 21:1-17; 22:1-22 ## THE SAINTS' ESTIMATE OF THE WORD OF GOD A. "I LOVE THY COMMANDMENTS ABOVE GOLD; YEA ABOVE FINE GOLD" - Psalms 119:127 1. David is noted for his love and admiration for the Word of God: a. "The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." - Psalms 119:72 b. "Forever, O Lord, thy Word is settled in heaven." - Verse 89 c. "I have seen an end of all perfection: but thy commandment is exceedingly broad." - Verse 96 d. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my pathway." - Verse 105 e. To the saints of God, God's Word is the one pearl of great price - Matt. 13:46 B. LET US CONSIDER SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THE LOVE AND ADMIRATION OF THE CHILDREN OF GOD FOR THE BIBLE 1. The supreme excellency of the Bible: a. Its heavenly origin. Compare 2 Pet. 1:19-21 with Isa. 34:16; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 b. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost - 2 Pet. 1:21; 1 Pet. 1:11; Acts 1:16 c. All scripture is given by the inspiration of God - 2 Tim. 3:15-17 2. The great antiquity of the Bible: a. It is the oldest book known to men. b. Its records form the basis of all reliable histories, secular and ecclesiastical. This is a point to keep in mind in our appraisal of the Bible. c. The story of the Bible covers not only the history of the world but God's relation with men from the very beginning. No other account of mankind is comparable to the universality of the Bible. d. It can be said that the Bible is, in truth, the ALPHA and the OMEGA of the divine written revelation. 3. Their miraculous preservation: a. The Bible has been hated, mutilated, burned, refuted; Atheists have given funeral orations to its "final doom", as predicted by its bitter enemies, yet it lives! b. Empires, small and great, have disappeared, but the Bible still stands in all its divine vigor and majestic strength. 4. We think of the glorious revelation of the sacred scriptures: a. They give us the most elevated concept of God and His attitude toward men - John 3:16; 1 John 4:8 b. They give us the highest concept of man made in the image of God - Gen. 1:26, 27 c. The Ten Commandments are the very heart of all true morality - Ex. 20:3-17; Matt. 22:34-38; Matt. 7:12 d. The Bible points to Jesus Christ, the only hope of the world - John 5:39, 46, 47; Acts 4:12 e. Finally, the Bible gives the brightest view of the future for God's people - 1 Cor. 2:9-11; 2 Pet. 3:13 C. THE SAINTS' ESTIMATE OF THE BLESSINGS OF THE BIBLE SUMMED UP 1. God's children show how they evaluate the Bible: a. By diligent perusal of God's word - Isa. 34:16; John 5:39; Acts 17:11 b. By making the message of the Bible the subject of much prayer and meditation - Ps. 119:15 c. By living the truths it brings to them - Jas. 1:22, 23 d. By submitting their lives to the authority, regardless of the cost - Ps. 119:32-35, 168 e. By spreading its message abroad, to all nations - Matt. 28:18-20 2. Blessings derived: a. Increase in knowledge b. Increase in holiness c. Increase in true happiness - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Ps. 119:9, 100, 165 ## THE RIGHT RECEPTION OF THE WORD OF GOD A. "YE RECEIVED IT NOT AS THE WORD OF MAN, BUT AS IT IS IN TRUTH, THE WORD OF GOD." - 1 Thess. 2:13 1. A Bible Christian has a great deal to do with the Bible. To be informed in God's word is: a. A great privilege b. A great blessing - Josh. 1:8; Deut. 17:19 2. His very life, past, present, and future, is interwoven with the teaching of the Bible: a. He lives by it - Matt. 4:4; Jer. 15:16 b. It is his wisdom - Ps. 119:99, 100; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 B. LET US ATTEMPT TO ANALYZE OUR OPENING TEXT TO LEARN SOME OF ITS IMPLICATIONS 1. The Word of God: a. When we speak of the Word of God we include the sixty-six books of the Bible - 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Luke 24:25-28 b. Paul included all the sacred writings in all his messages - Acts 24:14; 26:22 c. It is noteworthy to see how our Lord uses the `all' when explaining the Bible - Luke 24:25-28 d. Paul follows the Saviour's example by using the word `all' in his explanation of the Bible - 2 Tim. 3:16, 17 2. Has it ever occurred to you that the books of Moses and the prophets are never called "The Old Testament"?: a. They are called "the book of the Lord" - Isa. 34:16 b. "The scripture of truth" - Dan. 10:21 c. "The gospel of God" - Rom. 1:1-3 d. "The lively oracles" - Acts 7:38; Rom. 3:2; 1 Pet. 4:11 e. And as our text confirms that the Bible is in truth the Word of God - Col. 3:16; 1 Thess. 2:13 3. How we are to receive the Word of God: a. The Bible must be received as the Word of God. b. When we receive the scriptures in this manner they will be, in reality, the Word of God to us - 1) Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost - 2 Pet. 1:20; Acts 1:16 2) John 16:12, 13 c. We receive the Word with implicit confidence - Ps. 119:18, 20, 33. "I trust in thy word" (verses 42, 66, 74, 105, 140, 160) d. With great and humble affection - Prov. 16:24; Ps. 119:103 C. BLESSINGS OF THE WORD OF TRUTH 1. It makes us wise unto salvation: 2 Tim. 3:15 2. They, who are ignorant of the scriptures, are in utter darkness: Matt. 22:29 3. God's Word is a lamp to our feet and a light unto our path: Ps. 119:105 4. It is a bright shining light in a world filled with great spiritual darkness: 2 Pet. 1:19; Isa. 60:1-3 5. It reveals our duty to God and our fellow man: Rom. 1:16; Isa. 34:16, 17 6. It is the only basis of sound doctrine: 2 Tim. 3:16, 17 7. It is the only enduring foundation of our faith: Matt. 24:35 8. Let us approach the Bible with holy reverence and prayer: Isa. 66:5 9. It is food for the soul: Jer. 15:16 10. If we receive it into our hearts it will make us free from the traditions of men: John 8:32; 17:17 11. How wonderful it is to open our hearts to the life-giving Word of God! 12. When it can be said of us, "Ye received it not as the word of man, but as it is in truth, THE WORD OF GOD", then we give it the reception it deserves: ## OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE BIBLE A. THE BIBLE IS GOD'S BOOK AND WE PROFESS TO BE GOD'S CHILDREN 1. We should revere the Bible: a. Tremble at His Word - Isa. 66:5 b. Love it with holy awe - Ps. 33:8, 9; 119:97 2. It must never be treated by us as something common: a. Too many people speak of the Bible as if it were something common. b. The Bible is the work of the Holy Spirit; it is holy - Isa. 34:16; Rom. 1:2 B. LET ME DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO A FOURFOLD APPROACH TO THE BIBLE 1. Too often the ear is inclined to hear the wrong thing: a. Angels listened to Lucifer. b. Adam listened to Eve, and Eve to the serpent - Gen. 3:1-6 c. The Jews listened to the Rabbis. d. Today many people listen to false preaching - 2 Tim. 4:1-6 2. It means that we are not to be deaf: a. Ear is no proof of hearing - Matt. 13:13 b. At times the ear needs to be operated upon - Isa. 50:5 c. By the Word of God - Acts 2:37; Heb. 4:12 3. To search: a. The Spirit of God searcheth, so must we - Dan. 12:4; 1 Cor. 2:10 b. Personal and prayerful reading of the Word of God is very rewarding - John 5:39; Isa. 34:16 4. Worthy objects for searching: a. Eternal life - John 5:39 b. Immortality - Rom. 2:7 c. Kingdom of God - Matt. 6:33 d. To be guided right - Matt. 22:29; Ps. 119:105 5. Other timely and beneficial suggestions: a. Eat the Word - Jer. 15:16; Rev. 10:9, 10; Matt. 4:4 b. It would be foolish to ask why we are to eat - 1) We eat to live 2) We eat for strength - Eccl. 10:17 c. For some hunger will come, but too late - Amos 8:11 6. To live by the Bible is still another fact for consideration: a. "Apply thyself wholly to the scriptures, and apply the scriptures wholly to thyself" - Jas. 1:22 b. There are many mouth Christians - Ezek. 33:31; Isa. 29:13 c. Said a Brahman to a Christian Missionary: "If you were as good as your book, you would conquer India for Christ in 5 years." d. "The more you know of God's Word, the more you can know God's word; and the more you are living by God's Word, the better you can understand God's Word." e. "Aiming to do never saves, but doing does" - Jas. 1:23; Rom. 2:13 C. HOW WONDERFUL AND HOW BLESSED IS THE BIBLE 1. Think of what it has done: a. In the lives of persons that read it, believed, and lived it! b. What would your life be today, had it not been for the influence of the Bible? c. Your life and mine, and the lives of all men would be full of darkness - Isa. 60:1-5; Ps. 119:105; 2 Pet. 1:16-20 d. It, and it alone, can transform lives - Heb. 4:12; it, and it alone, can lift the curtain from the future and permit us to look beyond today. e. Let us revere it and approach it with awe and holy dedication; let us use it as the guide to God and the kingdom of heaven. ## GOD A. THE WORD "GOD" IS 1. The most conclusive word; and the most misunderstood word: a. It is all-inclusive - 1) The Bible begins with, "In the beginning God" - Gen. 1:1 2) The last book of the Bible closes with these words; "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." - Rev. 22:21 b. Paul summarizes his instructions to Timothy with these words, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God." - 2 Tim. 3:16, 17 2. "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God": Ps. 14:1 a. The atheist says, "There is no God". b. The agnostic says, "I do not know that there is a God". c. The materialist says, "I need no God". d. The Christian says, "There is a God, and I need Him". B. WHY THIS SUBJECT 1. To know God and Jesus Christ is "everlasting life": John 17:3 2. God wants us to know Him: a. He wants His enemies to know Him - Ex. 7:5; 8:22; 14:4 b. God wants all men to know Him; that is why He sent His Son into this world; and that is why He gave us the Bible - John 1:18; Matt. 11:39; John 5:39 3. Revelation of God: a. A Pagan philosopher asks the Christian, "Where is your God?"; and the Christian asked the Pagan, "Where is He not?" - Ps. 139:1-9 b. The works of God prove that He is - 1) "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handy work" - Ps. 19:1 2) "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and godhead" - Rom. 1:20 c. Christ is proof that God is - 1) "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" - John 14:9 2) "For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" - Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3; 2 Cor. 4:4 d. The Bible is witness that God is. Read it; believe it; live it; and you will know that God is - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; John 7:17 C. GOD IS 1. The reason for the universe, because He created it: Ps. 19:1-6; Rom. 1:20 2. He is the reason for life in the universe: Acts 17:28; John 1:1-10 3. He is the reason for our hope: Ps. 78:7; 146:5 a. He is the hope of my future; if there is no God, there can be no future; if God is not, who shall raise me from the dead? b. Paul speaks of that hope - Acts 24:15 4. What would and could I do without God? a. When sickness strikes! Ex. 16:26; Ps. 103:1-3 b. When death comes? John 11:1-44; 1 Cor. 15:26; Hos. 12:13 c. When I think of eternity? 5. God is: a. Everywhere - Ps. 139:7 b. Love - 1 John 4:8. What would life be without love? - Matt. 24:12 c. Just - Mi. 6:8 d. Truth - John 14:16 e. Light - 1 Tim. 6:16; Rev. 22:1-6 f. God is the Giver of all perfect gifts; let us thank Him for them - Jas. 1:17 g. God is, and that is why you and I are. Nothing could exist without God. ## THE GODHEAD A. THE WORD "GODHEAD" OCCURS THREE TIMES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 1. Paul uses this word in his learned message while standing on Mars' Hill at the city of Athens: Acts 17:29 2. In his Epistle to the Colossians, he emphasizes the divinity of Christ in these words, "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Col. 2:9 3. Finally, we find this word in Romans 1:20 - "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." 4. Twice, Paul uses this word to describe the glory and majesty of God the Father; and once he applies this word to the Son of God, fully divine: B. THE GODHEAD AND WHAT WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE GODHEAD 1. There is confusion among Christians about the Essence of God: a. Some would have us think that God is a Principle and not a Person. That is the theory of so-called "Christian Science". b. Others say, that when you discover the good in you, you discover God; because the good in you is God. c. Some say that since God is Spirit, He has neither a form or a body; His Essence, according to this theory, is without body, form or shape. 2. A few Bible facts about the Godhead, as Paul speaks: a. There are, indeed, three distinct personal Beings in the Godhead - Compare Matt. 28:19 with 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Pet. 1:2; John 14:26; Eph. 4:4-6; John 5:26; 16:13 b. They are one in nature, in character, and in purpose - Compare 1 John 5:7 with John 10:30; 17:21; 1 John 1:3; 2 Cor. 13:14 3. Relationship of the members of the Godhead: a. God the Father, so the Bible teaches, is the Head of the universe, including the Son of God. Compare, please, John 17:3 with 1 Cor. 3:23; 11:3; John 14:28; 10:29; Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Cor. 8:6; 15:24-28; John 5:19, 30; 20:17 b. Jesus Christ is the eternal and only begotten Son of God, who has been with the Father from all Eternity. Compare John 1:18; 3:16; 1 John 4:8 with Prov. 8:22-30; John 17:8; Mi. 5:2; John 8:58 c. It was by and for Christ that God created the worlds and all that is in them - John 1:1-3; Col. 1:14-17; Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:1-3 d. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is now, also the Son of man, is the supreme gift of our heavenly Father to redeem all that had been lost through sin - John 3:16; Rom. 8:31- 33; 2 Cor. 5:19-21 C. SUMMARY 1. The word Godhead, used three times by Paul, indicates plainly: a. That there are three distinct personal Beings in the Godhead - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost - Matt. 28:19; John 14:26; 1 Pet. 1:2; Eph. 4:4-6 b. That these divine Beings are one in nature, in character and in purpose, but not in rank because the Father is the Great Sovereign of the universe, freely acknowledged by the Son of God - John 4:22, 23; 5:19, 30; 10:29; 14:28; Mark 12:29-32; 1 Cor. 15:24-28 2. Our finite minds are not capable to enter fully into that which is infinite: a. That was the testimony of Zophar, the professed friend of Job - Job 11:7, 8 b. That is Paul's conclusion - Rom. 11:33-36 3. But we do have sufficient information about the Godhead to know that they seek to save us from sin and assure a place for us in the eternal kingdom of God: Heb. 12:22-28 4. We love and adore all three members of the Godhead: ## CREATION - NOT EVOLUTION - HEBREWS 11:3, 4 A. THE CREATOR SPEAKS TO US 1. He warns us against science, falsely so-called: 1 Tim. 4:20 a. A theory which questions the Bible - 2 Pet. 3:3-7 b. Which denies that God created this world - 2 Tim. 4:3; Col. 2:8 2. The source of our wisdom is found: a. In Christ Jesus - 1 Cor. 1:30; Matt. 11:25 b. In the Bible - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Matt. 11:25-30 c. In God's law - Ps. 119:96, 99; Isa. 8:20; Jas. 1:2-5; Luke 16:31; John 12:7-9 B. EXPRESSES GOD'S IDEAL 1. How matter came into existence: a. Science, so-called, claims that matter is the result of timeless evolvement; it credits the theory of evolution. b. The Bible teaches that matter, as well as all else, was brought into being when God spoke, "let it be" - Ps. 33:6, 9; 104:5; Isa. 40:26, 28; Heb. 1:1-3, 8, 9 c. To be created simply means to be spoken into existence - Heb. 11:3 2. Creation of man: a. The crown of God's creation - 1) Bearing the image of God - Gen. 1:26, 27; 2:7 2) Science seeks to link man with lower creatures b. I would much rather believe that I bear the likeness of God than that of an ape - Ps. 8:5; 139:14 c. Man bears the likeness of God, not only in his physical appearance, but also in the power of reason. d. God invites man to "reason" together with Him - Isa. 1:19 3. God's reason for creation: a. All things were created for the glory of God - Ps. 19:1-6; Isa. 43:7; 45:18 b. Unto good works - Eph. 2:10; Rev. 4:11 4. Time of creation: a. Common theory involves millions of years b. The Bible states, however, that - 1) God spoke and it was; He commanded and it stood fast - Ps. 33:6, 9 2) It speaks of evening and morning days - Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31 3) The fourth commandment says, "For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and all that in them is" - Ex. 20:8-11 C. PERFECTION OF CREATION 1. The Bible teaches that all that God made was very good: Gen. 1:31; Ps. 111:1-4 2. The laws of nature speak for the absolute perfection of the creation: a. The ten laws which guide the study of natural science b. The higher law which guides man's moral relationship to his fellow men and the Creator confirms the perfection of God's work in creation - Ex. 20:3-17; Ps. 19:7; 119:96 3. A state of perfection which cannot be gain-said: a. Astronomy - the study of the stars b. Botany - the study of vegetation All of them speak for the Majesty of their creator and His infinite wisdom - Ps. 19:1-6; 111:1-3 4. Key scriptures to keep in mind: 2 Pet. 3:3-7; Rom. 1:19, 20; Matt. 11:25; 2 Tim. 4:3, 4; Luke 16:31; Ps. 74:15-17 5. Creation - not evolution - is marked upon everything in nature, visible and invisible. Only great wisdom of the Creator can bring a wonderful world into being. 6. The natural laws are incontrovertible proof for creation and against the theory of evolution. ## THE CREATION OF MAN - GENESIS 1:27 A. "SO GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE" 1. These words give us the origin of the human race: a. How noble and how awe inspiring is our being - the image of God. b. That shows that the theory by the evolutionist, that man came from the ape, is just so much nonsense. 2. The fact that man was created in the image of God: a. Makes us more responsible to our Maker - Eccl. 12:1-3 b. It helps us to understand the dignity and personal responsibility of man - Ps. 8:4-9 B. MAN'S CREATION 1. How he was created: a. It is noteworthy that when God created other things, He simply said, "Let there be". b. But when He created man there was consultation, there was a council between the members of the Godhead, "Let us make man in our own likeness". c. We hear the language of the Godhead - 1) The Father had a part in the creation of man. 2) The Son had a part in the creation of man. 3) The Holy Ghost had a part in the creation of man - Heb. 1:1-3, 8, 9; John 1:1-3; Col. 1:14-17; Eph. 3:9; Job 33:4 2. Man's creation is the crowning act of God's creation: a. Man was made on the sixth day - Gen. 1:26, 27, 31 b. The divine wisdom in creating on the sixth day is most obvious - to take care of the Garden of Eden - Gen. 1:28, 29; 2:7-25 c. It must have been wonderful to rejoice over the creation of this present world. There was nothing, as yet, to mar the work of the Creator. Peace and heavenly serenity rested upon creation. 3. Note, please, the exalted position man was placed in by his creation: a. He was made in the image of God. That is the highest honor God could bestow upon man made out of red clay. b. He bears a likeness to his Maker, in appearance and in character - Gen. 1:26, 27; Eccl. 7:29 c. He was endowed with superior intelligence, revealed in his ability to name the animals the Lord brought to him - Gen. 2:20 d. He was given a mind, faculties of the power of reason - Isa. 1:19 4. It is the character image that is of special interest to us: a. Purity of heart, affections of pure love, are some of the virtues Adam was given, reflecting the image of the Creator. b. Satan made the character image of our first parents his main target; he created doubt in the minds of Adam and Eve, and that was a reflection on the character of God. C. THE WONDERFUL LESSON OF OUR TEXT 1. The Bible record of the creation of man: a. Gives us the noblest concept of man and his origin. b. It marks the claims of infidels as untruthful - Ps. 14:1-6 c. It places human beings on a level of respectability and honor. d. This record of man's creation honors the Creator - Eccl. 12:1-6 2. It unfolds to us God's love: a. Expressed in the creation of man - Rev. 4:11 b. In the price God paid to redeem man from sin - John 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:18-21 c. All these facts should lead us to a closer study of Ps. 8:4-9 d. All shows that when God made man in His image, He had great plans for him - Jude 24 ## THE CREATION SABBATH - GENESIS 2:2, 3 A. IT IS NOTEWORTHY AND THOUGHT PROVOKING 1. That God chose to create this world in: a. Six evening and morning days - Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31 b. The creation days were from even unto even - Lev. 23:32; from sunset to sunset - Mark 1:32; Deut. 16:6 2. How God created this world: a. The theory of evolution. b. He spoke this world into being - Ps. 3:6, 9; Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 15, 20, 24, 26; Ps. 148:5 B. THE CREATION WEEK 1. Why did God choose to create the world in six evening and morning days? a. He could have spoken the world into being in a moment - in the twinkling of an eye. b. But he took six twenty-four-hour days to complete creation. c. He, who knows the end from the beginning, for known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world - Acts 15:18 - chose to measure time in this manner. 2. God created the world in six days and He rested on the seventh day: a. Thus setting an eternal precedent to be followed by men - Ex. 20:8-11; Heb. 4:9, 10 b. That fact alone makes the seventh day of the week God's rest day forever - Eccl. 3:14 c. The rest of the Creator on the seventh day marks the beginning of our perpetual weekly cycle. This is a fact to keep in mind as we study the creation Sabbath. d. The week is measured by the Sabbath - Compare Ex. 16:3-28 with Ezek. 46:1; Ex. 20:8-11 e. This measurement of time has been recognized by men since the very beginning of civilization. C. THE CREATION SABBATH 1. The creation Sabbath has its origin in a threefold act of the Creator: a. He rested on the seventh day from all His work and was refreshed - Gen. 2:3; Ex. 31:17 b. That fact, alone, makes the seventh day of the week God's holy Sabbath day forever - Eccl. 3:14 c. He blessed the seventh day because that in it He had rested from all His works, which God created and made. d. God's bestowal of His blessing on the seventh day Sabbath gives the lie to the theory that the Sabbath is a burden to those who seek to keep it - Compare Gen. 2:3 with 1 Chron. 17:27; Num. 23:20 e. He hallowed, set aside the seventh day Sabbath, by his own example - Ex. 20:11 2. God's act when bringing the weekly Sabbath into being at the beginning of creation: a. Is Biblical proof that the weekly Sabbath predates sin in this world, and shows that it cannot be nationalized or localized as some would have us think. b. It predates the Jewish race by over twenty-four hundred years. 3. Let us note, carefully, why God made the weekly Sabbath: a. It was made for man - the human race - Mark 2:27 b. Note, please, "the Sabbath was made", that fact excludes it from the Sabbaths that came into being in the early history of the children of Israel - Lev. 23:4-37. It was made, they were appointed. c. It was made for man - Adam - the human race - Mark 2:27. That fact makes it a universal institution dating back to creation. d. We shall learn later for what purpose God made the seventh day Sabbath. ## THE LORD'S DAY A. "I WAS IN THE SPIRIT ON THE LORD'S DAY" - Rev. 1:10 1. Our opening text has become, for some, a point of contention and confusion: a. Observers of Sunday, the first day of the week, apply this text to Sunday. b. Others think of "the Lord's day" as being "the judgment day". 2. Both positions have no basis in the Word of God: a. Sunday, the first day of the week, is never spoken of in the Bible as "Lord's day" - Compare Matt. 28:1 with Mark 16:1, 9; Luke 24:1; John 20:1, 19; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-3 b. Sunday, the first day of the week, like the other five days, is called "working day" - Ezek. 46:1; all because God worked on it and the other five days of the week - Gen. 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31; 2:2, 3; Ex. 20:11 c. The other theory that "the Lord's day" in Rev. 1:10 has reference to the judgment day has no biblical basis because the phrase "Lord's day" is never used in the Bible when speaking of the judgment day. B. THE CREATION SABBATH, THE SEVENTH DAY OF THE WEEK IS, INDEED, THE LORD'S DAY 1. Jesus Christ, our Lord, speaks of the seventh day Sabbath as: a. "My Holy day" - Isa. 58:13 b. "the Sabbath of the Lord" - Ex. 20:8-11; Lev. 23:3 2. When called into question about healing on the Sabbath day, He assured His critics: a. "For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day" - Matt. 12:8 b. "Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath day" - Mark 2:28 c. "That the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath" - Luke 6:5 C. BIBLE REASONS WHY THE SEVENTH DAY SABBATH, AND NOT SUNDAY, IS THE LORD'S DAY 1. The Bible states in the most positive words: a. That Jesus Christ, our Lord, is the one by whom all things were made, and without Him nothing was made - John 1:1-3 b. Paul affirms the testimony of John in strong words - Heb. 1:3; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:15-17 2. It is the Son of God, therefore, who made the weekly Sabbath for man: a. He rested on the seventh day of the creation week - that alone makes Him "the Lord of the Sabbath day" - Gen. 2:2, 3; Ex. 20:8-11 b. He blessed the seventh day because that on it He had ceased from all His work; as truly as He blessed the little children that were brought to Him - Luke 2:28; as verily as He blessed the five loaves and the two fishes - Matt. 14:19 c. He hallowed or set aside His rest day for holy use - Gen. 2:3 3. Christ, God the Son, assures us that He made the seventh day Sabbath the Lord's day: a. For man - Mark 2:27 b. The word "man" as used in Mark 2:27 comes from the Greek word "anthropos" and signifies "Adam", human being, human race - Compare Mark 2:27 with Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4 4. The Lord of the Sabbath made the seventh day Sabbath for man: a. To be the weekly day for the assembly of God's people for worship - Lev. 23:3; Isa. 66:23 b. To be a memorial of both creation and redemption - Compare Ex. 20:8-11 with Ps. 111:4; 135:13; Ezek. 20:12, 20; Jer. 10:10-12; Rev. 10:5; 14:6, 7 ## HOW SUNDAY CAME INTO THE CHURCH A. WHEN WE URGE UPON OUR SUNDAY FRIENDS THE KEEPING OF THE SEVENTH DAY SABBATH, WE ARE TOLD THAT SUNDAY IS THE CHRISTIAN REST DAY; THAT OUR LORD INSTITUTED THE OBSERVANCE OF THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK TO COMMEMORATE THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST 1. Some claim that our Lord gave a direct command to keep Sunday: 2. Others say that the apostles instituted the observance of Sunday, being guided by the Holy Spirit: 3. And some Sunday friends maintain that Sunday, and not Saturday, is the seventh day of the week: B. HOW SUNDAY CAME INTO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 1. It is not of biblical origin: a. Christ never, to the best of my knowledge, even mentioned the first day of the week, much less set it aside as a day of rest. b. This fact is important! For Sunday to be the Christian rest day it must be instituted by Christ, the Author of Christianity. 2. For Christ to set the first day of the week apart for rest, He would have to change the Ten Commandments: a. The fourth commandment teaches us to keep holy the seventh and last day of the week, and not the first day - Ex. 20:8-11 b. His attitude toward the law, of which the seventh day Sabbath is a part, is stated very plainly in the Bible - Compare Matt. 5:17-20 with Luke 16:17; Isa. 42:18-21; Matt. 12:8-12; 24:20; Mark 2:27, 28; Luke 6:5; Matt. 22:34-38; Luke 4:16 3. The disciples had neither the power nor the mind to tamper with the law of the Ten Commandments, of which the seventh day Sabbath is a part: a. They were Sabbath keepers - Luke 23:56; Acts 13:42-44; 16:13 b. They gave strong emphasis to the keeping of the Ten Commandments - Luke 23:56; Rom. 3:31; 8:1-3; 1 John 2:4-7; 5:4, 5; Rev. 12:17; 14:12; Jas. 2:8-11; Heb. 10:15, 16 c. No, neither Christ nor the apostles instituted Sunday observance. C. HOW SUNDAY CAME INTO THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 1. Bible prophecy foretold: a. A falling away from the truth - Acts 20:26-31; 2 Tim. 4:1-4 b. It focuses upon a counterfeit system which would attempt to alter God's weekly Sabbath. 2. The prophet Daniel saw this power which, according to Bible prophecy, would attempt to "change times and laws": Dan. 7:25 a. It would speak great words against the Most High - Dan. 7:25; 2 Thess. 2:3-7 b. Wear out the saints of the Most High - Rev. 13:7; 17:4-7 c. Attempt to change the law of God - Dan. 7:25; Ps. 94:20 3. The church of Rome boastfully acknowledges: a. That she substituted Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh and last day of the week. b. She altered the reading of the Ten Commandments - See her official Catechism. c. Her official books are full of very elaborate explanations as to why she made the change from Saturday to Sunday. d. Many Protestant church leaders are fully cognizant of this crime by Rome. 4. But these Bible facts remain: a. That Saturday, the last day of the week, is the Lord's day, the Christian Sabbath. b. It was made for man by Jesus Christ when He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh - Compare Gen. 2:2, 3 with John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17; Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:1-3 c. He and the prophets call the seventh day of the week "the Lord's day" - Ex. 20:8-11; Isa. 58:13; Mark 2:28; Matt. 12:8; Luke 6:5; Rev. 1:10 d. A Sabbath reform was foretold in Bible prophecy - Isa. 56:1- 7; 58:12-14; Acts 3:19-21 e. Sunday observance is a commandment of man and those who keep it make void the fourth commandment - Mark 7:7-13 f. We, on our part, say "we ought to obey God rather than man" - Acts 4:19; 5:29 ## THE TEN COMMANDMENTS - EXODUS 20:3-17 A. THE LAW OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IS 1. A transcript of God's character: a. God is holy, just and good; His law is holy, just and good - Rom. 7:12; Isa. 6:3 b. God is a Spirit - John 4:22, 23; His law is spiritual - Rom. 7:14 c. God is the embodiment of perfection; His law is perfect - 2 Sam. 22:31; Ps. 19:7; 119:96 d. God is love - 1 John 4:8; His law is the total sum of love - Rom. 13:10; Matt. 22:34-38 e. God is eternal; His law is eternal or everlasting - Deut. 33:27; Ps. 111:8; Matt. 5:17-19; Luke 16:17 2. The law of the Ten Commandments controls our moral life: a. The first four commandments control our relationship to God b. The last six commandments regulate our relationship to our fellow men - Ex. 20:3-17; Matt. 19:16-18; Matt. 22:34-38 c. That is why they are binding upon all human beings - Eccl. 12:13, 14; Rom. 3:19 B. CHRISTIANITY AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 1. Controversy and confusion: a. Some would have us believe that the Ten Commandments were strictly jewish and that Christ abolished them on His cross. b. Others believe that the Ten Commandments are binding upon Christ, but that Christ transferred the obligation of the fourth commandment to the keeping of the first day of the week. 2. Attitude of our Lord toward the law of the Ten Commandments: a. He delighted in the law of the Ten Commandments - Ps. 40:8 b. He had them in His heart - Ps. 40:8 c. He came into this world to magnify the law and make it honorable - Isa. 42:21; Matt. 5:17-48 d. He warns against the foolishness of believing that He had come to abolish the law - Matt. 5:17-19 e. They who teach that the Son of God set aside the law of God need but read Matt. 5:17-19 C. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND THE PLAN OF SALVATION 1. The law of the Ten Commandments and the gospel of Jesus Christ are twins; you cannot separate them: a. The law of God exposes sin and convicts the sinner - Rom. 3:20; 7:7, 9-13; 1 John 3:4 b. Where there is no law there is no transgression - Rom. 4:15; 5:13 c. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers deliverance from sin - Rom. 1:16; Acts 4:12; Matt. 1:21 2. The new and everlasting covenant provides for the law of the Ten Commandments to be engraved upon the tables of the heart: Heb. 10:15, 16; Jer. 31:31-33 3. The eternal basis of the law of the Ten Commandments: a. They are connected with the two great commandments of love - Matt. 22:37-42 b. They are based upon the golden rule stated by our Lord - Matt. 7:12 c. No one can truly obey the golden rule and be inclined to break one of the Ten Commandments - John 14:15; 15:10; 1 John 2:4-7 4. Attitude of the Christian believers toward the law of the Ten Commandments: a. They delight in it - Rom. 7:22 b. They establish them by obeying them - Rom. 3:31 c. They uphold the claims of the law of God in their teaching and their lives - Jas. 1:22, 23; 2:8-11; 1 John 2:4-7; Rev. 12:17; 14:12 5. Since the law of the Ten Commandments is an expression of God's character: a. It follows that they who work against the law of God are, in fact, enemies of God - Rom. 8:7; Ps. 94:20 b. The Lord accuses them of being liars - Isa. 30:8, 9; 1 John 3:4 6. Wonderful promises are made to them that love the law of the Lord: a. They have great peace - Ps. 119:165; Isa. 48:18 b. They will have prosperity - Ps. 1:1-6 c. They will have a right to the tree of life - Rev. 22:14 ## THE SEAL OF GOD - REVELATION 14:1-6 A. THE CAREFUL READER OF THE BOOKS DANIEL AND REVELATION WILL BE IMPRESSED WITH THE PROPHETIC STORY OF THE CONFLICT BETWEEN CHRIST AND SATAN, AS PORTRAYED IN THESE TWO BOOKS 1. These two books unfold to the reader the story of Satan's gigantic system of apostasy: a. Began in the days of the apostles - 2 Thess. 2:1-7; Acts 20:28-30 b. This system is known, to historians, as Dark Ages, and the time when untold millions were destroyed for their faith - Dan. 7:8, 25 c. This same system initiated the crime of the ages, a crime against the law of the Ten Commandments, in particular by the attempted change of the fourth commandment. 1) Instituting the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, in place of the seventh day; 2) Thus Sunday observance became the antagonist to the creation Sabbath. 3) It became a mark of the opposition to the Bible Sabbath. 2. With this background on our subject, we now direct your attention to the Seal of the Living God: B. THE SEAL OF GOD 1. Its purpose: a. To give assurance and security to His persecuted people. b. This is made clear in comparing Eph. 1:13, 14 with Ezek. 9:4 c. The seal will be the mark God will place upon his loyal subjects in the final conflict between Christ and Satan. d. It is, also, to give power and authority to His law, which is an expression of His eternal will. e. Compare Isa. 8:16 with 1 Ki. 21:8; Esth. 8:8; and Rev. 7:1-9 2. What the seal of the living God has: a. God's name. b. His authority or power. c. The territory of His jurisdiction. 3. The seventh day Sabbath has the seal of the living God: a. The Creator placed His name into the fourth commandment - Ex. 20:8-11, 24 b. It memorializes the creative power of God - Ex. 20:11; Ps. 111:4; 135:13 c. It states the territory over which God claims the loyalty to the Sabbath of the fourth commandment - Ex. 20:11 d. God made the seventh day Sabbath a sign between His people and Himself - Ex. 31:16, 17; Ezek. 20:12, 20 e. It is a memorial of His creative power - Ex. 20:11; Jer. 10:10-12 C. THIS BRINGS US TO A SABBATH REFORM MOVEMENT GOING INTO ALL THE WORLD 1. It carries the restoration message foretold in Bible prophecy: a. Read carefully - Isa. 56:1-7; 58:1, 12-14 b. Peter seems to have this reform movement in mind in Acts 3:19-21 2. The Sabbath truth will triumph in all the world because when we get into the new world we will note that the inhabitants of the new world are Sabbath keepers: Isa. 66:22, 23 3. The sealing work has been in progress nearly one hundred years, and it is claiming many converts: a. Over one million Christian Sabbath keepers are to be found all over this world. b. Over one hundred thousand new Sabbath keepers every year. 4. The people that carry this sealing message are known as: a. They that have the patience of the saints; b. That keep the Ten Commandments of God; c. That have the faith of Jesus - Rev. 12:17; 14:12; 22:14 5. I am humbly grateful to be a part of this blessed movement: ## THE MARK OF THE BEAST - REVELATION 13:1-17 A. THE CONTEXT OF REVELATION 13 SHOWS THAT THE WARNING AGAINST THE MARK OF THE BEAST IS MOST SOLEMN 1. Indicates the intensity of the final struggle between Christ and Satan which began in heaven and was transplanted to this earth: Rev. 12:7-17; 13; Gen. 3:15 2. It warns the inhabitors of the earth against siding with Satan and his angels: Rev. 13:1-17 3. Such dire warning from God is proof that we may know the beast power, his mark and his number: B. POSITIVE IDENTITY OF THE BEAST POWER 1. A beast symbolizes: a. An earthly government - Dan. 7:15-17 b. Four beasts represent four world governments - Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome. c. It symbolizes a persecuting power - Compare Dan. 7:1-25 with Rev. 12:13 2. Geographic identity of the Leopard beast of Rev. 13: a. Received seat, power, and great authority from Pagan Rome. b. The City of Rome was donated to Pope Sylvester in 331 A.D. c. Inscription of the donation is found in the Vatican. 3. Religious identity: a. The Eucharistic Congress symbolizes the kingdom of Christ including all the world; and the Pope the visible head of that kingdom. b. It is a blaspheming power, and blasphemy is a mark of religious excess - John 10:33; Matt. 26:65; Rev. 13:6; 2 Thess. 2:1-6; Dan. 7:25 c. This blasphemy is against the heavenly sanctuary - Rev. 13:6; 2 Thess. 2:1-7 d. Wears out the saints of the Most High through bloodshed - Dan. 7:25; Ps. 119:126; Ps. 94:20 e. He attempted to change God's time and law - Dan. 7:25; Ps. 94:20; 119:126 f. It counterfeited the heavenly sanctuary and its ministry - Rev. 13:6 C. THE MARK OF THE BEAST 1. The Bible teaches that the seventh day Sabbath is: a. A sign or mark of the creative power of God - Compare Ex. 20:11 with Ps. 111:1-6; 135:13; Jer. 10:10-12 b. A sign of our sanctification - Ezek. 20:12; Heb. 12:14; 13:12 2. Sunday, the first day of the week is a mark of the apostate power spoken of in Dan. 7:25; Rev. 13:6-9; 14:8, 9; 2 Thess. 2:3-7: 3. The Papacy claims: a. Infallibility when teaching doctrine. b. Creative power when celebrating the mass. c. Sanctifying power when remitting the sins of the faithful. d. It boastfully admits that it has tempered with the law of the Ten Commandments. e. It claims that Sunday observance is a mark of its power and authority. f. Many Protestants freely admit that the Papacy has attempted to change the Ten Commandments, supplanting the seventh day Sabbath by instituting the keeping of the first day of the week. 4. It must be understood, however, that we do not claim that all Sunday keepers have the mark of the beast: a. There are many God-fearing Sunday keepers, who are not aware of the origin of Sunday observance; they keep Sunday, believing that the Lord wants them to keep it. b. In fact, there are thousands who believe that Sunday is the true Bible Sabbath, and so they apply the fourth commandment to Sunday observance 5. But the fact remains: a. That the seventh-day Sabbath is a mark of God's power and authority; b. That its observance is a part of the moral law; c. That Sunday observance is a man-made institution; it is a counterfeit system, foretold in Bible prophecy; d. That when the people know the difference between the Bible Sabbath and Sunday observance, and yet persist in keeping Sunday, they become a party to the beast power in rebellion against the law of God. ## THE TWO LAWS A. THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT GOD GAVE HIS PEOPLE TWO SPECIFIC LAWS TO GUIDE HIM IN HIS RELATIONSHIP TO GOD AND MEN 1. The law of the Ten Commandments: a. This law is a revelation of God's eternal will which controls the moral relationship of man to God and to men - Rom. 2:17; Ex. 20:3-17; Luke 10:25 b. By this law is the knowledge of sin - 1 John 3:4; Rom. 3:20; 4:15; 5:13; 7:7 2. The other law was added because of transgression: Gal. 3:19 a. It served as the shadow of good things to come, but the body is in Christ Jesus - Heb. 9:10; 10:1-3 b. It stood in meats and drinks, divers kind of washing, and regulated the sacrifices and other services in the earthly sanctuary - Heb. 9:10; Lev. 1; 2; 3; 4; c. This law came into being after the fall and guided men in their approach to God - Compare Gen. 4:3, 4 with chapters 8:20; 12:7; 22:9; 35:1-3 B. SOME COMPARATIVE FACTS ABOUT THE TWO LAWS 1. How they were given to men: a. The law of the Ten Commandments - 1) Was written - first upon the tables of the heart - Rom. 2:13, 14 2) Later God wrote it upon two tables of stone with His own hand - Ex. 24:12; 31:18; Deut. 10:1-7 b. The law of sacrifices was written by Moses into a book - Deut. 31:24 2. It is most significant to note where these two laws were placed after they had been written: a. The law of the Ten Commandments was put in the ark - Deut. 10:1-5 b. The law of sacrifices was placed in the side of the ark - Deut. 31:26 c. The placing of these two laws shows that they are two different laws and that they serve two different purposes. More about this later. C. OBJECTIONS ANSWERED 1. Assertion by opponents of the two laws' concept: a. "The Bible does not know two laws, it speaks of one law only." b. "All the writings of Moses are called "the law" - Luke 24:44 2. The Bible answer: a. The Bible does speak of two distinctly different laws - 1) One law was spoken by God from heaven and written upon two tables of stone - Ex. 20:18; Deut. 5:22 2) The other law was given to Moses gradually; was written into a book by Moses - Deut. 31:24-27 b. These two laws are different in nature, design, and duration - 1) The laws of the Ten Commandments are spiritual - Rom. 7:14 2) The law of sacrifices is called "the law of a carnal commandment" - Heb. 7:16; the reason for that is because this law deals with "meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances" - Heb. 9:10 3) The law of the Ten Commandments regulates our moral duties to God and men - Ex. 20:3-17 4) The law of shadow regulated things that were a shadow of good things to come; now when the reality appears, the shadow fades away - Heb. 10:1-6; Col. 2:16, 17 5) The law of the Ten Commandments is established in the lives of the believers through faith in Christ Jesus - Rom. 3:31; 8:1-3 6) But the other law which had the shadow of good things to come ceased when Christ died; its function was terminated by the death of Christ on the cross - Heb. 8:13; 10:5-9; Eph. 2:14-16 3. It is significant to note: a. That Joshua, Nehemiah, and Daniel showed that there is a difference between the two laws - Compare Josh. 8:30-32 with Neh. 9:13, 14; Dan. 9:10-13 b. Paul showed that he made a difference between these two laws - Compare Rom. 3:31; 8:1-6 with Heb. 7:16; 8:13; 9:10; 10:15, 16 ## THE COVENANTS A. CONTROVERSY OVER THE COVENANTS 1. General idea among Christians: 2. Weekly Sabbath and the Ten Commandments the issue: 3. Claims of Sabbath opponents: B. TEACHING OF THE BIBLE 1. The Ten Commandments: a. They are called - "the covenant commanded" - Deut. 4:12, 13; Ex. 20:1-17 b. They existed, as a law and a covenant, long before the old covenant came into being - Hos. 6:7; Gen. 26:5; Ex. 16:28, 29; Deut. 4:12, 13 c. They became the basis of the old covenant - Ex. 19:5 d. Of this covenant the Bible predicts: 1) That it will stand fast forever - Ps. 89:24-35; 111:7-9 2) That Christ would magnify it and make it honorable - Isa. 42:18-21; Matt. 5:17-19 2. The Old Covenant: a. Dates back to Mount Sinai - Ex. 19:3-8; 24:1-9; Gal. 4:21-26 b. Was an agreement between ancient Israel and God - Ex. 19:8; 24:3-8; Deut. 5:28, 29 c. Was ratified with the blood of animals - Heb. 9:18, 19; Ex. 24:3-8 d. Had an earthly sanctuary - Heb. 9:1-12 e. Was faulty - Gal. 4:21-31; Jer. 31:31-33; Heb. 8:9-11; Ex. 32:1 f. Was abolished - Heb. 8:9-11; 10:4-6 3. The New Covenant: a. Dates from eternity - Compare Rev. 13:8; 1 Pet. 1:20; Eph. 1:4 - Adam, Noah, and Abraham had the promise of this covenant - Gen. 3:15; 9:11; Gal. 3:17 b. Was given to Israel - Jer. 31:31; Heb. 8:10, 11 c. Gentiles become partakers of this covenant through Christ - Eph. 2:11-16; Gal. 3:26-29 d. Was ratified with the blood of Christ - Compare Heb. 9:14-16 with Matt. 26:28; Heb. 10:29 e. It provides - 1) Forgiveness of sin - Heb. 10:15, 16 2) Writing the Ten Commandments upon the tables of the heart - Heb. 10:15, 16; Ezek. 36:26-28 3) Eternal redemption through faith in Christ our Lord. C. COMPARISON OF THE TWO COVENANTS 1. The Old Covenant: a. Was based upon man's promise - "we will do" - Ex. 19:8; 24:3, 7 b. God knew that they would and could not keep their promise - Deut. 5:27-29; Jer. 31:31; Heb. 8:6-9; John 15:5 c. It was totally of a temporary nature connected with carnal ordinances which would pass away - Heb. 9:9-17; 10:1-7 2. The New Covenant: a. Is based upon God's promise - "I will" - Compare Jer. 31:31- 33 with Heb. 10:15, 16 b. All God's promises are "yea and Amen" - 2 Cor. 1:20; Heb. 6:17-20 c. Takes away sin, which the old covenant could not do - Heb. 9:22, 23; Matt. 1:21; Mi. 7:18, 19 d. Changes human nature - 2 Cor. 5:14-17; Gal. 3:26-29; 2 Pet. 1:2-9 e. Writes God's law upon the tables of the heart - Ezek. 36:26- 29; Heb. 10:15, 16 f. Was ratified with the precious blood of Jesus Christ - Matt. 26:26-29; 1 Pet. 1:18 g. It is the everlasting covenant - Heb. 10:29, 30 h. It is known as - 1) The New Covenant because it was ratified last or after the first covenant, and it deals with a new relationship in Christ. 2) It is the covenant of peace because we have peace with God through the blood of the everlasting covenant, the blood of Jesus Christ. ## LAW AND GRACE A. LAW AND GRACE 1. A subject over which there is considerable difference of opinion: a. Some think that law and grace are contrary to each other; that they do not mix. b. Others teach that since no sinner can keep the law, God, in mercy, supplanted the law by placing man under grace. 2. What does the Bible teach about law and grace? Are they against each other? Does grace nullify God's law? B. THE NATURE AND RELATIONSHIP OF LAW AND GRACE 1. The law of the Ten Commandments are a revelation of God's character and an expression of His eternal and unchangeable will: a. A revelation of His nature and the nature of His government - Compare Ex. 20:1-17 with Rom. 7:12, 14; Ps. 111:8, 9; Luke 16:17 b. They are an expression of His eternal and unchangeable will by which He regulates the moral relationship between man and God and man and man - Rom. 2:17; Luke 10:25; Matt. 19:16-19 c. They are summed up in the two commandments spoken of in Matt. 22:36-40. 2. The grace of God is God's unmerited favor toward sinners: a. Salvation by grace excludes the works of the law - Eph. 2:7, 8; Rom. 3:20; 11:6 b. A broken law cannot save the guilty, it can only condemn him - Rom. 3:19; Jas. 1:22, 23 c. The grace of God is an expression of a loving Father to sinners; a willingness to forgive our sins and to redeem us from the eternal consequences of sin. C. TRUTHS ABOUT THE NATURE AND RELATIONSHIP TOO OFTEN OVERLOOKED BY SOME PEOPLE 1. Grace is no license for breaking God's law: a. Read very prayerfully Rom. 6:1-12 - Consider also Paul's words in Gal. 2:16-19 b. Vivid examples of the obligations of grace - 1) Go and sin no more - John 8:11 2) Sin no more - John 5:14 2. Who is under grace and who is under the law: a. Every one that accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour is under grace! Rom. 8:1 b. And every one that breaks God's law is under the law - Rom. 3:19; Jas. 2:8-11; 1 John 3:4 c. Impressive examples - Two men went into the temple to worship, one was a Pharisee and the other was a despised tax collector; both were sinners - 1) One came as a sinner and left as a sinner. 2) The other came as a sinner, but left under the dispensation of grace - Luke 18:10-14 3. Law and grace come from the same source, from God; both serve a purpose in God's plan for man: a. One reveals God's will; the other enables us to do God's will. b. One convicts of sin; the other pardons our sin. ## OBEDIENCE A. "WHATSOEVER HE SAITH UNTO YOU, DO IT" 1. Setting of our text: a. A wedding feast at Cana of Galilee. b. Our Saviour's first miracle in turning water into wine. 2. The advice of the mother of Christ to the servants: a. "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it". b. The result was the miracle of the Lord. B. "WHATSOEVER HE SAITH UNTO YOU, DO IT" 1. Implication of the words of our opening text: a. Mary knew that her son was no ordinary man, He was the God- Man. b. He is, in fact, our Creator - John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17 c. He is, also, our Redeemer - Isa. 43:1; Eph. 1:7; John 1:4; 1 John 5:11; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 2. "Whatsoever He saith do it": a. Many do what He does not say; that is the same disobedience as not doing what He saith. b. What He says is in the Bible; so if we do what the Bible teaches, we do what He wants us to do - John 5:39-46; 6:63; 7:37, 38 c. To hear what He says and not do it is self-deception - Matt. 7:24-27; Jas. 1:22, 23 d. A question that demands an answer by all professed Christians - "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" - Luke 6:46 3. "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it" a. That means that to obey the Lord means to do all He commands us to do, not just what we are pleased to do. b. God is very particular that we obey Him in all things - EXAMPLES - 1) Moses learned this truth the hard way - Ex. 4:24-27 2) The man of God that had been sent to speak against an idolatrous king, too, learned it the hard way - 1 Ki. 13:1-24 c. These things have been written for our admonition - Rom. 15:4 C. A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR OPENING TEXT 1. Many profess to believe on Him, about whom our opening text speaks: a. But of them the prophet Ezekiel has these memorable words, "And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness" - Ezek. 33:31 b. Others have good intentions; they plan to do the will of God, but not now - Acts 24:25 c. Not so with Paul, "Immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood" - Gal. 1:16 d. Not so with Abraham; he obeyed the Lord even though he did not understand all the details - Gen. 22:1-12 2. Salvation is based upon obedience: a. Said Jesus, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" - John 15:14 b. "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified" - Rom. 2:13 c. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own self" - Jas. 1:22; Heb. 12:25 3. Blessing of obedience: a. Had Moses obeyed the Lord and spoken to the rock, he would have been permitted to lead his people into the promised land. b. Had Peter not obeyed the Lord and caught the fish that had the money needed for their taxes, he would never have known the knowledge and power of his Master. c. Said the prophet to Saul, "Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" - 1 Sam. 15:22 d. God will have a people that obey His Commandments - Rev. 14:12 e. Angels love to obey the Word of God - Ps. 103:20 f. The last days of this world's history are marked by a rebellion against the will of God - Luke 17:26-29 g. "Blessed are they that do His commandments that they may have a right to the tree of life" - Rev. 22:14 ## IS GOD PARTICULAR? A. WHEN WE THINK OF GOD 1. We realize that His Name and His Character are portrayed in the Bible: Ex. 34:6, 7; Num. 14:8 2. The scriptures express His attitude toward sin: Heb. 10:31; 2 Cor. 5:11 a. This knowledge ought to inspire us with reverence and holy awe - Ps. 4:4; 33:8 b. We ought to learn from the Angels how to reverence God - Isa. 6; Ps. 103:20 1) "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence and awe" - Ps. 89:7 2) "Let them praise thy great and terrible name" - Ps. 99:3 3) "Holy and reverent is His name" - Ps. 111:9 B. HOW PARTICULAR IS GOD? 1. He is no respecter of persons: a. Ask His friends - 1) Moses knows - Ex. 4:24-26; Ps. 106:32 2) The man of God paid the penalty for disregarding the command of God - 1 Ki. 13:21-26 3) Uzza perished because he disregarded the commandment of the Lord - 1 Chron. 13:9 4) We are warned on this point - Acts 10:34, 35; 2 Sam. 14:14; 1 Cor. 10:4-11 b. Ask his enemies - 1) Pharaoh learned his lesson. 2) Sennacherib king of Assyria, too, learned a painful lesson when he defied God - Isa. 37:36 2. Loving obedience is the law of life: a. Read these references to see how God looks upon disobedience - 1 Sam. 15:23; 1 Pet. 2:8; 2 Thess. 1:7, 8 b. Obedience to the perfect will of God is the aim of the gospel - Rom. 16:26 c. Faith in Christ will lead to obedience - Rom. 16:26 3. Loving obedience is a sign of a true Christian: a. That is what John taught - 1 John 2:4-7; 5:4, 5 b. Read Rev. 12:17; 14:12; 22:14 C. WHY THIS SUBJECT 1. The battle over the claims of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment: a. Some people think that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is not too important; that if we rest on one day in seven, that will be acceptable to God. b. But read these Bible texts to learn how God looks upon partial obedience - 1) Matt. 7:21-26 2) Ps. 50:16-22 3) Matt. 5:17-20 4) Mark 7:7-13 c. The attitude toward God's law determines our true attitude toward God - Isa. 8:20; 30:8, 9; 1 John 2:4-7 2. The history of God's ancient covenant people holds some very important lessons for God's modern people: a. That is what Paul teaches - Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:4-11; Heb. 4:1-11 b. Over seven hundred thousand men left Egypt on their way to the promised land, but only two of them ever made it to the promised land. Why? 3. The Bible teaches that: a. The transgression of God's law is sin - 1 John 3:4; Rom. 3:21; 7:7 b. Sin, or the transgression of God's law, is enmity toward God - Rom. 8:1-7 c. The wages of sin is death - Rom. 6:23 4. Yes, God is particular: a. Nature itself teaches that God is particular - Ps. 19:1-6 b. God's laws, natural and moral, teach us that God is particular - Gal. 6:7, 8 c. The death of Christ emphasizes how particular God is - Gal. 3:13 ## JEWISH OR CHRISTIAN - ACTS 10:34 A. JEWISH OR CHRISTIAN 1. When we urge upon our fellow Christians the keeping of the seventh day Sabbath, we are told by some: a. "The seventh day Sabbath is Jewish". b. "It never was intended for Christians in the first place". 2. The answer of our Sunday friends brings up another question -- what is Jewish and what is Christian? a. If the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is Jewish because it had been given to Israel, then it must follow that the other nine commandments are Jewish also, for they too were given to them. b. But what is more is the fact that we have in the Bible given to Israel - 1) The adoption; 2) The glory; 3) The covenants; 4) The giving of the law; 5) The promises; 6) The services of God; 7) Of whom is Christ according to the flesh. B. BIBLE FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND 1. God is no respecter of persons: a. The Jews had a hard time realizing this truth - Acts 10:1-36 b. Even the disciples had trouble with this fact - Gal. 2:11-17 2. What counts with the Lord is: a. Doing God's will, regardless of nationality - Acts 10:34, 35 b. Keeping His commandments - Rev. 22:14 3. Removal of all race barriers the aim of the plan of redemption: a. That is why Christ died - Eph. 2:11-16 b. There is but one shepherd and one fold - John 10:15, 16 c. When we accept Christ all partitions between us and other nations are removed forever - Gal. 3:26-29 4. God has only one plan for all men: a. One way - Matt. 7:13, 14 b. Christ is that way - John 14:6 c. There is no other name under heaven - Acts 4:12; Matt. 1:21 C. LET US, IN CLOSING, CONSIDER THE NAMES - "JEW" and "CHRISTIAN" 1. A true Jew is one that is born again: a. That is what Paul teaches - Rom. 2:28, 29 b. He is a person who has and lives the faith of Abraham - John 8:33-39 2. A true Christian: a. Is a person that is born again - John 3:1-9; 1 Pet. 1:23 b. He is a fellow heir with Abraham and therefore a true Israelite - Gal. 3:26-29; 1 John 5:1-5 3. If we want to reject everything that God gave to His people the Jews, we will have to reject: a. The Bible - it was written by Jews. b. Salvation - it is of the Jews - John 4:22, 23 c. We would have to reject all God's promises - Rom. 9:1-7 4. God's promises are all tied in with: a. Christ, the true seed of Abraham - Gal. 3:16 b. The nominal Jews, born after the flesh, are, according to God's word, "a false deed" - Isa. 57:4 5. We all hope to enter the city of the New Jerusalem: a. That is the hope of every Bible informed Christian - Heb. 13:22-28; Gal. 4:26 b. But the twelve gates of that wonderful city are marked by twelve Jewish names - the names of the twelve tribes of Israel - Rev. 21:1-27 c. There is, according to the Bible, no difference between a Bible Jew and a Bible Christian - both are born again. ## OUR CONSCIENCE A. THE CONSCIENCE - WHAT IS IT? 1. The conscience is that faculty of the mind which approves or disapproves of our thoughts, words, and actions: a. It gives consciousness of the good or the bad motives or conduct - 1) It may react to the dictate of the powers of reason, convicting of a wrong - John 8:9 2) Or it may give approval of what a person thinks or does - Acts 23:1; Rom. 9:1 b. It is a wonderful gift from God which differentiates man from beast. 2. Some men are aware of its powers and have all sorts of ideas about it: a. Some think of it as the voice of the Holy Spirit. b. Others believe that the conscience of man is just one of the faculties of the mind which reacts to what a person thinks, speaks or does. B. WHAT WE MAY KNOW ABOUT THE CONSCIENCE 1. It is not infallible, as claimed by some: a. It is dependent upon the information it has or receives. b. What one accepts as truth will give direction to the function of conscience - ILLUSTRATION 1) A Catholic, brought up in the doctrine of Rome, has a Catholic conscience. 2) A Protestant, indoctrinated in Protestantism, has a Protestant conscience. 3) That holds true for all religions, Pagan or Christian. 2. The conscience can be educated or trained: a. There was a time in the life of Saul, now called Paul, when his conscience approved of destroying Christians - Acts 7:58; 8:1; 9:1, 2 b. But when God gave him more light, his will, his conscience, reacted differently. c. He now attributes his former action to the result of ignorance - 1 Tim. 1:13 d. Paul's experience is typical of most of us. e. The conscience of Felix, the governor, reacted quickly upon being enlightened by the message of Paul - Acts 24:25 3. Our conscience is subject to the treatment we give it: a. It can be seared - 1 Tim. 4:2 b. It can be weakened - 1 Cor. 8:10 c. It can be blinded - 2 Cor. 4:4 d. It can be cleansed - Heb. 10:22 4. The Bible speaks of: a. A good conscience - Heb. 13:10 b. An evil conscience - Heb. 10:22 C. THIS BRINGS US TO THE QUESTION - IS THE CONSCIENCE A SAFE GUIDE IN MATTERS OF FAITH? 1. That all depends: a. We have already shown that the conscience is dependent upon the information it has; if the information is incorrect, the voice of conscience is unsafe. b. If it is misinformed, it will mislead. This is illustrated in the Bible and in every day life - EXAMPLES - 1) A Pagan may be just as sincere as the informed Christian, yet worship a god made of wood or stone - Acts 17:22, 23 2) A Catholic may be just as conscientious as a Seventh- day Adventist when he believes that Mary is in heaven making intercession for him. 2. The conscience is a safe guide: a. When it is guided by the Word of God - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Ps. 119:9, 11 b. When it is enlightened by the Holy Spirit; it is the Holy Spirit that uses the Word to enlighten the mind or the faculty of reason. c. People that do not know the scriptures are, according to Christ, ignorant - Matt. 22:29; that means that if they are ignorant, their conscience is ignorant of the truth. 3. A good and enlightened conscience is in evidence when we sincerely live up to the light we have, but when we disobey the Word of God, then the conscience is in danger to be seared: ## A NEW COMMANDMENT A. "LOVE ONE ANOTHER" 1. A mark of light: 1 John 1:7; 2:9 2. A sign of spiritual life: 1 John 3:14; Matt. 24:12 3. The badge of a true disciple: John 13:35 B. THE NEW COMMANDMENT 1. Opinion of some people: a. They think that this love was not required in what is called the Old Testament - Matt. 5:43 b. But the Bible facts are to the contrary - Lev. 19:18, 34; Ex. 23:3 2. The Ten Commandments are an expression of God's love: a. This is revealed in the two great principles stated by Christ in Matt. 22:34-36 b. Love to God and love to man is the very heart of the Ten Commandments - Deut. 6:5, 10, 12; 30:6; Rom. 13:10 c. The implanted love to God and man is the motive power which enables us to keep God's law - 1 John 5:1-5; John 14:15; 15:10 3. Why the new commandment? a. "Love one another as I have loved you". b. Our Lord demonstrated true love in His life while he sojourned in the flesh - John 13:1 c. He showed the beauty of loving one another. Even the Jews had to say, "Behold how He loved him" - John 11:36 4. What our Lord wants us to know about love: a. That it is a living principle which reveals itself in the life of the partaker of the divine nature. b. That when it possesses us it will motivate and control our thoughts, words, and actions as truly as it did in the life of the Son of man. c. This is the great secret of a true Bible Christian - 1 John 4:12 C. HOW CHRIST LOVED 1. He loved first: a. "Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" - 1 John 4:10 b. "Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another" - verse 11 c. He loved just the same; that means that even while we were God's enemies, Christ died for us - Rom. 5:10 d. That is why He says, "love your enemies" - Matt. 5:44 e. He loved to the end; that means that He loved in spite of all the encounters of the unlovable in us - John 13:1 2. Let us take this commandment to heart: a. The world believes in the theory - "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth", b. But the one who is possessed with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who loved first, who loved to the very end, will love as He loved. 3. It must be repeated that what is new in the commandment of our Lord is: a. The personal application of the love of God in our daily life. b. A demonstration that we are truly partakers of the divine nature. c. Putting into practice the great principle of Bible Christianity - Jas. 1:22; 1 John 2:4-7 d. A sign that we have passed from death unto life - 1 John 3:14 4. The divine principle of love has always been the same - in all ages: a. God is love - 1 John 4:8 b. With Him there is no change - Jas. 1:17 5. It was when the Son of God came into this sinful world, which is full of hatred: a. That He demonstrated with His own life God's love - seen and experienced by the disciples. b. That He truly said, "Love as I have loved you". c. "For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you". ## THE JUDGMENT A. THE BIBLE TEACHES 1. That God has appointed a day: a. To judge the world - 1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 20:4 b. The just and the unjust - 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Pet. 2:9; Acts 24:25; 1 Pet. 4:17 2. The judgment of God will include: a. The righteous dead and the wicked dead - Rev. 11:18, 19; 20:11, 12; 1 Pet. 4:17, 18 b. It will end with the righteous living and the wicked dead. Use the above Bible references and also Rev. 20:4-6; Dan. 7:8-10 3. Our Lord gives very strong emphasis to the judgment to come: a. Matt. 5:21, 22 b. John 5:22, 27; 9:39; 12:31 B. BIBLE FACTS WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE JUDGMENT 1. The time: a. God has appointed a day. b. It is, without a doubt, a prophetic day. Compare Acts 17:31 with Rev. 11:18; 14:6, 7 2. Books: a. The book of record - Ps. 87:1-6; 139:16; Rev. 20:12; Job and Jeremiah understood this truth - Jer. 2:22; Ps. 56:8; 87:1- 6; 139:16 b. A book of remembrance for the righteous - Mal. 3:16, 17; Job 14:17 c. The book of life - Rev. 20:12; Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3 d. The angels are the recorder - Gen. 18:20; Eccl. 5:5 e. That fact ought to sober us and help us to realize the seriousness of life - 2 Cor. 5:8-10 3. Rule in the judgment: a. The Ten Commandments - Eccl. 12:13; Jas. 1:22, 23; 2:10, 11 b. The gospel preached by Paul - Rom. 2:16; 2 Thess. 2:9 C. THREE PHASES OF THE JUDGMENT 1. The investigative judgment: a. The wedding guests - Matt. 22:12 b. Experience of Belshazzar - Dan. 5:27; 7:8-11; Rev. 11:18; 20:11 2. The judgment of the wicked, when the just shall sit in judgment: Dan. 7:21-23; 1 Cor. 6:1-3; Rev. 20:4 3. The executive phase of the judgment: a. The giving of the reward to the righteous - Luke 14:14; Rev. 11:18 b. The giving of the wages of sin to the wicked - Rev. 20:5-10; Dan. 7:13; Matt. 24:31 4. How will it affect you and me? a. It will be according to the record we have made in this present life? Gal. 6:6, 7; 2 Cor. 5:10 b. We still have it in our power to have the judgment in our favor - 1) That is the message by Peter - Acts 3:19-21 2) That was the message of Paul and Daniel - Dan. 4:27; Acts 24:25 c. Our accepting Jesus Christ and His righteousness will make the difference - Rom. 8:1-3 d. We have this assurance by God himself - Rom. 8:31-33 5. Today, we still have opportunity to determine our destiny: a. That is the admonition of Paul - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; Heb. 3:7-9 b. It is up to us to accept or reject God's plan for our salvation - Rev. 22:17 ## THE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT A. TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATION OF THE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT, WE MIGHT FIND SOME COMPARISON IN THE AMERICAN JUDICIAL SYSTEM 1. The American judicial system provides: a. An investigation of the case in question; b. To establish the innocence or the guilt of the accused in accordance with the law of the land. c. To render a final verdict of guilt or innocence. 2. That is one reason why certain cases are prolonged a long time, consuming much time and means: B. THE INVESTIGATIVE PROCEDURE OF THE JUDGMENT IS, ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, AS FOLLOWS 1. There are record books in heaven: a. There is the book of record - Compare Rev. 20:11, 12 with Dan. 7:9, 10; Ps. 87:1-6; 139:1-16 b. There is the book of remembrance written for God's children - Mal. 3:16, 17 c. And there is the book of life - Rev. 20:11-14; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5; 21:27; 22:19 2. The angels open the books during the investigative judgment: Dan. 7:9-11 a. They evidently take a daily record of my life and your life - Eccl. 5:6; Gen. 18:17-33; 19:1-33 b. They, at times, execute the judgment of God upon the wicked - Acts 12:20-24; Isa. 37:36 3. The investigative judgment begins: a. With the righteous dead - Compare 1 Pet. 4:17, 18 with Rev. 11:19 b. Continues with the righteous living - 1 Pet. 4:17, 18; Rev. 11:19 c. It will end with the examination of the record of the wicked during the Millennium - Compare Dan. 7:22 with 1 Cor. 6:1-4; Rev. 20:1-9 C. A NUMBER OF VERY SOLEMN FACTS CONNECTED WITH THE INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT 1. God has set this part of the judgment and announces the very hour when it would begin: a. A day was appointed - Acts 17:31 b. The hour of the judgment is given - Rev. 14:6, 7 2. God's standard by which all will be judged: a. The law of the Ten Commandments - Eccl. 12:12-14; Jas. 2:8-11 b. According to the gospel of Christ - Rom. 2:16 3. The investigative judgment of the righteous dead proceeds during the proclamation of the everlasting gospel: a. The Three Angels' message is proclaimed during the sixth seal spoken of in Rev. 10:7 b. It is during this time that the gospel or restoration, including the weekly Sabbath, is proclaimed in all the world - Rev. 14:6-12; Isa. 56:1-7; 58:12-14; Acts 3:21 c. We have now lived over one hundred years. d. We have no way of knowing when the investigative work will begin with the righteous living. 4. This is certain that we are living in the closing days of the work of the gospel. Soon, very soon, our Lord will leave the heavenly sanctuary and the hour of probation will have ended: Rev. 22:1-14 5. Jesus will come and bring with him the findings of the investigative judgment - our final reward: Rev. 22:12 6. How will it affect you and me? 7. When we compare Dan. 8:13, 14 with Rev. 10:5, and chapter 14:6, 7, we must conclude that the investigative phase of the judgment began in 1844 or at the end of the 2300 days. ## WEIGHT AND FOUND WANTING - DANIEL 5:26, 27 A. "MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN" 1. "God hath numbered thy kingdom": a. Said Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, "And after thee shall arise another kingdom" - Dan. 2:39 b. "But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another" - Ps. 75:7 2. Tekel: a. "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art wanting". b. "The Lord weigheth the spirits" - Prov. 16:2 3. Peres: a. "Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians". b. "Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take" - Acts 1:20 B. WEIGHT AND FOUND WANTING 1. The handwriting against the candlestick: a. Came very unexpectedly. b. That will be true of the wicked in the last days - 1 Thess. 5:1-6 c. It found him wholly unprepared - Dan. 5:1-11 d. That will be true of the wicked in the last days - Luke 12:25; 21:34-36 e. It was overpowering, and that will be true when the Son of man will come the second time. Compare Rev. 6:14 with Isa. 13:8; Matt. 22:12 2. Contents of the writing: a. Numbered, every word - Matt. 12:35, 36 b. Every step counted - Job 14:16; 31:4 c. Opportunities ended - Ps. 87:6; Isa. 65:12; Matt. 25:1-12 d. Weighed, some use a false scale - Hos. 12:8; Matt. 7:21, 22 e. God wants us to use just balances. Compare Luke 18:9; Hos. 10:14 with Isa. 28:17; 1 Pet. 4:17; Ps. 62:1-11 f. This was the message to Belshazzar, and it has a special application for our day. C. A SPECIAL LESSON FOR GOD'S PEOPLE IN THE LAST DAYS 1. We are, according to Dan. 8:13, 14 and Rev. 14:6, 7, living in the hour of God's judgment: a. The investigative judgment has been in progress since 1844; the records of the righteous dead are in review - Dan. 7:8- 11; Rev. 11:18, 19; 20:10-12 b. When the investigation will begin with the living, no one knows. 2. It is most significant that only God's children can read the handwriting on the clock of time: a. Only Joseph could interpret Pharaoh's dream - Gen. 41 b. Only Daniel was given light about the destiny of the Babylonian Empire. c. Only God's remnant people will spread truth about things to come. 3. The special solemnity of this message: a. God will hold us accountable for the life we now live - 2 Cor. 5:10 b. That includes our young people - Eccl. 11:9 c. The finding of a life wanting in God's balances is a life wasted in this present world - Matt. 16:26; Luke 12:16-20 d. The announcement of the final verdict about our life is the last sermon to those who willfully rejected the call of mercy - Acts 24:25 e. Think of these Bible characters - 1) The man without a wedding garment - Matt. 22:1-12 2) The invited guests that slighted the invitation to the great supper - Luke 14:16-29 3) The foolish virgins that neglected to provide oil for their lamps - Matt. 25:1-12 4) Think of the condition of the Laodiceans living in the hour of God's judgment - Rev. 3:14-17 f. Let us, in the light of our text, examine our lives and search our hearts; let us be very serious with ourselves lest we will hear the same verdict which ended the life and kingdom of Belshazzar. ## THE SOUL A. "AND THE LORD GOD FORMED MAN OF THE DUST OF THE GROUND, AND BREATHED INTO HIS NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE; AND MAN BECAME A LIVING SOUL." - Gen. 2:7 1. Our opening text reveals that when God created man He used two elements to make him "a living soul": a. He formed him of the dust of the ground - Gen. 3:19; Eccl. 3:19; 12:7; 1 Cor. 15:47; John 3:31 b. He breathed the breath of life into his nostrils - Gen. 7:22; Isa. 2:22; Job 27:3 2. Here we have the original use of the phrase "living soul" or "living being" or "living creature": a. This same expression is found a number of times in the Bible - Rev. 16:3; Num. 16:48; 1 Cor. 15:45 b. Thus it is seen that, originally, the word "soul" was used to denote Adam as a living human being in contrast to the dead. B. THE MYSTERY OF THE SOUL 1. Great confusion exists in the minds of men as to the true nature of the soul: a. Many believe and teach that the soul is the immortal ego of man, which separates from the body at death and exists in the Spirit world - good or bad. b. Others believe and teach that the soul is mortal, that it dies with the body, returns to the ground. 2. What the Bible teaches about the soul: a. It teaches that man is composed of two elements - dust and the breath of life - and that in death both elements cease to function. Compare Gen. 2:16, 17 with chapter 3:19; Eccl. 9:5, 10; Ezek. 18:4 b. It teaches, further, that the soul dies - Ezek. 18:4; Rev. 16:3; Ps. 22:29; 78:50 c. The Bible does not speak of "immortal souls" any where! C. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MAN, A LIVING SOUL, DIES? 1. This is a crucial question, worthy of our consideration: a. What God said would happen is found in these words, "in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" - Gen. 2:17; Rom. 5:12; Ezek. 18:4; Job 21:33 b. What Satan said would not happen, "Ye shall not surely die" - Gen. 3:4 c. Who spoke the truth? the Creator or the devil? John 8:44 2. The death of Adam, the living soul, was included in the sentence pronounced upon him in the Garden of Eden: a. "Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return" - Gen. 3:19 b. "It is appointed unto men - the living souls - once to die" - Heb. 9:27 c. "So death passed upon all men" - Rom. 5:12 d. "For as in Adam all die" - 1 Cor. 15:22 3. What death does to man - the living soul: a. "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth" - Ps. 146:4; 1 Cor. 15:45-47; Eccl. 12:7 b. "In that very day his thoughts perish" - Ps. 146:4; Eccl. 9:5, 10; Ps. 6:5 c. "In death there is no remembrance of thee" - Ps. 6:5; 30:9; Eccl. 9:5 4. Why God drove the sinners out of the Garden of Eden: a. Very few readers of the Bible have noticed the reason given by God for driving our first parents out of the Garden of Eden. b. But that reason given in these words, "lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" - Gen. 3:22 c. Here is God's answer to the Soul question. Let us accept it! ## IMMORTALITY A. "TO THEM WHO BY PATIENT CONTINUANCE IN WELL DOING SEEK FOR GLORY AND HONOR AND IMMORTALITY" - Rom. 2:7 1. Treasures worth seeking: a. Glory b. Honor c. Immortality 2. But, if it were true, as some assert, that man is by nature immortal, why seek for immortality? a. We do not seek for that which we already have. b. But we do seek the things which we want but do not, as yet, possess. B. BIBLE FACTS ABOUT IMMORTALITY 1. The words IMMORTAL and IMMORTALITY: a. Do not occur in the Old Testament; there is not a single instance in the Old Testament books where these words are used. b. But, if man had, as some claim, been immortal, the expressions IMMORTAL, IMMORTALITY, would be found in the writings of Moses and the prophets. c. In contrast to the silence of the books of the Old Testament on the word immortality, the word MORTAL is used once in Job 4:17 d. But this same word occurs six times in the New Testament, in the writings of Paul - Rom. 6:12; 8:11; 1 Cor. 15:53, 54; 2 Cor. 4:11 2. It is most significant that the words IMMORTALITY and IMMORTAL are used by Paul, and he applies them to: a. God, who possesses alone IMMORTALITY - 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15, 16 b. Paul ties IMMORTALITY to - 1) The gospel of Jesus Christ - 2 Tim. 1:10 2) Our connection with Jesus Christ - 1 John 5:10-12 3) It is the gift of God through Jesus Christ - Rom. 6:23; 1 John 5:10-12 4) It will be given to the saints in the first resurrection - 1 Cor. 15:50-57 5) It is, as it has been in the past, conditional - Gen. 2:15, 16; 3:22; 1 John 5:10-12 C. OTHER FACTS ABOUT IMMORTALITY 1. Had Adam and Eve been immortal by nature: a. They could never have been saved after the fall; they would have been immortal sinners. b. But they, as well as we, are mortal, and will be changed. Compare Phil. 3:21 with 1 Cor. 15:51; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 2 Cor. 3:18 2. Had Adam and Eve been immortal by nature, there would be no need to make immortality a primary condition to faith in Christ: John 3:16; 1 John 5:10-12 3. If, as claimed by some, immortality is our inherent nature, why speak of it as a gift through faith in Christ Jesus: John 3:16; Rom. 6:23 4. Immortality implies: a. Unchangeableness; that being true, why wait until our change comes? Job 14:14 b. Immortality is, according to our opening text, Rom. 2:7, to be sought for by men; but why seek for something you already have? c. The Bible speaks of immortality to be given in the first resurrection - Mark 10:30; Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46 d. But why wait until the resurrection if we have it already? 5. Immortality became the first issue between the Creator and Lucifer in the Garden of Eden; it still is: a. The Creator made life conditional upon obedience - Gen. 2:15, 16 b. Lucifer asserted that immortality was inherent in man - Gen. 3:1-6 c. But Genesis 3:22, 23 shows conclusively that Lucifer told an untruth - John 8:44 d. The answer to the devil's assertion is found in the fact that Adam died - Compare Gen. 3:19 with Rom. 5:12, 13 e. The fact remains that immortality is a conditional gift and centers in our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord - Rom. 6:23; John 3:16; 1 John 5:10-12 ## THE RESURRECTION A. "AND HAVE HOPE TOWARD GOD, WHICH THEY THEMSELVES ALSO ALLOW, THAT THERE SHALL BE A RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD, BOTH THE JUST AND UNJUST" - Acts 24:15 1. Our text reveals that: a. Many of the Jews believed in the resurrection of the dead - John 11:24; Matt. 22:30-34; Acts 23:6 b. The Sadducees did not believe in a resurrection of the dead. 2. Paul made his belief in a resurrection the main reason for the Jews persecuting him: B. LET US CONSIDER THE RESURRECTION IN THE LIGHT OF A NUMBER OF BIBLE REFERENCES WHICH EMPHASIZE THE RESURRECTION 1. It is significant: a. That the New Testament, almost exclusively, emphasizes the resurrection of the dead, both the just and the unjust. b. Our blessed Lord spoke frequently of the resurrection - 1) "I am the resurrection and the life" - John 11:25 2) "Thy brother shall rise again" - John 11:23 3) "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." - John 5:28, 29 c. Paul, following the example of the Lord, gave strong and repeated emphasis to the resurrection of the dead - Compare 1 Cor. 15:12-57 with Phil. 3:10, 11; Rom. 6:5; 2 Tim. 2:18; Heb. 6:2; 11:35 2. What is still more significant is: a. That the resurrection of the dead is held out as the real hope of God's children - John 5:20, 28, 29; 11:24, 25; 1 Cor. 15:12-18; Acts 23:6 b. That is a truth overlooked by so many readers of the Bible. 3. That eternal life and immortality are associated or connected with the resurrection of the dead: a. That is what Jesus does - John 5:28, 29; Luke 11:24-26; 14:14; Mark 10:30 b. That is what Paul affirms - 1 Cor. 15:12-57; 1 Thess. 4:13-17 4. If the theory that man has inherent immortality was true, why, please, associate the thought of eternal life with the resurrection? a. The reason is obvious; mortal man does not possess by nature immortality; he is mortal. b. For him to have immortality, he must get it in the resurrection of the just. C. THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD 1. Brings us face to face with the fact that there will be two resurrections: a. The resurrection of the just - Luke 14:14 b. The resurrection of the unjust - John 5:28, 29; Acts 23:6; 24:15 2. That brings us face to face with the life we now live: a. "Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap" - Gal. 6:7, 8 b. Our present life will determine in which resurrection we shall come forth - John 5:28, 29 c. Our future in the world to come will depend upon what kind of a life we live now! 3. What is still more important in this study, if that can be, is: a. That we can know right now in which resurrection we shall come forth - EXAMPLES - 1) Paul did - 2 Tim. 4:8 2) Daniel did - Dan. 12:13 3) Joseph did - Gen. 50:25; Ex. 13:19 b. If we consult our life now, do we know in which resurrection we shall have part? ## THE STRANGE ACT OF GOD A. "FOR THE LORD SHALL RISE UP AS IN MOUNT PERAZIM, HE SHALL BE WROTH AS IN THE VALLEY OF GIBEON, THAT HE MAY DO HIS WORK, HIS STRANGE WORK; AND BRING TO PASS HIS ACT, HIS STRANGE ACT." - Isa. 28:21 1. This is, we must confess, a very unusual text: a. God is love - 1 John 4:8, that is His nature; and it is not strange to us. b. God is longsuffering - Ex. 34:6; and that is not strange because that is His nature. c. He is merciful and very gracious - that is His name - Ex. 34:6 2. But what is the strange work He has to do, the strange act that He will bring to pass? a. He seeks to save sinners - John 3:16; Matt. 18:11; Luke 19:10 b. He made Him sin that knew no sin, that we may become righteous - 2 Cor. 5:21 B. THE STRANGE ACT OF GOD 1. He will destroy men that had been created for His glory: a. That is very strange for God who is love. b. He will cast them that are wicked into the lake of fire and destroy them - Mal. 4:1-3; Matt. 3:12 c. He will leave them neither root nor branch, but they shall be turned into ashes - Mal. 4:1-3 2. Why is this act by God so strange? a. Hell-fire was never intended for any man, but for the devil and his angels - Matt. 25:41 b. Man had been created for the glory of God - Rev. 4:11 3. We must keep in mind the following facts: a. God did everything he could to save men. b. He set in motion all the power in the universe to seek and to save the lost, including the gift of His only Son - John 3:16 4. There are other points or reasons which make the destruction of the wicked so strange: a. God is love, and it seems strange for love to destroy. b. God gave the very best He had, and that shows that it was very unnatural for Him to destroy that which He had sought to save. C. LET US TAKE A BRIEF LOOK AT THE NATURE OF THE PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED 1. The Bible says, "the wages of sin is death": Rom. 6:23 a. In the book of Revelation we read about "the second death" - Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14 b. This is in sharp contrast to the popular theory of eternal punishing. 2. Three special facts to keep in mind: a. The place of the punishment is on the earth - Prov. 11:31; 2 Pet. 3:1-10. This old earth will pass away and will not come into remembrance - Rev. 21:1 b. That being true, it is clear that the hell-fire in which the wicked will be punished will come to an end when this earth will pass away. All the wicked shall be turned into ashes - Mal. 4:1-3; Matt. 3:12 c. God will make a new heaven and a new earth and it will be the home of the redeemed forever and ever - Isa. 65:17; 66:22, 23 3. Summary: a. God's strange act will be when He will have to destroy men that He had made to live to His glory. b. He will do this act in spite of His effort to keep from doing it. c. When men will suffer eternal hell-fire, it will be their own fault; they, and not God, choose to suffer the punishment intended for the devil and his angels. d. How wonderful it is to know that none of us need to suffer punishment in hell. e. Why choose death and not life? f. God help us to find the soul-saving answer to this question. ## GOOD ANGELS A. WHO ARE THEY? 1. Negatively: a. They are not the so-called spirits of dead men. b. They came to the Garden of Eden long before anyone died - Gen. 3:24; Matt. 18:10 c. They sang together at the time this world was created - Job 38:7 2. Positively: a. They are created beings - Ps. 8:5 b. They are much superior to men - Isa. 37:36; Matt. 28:2-4 B. MINISTRY OF THE GOOD ANGELS 1. They do the commandments of God, hearkening unto the voice of His words: Ps. 103:20 2. They minister unto all who are to be heirs of salvation: Heb. 1:14 a. They protect them in time of danger - Ps. 34:7 1) Jacob in his experience with Esau, his brother - Gen. 32:24-29 2) Elisha in time of great danger - 2 Ki. 6:17 3) Daniel and his friends - Dan. 3:24; 6:22 4) Peter - Acts 12:7-9 5) Paul - Acts 27:24-28 b. They have fought on the side of the army of Israel - Judg. 4; 5; Isa. 37:36 c. They strengthen God's people in their battle with evil angels - 1 Ki. 19:4, 5; Luke 22:43; Judg. 5:1-23 d. They are the heavenly guardians of little children - 1) That is what Jesus says - Matt. 18:10 2) That shows that the angels are not the spirits of dead people because they protect children during their lifetime. 3. The good angels play a great role in the plan of salvation: a. God uses them as His messengers - 1) They announced the birth of Christ - Luke 2:10 2) They assist the ministers of the gospel - Acts 8:26; 10:1-6; 12:7 b. We shall never know, fully, the part the angels of God had in preparing us for the kingdom of heaven. 4. The Bible speaks of them as the harvesters: a. They keep a faithful record of man's life and activities - Compare Gen. 18:17 with Eccl. 5:5, 6; Dan. 7:10 b. They will gather the saints at the second coming of our Lord and the first resurrection - Matt. 24:31 c. They will, too, gather the wicked to be burned - Matt. 13:33-37 C. OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE GOOD ANGELS 1. We should ever be careful in our conduct in their presence: a. Herod is a typical example of what happens to the careless - Acts 12:20-23 b. Sennacherib, too, learned his lesson - Isa. 36:1-22; 37:1-36 2. We should express our humble gratitude to God for the ministry of these heavenly beings: a. Mention their mission of mercy to our fellow men. b. That is what the saints did during Bible times - 1) Daniel did to King Darius - Dan. 6:21, 22 2) Paul did to the people that sailed with him to Rome - Acts 27:23 3) The book of Acts mentions the angel speaking to Philip - Acts 8:26 4) The book of Genesis mentions the mission of the angels repeatedly. 3. Let us thank God for the ministry of the good angels: ## FALLEN ANGELS A. WHO THEY ARE? 1. The Bible indicates that they were, once upon a time: a. Sinless and perfect beings b. They, too, are created beings. 2. They joined Lucifer in the rebellion against the government of God: Compare Isa. 14:12-18 with Ezek. 28:12-18; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6 B. WHAT THEY DO? 1. They tempt men: a. The man Jesus was tempted by them - Matt. 4:1-12; Luke 4:1- 9; Mark 1:13 b. They mislead people, by teaching lies - 1) They misled Eve - Gen. 3:1-6 2) They led the nations to the final conflict - Rev. 16:13, 14 c. They impersonate people - 1) Impersonation of Samuel - 1 Sam. 28:11-13 2) Lucifer in the last days - 2 Cor. 11:14 d. They torture people - Mark 5:1-12; Matt. 15:22-28; Mark 3:10 2. They cannot, however, take possession of a person without the consent of that person: 3. What a sad experience for those mighty but fallen beings: a. That they devote their time and energy to deceive and to destroy men. b. They have become messengers of darkness. All they do is to destroy, that is why the Lord said of Lucifer that he is a murderer. 4. One reason why they do this work of wickedness is to give men a distorted view of the Creator, blaming Him for the suffering of mankind: 5. If they weaken or destroy the powers of reason, they have done great damage to the cause of God: C. OUR DEFENSE AGAINST THE FALLEN ANGELS 1. They are, by their creation, much superior to men: 2. They have at different times overpowered human beings: Acts 19:16 3. Christ is our chief defense against demons: a. Disciples cast out demons in the name of Jesus Christ - Matt. 7:22; 8:16; 9:33 b. Those fallen beings know that Christ is Master over them - Matt. 8:29; Luke 8:28 4. We overcome Satan and his associates: a. By the scriptures, as did the Lord - Matt. 4:1-9; Luke 4:1-7 b. Through earnest prayer and fasting - Matt. 17:21 c. Give Satan no room in your heart or life - 1 Pet. 5:8, 9; Eph. 4:27 5. Fallen angels are students of Bible prophecy: a. He quotes scriptures to confuse - Matt. 4:6 b. Satan knows that his time is very short - Rev. 12:12 6. Final end of these wicked beings: a. They will be judged by the saints - 1 Cor. 6:1-3 b. God will confine them upon the earth for one thousand years - Rev. 20:3; Isa. 24:21, 22 c. Satan and his fallen fellow beings will be cast into the lake of fire to receive their final punishment - Rev. 20:10 7. It must be noted that Spiritism, past and present, is nothing more than the work of fallen angels: a. They made people believe that they are the spirits of their departed dead. b. This work of deception will be increased as we near the end of time, when Satan will actually attempt to impersonate the Son of God - 2 Cor. 11:14 ## THE ORIGIN OF SIN A. THERE IS MUCH PERPLEXITY AND CONFUSION OVER THE ORIGIN OF SIN 1. Some would blame God for it: 2. But that is impossible: Hab. 1:13; 1 John 3:5 3. Others attempt to deny that sin is a reality; that when you deny it, it disappears: 4. But this theory is totally unrealistic and false: a. If that theory were true then Christ died in vain - 1 Cor. 15:1-3 b. It would make the sacrifice on the cross a mockery. c. These Bible references would be untrue - Matt. 1:21; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 John 1:7-9; John 3:16; Rom. 3:23 B. BIBLE FACTS ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF SIN 1. Christ points to Satan as the author of sin: a. John 8:44; 1 John 3:8 b. What Christ says is eternally true - John 14:6; Matt. 24:35 2. Who is Satan or the Devil? a. Lucifer, who was created a beautiful being, perfect in all his ways - Ezek. 28:15-17 b. There are many imaginary theories about Lucifer altogether untrue - 2 Cor. 11:14; Ezek. 28:12-18 c. He was next to Christ in position and influence; very gifted - Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 34-42; Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 1, pp. 17-23 3. How sin came into being: a. Pride and self-exaltation came before the fall. b. And with pride came contention - Prov. 13:10; 16:18; Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18 c. Unholy ambition - Isa. 14:12-17 d. Envy against the Son of God became the flame of hatred - Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 34-38 C. WHY WAS SIN PERMITTED? 1. The Bible makes it crystal clear: a. That the government of God is based upon love - "God is love" - 1 John 4:8 b. His character and will are expressed in His laws - Ex. 20:3- 17; 1 John 3:4; Ps. 19:7; Rom. 2:17 2. Lucifer declares that God's laws are arbitrary and unjust: a. That is how he persuaded a third of his fellow beings to forsake their habitation and follow him into exile - 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6 b. That is how he succeeded to create doubt in the minds of our first parents - Gen. 3:1-6 3. Lucifer's position and influence necessitated his own full exposure to the universe: a. God allowed Satan to carry on his work to prove that he was a free moral agent. b. Had God destroyed Lucifer some of the unfallen beings would never have understood God's action. c. The lie of Satan and his full exposure came when the Son of God lived and died in this world to reveal God's love to His subjects - John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-33 d. The blackness of Lucifer's lies was never more evident than when the Son of God cried on the cross, "forgive them; for they know not what they do" - Luke 23:34 e. Unfallen beings saw God's love in all its bright colors - 1 Tim. 3:16 4. End of Lucifer: a. He will be judged - 1 Cor. 6:1-3 b. He will be turned into ashes - Ezek. 28:18; Rev. 20:10; Matt. 25:41 ## THE TRINITY OF SIN - 1 JOHN 2:15 A. HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE TRINITY OF SIN? OUR OPENING TEXT SPEAKS OF THE TRINITY OF SIN 1. The lust of the eye: 2. The lust of the flesh: 3. The pride of life: A careful reading of the Bible will show that the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life constitute the Trinity of sin. 4. They are, in their very nature, inseparable: 5. They sum up sin in thought, word and action: B. NATURE AND FUNCTION OF THE TRINITY OF SIN 1. The lust of the eye: a. The eye is the light of the body - Matt. 6:22; Luke 11:34 b. Its condition affects the whole body, "when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness" - Luke 11:34 c. Satan has used the evil eye to destroy or ruin many souls - EXAMPLES - 1) Samson - Judg. 16: 2) Achan - 1 Sam. 7: 3) David - 2 Sam. 11: 4) He used the power of the eye to deceive Eve - Gen. 3:6 2. The lust of the flesh: a. This sin must be considered one of the most hideous and deadly of all manifestations of sins - EXAMPLES - 1) Ancient Israel and the lust of the flesh - Num. 25:1-9 2) Samson and the lust of the flesh - Judg. 16:21 3) Solomon and the love of women - Neh. 13:26 4) The antediluvians - Gen. 6:1-3 5) Heathenism in its grossest form - Rom. 1:19-27 6) Some members in the church at Corinth - 1 Cor. 5:1 b. The lust of the flesh is the perversion of the natural propensities, which will lead to excess and moral weakness. c. There is a continued conflict between our spiritual nature and the flesh - Gal. 5:17 3. The pride of life: a. Pride simply means to magnify one's self; the exaltation of the human ego. b. That was the downfall of Lucifer - Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18 c. This sin plagues the church of God today. d. It caused the downfall of Nebuchadnezzar - Dan. 4:30 e. All who are victimized by this sin are spoken of as being compassed by pride as with a chain - Ps. 73:6 C. HOW TO PROTECT OURSELVES AGAINST THE PRIDE OF LIFE 1. Through mortification: a. This is no easy undertaking, but it is a must if we wish to have the victory over sin. b. "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." - Rom. 8:13 2. Here is the list which we must mortify at all cost: a. Fornication b. Uncleanness c. Inordinate affections d. Evil concupiscence e. And covetousness, which is idolatry - Col. 3:5 3. Walk in the Spirit: "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." - Gal. 5:16 4. Watch and pray constantly: Matt. 26:41 ## THE UNKNOWN DEPTH OF SIN - LUKE 23:34, 35 A. "FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO." 1. The dying words of the Son of God: a. "Forgive them" b. "They know not what they do" 2. This prayer by our Lord shows: a. The depth of God's love! b. It shows further the divine understanding of the depths of sin not comprehended by sinners. B. THE PRAYER OF OUR LORD IN HIS DYING MOMENTS ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY IS MOST REVEALING 1. It reveals the unknown depth of sin: a. "Out of the depths have I cried" - Ps. 130:1 b. The great mystery of iniquity - 2 Thess. 2:7 c. The depths of Satan - Rev. 2:24 2. Man, unaided by the Holy Spirit, is incapable to comprehend the exceeding sinfulness of sin: a. That is why God has made provision for the sin of ignorance - Lev. 4:2; Num. 15:24; Acts 3:17 b. That is one great reason for God's long-suffering with the sinner, "for they know not what they do" EXAMPLES - 1) Saul of Tarsus - 1 Tim. 1:13 2) Many of the Jews - Acts 3:17; 13:27 3. That does not, however, change the nature of sin: a. It is enmity toward God - Rom. 8:7; Jas. 4:4 b. It is rebellion against God's law - 1 Sam. 15:23; Rom. 8:5-8 c. It is the gateway to eternal ruin - Rom. 6:23; Gal. 6:7 4. The exceeding sinfulness of sin can be understood only: a. In the light of our Lord's crucifixion on the cross of Calvary. b. "He made him sin who knew no sin" - 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13 c. God spared not His only Son, but gave him for us all - Rom. 8:31 d. That bitter cry, "My God, My God, Why hast Thou forsaken me" - reveals the terribleness of sin - Matt. 27:46 C. THANK GOD FOR THAT UNDERSTANDING AND COMPASSIONATE PRAYER OF OUR SAVIOUR 1. It is the door of hope for the sinner: a. That was true of the penitent thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 b. That was the hope of Mary Magdalene, out of whom the Lord cast out seven devils - Luke 7:47 c. That was the door of hope for the harlot Rahab - Ps. 87:4 d. And that was the gate through which Saul of Tarsus went - 1 Tim. 1:15 e. And that is the door of hope for you and me! Eph. 2:11-16 2. That portion of our Lord's prayer is: a. Our only defense against the accusations of Satan - Rev. 12:10; Zech. 3:1-5 b. It is our defense against an accusing conscience - 1 John 3:20, 21 c. It is a blessed assurance that our sins are forgiven, and that we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord - Rom. 5:1-3; 8:1-6, 31-33 d. It is the divine incentive to come boldly to the throne of grace to receive help in time of need - Heb. 4:15, 16 ## THE TRAGEDY OF SIN - GENESIS 3:12 A. SIN A SAD REALITY 1. Claims of so-called "Christian Science" are not true: 2. What the Bible declares sin: a. The transgression of God's law is sin - 1 John 3:4 b. All unrighteousness is sin - 1 John 5:17 c. Whatsoever is not of faith is sin - Rom. 14:23 3. The reality of sin must be viewed upon what it did to the Son of God, who knew no sin: a. Sin made him a curse - Gal. 3:13 b. Sin made Him sin who knew no sin - 2 Cor. 5:21. That was because He laid upon him the iniquity of us all - Isa. 53:6 B. THE TRAGEDY OF SIN 1. It separates: a. From God, the very source of life - Gen. 3:9-26; Isa. 59:1-3 b. From loved ones and friends - Gen. 13:26; 28:1-22; Luke 15:11-26 2. It degrades its victim: EXAMPLES - a. Samson - Judg. 14:1; 15:16 b. Solomon - Neh. 13:26 c. The prodigal - Luke 15:11-20 3. It disgraces the guilty one: EXAMPLES - a. Nebuchadnezzar - Dan. 4:30-33 b. Judas - Matt. 27:5 c. Haman - Esther 7:1-10 4. It robs man of the blessings God has for him: a. Esau is a typical example - Heb. 10:31; 12:16 b. Israel and the promised land - Num. 14:28-30 C. WHAT GOD WANTS TO DO WITH SIN 1. We have already seen what He did with sin in the person of His only Son: a. He condemned it - Rom. 8:1-3 b. He punished it - 1 Pet. 2:21-24 2. God wants to forgive us of all our sin: 1 John 1:7-9; Ps. 103:13 a. If we but confess it sincerely. b. That is the very heart of the plan of redemption - John 3:16 3. He wants to remove all our sins: a. Blot them out, as a thick cloud - Isa. 44:22 b. Cast them behind His back - Isa. 38:17 c. Cast them into the depths of the sea - Mi. 7:18, 19 4. What God can do with our sins depends upon us: a. Are we willing to confess them? Ps. 32:5; 1 John 1:9 b. Are we willing to forsake our sinful ways? Isa. 55:7 c. Are we truly sorry for our sins? 2 Cor. 7:10 5. Trophies of God's grace which removed sin from them as far as the East is from the West: a. Everyone that accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour - 2 Cor. 5:17 b. All who put their sins under the precious blood of Jesus Christ - Ps. 32:2; 1 John 1:7-9 c. All who abide in Christ are separated from their sins forever. 6. The tragedy of sin: a. Mortal tongue can never tell the havoc sin has wrought in this world. b. But God, in love, has provided a way to remove it out of this world forever - Nah. 1:9 ## SIN, THE PLAGUE OF THE SOUL - 1 KINGS 8:38, 39 A. "WHAT PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION SOEVER BE MADE BY ANY MAN, OR BY ALL THY PEOPLE ISRAEL, WHICH SHALL KNOW EVERY MAN THE PLAGUE OF HIS OWN HEART, AND SPREAD FORTH HIS HANDS TOWARD THIS HOUSE." 1. Our text is a portion of that great intercessory prayer of King Solomon: a. It indicates the purpose of the temple "and house of prayer" - Isa. 56:7 b. Since God's presence appeared in the most holy place, above the mercy seat: the eyes of the worshippers turned toward the temple of God - Dan. 6:10 2. But Solomon was thinking also of the plague of the heart - sin and God's remedy for the staying or removal of this plague: a. He was praying that the people, who were plagued with sin, could turn to the mercy seat for help. b. Here is a wonderful lesson for us to pray for. B. SIN, THE PLAGUE OF THE SOUL 1. Sin attacks the heart: a. Because out of it are the issues of life - Prov. 4:23 b. It is the very fountain and mainspring of life - Matt. 15:19, 20 c. If the heart is defiled, the whole life is defiled; if the heart is sick, the body is sick too - Isa. 1:1-19 2. A plague: a. The term plague was originally applied to the disease of leprosy - Lev. 13:2-29; 14:3-12 b. But this word is used, also, for other rapidly spreading and odious diseases known to men - the Plague in London; in India, and other countries that felled untold numbers of victims. c. Our text, however, refers to sin in the heart which seeks to destroy life itself - Prov. 14:28. It has marred the image of God - Gen. 5:1-3; Song of Solomon 1:6 3. Harm of the plague of the soul: a. It has made the heart deceitful and desperately wicked - Jer. 17:9 b. Our Lord gives a vivid description of what the plague of sin does to the heart - Matt. 15:19, 20 c. Paul uses similar expressions - Gal. 5:22, 23 d. The effects of the plague are - 1) Loathsome 2) Destroys all the energies of body, soul, and spirit - Luke 15:15-18; Rev. 3:17 3) It pollutes everything that it comes in contact with - Jas. 3:16; Jude 8 4) It is incurable, so far as man's ability is concerned C. GOD'S REMEDY FOR THE PLAGUE OF THE SOUL 1. The precious blood of Jesus Christ: a. Is the only effective means against the plague of sin - 1 John 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 b. It is God's open fountain against all uncleanness - Zech. 13:1 2. The Word of God: a. Has inherent power to heal the affected life - Ps. 107:17-20 b. Is God's means to create a new heart and plant into the heart an upright spirit - Ps. 51:10; Ezek. 36:26-28 3. The Holy Spirit a. The Holy Spirit is God's workmaster, who brings about a new creature through faith in Jesus Christ - Zech. 4:6; John 6:63 b. As we yield to the Holy Spirit our lives become changed into the likeness of Jesus Christ our Saviour - 2 Cor. 3:17, 18 c. Thank God that there is a balm in Gilead and also the great Physician of the soul. Only He can heal the soul of the plague of sin - Jer. 8:22; 46:11 ## THE MADNESS OF SIN - ECCLESIASTES 9:3, 4 A. "MADNESS IS IN THEIR HEART WHILE THEY LIVE, AND AFTER THAT THEY GO TO THE DEAD." 1. How graphic and touching are the Bible descriptions of the fallen and miserable state of human nature: a. It is a state of blindness - 2 Cor. 3:14; 4:4 b. A state of wretchedness - Rom. 7:24; Rev. 3:17 c. A state of poverty - Luke 15:14-16 d. It is a state of insanity - Acts 7:57; Luke 15:17 2. We could enlarge the catalogue of miseries caused by sin: Matt. 15:19, 20; 23:27 B. THE MADNESS OF SIN 1. Madness is the derangement of the mental as well as the physical powers of man: a. When sin strikes man it seeks to destroy his powers of reason. That is the first objective of Satan - EXAMPLES - 1) Demon possessed persons - Mark 5:15 2) King Saul - 1 Sam. 17:9 3) The prodigal son - Luke 15:17 b. In madness, passion rules instead of reason. The sinner acts by impulse - EXAMPLES - 1) The Jews that stoned Stephen - Acts 7:57 2) The people that saw Paul in the temple - Acts 21:30, 31 2. Madness can be seen: a. By the object of choice. A madman has no true perception of right or wrong. b. His inclination is criminal all the way - Jer. 7:9; Matt. 5:21-23; Rom. 1:29 c. It is caused by Satan the murderer - John 8:44; 1 Tim. 2:26; Rom. 6:16 3. Madness will manifest itself: a. In the conversation - 2 Pet. 2:10-18; Jude 10 b. By the counsel of sinners - Isa. 7:5; Ps. 1:1-6 c. Mad persons think that they are sane and that all others are insane. d. They are dangerous to others. e. Madness is often fatal to its victims. C. GOD'S REMEDY FOR THE MADNESS OF SIN 1. Christ Jesus and He alone has a cure for the sin of madness: a. He has power over the demons that cause madness - Matt. 8:16; 9:33; Mark 5:1-13 b. He alone can bring complete freedom to enslaved persons - John 8:32, 36 2. But sinners must cooperate with him: a. Sinners must come to the Saviour - Matt. 11:28-30; John 5:40 b. Sinners must keep away from influences that brought the madness of sin into their life - John 5:14; 8:11; Ps. 1:1-6 c. The divine rule of safety is plainly stated by our Lord - 1) "Abide in me" - John 15:4 2) Abide in the sheepfold - John 10:15, 16 3. The madness of sin: a. How deadly it is! The victims of this deviltry are so many that it would be utterly impossible to begin to count them - Matt. 7:13, 14 b. How helpless man is against it without Christ! c. And yet, our God has provided a remedy against the malady. d. There is a balm and a physician in Gilead who is ever ready and willing to apply God's remedy to the suffering souls - Jer. 8:22 e. Thank God for this mercy! ## THE SIN OF UNBELIEF - MARK 6:6 A. "AND HE MARVELLED BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF" 1. People in His own country refused to believe in Him: Matt. 13:57 2. They judged Him: a. By the lowly estate of His parents - Mark 6:3; Luke 4:22 b. By His opportunity the schools of Doctors of learning - Mark 6:4; John 7:15 3. Our Lord marvelled at their unbelief: a. Prejudice blinded them against truth, preached by the Son of God. b. They judged Him, not by what He was or did, but by His lowly estate. B. THE SIN OF UNBELIEF 1. Unbelief defined: a. Unbelief is a state of doubt with reference to a person or a fact. b. It is the rejection of the revelation of God, His will, and His efforts in our behalf. c. It is, in fact, closing the eyes to the evidence before us. 2. The evil of unbelief: a. It is an insult to the wisdom and the integrity of God - Matt. 25:24-26 b. Unbelief closes its victim's eyes to the truth that would save the soul - 2 Cor. 4:4 c. It renders the all-important work of redemption impossible - John 5:40; Heb. 4:2; 11:6 d. It shuts heaven and opens the gates to hell - Heb. 4:11; 13:12 e. Unbelief makes it impossible for God, His Word, and His Spirit to save our soul - Mark 6:6 f. It is the great gulf between its victim and the kingdom of heaven - Heb. 4:11; Luke 16:26 3. The cause of unbelief: a. It is a condition of the heart - Heb. 3:12; Jer. 17:9 b. Ignorance or blindness of the mind is a contributory factor to the sin of unbelief - Luke 23:34 c. Paul gives ignorance as one of the reasons why the Jews rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ - Rom. 10:3 d. Bias or prejudice is still another element leading to unbelief. e. That was Paul's experience - 1 Tim. 1:13 f. But, perhaps, the basic cause of unbelief is Satan - 1) That was how the sin of doubt was planted into the minds of our first parents - Gen. 3:1-6 2) It is the work of that wicked one - 2 Thess. 2:8-11 C. EFFECTS OF THE SIN OF UNBELIEF 1. Keeps the guilty in a state of condemnation: a. That is the verdict of the Son of God - John 3:19 b. Paul affirms our Lord's verdict - Rom. 8:18 2. It renders useless all the provisions of the gospel of Jesus Christ: a. The Bible cannot help the unbeliever. b. The Spirit of God cannot influence the heart that is full of unbelief - Acts 7:51; Heb. 10:29; Isa. 63:10 c. Prayer is useless. 3. What those who are plagued with the sin of unbelief should do: a. They should cry unto God saying, "Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief" - Mark 9:24 b. "Increase our faith" - Luke 17:5 c. Lord help me to trust thee and accept thy word without any doubt in my heart. ## "WHITE SINS" A. WHY THIS SUBJECT? 1. Moral bankruptcy in our society: Luke 17:26-29 2. Conditions among professed Christians are not much better: Jer. 5:1-3; Ezek. 9:1-9; 2 Tim. 4:1-4 3. One hears all sorts of theories about sin: a. Some seek to justify it; they tell us that when a person inherits sin, it is excusable. b. Others attempt to deny its existence; they assure us that since God is all good, and since He is the author of all being, there can be no evil. c. Still others differentiate between sins. To them some sins are excusable. d. They speak of red sins, white sins, and black sins. B. "WHITE SINS WHICH NEED NOT BE CONFESSED" 1. This may shock some of us: a. Because all sins are an offense to God, no matter what their nature may be. b. No sin can truly be justified before God. 2. But there are seven "white sins" which need not be confessed: a. The sin we seek to justify. Untold numbers of people are afflicted with this sin - EXAMPLES - 1) Adam and Eve - Gen. 3:9-16 2) Cain - Gen. 4:9 3) Pilate - Matt. 27:24 4) Many Jewish worshippers - Matt. 15:3-6; Luke 10:25-29 b. The sin we are unwilling to forsake - bad habits: Isa. 55:7; Rom. 2:17; Hos. 4:17. Pleasures of the flesh: 1 John 2:15, 16; 2 Tim. 3:1-4 c. The sin for which we are not truly sorry. Saul is a typical example - 1 Sam. 15:24; Cain is another example - Gen. 3:9- 14; the Pharisees - Matt. 3:6-8 d. Using the Cloak of religion. Prayer - Luke 18:10-14; Matt. 6:5 - this is a very serious offense to God and we must guard against this so-called "white sin". e. The sin of neglect. The man without a wedding garment - Matt. 22:1-12; the invited guests - Luke 14:16-33; the five foolish virgins - Matt. 25:1-12 f. Despiteful excuses. The invited guest that failed to come - Luke 14:16-33; the man that failed to make use of the one talent - Matt. 25:25-28 g. Willful rejection of light. "Ye will not come unto me that ye may have life" - John 5:40; the antediluvians - Gen. 6:1- 14; in the last days - Luke 17:26-29; 2 Tim. 4:1-6 C. A REAL CHALLENGE TO US 1. Are we guilty of white-washing some of our thoughts, words, and actions? a. Pilate attempted this trick - Matt. 27:24, 25 b. That was a common practice among the Pharisees - Matt. 23:24-28 c. Think of how he pictures large groups of professed Christians! Matt. 7:21-26 2. Are we washed white by the blood of Jesus or are we seeking to white-wash our sins? Rev. 5:5; Ps. 32:1-5 ## SINS OF SILENCE - LEVITICUS 5:1, 2 A. "AND IF A SOUL SIN, AND HEAR THE VOICE OF SWEARING, AND IS A WITNESS, WHETHER HE HATH SEEN OR KNOWN OF IT; IF HE DO NOT UTTER IT, THEN HE SHALL BEAR HIS INIQUITY." 1. The reading of this text brings to light that nothing can be hid from the eyes or ears of the Lord: a. "Thou God seest me" - Gen. 16:13; Ps. 139:1-16 b. All things are like an open book before the Lord - Ps. 90:8 2. This Mosaic law deserves careful and prayerful study: a. It shows that sin is sin, be it committed in secret or in the open; whether we or others recognize it or not, it is still sin. b. It is sin because God calls it sin. This makes sin more odious and sinful. B. THERE ARE THREE FORCES IN LIFE, THE ACTION OF WHICH IS ILLUSTRATED BY OUR OPENING TEXT 1. The first is influence: a. That intangible personal atmosphere which clothes every man with an invisible belt of magnetism - 2 Cor. 2:14-16 b. "For none of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself" - Rom. 14:7 ILLUSTRATIONS - 1) Peter said, "I go fishing" and his words became magnetic, "We also go with thee" was the response of his brethren - John 21:3 2) Said the woman of Samaria, "Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw" - John 4:1-29 3) Paul and his fellow travelers - Acts 27:35 4) Other examples - Acts 9:36-39; 1 Ki. 16:30. Who can rightly estimate the power of influence? 2. The second force is example: a. Every person sets an example for someone else - 1) We think of Dorcas - Acts 9:36-39 2) Paul was forceful - Acts 27:35-39 3) Even Ahab, that wicked king, had many follow his example - 1 Ki. 16:30 3. Then comes a personal responsibility: a. One might as easily evade the force of gravitation as to evade responsibility, even of a secret sin - Ps. 139:1-16 b. All are recorded in the books of heaven - Rev. 20:10-12 C. LET US NOTE, BRIEFLY, HOW THE FORCES WE HAVE MENTIONED OPERATE 1. It is utterly impossible for any one of us to live in this world without affecting someone else with our lives: a. "If any man hear the voice of swearing"; if he even knows of it, he is obligated to God and man b. The tragic aspect of sin is that at times we share it with others - Josh. 7:1-16, 26 c. We have involved others in our guilt - Acts 5:1-11 2. How then can we be free from the guilt of the sin of silence? a. Pray as the Psalmist did, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts" - Ps. 139:23 b. "Cleanse thou me from secret faults" - Ps. 19:12 c. Confess every known sin - 1 John 1:7-9 d. Clear ourselves before God and men of every wrong known to us - Luke 19:1-10 3. There is but one hiding place of sin which will silence it: a. Not of our own choosing - Matt. 15:4, 5; 27:24 b. Place sin under the blood of Christ - Ps. 32:1; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 c. Leave it there! ## THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN - HEBREWS 3:13, 14 A. "BUT EXHORT ONE ANOTHER DAILY, WHILE IT IS CALLED TODAY; LEST ANY OF YOU BE HARDENED THROUGH THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN." 1. Observe, please, the evil warned against: a. "Sin" - the transgression of God's law - 1 John 3:4 b. The enmity toward God - Rom. 8:7 2. Sin that caused angels to fall, leaving their heavenly habitation: Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4; John 8:44 3. Sin which bringeth ruin to this world: a. Because of its wickedness - 1 John 5:19; John 7:7 b. It made a graveyard out of this earth - Rom. 5:12 c. It brought sickness, sorrow, and death to men. d. It will bring, in the end, the wrath of God upon the wicked - Rom. 1:18; Matt. 3:7; Rom. 2:5 B. THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN 1. Sin is not what it poses to be: a. It appears in the garb of innocence - 1) Eve's experience - Gen. 3:1-6 2) Samson learned while laying on the lap of the harlot - Judg. 16:17, 18 b. It takes false names. c. It makes false promises. d. It makes false excuses. 2. Sin hardens the heart of its victim: a. Paul warns against that experience - Heb. 3:7-9 b. Sin hardens the heart against the voice of truth - Acts 7:51 3. Sin is exceedingly deceitful: a. The wisdom of the wise cannot escape it. b. Neither position, wealth, nor fame, are sufficient to shield us against the deceitfulness of sin. C. OUR DEFENSE AGAINST THE DECEITFULNESS OF SIN 1. Satan is the personification of sin: a. He is the author of sin - John 8:44; 1 John 3:8; Ezek. 28:15 b. Sin is the devil's means to do his dirty work - Jas. 1:15 2. Our security against Satan's deceptions: a. Not in ourselves. That enemy of our souls is too experienced with the art of deception - 2 Cor. 11:14 b. Rests in our abiding in Christ our Lord - John 10:15, 16; 15:1-6 c. Our weapon against him is the Holy Scriptures - Matt. 4:1-9; Luke 4:1-11 d. Prayer is still another defense against the enemy of our life. Satan flees when the saints are on their knees, praying to God. e. The Holy Spirit is our helper against the devil - Isa. 59:19 3. Exhort one another so long as it is today: Mal. 3:15-17 a. The exhortation must be mutual because we all are surrounded with the same infirmities. b. It must be constant to keep us on the alert against deception - Heb. 10:24-28 c. Daily - that means be ready to warn, to be on guard against the enemy - 1 Pet. 5:8 d. Who has not noticed the scars in the lives of the Devil's victims? e. How our past experience ought to set us on guard against the deceitfulness of sin. ## SIN, ITS OWN DETECTIVE - NUMBERS 32:23 A. AN APPALLING FACT ABOUT MAN'S ATTITUDE TOWARD SIN 1. He seeks to hide it: Look into the daily life of most anyone and you will soon learn that it seems our second nature to hide sins and shortcomings. 2. The guilty imagine that they have it in their power to keep others from knowing their shortcomings: B. "BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT" 1. Its ultimate detection is as certain as its act: a. The law of reproduction - Gal. 6:7, 8 b. Even Moses experienced the effects of sin - Ex. 2:12-14 c. Wicked Ahab learned in time that he would be found out - 1 Ki. 21:20 d. King David, too, learned a lesson on the utter impossibility of hiding sin - 2 Sam. 12:1-7 2. It is only a matter of time in most cases: a. A shout toward the high mountains will, in due time, echo your voice. b. God does not pay at every turn, but in due time He will pay in full - 2 Pet. 2:9; 2 Cor. 5:10 3. Sin is its own detective: a. At times it works through a guilty conscience - John 8:1-9; Dan. 5:1-9 b. The Spirit of God will convict the sinner - Luke 15:11-18; John 16:7, 8 c. Circumstances are other means used by sin to expose the guilty - Matt. 27:1-5 d. Dreams have been used to expose the guilty. The boy that had killed his grandfather had a bad dream, woke up and confessed. 4. "Be sure your sin will find you out" a. God has a faithful record of them - Jer. 2:22; 17:1 b. Angels keep books - Dan. 7:9-11; Rev. 20:11, 12 c. Often the deed itself leaves a visible mark in our life, showing the sin we have attempted to hide. C. OUR ONLY ESCAPE FROM THE EFFECTS OF SIN 1. When we humbly confess them and cast ourselves upon God's mercy: a. That is what David did - 2 Sam. 12:13 b. That is what the tax collector did - Luke 18:13; 19:1-12 c. John gives us full assurance that if we confess our sins, God is just and willing to forgive us our sins - 1 John 1:7-9 2. This is, sad to say, true that the effects of sin cannot always remove the scars it has left in our life: 3. You see many such marks when you go to "hospitals" or to the "old peoples' homes": a. You may not know anything about their private life, but there are marks in their lives which tell the story. b. If people will consider the fact that sin is its own detective, they will not yield to it so readily. 4. Our blessed Saviour is our only hope: a. He has a way to silence sin and make it powerless - Rom. 8:1, 31-33 b. He has promised that He will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea - Mi. 7:18, 19 c. But He cannot remove our lives from the power of sin, unless we let Him do it for us. d. Let us make the blood of Christ the hiding place against sin. ## THE RULE OF SIN OVER MAN - ROMANS 7:15-24 A. THE READING OF PAUL'S TESTIMONY IN OUR OPENING TEXT MAKES IT CRYSTAL CLEAR 1. That man is no longer a free moral agent in its original sense: a. He has become a bond servant to sin. b. That is the testimony of the Bible - Compare John 8:34 with Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Gal. 3:21 2. He may think that he is free, but his life proves conclusively that he is a slave, a captive of Satan: B. THE NATURAL MAN LIVES UNDER A THREEFOLD BONDAGE 1. His sinful nature holds him in bondage: a. The Psalmist says, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" - Ps. 51:5 b. Writes Paul, "I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing" - Rom. 7:18 c. Our Lord confirms this truth in these immortal words, "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin" - John 8:34 2. He is in bondage through the evil habits he acquired: a. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey" - Rom. 6:16 b. "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil" Jer. 13:23 3. He is in bondage by his own choice: a. We think of Cain - Gen. 3:7 b. This was true of the unbelieving Jews - John 3:19, 20; 8:44 c. Man has been fully alerted to the work of Satan - 1 Pet. 5:8 d. In spite of God's efforts, Satan takes men captive at will - 2 Tim. 2:26 e. God has placed man in a position to choose his Master, and most of them show by their works that they love the enslavement of sin. C. SEVEN ALARMING FACTS ABOUT THE REIGN OF SIN 1. Sin is character; sins are conduct: a. A deceitful heart - Jer. 17:9 b. A fountain of impurities - Matt. 15:19; Gal. 5:19-21; Jas. 3:11, 12 2. Sin is the center; sins are the circumference: a. This is portrayed by the power of the evil tongue - Jas. 3:6 b. Think of the sin of our first parents - Rom. 5:12-19 c. Jeroboam is a vivid example of the nature of sin - 1 Ki. 13:34 3. Sin is the root; sins are the fruit: a. Our Lord emphasizes the truth - Matt. 7:17-20 b. We think of the tares among the wheat - Matt. 13:24-29 4. Sin is the producer; sins are the product: a. Go into our penal institutions and learn the facts about sin first hand. b. Visit the gambling joints and see again the truth stated here. 5. Sin is the sire; sins are the offspring: a. These are strong but true words. b. Tell me who your associates are and I will know what your way of life is - Prov. 28:7, 24 6. Sin is a polluted fountain; sins are its outflow: a. We call attention, once more, to Jer. 17:9; Matt. 15:19 b. That is what you see in the world and in some churches today - 2 Tim. 3:1-9 7. Sin is what we are; sins are what we do: a. The picture is dark but true! b. It is drawn not to discourage but to show the need for salvation. ## THE UNPARDONABLE SIN A. THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION 1. Brings pardon to the penitent sinner: Isa. 55:7; Ps. 130:3, 4; Mi. 7:18, 19 2. Wonderful encouragement for all who seek forgiveness of sin: Isa. 1:18; Zech. 13:1 3. The precious blood of Christ covers all our sins: 1 John 1:7-9; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19. How wonderful it is to know this truth from experience! B. THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 1. When we think of the unpardonable sin, questions will come to our minds: a. If God's love has made provision for the forgiveness of our sins, how come there is an exception made? b. Why does not the blood of Christ cover this sin? c. Do we have a way of knowing the unpardonable sin? 2. The Bible mentions sins that are beyond the boundary of pardon: a. Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost - Matt. 12:31, 32 b. The sin unto death - 1 John 5:16 c. The sin against light - Heb. 6:4-7; 10:26 1) This sin is deadly in its very nature; it is based upon knowing God's requirements, but ignoring them - Ex. 4:24, 25; 1 Sam. 15:1-11 2) It is the rejection of a duty made known to us either by the Word of God or through the Holy Spirit - Heb. 3:7, 8; Jas. 4:17 3) There is no longer any justification of our disregard of either our attitude or action toward light and truth - Rom. 1:19, 20 C. SPECIFIC MANIFESTATIONS OF THE UNPARDONABLE SIN 1. Any sin can become unpardonable: a. Stealing - Achan's experience is a tragic example - Josh. 7:11, 19, 20 b. Lying - Ananias and his wife Sapphira are still another reminder of the seriousness of sin - Acts 5:1-11 c. Coveting - The origin of sin is a reminder of the terribleness of the sin of covetousness - Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18 2. The Bible reveals four special sins to guard against: a. The sin of presumption; it is deadly - 1) It assumes on the goodness of God; and there is no provision for forgiveness. 2) Examples - 1 Ki. 13:1-22; Num. 15:30-33; 2 Sam. 6:6; Ps. 19:13 b. The sin of hypocrisy; it is deadly. God hates hypocrisy and He made it known to some who practiced this sin - 1) The Pharisees were noted for this sin - Matt. 23:1-36 2) Ananias practiced this sin - Acts 5:1-9 3) King Saul, too, was guilty of this sin - 2 Sam. 15:13-29 c. The sin of willful rejection of light - 1) This was the sin of the antediluvians - Gen. 6:11; Luke 17:26, 27 2) That was the sin of Jewish leaders - Acts 7:51 3) That will be the sin in the last days which will seal the doom of the wicked - 2 Thess. 2:9-11 d. Willful misuse of light - This is a fatal sin God's people must guard against by all means; it is deadly - Heb. 6:6-9; 10:26-28; Ps. 51:11 ## THE PLAN OF SALVATION A. ITS IMPORTANCE 1. It is the oldest plan in the world: a. It is not an afterthought. b. Dates back to eternity - 1 Pet. 1:18-20; Rev. 13:8; John 3:16 2. It is a revelation of the counsel and pleasure of God: a. John 3:16; Rom. 8:1-3 b. Eph. 1:9; Rom. 16:25; Isa. 46:10 B. WHAT IT REVEALS 1. The fall of man: a. It is opposed to many modern theories of man's goodness. b. Evidence of man's fall can be seen and witnessed everywhere, in society, in the home, and in the everyday life. c. Gen. 3:1-22; Rom. 3:23; 5:12-19; Gal. 3:22, 23 2. The Redeemer: a. A common misconception which excludes our heavenly Father as the great Redeemer b. John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-33; 2 Cor. 5:18-21 3. Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Saviour: a. There is no other name under heaven - Acts 4:12; Matt. 1:21 b. 1 John 2:1-3; Heb. 7:25, 26 4. What our salvation includes: a. Freedom from sin - Matt. 1:21; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 7:26 b. Life everlasting - John 3:16; 1 John 5:10-12; Mark 10:30 c. A home on the new earth - Matt. 5:5; Isa. 65:17-21; 66:22- 23; Rev. 21:22 5. Our finite minds cannot fully comprehend all that is included in the plan of salvation: a. That is what Paul says - 1 Cor. 1:9, 10; Rom. 11:33-36 b. We may know, however, that when God's promises are brought to pass, we shall be as they who are dreaming - Ps. 126:1-4 C. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PLAN OF SALVATION 1. To vindicate the character of God: a. Lucifer's rebellion in heaven has brought to many, including some of the angels, a misconception of God's character - Matt. 25:24, 25 b. But the plan of salvation exposed Satan and vindicated the character of God - Luke 19:21, 22; 1 Tim. 3:16 2. To reveal the awfulness of sin: a. The suffering and death of the Son of God on the cross of Calvary are vivid testimony of the true character of sin. b. If you wish to realize the terribleness of sin, linger long near the cross! c. The scars on the body of the Son of God will be eternally reminding the redeemed of the price paid for their salvation. 3. But the plan of salvation reveals the perpetuity of the law of God: a. The death of Christ on the cross vindicates God's law. b. If God's law could have been set aside there would have been no need for Him to die to satisfy the claims of the broken law. c. Christ came to magnify the law and make it honorable - Isa. 42:18-21; Matt. 5:17-19 4. The restoration of fallen humanity to the image of God, which had been marred by sin, is another great objective of the plan of salvation: a. Man had been made in the image and likeness of God - Gen. 1:26, 27 b. But that image was marred by sin - Gen. 5:1-6; 6:1-11 c. It will be restored through the gospel of Jesus Christ - John 3:1-9; 2 Cor. 5:14-17 5. Finally: a. The grand and glorious objective of the plan of salvation is to wipe out sin from the universe - Zech. 3:9; Nah. 1:9; Rev. 21:1-3 b. The former glory of Eden will be restored, yea, surpassed - Rev. 22: ## SALVATION A. A WORD OF ETERNAL CHARM 1. All Heaven is interested in it: a. God, our heavenly Father - John 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:3; Rom. 8:31-33 b. Jesus Christ our Lord and Master - Luke 19:10; Matt. 1:21; Gal. 2:20 c. The Holy Spirit - Rev. 22:17; John 16:13; Rom. 8:26 d. The Angels - 1 Pet. 1:12; Luke 15:10; Heb. 1:14 2. It is the most inclusive word in the Bible: a. It ties the penitent sinner to God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Angels b. It provides forgiveness of sin - Mi. 7:18, 19; 1 John 1:7-9; Rom. 3:24; 8:31-33 c. It offers complete deliverance from the power of sin and death - John 8:36; Acts 26:18; Heb. 2:14-16; 7:25, 26 d. It delivers from the eternal consequences of sin - 2 Cor. 5:17; Mi. 7:18, 19 e. It promises eternal life to all who accept Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour - John 3:16; 1 John 5:10-12; Rom. 6:23 B. SALVATION IS, HOWEVER, LIKE ALL OTHER BLESSINGS, CONDITIONAL 1. Man's cooperation is one of the basic conditions: a. "Wilt thou be made whole?" - John 5:6 b. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" - Acts 16:29-31 c. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness" - Matt. 6:33 d. "If ye be willing and obedient" - Isa. 1:19 2. We must acknowledge that we are in need of salvation: a. "Lord, save me" - Matt. 14:30 b. "O wretched man that I am!" - Rom. 7:24 c. "Lord, remember me" - Luke 23:42-44 3. Heartfelt repentance and complete surrender is a basic condition to salvation: a. "Heal my soul, for I have sinned" - Ps. 41:4 b. "I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes" - Job 42:6 c. "For godly sorrow worketh repentance" - 2 Cor. 7:10 d. "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" - Acts 2:38 4. Humble confession is still another condition to salvation: 1 John 1:7-9; Matt. 6:12 5. Simple and childlike faith in Christ Jesus is still another condition: Acts 8:37; 16:30 6. Obedience is another condition: Rom. 5:10; 6:14-16; Gal. 3:27; John 15:10; Matt. 19:16 C. SALVATION FOR THE GREATEST SINNER IS THE MAGNA CARTA FOR PENITENT SINNERS 1. A statement by Paul will dramatize this wonderful truth: "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." - 1 Tim. 1:15 2. Some of the trophies of salvation: a. The woman of Samaria - John 4:23-29 b. Mary Magdalene, out of whom the Lord cast out seven devils - Mark 16:9 c. The harlot of Jericho - Josh. 6:25 d. The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 e. Saul of Tarsus - Acts 9:1-14 f. My own sinful and unworthy self 3. The story of salvation will unfold to the universe until it will become the theme of the ages; until it will fill the hearts of all creatures in the universe: Rev. 12:10 ## WELLS OF SALVATION - ISAIAH 12:1-6 A. "THEREFORE WITH JOY SHALL YE DRAW WATER OUT OF THE WELLS OF SALVATION." 1. Wells played a great role in the history of God's people: a. The Patriarchs were dependent upon the wells they dug for themselves and their cattle. b. Noteworthy events took place at some of the wells - 1) The angel found Hagar at a fountain of water - Gen. 16:7 2) Abraham's servant met Rebekah, Isaac's future wife, at a well - Gen. 24:13 3) Jacob met Rachel at a well - Gen. 29:1-9 2. The memorable conversation of our Lord with the woman of Samaria took place at Jacob's well: John 4:1-29 B. WELLS OF SALVATION 1. The use of water as a figure for salvation is very appropriate: a. Water is an absolute necessity for life and existence. b. In fact, the people in the Middle East call water "the gift of God." c. It was when a water seller went through the streets, crying, not "water, water", but "the gift of God, the gift of God", that the people would meet him with great joy. 2. God is thought of as the great Fountain of living water: a. Said the Psalmist, "All my springs are in thee" - Ps. 87:7 b. Said the Lord Jesus, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink" - John 7:37 c. And in Jeremiah God complains against his people, "they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters" - Jer. 2:13 3. The Holy Spirit is also thought of as the refreshing waters of salvation: a. Joel 3:18 b. Zech. 13:1; Ezek. 36:24-27 C. "THEREFORE WITH JOY SHALL YE DRAW WATER OUT OF THE WELLS OF SALVATION." 1. God's well diggers: a. Of them it is written, "Who passing through the valley of Baca (weeping) make it a well" - Ps. 84:5, 6 b. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." - Ps. 126:5, 6 EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham - Gen. 12:1-3 2) Joseph - Gen. 41:42 3) Moses - Num. 12 4) Paul - Acts 20:18-38 2. Drawing out of the wells of salvation: a. God's children draw out of the wells of salvation through the study of the Word of God - John 5:39; Acts 17:11, 12; Jer. 15:16 b. Prayer, earnest and persevering prayer, will help us to draw the water of life from the heavenly sanctuary - Jas. 5:16, 17 c. Christian fellowship is still another means to draw fresh and refreshing water out of the well of salvation - Heb. 10:24-27 d. Taking part at the ordinances of the house of the Lord, footwashing, the Lord's supper, will bring refreshment to the soul - John 13:17; 1 Cor. 11:22-29 e. Visiting the sick and helping the people in need will also bring blessings to the active well diggers - Matt. 25:31-39; Jas. 1:27 3. "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation": a. The discovery of the well of salvation is an occasion of joy - EXAMPLES - 1) The eunuch, who had found the well of salvation, went on his way rejoicing - Acts 8:39 2) The jailer, who had unexpectantly found the water of life, rejoiced with all his house - Acts 16:34 b. Is that our own experience? If not, why not? ## WALLS OF SALVATION A. "SALVATION WILL GOD APPOINT FOR WALLS AND BULWARKS" - Isa. 26:1 1. Ancient usage of walls: a. They served as landmarks - Deut. 19:14; Prov. 22:28 b. They were used to protect private property - Deut. 3:5; Neh. 1:3 c. And nations used them as a defense against enemies - 2 Ki. 25:10; Jer. 39:8; Isa. 21:11, 12 2. Walls symbolize God's care for His people in time of danger: Isa. 60:18; Ps. 125:1, 2 B. WALLS OF SALVATION 1. In this present world God's people face continuous dangers: a. Satan, the enemy of our souls, is ever on the move to seek and to destroy God's people - 1 Pet. 5:8 b. He knows that he has but a very short time in which to seek and to destroy - Rev. 12:12 2. Our God knows the deadly dangers we face in this present world, and He has made provisions for our safety: a. "The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them." - Ps. 34:7 b. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." - Ps. 46:1 c. "By thee have I been holden up from the womb" - Ps. 71:6 3. Let us look at some of the walls which God has appointed for salvation: a. Bible based faith is a veritable fortress against all the assaults of the evil one - John 7:38; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 EXAMPLES - 1) Moses' mother - Ex. 2:3 2) Daniel's friends - Dan. 3:17 3) Elisha - 2 Ki. 6:14-17 b. Prayer is another wall of defense - EXAMPLES - 1) Job and his family - Job 1:1-10 2) David - Ps. 17:4; 119:11 3) Philip, the Evangelist - Acts 21:8, 9 Our blessed Saviour - Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-9 c. The family altar is a must for every home, to be sheltered against danger - 1) What God says about the homes that have no family worship - Jer. 10:25 2) My life and the lives of my children have been preserved through family worship. d. The services of the church are a heaven appointed place of refuge for God's people - Heb. 10:23-26; Acts 4:24-28 C. BLESSINGS OF THE WALLS OF SALVATION 1. The Bible literally teems with vivid examples of the walls of salvation: a. We think of Daniel and his friends; yea, even the lives of the wise men of Babylon - Dan. 2:12-25; 3:17; 6:10-27 b. We recall the experience of the apostles, Peter, Paul and others, who lived in continuous danger, and who survived behind the walls that God had appointed for their salvation - Acts 12:1-17; 2 Cor. 11:23-27 c. We think of David Livingstone in the heart of dark Africa, where the enemy sought by many different devices to kill him, yet God was his defense. 2. Let us note, briefly, some of the blessings of salvation, which constitute a wall of defense for the believers: a. The forgiveness of their sins is one of the unspeakable blessings of salvation - Rom. 8:1-3; 8:31-33 b. A clear and sanctified conscience is a mighty defense against the enemy of the soul - EXAMPLES - 1) Compare Daniel with Belshazzar - Dan. 5:6, 7; 10:21, 22 2) Compare Paul with Felix - Acts 23:1; 24:25 c. A knowledge that our cause is God's cause builds a bulwark against all the attacks of the evil one. d. "I know whom I have believed" - 2 Tim. 1:12 EXAMPLES - 1) David and Goliath - 1 Sam. 17:45-50 2) David and King Saul - 1 Sam. 22:1-23 ## THE PRICE OF SALVATION - PART I A. "AND I SAID UNTO THEM, IF YE THINK GOOD, GIVE ME MY PRICE; AND IF NOT FORBEAR" - Zech. 11:12 1. A most unusual request: a. Christ or the Messiah wants men to evaluate Him. b. He wants us to place a value upon Him, His life, and His sacrifice. 2. Evaluating all who were dedicated to the Lord was a part of the sacrificial service: a. When men were brought to God, a value had to be placed upon them according to age and sex - Lev. 27:1-6 b. That was true, also, of the beasts that were sacrificed. B. HOW CAN A POOR AND FINITE BEING PLACE A PRICE UPON THE SON OF GOD? 1. Examples of some Bible characters who did place a price upon the Lord Jesus Christ: a. Judas sold the Lord of glory for thirty pieces of silver - Matt. 26:15 b. The poor widow loved the Lord and gave to Him all her living - Mark 12:41-44 c. Mary gave Him a love gift - Luke 7:38-40 2. When we all evaluate the Lord Jesus: a. When our relationship with Him and His word requires a special sacrifice - EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham sacrificed Isaac - Gen. 22:1-12 2) Peter's love gift to his Lord - John 21:17-19 3) Stephen brought the supreme price - Acts 7:59, 60 b. In the hour of temptation - 1) Adam and Eve sold their Creator for the fruit of the tree of good and evil - Gen. 3:1-6 2) Joseph paid the price of purity in prison - Gen. 39:1-12 3) Daniel and his friends paid the price of loyalty in Babylon - Dan. 1:8; 3:17-23; 6:10-22 c. When we are asked to give up the world and its sinful pleasures - Heb. 11:24-26 d. The rich young ruler refused - Matt. 19:16 c. WHY A SINCERE EVALUATION OF OUR LORD IS SO IMPORTANT 1. We must remember the price Heaven placed upon the Son of God: a. He is the bread of life that came from heaven - John 6:51 b. In Him is the life that lighted up every being that comes into this world - John 1:4, 5 c. He is the very essence of the Father's being - Heb. 1:1-3; Col. 2:9 2. What He means to us: a. What will we do with our sins without Him? Matt. 1:21; 2 Cor. 5:21 b. What shall we do with our sorrows without Him? Isa. 53:4 c. What can the future offer to us without the Son of God? Acts 4:12 3. Let us, prayerfully, think of what: a. He did for us - Gal. 2:20, 21 b. What He does for us - 1 John 2:1-3; Heb. 7:24-27; John 14:1-3 c. What He will do for us - John 5:28-29; 1 Thess. 4:13-17 4. The least we can do to show that we value our Lord more than words can tell, or deeds can prove: a. Listen to Paul - Acts 21:13 b. It is said that when they were ready to crucify Peter, he asked a special favor of them before he was executed; he asked them to crucify him with his head down; when asked why, he told them that his Lord and Master was crucified upright and he wanted to be crucified with his head downward. c. The least we can do for the Master is to give our sinful and unworthy self to Him without any reservation. d. Think of the panorama of God's martyrs, who loved the Lord and were willing to pay the supreme price to prove their love - Heb. 11:36-39 e. Think of the experience of God's remnant people awaiting them before the end comes! Rev. 12:17; Dan. 12:1 ## THE PRICE OF SALVATION - PART II A. "AND THE KING SAID UNTO ARAUNAH, NAY; BUT I WILL SURELY BUY IT OF THEE AT A PRICE: NEITHER WILL I OFFER BURNT OFFERINGS UNTO THE LORD MY GOD OF THAT WHICH DOTH COST ME NOTHING" - 2 Sam. 24:24 1. Historical background to our text: a. David was in deep trouble over his sin against the Lord and his people - 2 Sam. 24:1-4 b. He was given his choice of one of three punishments - 1) Seven years of famine 2) Flee three months before his enemies 3) Three days pestilence in the land 2. His answer was, "Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man": 2 Sam. 24:14 3. God smote Israel with pestilence; many died: B. GOD DIRECTED THE PENITENT KING TO BRING A SACRIFICE 1. It is at this time that the better and more noble part of David comes into bold review: a. Araunah, the Jebusite, offered the place and the sacrifice to David free - 2 Sam. 24:20-23 b. Araunah did all this because he loved the king; also the Lord. 2. But David said, "Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing" a. This, truly, reveals the magnanimity of a penitent king. To him his relationship with the King of the universe was nothing to be considered cheap or unimportant. b. There is in this attitude by David a wonderful lesson to be learned by all of us who profess to love the Lord. 3. Personal sacrifice enjoined by the express command of the Lord: a. "None shall appear before me empty" - Ex. 34:20 b. "It shall be perfect to be accepted" - Lev. 22:25 c. "Every man as he is able" - Deut. 16:16 d. "Neither from a stranger's hand" - Lev. 22:25 4. David was cognizant of these divine directives, and he sought to comply with them: a. It will be wise on our part to comply with these heavenly instructions - Rom. 15:4 b. True love and worship are unthinkable without the price attached to them. c. Love to God determines the decree of our sacrifice for Him - EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham offered Isaac to God, and the Lord looked upon that as positive evidence that Abraham loved him - Gen. 22:1-12 2) The rich young ruler professed to love God, but he was unwilling to pay the price - Matt. 19:16-20 3) Mary Magdalene loved the Lord and she proved it by her deeds - Matt. 26:12 C. HOW MUCH DOES YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST COST YOU? 1. Think of the price Heaven paid to save you and me! a. Meditate upon the words found in John 3:16, their implication! b. Then turn to 2 Cor. 5:18-21 and give some earnest thought to the words of Paul! c. Said Paul, when writing about the great sacrifice Heaven made for him, "who loved me, and gave himself for me" - Gal. 2:20 2. Then think of the price others were willing to pay to seal their love and affections for their Lord and Master: a. The poor widow gave her livelihood as an offering to God - Mark 12:44 b. Think of Stephen who laid down his life out of love for the Lord Jesus Christ. c. And think of the untold millions of martyrs of Christ. d. When you have done all this, weigh your gifts in the light of what David did; what the Lord Jesus does for you! e. I am rather confident that it will never be hard for you to give of the best you have, and do it cheerfully. f. "For God loveth a cheerful giver" - 2 Cor. 9:7 ## PREDESTINATION - ROMANS 9:11-12 A. PAUL IS KNOWN, BY BIBLE STUDENTS, AS ONE OF THE OUTSTANDING WRITERS OF THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE 1. Peter admits, freely, that some of Paul's writings are "hard to understand": 2 Pet. 3:15, 16 2. Predestination and election are among the deep subjects: a. Which some theologians have misconstrued to fit into their own thinking. b. They would have us believe that Paul taught fatalism, or the doctrine of the predestination of man's destiny regardless of his will or attitude. B. PREDESTINATION MUST BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF A NUMBER OF BIBLE FACTS TO ARRIVE AT THE PROPER CONCLUSION 1. The Bible states specifically: a. That God is not a respecter of persons. b. Peter had to learn this truth. Compare Gal. 2:11 with Acts 10:34-36 2. The Law of Moses warned against being a respecter of persons: Deut. 1:17; 16:19 3. Other Bible writers emphasized the same truth: 2 Sam. 14:14; 2 Chron. 19:7 4. God offers salvation free to all, irrespective of race or color: a. That was a doctrine of Paul. Compare 1 Tim. 2:3, 4 with Gal. 3:26-29 b. The invitation of the Holy Spirit and the church of the living God is, "Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely" - Rev. 22:17 c. The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men - Tit. 2:11 d. Christ died for all - 1 John 2:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:14 e. These truths are the key to the teaching of the Bible on election or predestination. f. Because it is imperative for us to interpret the words of Paul in Rom. 9:11, 12 in the light of other passages in the Bible. C. BIBLE DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION 1. Meaning of the word: a. To predetermine b. To decree beforehand c. To arrange beforehand 2. What was it that God predetermined, prearranged, and decreed beforehand? a. Some say that He predetermined, prearranged, and predecreed who is to be saved and who is to be lost. b. They appeal to the words found in Rom. 11:13 - "As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated" - "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." 3. What then is Bible election: a. Negatively - not flesh and blood - 1 Cor. 15:50; John 1:12, 13 b. Positively - CHARACTER AND CHARACTER ONLY! Read your Bible carefully and you will soon learn to your joy that what God foreordained is CHARACTER. c. Proof - we were chosen by God, in Christ, before the foundation of the world! How and why? "That we should be holy and without blame before him in love" - Holiness is character; love is character - Eph. 1:4, 5; Abel and his sacrifice were accepted, but Cain and his sacrifice were rejected. Why? Because their characters were involved - Gen. 4; that was true of Jacob and of Esau. Jacob believed God, but Esau was an infidel. 4. What counts before God is: a. Attitude. What is my attitude toward the will of God, expressed in his law? Ps. 119:165; Isa. 48:18 b. Said the Lord to Cain, "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door" - Gen. 4:7 c. This same truth is expressed in Ezek. 18:20-28 ## ADOPTION A. "HAVING PREDESTINATED US UNTO THE ADOPTION OF CHILDREN BY CHRIST JESUS TO HIMSELF, ACCORDING TO THE GOOD PLEASURE OF HIS WILL." - Eph. 1:5 1. Meaning of the word Adoption: a. A legal action by which a person takes into his family a child not his own, and usually of no kin to him, with the purpose of treating him as his own. b. This custom was very common among the Romans, and Paul uses this custom to illustrate our entering into the family of God. 2. The Bible shows that: a. Moses was adopted by Pharoah's daughter as her son - Ex. 2:10 b. Esther was adopted by her uncle Mordecai - Esth. 2:7 c. Paul speaks of the adoption of Israel by Jehovah, Rom. 9:4; he speaks of us, who believe in Jesus Christ, as being adopted into the heavenly family - Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:4, 5 d. This glorious truth ought to encourage us to come boldly to the throne of grace, crying, Abba, Father. B. THE DOCTRINE OF THE ADOPTION 1. The doctrine of the adoption is based upon two basic facts: a. It indicates, plainly, man's alienation from God - Compare Isa. 59:1-3 with Eph. 2:11-15 b. Sin separated man from God - Isa. 59:1-4; this is most important to know. c. Adam is called a son of God - Luke 1:38; but of the Jews the Lord says, "Ye are of your father the devil" - John 8:44 d. Sin alienates from the life of God, makes us outlaws - Eph. 4:18; Col. 1:21 e. That means that we are aliens to God's covenants, God's promises, and His people. 2. This condition makes the adoption into the family of God a necessity: a. It is impossible for man to have connection with God without being adopted by God. b. Neither can we enjoy the blessings of the kingdom of God without the adoption. C. BLESSING OF THE ADOPTION BY GOD 1. Restores a broken relationship EXAMPLES - a. The prodigal son and his return to his father's house illustrates very vividly the effect of our adoption - Luke 15:11-28 b. The bringing in the Gentiles to share the blessings of the gospel with Israel - Eph. 2:11-16; Rom. 11:16-28 2. This adoption is made possible only: a. By Christ making peace with God by His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary - Rom. 5:1-5; Eph. 2:11-16 b. When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, we are accepted in the Beloved - Eph. 1:6 3. Seven special blessings come with our adoption: a. We become fellow heirs with Christ - Eph. 3:6; 2:19 b. We have the forgiveness of our sins, and the hope of eternal life in Christ Jesus - Eph. 1:7; Gal. 4:5 c. We have received the Holy Spirit as a pledge on the part of God, that he has accepted us into His family - Eph. 1:13; Rom. 8:16, 17 d. We are kept unto salvation by the power of God in Christ Jesus - Eph. 3:20, 21 e. We have the promise of eternal life to be given to us at the second coming of Jesus Christ our Lord - John 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:22-58 f. We shall be on the new earth, and eat of the tree of life - Rev. 2:7; 22:1-6 g. Finally, having been adopted into the family of God, God is willing to cast into the depths of the sea all our shortcomings - Mi. 7:18, 19; 2 Cor. 5:17 4. This knowledge of the inclusiveness of our adoption into the family of God ought to set us free: a. From the bondage of fear; we come boldly to the throne of grace crying Abba, Father - Compare Gal. 3:26-29; 4:6; Rom. 8:15 with 2 Cor. 5:17 ## OUR JUSTIFICATION A. "THEREFORE AS BY THE OFFENSE OF ONE JUDGMENT CAME UPON ALL MEN TO CONDEMNATION; EVEN SO BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF ONE THE FREE GIFT CAME UPON ALL MEN UNTO JUSTIFICATION OF LIFE." - Rom. 5:18 1. Meaning of the word JUSTIFICATION: a. To declare right or just - Isa. 53:11; Job 27:5 b. To be free from wrong in what we say or do - Ezek. 14:14, 20 2. The meaning of the word is the same in both testaments. The Greek word "Dikaioo" means: a. To declare righteous or just - Luke 16:15; Rom. 3:30 b. To make just or upright - Rom. 8:30-32 B. THE WORKING OF OUR JUSTIFICATION 1. Negatively a. No one can be justified by the works of the law because by the law is the knowledge of sin - Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16; 3:10 b. A transgressor of the law is under condemnation, and for that reason cannot be justified by the broken law - Rom. 3:21; 7:7; 1 John 3:4 - EXAMPLES - 1) The Jews that brought the woman to the Master were guilty of the same sin, and for that reason were under the same condemnation - John 8:1-11 2) The Pharisee that went to the temple to tell God how good he was, was a sinner as well as the publican, and for that reason was under condemnation as well as the publican - Luke 18:10-14 c. No one can be justified by his own deeds because all our own righteousness is but filthy rags - Isa. 64:6 2. Positively: a. We are justified by the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Lord; it is the free gift of God - Rom. 3:36; 4:5; 5:1; Acts 13:39 b. We are justified by the blood of the Son of God - Rom. 5:9; Tit. 3:7 c. Only the grace of God will remove condemnation out of our life - Rom. 3:24; Tit. 3:7; Eph. 2:7, 8 C. BLESSINGS OF OUR JUSTIFICATION 1. Extent of our justification: a. It covers us completely - past, present, and future - Compare Acts 13:39 with Rom. 8:1, 33, 34; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9 b. It brings peace to us; the moment we are justified we are at peace with God the Father through the atonement made by our Lord - Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:11-16 c. It gives us hope, "And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever" - Ps. 23:6; Tit. 3:7 (R.S.V.) d. It saves us from the wrath to come - "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" - Rom. 8:1; "old things are passed away; behold all things are become new" - 2 Cor. 5:17, "and all things are of God" - verse 18 2. Effect of our justification: a. It excludes boasting by man of his own goodness - Rom. 3:27 - "That no flesh should glory in his presence" - 1 Cor. 1:29; "Not of works, lest any man should boast." - Eph. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:9 b. Our boasting will be in the Lord Jesus Christ, who of God has been made our wisdom, our righteousness, and our sanctification and redemption - 1 Cor. 1:30 c. The justification by faith in Jesus will give us boldness to come to the throne of grace and commune with our heavenly Father, rejoicing in hope - Heb. 4:15, 16 d. Such justification will make us feel our need to lean upon the Lord in all that we do and hope for; we lost all confidence in the flesh - Phil. 3:3 3. Finally, justification: a. Will bring a new and glorious experience to the believer; he is a new creature and has a new outlook upon life. The future is as bright as God's wonderful promises; he turns to the Lord and prays, "Remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom." b. He will be glorified at the appearing of the Son of God to be glorified in the saints. ## GOD'S FIRST MAN - GENESIS 1:26, 27 A. A STUDY OF MANKIND IS VERY INTERESTING AND MOST REVEALING 1. One finds mankind of vastly different caliber: a. Some live on a much lower level than others. b. This raises the question - who and what is responsible for this great divergence? 1) Did God make men so different? 2) Or is it man's own deliberate choice? 2. The purpose of this sermon is to show that God neither willed it that way nor did He make men so different: a. Man was created with the powers of choice - good or evil; a higher level of living or a lower level of living. b. This fact is seen clearly in the experience of our first parents. c. The record of the creation of Adam and Eve will tell the story. B. LET US CONSIDER 1. The substance of God's first man: a. God formed him of the dust of the ground - Gen. 2:7; 1 Cor. 15:47; Eccl. 12:7 b. He breathed the breath of life into his nostrils and man became a living soul - Gen. 2:7; Isa. 2:22; 1 Cor. 15:45 2. Thus we learn from the Bible record of the creation of man that he is composed of two components: a. Clay - Isa. 45:9 b. Breath - Eccl. 3:19, 20 3. Man was made in the image and likeness of God: a. Adam reflected the Creator's likeness in his physical and moral makeup - Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:1-3; 1 Cor. 11:7 b. He had been endowed with great mental power - Gen. 2:19; Eccl. 7:29 c. He was crowned ruler over this world - Gen. 1:26, 27; Ps. 8:4-9 C. THE CHANGE OF MEN AND THEIR WAYS OF LIVING ARE 1. The result of departure from the principles that God laid down when man was created: a. Men ignored God's plan of living; they followed their own imagination - 1) Adam and Eve ignored God's warning and believed a lie - Gen. 3:1-6 2) Cain ignored the warning of God and killed his brother - Gen. 4:3-16 3) The antediluvians, too, disregarded the warning of the Lord and perished in the flood - Gen. 6; 7; 9; Matt. 24:36-39 b. Mens' rebellion against God caused the Lord to let them follow the imagination of their evil hearts - Rom. 1:18-20, 24-32 2. God has, in mercy, provided a way and a means to lift man on a high and level platform: a. Through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ - Rom. 1:26 b. When people accept the gospel of Jesus Christ, all man-made partitions will disappear - all come upon the same level of living - Eph. 2:11-16; Gal. 3:26-29 c. It is God's truth that changes man's concept of life. The missions in Africa and other third-world countries speak eloquently for the power that raises people up, brings them upon a higher plane of living. 3. God's first man was noble in stature and in moral character: a. Had our first parents resisted the lie brought to them by Lucifer, there would never have been a low level of life by any of Adam's descendants. b. It is God's purpose to bring mankind back upon the moral and mental platform He had placed our first parents in. c. All this will be consummated in due time through Jesus Christ our Lord. d. Will God succeed with you and with me? That depends upon our willingness to cooperate with our Creator and Redeemer. ## FALSE AND FUTILE ATTEMPTS FOR SALVATION A. THE ATMOSPHERE IS FULL OF RELIGIOUS ATTEMPTS, DECEPTIVE AND FUTILE, TO OFFER A REMEDY FOR MAN'S DIFFICULTIES 1. Modern means of communication lend themselves to untold advertisements of many futile panaceas to remedy human ills: a. Some say that the best way to get rid of sin is to deny its existence. b. Others prescribe mental and physical tortures to bring relief to a guilty conscience. 2. But the fact remains that: a. Lawlessness is on the increase. b. Immorality is at large and sin bounds. B. LET US CONSIDER SOME OF THE FUTILE EFFORTS BY MEN 1. Salvation through character: a. The "character" - homebrew is the sign over the door of self-righteousness. b. That was the very heart of the Jewish sect - the Pharisees - Luke 18:11, 12; Rom. 10:3 c. On the surface that seems very inviting until you realize that by nature no one possesses the character God requires - Rom. 3:9-19 d. This truth is freely stated in the Bible - Rom. 3:10, 11; Isa. 6:5; 64:6; Job 42:5, 6; John 15:5 2. Salvation through education: a. One man looks for salvation through character or what he is! b. While the other man trusts in education or what he knows! c. A third man seeks salvation through service or what he does. He comes to the Lord and says, "What shall I do that I might work the works of God? - John 6:28 d. But experience shows that education does not and cannot change man's sinful nature! e. A heart polluted by sin is unaffected by the knowledge one may possess, valuable as that may be - Dan. 5:18-23 3. Salvation through works: Let us take a closer look at this third futile attempt to be saved - a. Does not the Bible speak of good works? b. Yes, indeed, it does speak of good works c. But the good works the Bible speaks as being acceptable to God are - 1) Not the works of the flesh - Gal. 5:18-21 2) They are the works wrought in God - Gal. 2:8; 2 Cor. 5:5; Acts 15:12; John 3:21 3) They are, in fact, the fruit of the Holy Spirit - Gal. 5:22-23 C. THE PLAIN TRUTH ABOUT SALVATION 1. There is no cure for sin outside of our Saviour: a. This fact stands affirmed by heaven and confirmed by the atonement made by the Son of God on the cross of Calvary. b. "For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" - Acts 4:12 c. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you" - John 6:53 2. They who seek salvation by and through their own devices and means: a. Reject the plan of redemption as conceived by God and carried out by the Son of man - John 5:40 b. They despise the infinite sacrifice made for man on the shameful cross of Calvary - Heb. 10:26-29 c. To them Heaven says, "Ye shall die in your sins" - John 8:21 3. This, dear friend, is a truth which, if accepted in faith, will make the difference between being saved through Jesus Christ, or, if rejected, will doom the unbeliever. ## THE CHASM BRIDGED A. SIN IS THE BIBLICAL CHASM SEPARATING THE SINNER FROM GOD 1. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God": Isa. 59:2 2. The Psalmist speaks of this separation as a breach, "Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach": Ps. 106:23 3. Christ uses, in his parable, the word "gulf" to indicate the chasm between the sinner and God caused by sin: Luke 16:26 B. THE CHASM BRIDGED 1. God, in love, found a way to bridge the chasm which had separated man from God: a. He sent His only Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to redeem man from his fallen condition - Rom. 8:1-3; John 3:16 b. He made him sin, who knew no sin, that the sinner be placed into a new relationship with God - 2 Cor. 5:18-20 2. Christ is the divine bridge between man and God: a. His name indicates what he does for the penitent sinner, "thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins" - Matt. 1:21 b. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" - Acts 4:12 3. This bridge was costly to Heaven: a. "ye are bought with a price" - 1 Cor. 6:20 b. We are blood bought - Acts 20:28; 1 Pete. 1:18, 19; Rev. 5:9 c. He, at whose command was the wealth of the universe, became so poor that he had not where to lay his own head - 2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:6-11 d. He was made a curse for us, that was the most painful price heaven paid - Gal. 3:13 Our finite minds are not capable to fathom the cost of bridging the great gulf between God and the sinner, but it was made just the same. C. GOD'S BRIDGE ACROSS THE GULF OF SIN HAS BEEN IN OPERATION SINCE THE DAYS WHEN ADAM AND EVE WERE DRIVEN OUT OF THEIR PARADISE HOME 1. The promise was given: a. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel" - Gen. 3:15; Job 9:17; Rom. 16:20 b. This promise was repeated to Noah, to Abraham, and his posterity - Gen. 8:20-22; Gal. 3:18 c. The promise includes all who come unto God by Jesus Christ our Lord - Acts 2:30; 13:23; Rom. 9:3-8 2. The cost has been covered and the connections between heaven and earth have secured it that the Son of man is now our advocate in the presence of the Father: 3. That is why our Lord assures us with these immortal words: a. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" - John 14:6 b. "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" - John 12:32 4. Many, many penitent sinners have crossed this bridge since it was built by God's mercy: a. The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 b. The keeper of the prison, who would have committed suicide, crossed that bridge by night - Acts 17:30-34 c. Untold millions cross this bridge every year. d. How wonderful it is to know that the chasm that separated us from God and the kingdom of heaven is still intact; it still operates. Let us use it! ## FOUR SPANS IN THE BRIDGE OF SALVATION - EPHESIANS 2:14, 15 A. TO AFFECT MAN'S REUNION WITH GOD, FIVE THINGS MUST BE DONE 1. Man must be restored to such a relationship with God as shall make possible the fulfillment of the original, divine intention in creation: a. Adam was made in the image of God - Gen. 1:26, 27 b. He was made perfect or upright - Eccl. 7:29 2. The sin question must be fully and finally settled: a. God's broken law must be vindicated - Rom. 8:1-6 b. Sin must be dealt with in respect to its guilt, penalty, power and presence. 3. Such propitiation and reconciliation must be effected as shall remove the barrier of separation between God and man and give to every person the opportunity of restoration to God's favor and fellowship: 4. A new order of human beings must be inaugurated to supersede the old order which is in ruin and rejection: 5. Satan, the original cause and continual instigator of sin in man, must be defeated and dethroned. God's sovereignty over all things must be fully restored: B. TO ACCOMPLISH SUCH A BRIDGE OF SALVATION GOD ERECTED A BRIDGE OF FOUR SPANS OVER THE CHASM MADE BY SIN 1. Incarnation is the first span: a. "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" - Isa. 7:14 b. "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." - Isa. 9:6 c. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." - John 1:14 2. The crucifixion of our Lord is the second span in the divine bridge: a. The incarnation brought God to men, but it could not bring man to God. b. The incarnation was not an end but a means to an end. c. It paved the way for our Lord's death on the cross d. The goal of the incarnation was His death and his death is the span bridging the chasm of sin. e. Christ came not only to live here, but also to die. Please read very prayerfully Matt. 1:21; Luke 2:11; Matt. 20:28; Heb. 10:5, 10 3. The resurrection of Christ is truly the third span in the bridge of salvation: a. Peter emphasized very strongly the close relationship between the death and the resurrection of Christ - Acts 2:32-33 b. Paul, too, connects the two great events in the experience of Christ - 1 Cor. 15:1-18; Col. 1:18 4. But, to complete the divine bridge across the chasm between the sinner and God, it took the fourth span - Ascension and exaltation of our blessed Lord: a. His ascension was necessary to become our mediator or intercessor - 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1-2 b. Also, to send the Holy Spirit to take his place in this world - John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7, 8 c. What a day it must have been when the Victor over sin and death entered heaven bringing some of his trophies with him! Ps. 24:7-10 d. What is important for us is that He took humanity with Him to the highest heaven - Eph. 2:1-4 e. And what is still more glorious for us, he went to heaven to prepare a place for us - John 14:1-3 f. O the height and the depth of God's unspeakable gift to men! ## THE GOSPEL OF GOD - ROMANS 1:1, 16, 17 A. THE GOSPEL DEFINED 1. Good tidings of great joy: Luke 2:10; Isa. 52:7 2. The power of God unto salvation: Rom. 1:16; 16:25 B. THE GOSPEL IS SPOKEN OF IN THE BIBLE AS 1. The gospel of God: 1 Thess. 2:9; 1 Tim. 1:11 2. God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, the supreme gift of heaven: John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-33 3. He reconciled the world unto Himself by Jesus Christ our Lord: 2 Cor. 5:18-21 4. It is called the gospel of Jesus Christ: Mark 1:1; Rom. 15:19 a. He is the author of our salvation - Heb. 12:2; Acts 4:12 b. He is God's only means of salvation - 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:17 5. The gospel of grace: Acts 20:24; Eph. 2:7, 8 6. The gospel of peace: a. It brings peace between a rebellious world and God - 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 5:1 b. Christ made peace by taking the curse, which rested upon the world, upon himself - Gal. 3:13; Eph. 2:14 7. The gospel of the kingdom: Matt. 4:23; 24:14 a. It is the gospel of the kingdom because it announces the restoration of the kingdom of God through Jesus our Lord. b. It proclaims that the dominion lost through sin will be restored to the daughter of Zion - Mi. 4:8; Rev. 11:15 c. It points to the fulfillment of God's original plan of complete restoration of the world to Himself by Jesus Christ - Eph. 1:1-14 8. The gospel of our salvation: a. It proclaims God's means to save us from sin - Matt. 1:21 b. It makes known God's method of saving us from the power of sin - Rom. 1:16; Acts 26:18-20 9. The everlasting gospel: a. It is God's final invitation to sinners to come to the great supper - Luke 14:16-25; 2 Cor. 6:1-3 b. Announcing the Hour of God's judgment - Rev. 14:6-8 c. Proclaiming the fall of Babylon - Rev. 14:8, 9 d. Warns against the worship of the beast, his image, and the mark of his name - Rev. 13:11-17; 14:9-11 C. THE GOSPEL OF GOD IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION 1. It saves us from the guilt of sin: Mark 2:1-11; Rom. 8:1 2. It offers complete pardon to the penitent sinner: Isa. 55:7; Mi. 7:18, 19 3. It brings peace to troubled hearts: Col. 1:20; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14; 2 Cor. 5:18-21 4. It sets us free from the enslaving power of sin: Acts 26:18; Rom. 6:14-16, 17 5. And finally, it delivers us from the eternal consequences of sin: a. Think of what that means to all who have sowed the seed of lawlessness which should bring a harvest judgment upon the guilty - Gal. 6:7-9 b. But a merciful God promises to the penitent sinner that He will forever blot out all his sin - Mi. 7:18, 19; Isa. 44:22 c. He will not bring the former things into remembrance - Rev. 21:1; 22:3 ## THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST - ROMANS 1:16, 17, 18 A. THERE ARE THINGS IN LIFE OF WHICH MAN HAS A GOOD REASON TO BE ASHAMED OF 1. Of the way he acts at times: 2. Of his unbelief: This is so manifest at times that one is reminded of our Lord's experience in his own community - Matt. 13:57, 58 3. But no one need be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ: a. This was a bold statement for Paul to make at a time when the gospel of the crucified king of the Jews was frowned upon - 1 Cor. 1:23, 24 b. To many the gospel was a great stumbling block c. To the Greeks it was simple foolishness - 1 Cor. 1:23, 24; 2:14 B. SOME REASONS FOR PAUL'S BOLDNESS 1. Paul learned through experience that the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation: a. He saw with his own eyes how the acceptance of the gospel brought miraculous changes into the lives of the people - EXAMPLES - 1) His experience at Ephesus - Acts 19:1-19 2) His experience at Philippi - Acts 16:12-34 b. He knew, in his own life, the transformation that had been wrought by the power of the gospel of Christ - Compare Rom. 7 with 1 Tim. 1:15; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3:1-14 2. We are living in a power conscious world: a. Children become aware of this feeling in the world before they have learned how to talk. b. Science has become afraid of its own accomplishments. c. But what gives deep concern is the fact that immorality is on a steady increase - 2 Tim. 3:1-9; Luke 17:26-29 C. FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION 1. It brings to penitent sinners a new hope: a. Think of the lame man who had never before walked - Acts 3:1-11 b. Think of blind Bartimaeus and the joy that must have come to him when the Lord gave him his eyesight - Mark 10:46-52 c. Or think of the feeling a pleading mother had when the Lord promised deliverance for her daughter - Matt. 15:28 2. It gives the believer a change of heart, as nothing else can do: a. The woman of Samaria - John 4:22-28 b. The woman caught in the act of adultery - John 8:1-11 c. The penitent thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 3. The believer becomes a new creature: a. That means a change of attitude - Luke 19:8; Acts 19:19 b. It transforms our sinful nature - 2 Pet. 1:2-11; 2 Cor. 5:17 c. Christ lives in the believer through faith - Phil. 1:21; Gal. 2:20 4. This transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ uses: a. The Holy Scriptures to bring about a change in the lives of the believers - Heb. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 Pet. 1:23; Jas. 1:18 b. The blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all our sins - 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; Heb. 9:22, 23; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5 c. The mighty operation of the Holy Spirit - Zech. 4:6; John 3:5, 6; 2 Cor. 3:17, 18 d. Is the gospel of Jesus Christ the power of God in my life? Or is it a stumbling block to those who observe me? ## THE FOUR SQUARE GOSPEL - ROMANS 1:16 A. BIBLE STUDENTS HAVE, AT TIMES, BEEN PUZZLED AS TO WHY THE NEW JERUSALEM IS FOUR SQUARE 1. Is there a hidden meaning in this plan by God? 2. Is it symbolical of the four square gospel of Jesus Christ? Rev. 21:16 3. The object of this sermon is to show that the gospel of Christ is four square: a. The height, the breadth, the length, and depth are the measurements of God's love - Eph. 3:17, 18; Rom. 11:33 b. These dimensions are our assurance of the inexhaustible love of God; nothing can come between us and God's love. Paul dramatizes this love in his Epistle to the Romans. It will do us great good to meditate upon Rom. 8:31-39 B. THE FOUR SQUARE GOSPEL IS THE BURDEN OF OUR MESSAGE TODAY 1. Sinners are saved by grace: a. That is the divine reason for saving us - unmerited, undeserved, and unworthy of God's mercy - Eph. 2:7, 8 b. This grace became operative when sin began - in the Garden of Eden - Tit. 2:11; Rom. 5:12-19 EXAMPLES - 1) Noah and his family were saved by grace - Gen. 6:8 2) Lot and his children were saved by grace - Gen. 19:14-18 3) Ancient Israel was saved from bondage by the grace of God - Ex. 33:12, 16; Jer. 31:2; Zech. 4:7 2. Our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ: Rom. 5:9; Heb. 9:14, 22, 23 a. That is the price for our salvation - 1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 b. It is God's cleansing power - Isa. 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7, 9; Rev. 1:5 3. Saved by faith in Jesus Christ: Rom. 5:1; Acts 16:31 a. Faith based upon the Word of God - Rom. 10:14-17 b. Faith that is active produces loving obedience to the holy will of God - Jas. 2:24-26; 1 Pet. 1:2; Rom. 1:5; Phil. 2:12, 13 4. Saved by works - the fruit of living faith in God's Word: Jas. 2:24-28 a. This square has been a stumbling block to many misinformed people. b. They have the idea that works are of a carnal nature and are excluded from the plan of salvation. c. But they overlook the fact that the Bible speaks of two kinds of works - 1) The works of the flesh - Gal. 5:19-21. These works are, indeed, excluded from the kingdom of God - Rom. 13:12; Eph. 5:11 2) But the works that are the fruit of the indwelling Spirit of God are the evidence of our salvation; they are not excluded. d. Let us, briefly, note what the Bible says about these works - 1) If people are the children of the kingdom of God they will show it by their works - John 8:39; Matt. 7:16-19 2) Faith without works is dead - Jas. 2:17, 20, 26 3) Abraham was justified by works - Jas. 2:21; Gen. 22:12 4) By works faith is made perfect - Jas. 1:22, 23; 2:22; Rom. 2:13, 14 5) Our Lord pronounces blessings upon the deeds of those who are invited to enter the kingdom of heaven - Matt. 25:31-46 e. When we view the four square gospel in the light of these facts, we can see light in comparing it to the city of God which lieth four square. f. It emphasizes the fact that with God no truth is minor; they all are the same. ## THE PROCLAMATION OF THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD A. "GO, STAND AND SPEAK IN THE TEMPLE TO THE PEOPLE ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LIFE" - Acts 5:20 1. Our commission: a. "Go, stand and speak . . . all the words of this life - Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 5:20 b. This commission rests on the highest authority in heaven and in earth. c. No human attempt to prevent us from carrying this gospel into all the world, to every creature, can succeed - Acts 4:19; 5:29 d. Such attempts have been made in the past and will be made before probation closes - 1) We think of the dark ages when the two messengers had to speak in sackcloth - Rev. 11:3-11 2) We know the prediction of God's prophet of what the enemy of the gospel will attempt to do against God's messengers - Matt. 10:17-22; Rev. 12:12, 17 e. The enemy of the gospel knows, also, that the blood of the martyrs of Christ is the seed of the gospel that spreads beyond the control of the enemy - Acts 8:1-14 2. All these experiences confirm the fact that no weapon formed against the cause of truth will ever succeed: Isa. 54:17 B. THE PROCLAMATION OF THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST 1. We think of the power provided by God to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ: a. Attempts have been made in the past to stop the publishing of the good news - Acts 5:17, 18; 12:1-19; 16:23, 24 b. One might as well attempt to stop the heartbeat of God as to stop the preaching of the gospel of Christ - 2 Cor. 13:8 c. This fact ought to embolden God's messengers to preach with renewed vigor. 2. The great dynamics of the gospel: a. It is the Word of Life 1) A new life - 2 Cor. 5:14-17 2) A divine life - 2 Pet. 1:3-6 3) A transformed life - 2 Cor. 3:18 b. The Word of power 1) Cleansing power - Isa. 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7-9 2) Transforming power - 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 8:29 3) Keeping power - 1 Pet. 1:5; 1 Tim. 6:20 c. The operation of the Holy Spirit - 1) "by my Spirit, saith the Lord" - Zech. 4:6, 7 2) We are quickened by the Spirit unto a new life - 1 Pet. 3:18; Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13 3) We are transformed by the power of the Holy Ghost - Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 3:17, 18 C. EFFECTS OF THE PROCLAMATION OF THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST 1. It moves swiftly and with irresistibility to do its redeeming work: a. It grows as it gets into the hearts of men - Acts 12:24 b. Persecution helps it to spread more rapidly - Acts 6:7; 8:1-9; 12:24 c. "So mightily grew the Word of God and it prevailed" - Acts 19:20 2. Its great objective: a. To bring good tidings to all men - Luke 2:14; Matt. 28:18-20 b. That does not mean that all who hear it will accept it - Matt. 24:14 c. The gospel offers Jesus Christ, heaven's choicest gift, as man's only hope of salvation - Acts 3:26; 4:12 3. Its fruitage: a. Influences and transforms lives. To this we can witness. b. It readies a people for translation and the kingdom of glory. ## BEWARE OF COUNTERFEIT GOSPEL - GALATIANS 1:6-8 A. NEVER BEFORE IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST HAS THERE BEEN GREATER DANGER TO THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST TO BE MISLED AS THERE IS TODAY 1. The very atmosphere seems to be filled with 'lo here and lo there' announcements by opposing religionists: 2. Our Lord and Paul, both, warn us against what we see and hear today: Matt. 24:23; Acts 20:28-34 B. OUR TEXT STATES PLAINLY THAT THERE WILL BE A COUNTERFEIT GOSPEL 1. Preached by Satan's agents: 2 Cor. 11:13-15 2. Supported by miracles and lying wonders: 2 Thess. 2:9-11; Rev. 13:13, 14 3. This gospel attracts untold numbers of misguided souls to its lying message: Matt. 24:24; Rev. 13:8; Matt. 7:13, 14 4. A counterfeit gospel offers to the world: a. A counterfeit Christ - Matt. 24:24 b. A counterfeit sacrifice - 1 Cor. 10:15-18 c. Counterfeit rituals - 2 Tim. 4:1-6; Mark 7:7-13 d. A false hope - 2 Pet. 2:10-22; Luke 13:25-29; Matt. 7:21-26 5. Objective of this gospel: a. To lead men to disregard and disobey God's law - 1 John 2:4- 7; Isa. 30:8, 9 b. To use the influence and means of the deceived against God and His Word. c. To lead large numbers to final doom and destruction - Matt. 7:13, 14 d. This deception is universal - Rev. 12:9 e. Satan works with renewed effort to do the dirty work because he knows that he has very little time left to finish his work - Rev. 12:12 C. HOW WE MAY PROTECT OURSELVES AGAINST THIS COUNTERFEIT GOSPEL 1. Know the Word of God; that is as fundamental as life itself; ignorance is blindness, and blindness exposes us to anything: Matt. 22:29; Isa. 29:13 2. Apply God's rule to all claims made in the name of religion - "To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:20 a. God's law is a revelation of God's eternal will, binding upon all morally responsible persons - Ex. 20:3-17; Eccl. 12:13, 14 b. By it is the knowledge of sin - Rom. 3:20; 7:7; 1 John 3:4 c. Christ's attitude toward that law was plainly foretold in prophecy; and plainly stated when He was in this world - Isa. 42:19-21; Ps. 40:8; Matt. 5:17-20; Luke 16:17; Matt. 22:34-38 d. John states how we know whether the claims to truth made by anyone are true - 1 John 2:4-7; Rev. 14:12; 22:14 3. Avoid being carried away: a. By eye appeal - Rev. 13:9-11; 17:1, 2; 2 Thess. 2:9-11 b. Easy entrance - This is important because the nominal churches have lowered their standards of church membership and many are ready to make it easy for people to join. c. Large numbers - here is another catch for the uninformed, but heed the words of Christ - Matt. 7:13, 14; 21-26; Luke 12:32; Rev. 13:3 d. Enjoyment of the things the world has to offer, without paying any attention to the warning of the world against worldliness - 1 John 2:15, 16 ## SANCTIFICATION - 1 THESSALONIANS 5:23 A. "AND THE VERY GOD OF PEACE SANCTIFY YOU WHOLLY" 1. There is, perhaps, no other Bible subject about which there is known less than the subject of sanctification: a. Some teach that sanctification is the second work of grace and that it is instantaneous. b. Others teach that sanctification begins at conversion and is the work of a life time. 2. Does the Bible have a clear and easily understood answer to the question of sanctification? We believe that it does, and that by comparing scriptures on this subject, sanctification is very clear and wonderful: B. TO GET AT THE VERY ROOT OF THE DOCTRINE ON SANCTIFICATION, LET US CONSIDER A NUMBER OF RELATED TRUTHS ON THIS SUBJECT 1. Nature of sanctification: a. The word "sanctification" signifies - 1) Separation or setting apart from that which is common to that which is holy. 2) It is a cleansing process, being made clean from the defilement of sin. 3) It is a dedication to a cause or a duty we have accepted - John 17:17 4) It is a consecration or dedication of our life to God. b. Sanctification is God's means to restore the image of God in our life - Rom. 8:28, 29; 2 Cor. 3:18 2. Means of sanctification: a. We are set apart or separated by the Word of truth - John 17:17; Heb. 4:12 b. We are cleansed from sin by the blood of Jesus Christ - 1) It cleanses us from all sin and uncleanness - Heb. 13:12; 1 John 1:7 2) It is God's fountain against all uncleanness - Zech. 13:1; Rev. 1:5 This is the beginning of Bible sanctification, giving the believer a new standing before God. 3. Nature of sanctification: a. Sanctification is, in its nature, progressive and not, as some claim, instantaneous - 1) There is no such thing as instantaneous manhood. 2) There is no such thing as instantaneous daylight, dawn, morning, noon, and evening. 3) A building is not erected in an instant. b. Sanctification is progressive because - 1) Man's knowledge is progressive - Prov. 4:18; 1 Cor. 13:11, 12 2) Man's comprehension of truth is limited - John 16:12 3) Sanctification deals with man's character, at least in part; character cannot be developed overnight; it is the work of a lifetime. c. Sanctification is visible, "Let your light so shine that men may see your good works" - Matt. 5:16 d. Sanctification affects - 1) The mind 2) The body 3) The soul - 1 Thess. 5:23 C. IMPORTANCE OF SANCTIFICATION 1. Without it no man shall see the Lord: a. The stain of sin will have to be removed before we can see God. b. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God" - Matt. 5:8; Heb. 12:14 2. Sanctification is in practice: a. Loving obedience to God's Word - 1 Pet. 1:22 b. To claim sanctification and yet live in disobedience to the Word of God is a denial of the truth - 1 John 2:4-7 c. A hostile attitude toward God's law is evidence of the falsity of the claim to sanctification - Rom. 8:6, 7; Isa. 30:8, 9 3. Pattern of sanctification: a. Christ - Heb. 12:1-3 b. By beholding Him we become changed - 2 Cor. 3:18 ## BIBLE SANCTIFICATION - PART I - HEBREWS 12:14 A. "FOLLOW PEACE WITH ALL MEN, AND HOLINESS, WITHOUT WHICH NO MAN SHALL SEE THE LORD." Heb. 12:14 1. Different views on sanctification: a. Some think that sanctification is instantaneous and complete the moment it takes place. b. Others believe that sanctification is the work of a lifetime and that it is progressive. 2. We know that sanctification is important in our relationship with the Lord: a. "Follow holiness" b. "Be ye holy for I am holy" c. "Without which no man shall see the Lord" 3. Sanctification is included in the will of God: a. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification" - 1 Thess. 4:3, 7 b. "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness" - 1 Thess. 4:7 B. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUSTIFICATION AND SANCTIFICATION 1. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit upon the character of those who are justified: a. We are justified in order that we might be sanctified; and we are b. Sanctified in order that we may be glorified - Rom. 8:30 2. Justification comes instantly: a. Think of Zacchaeus - Luke 19:1-9 b. The woman of Samaria - John 4:22-28 c. The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 3. Sanctification is the work of a lifetime: a. Continue in holiness - 1 Tim. 2:15 b. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord - 2 Pet. 3:18 c. Perfecting holiness in the fear of God - 2 Cor. 7:1 d. The path of the just is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day - Prov. 4:18 C. PROCESS OF SANCTIFICATION 1. God is the sanctifier: a. "To them that are sanctified by God" - Jude 1 b. "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly" - 1 Thess. 5:23 2. Through Jesus Christ our Lord: a. Christ is made unto us sanctification - 1 Cor. 1:30 b. "That we might be partakers of His holiness" - Heb. 12:10 c. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with His own blood" - Heb. 13:12 3. By the operation of the Holy Spirit: a. "Being sanctified by the Holy Ghost" - Rom. 15:16 b. "Ye are sanctified by the Spirit of God" - 1 Cor. 6:11 4. Our part in the work of sanctification: a. Constant surrender - Ps. 40:8 b. Faith - Heb. 11:6 5. Must be done before mercy ends: Rev. 22:11 6. God will accomplish it: Isa. 35:8; Eph. 5:25, 26; Rev. 14:5 ## BIBLE SANCTIFICATION - PART II - 1 THESSALONIANS 4:1-12 A. SANCTIFICATION 1. To set apart for holy use: The seventh day Sabbath was set apart for holy use - Gen. 2:2, 3 2. To cleanse from sin: Eph. 5:24, 25; Heb. 13:12; we are cleansed by the Word, through the blood of Christ and the operation of the Holy Spirit. B. WORK OF SANCTIFICATION 1. It follows justification: Rom. 8:30 2. It is very thorough: "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly" - 1 Thess. 5:23 3. It includes your spirit, body, and the soul: Rom. 6:16; 12:1-3; 1 Thess. 5:23 4. Sanctification is threefold: a. Cleansing of our conscience from dead works - Heb. 9:14; 10:22 b. Separation from evil habits and sinful practices - 2 Cor. 6:14-17; 7:1-3 c. Things to put off the old man - Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9 d. Put off these - 1) Anger 2) Wrath 3) Malice 4) Blasphemy 5) Filthy communication e. Putting on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him - Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24; Tit. 3:5 f. Dedicating our life to a walk with God and to witnessing for the truth. These are, according to the Bible, the chief ends of Bible sanctification. g. That is why it is the work of a lifetime. C. IMPLEMENTS OF SANCTIFICATION 1. The Word of God; the object of the plan of redemption is: a. To remove sin out of the life of man, which is a barrier to God and His blessings - Isa. 55:1-6 b. To restore the image of God that has been marred by sin - Jer. 18:1-6; Rom. 8:29 c. God uses the Word of God to accomplish these objectives - Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:22, 23; Heb. 4:12 2. The blood of Jesus Christ: a. We all have sinned and for that reason have become defiled - Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:9-19 b. Only the blood of Christ can cleanse us from this defilement - 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7-9; Heb. 9:22, 23 c. Sin is the transgression of God's law; God's law is an expression of His character against which we have offended. It took the blood of Christ to atone for our transgression - 1 John 3:4; Rom. 5:11 3. The Holy Spirit: a. Without the creative energy of the third person of the Holy Spirit our carnal nature would be unaffected. b. It is the Holy Spirit that applies the Word of God, uses its power to change our way of life - Zech. 4:6; John 6:63; Rom. 15:16; 2 Thess. 2:13 D. EFFECTS OF BIBLE SANCTIFICATION 1. Negatively: Not pharisaical - Luke 18:10-12; neither rebellious against God's law, a revelation of God's will. 2. Positively: In harmony with God's will - 2 Tim. 2:21; Rev. 22:14 ## GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS - PSALMS 36:6, 7 A. MOUNTAINS PLAYED A LARGE ROLE IN THE HISTORY OF GOD'S ANCIENT COVENANT PEOPLE 1. Israel spent considerable time at the foot of Mount Sinai: a. There they entered into a covenant relation with God - Ex. 19:3-16; 24:1-3; Gal. 4:21-24 b. Moses received laws and statutes for Israel. 2. Moses and Aaron died upon mountains: 3. Israel had so many experiences connected with mountains that the Psalmist became inspired by their awe inspiring majesty: B. OUR TEXT COMPARES GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS WITH GREAT MOUNTAINS 1. Nature of great mountains: a. They are, in comparison with other things in nature, unchangeable. "They that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth forever" - Ps. 125:1 b. They can be seen from a great distance. "Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off" - Gen. 22:4 c. They give a broad view of their surrounding - Deut. 34:1; Matt. 4:8 2. Nature of God's righteousness: a. It is unchangeable. "Jesus Christ the same, yesterday, today, and forever." - Heb. 13:8. "For I am the Lord, I change not" - Mal. 3:6 b. "With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning" - Jas. 1:17; This truth alone should fill our hearts with awe inspiring confidence. It ought to increase our faith in God's unchangeable promises. c. It is easy to see - 1) In His own works - Rom. 1:20; Ps. 19:1-6 2) In the lives of His children - John 14:9; Matt. 5:16; 1 Pet. 2:9-11 3) In His law - Ps. 119:172 4) In His only begotten Son - John 14:9; Heb. 1:1-3; Col. 2:9 d. It gives a clear view of our world situation and of things to come - 1) Through the prophetic word - 2 Pet. 1:19, 20 2) Through the Spirit of Prophecy - 1 Sam. 9:9 3) Through the Holy Spirit - John 16:12, 13; 1 Cor. 2:9- 11, 14 C. BLESSING OF GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS 1. It teaches us to lift up our eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh our help: Ps. 121:1, 2 2. The prophetic light allows us to recognize the time we live in: Rom. 13:11-14 3. It gives us a good view of the world to come - a new heaven and a new earth: 2 Pet. 3:1-13; Isa. 65:17-20 4. All this adds up to confidence in God and His unchangeable righteousness: Ps. 36:6, 7 5. A clear vision, based upon God's Word of righteousness: a. Makes us bold - EXAMPLES - 1) Elisha - 2 Ki. 6:16, 17 2) David - 1 Sam. 17:45 3) Stephen - Acts 7:56 b. It gives us peace of mind - Isa. 26:3 c. And assurance forever - Ps. 121:2 ## CHRIST OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS - 1 CORINTHIANS 1:30 A. IMPORTANCE OF THIS SUBJECT 1. We are told in the book "Gospel Worker" page 301, that our churches are dying for the want of teaching on the subject of righteousness by faith in Christ: 2. The message of the Righteousness of Christ is to sound from one end of the earth to the other to prepare the way of the Lord: 3. We are told that this is the glory, which will close the work of the third angel - "Testimonies for the Church" Volume 6, page 19: B. WHAT THE RECEIVING OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST BY FAITH WILL DO FOR THE BELIEVER 1. It will change his standing before God: a. That is a wonderful experience - 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 8:1-3, 31-33 b. God will see us, not in our own unworthiness, but as we have been clothed with the garment of salvation - Isa. 6:10; Rev. 19:7 2. It will transform our nature; we will be partakers of the divine nature: 2 Cor. 3:17, 18; 2 Pet. 1:2-9 a. We become, in God's sight, sons and daughters through the adoption in the Beloved - John 1:12; 1 John 3:1-3; Eph. 1:3-6 b. We are initiated into the family of God our Father - Eph. 1:9-11; 3:14, 15 3. It will reflect the image and likeness of the Son of God, who Himself is the reflection of His heavenly Father: a. The likeness of Christ is the great objective of the gospel of Christ - Rom. 8:29 b. He Himself is the image or likeness of God the Father - Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3; 2 Cor. 4:4 c. What a wonderful experience awaits the believers in Christ Jesus! To miss this heavenly experience would be, saying the least, catastrophic. 4. This righteousness has been claimed by all the children of God in all ages: a. David testifies of this righteousness - Ps. 32:1-4 b. Joshua was clothed with this righteousness - Zech. 3:1-6 c. Isaiah rejoices over it - Isa. 61:10 5. It is the secret of the safety of God's children: a. The story of Joseph, of Moses, of Daniel and a host of other worthies is the same; Paul speaks of these believers - Heb. 11 b. Noah, Daniel, and Job are given as three representatives of this righteousness - Ezek. 14:14, 20 C. HOW WE OBTAIN RIGHTEOUSNESS 1. Where we have failed in the past: a. We have attempted to earn this righteousness - Rom. 10:3 b. But we soon learn, to our dismay, that we have failed in our own attempts - Study Rom. 7; 3; 20 2. Faith, simple, child-like faith, is the channel through which we obtain the righteousness of Christ: a. That is the way the thief on the cross got it - Luke 23:42-44 b. That is the way the woman of Samaria got it - John 4:1-34 c. That is the way Mary Magdalene got it. d. Yes, that is the way Zacchaeus obtained it - Luke 19:1-9 3. That means that we simply have to take God's offer by faith, accepting the righteousness of Christ as God's free gift to us-- unworthy and sinful men: ## EVANGELICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS - MATTHEW 5:20, 21 A. "EXCEPT YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL EXCEED THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, YE SHALL IN NO CASE ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." 1. It is important to know that our Lord's sermon on the mount: a. Is the Christian code of spiritual law - Matt. 5:1-48 b. It draws a clear distinction between the letter and the spirit of the law - 2 Cor. 3:6-18; Rom. 7:14 2. The righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees was unacceptable to God: a. It left the heart unchanged - Matt. 23:25-28 b. It was their own righteousness, which is before God as filthy rags - Isa. 64:6; Rom. 10:3 B. EVANGELICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS 1. The gospel of Jesus Christ of this righteousness: a. Christ is that righteousness - 1) "The Lord our righteousness" - Jer. 23:6; 1 Cor. 1:30, 31 2) We obtain this righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ - Rom. 3:22 b. It is the free gift of God as truly as the grace of God - Rom. 5:18 2. God's method of bestowal of this heavenly gift: a. It is imputed - we are credited with the life of the Son of God - 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 4:6 b. It is implanted by the operation of the Holy Spirit. c. The implantation of God's righteousness takes place when He writes His law into our hearts - Heb. 10:15, 16 d. Ezekiel describes the implantation of the law of God into the hearts of the believers - Ezek. 36:26-28 C. FUNCTION OF THE EVANGELICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS 1. The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees: a. Is unacceptable to God because it makes no provision for sin -- it cannot. b. It leaves man a sinner, and therefore under condemnation - Rom. 3:9-18 c. It rejects the righteousness acceptable in God's sight. 2. Evangelical righteousness on the other hand: a. Has no confidence in the flesh - Phil. 3:3 b. This fact has been learned by bitter experience - Rom. 7:9-26 c. Acts in the name of Jesus Christ only - Gal. 2:20 3. Effect of Evangelical righteousness: a. Brings about the transformation of our sinful nature - John 3:3-9; 2 Cor. 3:18 b. Implants God's law into our heart - Ezek. 36:26-28; Heb. 10:15, 16 c. Embraces the whole will of God - 2 Tim. 3:15-17 4. Beware of a counterfeit righteousness: a. The theory of holiness without obedience - 1 John 2:4-7; Isa. 30:8, 9 b. There will be bitter disillusionment in the last days - Matt. 7:21-26; Luke 13:22-28 5. The difference between the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees and Evangelical righteousness: a. Their righteousness was Christless - that means hopeless. b. The righteousness of the gospel is centered in Christ, and that righteousness is accepted with God - Isa. 42:21 ## GRACE, MARVELOUS GRACE - EPHESIANS 2:7, 8 A. WHAT IS GRACE? 1. Undeserved, unmerited favor: Eph. 2:7, 8; Rom. 11:5, 6 2. The Bible speaks of the "manifold grace of God": 1 Pet. 4:10 B. DISPENSATION OF GRACE 1. Theory of some Christian people: a. That the dispensation of grace began with the resurrection of Christ. b. That the Jews lived under the dispensation of law, and not under grace. 2. Some Bible facts about the dispensation of grace: a. Began with the fall of man; it began when sin had separated our first parents from God and their home - 1) "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men." - Tit. 2:11 2) Compare 1 Pet. 1:20 with Rev. 13:8 b. The grace of God has been the hope of men in all ages - 1) Noah was saved from the waters of the flood by grace alone - Gen. 6:8 2) Lot was saved by grace alone - Gen. 19:18 3) Israel was saved by grace - Ex. 33:12, 16; Jer. 31:2 3. The manifold grace of God: a. The grace of pardon - EXAMPLES - 1) The woman caught in the act of adultery - John 8:11 2) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 3) Mary Magdalene out of whom Christ cast out seven devils - Mark 16:9; Luke 7:47 4) Some wonderful promises - Isa. 1:19, 20; 55:7 b. The grace of deliverance - EXAMPLES - 1) Our Lord's statement to the Jews - John 8:36 2) Compare Rom. 5:20 with chapter 6; 15:1-3; 2 Cor. 4:15 3) Christ has promised to set the prisoners free - Isa. 61:1-3 4. The grace of obedience: The grace of deliverance comes from the same manifold grace of God as the grace of pardon and the grace of deliverance - Phil. 2:12, 13; 4:13; Eph. 3:20; 2 Pet. 1:2-7 C. GRACE IS THE FREE GIFT OF GOD, YET, IT IS, AS ALL GIFTS OF GOD ARE, CONDITIONAL 1. Mistaken theory: a. That grace is a release from a moral obligation. b. That grace lessens the seriousness of sin. 2. But the facts are different: a. We are warned not to use the grace of God in vain - 2 Cor. 6:1; Heb. 12:15; Jude 4 b. One can fall from grace and be lost - Gal. 5:4; Heb. 10:29 ILLUSTRATIONS 1) The nature of grace is well illustrated by our Lord in John 15:1-11. Our remaining in grace is conditioned upon our abiding in Christ. 2) Ezek. 18:24 confirms the fact that we are free moral agents; we may use or abuse our privileges under grace. 3. Grace brings very serious obligations to the beneficiary of grace: a. It forbids sin - Rom. 6:1-3, 14; 1 John 3:7-9 b. "Go, and sin no more" - John 8:11 c. "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee" - John 5:14 4. Light from heaven makes us doubly responsible to God and to our fellow men: a. Heb. 6:4-8; 10:26-28 b. "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" - Jas. 4:17 5. The manifold grace of God provides all that pertains unto salvation and godliness to all who let it reign in their hearts: ## GRACE TRIUMPHANT OVER SIN - ROMANS 5:17, 21 A. MAN IN BONDAGE OF SIN AND DEATH 1. The reign of sin: a. "Sin hath reigned unto death" - Rom. 5:21 b. "Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin." - John 8:34 c. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God - Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:22 EXAMPLES - 1) Paul's personal admission - Rom. 7:14 2) Ahab a slave of sin - 1 Ki. 21:20-23 2. The reign of death: a. The divine sentence over the sinner - Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:19; Rom. 5:12 b. Death reigns over all men because all have sinned - Rom. 5:12, 21; Heb. 9:27; that is one appointment which cannot be set aside. 3. Man is unable to free himself from either sin or death: a. Sin has taken full control of the heart of man and defiled it completely - Jer. 13:23 EXAMPLES - 1) The lost coin 2) The lost sheep 3) The prodigal son - Luke 15:4-7, 8, 9, 11-34 b. Evil habits have made a helpless slave out of him; Paul's commentary - Rom. 7 B. GRACE TRIUMPHANT 1. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." a. Here is the anchor of the soul, "That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." - Rom. 5:21 b. The reign of grace is based upon the righteousness of Christ - 1 Cor. 1:30 2. Righteousness is the foundation of the kingdom of grace: a. Doing what is right is the basis of salvation; to do otherwise is misusing the grace of God - Rom. 6:14 b. "Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous." 1 John 3:7 3. It is, however, the righteousness of Christ that counts: a. All human righteousness is like filthy rags before God - Isa. 64:6 b. Only the righteousness of the Son of God is acceptable to God - Jer. 23:6; 1 Cor. 1:30 C. GRACE TRIUMPHANT OVER SIN 1. This is the Magna Carta of the saints: a. No believer in Christ needs to be in the bondage of sin - Rom. 6:16, 17 b. Grace triumphs over the reign of sin - EXAMPLES - 1) Rahab the harlot in Jericho is a typical example of the triumph of grace - Ps. 87:4 2) The thief on the cross is still another trophy of grace - Luke 23:42-44 3) Mary Magdalene is another example of the reign of grace - Mark 16:9 2. The fruit of grace: a. It melts away the guilt of sin - Isa. 1:17-19 b. It dissolves difficulties - Zech. 4:7; Rom. 9:8 c. Delivers from the power of sin - Acts 26:18 d. Transforms character - 2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 12:2; the church of God is full of transformed lives. e. It makes us fellow heirs with Christ. That is a wonderful blessing, the gift of God through grace - 2 Pet. 1:2-4 f. What has this grace done in my life and in yours? g. Thank God that where sin reigned, grace lives now in the hearts of all who come to God by Jesus Christ our Lord. ## STATE OF GRACE - 2 CORINTHIANS 6:1-10 A. A WIDELY BELIEVED THEORY ABOUT THE STATE OF GRACE 1. "Once in grace, always in grace": 2. "Once saved, always saved": 3. "If you are a child of God, you can never be anything else": 4. The assumption is that when we accept Christ as our personal Saviour we become fixed, cannot be lost: a. This theory claims that once you are a child of God, you will ever be a child of God. You may sin and God may have to punish you for your sin, but that will not change your relationship to God. b. Your being a child of God gives you eternal security. B. THE STATE OF GRACE IN THE LIGHT OF THE TEACHING OF THE BIBLE 1. The state of grace is, like all God's promises, conditional: a. It recognizes that we were created free moral agents, persons of a free choice - Rev. 22:17; John 7:17 b. Our state of grace is dependent upon our attitude toward God, His Word, and our life. 2. That the state of grace is conditional is clearly taught by our Lord. In John 15:1-11 the Lord lays down four specific conditions to our relationship to himself: a. "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." - John 15:6 b. "If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" - John 15:5, 6 c. "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love" - verse 10 d. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you" - verse 14 It must be noted that the four conditions laid down by the Son of God belong to God's children, and not to the world. 3. The Lord gives us some added light on the state of grace in Ezek. 18: Time and space will not permit to give a complete analysis of this wonderful chapter. Let us note, briefly, four facts concerning the state of grace, as stated in that chapter: a. "The soul that sinneth shall die" - Ezek. 18:4 b. "But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right . . . he shall surely live, saith the Lord" - Ezek. 18:5-9 c. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son" verse 20 d. "When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in the sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die." Ezek. 18:24 C. A PRAYERFUL STUDY OF THE ABOVE SCRIPTURES SHOWS CONCLUSIVELY 1. That the theory - "Once in grace, always in grace; once saved, always saved" is wholly untrue: a. We are warned against the misuse of grace - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; 2 Pet. 1:10; Matt. 7:21-26; Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-28 b. The possibility of falling from grace is recognized in the Scriptures - Heb. 6:4-6; 10:26-28; 2 Pet. 3:17; 1 Cor. 10:12; Rev. 2:1-6 EXAMPLES - 1) Many of our Lord's early disciples forsook the Lord, and never returned to Him anymore; they left the state of grace - John 6:60-66 2) Judas left the state of grace and perished in disgrace - Matt. 27:1-6 2. Lucifer and his fellow rebels were sons of God before they rebelled against God. They will, in the end, perish in hell fire - Ezek. 28:12-18 ## THE THRONE OF GRACE - HEBREWS 4:16 A. "LET US COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY, AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED" 1. When you think of a throne you realize that where there is a throne, there is a kingdom: a. We think of the subjects of the kingdom of grace. b. All who accept Christ as their king acknowledge that He reigns in their hearts. 2. This kingdom was set up the moment when sin entered the experience of the human family: a. Adam and Eve, and all their posterity, met with God at the throne of grace - Tit. 2:11; Gen. 6:8; 19:19; Ex. 33:12, 16 b. Sin is the cause for the need of grace; and God's love is Heaven's provision - 2 Cor. 5:21 B. LET US NOTE TWO GREAT TRUTHS BASED UPON OUR OPENING TEXT 1. "Let us come boldly to the throne of grace": a. That teaches us the prayer habit - EXAMPLES - 1) Daniel - Dan. 6:10 2) Peter - Acts 9:1-28 3) David - Ps. 55:17 b. This gracious arrangement leaves us no excuse for neglecting the prayer life - Jas. 4:1-3 2. Boldly: a. That means for us to come to the throne of grace without any hesitation or doubt. b. We have an advocate with the Father, who knows all our needs, understands our weaknesses, and is ready to help us - 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1 c. He ever liveth and maketh intercession for the saints - Heb. 7:25, 26 d. Our boldness receives its strength from the fact that we are following God's own arrangement. e. We have, therefore, full authorization to come frequently to the throne of grace. f. That makes our text the most glorious invitation to poor sinners as we all are. C. THE GREAT ENDS TO BE KEPT IN VIEW IN COMING TO THE THRONE OF GRACE 1. To obtain mercy: a. Mercy to obtain pardon of our guilt; that is the reason for the throne of grace. b. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us" - 1 John 1:7-9 EXAMPLES - 1) The tax collector - Luke 18:13 2) Zacchaeus - Luke 19:1-9 3) Mary Magdalene - Luke 7:44 4) The woman of Samaria - John 4:22-29 c. We stand in need, not only of the mercy of forgiveness, but also the mercy of enabling grace to live a godly life. 2. To find grace: a. Grace to love others, including our enemies b. Grace to forgive those who may trespass against us c. Grace to walk humbly with our God - Mi. 6:8 d. Grace to labor for sinners e. Grace to be an overcomer f. Grace to endure unto the end - 2 Cor. 12:10; 1 Pet. 3:14; Matt. 24:13 3. In time of need: a. In the hour of temptation - Heb. 11:37; Gen. 39:7-13 b. In the hour of great sorrow c. In the time of sickness and death 4. What a tragedy it would be if we neglected coming to the throne of grace! a. Our heavenly father is there to meet us - EXAMPLES - 1) Jacobs's dream - Gen. 28:12-14 2) The father of the prodigal son - Luke 15:20 b. Our blessed Saviour is there - Matt. 28:20 c. The Holy Spirit is there - Rom. 8:26 d. Will you be there? ## THE HEART A. "KEEP THY HEART WITH ALL DILIGENCE; FOR OUT OF IT ARE THE ISSUES OF LIFE." - Prov. 4:23 1. The heart the center of life: a. The physical heart is a large group of muscles placed between the two lungs and acting as the fountain of life. b. It is the central organ of the body, and the soundness and health of man depend upon it, as indicated in our text. 2. But the Bible locates in the heart the center of our personal being. To the Hebrew thinker the heart is the invisible center of: a. Man's thoughts - "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he" - Prov. 23:7 b. His emotions - Acts 21:13; Ps. 84:2; Song of Solomon 4:12- 16; Matt. 15:19, 20 B. THE KEEPING OF THE HEART 1. God guards very carefully the heart He has put in our body: a. He has put the strongest bones all around it so that, though other parts of the body may easily be hurt, the heart is safe. b. The reason is most obvious; if the heart cannot function, the body cannot live. 2. Four specific reasons for guarding the heart, as suggested in the opening text: a. It is the seat of our thoughts which are basic to our actions; if the fountain is polluted, our life is polluted also - Jas. 3:11-14; Matt. 15:19, 20 b. The heart has its enemies. Satan is chief of them. If he gets into the heart, man becomes a slave to his will - Rom. 6:16; 2 Tim. 2:26 c. This is a very important fact to keep in mind as we consider this important subject, because all the issues of life come out of the heart, which is the fountain of life. d. Experience shows that the heart is very susceptible to the outward world - 1 John 2:15, 16 EXAMPLES - 1) The lust of the flesh: David's heart fell for this sin - 2 Sam. 11:2, 3; Samson's life was ruined by this sin - Judg. 16 2) The lust of the eye: Achan became a victim to this power of lust, and he brought destruction upon himself and defeat to the army of Israel - Josh. 7:1, 20; Eve, too, fell for this sin, and she brought sorrow and death to the human race - Gen. 3:6 3) The pride of life: Nebuchadnezzar learned of the power of this tool of the devil - Dan. 4:30; Lucifer sinned against his Maker when he became self-centered - Ezek. 28:12-18 3. The heart is to be the abode of the Holy Spirit: a. "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" 1 Cor. 6:19 b. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" 1 Cor. 3:16 C. THE KEEPER OF THE HEART 1. Man has shown that he is not able to keep his heart; he lost the controls to Satan, who has taken possession of the natural heart: a. That was the difficulty before the flood - Gen. 6:5; 8:21 b. That is what God told Israel through Jeremiah - Jer. 13:23; 17:9 c. He knew this heart condition when he entered into a covenant relation with Israel at Mount Sinai - Deut. 5:29 2. The Holy Spirit is the guardian of the heart: Isa. 59:19 a. He uses the Word - Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-9; Heb. 4:12; Ps. 119:9 b. Earnest prayer is another weapon against Satan - 1 Thess. 5:17; 1 Pet. 5:9 ## A NEW HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT A. "A NEW HEART ALSO WILL I GIVE YOU, AND A NEW SPIRIT WILL I PUT WITHIN YOU: AND I WILL TAKE AWAY THE STONY HEART OUT OF YOUR FLESH, AND I WILL GIVE YOU A HEART OF FLESH." - Ezek. 36:26 1. A new heart: a. How wonderful the Bible proclaims the doctrine of "the new". It speaks of - 1) "a new covenant" - Jer. 31:31-36 2) "a new creature" - 2 Cor. 5:17 3) "a new heaven and a new earth" - Isa. 65:17 b. A new heart - 1) The natural heart is not suitable for the kingdom of heaven. 2) The Bible speaks of the natural heart as being "double" - Jas. 12:2; "forward" - Prov. 11:20; "backsliding" - Prov. 14:14; "desperately wicked" - Jer. 17:9; "rebellious" - Jer. 5:23; "whorish" - Ezek. 6:9; "spiteful" - Ezek. 25:15; "faint" - Isa. 1:5; "hardness" - Matt. 19:8; "stony" - "deceitful" - as indicated in our text. 2. A new heart: a. A new heart indicates the removal of the old heart; that, in turn, implies a spiritual change in our lives. b. It calls for a heart of flesh. A heart of flesh is in sharp contrast to a stony heart. A heart of flesh has the following qualities - 1) It is sensitive, impressive, easily influenced by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. 2) A heart of flesh is moved now when the Word of God is preached - Acts 2:37 c. A new heart is the gift of God which we all need - "A new heart will I give you" - 1) That shows that man can neither change his heart or give himself a new heart. 2) No amount of effort by a sinner can change his own nature; it is the gift of God. B. A NEW SPIRIT: "A NEW SPIRIT WILL I PUT WITHIN YOU" 1. Whatever God does, He does well; this is true also of a new Spirit which is in contrast to the old spirit: a. The old Spirit is spoken of in the Bible as - 1) "Spirit of bondage" - Rom. 8:15 2) "Foul Spirit" - Mark 9:25 3) "Spirit of the anti-Christ" - 1 John 4:3 4) "Spirit of error" - 1 John 4:6 5) "Spirit of jealousy" - Num. 5:14 b. The new Spirit is spoken of as - 1) "Spirit of God" - Rom. 8:9 2) "Spirit of grace" - Zech. 12:10 3) "Spirit of Christ" - Rom. 8:9 4) He is spoken of as "the spirit of glory" - 1 Pet. 4:14; "the spirit of adoption" - Rom. 8:15; "Spirit of truth" - 1 John 4:6; "humble Spirit" - Isa. 57:15; "Spirit of knowledge" - Isa. 11:2 2. It is this new experience that brings true happiness into the life and relationship of God's children: C. A NEW LIFE 1. How many of us, dear brethren, have not become tired and discouraged with the old life, full of defeat and dismay? a. How often have we wished that our lives were different; when we failed in our objective to keep our promises? Rom. 7:26 b. How often have we said to ourselves, "I have no confidence in the flesh" - Phil. 3:3 2. How different is the new life: a. It stands for new and sanctified affections - Col. 3:2 b. It ties us to a new association. Our experience has crucified the world unto us, and us to the world - Gal. 6:14 c. It gives new and sanctified objectives to strive for. Paul states some of these objectives very nobly - 1) "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." - Phil. 4:8 2) "That I may know him, and the power of His resurrection . . . that I may win Christ . . . and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, but that which is through faith in Jesus Christ" - Phil. 3 ## THE NEW BIRTH - JOHN 3:1-10 A. SINGULAR BIBLE FACT 1. Great truths were spoken by our Lord to single persons: a. Nicodemus - John 3:1-10 b. The woman of Samaria - John 4:22-28 2. The conversation of our Lord with Nicodemus seems to indicate: a. That the new birth was unknown to that learned man - "a Master in Israel" - John 3:4 b. This proves Paul's statement, that the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit - 1 Cor. 2:14 3. These facts show, conclusively, that the new birth is not: a. A theory which one may learn from a book; Nicodemus was a learned man. b. It is not the performance of church rituals, good they may be. c. It is not a church creed subscribed to by its members. B. THE NEW BIRTH 1. It is the transformation of the carnal nature: a. The old man of sin is crucified, that is what Paul understands the process of the new birth is - Rom. 6:6-11 b. It is the putting off the old man of sin - Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9 2. The new birth involves a complete change of heart: a. The old and stony heart must be removed before our nature can be transformed. b. "I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh" - Ezek. 11:19; 36:26 c. "Create in me a clean heart, O God" - Ps. 51:10 d. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God" - Matt. 5:8 The more we understand the new birth the better we can see the necessity of being born again. 3. The kingdom of God and the new birth are inseparable: a. The nature of the kingdom of God remains a blank without the new birth - 1 Cor. 2:14, 15; Rom. 8:1-7 b. The natural man is totally unfit for the kingdom of heaven - 1) "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" - John 3:6 2) "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" - 1 Cor. 15:50 3) "All flesh has corrupted its way" - Gen. 6:11 4) "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jer. 17:9 C. PURPOSE AND FRUITAGE OF THE NEW BIRTH 1. We have already indicated that the purpose of the new birth is: a. A transformation of our carnal and sinful nature - "Ye must be born again." b. It simply means that God is making a new man out of what was a fallen person - "if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" - 2 Cor. 5:17 c. This transformation includes - 1) A new attitude toward God, His Word, and also toward the world - Gal. 6:14 2) New language - Eph. 4:29 3) New relationship - 2 Cor. 6:14-18 4) New occupation - Rom. 6:16, 17 5) New spirit - Rom. 8:14, 15, 16 d. The image of the Son of God is the ultimate objective of the new birth - Rom. 8:29 2. The fruit of the new birth is manifested: a. By the fruit of the Holy Spirit revealing itself through us. b. Paul enumerates the fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5:22-24 c. We will love the brethren - 1 John 2:10, 11 d. We will love God and keep His commandments - 1 John 2:4-7; 5:1-6 ## THE OLD AND THE NEW - 2 CORINTHIANS 5:14-19 A. IN CHRIST JESUS 1. The expression "In Christ Jesus" occurs forty-two times in Paul's writings: 2. Let us note a few of these wonderful and deeply significant statements: a. "Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places IN CHRIST JESUS" - Eph. 1:3 b. "For we are his workmanship, created IN CHRIST JESUS" - Eph. 2:10 c. "That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things IN CHRIST" - Eph. 1:10 3. Thus we see that all God's promises, all God's plans, and all our hopes center in one person - IN CHRIST JESUS: a. "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." - Col. 2:9 b. For He is in truth "the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending" of God's plan for all ages to come - Rev. 1:8 B. THE OLD AND THE NEW 1. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature": 2 Cor. 5:17 a. This statement presupposes the removal of the old man, corrupted by sin, and therefore wholly unfit for the kingdom of God - 1 Cor. 15:50; Eph. 4:22 b. It clearly indicates that the new birth is more than mere self-improvement - John 3:3-6; Jer. 13:23; Nicodemus had to learn this truth. 2. "All things have become new": a. Christ is new - Phil. 3:10 b. God is new - John 17:1-23 c. Man is new - 2 Cor. 5:14-19 d. Life is new - 1 Pet. 4:1-4 3. All this hinges on the phrase IN CHRIST: a. In Him is the Father - John 17:21 b. In Him is life - John 1:4; 14:6 c. In and for Him are all things - Col. 1:17 C. HOW CAN THESE BE? 1. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." Zech. 4:6 a. These words set forth the part the Holy Spirit plays in the plan of redemption. b. It is He through whom God works to energize us to become subjects of His kingdom. c. It is the Spirit of God that subdues the carnal nature in us. d. It is He that sets up a standard to hold back the flood tide of temptation - Isa. 59:19 2. "Christ in you the hope of glory": Col. 1:27 a. "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them" - 2 Cor. 5:19 b. "He hath made us accepted in the beloved" - Eph. 1:6 c. "In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace" - verse 7 3. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure": Phil. 2:13 a. God is the full and glorious answer to the change from the old to the new; from a life of sin and death to a life in Christ, the hope of eternal life. b. It is God who is the source of the power by which He will in due time bring to pass what He has purposed to do to the glory of his wonderful name. c. It is God that will consummate in us that which we lack to be suitable subjects of his glorious kingdom. 4. "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end." Eph. 3:20-21 ## A NEW CREATURE - 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 A. THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF 1. The Old Man: Rom. 6:6; Col. 3:9; Eph. 4:22 2. The New Man: Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10 B. NATURE OF THE OLD MAN 1. Nothing about him is sound: a. "From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; b. But wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores" - Isa. 1:16 2. Note these Bible facts about the old man: a. The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked - Jer. 17:9 b. The mind has been blinded by Satan - 2 Cor. 4:4 c. The conscience has been seared, as with a hot iron - 1 Tim. 4:2 d. The will has been enslaved to a point where it leaves the sinner helpless - Rom. 7:15-26 e. The tongue is full of poison - Rom. 3:13 f. The mouth is full of cursing - Rom. 3:14; Jas. 3:1-11 3. The fruit of the old man makes him wholly unfit for the kingdom of God: a. It is the lust of the flesh which is set against the work of the Holy Spirit. b. Think of the catalogue of sins attributed to the life of the old man - adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murder, drunkenness, revellings - Gal. 5:19-21 4. This condition of the old man makes it impossible for him to enter into the kingdom of God: a. Rom. 6:5-7; Matt. 16:22, 23 b. Rev. 21:17; 22:14, 15 5. That is why he must be crucified, put out of the way, to give place to the new man, created in righteousness: C. THE NEW MAN 1. Nature of the new man: a. He is formed, as Adam was (Gen. 1:26, 27), in the image of God. b. That makes him a new creature - 2 Cor. 5:17 c. He is created in righteousness and true holiness - Eph. 4:24 d. He is renewed in the knowledge after the image of Him that created him - Col. 3:10 2. This experience gives him a new standing before God and men: a. Old things have passed away. What a wonderful blessing to all who experience such a new life! b. How wonderful it is to be able to turn our back upon our sinful past! EXAMPLES - 1) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 2) The woman of Samaria - John 4:1-29 3) David - Acts 13:22 3. What about all our sins? a. "I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud thy sins" - Isa. 44:22 b. "Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea" - Mi. 7:18, 19 c. Christ, "who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree" - 1 Pet. 2:24 4. This experience makes us fellow heirs with Christ of all God's promises; and it prepares us for translation when Christ comes the second time: 5. How does this glorious experience affect you, dear reader? ## THE WORLD'S MYSTERY MAN - JOHN 3:1-9 A. THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF TWO GREAT MYSTERIES 1. The mystery of iniquity: a. The great counterfeit system spread all over the world - 2 Thess. 2:7 b. Great Babylon - Rev. 14:8; 17:1-9 2. The mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ: a. The mystery of godliness - 1 Tim. 3:16 b. The mystery of the gospel - Rev. 10:7 B. THE WORLD'S MYSTERY MAN 1. In His conversation with Nicodemus, our Lord introduces the world's mystery man: a. Nicodemus, a learned church leader, a master in Israel, seemed to know nothing about this man. b. "Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" - John 3:4 c. "Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things?" - verse 10 2. Some Bible facts about the world's mystery man: a. He is not of this world - 1) "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." - John 15:19 2) "I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." - John 17:14 b. He is born from above - 1) "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12, 13 2) "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures." - Jas. 1:18 C. THE CREATION OF THE WORLD'S MYSTERY MAN 1. He is a totally new creature: a. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" - 2 Cor. 5:17 b. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works" - Eph. 2:10 2. He has: a. A new heart - Ezek. 36:26; Ps. 51:10; Jer. 24:7 b. A new and upright spirit - Ps. 51:10; Ezek. 36:26 c. A new life - Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21 d. A new speech - 1 Pet. 1:15; 2 Pet. 1:20; Phil. 3:20 e. New affections - Col. 3:2; Rom. 12:1-6 f. New association - 2 Cor. 6:14-17; Rom. 13:11-14; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 1:3 3. The world's mystery man has a mission in this world: a. He is to be a light to the people in this sin darkened world - Matt. 5:14-16; 1 Thess. 5:5; Phil. 2:15 b. He is the salt of the earth - Matt. 5:13. This means that his usefulness is universal. c. He is to foster the interests of heaven - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 4. Anyone may become the world's mystery man: a. By accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour - 1 John 5:1-5 b. By being born again - John 3:1-6; 1 John 3:1-9 c. By letting the Holy Spirit of God live in him - 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; Rom. 8:12-16 d. By walking in the Spirit and crucifying the sinful habits that are common to the natural man - Rom. 6:1-6 ## "WHEN THOU ART CONVERTED" - LUKE 22:31-34 A. OUR LORD'S SOLICITUDE FOR AN OVERCONFIDENT DISCIPLE 1. His paternal warning to Peter: a. "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." - Luke 22:31-34; Amos 9:9, 10 b. "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" - 1 Pet. 5:8 c. "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time." - Rev. 12:12 2. His reassurance to Peter: a. "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" - Luke 22:32 b. It is wonderful that we too have an advocate with the Father, our Saviour - 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1-3; Heb. 7:25, 26 3. He makes a startling forecast to the over-confident follower: a. You will deny me three times - Matt. 26:69-74; Mark 14:67-72 b. How good it is to know that our Saviour knows our every weakness and remembers us in his prayer - Ps. 106:46 B. WHEN THOU ART CONVERTED 1. This prediction shows that there are two opposing natures in man: a. The carnal nature - 1 Cor. 3:1-3; Rom. 7:14; John 3:6; 1 Cor. 15:50 b. The divine nature - We become partakers of this nature through faith in Jesus Christ - 2 Pet. 1:2-7 2. These two natures are opposed to each other: Rom. 7:14-18 a. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other" - Gal. 5:17 b. "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh" - Gal. 5:16 C. OUR LORD WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED IN THE CONVERTED PETER 1. He repented of his denial of his Master with many bitter tears: a. That tenderhearted and pitying look of the Master broke his heart; he wept - Mark 14:72 b. He called to mind the words of the Lord, and he realized that the Lord knew him much better than he knew himself; he was overconfident. 2. Peter, the converted Peter, became a strong witness for his Master: a. Think of the power of his simple sermon on the day of Pentecost! Acts 2:14-36 b. His boldness before the Jewish leaders at the peril of his life - Acts 4:19; 5:29 c. Legend has it that Peter died a martyr for Christ; that when they wanted to nail him to the cross, he requested to be crucified with his head downward. 3. Peter's experience shows: a. That conversion is a daily experience - 1 Cor. 15:31 b. That conversion is not just an outburst of human emotions; but a change of attitude; a change of heart - 2 Cor. 5:14-17 c. It involves the crucifixion of the old carnal nature. d. The daily renewal of the man created in the image of Jesus Christ - 2 Cor. 4:16; Eph. 4:23; Col. 3:10 e. His experience shows further that our usefulness to the cause of God depends upon our true and daily conversion - 1) "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" - Luke 22:32 2) "And I will strengthen them in the Lord; and they shall walk up and down in his name, saith the Lord." - Zech. 10:12 ## "WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?" - JAMES 4:14 A. HEART SEARCHING QUESTIONS 1. "Where Art Thou?": Gen. 3:9 2. "Where is Abel thy Brother?": Gen. 3:9 3. "How Shall We Escape?": Heb. 2:3 B. ONE OF LIFE'S GREATEST QUESTIONS - "WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?" 1. Our natural life: a. Is very short - Ps. 90:10 b. Most uncertain - Prov. 27:1; Isa. 38:12 2. Our moral life: a. For the child of God, it is a walk with God - 1) It was for Enoch - Gen. 5:22-23 2) Noah, too, walked with God - Gen. 6:9 3) Abraham walked with God - Gen. 17:1 b. For a sinner, it is a time of long-suffering by a merciful God - Gen. 6:1-6; 1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 3:9 c. For the child of God, life is opportunity - 1) To develop character for the world to come - Phil. 4:8; 2 Pet. 1:2-8 2) To do good and bless others - Matt. 5:13-16; 25:1-12; Luke 12:20 d. For the sinner, life is sowing upon the flesh and reaping a woeful harvest in the end - Gal. 6:6, 7; Luke 16:1-12 e. These facts speak for themselves; they show conclusively - 1) That life is conduct - good or bad. 2) It is an expression of our person, and that gives it personal responsibility - Eccl. 11:9; Gal. 6:7, 8 3) Life is influence, and influence makes a mark upon the life of others - good or bad - 2 Cor. 2:15, 16 C. WHY THIS QUESTION? 1. Our life in the flesh determines our final destiny: a. The day of reckoning is certain - 1) That was made clear to Belshazzar on that notable and fatal night for him and his kingdom - Dan. 5:25-28 2) Felix understood this truth - Acts 24:25 3) So will every one of us - Luke 16:1, 2; Gal. 6:6, 7; 2 Cor. 5:10 b. The wise man says of life "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck that which is planted" - Eccl. 3:1-8 1) All this shows that life is opportunity, which itself is a part of life. 2) It is up to me how I use life or opportunity, for good or for bad! 3) These solemn facts make life a very grave possession! 2. But there is a brighter side to our subject: a. The question is brought to our attention to show to us - 1) That we still have it in our power to determine, at least in part, the outcome of our life; for us it still is a choice - Deut. 30:19; Josh. 24:15 2) There are, as yet, two roads open to us, and we may choose one of them - Matt. 7:13, 14 3) Our sins can still be forgiven and blotted from the book of record - Acts 3:19, 20 4) God's hand is still stretched out to us, inviting us to forsake the way of sin, and return to the Lord - Isa. 55:7 5) It is still today - but only today for you and me, let us use it to determine our life now and forever - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; Heb. 3:7-9 ## A SINLESS LIFE A. A SINLESS LIFE 1. Sin is the transgression of God's law: 1 John 3:4 2. All unrighteousness is sin: 1 John 5:17 3. Unbelief is sin: Rom. 14:23 4. He who sins misses the mark: Rom. 3:23; Jas. 3:1-2 B. PLAIN TRUTH PLAINLY TOLD 1. We are, by nature, sinners: a. That is what the scripture hath concluded - Gal. 3:22 b. "Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me" - Ps. 51:5 2. The power of sin has, to a large extent, incapacitated us so that we are unable to do what we know is right: a. Paul discovered this truth - Rom. 7:18, 19, 24 b. The prophet Jeremiah confirms Paul's confession - Jer. 13:23 c. Sooner or later we, too, will make that discovery. 3. A sinless life: a. A life fully in harmony with the perfect will of God - 1) That is found in the Son of God - Col. 2:9; Heb. 7:26, 27 2) That is to be true in the lives of all who will be translated into God's kingdom when Christ comes the second time - 1 John 3:1-3 b. There are a few Bible characters spoken of as being perfect - 1) Job - Job 1:1-3 2) Daniel - Dan. 10:11 3) The priest Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth - Luke 1:6 4) The one hundred and forty-four thousand are spoken of as blameless - Rev. 14:5 C. SOME TRUTHS TO REMEMBER AS WE THINK OF A SINLESS LIFE 1. To be sinless we must have the divine or sinless nature: a. We sin, or are inclined to sin because our nature is sinful - Jer. 13:23 b. We sin because we have formed the habit of sinning. 2. To be sinless, we must be born again; we must be born from above: John 3:3-9; 1 John 3:9 3. That brings us to the divine agents used by the spirit of God to bring about the divine nature: a. The blood of Christ - 1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5 b. The Word of God - Jas. 1:17, 18; 1 Pet. 1:22, 23 c. In the end we are credited with the perfect righteousness of Christ - 1 Cor. 1:30; Acts 13:22 d. Perfection is the work of the Holy Spirit - Zech. 4:6; 1 John 3:9; Isa. 59:19 4. A sinless life: a. Is the great object of the plan of salvation - Matt. 1:21 b. It must be accomplished in our lives before we can even dream of immortality because God will and cannot immortalize sin. c. Faith in the saving power of the gospel of Jesus Christ will lead to a life that is in full harmony with the perfect will of God. d. Jesus will be satisfied when he can see the trophies of his grace - freed forever from the bondage of sin - John 8:31-36 ## LIFE MORE ABUNDANT - JOHN 10:10 A. MISSION OF THE SON OF GOD 1. Can you sum up the many reasons for the mission of our Lord to this world? 2. He states his mission in a few words, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." 3. You may sum up the gospel of Jesus Christ in one word "LIFE": B. LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY 1. What is life to begin with? a. For me, personally, life is the gift of God - Dan. 5:23 b. It is opportunity to develop character; to do good unto others; and to serve God. c. For Enoch, life was a walk with God - Gen. 5:22, 23 d. To Paul, life was Christ - Phil. 1:21 2. For the child of God: a. Life is fellowship - 1 John 1:3; 2 Cor. 13:14 b. Life is service for others; he, who serves most, lives longest - Gen. 12:3. Peter, Paul, and John still live through their writings; that is true of all the writers of the books of the Bible. c. Life is usefulness - he, who does the most good, has the largest measure of life - Gen. 5:22, 23 3. The more abundant life: a. One must keep in mind that life is a matter of degrees. Some have life, but it flickers like a dying candle, and indistinct as the fire is in the smoking flax. b. Others are full of life and are like the blacksmith's forge when the bellows are in full blast. c. A study of the Bible shows that even spiritual life is by degrees, some have more and others have much less. d. The more abundant life - 1) It is a life of wide interest, "ye are the salt of the earth" - Matt. 5:13; "Ye are the light of the world" - Matt. 5:14 2) It is the life of deep enjoyment - Matt. 18:13; Ps. 16:11 3) It is a life of eternal duration - John 11:26 C. HOW THE MORE ABUNDANT LIFE MANIFESTS ITSELF 1. In stamina or endurance: a. "He that endureth unto the end shall be saved" - Matt. 24:13 b. "Blessed is the man that endureth" - Jas. 1:12 2. By the constant enlargement of the sphere of influence: a. That was true of Abraham, of Joseph, and other Old Testament worthies. b. That was true of Paul, in a special sense. c. And think of Ellen G. White, a humble woman, and how her influence is growing with the growth of this movement. 3. Life becomes more abundant as our powers are brought into exercise: a. An increase of energy is indicated by our opening text. b. Power, even though plentiful, must be put into use to be of consequence. D. THE SOURCE OF THE MORE ABUNDANT LIFE 1. Faith in Christ is one of the richest sources of the more abundant life: a. John 7:37, 38 b. John 1:4; 8:12 2. The presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit: a. Remember the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-17 b. Note the abundant life of Stephen - Acts 6:8, 15 3. Secret prayer is still another source of the more abundant life: a. It was for Moses - Ex. 34:29-33; for Jacob - Gen. 32:25-30; and it was for the Son of God. Is it for you? ## THE MORE ABUNDANT LIFE - PSALMS 36:9 A. HUMANITY IN SEARCH FOR THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE 1. Efforts of Medical Science: a. Great progress has been made for the prolongation of life. b. Numerous diseases have been checked and the general health of the people has improved. 2. Material wealth in the United States of America has never been greater; and the people seem to enjoy undreamed of prosperity: a. Slogans "we have never had it so good" are government sponsored. b. The food supply in the United States of America has never before been so abundant as now. B. BUT THE MORE ABUNDANT LIFE SEEMS TO EVADE THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE 1. Many seek it in the wrong place: a. Some think that it is in the abundance of material wealth - Jas. 5:1-11 b. But our Saviour informs us that "a man's life consisted not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" - Luke 12:15 1) That was true in the experience of Nabal - 1 Sam. 25:5-38 2) Our Saviour warns against attaching our heart to material riches - Luke 12:16-21 3) The abundance of material wealth will doom the wealthy of the last days - Jas. 5:1-9 2. The More Abundant Life: a. Is, by and large, of a spiritual nature - 1) That is what James tells us - Jas. 2:5; 1 Cor. 1:27 2) That is the life that reveals itself in man's character - Phil. 4:8 b. The more abundant life is manifested - 1) Chastity or pure in heart - Matt. 5:5 2) Sterling honesty - Job 1:1-3; Dan. 6:4, 5 3) A clear conscience - Acts 24:16 c. Peace of mind - When John Huss, so we are told, walked to the stakes he sang a song of praise. Paul and Silas sang songs of praise, while their bodies were bleeding - Acts 16:24, 25 d. Confidence is still another ingredient of the more abundant life - 1) The young man David had more of this life than Saul and all his army - 1 Sam. 17:1-52 2) Daniel, when he was put to a test about the kings meat revealed a wealth of confidence in God's care - Dan. 8:19 3) The three Hebrews, too, had the more abundant life that enabled them to defy the commandment of Nebuchadnezzar - Dan. 3:12-28 C. THE TRUE SOURCE OF THE MORE ABUNDANT LIFE 1. Is with God and Him alone: a. "For with thee is the fountain of life." b. "In thy light shall we see light" - Ps. 36:9 c. "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shall make them drink of the river of pleasure" - Ps. 36:8 2. Jesus Christ is God's channel to bestow the more abundant life upon all who hunger and thirst for that life: a. Said He, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6 b. "I am the resurrection and the life" - John 11:25 c. The saddest words our Saviour spoke are, "ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" - John 5:40 3. There are two more ingredients of the more abundant life, worthy of our notice: a. Love - "God is love" - 1 John 4:8 - It is said that love is so much a part of God that when you speak of one you include the other. b. Faith - "The just shall live by faith" - Rom. 1:17 ## LIFE FOR A LOOK - NUMBERS 21:8 A. THE PRECIOUS WORDS OF OUR TEXT HAS BEEN PUT IN THESE MEMORABLE WORDS: "WE HAVE HERE THE GREATEST POSSIBLE NUMBER, UNDER THE BEST POSSIBLE GUARANTEE, AND OF THE EASIEST POSSIBLE TERMS." 1. Moses was directed to make a serpent of brass, and set it upon a pole: 2. That every one that was bitten, when he looked upon the brazen serpent, might live: 3. This fact shows that life and salvation are one and the same thing; life is salvation from death: B. WE HAVE IN THIS TEXT THREE GREAT AND WONDERFUL GOSPEL TRUTHS 1. "Every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live": a. All have been bitten by that old serpent, the devil - Rom. 3:23; 5:12; 1 John 3:7-11 b. God's offer of salvation includes the greatest possible number - 1 John 2:1-3; Rev. 22:17; 1 Tim. 2:5 c. What a significant emblem of the cross of Calvary! John 6:44, 65; 12:32 d. What a practical application of John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." 2. Under the best possible guarantee: a. The serpent on the pole was no human devise. It was the divine method for recovery from the bite of the serpent - 1) No one could reason out just how looking to the brazen serpent would save one from death. 2) It shows again that God's way is not our way - Isa. 55:8, 9 b. The plan of salvation is, for many, foolishness because the carnal mind does not receive the things of the Spirit - 1 Cor. 1:18-25 c. God's guarantee is found in His word - Num. 23:19-21; Jas. 1:17 3. On the best or easiest possible terms: a. "Look unto me" - Isa. 45:22, 23 b. "Behold the Lamb of God" - John 1:29 c. "There is life in a look at the sacred cross." d. A look at the brass serpent was the easiest and yet the most difficult move to make by the bitten person. 1) A look takes the least effort, as far as our physical action is concerned, 2) But to believe that a look at the serpent would save the life of the suffering is very difficult, unless one sees in all this God directing sinners to exercise their faith in God's promise. C. GOSPEL FACTS TO REMEMBER 1. Our text shows that the mind, as well as the body, has eyes: a. We say, look at this fact; look at this or that historic person - 1) Abraham saw the day of the Messiah and was glad; he did that with his spiritual eyes - John 8:56 2) Moses saw the day when his people would triumph over their enemy - Heb. 11:24-28 b. It is by beholding the incarnate Son of God that we are changed - 2 Cor. 3:17, 18 2. When we see Jesus: a. We see God manifested in the flesh - 1 Tim. 3:16; 2 Cor. 5:18-21 b. We see God's love personified in His dear Son - 1 John 4:8; John 14:9 c. We see our only hope for salvation - Acts 4:12 3. Note, please, these closing thoughts on our subject: a. God's love made full provision for all sinners - John 3:16 b. If some sinners are lost, it is because they refused to look at the Lamb of God for their life - John 5:40 ## THERE IS LIFE IN A LOOK - ISAIAH 45:22, 23 A. AN IMPORTANT TRUTH: "FOR I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NONE ELSE" 1. The above words express the idea that God, and God alone, is competent to save man from sin: Acts 4:12 2. It is not in man to save himself: a. He cannot change his nature - Jer. 13:23 b. He cannot atone for his sin - Jer. 2:22 B. A SIMPLE DIRECTION: "LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED" 1. Man's most serious mistake: a. He looks in the wrong direction for help - Ps. 146:3; Jer. 17:5 b. A mark of the last days - 2 Tim. 4:1-4 2. Our look to God is an expression of our seeking salvation from Him: a. "I will lift up mine eyes to the hills" - Ps. 121:1, 2 b. You make a promise to anyone and he will look to you for the fulfillment of your promise. c. A man, in a shipwreck, looks to the lifeboat to save himself from drowning. 3. Our look is at once the easiest and also the most difficult way to be saved: a. It is the least effort consuming - There is life in a look! 1) The children of Israel that were bitten by the serpents were directed to look at the "fiery serpent" made by Moses of brass, to be saved - Num. 21:6-9 2) The servant of the man of God was directed to look to the mountain to see the host of heaven surrounding the prophet - 2 Ki. 6:15-17 b. It is most difficult because it requires childlike faith in God's promises - 1) Naaman learned this truth - 2 Ki. 5 2) The young ruler missed it - Matt. 19 3) Moses saw it - Heb. 11:24-26 C. A UNIVERSAL INVITATION: "LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED, ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH" 1. The gospel of Jesus Christ offers that invitation to all the world: a. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations" - Matt. 28:18-20 b. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world" - Matt. 24:24 c. "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth" - Acts 1:8 2. Salvation is sufficient for all the needs of earth: a. The atonement is sufficient for all the ills of the human race - 1 John 2:1-3 b. It is God's will that all men should be saved - 1 Tim. 2:1-5 c. The reception of the gospel of our salvation in all the world is predicted in Bible prophecy - Isa. 61:1-11 3. It follows: a. That all glory of salvation must be ascribed to God - 1) Rev. 11:13; 14:7; 15:4 2) Ps. 84:11; 115:1 b. That is what nine of the lepers that had been cleansed forgot - Luke 17:13-18 c. That the salvation of sinners depends upon heeding the direction given by God - 1) Naaman had to learn this truth - 2 Ki. 5:9-14 2) The blind man followed the Lord's direction and he was healed - John 9:7, 11 d. Our solemn duty is to direct sinners to Jesus Christ, our only Saviour - Acts 4:12; John 12:32 ## "BE THOU PERFECT" - GENESIS 17:1 A. BACKGROUND TO THIS DIVINE SUMMONS 1. Abram's difficulty -- how to realize God's promise of a son in his old age: 2. Sarai, too, doubted in her heart that she could bear a child, as old as she was: 3. Abram's marriage to an Egyptian woman and the subsequent domestic trouble: Compare Gen. 12:1-3 with chapters 13:14-17; 16; 17 B. THE DIVINE SUMMONS 1. "Walk before me": a. Be fully conscious of my presence in all you do - Acts 2:25; Gen. 16:13 b. Let my presence guide you in all you do; it will be a safeguard for you against hasty and unwise actions. c. How different our lives would be if we realized that our actions are like an open book before God! Ps. 139:1-17 2. "Be thou perfect": a. That is a divine summons - 1) To exercise complete confidence in God's promises - Rom. 4:16, 17 2) To rely, not on human effort, but upon God's power - Job 42:1, 2; Matt. 19:26; Mark 9:23 b. The command "Be thou perfect" rests on the same basis as the command - 1) "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" - Matt. 5:48 2) "Be filled with the Spirit" - Eph. 5:18 c. The attainment of perfection comes in our complete confidence and compliance with the perfect will of God - 1) Peter learned this truth the hard way - Matt. 14:28, 29 2) The disciples, too, learned from experience - Luke 8:22-25; John 6:5-14 3) We also need this lesson - Luke 18:8; Matt. 24:12, 13 C. OF SPECIAL IMPORTANCE TO THE CHRISTIAN BELIEVER IS THE NAME BY WHICH GOD MADE HIMSELF KNOWN TO ABRAM - "I AM THE ALMIGHTY GOD" 1. This name is full of divine signification: a. God is all-able - Matt. 19:26; nothing is too hard for Him - Job 42:1, 2; Sarai was reminded of this truth because she doubted God's promise - Gen. 18:9-15. We need not point a finger of accusation at Sarai. We, too, doubt at times that God will keep His promise to His children. b. Let God be all-sufficient for you. "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee" - Ps. 16:2; 73:25 c. For our God is altogether dependable - 1) "My God shall supply all your needs" - Phil. 4:19 2) "In thy presence are pleasures forevermore" - Ps. 16:11 3) Christ never changes - Heb. 13:8; Matt. 24:35; Mal. 3:6 2. Here, dear friends, is the great secret of our opening text: a. Perfection centers in Jesus Christ - Heb. 1:3; Col. 2:9 b. If we have Christ living in us, we have the key to Christian perfection - 1) "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus " - Rom. 8:1 2) "Christ in you the hope of glory" - Col. 1:27 3) "Ye are complete in Him" - Col. 2:10 3. Also, the ability to be perfect is embodied in our faith in God and our consequent obedience to the divine summons: a. That is how Peter walked on the water - Matt. 14:28, 29; caught the fish with the coin that was to pay his taxes - Matt. 17:27 b. That is how the ten lepers were cleansed - Luke 17:14 c. That is the answer to Christian perfection. ## CHRISTIAN PERFECTION - PART I - MATTHEW 5:48 A. BIBLICAL MEANING OF PERFECTION 1. The first man - Adam: a. Created in the image of God - Gen. 1:26, 27; 5:1 b. Reflected the perfection of his Creator in a limited sense - Gen. 5:1-3; Rom. 6:16, 17; Luke 4:1-6 c. Disobedience or sin marred this character image - Gen. 3:1- 23; Rom. 3:1-19, 23; 6:16; Jer. 18:1-6 2. The second Adam - Christ: a. Expresses the image of His Father's character to its fullest or unlimited perfection - Heb. 1:3; 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:6 b. He is our pattern of perfection - 1) Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18 2) Col. 2:10; 1 John 3:3; Heb. 12:1-6 B. IN WHAT SENSE CAN POOR MORTAL BEINGS ATTAIN THE PERFECTION OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER? "BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT, EVEN AS YOUR FATHER WHICH IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT." 1. It will be well for us to keep in mind that the perfection of our text cannot and does not enter the field of infinity: a. It pertains to the perfection of a created and finite being - EXAMPLES - 1) Job is declared a perfect man - Job 1:1; but in comparison to God, he readily acknowledges his total unworthiness - Job 42:5, 6 2) Isaiah is another typical example - Isa. 6:1-7 b. It will be well for us to compare ourselves to the clay in the Potter's hand - Jer. 18:1-5, 6 2. It is a perfection totally connected with the plan of salvation: a. It is an ideal to strive for - Phil. 3:13-16 b. It involves a change of nature - 2 Cor. 5:14-17; Phil. 2:6-11 C. NATURE OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION 1. Christ-likeness is the one goal for every believer: a. That was the central goal of Paul - "that I may know him" - Phil. 3:10 b. That is the plan of salvation, "to be conformed to the image of (God's) His Son" - Rom. 8:29 2. Purity in character - in thought, word, and action: a. A wonderful ideal to strive for - Phil. 4:8 b. The golden rule - Matt. 7:12 3. A fourfold objective for attaining unto perfection: a. Love for God, His word, and for our fellow men - 1 John 4:8, 17; Gen. 22:12; Matt. 22:34-39 b. Obedience to God, His Word, and the Holy Spirit - 2 Cor. 2:9; 10:5; Phil. 2:6-11 c. Patience - a virtue developed through trials and hardships - Rom. 5:3-4; Jas. 5:7-12; Rev. 14:12 d. Virtue - purity of mind, body and soul; that is the true essence of Christian perfection - EXAMPLES - 1) Joseph was a virtuous person; he could not be bought to betray his moral character - Gen. 39:1-10 2) Christ could not be enticed to betray virtue - Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-6 4. The God chosen means to bring the believer to perfection: a. The Word of God - 1 Pet. 1:22; Ps. 119:9-11; Heb. 4:12 b. The blood of Christ - 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; Rev. 1:5; 1 John 1:7 c. The Holy Spirit - Zech. 4:6; Hos. 1:12; 2 Thess. 2:13 d. Trials and tribulations - Mal. 3:1-3; 1 Pet. 4:12 ## CHRISTIAN PERFECTION - PART II - MATTHEW 5:48 A. MEANING OF PERFECTION 1. Being complete: a. We are complete in Christ - Col. 2:10; Eph. 3:19; Heb. 12:23 2. Having been accepted in the Beloved: a. Examples - Job, Daniel, and Enoch are recorded in the Bible as God's ideal - Job 1:1-3; Ezek. 14:20; Rom. 8:1-3, 31-33 B. CHRISTIAN PERFECTION THE GOAL OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST 1. Paul's constant goal for himself and his fellow believers: a. "Let us go on to perfection" - Heb. 6:1 b. "We wish even your perfection" - 2 Cor. 13:9 c. "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." - 2 Cor. 7:1 2. Other gospel writers emphasize the same objective - Christian perfection: a. "And every one that has this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" - 1 John 3:3 b. "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness." - 2 Pet. 3:11 c. "But yet, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." - Jude 20, 21 3. That is what our Saviour means when He admonishes us, "be ye also ready: for in such an hour when ye think not the Son of man cometh": Matt. 24:42-51 C. THE BIBLE EMPHASIZES A DUAL PERFECTION 1. One is by accreditation: a. The believer is credited with the life of Christ -- righteousness is imputed to the believer - 1 Cor. 1:30 b. It is the free gift of God, without our own worthiness of it - EXAMPLES - 1) The penitent thief received this perfection - Luke 23:42-44 2) The woman of Samaria is still another example of this free gift - John 4:23-36 3) Mary Magdalene is another trophy of God's grace - Matt. 27:56; John 19:24 2. The other is the work of the Holy Spirit in cooperation with the believer: a. This perfection affects our life; it is the perfection of character - 2 Cor. 7:1-3; 2 Pet. 1:2-11 b. It is the work of a lifetime for many reasons - 1) Because of human limitations - Prov. 4:18; 1 Cor. 13:17, 18; Phil. 3:13, 14 2) Because our inherent weaknesses slow down the progress of the work of the Holy Spirit - John 16:12; 1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:12, 13 3) This fact is recognized by our Lord and informed teachers of the Word - John 16:12; Heb. 5:12, 13 4) It is an experience that involves growth; that means that it is progressive - 2 Thess. 1:3; 2 Pet. 3:18 3. How do people act when they are in the process of obtaining Christian perfection? a. Not pharisaical - Luke 18:10-14; Num. 12:3; Job 42:5, 6 b. Keep their eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith - Heb. 12:1-12; Gal. 1:15 c. Work out their own salvation with fear and trembling - Phil. 4:8 d. It is by beholding Jesus, and not their own sinful self, that the believer is changed. ## CHRISTIAN PERFECTION - PART III - MATTHEW 5:48 A. PERFECTION AS SPOKEN OF IN THE BIBLE 1. Our English word "perfection" comes from two words: a. The Hebrew word "shalom" and the b. Greek word "teleios" and signifies complete, ideal, without blemish, full grown, and finished. 2. Christ is the embodiment of all perfection: a. "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." - Col. 2:9 b. He is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His person - Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:15; 2 Cor. 4:4 3. A few other persons are spoken of in the Bible as being perfect: a. Noah - Gen. 6:8 b. Job - Job 1:1-3 c. Zacharias and his wife Elisabeth - Luke 1:5, 6 d. The one hundred and forty-four thousand as seen on Mount Zion - Rev. 14:1-7 B. BIBLE PERFECTION 1. Not in the power of sinful beings: a. Job's question - Job 14:4 b. Jeremiah's testimony - Jer. 13:23 c. Paul states some reasons against the inherent perfection by sinful persons - Rom. 3:12; 7:18, 24 d. The prophet Isaiah gives some other reasons - Isa. 1:1-19; 64:6 2. Christian perfection comes through Jesus Christ our Lord: a. "Ye are complete in him" - Col. 2:10; Eph. 3:19 b. He is our righteousness - 1 Cor. 1:30; Jer. 33:16; 2 Cor. 5:21 c. There is no condemnation to them that are clothed with the robe of Christ's righteousness - Rom. 8:1; Rev. 19:7, 8; Isa. 61:10 C. HOW PERFECTION IS ATTAINED 1. Negatively: a. It is not the fruit of human effort - Rom. 10:1-3; Luke 18:9-14 b. That nullifies the claims of many "isms" in the religious world such as Hinduism, Brahmanism, Catholicism, Jewry, Pentecostalism and kindred cults. 2. Perfection comes to us through two experiences: a. It is imputed unto the believer. That means that perfection is given to him as a free gift - Rom. 4:21-24; Luke 23:43; John 8:11. This transaction is instantaneous! b. It is implanted into our lives. That means that as we allow the Holy Spirit to implant the Word of God into our hearts, we become partakers of the divine nature - 2 Pet. 1:2-7; 2 Cor. 3:17, 18 3. This twofold experience is very important for a number of good reasons: a. We are in need of the imputed perfection to affect our standing before God - Rom. 8:1-3, 31-33 b. We need a transformation of our lives to become suitable subjects of the kingdom of heaven - Matt. 5:5; 2 Pet. 3:14; Rev. 19:27 4. Experience and the Word of God show that the implanting of perfection is the work of a lifetime: a. Paul thought of it in that light - 2 Cor. 7:1-3; Phil. 3:13-15 b. Peter teaches the steady Christian growth - 2 Pet. 1:5-8 c. These Bible references will confirm my position - Heb. 6:1; Phil. 2:13, 14; 1 Cor. 13:12; 1 John 3:1-3 5. Christian perfection must be obtained before Christ comes the second time: Compare 1 John 3:1-3 with 2 T, p. 355; CH, p. 44; 4 T, p. 568; CH, p. 384; 1 T, pp. 33, 34; COL, p. 330. This indicates that we will have to work out our salvation with fear and trembling - Phil. 2:12, 13 ## UNDER THE DIVINE INFLUENCE - EXODUS 34:28, 29, 30 A. SAMPLES OF THE DIVINE INFLUENCE 1. Moses: "The skin of his face shone while he talked with Him." 2. Our Lord: "His face did shine as the sun." - Matt. 17:1-5 3. Stephen: "They saw his face as it had been the face of an angel." - Acts 6:15 B. OUR TEXT BRINGS TO OUR ATTENTION THE EFFECT OF COMMUNION WITH GOD 1. We are transformed or changed into the likeness of our Maker and Redeemer: a. That is the great objective of redemption - Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 15:49 b. We are to be partakers of the divine nature - 2 Pet. 1:2-4 c. By beholding the spotless life of the Son of God we became changed - 2 Cor. 3:17, 18 2. The divine glory so visible in the face of Moses was the unconscious reflection of the power of God: a. Moses wished that his face did not shine to a point when his fellow men could not look at him - Ex. 34:30 b. Moses was too occupied by the cares of leading God's people safely through the wilderness - Ex. 33:12-16 c. His mind was filled with the law that God had written - Jas. 1:23-25; Ps. 119:18 3. Our blessed Lord had a similar experience while engaged in prayer: a. "And as he prayed the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistening" - Luke 9:29 b. "His face did shine as the sun and his raiment was as the light" - Matt. 17:2 c. That is the way John saw the Lord waiting among the seven golden candlesticks - Rev. 1:12-14 C. A VERY TIMELY LESSON ON THE EFFECT OF THE PRAYER LIFE 1. Our text makes it obvious that close fellowship with God in prayer connects us with the power of God: a. More and greater things are wrought through prayer than by any other means - 1) The Red Sea was parted so that Israel walked on dry ground - Ex. 14:16 2) The dead were brought back to life - Acts 9:40 3) The eyes of a young and perplexed man were opened - 2 Ki. 6:17 2. It shows us what blessings we miss when we fail to commune with God: Jas. 4:1-3 3. Channels of communication: a. Secret prayer. Secret prayer is highly recommended by our Lord - Matt. 6:6. It is here where we are freest to open our hearts to one who understands us and who will keep things in confidence. b. The family altar. The family altar is the God chosen channel to bless the family. 1) We think of Noah's family altar - Gen. 8:20 2) Of Job's intercession for his family - Job 1:1-6 3) Joshua, too, kept the family altar alive - Josh. 24:15 c. Community prayer. Our Saviour placed great emphasis upon community prayer - Matt. 18:20 1) Community prayers were very effective in times of crisis for the cause of God. 2) The time of Queen Esther - Esth. 4:16 3) When the apostles were put in prison to be killed - Acts 4:24-31 d. Dear friends, are you using the heaven provided channels for keeping close communion with God, the source of light -- light and power? ## BIBLE CONVERSION - MATTHEW 18:3, 4 A. THE NEED FOR CONVERSION 1. Is universal: a. John 3:3-6; Rom. 3:11, 23 b. There are no exceptions or exemptions because we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 2. Our sinful condition demands it: a. Jer. 13:23; Isa. 1:1-9 b. Isa. 53:6 3. The holiness of God demands it: a. Heb. 12:14; Isa. 6:1-6 B. BIBLE CONVERSION - WHAT IS IT? 1. Negatively: a. Not water baptism - Gal. 6:15; 1 Cor. 4:15 b. Not the acceptance of a form of religion - John 3:3-9; 2 Tim. 3:1-9 2. Positively: a. True conversion means for man to forsake his own way and to turn to the way God has marked out for man - Isa. 55:7; 59:20; Luke 15:11-19 b. It is a change of heart - Ezek. 36:26, 27; Acts 9:1-22 EXAMPLES - 1) Zacchaeus, the tax collector - Luke 19:8 2) The prodigal son - Luke 15:17-19 3) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:40-44 4) Saul of Tarsus - Acts 9:1-6 c. Turning from darkness to light - Acts 26:14-19; 1 Pet. 2:9-11 d. Becoming the servants of Christ instead of serving Satan and sin - Rom. 6:16, 17; 2 Cor. 5:14-17; 1 Pet. 4:1-5 e. Bible conversion is the transformation from the carnal to the divine nature - 1) Put off the old man - Eph. 4:22-24 2) Put on the new man, created in righteousness - Col. 3:9-11; 2 Pet. 1:2-11 C. HEAVEN'S MEANS AND RESULTS OF TRUE CONVERSION 1. God's means: a. The Word of God - Jas. 1:17; 1 Pet. 1:23; John 8:31-36; Heb. 4:12; Jer. 23:29 b. This is an important truth to keep in mind because true Bible conversion is recreation in fact; and only the living Word of God possesses the power to transform our sinful nature - Eph. 2:10 2. Simple faith in Jesus Christ: a. A primary condition to salvation - EXAMPLES - 1) The jailer and his question - Acts 16:30, 31 2) The Ethiopian eunuch - Acts 8:36, 37; John 3:16 b. For there is no other name under heaven that can save us - Acts 4:12 c. John assures us that simple faith in Jesus Christ is the new birth - 1 John 4:7; 5:1 3. The indwelling in our hearts of the third person of the Godhead - the Holy Spirit: a. This, aside from faith in Christ, the paramount fact in true Bible conversion. b. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." - Rom. 8:16 4. Fruit of true Bible conversion: a. "By their fruit shall ye know them" - Matt. 7:16, 20-26 b. Not our feeling, as such, but a positive change of attitude toward God's Word and His people - EXAMPLES - 1) "Behold, he prayeth" - Acts 9:11 2) "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor" - Luke 19:8 3) "And many that believed came and confessed and shewed their deeds." - Acts 19:18 These are some of the evidences of true Bible conversion. Let us test our own experience in the light of these Bible facts. ## WATER BAPTISM - MATTHEW 3:11 A. WATER BAPTISM IS DEFINITELY A GOSPEL ORDINANCE 1. John, the forerunner of Christ, baptized the people: Matt. 3:1-18 2. Christ baptized the people through His disciples: John 4:1, 2 3. Water baptism is one of the gospel ordinances: a. A part of the gospel commission - Matt. 28:1-20; Mark 16:15, 16 b. A commandment obligatory upon all who accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour - Mark 16:15, 16; Acts 10:48 c. Salvation is linked with the obedience of water baptism - Acts 2:38; Gal. 3:26-29 B. MEANING OF WATER BAPTISM 1. Negatively: a. Not putting away the filth of the flesh - 1 Pet. 3:21 b. The ceremony does not by itself change human nature - Acts 8:21 2. Positively: a. A memorial of the death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ - Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 2:12 b. It is an outward symbol of an inward experience 1) It symbolizes an inward faith - Acts 8:36-39; Rom. 10:9-11 2) Stands for a good conscience toward God and men - 1 Pet. 3:21 3) It calls for fruit meat of true repentance - Matt. 3:8 4) It symbolizes a new life - Rom. 6:6-9; Gal. 3:27 c. It is an act of obedience with which even the Son of God complied - 1) It is an act of righteousness - Matt. 3:13 2) It is the counsel of God - Luke 7:29-30 d. It is the symbolical door into the body of Jesus Christ - 1 Cor. 12:13 e. Not to comply with it means that we set ourselves against the holy will of God. f. It is a blessed experience for those who enter it in full dedication - Matt. 3:17; Acts 8:39 C. MODE OF BAPTISM 1. There is great confusion among Christians as to the proper mode of baptism: a. The majority practices sprinkling - Ezek. 36:25 b. Others pour water over the head of the person baptized. c. Still others dip the candidate three times forward. d. Some baptize by immersion. 2. The Bible knows only one mode of baptism: a. Paul declares that there is only one baptism - Eph. 4:4 b. He says that "we are buried in baptism" - Rom. 6:4 c. That is why John baptized at Aenon because there was much water there - John 3:23 d. Acts 8:38, 39 as well as Matt. 3:13, 14 show plainly that both the one who baptizes and the one that is baptized go down into the water; that excludes sprinkling. 3. Blessing of water baptism: a. The forgiveness of sin is connected with water baptism - Acts 3:38; 22:16 b. The gift of the Holy Ghost is also associated with this ordinance - Acts 3:38, 39; 5:32; Matt. 3:13-18 c. My personal experience: I saw many divine benedictions upon those who followed their Lord in baptism. Many were healed instantly at their baptism. People received the gift of the Holy Spirit as they came forth from the watery grave. One must enter the rite of water baptism to experience its blessings. I think of the words of the Master, "Happy are ye if ye know these things and do them." - John 13:17 4. Preparation for water baptism: a. No one should be encouraged to be baptized without some instruction in the way of the Lord. b. The baptismal candidate should have some experience in the truth and with the Lord before he is baptized. c. An examination by the church board is a wise provision for the safety of the church and the candidate. ## THE ORDINANCE OF FEET WASHING - JOHN 13:1-17 A. "IF I THEN, YOUR LORD AND MASTER, HAVE WASHED YOUR FEET; YE ALSO OUGHT TO WASH ONE ANOTHER'S FEET. FOR I HAVE GIVEN YOU AN EXAMPLE, THAT YE SHOULD DO AS I HAVE DONE TO YOU." 1. The institution of the ordinance of feet washing: a. Was one of the last commandments, given by our Lord before He sealed the New Testament with His own blood. b. It was to be associated with the Lord's supper - Compare John 13:1-26 with Matt. 26:20-28 2. The ordinance of feet washing: a. Was not understood, at first, by the disciples - John 13:6-12 b. That shows its spiritual signification. Had it been a continuation of a menial custom of the Jews, our Lord would not have said, "what I do thou knowest not now" - John 13:7 B. PLACE AND PURPOSE OF FEET WASHING IN THE GOSPEL ORDINANCES 1. He, who is called the Wisdom of God, had a reason for making feet washing one of the ordinances of the gospel: a. It is a memorial of the great sacrifice Christ made when He took the form of a servant (a slave) - Phil. 2:7 b. It brought dignity and honor to an act performed by servants, considered below the dignity of a Master. c. Without this ordinance, we could not fully understand Christian humility. d. It is a test of our true attitude to one another. If there is pride, selfishness in the heart, feet washing has neither meaning nor appeal to the heart. 2. But there are other implications in this ordinance: a. It symbolizes an inner washing or cleansing - Tit. 3:5; Eph. 5:26 b. Water and blood are connected with the New Covenant - 1 John 5:6; John 19:34 3. The ordinance of feet washing is: a. A reminder to the communicant to prepare to be clean when approaching the table of the Lord - 1 Cor. 10:21 b. "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" - Ex. 3:5 c. The people could not come into God's presence unless they were clean - Ex. 19:10 C. ITS PRACTICE BY THE FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST 1. Is a sacred and Christian obligation: a. This is true in spite of the attempt by some professed Christians to brush it aside as just a reminder to us to be humble. b. Their plausible explanations can in no way set aside the implication of our opening text - "For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done unto you." c. It is included in the Gospel Commission of which the Lord's command is, "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" - Matt. 28:20 d. It belongs to the doctrine of Christ - 2 John 9; John 7:17 2. There is a promise of a blessing: a. To those who know and do this commandment - John 13:17 b. It is included in the commandments of which we read in the book of Revelation, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." - Rev. 22:14 3. This commandment, like the other commandments, is based upon love; and when we love Him who loved us first, we will not doubt its wisdom: John 14:15 4. My friends, do you see Christ's reason in giving us this seemingly menial ordinance? Have you received the blessing promised by our Lord? ## THE LORD'S SUPPER - 1 CORINTHIANS 11:20-33 A. THE LORD'S SUPPER 1. What it is not: a. It is not just another sacrifice as claimed by some. Christianity has but one altar - Heb. 13:10; and one sacrifice - Heb. 10:12 b. It is not a eucharist, as taught by Rome - John 6:63 2. What it is: a. It is a memorial of the great sacrifice made but once on the cross of Calvary - "Do this in remembrance of me" - Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24 b. Of the death of our Lord - "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" - Rom. 5:8; 6:10 c. Of God's love - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" - John 3:16; "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" - John 15:13 d. It is a communion of the saints with the Lord - "The cup we bless, is it not the communion of the body of Christ" - 1 Cor. 10:16 e. It is the divine charter of our hope - "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." - 1 Cor. 11:22-28 B. WHO SHOULD PARTAKE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER? 1. All who believe that Christ died for them: a. If I believe that Jesus died for me, I will gladly partake of the emblems of His broken body and His shed blood. b. Not to take part in this memorial service would be a denial of the faith. 2. All who remember the great reason for His death: a. He died for our sins - 1 Cor. 15:3 b. He loved me and gave himself for me - Gal. 2:20 3. All who are not ashamed to claim redemption through His blood: Rom. 1:16 C. HOW SHOULD WE PARTAKE OF THE LORD'S SUPPER? 1. Erroneous ideas: 2. Closed communion theory: 3. Bad feeling between the brethren: 4. A safe rule to follow: a. "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup" - 1 Cor. 11:28 b. Self-examination excludes examination by the brethren. c. "For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" - 1 Cor. 11:31 5. What many people forget about the Lord's supper: a. That staying away from communion will not improve our standing before God, no more than it would have helped the Israelites had they disobeyed God's direction to keep the passover the night they left Egypt - Ex. 12. b. Many good people forget that communion is, in a way, a shelter against an accusing conscience. c. They forget that communion symbolizes God's means to make atonement for our sins. d. If we feel that we are unworthy of participating in this memorial service, then it is important that we make things right with our fellow men, and so eat of that bread and drink of that cup; not stay away from communion. 6. Other facts to consider in connection with the Lord's supper: a. Jesus was desirous to take part in it - Luke 22:15 b. Can we do less? c. Jesus says, "Do this in remembrance of me." d. How can I claim that I love Him if I refrain from the great memorial of His love for me? ## "IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME" - LUKE 22:15-20 A. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF WAYS IN WHICH WE MAY THINK OF THE LORD'S SUPPER 1. It is a command: a. "This do" - Luke 22:19 b. "For as often as ye do this" - 1 Cor. 11:26 2. It is an act of fellowship (communion): a. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?" b. "The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?" - 1 Cor. 10:16 3. It is a memorial: a. "Do this in remembrance of me". It is this third way regarding the Lord's supper which we want to consider this morning. B. THE LORD'S SUPPER IS A FOURFOLD MEMORIAL WHICH IMMORTALIZES THE MEMORY OF OUR LORD'S INFINITE SACRIFICE 1. It was God's way of manifesting His love for sinful humanity: a. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" - John 3:16 b. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Rom. 5:8 c. "The Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me" - Gal. 2:20 2. God's love shines brightest when seen in the light of the cross of Christ on Calvary: a. "Father, forgive them" - Luke 23:34 b. "This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise" - Luke 23:42, 43 3. It is one of God's means of reconciling the world unto himself: a. That is what Paul says - 2 Cor. 5:18-21 b. Read, also, Rom. 5:10; Eph. 2:16 4. It is a memorial of our only security: a. Against the judgment to come - Rom. 5:23-25; 8:31-38 b. Against our past sins - Rom. 8:1-3; Gal. 3:13; Eph. 2:14-16 5. It is the Christian's Magna Carta: a. "It is finished" - John 19:30 b. "There is now no condemnation" - Rom. 8:1 c. "A ransom has been found" - Job 33:24 d. This charter clears the way for the saints to await the return of the Lord with renewed hope - 1) "Till He come" - 1 Cor. 11:26 2) "I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come" - Luke 22:18; Mark 14:25 C. THE PROPER APPROACH TO THE LORD'S SUPPER 1. Mistaken ideas: a. "I do not feel worthy to take communion." b. "I am not prepared to take part in communion." c. "I do not feel right, and so long as I do not feel right it would be wrong for me to take the Lord's supper." 2. Who is worthy to take the Lord's supper? a. Everyone for whom the Lord died, and who accepts that sacrifice to make him worthy. Keep the words of Paul in mind - 1 Tim. 1:15 b. Everyone who believes that the atonement made for us on the cross by the death of Christ is sufficient to make us worthy - Rom. 8:1, 31-38 3. The right approach to the Lord's supper: a. "Let every one examine himself." b. "And so let him eat." Note, please, Paul's counsel to the communicant, "examine himself" - that means get right with God and men. Remove the things that would make you unworthy. ". . . and so let him eat . . ." - he does not say, "and so let him stay away from communion", "and so excuse himself from obeying the command of the Lord. No! No! He says, "and so let him eat." c. A mistaken idea by some--they think that if they discover things in their lives which are not right, it is better for them to stay away from the Lord's table. d. But they must remember that the Lord's supper is a shield against their sinful past. e. As Israel of old, take refuge behind the banner of the blood of the Lamb of God - Ex. 12:13 ## IN REMEMBRANCE AND IN HOPE - MATTHEW 26:26 A. WHEN WE READ MATTHEW 26:26-30 WE FIND TWO GREAT MEMORIALS CELEBRATED BY OUR LORD AND HIS DISCIPLES 1. They took the Passover: a. Commemorating ancient Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage - Ex. 13:1-15 b. It was the time when God slew the first born sons of Egypt, but spared the first born sons in Israel. 2. Our Lord instituted the new Passover, called "The Lord's Supper": a. 1 Cor. 11:23-28 b. John 13:1-17 B. IN REMEMBRANCE AND IN HOPE 1. A Memorial: a. Of the death of our Lord - "For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup ye do shew the Lord's death" - 1 Cor. 11:26 b. He died for our sins - 1 Cor. 15:3; Rom. 14:9; 2 Cor. 5:14, 15 c. He died for the ungodly - Rom. 5:6 d. He died for us all - 2 Cor. 5:14 2. Looking forward in hope: a. "Shew the Lord's death till he come" - 1 Cor. 11:26 b. Thus we see that the Lord's supper is a constant reminder to us that Jesus is coming again - "till He come." c. Our hope in the future centers in the second coming of Jesus Christ, our Lord - Tit. 2:13 d. Two great events mark the second coming of Christ 1) The first resurrection - John 5:28, 29 2) The gift of immortality is bestowed upon those who have part in the first resurrection - 1 Cor. 15:50-58; 1 Thess. 4:14-17; John 5:28, 29 e. That gives double meaning to the celebration of Communion by the believers at the Lord's supper, looking backward and also forward! 3. "Do this in remembrance of me": a. Our Lord knows how short our memory is. b. This Communion service is to sharpen it. C. WHO SHOULD TAKE THE LORD'S SUPPER AND HOW? 1. Erroneous ideas: a. Closed communion - there are those who hold closed communion, reserving this memorial for those of their own persuasion. b. Others say, "If I feel that I am ready, I take part in it, otherwise, I will not." 2. A few thoughts that ought to change our mind: a. All who believe that Christ died for them ought to take part in communion. b. No Israelite was exempted from the eating of the Passover - Ex. 13:1-30 c. Christ died for all and for that very reason we have no right to forbid anyone who wants to take the Lord's Supper. d. All, who claim that their sins are under the blood of Christ, are to eat the Lord's Passover. 3. How should we come to the table of the Lord? a. Should the officials of the church examine everyone that plans to take the Lord's Supper? b. Paul says, "let a man examine himself" - 1 Cor. 11:28 c. What does self-examination include? It means that I must look into my own heart and life to see how seriously I enter into the communion and fellowship of the suffering Christ! d. It means that I get right with God and men before I enter this solemn rite. This we must do to be worthy of its implication. 4. "And so let him eat": a. The Bible does not say, "and so let him stay away from the Lord's Supper", as many do. b. How often have I seen people in very deep contemplation during the sermon on the Lord's Supper and then leave the service without taking part in it. c. That, brethren, is wrong two ways--to the Lord and to those who refuse the Lord's Supper. It is refusing a blessing meant for all of us. ## IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR COMMUNION A. "I MUST BY ALL MEANS KEEP THIS FEAST" - Acts 18:21 1. We shall never know in this world just why Paul had such an urge to be at the feast of the passover: a. He received repeated warning that severe persecution by the Jews awaited him at Jerusalem - Acts 20:22; 21:10-13 b. But nothing could keep him from going and witnessing for Christ, whom he loved - Acts 21:13 2. Jesus Christ, too, was most anxious to partake of the passover with His disciples before He suffered: Luke 22:12-18 B. IMPORTANCE OF REGULAR COMMUNION 1. The Lord's Supper is a feast: a. The ancient passover was, in a certain sense, a type of the Lord's Supper. b. Christ is our passover - 1 Cor. 5:7 c. Bread and wine are the emblems of His broken body and his shed blood - Compare Matt. 26:26-28; 1 Cor. 11:23-34 2. The Lord's Supper is a royal feast in the highest sense of the word: a. It was instituted by the King of glory - Matt. 22:1; Ps. 24:7-10 b. It is heaven's love feast - John 3:16; Gal. 2:20; John 13:1-6 c. It is the Christian family feast - 1 Cor. 10:15, 16; 11:22-29 3. The disciples of Christ must, by all means, keep that feast: a. Because the Lord commands it - "This do in remembrance of me" - 1 Cor. 11:24 b. It is the shield of the believers against the day of judgment. c. It is a memorial service commemorating the infinite sacrifice of the Master. d. They who bypass it do not realize what a blessing they miss. e. Had they the mind of Christ, they would never absent themselves from His memorial service. C. WHO SHOULD PARTAKE OF THIS FEAST AND HOW? 1. This is a pertinent question: a. Forty years in the ministry have convinced this writer that there are many members in the church who are unaware of the true implication of this feast. b. Everyone for whom Christ died should acknowledge His death in his behalf at the communion table. c. Everyone who professes to believe in the atonement made for our sins ought to be a happy communicant. d. All who want their sins covered by the blood of Jesus Christ should participate in that solemn ordinance. e. Everyone who believes in the soon coming of our Lord will want to take part in the ordinances of the house of the Lord. f. Not to partake of the table of the Lord is to reject the ordinance of God, if not in theory, in deed. 2. How should we come to the table of the Lord? a. With complete self-examination! 1 Cor. 11:28; 2 Cor. 13:5 b. In humble gratitude to our Lord for His infinite sacrifice for us - Gal. 2:20 c. In the spirit of complete reconciliation with our brethren. d. With complete separation from every known sin in our life - Rom. 6:16-18; 1 Pet. 4:1-5 e. In the hope that this service is witness to our reconsecration to God, His word, and His cause. f. Finally, we should come with joy and gratitude to be counted worthy to share with the church the hope in the soon coming of Jesus Christ our Lord. 3. When these few suggestions are heeded I am confident: a. That we, like the Master, will look forward with desire to share the blessings of the feast. b. By coming in this spirit we will encourage others to take part in the feast of the Lord. ## DIVINE HEALING A. "BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL: AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME, BLESS HIS HOLY NAME. BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL, AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS: WHO FORGIVETH ALL THINE INIQUITIES; WHO HEALETH ALL THY DISEASES." - Ps. 103:1-3 1. The Psalmist was: a. A man of war; b. He was a great king. c. And He was a man of much prayer. 2. He had a constant urge in his heart to express his profound gratitude to God for the many blessings he experienced: a. He recognized the many benefits from the Lord. b. And he knew that God is the great Healer of our body and our soul. B. DIVINE HEALING IS THE BURDEN OF THIS MESSAGE 1. Meaning of divine healing: a. It is commonly understood to refer to the healing of our body. b. A study of this subject shows that divine healing includes, also, the restoration of the spiritual relationship between us and the Lord. 2. There is, among Christians, great confusion on this subject: a. Many use this doctrine as a rallying point for their theories on religion. b. Others use it to get earthly or material gain. c. But some ignore it, branding it as a mark of religious fanaticism. 3. The truth about divine healing is: a. It is a major part of the plan of redemption - 1) Of the Redeemer it is written, "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." - Isa. 53:5 2) It is the major part of his ministry - Acts 10:38 b. Read carefully Luke 4:18; 13:16 c. This ministry is one of the gifts of the Spirit bestowed upon the believers - 1 Cor. 12:9, 28; Mark 16:18, 19 C. INCLUSIVENESS OF DIVINE HEALING 1. It is a blending of the physical and the spiritual healing: a. That was true in the experience of the impotent man that was brought to Christ by four men - Mark 2:1-12 b. The Spirit of Prophecy makes mention of this dual blessing. "Desire of Ages", page 270 2. Healing of the body is evidence of the healing of the soul: a. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." - John 8:36 b. That was true in the experience of the lame man at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful - Acts 3:1-9 3. It is a part of the reformatory movement: See and read "Testimonies for the Church", Volume 9, page 126 - John 5:14 4. Physical healing is bound up with the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ: a. That is what we read in "Ministry of Healing", page 115. b. Said Jesus to the disciples, "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers" - Matt. 10:7, 8 5. Methods of healing: a. Confusion among some exists - 1) They attempt to limit God to their own theory as to how they are to be healed - 2 Ki. 5:11, 12 2) Others reject supernatural healing, claiming that medical science is sufficient to meet the needs of the sick - Mark 5:26; Luke 8:43 b. God uses His own method to heal our bodies - 1) Naaman had to discover this truth - 2 Ki. 5:10-14 2) Hezekiah learned this truth also - Isa. 38:21 3) Note what methods the Lord used - Matt. 8:1-8; Mark 10:52 c. God does use nature and the knowledge of the right use of the laws of nature to bring healing to our bodies, but He, also, directs us to pray for the sick - Jas. 5:14-17 ## EATING AND DRINKING TO GOD'S GLORY A. "WHETHER THEREFORE YE EAT, OR DRINK, OR WHATSOEVER YE DO, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD." - 1 Cor. 10:31 1. Background to this wonderful and climactic rule for Christians: a. There was a controversy between Christians of Jewish origin and those of the Gentiles - Compare chapters 8 and 10. b. Paul emphasized this truth, "But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse." - 1 Cor. 8:8 2. Our Saviour took a very similar position toward the legalistic attitude of the Pharisees on eating and drinking: Matt. 15:1-19 B. EATING AND DRINKING TO GOD'S GLORY 1. This principle was set up in the Garden of Eden: a. Our first parents had specific instruction from the Creator as to what shall be theirs for food - Gen. 1:29 b. They were tested on living to the glory of God; but they listened to the serpent and sinned against the glory of God - Gen. 2:15, 16; 3:1-6 2. To eat and drink to the glory of God implies: a. That we eat and drink the things God has told us to eat and drink. b. When we disregard his directive, we set ourselves against His will, and that is sinning against the glory of God. c. To disregard God's counsel is enmity against God - See 1 Ki. 13:21; 1 Sam. 15:23 3. Just as the Lord differentiated between the fruit of the tree of life and the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, so the Lord differentiated between the clean and the unclean: a. He did that before the flood - Gen. 7:1-6 b. And He did the same to His people when He brought them out of Egypt - Lev. 11:1-28; Deut. 14:1-18 C. LET US TAKE A BRIEF LOOK AT THE BIBLE RECORD ON THE CLEAN AND UNCLEAN MEATS 1. Our Lord, who created all things in the first place: a. Took a positive stand on the swine question - Compare Mark 5:12-17 with Luke 15:11-32. b. It was He who said through the prophet Isaiah, "They that sanctify themselves, and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be consumed together, saith the Lord." - Isa. 65:1-9; 66:17 2. There are those who claim that Christ cleansed the swine, but the facts show that the swine is as filthy as ever: a. It is Paul who says, "touch not the unclean thing" - 2 Cor. 6:17 b. That shows that the things in nature have not changed any since God differentiated between the clean and the unclean. 3. Objections answered: a. 1 Tim. 4:1-6 is quoted by the opposition to show that since Christ died all animals are clean. b. But when you read the context very carefully, you will note these facts: 1) Paul warns against the doctrines of devils, but the teaching of the difference between the clean and the unclean has its source in God and not with the devil. 2) All the things that we pray over become holy and may be eaten, but read the words of Paul again, "they are sanctified by the Word of God and prayer". To sanctify means to set apart; true, you are at liberty to eat the things God has set apart to be eaten. 3) Acts 10:10-16 is appealed to, to show that since the resurrection of Christ all things are to be eaten, but when you read the context you will note that the vision concerned itself not with the swine but rather with bringing the gospel to the Gentiles - Acts 10:10- 28. It remains that we can eat and drink to the glory of God only when we follow His directive; when we obey Him. ## STEWARDSHIP A. "AS EVERY MAN HATH RECEIVED THE GIFT, EVEN SO MINISTER THE SAME TO ANOTHER, AS GOOD STEWARDS OF THE MANIFOLD GRACE OF GOD." - 1 Pet. 4:10 1. A prayerful study of the Word of God reveals to us: a. That all things, including ourselves, belong to God - Ps. 50:7-12 b. Said David to the Lord, "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory . . . Both riches and honor come of thee . . . for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee" - 1 Chron. 29:11-14 2. That being true, it follows: a. That we are but stewards of the manifold blessings we think we possess. b. This makes this subject worthy of prayerful consideration by all who have in trust the Master's goods. B. CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP 1. Let us note, briefly, some of the implications of our subject on the Christian stewardship: a. Our Lord gave strong emphasis to man's stewardship - 1) The parable of the talents - Matt. 25:14-30 2) The story of the unjust steward - Luke 16:1-8 3) The keepers of their Master's vineyard - Matt. 21:33-46 b. The apostles, too, emphasized faithfulness in that which has been committed to us as stewards of the manifold grace of God - Tit. 1:2; 1 Cor. 4:1, 2 2. Stewardship and its meaning: a. One entrusted with the care and supervision of his master's goods is a steward - EXAMPLES - 1) Joseph was Potiphar's steward - Gen. 41:40 2) David told the Lord of our stewardship - 1 Chron. 29:11-14 b. The distribution of the pounds by the master to his servants - Luke 19:13-25 c. The spiritual gifts, divided to the believers by the Holy Spirit - 1 Cor. 12:1-28 d. The Bible instructions on tithes and offerings all show that, at best, we are stewards of the manifold grace of God. 3. Emphasis of the purpose of our stewardship: a. Negatively - not to be lavished upon ourselves as did Nabal - 1 Sam. 25:3-39, and as did the rich young ruler - Matt. 19:16-22 b. The divine intent is that we minister the gifts unto others - 1 Pet. 4:10 as did Cornelius - Acts 10:2, and as the Lord spoke of Abraham - Gen. 12:1-3 C. TITHES AND OFFERINGS ARE THE BIBLICAL KEYS TO TRUE AND FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN STEWARDSHIP 1. Our tithe - "all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the Lord's; it is holy unto the Lord": Num. 27:30 a. It was so recognized by the Patriarchs - Gen. 14:20; Heb. 7:1-7; Gen. 28:22 b. Our Lord gave strong emphasis to faithfulness in and with our tithe - Matt. 23:23; Luke 16:1-12 c. Paul, too, shows the divine design of our tithe - 1 Cor. 9:1-14 2. Our offering differs from our tithes: a. Our tithes belong to the Lord by right - Mal. 3:8-11 b. Our offering is a gift of special gratitude toward the Lord who has enabled us to gain material and spiritual blessings. c. We present them to the Lord as a love gift in humble gratitude. 3. Blessings of faithfulness in our stewardship: a. It will save us from the sin of covetousness. Compare Isa. 14:12-14 with 1 Ki. 21:1-15; Josh. 6:17; 7:1; 2 Sam. 11:1-21 b. It will save us from dishonesty - Acts 5:1-11 c. It will make us Godlike in unselfishness; that is the aim of the grace of God. d. It will bring blessings to us, materially and spiritually - Mal. 3:8-11 e. Faithfulness in our stewardship will be rewarded, not only in this world but also in the world to come - Matt. 25:31-34 f. Let us pray that we may have wisdom and grace to know how to use the gifts of God to bring blessings to the cause of God and glory to the giver of all good gifts - Jas. 1:17 ## SUPPORT OF THE GOSPEL WORKER A. HOW DOES THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH FINANCE ITS WORLDWIDE PROGRAM? 1. Not by church bazaars: John 2:13-20 2. Nor by any method of taxing its members: Matt. 10:4 3. Money was never a condition of church membership: a. The moneyless receive the same service as people who possess means to contribute to the cause. b. None of the members receive a bill from the pastor to cover his wages. B. HOW THE ADVENTIST CHURCH FINANCES ITS WORLDWIDE WORK 1. It follows God's plan in paying a tithe of the increase of the income of the members of the church: a. It is God's plan - Mal. 3:8-11; Matt. 23:23 b. This plan was a part of the worship of God's children, dating back to the beginning of time - 1) Abraham paid tithe - Gen. 14:18-20 2) Jacob promised the Lord a tithe of his income - Gen. 28:20-22 c. Ancient Israel was directed to pay a tithe of all their increase of the harvest or otherwise. Compare Num. 18:21-24 with 1 Chron. 31:5; Lev. 27:30 2. We believe that God's original plan of supporting the work of the gospel carries over into the New Testament: a. This is indicated in Matt. 23:23 b. Also in 1 Cor. 9:7-14 c. Paul, when comparing the two Priesthoods, the Levitical and the Melchizedek ordinances, points to the tithe - Heb. 7:1-10 C. SIGNIFICATION OF THE TITHING SYSTEM 1. It recognizes God the sovereign owner of all wealth: a. All silver and gold are His - Hag. 2:8; 1 Chron. 29:14-16 b. We are, at best, stewards of God's property - 1 Pet. 4:10; Tit. 1:7 2. The tithe is a test to man: a. To recognize God's ownership of all his possessions - 1) Our first parents were tested on the recognition of God's ownership - Gen. 2:15-17 2) So does God test all men - Mal. 3:8, 9; Luke 16:1-12 b. To teach us a threefold lesson - 1) Honesty toward God and man - Mal. 3:8; Luke 16:10 2) Unselfishness - God lets us keep nine parts and He takes one part. 3) To break us from covetousness--one of the greatest sins. 3. The amazing love of God: a. He requires a tithe of all our increase, but not for Himself. b. He takes that tithe and puts it to work for our salvation! That is the way He sends missionaries to carry the gospel story! 4. The tithe is, in fact, the livelihood of the gospel worker, who spends his life in the service of the Lord; when we withhold the tithe, we take away the livelihood of the minister! 5. Blessing of the tithing system: a. A very unusual promise to the tithe payer - Mal. 3:10-12 b. Only the faithful tithe payer knows the blessedness of giving God His own. ## CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE - 1 CORINTHIANS 10:31 A. OUR TEXT SHOWS CLEARLY THAT TEMPERANCE IS A MORAL OBLIGATION FOR ALL 1. To eat and drink to the glory of God: a. Was a test for our first parents - Gen. 2:15, 16; 3:1-23 b. It was a test for Daniel - Dan. 1:8 c. And it became a test for the Son of God - Matt. 4:1-4 2. Temperance is one of the qualifying virtues of a true Christian: a. That is what Paul taught the believers - Gal. 5:22, 23; 1 Cor. 9:25 b. And that is what Peter taught the people - 1 Pet. 1:5-9 3. There will be no place in God's kingdom for intemperance: Gal. 5:19-22; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10 B. WHY ALL SELF-RESPECTING CITIZENS MUST FIGHT THE CURRENT LIQUOR TRAFFIC 1. Alcoholic beverages are harmful to body, mind and spirit: a. Bible warning - Prov. 23:33 b. People before the flood were victims of this defiling traffic - Luke 17:26 c. It led to Noah's shame - Gen. 9:20, 21 d. Lot was affected by this same vice - Gen. 19:30, 31 e. It has destroyed marriages, homes, and untold lives. f. The liquor traffic has been the curse that plagues the nations and digs untold graves for its victims. g. How many heartbroken persons have told me what drinking did to them and their loved ones; how their health was undermined and their lives shortened. h. Much of the lawlessness and the slaughter on the public highways is due to someone drunk and driving on the highways. C. WHY WE AS A PEOPLE SHOULD BE FOREMOST AMONG THOSE WHO ADVOCATE TEMPERANCE 1. We are told that health reform is the right arm of the message: a. Health of body, soul, and spirit are the great objectives of this movement. b. We believe it to be our God-given duty to educate the public on the harm of hard liquor. 2. Modern liquor is invading the sacred confines of marriage and the home and happiness of the people: a. Many broken marriages are the result of drinking. b. Drinking stalks the highways, endangers driving in public. 3. Our appeal to the public is: a. To remember that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit - 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20 b. We are held accountable for what we do to our body, soul, and spirit - 2 Cor. 5:10 c. When we become victims of liquor we endanger the lives of those with whom we come into contact. 4. Finally, we know that public safety is involved: a. Intoxicated drivers are the real deadly enemies to the American traveling public. b. We must do our best to educate the people on the harm of the liquor traffic. c. It is shocking to note the ever increasing tax burdens that are put upon the public simply because of increasing crime wave that is the result of heavy drinking. 5. Let me repeat that we ought to be foremost in seeking to combat the liquor traffic through the educational processes: a. Work together with other temperance organizations. b. By practicing temperance in our own lives and so show that it works well for all who seek to follow it. c. Then we must keep informed on current events which show the increased tempo of drinking. ## THE CHURCH A. TERMINOLOGY 1. The Greek word is "Ekklesia" and signifies those who are called out, separated: 1 Pet. 2:9-11; 2 Tim. 1:9; Heb. 3:1 2. Different names of the church: a. Sheepfold - John 10:16 b. Vineyard - Isa. 5:1-16; Matt. 21:33-41 c. House of God - 1 Tim. 3:15 d. A temple - 1 Pet. 2:9-11; 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20 e. A royal priesthood - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 f. Assembly - Jas. 2:2; Ps. 111:1 g. Church of God - Acts 20:28 h. Church of Christ - Rom. 16:16 i. Church in the wilderness - Acts 7:38 j. A woman - 2 Cor. 11:2 k. The bride of the Lamb - Rev. 19:7, 8; 22:17; John 3:27, 28 B. WHEN WE JOIN THE CHURCH OF GOD WE ARE CALLED 1. Unto liberty: Gal. 5:13; Matt. 1:21; John 3:35-37 2. To be saints: Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 6:14-17; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Pet. 2:9-14 3. Into the fellowship of Jesus Christ: 1 Cor. 1:9; 1 John 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:11-15; Phil. 3:10; Eph. 3:9 4. To evangelize the world: a. Our commission - Matt. 28:18-20 b. Our message - Rom. 1:16, 17; 1 Cor. 1:23; Rev. 14:6-12 c. We are to preach Present Truth - 2 Pet. 1:12; Rev. 14:6-12 5. When you think of the church: a. You mean the mystical body of Christ - Eph. 1:18-22; 5:26-28 b. The object of heaven's love and the target of Satan and his tools - Rev. 12:17; Eph. 5:24-27 c. It is the population of the new earth in miniature. d. To show forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light - 1 Pet. 2:9-11; Acts 26:18 e. To an inheritance eternal which fadeth not away - Heb. 9:15; 11:14-18; 2 Pet. 3:13 C. THE BIBLE MAKES IT CLEAR THAT 1. The church is the object of God's love and eternal vigilance: Deut. 32:10; Zech. 2:8; Acts 20:28; 2 Cor. 11:28 2. This is a wonderful truth to know as we face the difficulties that lie ahead of the church of God: 3. Christ paid an infinite price when he bought the church with His own blood: Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-33 4. The members of the church are made up of imperfect persons; yet, the Lord is at work among His people; He will cleanse the church and make it perfect: Eph. 5:24-27; 1 Cor. 4:9 5. But we must not forget that: a. The church is also the object of the devil's wrath - Rev. 12:17; 1 Pet. 4:8 b. He seeks to weaken the church by infiltration - with false doctrines and other devices which will immoralize the church - 2 Tim. 4:1-6; Acts 20:14-28 c. He uses nations to take away the liberty of God's people. d. He weakens the church through the carelessness of its members - 2 Tim. 3:1-7 e. He seeks to occupy our talents and means with the cares of life - Luke 21:34-36 6. It is encouraging, however, to know that the church militant will in the end become the church triumphant: a. That is the promise of the Head of the church - Matt. 16:18 b. That is clear from the reading of the book of Revelation - Rev. 19:7, 8; Eph. 5:24-27 ## THE CHURCH, GOD'S PECULIAR TREASURE A. "AND THEY SHALL BE MINE, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, IN THAT DAY WHEN I MAKE UP MY JEWELS; AND I WILL SPARE THEM, AS A MAN SPARETH HIS OWN SON THAT SERVETH HIM." - Mal. 3:17 1. This text offers to us added incentives for wanting to be members of the church of God, God's peculiar treasure: a. God claims the church and its members as His own - "they shall be mine". b. He thinks of the members of the church as His most precious possession - "my jewels". 2. A peculiar treasure: a. That which is stored away for special occasions to put on display is considered a treasure - Luke 12:23; Jas. 5:3 b. What we hold of special value to us and upon which we bestow much love and labor is held in the highest esteem - Matt. 13:46; 1 Chron. 29:3 c. That is true of material things and also of heavenly treasures - Isa. 39:2; Matt. 6:21 B. THE CHURCH, GOD'S PECULIAR TREASURE 1. God's reasons for looking upon the church as His peculiar treasure: a. He ransomed it at an infinite price - John 3:16; Rom. 8:31- 33; Jer. 31:11; Matt. 20:28 b. He actually bought the church with His own blood - Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 6:20 c. He loves the church with an everlasting love - Jer. 31:3 d. He bestows much sacrificial labor upon the church - Eph. 5:24-27 2. It is wonderful to be included in God's peculiar treasure: a. Think of the words of Peter - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 b. It places a great responsibility upon the members of the church - 1 Pet. 2:9-11; 1 Tim. 3:15 C. WHO QUALIFIES FOR GOD'S PECULIAR TREASURE? 1. The Bible shows that persons of sterling character are held in high esteem by the Lord: a. Abraham is called "the friend of God" - 2 Chron. 20:7; Jas. 2:23 b. Enoch was translated that he should not see death - Gen. 5:22-25; Heb. 11:5 c. Daniel was greatly loved by God - Dan. 10:11 d. Paul was a chosen vessel - Acts 9:15 2. Anyone can be among God's peculiar treasures: a. God is not a respecter of persons - "Whosoever will" - Rev. 22:17; Acts 10:34 EXAMPLES - 1) Ruth the Moabitess - Ruth 1:16-17 2) Rahab the harlot - Ps. 87:4 3. What makes the redeemed God's peculiar treasure? a. Essence of rightful ownership - John 17:8-11. Our loving Saviour feels that all for whom He died are his precious own - "they are mine." b. The fact of purchase is still another experience which endears us to the Lord - 1 Cor. 3:19, 20 c. The sense of miraculous achievement is still another reason for attachment. "In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people." - Isa. 28:5. "Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." - Isa. 62:3 4. Think, dear reader, of God's estimate of His people! The restoration of the image of God in our lives - Rom. 8:29; the loyalty and sacrifice of God's children are all contributory factors to our standing before God: Rev. 3:7-11 ## MARKS OF THE TRUE CHURCH A. GOD HAS A VISIBLE AND WELL ORGANIZED BODY OF CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS IN THIS WORLD 1. Our Lord speaks of the sheepfold: John 10:15, 16 2. It has authority to discipline its members; that could not be unless it was fully organized: Matt. 18:15-18; 2 Thess. 3:14 3. It carries a worldwide, missionary program based upon a well- organized program: Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 10:15-17; Acts 15:22-30 B. MARKS OF THE TRUE CHURCH 1. Negatively: a. It cannot be identified by numbers - Matt. 7:13, 14 b. God's people have always been in the minority - Deut. 7:7; Luke 12:32; Zech. 9:16 2. Positively: a. It carries out the gospel commission and lives up to its provision - Matt. 28:18-20; John 3:34 b. Keeps God's commandments, including the fourth - Ex. 20:3- 17; Matt. 5:17-19; Rev. 12:17; 14:12; 1 John 2:4-7 c. It preaches the gospel of restoration, including the restoration of the creation Sabbath - Acts 3:19-21; Isa. 58:1, 12-14; Acts 15:16-18; Isa. 56:1-7 d. It proclaims the Three Angels' Message - Rev. 14:6-12. That is Present Truth - 2 Pet. 1:12 e. Present Truth includes the message of the Judgment Hour; the announcement of the fall of Babylon; and a worldwide warning against the beast, his image, and the number of his name. f. This portion of the message sets the Seventh-day Adventist Movement apart as the true church of God. It is called by the following marks of distinction - 1) A remnant - Rev. 12:17 2) "They that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus" - Rev. 14:12 g. It is here in answer of Bible prophecy - 1) That was true of the Reformation to begin with - Acts 3:19-21; 15:16 2) That is true of the Sabbath Reform Message - Isa. 56:1-7; 58:1, 12-14 3) God's church will ever be known by the proclamation of a chain of prophetic truths as outlined in the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation - Compare Dan. 2; 7; 8 with Rev. 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 18 C. WE MUST EVER KEEP IN MIND 1. That God's people are different, peculiar; it is because the message makes them peculiar: Tit. 2:14; Rom. 12:1-3 2. They are not, however, fanatical, but are guided by moderation in their daily life: Phil. 4:8; their lives are ordered in the light of the seriousness of the time we live in, the judgment hour - Rom. 13:11-14; Eph. 5:17, 18; Rev. 14:6-8 3. Imperfections still are found among God's remnant people: Rev. 3:14-20; it should be noted, however, that God does not find fault with His remnant people in what they teach, but rather with their lukewarm condition. 4. It is encouraging to know that God will continue the work of sanctification among His people until they will have reached the ideal He has set for them: Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 14:5, 6; 19:7, 8 5. A very important mark of the true church is: a. That it believes and teaches that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the only infallible rule of our faith and practice - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Luke 24:25-28 b. That Jesus Christ is the only hope for salvation, past, present, and future. To Him point the sixty-six books of the Bible - John 5:39, 46-48 c. That salvation is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord - Acts 4:12 ## THE CHURCH AND THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM A. A PRAYERFUL STUDY OF THE BIBLE WILL BRING TO LIGHT THAT THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM 1. Rome claims that the keys of the kingdom belong to the Pope: 2. Appeal is made to Matthew: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven" - Matt. 16:18, 19 3. When we compare Matt. 16:18, 19 with John 20:23, we learn that the same powers were bestowed upon all the apostles: We conclude, therefore, that the Lord has bestowed upon His church the powers to loosen and to bind persons. B. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM 1. Bible use of "the keys": a. A key, as used in relationship to the kingdom of God, is a symbol of power - Rev. 3:7; 9:1; 20:1-5 b. It symbolizes knowledge of the kingdom - Luke 11:53; Matt. 19:11; Luke 12:48; John 3:27; 19:11; Mark 4:11 2. Upon the knowledge of this truth rests the hope of eternal life: John 17:1-3 a. The fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God opens heaven and binds every believer to God and His promises - Rom. 8:31-33; John 10:1-9; 17:1-26 b. Paul, that great preacher, placed all past, present, and the future upon knowing the Lord Jesus Christ - Phil. 3:10 c. Knowledge, based upon the Word of God, is power, the power or keys of the kingdom - EXAMPLES - 1) Stephen had this power - Acts 6:7 2) Paul had the same power - Acts 9:22 3) Apollos had this power - Acts 18:24 d. The binding and the loosening power rest in the Word of God and not in flesh - Heb. 4:12; Jer. 23:29 e. Authority to preach the Word constitutes the keys of the kingdom - Matt. 10:1-18 C. WE NOTE FURTHER 1. That God never intended to vest the powers of the kingdom in the flesh: a. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit." - John 3:6 b. "All flesh is as green grass" - Isa. 40:5, 6; 1 Pet. 1:24 c. "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" - 1 Cor. 15:50 d. That one human being should lord it over another - Matt. 10:42; Luke 22:25; 1 Pet. 5:3 2. It is wonderful to know: a. That the keys of the kingdom come from the knowledge of the Word of God - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Heb. 4:12 b. That men are in possession of the keys of the kingdom so long as they abide by the plain Word of God - 2 John 9 c. The binding and the loosening powers of the kingdom are a part of the Gospel Commission to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ - Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 1:16; Gal. 1:8, 9 d. To the penitent sinner the Word offers complete freedom from the power of sin - John 8:31-36; Acts 26:18; Isa. 61:1 e. But to the hardened sinner, the Word of God spells eternal doom - Matt. 25:31-39; 2 Thess. 1:7-9 3. The keys of the kingdom belong, in a real sense, to all God's children: a. They constitute the royal priesthood to bring blessings to all the world - 1 Pet. 2:9-11; Rom. 7:7; Matt. 7:13 b. They are a savor of life unto life, and a savor of death unto death - 2 Cor. 2:14-16 c. They are the salt of the earth and the light of the world - Matt. 5:13-16 d. It is wonderful to be entrusted with the keys of the kingdom; let us use them wisely and to the glory of God as well as the saving of souls. ## THE CHURCH AND SALVATION A. MUST A PERSON BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH TO BE A CHRISTIAN OR TO BE SAVED? 1. An ever present question during forty years of public evangelism: 2. Many people have an apathy toward the church. To them the church is just another human organization which, at times, exists for exploitation: 3. There are some thought provoking reasons for a hostile attitude by some toward the church: a. Carelessness of some professed members of the church - their light has gone out. b. Lack of correct information about the church is still another reason for the opposition of some people to the church. B. MUST A PERSON BE A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH TO BE A CHRISTIAN OR TO BE SAVED? THE BIBLE HAS THE CORRECT ANSWER 1. The book of Acts gives us some very enlightening information on our relationship to the church: a. In Acts 2:47 we read, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." b. If we had no other information on the subject before us, this text would be sufficient to answer our question in the affirmative. c. God would not add people to the church to be saved if He had another way to save them! John 10:1-7 d. The big reason for being added to the church is to be added unto the Lord - Acts 5:14. So to be added to the church is the same as being added to the Lord. 2. Christ and the church: a. His attitude toward the church - 1) He loves the church - Eph. 5:25 b. He gave himself for it - Eph. 5:25 1) He says, "I am married unto you" - Jer. 3:14; Rev. 19:7, 8; 1 Cor. 11:1-4 c. He is the builder of the church - Matt. 16:18 d. He is the Head of the church - Eph. 1:22; 4:15 C. PLACE OF THE CHURCH IN THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION 1. This is a very important point in the consideration of our subject: a. The church is God's way of sheltering His people against the enemies of the church. b. Christ speaks of it as "a sheepfold" - John 10:15, 16 c. The church is God's depository of His truth - 1 Tim. 3:15; Rom. 1:16; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 d. Paul calls the church, "the pillar and ground of truth" - 1 Tim. 3:15 2. The importance of the church is indicated further by: a. The gospel ordinances pointing into the church - 1) Baptism - 1 Cor. 12:13 2) Feetwashing - John 13:1-17 3) The Lord's Supper - 1 Cor. 10:15, 16; 11:22-28 4) Prayer for the sick - Jas. 5:14-16 b. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are in the church - 1 Cor. 12:1-28; Eph. 4:11-18 c. Paul compares the church and its members to the human body, which is a very important truth to consider - 1 Cor. 12:17- 25; Eph. 4:16 3. Must a person be a member of the church to be a Christian or to be saved? a. God says "yes" - Acts 2:46, 47 b. Christ says "Must" - John 10:15, 16 4. Christ is the Head of the church; how then could we be connected with Christ and not with His mystical body? 5. The church of God has been entrusted with the gospel of Jesus Christ to save our souls; how then can we accept the gospel and yet refuse to be members of the church? 6. What would our lives be like or what would the world be like if it were not for the church of God? 7. It is an honor to be a member of the church, the finest group of people in this sinful world. ## THE CHURCH MILITANT A. "AND I WILL PUT ENMITY BETWEEN THEE AND THE WOMAN, AND BETWEEN THY SEED AND HER SEED; IT SHALL BRUISE THY HEAD AND THOU SHALT BRUISE HIS HEAL." - Gen. 3:15 1. With these prophetic words: a. The Lord declares the continuation of the war begun by Lucifer in heaven - Rev. 12:7, 8 b. Bible prophecy shows that this war between light and darkness, between Christ and Satan, will reach its climax shortly before the second coming of Jesus Christ - Compare Dan. 12:1 with Rev. 12:17 2. The woman of our opening text symbolizes the church of God: 2 Cor. 11:1-3 3. This woman, the church of God militant, is viewed in Rev. 12: B. THE CHURCH OF GOD WILL BE MILITANT SO LONG AS SATAN AND HIS AGENTS SEEK TO DESTROY THE CHURCH 1. The Bible pictures the church: a. As an army arrayed in armor with banners - Song of Solomon 6:4, 10 b. Every member of the church is a soldier of Jesus Christ - 2 Tim. 2:3, 4 2. Jesus Christ, the Head of the church, is the mighty, undefeated Captain of the host of God: a. It was He who appeared to Joshua - Josh. 5:13-15 b. He, the Bible says, is mighty in battle - Ps. 24:8 c. He defeated Lucifer in heaven - Rev. 12:7, 8; and He defeated him in the days of his flesh - Matt. 4:1-9; Luke 4:1-11 3. The church of the living God is engaged in a life and death struggle with the forces of darkness: a. That has been true in all ages. b. It will be true in the closing days of earth's sorrowful history. c. Satan, knowing that he has lost the conflict, will declare war against God's remnant people - Rev. 12:17 d. When that takes place, the scene seen by Daniel will be fulfilled - Dan. 12:1 C. NATURE AND OUTCOME OF THE CONFLICT OF THE CHURCH OF GOD 1. Nature of the conflict: a. The battle of the church is directed against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places - Eph. 6:12 b. It is directed against false systems of doctrines which fill the very atmosphere. c. Writes Paul: "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" - 2 Cor. 10:3-5 2. The weapons of the church are, as Paul says, not carnal, but spiritual: 3. The armor of the saints consists of: a. Truth b. The gospel of peace c. The shield of faith d. The helmet of salvation e. The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God - Heb. 4:12; Eph. 6:14-18 f. That is the weapon the Lord used to defeat Satan - Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-9 4. Let us take a closer look at the church militant: a. Are its members wide awake and ready to give battle to the enemy of our soul? Rom. 13:11-14 b. Or are God's people, by and large, entangled in the cares of this life to a point of indifference to the great conflict that is near at hand - Rev. 3:14-17 c. Will many of us fall victims to our own negligence and indifference? d. Or shall we heed the admonition in Isa. 6:1, 2, "Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people." ## THE CHURCH OF GOD TRIUMPHANT A. "WHO IS SHE THAT LOOKETH FORTH AS THE MORNING, FAIR AS THE MOON, CLEAR AS THE SUN, AND TERRIBLE AS AN ARMY WITH BANNERS?" 1. Solomon, one of the wisest persons ever living, was, at times, under the influence of the Holy Spirit: a. To portray great truths, think of the many proverbs he wrote! b. He had great knowledge of the ways of men and of nature itself. c. He knew the power of a well-trained, disciplined, and a well-directed army. 2. Our text makes a comparison between a well-disciplined army and the church of God: a. "Fair as the morning" b. "Clear as the sun" c. "Terrible as an army with banners" B. NATURE AND MOVEMENT OF 1. The appearance of the morning: a. Scientists tell us that the breaking forth of the morning is caused by the rays of the sun. b. Small particles of dust reflect the light of the sun. c. The clearer the sky, the brighter is the appearance of the morning. 2. Fair as the moon: a. The moon was to rule the night - Gen. 1:16 b. The moonlight lights the pathway of night travelers and influences the seas as well as the plant life. 3. Clear as the sun: a. The light of the sun covers the planet Earth. b. It creates energy in the atmosphere and warms the plant life, all animal life, as well as mankind. c. Its light is so powerful that if it were concentrated upon a given area it would dissolve every other element. 4. An army with banners: a. Well-trained and disciplined, and well equipped for battle. b. A force to be reckoned with in battle. c. It is an army that goes forth to conquer. C. SO IS THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD 1. It breaks forth like the morning; a. The light of the gospel of Christ is reflected in the lives of its members - Matt. 5:14-16; Phil. 2:15 b. It is the light of the morning star that shines so brightly - 2 Pet. 1:19 2. Fair as the moon: a. The moon borrows its light from the sun; so the church of God receives its light from Jesus Christ, the light of the world - John 1:4, 5; 8:12 3. Clear as the sun: a. Christ is the Sun of Righteousness which lighteth the life of all men; it has healing power - Mal. 4:2 b. The church of God is the bearer of this heavenly light - Isa. 60:1; Matt. 5:14-16 4. Like an army with banners: a. Under the leadership of Jesus Christ, the mighty Captain - Josh. 5:14; Heb. 2:10 b. Equipping the saints with the armor of God - Eph. 6:11-17 c. Going forth to conquer - Rev. 6:2 d. Its banners: "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" - Jer. 23:6 e. But the thought of an army going into battle is indicative of - 1) Warfare, conflict, sacrifice - Rev. 12:17; Dan. 12:1 2) Of enemies that seek to destroy God's people - 1 Pet. 4:8; Rev. 12:17 3) But victory for God's people is assured - 1 Cor. 15:58; 2 Cor. 4:4-8 ## THE CHURCH BUILT UPON PETER A. CLAIMS OF ROME 1. The "divine" succession of the Popes: 2. Peter "the rock" upon which Christ built His church: Matt. 16:18 3. The Pope, the "chief Shepherd" of the faithful: B. WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES ABOUT THE ROCK UPON WHICH THE CHURCH IS FOUNDED 1. Christ, and Christ alone, is the Rock upon which the church of the living God is built: a. "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Christ Jesus." - 1 Cor. 3:11 b. "Ascribe ye greatness unto our God, He is the Rock." - Deut. 32:3, 4 c. Some professed Christians esteem our Rock lightly - Deut. 32:15-18 2. David declares, "The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust . . . my tower, and my refuge, my Saviour": 2 Sam. 22:3, 4 a. He could speak from experience because he was a man of war, and also because Saul sought to destroy him. b. That is true also of the church of God; Satan has sought to destroy it, but in vain - Matt. 16:18, 19 3. We have our Lord's own testimony: a. He is the chief cornerstone, rejected by the builders - Matt. 21:42 b. His words find confirmation in Ps. 118:2, "The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner." 4. The apostles confirm our Lord's testimony: a. Paul refers us to this stone - 1 Cor. 3:11, 12; 10:4 b. Peter, too, speaks about the chief cornerstone - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 c. The Bible, as a unit, speaks of Christ as the Rock of the ages upon whom alone the church of the living God rests its hope. C. THE CLAIMS OF ROME, THAT PETER IS THE ROCK UPON WHICH CHRIST BUILT HIS CHURCH, ARE NOT TRUE 1. Peter was not the first Pope at all: a. Titles claimed by the Popes are forbidden by our Lord - Matt. 23:8-12; 2 Thess. 2:6-8 b. Authority claimed by the Popes was rejected by Peter - 1 Pet. 5:1-4 c. James, and not Peter, presided at the first General Conference - Acts 15:13-19 2. Plain Bible warnings against building upon human beings: a. Said the Psalmist, "Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity." Ps. 62:9 b. The prophet Jeremiah utters the same strong words against placing our trust in man - Jer. 17:5, 6 c. When it comes to real need, there is no help in man - Ps. 146:3, 4 3. Making men the foundation of religious systems has been the curse of the ages: a. Moses and the Jews! The Jews rejected the Son of God, claiming that Moses was their guide - John 8:33-44; 9:28 b. Buddha and Buddhism is still another example of the curse of man's trusting in flesh. c. The world is full of "isms" which enslave it because men will blindly follow them - Jer. 3:12-14 4. Peter's defects, exposed by Paul, should be conclusive evidence against the claims of Rome: a. He did not stand the test at our Lord's trial - Mark 14:66 b. Even after the Pentecostal experience, Peter showed some real weakness - Gal. 2:11-14 ## THE CHURCH HAS ONE FOUNDATION A. A FOUNDATION 1. That upon which something rests: Isa. 14:32; 28:16 2. Christ is the only foundation of the church: a. He is the foundation of the gospel - Rom. 1:16; Acts 4:12; Col. 1:27 b. He is the only foundation of the church - Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 3:11; 1 Pet. 2:8-11; 1 Cor. 10:4; 1 Pet. 1:3 B. THE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTER OF THIS FOUNDATION 1. It is distinguished for its strength: a. This factor is of prime importance in the construction of a building - Matt. 7:24-27 b. If the foundation is weak, the safety of the building is endangered - Ps. 11:3; 82:5 c. Christ is a strong tower to all who place their hope in Him - Ps. 20:1; Prov. 18:10 d. His word is strong - Matt. 24:35 e. His character is strong - Heb. 13:8 f. His power is unlimited - Matt. 28:18; Isa. 9:6 2. For suitability: a. Acceptable to the Father - Matt. 3:17; 17:5 b. His sacrifice is sufficient to save to the uttermost - Heb. 2:14-17; Matt. 1:21; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:26 3. For its perpetuity: a. It is not affected by the change of time - Heb. 1:10-12; 13:8 b. It is always the same - Heb. 13:8; Mal. 3:6; Heb. 6:18-20 c. It has been wisely chosen and laid by our heavenly Father, who does all things well. It simply is wonderful to build upon that foundation "for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" our Lord - 1 Cor. 3:11 C. THE FOLLY AND IMPIETY TO LAY ANOTHER FOUNDATION 1. When we build upon the dictate of our unsanctified and uninformed conscience: a. "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool." - Prov. 28:26 b. "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." - Prov. 16:25 2. By relying upon our own goodness: a. Think of the Pharisees - Luke 18:10-12 b. Consider the false assertion by some misguided Christians - Matt. 7:22; Rev. 3:14-16 3. Let us keep in mind the sufficiency of the foundation laid by the wise Master Builder: a. He is able to save to the uttermost - Heb. 7:22-27 EXAMPLES - 1) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 2) The woman of Samaria - John 4:1-29 3) The woman caught in adultery - John 8:1-12 b. Let us consider Paul's testimony - 1 Tim. 1:15 4. This foundation was laid by God the Father and is for that reason sufficient to give the building of our faith eternal security: a. That is what the Bible says - Isa. 28:16 b. That is what our blessed Lord said - Matt. 16:18 c. That is what the Spirit of God says - Rev. 22:17 5. Let us be careful how we build upon that foundation as members of the church of God: a. Let us build in deeds and not in words only - Matt. 7:26-29; Jas. 1:22, 23 b. Let us heed the words of Paul in 1 Cor. 3:11-15 c. A life that is built upon the Word of God cannot be overthrown by any power set against it - Rom. 8:31-33 d. We have many examples in the Bible that show how dependable the Word of God is, and how enduring the faith is of all who build upon God's Word. ## THE KEY OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID - ISAIAH 22:22 A. "AND THE KEY OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID WILL I LAY UPON HIS SHOULDER; SO HE SHALL OPEN, AND NONE SHALL SHUT; AND HE SHALL SHUT, AND NONE SHALL OPEN." 1. These prophetic promises apply to Eliakin, the son of Hilkiah, mentioned in 2 Ki. 18:18: 2. But the above prophecy has a broader application -- it has reference to the Son of David, according to the flesh: B. IN CONSIDERING THE WORDS OF OUR OPENING TEXT IN ITS BROADER SIGNIFICATION, I LIKE TO THINK OF 1. The house of David signifying the church of the living God: a. Christ is called the Son of David - Matt. 21:9, 15; 22:42 b. He is, according to the flesh, the seed of David - John 7:42; Luke 20:41; Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8 c. He will sit on the throne of David - Luke 1:32 2. Prophetic utterances seem to indicate that the house of David and the church of God are synonymous: a. The opening of a foundation against all uncleanness - Zech. 13:1 b. The pouring out of the Spirit of grace upon the house of David - Zech. 12:10 c. Raise up an horn of salvation to the house of David - Luke 1:68-70 3. Purpose of a house: a. It is a shelter against enemies of God's children - John 10:15, 16 b. A depository of the spiritual gifts - 1 Tim. 3:15; Mal. 3:8 c. Center of spiritual fellowship - 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 1:3; Heb. 10:22-28 d. Residence of the Godhead - Jer. 51:1; Rev. 1:13 C. THE KEY TO THE HOUSE OF DAVID OR THE CHURCH 1. Christ holds that key: a. He is the head of the church - Eph. 1:21; 4:15; Col. 1:18 b. He is the Saviour of his body--the church - Eph. 5:23 c. He bought the church with his own blood - Acts 20:28 2. The key to the house of David symbolizes power and authority over the church of God: a. Christ has the keys to the kingdom of God - John 14:6 b. He is the way, the life, and the truth - John 14:6 3. He holds the key to the heart and the life of his children. 1 Cor. 6:19 4. He is the door to the church of God: John 10:1-16 5. He holds the key to life and immortality: John 6:53-57; 1 John 5:10-12 6. He has now the key to the grave to set its captives free whenever he will: John 11:25-44 7. How wonderful it is to know that our blessed Lord holds the key to our relationship to our heavenly Father; and that when He opens the door of mercy no man can shut it! ## CHURCH STANDARDS A. "GO THROUGH, GO THROUGH THE GATES; PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE PEOPLE; CAST UP, CAST UP THE HIGH WAY; GATHER OUT THE STONES; LIFT UP A STANDARD FOR THE PEOPLE." - Isa. 62:10 1. This admonition, to lift up the standard for the people, indicates plainly: a. That the standard has been lowered, or cast down. b. There would be no need to set up a standard, if it were still in its place. 2. This text indicates further: a. That the church of God must raise up the standard for the people to rally to in time of danger. b. The flag or banner of an army is a must to hold up in time of battle. c. To keep the enemy from taking the flag, strong men are given charge to protect it by all means. d. The absence of the banner creates chaos and confusion. B. OUR TEXT MAKES IT CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT THE CHURCH MUST HOLD HIGH THE STANDARD IT PROFESSES TO BELIEVE 1. "Lift up a standard for the people": a. A standard is a rule to guide the believers in thought, word, and action. b. Paul indicates his concept of the standards of the church in his Epistle to the Philippians - Phil. 4:8 c. It is a rule of faith which is the common denominator for our conduct. 2. The Bible and the Bible only is the God provided standard to guide our lives: a. That includes the sixty-six books of the Bible - 2 Tim. 3:15-17 b. It includes the Ten Commandments - Ex. 20:3-17; Matt. 19:16- 20; Eccl. 12:13, 14 c. Our Lord appealed to the scriptures and the Ten Commandments for the affirmation of his doctrine - John 5:39, 46, 47; Luke 12:25, 26; Matt. 19:16-24; 22:34-38 d. That is the standard of the Seventh-day Adventists - Isa. 8:20; Rev. 12:17; 14:12 e. This Bible standard has been set aside by the nominal Christian world; it was substituted with the doctrines and commandments of men - 2 Tim. 4:1-6; Mark 7:7-13; Isa. 29:13 f. The very object of the Reformation is - 1) To restore the old landmarks of truths to God's people - Acts 3:19-21; 15:17, 18 2) The Sabbath is one of these old landmarks to be restored to God's people - Isa. 56:1-7; 58:1, 12-14 C. "LIFT UP THE STANDARD" 1. This is a call for prayerful self-examination by God's people, the church: a. To search our hearts and lives to determine whether we are standing in the faith once delivered to the saints - 2 Cor. 13:5 b. Have we lowered the standard in our every day life, at home, and in our business transactions? Does the world still recognize us as a peculiar people? Tit. 2:9-14 c. Do we still hold to the distinctive truths that have made us a peculiar people in this world? Ex. 19:5; Tit. 2:11-14 2. "Lift up the standard": That invites us to search our hearts with much prayer and sincerity. a. That begins in my own heart and in my own home - Job 1:1-3; Josh. 24:15 b. It has its roots in family worship - Jer. 10:25; Josh. 24:15 c. It finds the source of its strength in the daily study of the Bible - Acts 17:11-14; John 5:39; Matt. 22:29 d. It expresses itself in Christian modesty - Phil. 4:5 e. Holding up the standard of truth does not mean that one must be fanatical or an extremist, no! But rather to live the truths we preach to others. f. Let our light shine so that men may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. ## "EXCEPT THESE ABIDE IN THE SHIP YE CANNOT BE SAVED" - ACTS 27:30, 31 A. SETTING OF OUR TEXT 1. Paul's voyage to Rome was beset with many dangers: 2. Attempts of the shipmen to abandon the ship to the raging seas caused Paul to warn the captain against such a risk: Acts 27:30, 31 B. THE BURDEN OF THIS MESSAGE 1. Humanity finds itself in mortal danger: a. Nations are being shaken by internal unrest - Luke 21:25, 26 b. The development of the H-Bomb and other weapons of annihilation make our present age a nightmare. c. Morality in society is at the lowest of this corrupt age - 2 Tim. 3:1-9 2. The church of the living God is the only lifeboat seaworthy: a. The devil knows this; that is why he is making war against God's people - Rev. 12:12, 17; 1 Pet. 5:8, 9 b. Do we realize that the church is, as Noah's ark was, God's place of refuge for His people? John 10:15, 16 c. The church is to us what the cities of refuge were to ancient Israel - Compare Num. 35:3, 15 with Josh. 20:7, 8 d. Think dear reader, what happens to the misguided souls that leave the sheepfold as Judas did - John 13:30; Matt. 27:1-5 3. The importance of the church is illustrated in a number of our Lord's parables: a. The parable of the prodigal son - Luke 15:11-32 b. The lost coin - verses 8, 9 c. The vineyard - Matt. 21:33-43 d. A watered garden - Isa. 58:11 4. Too many people do not realize that the church of God is, as it were, the apple of the eye of the Lord: Deut. 32:10; Zech. 2:8; Lam. 2:18 C. COMPELLING REASONS FOR STAYING IN THE CHURCH 1. God, in Christ, is the author of the church; He is its builder: Matt. 16:18; Heb. 12:2; Matt. 21:33-43 2. Christ bought the church with His own blood: Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20 3. Christ, according to Paul, is the Head of the church, His body: Col. 1:18; 2:19; Eph. 1:22; 4:15 4. It is utterly impossible for one to be connected with Christ and yet not be a member of His body, the church: Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 12:1-28 5. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are in, and not outside, of the church: 1 Cor. 12:1-28; Eph. 4:11-16 6. All the gospel ordinances point into the church: a. Water baptism - 1 Cor. 12:13 b. Feetwashing - John 13:1-17 c. The Lord's Supper - 1 Cor. 10:15, 16; 11:23-28 d. Prayer for the sick - Jas. 5:15, 16 7. When Christ comes, He comes to receive the bride of the Lamb, the church: Rev. 19:7, 8; Heb. 12:22-28 8. That being true, what will happen to the people that leave the church? Matt. 25:31-43 9. All heaven is interested in the church, and the inhabitants will have a big welcome reception for the redeemed: Ps. 24:1-10 10. Friends of mine, if you are tempted to leave the church of the living God, please stop and think! Did the prodigal son benefit by leaving his father's house? Luke 15:11-32; did Judas gain anything when he left the small group of followers of our Lord? What can you gain if you stay in the house of the church, the temple of God? It is a wonderful privilege to be associated with a group of people that are bound for the kingdom of God. ## UNUSUAL ENEMIES OF THE CHURCH A. "FOR MANY WALK, OF WHOM I HAVE TOLD OFTEN, AND NOW TELL YOU EVEN WEEPING, THAT THEY ARE THE ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST." - Phil. 3:18 1. These words, dear friends, contain facts worthy of our prayerful consideration: a. Paul wrote while he wept. b. There were times in his ministry when he was excited, but we have no record that he wept during such incidents. 2. That great preacher, who possessed unusual powers to recognize the deadly dangers facing the church of God: a. Saw that Satan has succeeded to leaven the church with sinful characters, enemies of the cross of Christ. b. He knew of the harm those enemies would do to the cause of truth. c. It is this knowledge that causes him to weep - 2 Cor. 11:28 B. UNUSUAL ENEMIES OF THE CHURCH 1. We know from history and from the study of Bible prophecy: a. That the church of God has, like its Head, enemies - Gen. 3:15; Rev. 12:17 b. It began in the home - Gen. 4:8 c. Such murders were common among God's people - Matt. 23:31, 35 2. But what gives cause for alarm is: a. That these enemies are in the church - Matt. 25:31-36; Acts 20:28-33 b. They have the confidence of the brethren; that was Paul's bitterest experience -- false brethren - 2 Cor. 11:13 c. They are hard to detect - Matt. 7:15; 2 Cor. 11:13, 14 d. They plant the seed of discord and do great harm to the cause of God - Acts 20:29, 30 e. It is terrifying to think that wolves, in sheep's clothing, get in among the members of the church - Mark 12:38 f. When we think of these unusual enemies, we have reason to be deeply concerned for the safety of God's people. C. IN WHAT WAY ARE THEY THE ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST? 1. They bring reproach to the cross of Christ: a. By professing Christianity, yet with their works they deny the truth - 1 Tim. 5:8 b. They induce other members to be careless in their association with the world - 2 Cor. 6:14-17 c. They bring in division and discord to weaken the church - Rom. 16:17; 1 Cor. 3:3 d. They discredit the leaders, destroy the confidence in the brethren - Num. 16:1-32 2. The real sorrow is brought to the Lord and His people because: a. Such enemies are not detected before they have done great damage. b. Also, because the church does not live close enough to the Lord so that He can give them the needed warning before the damage has been done. c. Many of God's children are soundly asleep - Matt. 25:1-12; 2 Cor. 11:22-34 3. Seven specific marks of the enemies of the cross of Christ: a. Hypocrisy - Putting on a false front; hard to detect - Isa. 32:6; Matt. 23:28; Job 15:35 b. Teaching false doctrines - 1 Tim. 4:1-8; Rev. 2:20 c. Living in sin -- 2 Tim. 3:1-7 -- what a sad story about God's people. d. Dishonesty in business. e. Not having the Spirit of Christ. f. Causing discord among the brethren. g. Rebels against the church standards. Beware of these enemies of the cross! Do not give them room for one moment, but put them on notice that you will not have their fellowship. ## CHURCH HYPOCRITES A. WHY THIS SUBJECT? 1. Love the church of God: Isa. 62:1, 6 2. Hypocrites are the most dangerous enemies of the church: a. Think of Judas using the symbol of love to betray Christ, the Head of the church! Luke 22:23 3. The kiss was a twofold sign: a. A sign of reverence and subjection to a superior - 1 Sam. 20:41 b. Of love and affection - Gen. 27:26, 27; 1 Sam. 20:41 - "the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" - Prov. 27:6 4. A catalogue of hypocritical sins which plague the church: 2 Tim. 3:1-6 B. WHO ARE HYPOCRITES IN THE CHURCH? 1. They who pose as the true representatives of Christ and are not: a. The Pharisees - Luke 18:11, 12 b. The liars - Acts 5:1-6; 1 Sam. 15:14, 15 c. The worldlings - 2 Tim. 3:1-5 d. The faultfinders - Matt. 7:1-3 e. All who honor God with their lips, but deny him with their actions - Isa. 29:13 2. They are the real enemies of the church: a. They use their religious connections for the purpose of misleading - EXAMPLES - 1) The prophets in Israel - 1 Ki. 13:18 2) Balaam is a typical example - Num. 25:1-6 3) Ananias is still another example - Acts 5:1-4 4) Simon - Acts 8:18-23 b. They weaken the church by giving the world an unfavorable impression of the church - Prov. 14:34; 2 Sam. 12:14 c. Satan uses the hypocrites in the church to bring a reproach upon the cause of truth, and also to weaken the faith of some believers that associate with them. d. Beware of hypocrisy, it is deadly to the spiritual life of any believers. C. NOT ALL CHURCH MEMBERS ARE, AS THE WORLD CHARGES, HYPOCRITES 1. There is plenty of unspoiled salt in the church of God: EXAMPLES - a. Simeon - Luke 2:25-32 b. Anna, a prophetess - verses 36-38 c. Zacharias and Elizabeth - Luke 1:6 d. Joseph - Gen. 39:1-12 e. Daniel and his friends - Dan. 2; 3; 6 2. The citizens of the kingdom are still the salt of the earth and the light of the world: 3. Only God knows the true motive of human beings: 4. One reason why the hypocrites in the church stand out as a sore thumb is because of the high standard of the church; whereas the world has, in most instances, no standard at all: 5. Another reason why church hypocrites are easily seen in the church is because they are exposed by the light of truth: 6. Another factor for the exposure of the hypocrites in the church is because of the claims of God's people: 7. Time will come, and we are glad for it, when all hypocrites in the church will forsake the church. God's people will be free from the hypocrisy of Phariseeism: 8. Let us hope and pray that none of us, unwittingly, allows himself to play the role of a hypocrite: 9. Satan knows when we are sincere and also when we attempt to lead a double life. He knew the weakness of Judas, of Saul, and many other victims of his devises: 10. We shall do well to pray, as the Psalmist did, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts." - Ps. 139:23 11. We know what God thinks of religious hypocrisy: Matt. 7:1-5; Luke 18:10-14; Job 27:8; Matt. 24:51 ## WHY I AM A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST - ACTS 24:14; 1 PETER 3:15 A. THIS IS A BRIEF STATEMENT OF A SUMMATION OF MY FAITH 1. I am not a Seventh-day Adventist because: a. I was brought up in the Lutheran faith. b. I do not feel that I am better than people of a different persuasion. 2. My persuasion in being a Seventh-day Adventist is based upon: a. The conviction that the teaching of the Adventist church is Biblical all the way. b. That it is my duty, under God, to order my life in harmony with all the Bible. B. SEVEN SPECIFIC REASONS FOR MY PERSUASION THAT THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH TEACHES THE TRUTH 1. Our Name: a. Expresses a dual relationship between the soon coming of Jesus Christ and the loyalty of God's people preparing that blessed hope. b. We observe the seventh and last day of the week, the Lord's day - Compare Gen. 2:2, 3 with Ex. 20:8-11; Matt. 5:17-19; Luke 16:17; Isa. 56:1-7; 58:12-14; Rev. 1:10 2. Our Creed: a. If you mean a set of man made rules, we have none. b. The Bible alone is our Creed - 1) We reject all the so-called "holy traditions" of men - Mark 7:7-13; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; 2 Tim. 4:1-6; Isa. 29:13 2) We accept the sixty-six books of the Bible as our supreme authority - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Luke 24:25-28; Acts 24:14; John 7:37-39 3. We are here in answer to Bible prophecy: a. The great apostasy ushering in the dark ages - Acts 20:28- 31; 2 Thess. 2:1-11; 2 Tim. 4:1-6 b. The Reformation or Restitution of all Bible truths foretold, including the Sabbath - Acts 3:19-21; Isa. 56:1-8; 58:1, 12-14 c. The proclamation of the Three Angels' Message ushers in the final face of the Reformation - Rev. 14:6-12 4. Our Platform: a. The Four Square Gospel - 1) Saved by grace - Rom. 11:5, 6; Eph. 2:7, 8; Tit. 2:11 2) Through the blood of Jesus - 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; Rom. 5:9; 1 John 1:7-9; Rom. 3:25; Rev. 1:5 3) Through faith in Jesus Christ - Rom. 5:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 11:4, 6; Rom. 10:17 4) By the works which are the fruit of faith in Christ - Jas. 2:24-26; Matt. 7:8-23, 26 b. The gospel ordinances, a memorial of the great work of the atonement by Christ - 1) Water Baptism by immersion - Matt. 16:15, 16; 28:18- 20; Rom. 6:1-7; 1 Pet. 3:21; John 3:23 2) Feetwashing - John 13:1-17; 1 Tim. 5:10 3) The Lord's Supper - Matt. 26:26-28; 1 Cor. 10:15, 16; 11:22-29 4) Prayer for the sick - Jas. 5:14-17 5. Our Standards: a. We believe that the effect of faith in Jesus is threefold - 1) It will cleanse our heart. 2) It will cleanse our body. 3) It will cleanse our moral nature - Compare 1 Thess. 5:23 with Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:1-3; 1 Cor. 13; Gal. 5:16-24 6. We believe in complete separation of Church and State: Matt. 22:21 a. The State has its function in the civil relationship of its citizens. b. The church's mission is to bring the gospel to all men, not bound by national boundaries - Matt. 28:18-20 7. Our Hope: a. Centers in the second coming of Jesus Christ our Lord - Tit. 2:13; John 14:1-3; Jas. 5:8 b. This hope is laid out to us in a chain of prophetic forecasts as found in Dan. 2; 7; 8; and the book of Revelation. Also in the great prophecy of our Lord in Matt. 24 c. We, with all saints, look forward to a new heaven and a new earth which will consummate all God's promises to the saints in glory - 2 Pet. 3:12, 13; Isa. 65:15-17; 66:22-23; Rev. 2:22 ## PUBLIC WORSHIP - HEBREWS 10:35 A. "AND NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES TOGETHER, AS THE MANNER OF SOME IS, BUT EXHORT ONE ANOTHER, AND SO MUCH THE MORE, AS YE SEE THE DAY APPROACHING." 1. This admonition by Paul is timely and in accord with: a. Ancient practice among God's people - Read carefully Lev. 23:1-38; Ps. 89:7; 107:32; 111:1 b. The Patriarchs built altars wherever they pitched their tents - Gen. 8:20; 12:7; 22:9; 35:1 2. Public worship is practiced by most all religionists all over the world: Acts 17:23 B. LET US CONSIDER PUBLIC WORSHIP IN THE LIGHT OF OUR OPENING TEXT 1. New Testament examples: a. Christ attended public worship. It was His custom to meet with the people in public worship - Luke 4:16 b. The disciples of Christ attended public worship - Acts 3:1- 9; 16:13; 17:1-9 c. Not to attend is contrary to the Lord's counsel - Heb. 10:26 2. Here are a few important reasons for public worship: a. On Christ's account. He made a promise, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." - Matt. 18:20 b. On the church's account. The church is called "assembly" - Jas. 2:2; Heb. 12:23 1) It is in the assembly of the church where the spiritual gifts are manifested. 1 Cor. 12:1-28; Eph. 4:11, 12 2) It is in the assembly of the church where communion is served - 1 Cor. 11:23-34 3) But we ought to attend the church services for our own sakes, which is foremost. We are in need of the blessings waiting for us at the church. 3. Specific reasons for attending public worship: a. "Exhorting one another" - Heb. 3:13. To exhort is to encourage each other in the Lord - 1 Pet. 5:1 b. Exhortation takes place in public gatherings - 1 Cor. 11:20 c. This exhortation should be to watchfulness and prayerful vigilance - Matt. 24:42-44; 1 Pet. 5:8; to courage and perseverance - Matt. 24:12, 14; Rev. 2:10 C. A POWERFUL MOTIVE: "AS YOU SEE THE DAY APPROACHING" 1. Paul must have thought of the trials and persecution that the early Christians were facing: a. We face similar conditions approaching indicative of the last days - Rev. 12:17; Heb. 11:36-40; Acts 8:1-4 b. It seems to me that Paul had S.D.A.'s in mind when he admonishes the believers to meet together and exhort one another because we do know that we are nearing the time of persecution - the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. 2. We have four specific fulfillments of Bible prophecy to show that the end is near at hand: a. Rev. 13:11-17 -- development in the U.S.A.; the emergence of the papacy; and the leaning of nominal protestantism toward Rome. b. The moral breakdown of the home, society, and the nations - 2 Tim. 3:1-9; Matt. 24:12 c. Conditions in our church cannot be ignored - Rev. 3:14-17 d. The signs foretelling the coming of our Lord have all, except the Mark of the Beast, been fulfilled. Surely we have many reasons to heed Paul's admonition to assemble ourselves and to use these gatherings for prayerful exhortation and encouragement because the end of all things is upon us - Rom. 13:11-14 ## TRUE WORSHIP A. "YE WORSHIP YE KNOW NOT WHAT: WE KNOW WHAT WE WORSHIP: FOR SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS. BUT THE HOUR COMETH AND NOW IS, WHEN THE TRUE WORSHIPPERS SHALL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH." - John 4:22, 23 1. With these words the Lord Jesus Christ brings into sharp focus one of the fundamental truths of the Bible: a. It is noteworthy that this central truth about worship was made to a Samaritan, hated by the Jews. b. It indicates clearly that God is not a respecter of persons - Acts 10:34, 35 c. It reaffirms a great truth that before God all sinners stand on the same platform. 1) Light and truth are made available to all - Rev. 22:17 2) For they are God's agents to lead us back to Himself - John 8:31, 32; 17:17 2. This is an important fact to keep in mind as we study True Worship: a. To which truth is the very foundation - 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 Cor. 3:10, 11 b. The scriptures are the divine source of truth - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; 2 Pet. 1:16-20 B. TRUE WORSHIP 1. Worship: a. Webster defines worship as "an act of paying divine honor to a deity; religious reverence and homage." b. The root meaning of the word `worship' is prostration, one prostrating himself in the attitude of prayer and adoration. 2. Three basic facts entering into worship: a. It reveals man's need to acknowledge and have connection with a higher power. b. It is, also, an acknowledgement by man that he has sinned, and therefore seeks peace of heart through the act of worship. c. It may also be an acknowledgement that there is a life hereafter. These related facts give, to my understanding, expression to the common concept of worship. 3. The foundation of true worship: a. The first and great essential of true worship is an honest appreciation of God's character - Ps. 99:3; 111:9 b. This foundation centers in the Bible, the Word of God - John 17:17; Dan. 10:21; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 c. Christ, the Son of God, came into this world to guide us in worshipping the true God. d. God is a Spirit. With this statement our Lord sets us free from all false notions about God. He is a personal Being, as revealed in the Bible - Gen. 1:26, 27; Ex. 33:22, 23; Num. 12:8 C. NATURE OF TRUE WORSHIP 1. The nature and character of God necessitate a similar nature or character by the worshipper: a. "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth." b. Purity of heart is dependent upon knowing and obeying the truth - Matt. 22:29; 1 Pet. 1:22; John 5:39; 8:32 c. Spirituality and truth are inseparable; one is the result of the other. He who is truly spiritual lives by the word of truth - Rom. 7:14; John 6:63; 2 Tim. 3:16 2. True worship is based upon pure and sanctified affections for God: EXAMPLES - a. Christ is our greatest example - Matt. 3:17; John 12:28 b. Solomon, in his early childhood, is a true example of true worship - 1 Ki. 3:5-15; 8:10, 11 c. Abraham, too, is a worthy example - Gen. 22:1-12 d. Jacob is still another example - Gen. 28:1-15 3. Blessings of true worship: a. God seeks such to worship Him - Acts 13:22; Gen. 12:1-6; Acts 8:26-39 b. God will give them access to His council - Gen. 18:17 c. He will receive them into glory - Gen. 5:22-24; Heb. 11:5; Rev. 14:1-5 ## CHEAP WORSHIP - 2 SAMUEL 24:13-25 A. WORSHIP 1. To pay homage and reverent respect to God: Ps. 99:9 2. Types of worship: a. Praise and thanksgiving - Ps. 42:4; 50:23 b. Bringing gifts unto God - Ps. 42:4; 50:23; 68:29; 76:11 c. Obey His holy will - Matt. 4:10; 1 Sam. 15:23 d. Witnessing for the truth - Acts 1:8, 9; 1 Pet. 2:9-11 B. WORSHIP OF KING DAVID 1. David made many mistakes in his life; we all make plenty of mistakes: Jas. 3:1-8 2. But David possessed the grace to give the best he had to God in his worship: a. Our text is one outstanding example of David's ability to appreciate the worship of the Lord God of hosts. b. He left us a pattern of true worship. 3. He had a chance to let the other fellow cover the material cost of his worship. That man offered to pay it all: a. But David knew better; he knew that God knew what David was able to do to worship Him. b. Said David, "Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price" - 2 Sam. 24:24 c. "Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing" - verse 24. d. He did not believe in cheap worship - Mal. 1:6-8 e. Neither did he believe in taking advantage of other liberal worshippers to pay his way. f. That was forbidden by law - Lev. 22:22, 25. This is a point for all of us to keep in mind when we worship. g. Let us search our hearts and see whether it will condemn us for seeking to float along in our church relationship. C. TRUE APPRAISAL OF OUR WORSHIP 1. Our worship should be guided by four specific factors: a. Love to God which is the very foundation of acceptable worship; Deut. 6:4-6 gives us an inspired commentary on acceptable worship; Isa. 29:13. True love to God is marked by us giving the best we have to God - EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham loved God and he gave the best he had to God - Gen. 22:1-12 2) The poor widow loved God and she gave all her living to God - Mark 12:44 3) Mary Magdalene loved the Lord and gave the best she had - Matt. 26:7; Mark 14:3; Luke 7:37 b. True worship reveals itself - In our loyalty to truth - Job 23:10, 11; Dan. 6:10; Gen. 39:8, 9 - 1) It is manifested by our recognition of the reasonableness of serving God - Isa. 1:18, 19 c. Cheap worship overlooks the central truth of worship - 1) That God is the real giver of all we have or could give to God - 1 Chron. 29:11, 12 2) That when we withhold any blessing from God, we deprive ourselves of the blessings - Prov. 11:24; Hag. 1:6 3) That when we give the best we have to God, He will multiply it in return to our own benefit - Mal. 3:8- 11; Mark 10:28-30 d. Cheap worship is indicative of our concept of God - 1) We have a narrow concept of God. 2) We depreciate His love sacrifice for us. 3) God gave all to save us - John 3:16 4) Why and how can we do less than we are able? ## DEFECTIVE WORSHIP A. "EXCEPT YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALL EXCEED THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES, YE SHALL IN NO CASE ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." - Matt. 5:20 1. The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees: a. Was superficial or outward only. b. It consisted of long public prayers. c. And many other man-made rituals - Compare Matt. 15:1-7 with Mark 7:1-13; Matt. 23:1-36 2. They left out of their worship the heart religion: Isa. 29:13 a. They omitted the weightier matters -- judgment, mercy, and faith - Isa. 59:8; Amos 5:7; Jer. 6:23; Deut. 32:20; Rom. 3:3 b. They sought to parade their own goodness instead of seeking the glory of God - Rom. 10:1-6 B. OUR LORD WARNS US AGAINST A SUPERFICIAL RELIGION 1. We shall do well to heed this warning: a. Externalism as seen amongst Christians today will be fatal - 2 Tim. 3:1-5 b. One may have a semblance of truth, paying tithe on mint and anise. c. Their lives may be outwardly correct - Luke 18:11, 12 d. One may be punctual in attendance at the church services - "having a form of godliness." 2. But externalism is insufficient for Christ; He frowns upon it: a. He despises pharisaical righteousness - Matt. 23:1-36 b. He saw too much among the professed leaders of His people - Matt. 6:2-11 c. He sees too much of this superficial lip service among His people today - Rev. 3:14-17; Matt. 24:12, 13 d. He wants the pure gold of our Christian experience - Rev. 3:18; 1 Pet. 2:9-11 3. External form is a part of the worship of God's people: a. We must know how to conduct ourselves in the house of the Lord - 1 Tim. 3:15 b. Posture in prayer is perfectly proper. c. Reverence in God's house is a must. d. But all these are minor when we think of the condition of the heart; when we think of our everyday lives. C. RELIGIOUS EXTERNALISM IS DECEPTIVE AND VERY PERNICIOUS IN CONSEQUENCES 1. It leaves the heart unchanged: a. The scribes and Pharisees were very particular in their outward performance of their religious duties. b. But their hearts were full of murder and other crimes - Matt. 23:27, 28; Jer. 17:9 2. Such a religion blunts the conscience: a. There is no mercy or compassion. b. There is no desire to be patient and long-suffering. 3. Such a religion feeds on human egotism and neglects the needs of the soul: a. That is how sin began in heaven - Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18 b. That was the downfall of Adam and Eve - Gen. 3:1-6 c. It was the downfall of Nebuchadnezzar - Dan. 4:30 4. Such a religion leads to: a. The neglect of secret prayer - Jas. 4:1-3 b. The neglect of the study of the Word of God. c. It makes us indifferent to the needs of others. d. It breeds faultfinding and other damnable sins - Matt. 7:1- 6. Faultfinding is one of the plagues of the church today. e. All this shows that external religion, by itself, is harmful to the soul and to the worship of the Lord. f. We shall do well to heed the warning of our opening text. ## GOD'S REGARD FOR THE ASSEMBLY OF HIS PEOPLE A. "THE LORD LOVETH THE GATES OF ZION MORE THAN ALL THE DWELLINGS OF JACOB" - Ps. 87:2 1. What is the most inspiring scene of human association? a. An assembly of legislators, who meet and enact good laws! b. An assembly of philosophers is interesting too! 2. But, according to our text, the assembly of God's children surpasses them all. To this our text immediately directs our attention: B. "FOR THE LORD LOVETH THE GATES OF ZION MORE THAN ALL THE DWELLING OF JACOB" 1. God loves the dwelling of His people: a. He made a hedge about the home of Job - Job 1:10 b. The angel of the Lord guards the homes of God's children - Ps. 34:7; that was Lot's experience - Gen. 19:1-11 c. God's love for dwellings of His people is implied in our opening text itself "The Lord loveth more"; that indicates that the difference of God's love is by degrees, but it remains that He loves the dwellings of His people. 2. The glorious declaration "He loveth the gates more" indicates the attachment of the Lord to the house of God: a. To be in the congregation of God's people was one of the first and most important provisions in the construction of the sanctuary - Ex. 25:8; 29:46 b. God communed with Israel from the mercy seat - Ex. 25:17, 22 c. The Saviour promised to meet with His people even if only two or three are gathered together - Matt. 18:20 d. Mal. 3:16 is a wonderful commentary to our subject - "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name." C. WHAT REASONS CAN BE ASSIGNED FOR THE AFFECTIONATE PREFERENCE OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD? 1. The motive of such assemblies: a. Worship - this is and ever should be the chief reason for the assembly of the people - 1) It is a perpetual motive; it will never cease to be - Isa. 66:23 2) It is the very life of God's people - Ps. 95:6; 99:5, 9 b. It is one of God's communication centers where He will make known His holy will - Ex. 25:22 2. To share the blessing of the Lord with one another is still another incentive for God's special favor of the gates of Zion: a. That is the way God approved to encourage one another in the way of life - 1 Cor. 14:12; Eph. 4:11-18 b. Communion prayer is another good reason for God's special favor. c. Think of what such prayer meetings have accomplished? 1) On the day of Pentecost - Acts 1:13-16; 2:1-16 2) In time of severe persecution - Acts 4:23-31; 12:12 3. To make united plans for carrying on the work of the Lord: a. That was done in the days of the apostles - Acts 15:6-30 b. What would happen to the Advent Movement without such assemblies? c. "Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety." - Prov. 11:14; 24:6 4. These and other good reasons should convince us that God has a special blessing for His people who assemble in the gates of Zion to reverence the Lord and think on His wonderful name: ## FELLOWSHIP A. "AND THEY HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LORD WALKING IN THE GARDEN IN THE COOL OF THE DAY: AND ADAM AND HIS WIFE HID THEMSELVES FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD, AMONGST THE TREES OF THE GARDEN, AND THE LORD GOD CALLED UNTO ADAM, AND SAID UNTO HIM, WHERE ART THOU?" - Gen. 3:8, 9 1. The words of our text are a wonderful revelation of God's attitude toward our first parents: a. God was lonesome for them, and He sought them out even after they had transgressed His commandment. b. It must be noted that it was not man, but God who sought to restore the broken relation. c. Fellowship seems clearly indicated in our text. B. FELLOWSHIP 1. Man was made for fellowship. This fact is clearly indicated in our text: a. "It is not good that the man should be alone" - Gen. 2:18 b. Christianity stands or falls on the belief in a personal God and the realization of loving fellowship with Him - Rom. 14:7 2. The earthly sanctuary is a vivid illustration of this truth: a. "Let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them" - Ex. 25:8 b. The presence of the Lord in the Most Holy was ever a reminder to the worshipper that God loved fellowship with His people. 3. The coming of the Son of God into the world, dwelling among men, is a further indication of God's desire for the fellowship of His children: John 1:11, 14 4. The promise of our Lord to be with the believers in their gatherings - Matt. 18:20 - is added evidence of this truth: 5. His final promise to be with us to the end of time seals the truth of our text: Matt. 28:20 6. The Bible indicates four ways in which we have fellowship with the Lord: a. In meditation and prayer - Luke 6:12; Matt. 14:23; Ps. 63:6 b. In corporate worship - Heb. 10:25 c. At the family altar - Job 1:1-5 d. Visiting the aged and the widows - Matt. 25:36; Jas. 1:27 C. IMPORTANCE OF THIS SUBJECT 1. Sin breaks fellowship: a. That was demonstrated in the experience of Adam and Eve. b. Such a break is caused by a sense of shame - Jer. 3:35 c. By fear caused by sin and guilt. d. It seeks to excuse the broken fellowship - Luke 14:18-20; 18:13 e. By hiding! Hiding is one of the most evident presence of guilt in the life of a sinner. 1) Some hide from the Lord by keeping themselves occupied with the cares of this world. 2) Others hide by refusing to heed the voice of invitation - John 8:9; Acts 24:25; Matt. 27:1-6 3) Some hide themselves from the Lord when they refuse to confess their sins - Ps. 32:2-5 4) Others flatter themselves and so seek to hide their need of help from above. 5) Still others hide themselves by blaming others for their attitude - 1 Sam. 15:15 2. God loves even sinners; seeks to restore the disrupted fellowship: a. He made the first move; it was not Adam, but God who sought out the transgressor to restore him to the fellowship of his God. b. Note, please, how the Bible uses the word "first" in its relationship to God and man; 1) "He first loved us" - 1 John 4:19 2) "Unto you first, God, having raised his Son, sent him to bless you" - Acts 3:26 3) "Let the children be filled first" - Mark 7:27 3. The church of God is God's medium to restore the fellowship God loves so much: a. Communion service - 1 John 1:3; 2 Cor. 13:14 b. Fellowship with each other - 1 John 1:6, 7; Phil. 2:1; Eph. 3:9 ## ATTACHMENT TO GOD'S HOUSE - NEHEMIAH 10:39 A. "WE WILL NOT FORSAKE THE HOUSE OF THE LORD" 1. This was the answer of Nehemiah with regard to the responsibility of the ministers of the Lord: a. They should never have divided interests at any time. b. The services of God in the house of the Lord come first and foremost - Matt. 6:33 2. The resoluteness of the prophet to tend to God's house should be: a. A challenge and an incentive to us to be attached to God's house at all times. b. "I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord." - Ps. 122:1-9 B. ATTACHED TO THE HOUSE OF GOD 1. Our attachment to God's house is based: a. Upon our attachment to the Lord - Jer. 17:26 b. The blessings connected with the house of the Lord - 1) The gracious presence of the Lord. 2) The bestowal of God's blessings upon the worshippers. 3) The revelation given by God to His people in the house of the Lord. 2. A serious and personal responsibility: a. "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning" - Ps. 137:5 b. "If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth" - verse 6 3. Some reasons for this serious resolve: a. Our attachment and union to and with the Lord - Rom. 8:31- 39; 2 Tim. 3:14 b. It bears the name of the Lord - 2 Sam. 7:13 c. It is the center of Christian fellowship. d. A day in the house of the Lord is better than a thousand elsewhere - Ps. 84:10 e. It is the house of prayer - Isa. 56:7 f. It is the heaven provided shelter for God's people - Mi. 4:8; John 10:15, 16 C. SOME VERY SPECIAL BLESSINGS FOR ALL WHO ARE ATTACHED TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD 1. There is the presence of the Lord: a. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" - Matt. 18:20 b. It is the place of edification from the Lord - 1 Thess. 5:11 2. It is the center of the preaching of the word of God: a. The temple - Luke 2:6 b. The synagogue - Luke 4:16-18 3. It is where the wonderful and solemn ordinances of the Lord are dispensed: John 13:1-17; 1 Cor. 11:22-36 4. It is the place where we can hear the testimonies of the believers: Mal. 3:16, 17 5. It is the most hallowed meeting place in the realm of God's cause: 6. How should we conduct ourselves in the house of the Lord to which we are attached? a. Paul was greatly concerned that the believers know how to walk in the house of the Lord - 1 Tim. 3:15 b. It fills my heart with sorrow to see how some of our young people are so disrespectful to the house of worship. c. The Lord is sorely displeased with the irreverence of some of our children in the services of the church. d. There is a sacred duty for every parent to give the children the needed instruction to be reverent in God's house. e. "Reverence my sanctuary" - Lev. 19:30; 26:2; Ps. 89:7 f. There is room for improvement for the older people. Too much noise and too much talking in the church. g. Let us enter the house of God with prayer and dedication. # Section III: 54 Outlines on Jesus Christ Our Lord ## "I AM THAT I AM" - EXODUS 3:14 A. THERE CAN BE NO DOUBT THAT THE "I AM THAT I AM" OF OUR OPENING TEXT IS THE SON OF GOD 1. He used similar expressions during His earthly ministry: a. "Before Abraham was, I am" - John 8:58 b. "I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6 c. "I am the resurrection, and the life" - John 11:25 2. His personal pre-existence is vouched for by the Holy Bible: a. ". . . whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" - Mi. 5:2 b. Prov. 8:22-30 c. John 1:1-3; Heb. 1:1-3, 8, 9 d. John the Baptist said of Him, "he was before me" - John 1:30 e. Christ speaks of His pre-existence in His high priestly prayer - John 17:1-23 B. ANOTHER WAY OF SHOWING THAT HE HAD A PERSONAL PRE-EXISTENCE BEFORE THE WORLD WAS 1. The Father calls Him, "my fellow": Zech. 13:7 2. He is called "the angel of the Lord": a. Ex. 23:21; Isa. 63:9 b. Gen. 18:1; 32:22-29 3. He is called, also, "Michael": Dan. 10:13; Jude 9; 1 Thess. 4:16; John 5:28, 29 4. He is the true God and eternal life: a. John 1:1-3; 1 John 5:20 b. The mighty God - Isa. 9:6 c. God over all - Rom. 9:5 d. Thomas called him "My Lord and my God" - John 20:28 5. Had the Jews studied Bible prophecy, as they should have, they could have learned that it was the Son of God who told Moses that His name is "I AM THAT I AM": 6. His life and ministry both testify that Christ is the great "I AM" of the Bible: C. SIGNIFICATION OF "I AM THAT I AM" 1. It indicates that: a. He is unchangeable; "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever" - Heb. 13:8 b. "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hand: they shall perish; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment . . . but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail" - Heb. 1:10-12 2. It means that He can be relied upon: a. His word is unchangeable - Matt. 24:35 b. His power is eternal - Rom. 1:20; Matt. 28:18 c. His love is the same - John 13:1-3; Jer. 31:3 d. His promises are yea and amen - 2 Cor. 1:20 e. He ever liveth and maketh intercession for us - Heb. 7:25 f. He is Immanuel - God with us - Matt. 1:23 g. He is THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA of creation and redemption - Rev. 1:8; John 1:1-3; Acts 4:12; Matt. 1:21; Isa. 41:14; 49:26; 54:5 3. It is with Him that every one of us has to make a decision: a. Accept Him as our personal Saviour; b. Or reject Him. c. This is a personal responsibility and therefore a personal decision each of us must make. d. As for me, I made that decision long ago and I am not sorry for it either. e. It is a great joy to know that the great "I AM THAT I AM" of the Bible is my Lord and my Redeemer! f. Day by day I reconsecrate my all to Him and His cause. g. Dear reader, have you made that decision? ## THE WORD OF GOD A. "HIS NAME IS CALLED THE WORD OF GOD" - Rev. 19:15 1. We know that our text has reference to the Son of God: a. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" - John 1:1-3 b. "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: these three are one" - 1 John 5:7 2. He is the Voice - the Logos: a. Because He reveals God and the hidden things of God - Eph. 3:9; Rev. 4:1; John 1:18; Matt. 11:27; John 14:9 b. He is the Eternal Word because He was in the very beginning with God - Compare John 1:1-3 with Prov. 8:22-30; Heb. 1:1-10; John 8:57, 58; 17:1-9 c. He is the eternal Word because all things in heaven and in earth were made by Him - John 1:1-3; Col. 1:14-17; Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:1-3 d. Finally, He is the Word, or Logos, because He is God's channel to reveal Himself and His Holy Will to men - 1 Tim. 2; 1 John 2 B. NATURE OF THE WORD 1. The context shows conclusively: a. The pre-existence of the Son of God - Compare John 1:1-3 with John 8:58; 17:5-8; Col. 1:17 b. He revealed in the days of his flesh that He is both divine and human - 1) He is divine because He has His Father's nature - John 14:9; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3 2) He is truly human because the Word was made flesh - John 1:14; He took the nature of the seed of Abraham - Heb. 2:16 3) His divinity revealed itself in His nature - Heb. 7:26, 27; in His words - John 6:63; 7:46; by the miracles He performed - Matt. 11:5; and by His ability to read the minds of men - John 2:24, 25 4) His humanity is clearly seen in His birth - Luke 2:7, 12; He got hungry and thirsty - Luke 4:2; Mark 11:12; John 4:6; also in His temptations - Heb. 4:15 2. Thus it becomes clear: a. That the Logos of the Bible is God's channel of revelation, the voice of Him who dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto - 1 Tim. 6:16 b. That this Logos is the connecting link between God and man, between heaven and earth, He is that mystical ladder which Jacob saw - Gen. 28:12 C. BLESSINGS OF THE WORD OF GOD; THE WORTH OF THE WORD 1. It is our assurance that God has provided a channel of communication between Himself and men: a. Sin had broken this channel - Isa. 59:1-3 b. Christ, the Word, reopened it - John 14:6; Matt. 11:27; John 1:18 2. This Word is heard: a. In time of danger, sorrow, and death - Rev. 14:13; Jer. 31:15, 16; Matt. 14:27 b. It is the word of power and full assurance meeting our every need - Luke 8:22-24; Matt. 11:28-30 c. It is the word of friendship and sympathy - Matt. 11:28-30, John 11:23-44 d. It is the dependable word - Matt. 24:35; Heb. 13:8; Num. 23:19-21 3. And finally: a. It is the Word of salvation - Matt. 1:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:12 b. "Speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed" - Matt. 8:8 c. "Bid me to come unto thee on the water" - Matt. 14:28, 29 d. "Thou shalt be with me in Paradise" - Luke 23:42-44 e. The Word of God is the key to all God's promises, past, present, and future - 2 Cor. 1:20; Heb. 6:9- 16; 13:8 ## IMMANUEL - GOD WITH US - MATTHEW 1:23 A. THE SON OF GOD HAS A NUMBER OF TITLES WHICH EXPRESS 1. His relationship to God the Father: a. God - John 1:1-3; Isa. 9:6; 1 John 5:20; Rom. 9:5 b. The Word - Logos - John 1:1-3, 14; Rev. 19:13; 1 John 1:1 2. His relationship to humanity: a. The Word made flesh - John 1:14; Gal. 4:4 b. The Son of man - Matt. 8:20; 12:8; 13:37 3. His mission: a. Jesus the Messiah - Matt. 1:21; John 1:29; 1 Tim. 1:15 b. High priest - Heb. 3:1; 4:14 c. Mediator - 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1; Heb. 7:26 B. IMMANUEL - GOD WITH US 1. Here we have the key to our Lord's two natures: a. He is truly divine - "For in him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily." - Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3; Phil. 2:6-11 b. Just as truly human - John 1:14; Heb. 2:14-16 c. In His divinity He lays hold of the throne of Omnipotence; and in his humanity He ties Himself to the human race. 2. Immanuel: a. That name reunites the universe - 2 Pet. 1:3, 4; 2 Cor. 5:19-21 b. It indicates that in Christ the whole family in heaven and in earth is reunited - Eph. 1:10, 11; 3:15 c. It means that all the man-made partitions will be removed forever - Eph. 2:14-16; John 10:15, 16 C. SIGNIFICATION OF THE NAME IMMANUEL 1. It means wonderful assurance by the Highest in heaven: a. "If God be for us, who can be against us" - Rom. 8:31-33 b. "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?" c. "Who is he that condemneth?" d. "Who shall separate us from the love of God?" 2. Immanuel - God with us: a. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all" b. "It is God that justifieth" c. "It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again" d. It is He who maketh intercession for us. 3. Immanuel - God with us - means eternal security for the saints: a. Against all our enemies - Rom. 8:35-39 b. In all our battles with Satan and sin - Rom. 8:37; 1 Cor. 15:57, 58 4. Immanuel - God with us - that is the great secret of the many mighty men of God: a. David - 1 Sam. 17:45 b. Samson - Judg. 15:4, 5; 16:29, 30 c. Elijah - 1 Ki. 18:19 d. Elisha - 2 Chron. 17:17 5. They were mighty because God was with them: a. The weakest of God's children can be mighty in the strength of the Lord. b. Said Paul, "when I am weak I am strong" - 2 Cor. 12:10 6. This explains the secret in the lives of some of God's instruments. How we should linger long, meditating upon that wonderful name - Immanuel: a. It should create confidence in us. b. It should embolden us to do exploits for God. c. It should help us to remember the close ties between God and His children. d. It should remove all doubts as to the ultimate victory of the cause of God. ## THE SON OF GOD A. "THEN THEY THAT WERE IN THE SHIP CAME AND WORSHIPPED HIM, SAYING, OF A TRUTH THOU ART THE SON OF GOD." - Matt. 14:33 1. The supernatural act of our Lord, when the angry waves of the sea obeyed Him, convinced the disciples: a. That Christ was more than a human being; He was, indeed, the Son of God. b. They recognized the divinity of our Lord. 2. It is of special interest that Jesus associated divinity with the title Son of God: a. Even the Jews associated divinity with the name Son of God - John 5:17, 18 b. They called it blasphemy on the part of Christ, speaking of God as his Father - Matt. 26:65 3. The title Son of God was well known in ancient Israel: a. Israel is called the Son of God - Ex. 4:22; Hos. 11:1 b. Adam is called the Son of God - Luke 3:38 B. BUT WHEN THIS TITLE IS APPLIED TO JESUS CHRIST, IT IS SINGULAR AND VERY UNIQUE 1. Christ is God's only Son: a. Our Saviour speaks of Himself as "the only begotten of the Father" - John 1:18 b. John uses this title several times - John 3:16; 1 John 4:9 2. Christ traced his origin to God the Father: a. "I came out from thee" - John 17:8; Prov. 8:22-30 b. "God is the source of my being " - John 8:42 (The New English Bible) c. "I am from above" - John 8:23 d. The "only begotten" signifies that no other being is the Son of God in the sense of our Lord's Sonship. e. Let us keep this fact in mind as we continue this important study. 3. The uniqueness of the title Son of God, when applied to Jesus Christ, is seen when we consider: a. His answer to his mother at the temple, "Did you not know that I was bound to be in my Father's house?" - Luke 2:49 b. The Father's testimony from heaven at our Lord's baptism, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" - Matt. 3:17 c. On the mount of transfiguration a voice was heard from heaven saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved" - Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7 d. The very essence of the story of Gethsemane is that Jesus is talking to His Father in a very unique manner - Matt. 26:36-42; Mark 14:32-29 C. THE DEEPER MEANING OF THE FATHER AND SON RELATIONSHIP 1. The Father and Son relationship between God the Father and God the Son implies: a. A very unique intimacy between Jesus and His heavenly Father, "I and my Father are one" - John 10:30 b. "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" - John 14:9 2. But intimate as this relationship is, it never becomes equality in the absolute sense: a. See and read, please, The Spirit of Prophecy, Volume 1, pp. 17-22; Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 8, pp. 268-269; Patriarchs and Prophets, page 37. b. The Father is always distinguished from the Son and the Son keeps His place as a Son - John 5:19, 30; 14:28 c. There were things known only to the Father - Mark 13:32; Matt. 24:36; Acts 1:7 3. The Father and Son relationship dates back to eternity: a. The Bible begins the revelation of God with the Father and Son relationship - Gen. 1:26-28 b. Our Lord speaks of that relationship in His prayer - John 17:5; Prov. 8:22-30; Mi. 5:2; Col. 1:14-17 c. Christ revealed His sonship to His Father in His nature, His ministry, and in His infinite sacrifice. ## THE SON OF MAN A. "THE PEOPLE ANSWERED HIM, WE HAVE HEARD OUT OF THE LAW THAT CHRIST ABIDETH FOREVER: AND HOW SAYEST THOU, THE SON OF MAN MUST BE LIFTED UP? WHO IS THIS SON OF MAN?" - John 12:34 1. In our former study we considered our Lord's title - The Son of God: a. His singular relationship with God. b. His divinity. 2. At this time we want to take a brief and prayerful look at His title - The Son of man: a. The title Son of Man occurs 82 times in the New Testament, with one exception, all these occurrences are in the gospels. b. The one exception is the saying of Stephen in Acts 7:56: "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." c. What is still more striking is that the title Son of Man came from the lips of our Lord, save our opening text, when the people use the expression - "The Son of Man". B. "WHO IS THIS SON OF MAN?" 1. The title Son of Man indicates that: a. The Son of God is now also the Son of man - John 1:14; Heb. 2:14-16 b. The title Son of God connects Him with God as His Father. c. And the title Son of man ties Him forever to humanity. d. He is now truly divine and just as truly human - John 1:1-3, 14; Gal. 4:4 2. Deeper meaning of this union: a. Both titles indicate that divinity was clothed with humanity. In His divinity He lays hold to the throne of God, and in His humanity He connects the human race with God. b. Thus we see one of the reasons for the title - The Son of man. This title shows that He, who is divine, is also human. He is a man, and He is God! c. In His humanity, Christ shares with us the experience of humanity, being subject to the laws that control mankind. C. FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF OUR LORD'S TITLE "THE SON OF MAN" 1. The Bible shows that at the very heart of the title, Son of man, lies the plan of redemption: a. For Christ to redeem man and bring back the first dominion, He had to be a man, as truly as Adam was a man. b. He could have no advantage over Adam - Mi. 4:8; Rom. 5:12-19; Heb. 2:14-16 2. Partaking of the nature of the seed of Abraham was necessary: a. To qualify to be man's representative in heaven - Heb. 4:15 b. Humanity was a must for the Son of God to be our High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary - Heb. 2:14- 16; 4:15; 5:1-5 c. That means that the Son of God had to go through man's experience to be sympathetic - Heb. 7:26; Isa. 53:1-12 3. As the Son of man, Christ demonstrated that the law of God is just and can be obeyed by man: Isa. 42:19-21; Ps. 40:6-8; Matt. 5:17-20; John 12:49 4. Satan claims, and many believe, that the law of God is arbitrary and cannot be kept; but the Son of man showed by his teaching and His life that God's law is just and that man can live up to it: 5. As the Son of man, Christ reunited the family in heaven and in earth: Eph. 1:9-11; Heb. 12:22-28 6. He broke down the man-made partitions and reunited men again: Eph. 2:11-16 7. It is noteworthy that our Lord used the title "Son of man" with great emphasis to call attention to His mighty deeds and also to the majesty He shall appear in when He comes again: Matt. 26:64; Luke 21:36; John 5:22 8. Who then is the Son of man? a. He is the only begotten of the Father, full of glory and truth - John 1:14 b. He is the one in whom two natures reside - divinity and humanity. c. He is your Saviour and mine. ## THE ANGEL OF HIS PRESENCE A. "IN ALL THEIR AFFLICTION HE WAS AFFLICTED, AND THE ANGEL OF HIS PRESENCE SAVED THEM." - Isa. 43:9 1. Our text is a part of the prayer of the prophet Isaiah in which he recounts God's love and care for his people: 2. This prayer leads us to the very zenith of God's love, if that can be possible at all, for this divine love found its greatest expression on the cross of Calvary: B. LET US CONSIDER THREE GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GOD'S LOVE, AS EXPRESSED IN OUR TEXT 1. "In all their affliction he was afflicted": a. This testimony about God's love becomes incomprehensible to me as I attempt to understand its implication - Rom. 11:33-36 b. For God is infinite in His being, unsearchable are all His ways - Ps. 145:3. Absolute perfection is the glory of His being. c. How then can He be afflicted with our affliction? Many of us are afflicted by reason of sin and hereditary weakness, but that is not true of the infinite One! 2. And yet, our text speaks of an afflicted God: a. That being true, it is evident that the greatness of God's love revealed itself in the suffering God. b. The truth is that our text speaks of the experience of the Son of God on Calvary - Luke 23; Isa. 53 c. It was God who suffered in the person of His only Son - Rom. 8:31-33; 2 Cor. 5:18-21 3. But there is still another side to the story of the afflicted God: a. That suffering was a manifestation of God's love and sympathy for fallen humanity - John 3:16 b. It reveals his paternal attachment to the children of men - Rev. 21:3, 4 c. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." - Ps. 103:13 d. Let us meditate upon these wonderful scriptures - Ex. 15:26; Isa. 66:13; 49:15 C. "AND THE ANGEL OF HIS PRESENCE SAVED THEM" 1. Christ is the angel of the Lord: a. He is called "Michael the archangel" - Jude 9; Dan. 10:13; Rev. 12:7 b. Christ has been in the presence of the Father from eternity. Only the Son of God has access to the counsel and purpose of God the Father - Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 34 c. Read these Bible references prayerfully - John 1:1-3; 17:1-22; Prov. 8:22-30 2. His presence: a. Moses recognized the importance of God's presence; he would not go forward without it - Ex. 33:12, 16 b. God's presence is vastly different than the presence of men - 2 Ki. 6:16, 17 c. That presence is promised to every child of God - Matt. 18:20; 28:20 3. The presence of the angel does four things for us: a. It brings salvation - Matt. 1:21 b. This salvation is threefold: 1) It saves us from the guilt of sin - Rom. 8:1- 3, 31-33; 2) It saves us from the power of sin - Rom. 1:16; Acts 26:18 3) It saves us from the eternal consequences of sin - 2 Cor. 5:14-17; Rom. 8:1-3 c. It brings eternal security to all who are sheltered under its wings - Rom. 8:1-33; Ps. 90:1; 91:1-16 d. And finally, the presence of God assures us of eternal victory - 1) Victory over sin - John 8:31-36; Matt. 1:21; 2) Victory over suffering, pain and death - Isa. 35:10; Rev. 22:1-6; 1 Cor. 15:26-58; 2 Cor. 2:14 4. "In all their affliction He was afflicted and the angel of His presence saved them": a. What a wonderful blessing it brings to the believer to know that he is never alone in affliction; God is with him. b. What blessed knowledge it is to know that salvation is assured to God's people. c. Do we know this from experience? ## THE MESSIAH A. "ONE OF THE TWO WHICH HEARD JOHN SPEAK, AND FOLLOWED HIM, WAS ANDREW, SIMON PETER'S BROTHER. HE FIRST FINDETH HIS OWN BROTHER SIMON, AND SAITH UNTO HIM, WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAH, WHICH IS INTERPRETED, THE CHRIST." - JOHN 1:40, 41 1. Our test brings to light the finding of the Messiah by Andrew, Simon's brother: a. That was the most wonderful discovery anyone can make! b. Dear reader, you are a reader of the Bible, have you discovered the Messiah? - John 5:39 2. Andrew shared his faith: a. He was not self-centered, but ready to share his faith with others - Acts 1:8, 9 b. He began his missionary activities with his own relatives at home. B. THE MESSIAH 1. Meaning of the word "Messiah": a. The word "Messiah" comes from the Hebrew verb "mashach" which means to anoint, and therefore is the Anointed one. b. In the Hebrew practice, anointing was particularly connected with the consecration of kings, priests, and prophets - Judg. 9:8; 1 Sam. 16:12, 13; Ps. 89:20; 1 Ki. 1:45; 2 Ki. 11:12; Ex. 28:41; 29:7; 1 Ki. 19:16; Isa. 61:1 2. The anointing was the crowning acts attended by the people with great solemnity: a. The office of the king - Judg. 9:8 b. The office of the priest - Ex. 28:41 c. The office of the prophet - 1 Ki. 19:16 3. Of special interest to us is that the office of the Messiah includes: a. The office of the Prophet - "The Lord said unto me . . . I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee" - Deut. 18:17, 18; John 7:40; "And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee" - Matt. 21:11 b. The office of the High Priest - "Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus" - Heb. 3:1; "Jesus, made an high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek" - Heb. 6:20 c. The office of the King - "I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion" - Ps. 2:1-12; "Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle" - Ps. 24:7-10; "He will sit upon the throne of his father David" - Luke 1:31-33 C. LET US CONSIDER SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF THE MESSIAH 1. The interpretation of the Jews: a. They limited the office of the Messiah to that of a prophet and a king, but excluded the office of a priest. That office was limited to the tribe of Levi, and Christ came from the tribe of Judah - Mi. 5:2; Heb. 7 b. They limited the office of the Messiah to their own nation; to them the Messiah was to be the Saviour of their nation from other nations. 2. But the Bible concept of the Messiah is, indeed, threefold: a. He is the Prophet of all prophets - John 1:1-3; Matt. 17:5; Heb. 1:1-3 b. He is the High Priest of all priests - 1 John 2:1- 3; 1 Tim. 2:5; His office is universal. c. That is true, also, of His office as King of kings and Lord of lords. 3. The office of the Messiah concerns itself: a. With the problem of sin, which is universal - Rom. 3:23; 5:12 b. The restoration of character and universal harmony - Eph. 1:8-11; 2:11-16; John 15:16; 17:1-22 c. The defeat of the adversary - Gen. 3:15 d. The destruction of death - 1 Cor. 15:26, 50-57 e. The bringing back the first dominion - Mi. 4:8 f. These are some of the assignments of the Messiah; they are the mission of the Son of God to which He addressed Himself with His whole being - John 9:4-6. ## THE LAMB OF GOD - PART I A. "BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHICH TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD" - John 1:29 1. The word BEHOLD signifies: a. To call attention to a great truth - Luke 24:39; John 1:47 b. To direct attention to a great event - Matt. 21:5; Rev. 22:7 c. To point to a great sacrifice - John 3:16; 1 John 3:1-3 d. To the outstanding Manhood of the Son of man - John 19:5 2. By the word BEHOLD, attention is called to: a. A truth of great moment for all, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." b. The attention of the Jewish nation was directed to the true object of the sacrificial services, which were but a type of the infinite sacrifice of the Lamb of God. B. "BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD" 1. That expression is found a number of times in the Bible: a. It dramatizes the lamb-like attitude of the Son of man during his great suffering and death on Calvary - Isa. 53:7; Acts 8:32 b. A lamb suffers in absolute silence. "It opened not its mouth", so the Son of God suffered in absolute submission to the will of his Father. c. A lamb was offered by the Israelites to commemorate their deliverance from Egyptian bondage - Ex. 12:4, 5; so Christ, our passover Lamb, died for us to deliver us from the bondage of sin - 1 Cor. 5:7 2. The lamb offered by the Israelites: a. Had to be blameless - Ex. 12:5; Mal. 1:8 b. To typify the blameless Lamb of God - 1 Pet. 2:22 c. There was no sin in him - 1 John 3:5 d. He reflected the image and character of his Father - John 14:9; Heb. 1:3 3. The Lamb of God: a. Up to that point all lambs had been the gifts of men. b. But this Lamb is different -- it is the gift of God - John 3:16 c. This reminds us of the words of Abraham to his son Isaac, "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering" - Gen. 22:8 4. The Lamb of God: a. Was God's own choice and His own gift. b. Said the Son of God, "Sacrifice and offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me" - Ps. 40:6-8 c. The Lamb of God is the only means to atone for sin - Heb. 9:22, 23 d. Christ was not only the greatest gift God gave to save us; but actually He was a part of God Himself - Rom. 8:31-33; 2 Cor. 5:18-21 e. But there is still another truth to bring to mind. When we have to suffer we shall manifest the lamb- like attitude that the Lamb of God manifested. C. "BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHICH TAKETH AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD" 1. This is the height and the depth of the meaning of our opening text: a. To take away our sins - can we fathom this glorious gospel truth? b. Has the burden of your sins been lifted away by the cross of Calvary? - 1 Pet. 2:24 c. God actually laid our sins upon the Lamb of God! d. But keep in mind that only the sins that are confessed are included. All unconfessed sins remain upon the transgressor - John 9:41 2. Has the heavenly gift made any difference in your: a. Thinking about the plan of salvation? b. Has it affected your life? If not, why not? ## THE LAMB OF GOD - PART II A. "BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHICH TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD" - John 1:29 1. This message, by John the Baptist, came at a time when large numbers of eager listeners came out of the cities and villages to hear this unusual preacher: a. They had witnessed the sacrifices of many lambs. b. But most of them had never before realized that all the sacrifices of animals were but a type of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God - Heb. 9:12-17, 22-23; 10:1-6; Col. 2:16, 17 2. It was, therefore, a fitting occasion for John to direct the attention of his audience to Jesus Christ the Lamb of God: a. The time was near at hand when type was to be met by the anti-type. b. When the real purpose of the earthly sanctuary and its services was met by the sacrifice of the Lamb of God and the sanctuary with its services in heaven. B. LET US CONSIDER THE TITLE, THE WORK, AND THE ATTENTION WHICH CHRIST DEMANDS 1. The Title given to Jesus: "The Lamb of God" a. Our Lord was distinguished for those things which a lamb was capable of - 1) Innocency - 1 Pet. 2:22; Isa. 53:9; Heb. 4:15 2) Meekness - Matt. 11:29, 30; 21:5 3) Opening not its mouth when it is slaughtered - Acts 8:32; Isa. 53:7 4) The lamb's usefulness - No other creature is more useful than a lamb. Its flesh is meat and its wool is used for warmth - John 6:55 2. As a Lamb, Jesus had been typified by both the paschal lamb and the daily sacrifices: a. The lamb had to be without blemish. b. A year old, set apart four days, and then it was slain, but no bone was broken; it was roasted with fire and its blood delivered the firstborn from the destroying angel - Ex. 12:11, 27; Lev. 23:4 C. THE WORK OF JESUS -- "TAKETH AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD" 1. How was that done? a. God made Him sin who knew no sin - 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13 b. "The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all" - Isa. 53:4-6 c. "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree" - 1 Pet. 2:24 d. He took the cup that rightfully belonged to us - John 18:11; Matt. 26:42 2. Eternal Accomplishment: a. "Taketh away the sins of the world" - This is the Magna Carta of redemption. b. This is the great Beacon-Light of Bible prophecy. c. It is the bright Morning star for the soul. d. It takes care of every sincerely confessed sin - 1 John 1:9; Prov. 28:13 3. But there is still another side to the accomplishment of the Lamb of God: a. Through death He satisfied God's broken law. Here is reason for serious thought by our `No law' friends. If God's law could have been set aside, then Christ would not have had to die to satisfy the broken law - Gal. 3:13; Ps. 40:6-8 b. He, by His obedience unto death, magnified God's law and made it honorable - Isa. 40:19-21; Matt. 5:17-19; Luke 16:17; Phil. 2:6-11 4. Behold the Lamb of God: a. Think, think, about some of the reasons of the incarnation of the Son of God - 1 Tim. 3:16; John 1:14 b. Think about the wonders of the life of the Lamb of God - Acts 10:38; Heb. 7:26 c. Behold the infinite price heaven paid for our redemption! d. See our great High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary working out the great atonement made on the cross of Calvary - Heb. 4:14, 15, 16; 7:25, 26 e. Behold the Lamb of God our only hope! ## THE WORD MADE FLESH A. "AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, AND DWELT AMONG US (AND WE BEHELD HIS GLORY, THE GLORY AS OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF THE FATHER) FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH." - John 1:14 1. The Word of our text occurs four times elsewhere: John 1:1; 1 John 1:1-5; Rev. 19:13 2. It refers to the Son of God, who is also the Son of man, as stated in our text: B. THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH 1. This experience of the Son of God presupposes the pre- existence of the Son of God: a. The prophet Micah says, "Whose goings forth have been of old, from everlasting" - Mi. 5:2 b. The Saviour says, "Before Abraham was, I am" - John 8:58 c. He is the One who said unto Moses, "I AM THAT I AM" - Ex. 3:14 2. It is the Word by whom all things were created in heaven and in earth: a. John 1:1-3 b. Col. 1:14-17 c. Eph. 3:9 d. Heb. 1:1-3 3. The humanity of the Son of God: a. It is as real as that of every child that is born into this world - Luke 2:7; Gal. 4:4; Isa. 9:6 b. He was subject to the same laws in nature as all of us are - 1) The law of growth and development - Luke 2:52 2) Nourishment and rest - Matt. 21:18; 25:35; Matt. 27:48; John 4:6 4. The Bible gives three specific reasons for the incarnation of the Son of God: a. The office of the priesthood. To qualify for the priesthood, the Son of God had to partake of the nature of the seed of Abraham - Heb. 2:14-16 b. The sacrifice for sin necessitated the incarnation - Isa. 53:1-12. The sacrifice included the shedding of His blood - 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 c. In his humanity, Christ met and defeated Satan at every turn - 1) Through his perfect obedience, the Son of God proved that God's holy law is an expression of God's character and love for all his subjects - Ex. 20:3-17; Ps. 40:6-8; Isa. 42:19, 20; John 12:49 2) In his steadfastness against all temptations to do evil, Christ defeated Satan once and for all times. Satan is a defeated enemy - 1 Cor. 15:57 3) Thus Christ, the second Adam, regained all that was lost through the transgression of our first parents - Mi. 4:8; Rom. 5:12-19 C. THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONG US 1. When God directed Moses to build the earthly sanctuary, he made known one of the main reasons for the sanctuary: a. "That I may dwell among them" - Ex. 25:8; 29:46 b. When the earth will have been made new, God will, again, dwell among men - Rev. 21:3 c. Christ, the Son of man, tabernacled among men for the space of about thirty-three years. That was necessary for the Son of God to learn, firsthand, the experience of humanity. 2. Divinity, clothed with humanity, was discovered in the flesh: a. On many occasions divinity flashed through humanity - John 2:11; Matt. 14:25-32 b. God was truly manifested in the flesh, seen of the angels, and accepted by men - 1 Tim. 3:16 c. Man could see God in the life of the Son of God - EXAMPLES - 1) Nathanael did - John 1:47, 48 2) Peter did - Mark 5:1-19; Matt. 14:28-33 3) Thomas did - John 20:28 4) The wedding guests did - John 2:1-11 d. Truly, the Son of God came in the flesh to open the way for humanity to re-enter the family of sinless beings - Eph. 3:15 ## THE NAME OF JESUS A. "AND SHE SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THOU SHALT CALL HIS NAME JESUS: FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS." - Matt. 1:21 1. A Name in Israel: a. Indicated the expectation of the person so named - Ruth 4:17 b. It indicated standing - 2 Sam. 7:9 c. Influence - Gen. 12:3; 17:5, 6 2. The Name JESUS: a. Joshua or Jeshua - deliverer or redeemer. b. A common family name among ancient Israel. Many parents gave this name to their sons, expressing their expectation of their sons. c. Was chosen by the angel of the Lord for the Redeemer of the world - Luke 2:21; Matt. 1:21 B. A CAREFUL STUDY OF THE NAME JESUS SHOWS 1. That in this name is summed up our Lord's Mission to this world: a. To save His people from their sins - Matt. 1:21 b. For there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved - Acts 4:12 2. That gives the Name JESUS a manifold signification of universal importance: a. It places universal authority in this name - 1) Authority over the devil and his angels - Mark 16:17 2) Authority to come to God with our requests - John 14:13; 15:16 b. There is unlimited power in this wonderful name - 1) Power to heal the sick - Acts 3:1-11; 9:34 2) Power to do miracles - Mark 9:39; 16:18-20 3) Power to live a victorious life - Phil. 2:12, 13; 4:13 4) Power to witness for the Word of God - Matt. 10:1 C. LET US, IN CLOSING, CONSIDER SOME OTHER IMPLICATIONS OF THE NAME JESUS 1. Satan and evil-minded persons fear and hate the name of JESUS: a. Because they know that in that name is indicated their final doom - Matt. 8:29; Mark 1:24 b. The devils know also that in that name is the only hope for deliverance of their victims from their power - Acts 8:7; 13:8-11; 19:14-28 2. That blessed Name JESUS symbolizes: a. The hope of a poor, lost, and dying sinner - Luke 23:42-44; John 8:1-12; Luke 19:1-14 b. The hope of God's people, encompassed with many infirmities - Matt. 1:21; Mi. 7:18-20 3. Let us make the application of our text more personal! What does this wonderful name mean to me? a. How does it affect my life? - Gal. 2:20 b. Have I, by carelessness brought reproach upon that blessed name? - 1 Tim. 6:1; Jas. 2:7 c. Have I, at any time, in thought, word or action, denied that wonderful Name? - Matt. 26:70; Luke 12:9; Acts 3:14 d. What does my use of the name of JESUS mean to others? Are they drawn to Him? Do they feel that there is hope for their own lives because we live by that name? e. How many people with whom we associate recognize a change in our own lives because we do believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? f. Sincerely, how often have we sought God in earnest, prevailing prayer in the blessed name of Jesus? g. Will that name JESUS make the difference in our relationship to one another? Will it take us into the kingdom of God? ## THE MAN CHRIST JESUS A. "FOR THERE IS ONE GOD, AND ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN, THE MAN CHRIST JESUS." - 1 Tim. 2:5 1. The word "man" comes from two Greek words: a. Anthropos - human being - a specimen of the human race. b. Aner - a male member of the human family. 2. In the New Testament Jesus is called by both these words: a. John the Baptist uses the word "aner" when speaking of Jesus - John 1:30 b. The woman of Samaria uses the word "anthropos" when she said, "Come and see a man ("anthropos") who has told me everything I ever did" - John 4:29 c. Peter used the word "aner" in his sermon on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:22 B. LET US CONSIDER, PRAYERFULLY, THE IMPLICATION OF THE NAME "THE MAN" WHEN APPLIED TO OUR LORD 1. It shows us that those who actually associated with Jesus found Him fully and naturally a man: a. He did not appear to them to be an indeterminate person from some halfway land, part spirit and part human. b. They saw in Jesus Christ clearly and fully a man, even though God was in Christ - 2 Cor. 5:18-21; 1 Tim. 3:16 c. The Word was made flesh; he was born of a woman; he took the nature, not that of the angels, but of the seed of Abraham - John 1:14; Gal. 4:4-6; Heb. 2:14-16 2. The Bible offers several reasons for speaking of our Lord as "the man": a. He took the place of the first man Adam to gain the victory over sin, where Adam lost - Compare Rom. 5:12-19; 1 Cor. 15:22-29 with Mi. 4:8 b. To qualify for the office of the priesthood, which necessitated the entering into the experience of the human race - Heb. 2:14-18. Only a person of kindred feeling and experience knows how to help. C. LET US NOTE WHAT THE MAN JESUS ACCOMPLISHED AS A MAN, IN THE FASHION OF OTHER MEN 1. He demonstrated that there can be perfect harmony between man and God: a. "I and my Father are one" - John 10:30; 17:21-23 b. "I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me" - John 5:19, 30 2. That there can be in man the union of the two natures - - the divine manifesting itself in the human: 1 Tim. 3:16 a. "Christ in you the hope of glory" - Col. 1:27 b. Thus we become partakers of the divine nature - 2 Pet. 1:2-8; 2 Cor. 3:18 3. That our Saviour had no advantage over us; He hungered and thirsted; He was tempted in all things, as we are; He sorrowed; He wept; and He feared, just as we do! 4. As a man, he emphasized the dignity of manhood: a. This was acknowledge by Pilate when he said, "Behold the man" - John 19:5. No greater test can come to manhood than in the very shadow of the cross! b. He proved his manhood in the hour of great temptation - Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13 c. He showed his manhood in his gentleness with others - Ps. 18:35; 2 Sam. 22:36 5. He showed the full measure of a man: a. In exercising complete self-control under the most severe tests in his earthly life. b. He demonstrated what man's union with God can and will do in and for man! c. The man Jesus draws me closer to Him. He is my elder brother. He is a relative to me. I dearly love Him - the man Christ Jesus! ## THE MIGHTY GOD A. "FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN, UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN: AND THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER: AND HIS NAME SHALL BE CALLED WONDERFUL, COUNSELLOR, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE." - Isa. 9:6 1. In our former study we have dwelt upon the man Christ Jesus: a. We learned that those who associated with Him in the days of His flesh saw Him as a man. b. He lived, suffered, and died, as a man. 2. But our text speaks of Him as "The Mighty God": a. How can both be true? b. There are, as we know, differences of opinions. c. To the Jews it seemed preposterous for the Son of God to claim divinity - John 5:18: 10:33 B. LET US CONSIDER THE CLAIM OF OUR LORD TO BE GOD 1. The Bible teaches uniformly Monotheism, or that there is but one God: a. The testimony of the Old Testament declares that there is one God - Deut. 4:35; 6:4-8; Isa. 45:5; 46:9; Ex. 20:1-3 b. That is true of the testimony of the New Testament, in which our Lord is foremost - John 4:22, 23; Matt. 4:10; Mark 12:29-34 c. Consider the plain statements by the apostles - 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Cor. 8:4-6; Eph. 4:4-6; Jude 24-26 2. But our opening text speaks of the Son of man as "The Mighty God": a. It may be significant that the word God is never associated with our Lord in the first three gospels! b. It is brought into sharp focus in the fourth gospel -- in the book of John - John 1:1, 2; 20:28. "My Lord and my God" was the testimony of Thomas. c. Can there be a question about the deity of our Lord? Not at all! To the contrary, we will show that He is, indeed, The Mighty God. C. THE DEITY OF CHRIST 1. There are a number of passages in the Bible, the King James Version, where Christ is spoken of as God: a. In Paul's Epistles - Heb. 1:8, 9; Rom. 9:5 b. In one of the Epistles of John - 1 John 5:20 2. The deity of our Lord seems plainly indicated in such passages as: Phil. 2:6-11; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:1-3; Col. 2:2; Tit. 2:13; 1 Tim. 3:16. But they, who are familiar with the original and the different translations, know that there is a question about each of these texts, either with the correct translation or with the interpretation of the Greek. 3. Personally, I do not doubt that Jesus Christ is my Lord and my God: a. The Father speaks of him as God - Heb. 1:8, 9 b. He created all things in the universe - John 1:1- 3; Col. 1:14-17; Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:1-3; but the Bible speaks very plainly that God created the universe - Gen. 1:1, 2; 2:2, 3 c. His divinity was manifested in his life, in his speech, in the miracles he performed - Matt. 11:5 d. He revealed His Father's nature -- the God nature -- Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3 e. He accepted the appellation of Thomas - "My Lord and my God" - John 20:28 f. He accepted worship by his followers, which he would not have done had he not been God in verity and truth - Luke 24:50-52 g. Our heavenly Father has decreed that all the angels in heaven shall worship him - Heb. 1:6 4. To doubt the deity of Christ is to reject the plain teaching of the Bible and to close our eyes to the facts demonstrated in his life and teaching on this earth: ## BEHOLD THE MAN A. "AND PILATE SAITH UNTO THEM, BEHOLD THE MAN!" - John 19:5 1. Behold the man: a. He has been scourged, maltreated, and yet He retains complete self-control - Matt. 27:26-28; Luke 23:16 b. He was mocked, ridiculed, and abused, yet He retained His manly dignity - John 19:2, 3 2. What a man to behold: a. A man of sorrow and acquainted with grief - Isa. 53:3 b. A man despised and rejected of men - Isa. 49:7 c. A man who was wounded for our transgressions, and with his stripes we are healed - Isa. 53:5 B. LET US TAKE A CLOSER AND PRAYERFUL LOOK AT THE MAN OF OUR TEXT 1. Who is He? a. He is God's only begotten Son - John 3:16; Matt. 3:17; 17:5 b. He is Immanuel - God with us - Matt. 1:23 c. He is God manifested in the flesh - 1 Tim. 3:16; John 1:14 d. He is the Head of the human race - Heb. 2:14-17 e. He is the Messiah of Bible prophecy - John 1:41 2. What has He done? a. He literally emptied Himself of His divine prerogatives and heavenly glory; became the servant of all servants - Phil. 2:6-11 b. He became poor to make us rich - 2 Cor. 8:9 c. He was treated as we deserve that we will be treated as He deserves - Isa. 53:1-12 d. In Him dwelleth not only divinity but He is the embodiment of perfect manhood. 3. What does He mean to us? a. He is the Lamb of God that beareth away the sins of the world - John 1:29; Rev. 5:6 b. God made Him sin who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him - 2 Cor. 5:21 c. He is our advocate before God the Father - 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1-3 C. BEHOLD THE MAN 1. The man of destiny: a. He embodies the manhood God designed to be - 1) A true reflection of God - Heb. 1:3; Col. 2:9 2) A pattern of what we are to be - Rom. 8:29 2. From now on the Head of the human race: a. As the Son of man he carried humanity to the highest heaven, and tied man to God and God to man forever and ever. b. The King of kings and Lord of Lords calls Himself our brother - Heb. 2:14-16; Ps. 22:22; John 20:17 c. He holds the key to the destiny and the destination of every person born into this world - John 6:53-57; Acts 4:12 3. What He means to me personally: a. My pattern and ideal of true manhood to strive for - Heb. 12:1-6 b. He is my Saviour and my friend; in Him I trust. c. I humbly but truly love and adore Him. d. He is my hope. 4. Behold the man! a. A man of great dignity. b. A man of complete self-control. c. A meek man. d. A man chosen of God to bring mankind back to true manhood. e. The man of destiny because all in heaven and in earth, past, present, and future, centers in Him, was made by Him and for Him. f. Is that your concept of the man of our text? ## THE SERVANT OF GOD A. "BEHOLD, MY SERVANT SHALL DEAL PRUDENTLY, HE SHALL BE EXALTED AND EXTOLLED, AND BE VERY HIGH." Isa. 52:13 1. It may be said that the title "servant" is the title in the light of which all other titles of Jesus must be seen: a. This title has a great history - EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham, Moses, and other distinguished persons are called "servants of the Lord" - Ex. 14:31; Num. 12:7; Deut. 34:5; Josh. 1:1, 15; 8:21, 22; 18:7 b. This title was not given only to individuals, but to the nation as well - Isa. 41:8-10; 44:21; 48:20; 49:3 2. The title "servant" associates Jesus with all other servants of God; it makes Him an Elder Brother: Heb. 2:11; Rom. 8:29 B. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SERVANT OF GOD 1. It indicates His mission in this world: a. To make known to men our heavenly Father and His love for man - John 1:18; Matt. 11:27; 17:1-23 b. To magnify God's law and make it honorable - Isa. 42:19-21; Ps. 40:6-8; Matt. 5:17-20 c. To seek and to save that which was lost - Matt. 18:11; Luke 19:10 d. To unify and bring back to men heavenly harmony - Eph. 1:1-12; John 17:21-23 2. It indicates His attitude: a. He was meek and lowly -- a servant - Matt. 11:28- 30; Phil. 2:6-11 b. He obeyed His Father because He loved Him - John 4:34; 6:38; Luke 22:42 c. He willingly sacrificed heaven and His life to save sinners - Isa. 53:1-12 d. He came to minister and not to be ministered unto - Matt. 20:28 e. He gave dignity to service, which it had lost through the selfishness of men. f. He gave us an example, that we should be like minded - Mark 9:34; Luke 9:46-48 3. Because of His suffering, four songs in the book of Isaiah portray the suffering servant: a. Isa. 42:1-4 b. Isa. 49:1-6 c. Isa. 50:4-9 d. Isa. 52:13 and 53:12 4. Because He has faithfully and successfully accomplished his assignment: a. He wasted no time - John 9:4, 5 b. He closed His earthly ministry with the words, "It is finished" - John 19:30 C. WHAT A TIMELY LESSON FOR US TODAY 1. Christ's title is "Servant of God": a. He was fully qualified to bear this title, which sums up his ministry on earth, and includes his work as our High Priest in heaven. b. His life, his ministry, and sacrifice gave dignity to living and serving God and men. c. His life is summed up in these inspired words, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the evil; for God was with him." - Acts 10:38 2. In serving others and us, Christ gave us an example to: a. Live not unto ourselves, but unto God and His cause - Rom. 14:7; Gal. 2:20 b. We, too, have to become servants of God - 1 Pet. 2:16; Rom. 6:16, 17; Acts 1:8, 9; 1 Pet. 2:9-11 c. Just do as He did - John 13:1-17; 1 Pet. 2:21 d. He says, "Follow me" - Matt. 11:28-30 e. He was faithful - Rev. 1:5; 3:14; 19:11 f. Are we God's faithful servants? - Matt. 25:31-42 g. Can we say with Paul, "I have finished my course?" - 2 Tim. 4:7, 8 h. Can heaven count on us, our loyalty, and our perseverance? i. Let us think of the blessedness of serving God and humanity faithfully. ## CHRIST THE JUDGE OF THE UNIVERSE A. "FOR THE FATHER JUDGETH NO MAN, BUT HATH COMMITTED ALL JUDGEMENT UNTO THE SON." - John 5:22 1. A study of the New Testament indicates clearly that Jesus Christ has been given by the Father the power to judge all men: a. Said Peter in the house of Cornelius, ". . . that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead" - Acts 10:42 b. This same truth is expressed by Paul in his second Epistle to his spiritual son Timothy, "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom" - 2 Tim. 4:1 2. From the book of Hebrews we learn that the belief in Jesus as Judge was part of the elementary and basic instructions Christians received by the apostles: B. CHRIST THE JUDGE OF THE UNIVERSE 1. He is eminently qualified to be the Judge of the universe: a. He is the Creator of the universe as we understand it - John 1:1-3; Col. 1:15-17 b. All things were created for Him, all things belong to Him - John 16:15; Col. 1:16 c. By Him and His power all things are upheld - Heb. 1:1-3 2. Most important of all, if that is possible, is the fact: a. That He redeemed the world by and through His great sacrifice on the cross. b. He laid down His life for all men, to save them from sin. c. He, who lived among men, who knows our life like an open book, will judge with justice and in truth. 3. Standard in the judgment to come: a. The law of the Ten Commandments - Compare Eccl. 12:13, 14 with Jas. 1:22-26; 2:8-11 b. The gospel of Jesus Christ - Rom. 2:16 c. This is understandable because the gospel leaves all without excuse in the day of judgment. C. FACTORS THAT WILL BE A PART OF THE JUDGMENT BY JESUS CHRIST 1. He is the light from heaven that lighteth every one that cometh into the world: a. Said He, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." - John 14:6 b. Of Him John testifies, "In Him was life; and the life was the light of men" - John 1:4 2. He is the bread that came from heaven: a. "I am the living bread which came down from heaven" - John 6:51 b. "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you" - John 6:53 3. Judgment will come upon all who reject the Son of man for the following reasons: a. They will not be judged because they were born into this world with a sinful nature. b. Judgment will come over them because they rejected the plan of salvation offered in Christ Jesus. c. They despised Heaven's efforts to save them - ILLUSTRATIONS - 1) The unresponsive wedding guests - Luke 14:14-26 2) The Jews as a nation - Matt. 21:33-41 d. Said Paul to the Jews, "And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles." - Acts 18:6 4. All who do accept Christ as their personal Saviour: a. Will not come under condemnation. b. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." - John 5:24 c. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." - Rom. 8:1 ## CHRIST OUR HIGH PRIEST - HEBREWS 4:1-6 A. OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS MANY NAMES, INDICATIVE OF HIS MINISTRY 1. Messiah, Christ, the Anointed One: John 1:41; 4:25; Dan. 9:25 2. Jesus: Matt. 1:21; Acts 4:12 3. Mediator, Advocate, Intercessor: 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1; Isa. 59:16 4. Apostle, Messenger: Heb. 3:1; Isa. 42:19 5. Prophet like unto Moses: Deut. 18:15; John 1:21 6. High Priest after the order of Melchizedek: Heb. 5:10 B. OFFICE OF OUR GREAT HIGH PRIEST 1. Includes all that the aforementioned names stand for; his office is all inclusive by reason of his relationship to the plan of redemption: a. He represents the human race - Rom. 5:16-19; Heb. 2:14-16; he took upon him the nature of the seed of Abraham and thereby tied himself forever to humanity. When he ascended up to heaven, he took humanity to heaven with him. b. He is both our passover Lamb and our High Priest. When he approaches God in our behalf, he offers his blood as the means to atone for our sins and pleads our case - Heb. 7:24-26; 9:25, 26; 2 Cor. 5:20, 21; 1 John 2:1-3 c. He confesses us before God as trophies of his sacrifice - Matt. 10:32; Luke 12:8 2. The ministry of our High Priest concerns itself with: a. Making peace between us and God - Rom. 5:1-6; Eph. 2:11-16 b. Opening the way to come to God in prayer by Jesus Christ our Lord - Heb. 4:16; 1 John 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 2:5 c. Making the gift of the Holy Ghost possible to the believers - John 16:7-13 C. QUALIFICATIONS OF OUR HIGH PRIEST 1. We have already indicated that his office includes: a. A sacrifice - a Lamb without any blemish - Heb. 9:26; 10:12 b. Mediation in our behalf - Heb. 4:14; 1 Tim. 2:5 2. He possesses five essentials which qualify him for the office of the High Priest: a. He is a priest after the order of Melchizedek, an eternal priesthood - Heb. 5:10; 7:2, 3 b. He is the Author of our salvation - Heb. 2:10; 5:9; 10:14 c. He passed through the experience of the children of men, was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin - Heb. 2:18; 4:15; Isa. 63:9 d. He understands our difficulties and sympathizes with all who are tempted. This is one qualification necessary for a high priest to represent us before God. e. His ministry and His sacrifice have been accepted by the Father. That is the very heart of the great atonement. Upon presenting Himself and His sacrifice unto the Father, He and the sacrifice were accepted and the Holy Spirit was given as the pledge of that acceptance - John 16:7-13; 20:17 3. In view of our great High Priest, our Elder Brother, and His accepted sacrifice in our behalf: a. Let us lay aside every sin and faithfully run the race that is set before us - Heb. 12:1-8 b. Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace praying Abba Father - Heb. 4:14-16; Rom. 8:15 c. Let us draw nigh unto the Father by Jesus Christ, our High Priest, to receive grace in time of need - Heb. 4:16 d. Is this the picture you get from the study of our subject? ## CHRIST OUR PASSOVER - 1 CORINTHIANS 5:7, 8 A. ORIGIN OF THE PASSOVER 1. Dates back to Israel's departure from Egypt: Ex. 12:11, 27; Lev. 23:4; Num. 28:16 2. The word "passover" comes from the Hebrew word "pasach" which signifies to pass, to leap, or to skip over: a. A memorial of coming out of Egyptian bondage - Ex. 15:16 b. The angel of God which slew the firstborn sons in Egypt bypassed the firstborn sons in Israel. Their habitation had been marked with blood - Ex. 12:1-15 3. The paschal lamb: a. Israel was directed to select a male lamb and kill it on the 14th day, one for each home or family. b. Put the blood of this lamb on the door post for a sign of their security against the avenging angel which passed through Egypt - Ex. 12:1-15 c. This was the story of redemption in shadows - Heb. 10:1-6; Col. 2:16, 17 B. CHRIST OUR PASSOVER 1. Christ, the Lamb of God, symbolized by the paschal lamb -- John 1:29 - is our Passover: a. John points to Him when he says, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" - John 1:29; Rev. 5:6 b. In Him and His sacrifice type was met and fulfilled - Col. 2:16, 17; Heb. 9:8-11; 10:1-6 c. When He cried, "It is finished" (John 19:30) the curtain, separating the Holy from the Most Holy, was rent in twain; from that moment all sacrifices ceased - Matt. 27:51; Luke 23:45 2. The passover reveals God's provision to save us from the judgment to come: a. No condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus - Rom. 8:1-7 b. A secure shelter - John 6:53, 56; Rom. 8:31-33; 2 Cor. 5:18-21 C. EFFECT OF THE PASSOVER IN OUR LIVES IS CONDITIONAL 1. We must leave Egypt - confess and forsake our sins: a. Jesus came to save us, not in sin, but from sin - Matt. 1:21; Rom. 3:31; Gal. 2:17 b. Continuance in sin is the misuse of the grace of God - Rom. 6:1-3; 2 Cor. 6:1-3 2. We must abide in Christ, just as much as the Israelites had to remain in their dwelling when evening came: John 10:16; 15:1-6; Acts 2:46, 47 3. We must be members of his mystical body, the church: John 10:15, 16 4. We must partake of the unleavened bread: John 6:53-58 5. The precious blood of Jesus Christ is the only shelter against the avenging angel. Let us keep this truth in mind when we think of the day of God's vengeance: Ps. 32:1-3; Rom. 4:7; Mi. 7:18, 19; Rom. 8:1, 31-33 6. Communion: a. Our Lord established a memorial of His infinite sacrifice for us so we shall ever keep in mind the price paid for our salvation. b. The Lord's Supper is that Memorial - 1) "Do this in remembrance of me" - Matt. 26:26-29 2) "For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death til he come" - 1 Cor. 11:23-26 7. While no specified time is set by our Lord when this service is to take place, Paul does give specific directions how it should be celebrated: a. Worthily - 1 Cor. 10:15, 16; 11:27 b. With prayerful self-examination. Communion should ever be open; each communicant must examine himself, and so eat. ## GOD'S STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN A. "AND HE DREAMED A DREAM, AND BEHELD A LADDER SET UP ON THE EARTH, AND THE TOP OF IT REACHED TO HEAVEN" - Gen. 28:12 1. Jacob was a privileged character to whom God gave specific promises: a. He was a prophet. Seven revelations are recorded given to him at different times. Compare Gen. 28:12 with chapters 31:11-13; 32:1, 2, 24-30; 32:9-12; 35:1; 46:1-4 b. The first heavenly vision came to him at a time when he felt his need of encouragement most. 2. He lived in constant fear of his brother: a. Esau had vowed to kill Jacob. b. He felt that he was to be blamed for his difficulties with his brother. The devil plagued him constantly. c. God, in mercy, brought encouragement to him in the hour of need. B. GOD'S STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN 1. The scene in Jacob's dream reveals: a. God's interest in our destiny. b. His love and compassion were manifested in the Garden of Eden to Adam and Eve at a time when they deserved it least - Gen. 3:15, 16 2. Bible students know that God's mercy comes to mortals when they deserve it least: a. That was true in the experience of King David - 2 Sam. 11:12 b. It was true in the experience of Lot and his family - Gen. 14:16; 19:1-22 c. That was true in the life of Saul, who became Paul - Acts 9:1-16; 1 Tim. 1:15 d. That was true in the experience of the thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 e. That is true in the case of every sinner drawn by the cords of divine love - John 3:16; 1 Tim. 1:15 f. I know that is true in my own life. Only eternity will reveal the depth of God's mercy to undeserving sinners. g. Dear soul, when you are at the point of discouragement and despair, keep looking up, remember God's stairway to heaven. C. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT GOD'S STAIRWAY 1. Jacob's vision: a. He saw a ladder set up on earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. b. He saw the angels of God ascending and descending on it. c. And the Lord stood above it. 2. Thus we have a brief, but very enlightening picture of the plan of redemption in miniature: a. Christ is God's stairway connecting heaven and earth. b. The ladder stood on the earth, and the Son of God came to this earth to become the connecting link between earth and heaven. c. "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me" - John 14:6 d. The angels of God are sent to minister unto them that are to be heirs of salvation - Heb. 1:13, 14 e. At the head of the Ladder is our heavenly Father; He is the moving source of the plan of redemption - John 3:16 3. Blessed assurance to God's people, who are, like Jacob was, conscious of their many shortcomings, and their need of divine aid: a. Christ is their stairway to heaven. He is the connecting link between God and men. b. He is our advocate with the Father - 1 John 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:26, 27 c. He is the throne of grace to which we are invited - Heb. 4:15, 16 d. He is our assurance that we have free access unto God's mercy seat - John 14:1-3; 17:1-22 e. All God's promises are yea and amen in Him - 2 Cor. 1:20 4. The Son of God has been and still is the only stairway from sin, sickness, and death to complete liberty, and in the end eternal life: 5. Let us use this stairway to break away from sin and sorrow which follows a life of sin: ## OUR MASTER A. "THE MASTER IS COME, AND CALLETH FOR THEE" - John 11:20-28 1. The story of our Lord's visit to the house of His friends is full of pathos and soul-saving interest: a. It shows his interest in our sorrows and grief - Isa. 53:4; 63:9 b. A change had taken place in the home of his very close friends. Death had broken into that home; his friend Lazarus had been laid to rest. 2. The Lord not only knew of this sorrow but he stayed away for a while so that the power of God could be manifested in the raising of Lazarus: a. The disciples had to learn a lesson. b. And the people were to come face to face with the one who said, "I am the resurrection and the life." B. OUR MASTER 1. The word "Master" signifies a person that stands above the average person in wisdom and skill; one who does everything well: 2. Our Master has proven Himself Master: a. In creation - John 1:1-3; Ps. 19:1-6; 33:6, 9; Col. 1:16, 17; Heb. 1:1-3; 8, 9 b. In His ministry in the days of His flesh - John 2:6-9; 6:10-13; 11:41-44; Matt. 14:25-33; Luke 8:22-25 c. He is a Master in the scriptures - Luke 2:47; 4:1- 32; Matt. 22:29-34 d. He is Master in adversity - Luke 8:24 e. He is Master over all diseases - Ps. 103:1-6; Matt. 11:4-6 f. He is Master over death and hell - Matt. 9:18, 19; John 11:25-44; John 5:28, 29 g. He is ever the same unchangeable Christ our Lord - Heb. 13:8; Mal. 3:6; Num. 23:19-21; Heb. 1:8-10 3. The presence of our Master: a. Martha understood the significance of the presence of the Master, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother would not have died" - John 11:21 b. His presence is indicative of loving sympathy and care - Ps. 103:13; Isa. 63:9 c. His coming indicates further that he knows our every need - Ps. 103:14 d. He comes to help us - Isa. 61:1-3; Matt. 18:11 C. "HE CALLETH FOR THEE" -- "COME UNTO ME" - John 11:21; Matt. 11:28-30 1. That shows that salvation is personal: a. We are saved as individuals. This truth is illustrated by our Lord's parables of the prodigal son; the lost sheep; and the lost coin - Luke 15:1-32 b. He comes to call us to Himself, "Come unto me" - Matt. 11:28-30 c. He invites us to share with the special banquet God has prepared for us - Luke 14:16-32; Isa. 55:1, 2 2. He calls us for a number of specific reasons: a. He calls us out of a world of sin - Rev. 18:1-4; 2 Cor. 6:14-17 b. He calls us unto a life of holiness and dedication to God - 1 Pet. 2:9-11; Rom. 9:24 c. He calls us to work in His vineyard - Matt. 20:1-7 d. He will call us to share with Him the blessings of His coming kingdom - Luke 22:30 e. What is your attitude toward the presence of the Master, and His personal interest in you? f. Can you hear his voice and does your heart respond to the Master's call? - Isa. 65:1-11; Heb. 3:7-9 g. Our Master - what a wonderful knowledge it is to know that we are no longer a slave to sin, but that our Master is now Jesus Christ - Rom. 6:16, 17 ## THE GREAT PHYSICIAN A. "THOSE WHO ARE WELL HAVE NO NEED OF A PHYSICIAN, BUT THOSE THAT ARE SICK" - Matt. 9:9-13 1. The words of our text show that our Lord speaks of Himself as a Physician: a. Healing of bodily ailments was the main function of His ministry - Acts 10:38 b. It consumed the major portion of his time and energy - Matt. 11:5 c. The physician of the soul is a common picture in ancient thought - Jer. 8:22; Ex. 21:19 2. The work of a physician was most difficult in ancient Israel: a. The prohibition to the Jews to touch dead bodies - Num. 19:11; 31:19 b. They looked upon sickness as a punishment from God and for a doctor to heal the sick was to set himself against God's just punishment - John 9:1- 3; Luke 13:1-4 B. THE WORK OF A PHYSICIAN 1. It has been said that the lawyer sees men at their worst, a minister sees men at their best, and the doctor sees men as they are: a. That is the only way that he can help the sick. b. It would be impossible for him to know what to prescribe without knowing the nature of the ailment. 2. The physician is the man with the mind and the eye trained to diagnose what is wrong: a. He sees signs that a layman cannot see, and he interprets them in accordance of the law of the body. b. A cure is impossible unless and until the ailment has been ascertained. c. Having seen the man and fully diagnosed the sickness, the physician is eager to prescribe the remedy. d. The physician is the man who often will risk his health and life to help the sick to get well. e. The patient will and must trust the physician to be healed. C. JESUS CHRIST THE DIVINE PHYSICIAN 1. He is incomparable in the fullest sense of the word: a. He who made man to begin with knows our mental, moral, and physical difficulties. b. Knows and has the remedy for our troubles in his own power. c. His loving compassion moves him to bring healing to body and soul - Matt. 9:36; 15:32; Luke 7:32 2. He uses his own means and his own methods: a. Never the same. Compare Mark 10:46-52 with John 9:1-7; Matt. 15:22-28 b. To the lepers he said, "Go and show yourselves to the priests" - Luke 17:12 c. To another he said, "Take up thy bed and walk" - John 5:12 3. He goes to the root of our difficulty: a. Sin is the root of difficulties in life, and our Lord saves us from sin, thus prepares the way for the healing of mind and body - Mark 5:1-15; Luke 15:11-17 b. He and He alone has the power to deliver from the power of sin - Matt. 28:18-20 4. We, who seek to be healed, must cooperate with the Great Physician: a. "Wilt thou be made whole?" - John 5:6-9 b. "He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief" - Matt. 13:58; Mark 9:24 c. "Thy faith hath made thee whole" - Mark 5:34; Luke 8:48; 17:19 d. "The faith in his name made him whole" - Acts 3:16 5. It is most wonderful to note that our great Physician combined the forgiveness of sin with the healing of the body: Compare Ps. 103:1-3 with Mark 2:1-14 6. What has the great Physician done for you and me? a. Has He forgiven us our sin? b. Does He hear our prayers and heal all our sicknesses? ## THE THIEF VERSUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD - JOHN 10:10 A. THE BIBLE IS NOTED FOR TEACHING GREAT TRUTHS BY AND THROUGH CONTRASTS 1. The wheat and the tares: Matt. 13:38-40 2. The sheep and the goats: Matt. 25:32, 33 3. In our text we have the contrast between the good shepherd and the thief: John 10:1-10 B. LET US CONSIDER THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE THIEF AND THE GOOD SHEPHERD 1. The Thief: a. The word - Thief - horrifies us because it is synonymous with theft or stealing and murder or killing, as our text states. b. Satan is the personification of the Thief and Killer in our text - John 8:44 2. He seeks to steal from us the blessings of the gospel: a. Our joy - Phil. 4:4 b. Our peace - John 14:27 c. Our trust in God - Matt. 25:24, 25 d. Our faith in God's promises - 1 Tim. 1:19 e. Our very soul - Matt. 16:26 3. He is the chief Killer, the father of all murderers: a. Used religion to commit murder - Gen. 4:1-22 b. It injects sin and sin brings death - Jas. 1:15 c. He knows that his time is short - Rev. 12:12 d. It is high time that we too know the shortness of our time. 4. The Thief is after God's people: a. He has others already. b. He wants that which is precious to God. c. He knows that the Lord's portion is his people - Deut. 32:9; Ps. 33:12 EXAMPLES - 1) He wants to sift Peter - Luke 22:31, 32 2) Christ steps in and saves Peter. 3) He makes accusation against Joshua the high priest - Zech. 3:1; 4) the Lord steps in and saves the high priest and the people. C. THE GOOD SHEPHERD 1. He came into the world that we might have life and have it more abundantly: a. Think of the contrast: death and Satan; life and Christ the good Shepherd. b. We all love life; Satan knows that too! - Job 2:4 2. But the good Shepherd came to give us eternal life: a. That is His promise - Mark 10:28-30; 1 John 5:10-12 b. It will be given to the saints at His second coming - John 5:28, 29; 1 Thess. 4:13-17 c. It is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord - Rom. 6:23; 1 John 5:10-12 3. Eternal life is, like all God's promises, conditional: a. Repentance and conversion - Ezek. 18:21-33; John 3:3-9 b. Faith - John 3:16; Mark 16:16; Heb. 11:6 c. Obedience - Matt. 19:16; Rev. 22:14 d. Endurance - Matt. 24:12-14 ## THE GENTLENESS OF CHRIST - ISAIAH 42:3 A. OUR LORD INVITES US TO COME TO HIM AND LEARN OF HIM - Matt. 11:28-30 1. We adore Him as the embodiment of perfection: a. In Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily - Col. 2:9 b. He is the express image of the Father's person - Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:15 2. Our opening text gives us still another object lesson to learn: a. Gentleness, which expresses those virtues in man that are acceptable to men, and are a mark of nobility. b. The gentleness of Christ is a revelation of His royal relation to God the Father. B. THE GENTLENESS OF CHRIST MADE MANIFEST 1. "A bruised reed shall he not break": a. His rebuke of the disciples, "What manner of spirit are ye" (Luke 9:55) gives clear indication of the gentleness of our Lord. b. He ever recognized human limitation and dealt with man accordingly - Ps. 103:13-17; John 16:12 c. He always had a deep concern for men, "Have ye anything to eat?" "Give them to eat" - John 21:5; Matt. 14:16 d. He used the endearing expression, "children" when speaking to his disciples - John 13:33 2. Our Lord was very gentle to all men: a. Think of His bigheartedness in His invitation, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" - Matt. 11:28 b. He healed the ear of the servant of the high priest who had come to arrest him - Luke 22:51 c. Here is food for serious thinking on our part. Would we have done that to our enemy? d. Note how gentle the Master was in His conversation with the woman that came to the well to draw water. e. He knew her life and could have spoken severely to her, but not so, He was gentle - John 4:9-26 f. Think of how gentle He was with Peter on the night he betrayed Him - Mark 14:72; Luke 22:61 C. WONDERFUL LESSON FOR GOD'S PEOPLE ON THAT GREAT VIRTUE "GENTLENESS" 1. Our Lord's motive for dealing gently with sinful humanity: a. He loved the people, and that is the very essence of true and lasting gentleness. b. "Behold how he loved him!" - John 11:36 c. "Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end" - John 13:1 d. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you" - John 13:34 2. He saw great potentials in every person, and for that reason He was unto men as the dew is unto the tender plant: Hos. 14:1-6 a. He died for all because he saw what His redeeming grace could accomplish in their lives. b. He will have many trophies of His grace, among whom you and I will be. c. Said someone, "Where there is room to hope for anything, there is room to save all things." 3. Experience shows that: a. Gentleness is the only sure way of rekindling the spark of hope of lost souls - EXAMPLES - 1) The penitent thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 2) Mary Magdalene, out of whom the Lord had cast out seven devils, was among the first at the tomb of our Lord - Mark 16:9 b. The Good Samaritan applied this gentleness to the wounds of the man that had fallen among the bandits - Luke 10:32-36 4. Prayerful reflections: a. Gentleness in our words is a must for us as Christians - Eph. 4:32 b. "A soft answer turneth away wrath" - Prov. 15:1 c. "Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great." - 2 Sam. 22:36 d. Most of all our actions must express gentleness - Phil. 4:8; 2 Cor. 10:1; Tit. 3:2 ## MY LORD AND I - JOHN 3:30, 31 A. THE MISSION OF JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS NOT UNDERSTOOD EITHER BY SOME OF HIS DISCIPLES OR BY THE LEADERS OF THE JEWS 1. The Jews asked him, "Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?": 2. His answer was short and to the point: a. "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord" - John 1:21-23 b. To the disciples he said, "I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He must increase, but I must decrease" - John 3:25-30 B. "HE MUST INCREASE, BUT I MUST DECREASE" 1. Signification of our text: a. His influence must spread. b. "And Jesus increased in wisdom and in favor with God and man" - Luke 2:52 c. "And the fame of Him went out into every place of the country round about." - Luke 4:37 2. The Messianic ministry must increase: a. Matt. 4:24-26 b. Matt. 15:21-26 3. The number of His followers increased: a. John 3:30 b. Matt. 28:18-20 4. But I must decrease: a. When the sun appears on the horizon, the moon fades away. b. Candle lights, kerosene lamps, gas lights, and electric lights lose their effectiveness in the presence of the sunlight. c. So it is with the light of all men in the presence of Him, who said, "I am the light of the world" - John 8:12 d. He is, in truth, the light that shines in us, who are but candlesticks - Luke 8:16; 11:33 e. My Lord and I. 5. The reason for our decrease is most obvious: a. The moon borrows its light from the sun. b. What light the Christian has comes from the Sun of Righteousness - John 1:4, 5; 14:1-4 c. We shine when Christ, the light of the world, shines in us - Matt. 5:14-16 d. We are but a mirror reflecting the son of God, dwelling in us by faith - Gal. 1:15 C. MY LORD AND I 1. We must increase: a. The beauty of His character must become visible in my life - 1 Pet. 2:9 b. He, through the operation of the Holy Spirit, must be seen and heard in my life - Gal. 2:20 c. He must be allowed to subdue all sinful tendencies in me - Col. 3:17 2. But I must decrease: a. I, the old man, must die - Rom. 6:6; Gal. 5:24 b. I must deny all my selfish, sinful desires so that the work of grace can do its perfect work - Matt. 16:24 3. My Lord and I: a. How fortunate I am to be associated with the Lord of glory, with the hope of the world, with my loving, personal Saviour! b. As I meditate upon this relationship and the blessing it brings to my unworthy life, I feel as Peter must have felt when he said, "Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord" - Luke 5:8 c. To be connected with the Light of the World gives full assurance that darkness must flee away. d. The history of the church of God is full of examples of the blessing the light of the world brings to those who let it shine in and through them. ## THE BELIEVER'S ALL SUFFICIENCY IS IN CHRIST - PHILIPPIANS 4:13 A. "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST, WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME." 1. Experience shows that a Christian is constantly exposed to two deadly dangers: a. Overconfidence: EXAMPLE - 1) Peter had moments in his relation with Christ when he was overconfident of his abilities: "Though all men shall be offended, because of thee, yet will I never be offended" - Matt. 26:33-35; Mark 14:66-72 b. No confidence: EXAMPLE - 1) The disciples on numerous occasions showed no confidence in the power of the Master - John 6:5-7; Luke 8:24, 25 2. Both evils are because of our: a. Insufficient knowledge of our own ability - John 15:5; Rom. 10:1-3 b. Or of our unwillingness to place our confidence in Him who is all able - John 20:24-28 This is a major reason for our defeats in our Christian experience - Jas. 4 B. "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST, WHICH STRENGTHENETH ME." 1. Paul wrote out of the wealth of his experience; and we shall do well to consider his testimony: a. After considerable struggle with himself, he freely confessed, "I have no confidence in the flesh" - Phil. 3:3; "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing" - Rom. 7:18 b. It was after his surrender to Christ, and his daily witnessing to the enabling grace of God, he was fully authorized to speak the words of our text. 2. Let us consider the implications of our opening text: a. It indicates Christ's all-sufficiency for a full and happy life - 2 Pet. 1:2-9 b. The Christian is fully able to perform all duties derived from his connection with Christ. 3. Those duties are manifold: a. Love our enemies - Matt. 5:44 b. Bless when we are cursed. c. Pray for those who mistreat us. 4. The Christian can perform all sacrifices: a. Abraham did - Gen. 22:1-12 b. Joseph did - Gen. 39:1-18 c. Daniel did - Dan. 6:1-10 5. He can resist successfully all temptations: a. Joseph did - Gen. 39:1-18 b. The friends of Daniel did - Dan. 3 c. The Christian martyrs did - Heb. 11:36-40 6. He can successfully overcome all things: a. The lust of the flesh. b. The lust of the eyes. c. The pride of life - 1 John 2:15, 16; 5:1-5 C. OUR OPENING TEXT BRINGS TO LIGHT THE INEXHAUSTIBLE SUPPLY OF DIVINE STRENGTH PLACED AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE CHRISTIAN BELIEVER 1. Jesus Christ is that source: a. "For in him dwelleth the fullness of the Godhead bodily." - Col. 2:9 b. He assures us in the Gospel commission, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" - Matt. 28:18 1) He is the food for the soul - John 6:55 2) His blood is God's cleansing power - 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 3) His grace is sufficient for our every need - 2 Cor. 12:9 4) He is the eternal, unchangeable Saviour - Heb. 13:8; Mal. 3:6; Heb. 7:24-27 2. We think of the power of His word: a. By it He upholds the universe - Heb. 1:1-3 b. By it He transforms lives - 1 Pet. 1:22, 23; 1 John 3:7-9; 2 Pet. 1:2-8 c. By it He will raise the dead - John 5:28, 29; 1 Thess. 4:13-17 d. By it He will make all things new - Rev. 21; 22 ## A PLANT OF RENOWN A. "AND I WILL RAISE UP FOR THEM A PLANT OF RENOWN" - Ezek. 34:28, 29 1. The metaphor of our text refers to the Messiah: a. Isaiah speaks of the Messiah as "a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation." - Isa. 28:16 b. Zechariah alludes to Him as "a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem" - Zech. 13:1 c. Malachi speaks of "the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings" - Mal. 4:2 2. A plant of renown: a. The prophet Isaiah, when speaking of the Messiah, calls Him a Branch - Isa. 11:1 b. A similar idea is expressed by the prophet Jeremiah - Jer. 23:5 B. LET US CONSIDER 1. The Plant: a. Its frailty. When we study the nature of a plant we discover some of the wonders of the plant life. It is frail, easily damaged; not too promising to begin with. b. Of the Messiah it is written, "He shall grow up before him as a tender plant." - Isa. 53:2 c. Look at His place of birth - Nazareth. That town was considered least promising. "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?" - John 1:46; 18:5 2. The hidden character of the Plant: a. The divinity was shrouded in humanity - John 1:14; Phil. 2:6-11 b. He, the King of glory, took the form of a servant - Phil. 2:5-7 c. In his outward appearance, He seemed far from being the express image of God - Isa. 53:2 3. A Plant of renown: "I will raise up for them a plant of renown". The term "renown" signifies fame, celebrity, distinction. Christ is the Plant of Renown for five specific reasons: a. For unrivaled virtues. Time and space will not permit me to mention the medicinal virtues of this Plant; it yields a balm for every ill, the body, the soul, and the spirit. No disease is too powerful for it to cure - Acts 10:38 b. For its fruitfulness. Some plants yield no fruit, save it be beauty; but this Plant yields fruit in great abundance. Think of the fruit of the Spirit - Gal. 5:22-24; think of the lives that are transformed by its healing balm - Acts 10:38; Matt. 11:5 c. For its shade in the heat of the day. This is a very valued virtue in the East where the heat is intense most of the day - Isa. 25:4 d. For its vast extent. Its branches are bound only by the circumstances of the globe - 1 John 2:2; John 3:14; 12:32 e. For its perpetual virtues. It is an evergreen; its leaves never fade; and its virtues never fail. To this Plant all have access throughout the ages and to the ends of the world - 1 Cor. 10:1-12; Heb. 13:8 C. SOME VERY TIMELY QUESTIONS 1. What do we think of this Plant? 2. Do we admire it? 3. Have we receive some of its healing virtues? 4. Do we feed upon its delightful fruit? 5. Let the church of God exalt this plant; let us, as members of the church, point a sin-sick world to its saving virtues. Let its fame be spread abroad, that sinners may repair unto it to be healed. 6. "I will raise up for them a plant of renown." a. That plant is none other than the Son of man. He humbled himself, took our nature, lived among men, endured hunger and thirst. b. Will this plant of renown benefit our own soul? Will it bring to us the health which the soul needs to endure to the end? ## WISDOM FROM ABOVE - JAMES 3:17 A. "BUT THE WISDOM THAT IS FROM ABOVE IS FIRST PURE, THEN PEACEABLE, GENTLE, EASY TO BE ENTREATED, FULL OF MERCY AND GOOD FRUITS, WITHOUT PARTIALITY, AND WITHOUT HYPOCRISY." 1. Our text is a little, and yet complete, gospel of holy living: a. It emphasizes heavenly wisdom. b. That wisdom finds it embodiment in Jesus Christ, who is made unto us -- WISDOM - 1 Cor. 1:30 c. He is the wisdom of God - Verse 24 2. James contrasts the wisdom from above with the wisdom of this world: Compare Jas. 3:13-15 with verse 17. B. THE WISDOM FROM ABOVE 1. What is it? a. We have shown that Christ is the embodiment of the wisdom from above. b. Wisdom signifies the right application of knowledge. c. The power of judging rightly. EXAMPLES - 1) Our Lord and the snares of His enemies - Matt. 22:15-22 2) Solomon and the two women arguing over a child - 1 Ki. 3:16-28 d. Making wise decisions - Ps. 119:30-33 2. Source of Heavenly wisdom: a. The Bible is the basic source of true wisdom - 2 Tim. 3:15-17 b. The commandments of the Lord - Deut. 4:6; Ps. 119:98 c. Experience - Dan. 4:37; 6:26; Prov. 3:18 d. Prayer - Jas. 1:5-7; 1 Ki. 3:6-9 e. The Holy Ghost. EXAMPLES - 1) Stephen - Acts 6:6-10 2) Our Lord - Luke 2:46, 47 C. NATURE OF THE WISDOM FROM ABOVE 1. It is pure: a. Without guile - based upon the Word of the Lord - Ps. 12:6 b. It comes from the commandments of the Lord; they are pure - Ps. 19:9; 119:140 c. Every word of God is pure - Prov. 30:5 2. Peaceable: a. The God of peace -- its Source - Rom. 15:33; 2 Cor. 13:11 b. Christ the Prince of peace dwells in the heart - Isa. 9:6 c. The gospel of Christ is the gospel of peace which makes it the wisdom of peace for the saints. 3. Gentle: a. David - 2 Sam. 22:36 b. The apostles - 1 Thess. 2:7 c. A prerequisite of a minister - 2 Tim. 2:24 4. Easy to be entreated: It allows God and His children to reason with it. 5. Full of mercy: Matt. 5:7 a. The Samaritan - Luke 10:33-37 b. The parable of the debtor - Matt. 18:23-32 6. Without partiality: This is one of the most severe tests for anyone claiming to be a child of God. a. To be impartial takes grace from above for even God's children - Acts 6:1-3; 1 Tim. 5:21 b. Peter had to learn this lesson in the school of Christ - Acts 10:34, 35; Gal. 2:11-15 c. Admonition of James to the church - Jas. 2:1-9 d. Without hypocrisy - Hypocrisy is one of the great sins in the last days. e. Even God's professed people are not altogether free from this wickedness - 1 Tim. 4:2; Matt. 23:28 ## THE CROSS AND ITS MEANING - 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18 A. THE CROSS 1. Instrument of extreme cruelty: a. It was used by some nations to exact the severest penalty on criminals. b. Death on the cross or pole was looked upon as a measure against crime, so severe that the very thought of it would send terror into the heart of the lawless. 2. The Jewish nation adopted this punishment and used it on numerous occasions: a. Mention is made of this punishment in the book of Deut. 21:23 b. Paul refers to Deut. 21:23 in these words, "Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree" - Gal. 3:13 B. THE DEATH OF THE SON OF GOD ON THE CROSS ON CALVARY CHANGED THE MEANING OF THE CROSS 1. It is now an emblem of victory over sin: a. Paul uses the cross in that light, "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" - Gal. 6:14 b. To the Corinthians he writes, "For I am determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" - 1 Cor. 2:2 2. It has become, also, a symbol of victory over death: a. Satan knew that Christ would, through dying on the cross, doom him to destruction - Phil. 2:6-11; Heb. 12:2; 1 Cor. 15:26; Heb. 2:14 b. Not only did the death of Christ on the cross doom Satan, but death itself will be destroyed by reason of the death of our Lord on the cross of Calvary - 1 Cor. 15:55-57 c. As we think of the achievement of the death of our Lord on Calvary, we, too, glory in the cross because it is the emblem of hope for us over sin and death. C. THE CROSS AND ITS MEANING EXPLORED 1. Here we learn of the attitude of God toward sin: a. The bitter cry of the Son of God, "My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken me?" - Matt. 27:46 b. His fear that made him plead with his Father, "O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me" - Matt. 26:39 2. Here we see divine love in its brightest colors: a. "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do" - Luke 23:34 b. "This day thou shalt be with me in paradise" - Luke 23:43 c. "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree" - 1 Pet. 2:24 d. "When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son" - John 19:26 3. Here we see the terribleness of sin in its darkest colors: a. The bitter cry! He, who knew no sin, drank the cup that rightfully belonged to us - Matt. 27:26 b. His heart actually broke. That indicates the unspeakable pain that came to the Lamb of God - Ps. 69:21 c. It is here where God went into judgment with sin in the person of his only Son. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." - 2 Cor. 5:21 d. These facts make the cross of Christ the great fact of redemption; and we must consider all Bible truths in the light of that eternal fact. ## THE CROSS OF CHRIST - GALATIANS 4:14 A. "BUT GOD FORBID THAT I SHOULD GLORY, SAVE IN THE CROSS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, BY WHOM THE WORLD IS CRUCIFIED UNTO ME, AND I UNTO THE WORLD." 1. By the cross of Christ is not meant the mere wood on which He was crucified: a. It is superstition, and not piety, which is strengthened by handling and contemplating on a crucifix. b. There is no precedent in the Bible for using or venerating the sign of the cross. 2. By the cross of Christ, the apostle refers to the suffering and death of the Redeemer, the death by which the atonement was made: a. To glory in the cross means to delight in its achievement. b. To make it our boast. B. LET US NOTE, BRIEFLY, THE THINGS HIGHLY ESTEEMED BY OTHERS, AND DESPISED BY PAUL 1. The Jews boasted that they were the children of Abraham - John 8:39; but what good did that do to them? - John 8:44 a. Many glory in pious ancestors, but unless they will do the work of the ancestors, no good can come to them. b. People will call themselves Christians, but unless they live a Christian life, the name itself has no value to them - Rev. 3:1-3 c. The Pharisees boasted to be far above the common people, yet read what the Son of God says about them - Matt. 23:13-27 d. Some men boast of their learning. Paul ranks high among the educated, but he did not glory in his learning, but he gloried in the cross of Christ. 2. What was treated with great contempt was the object of Paul's glory: a. The person and rank of Christ were contemptible. b. That was true, also, of his doctrine, humility and mercy. c. His condescension was to minister unto others, and not be ministered unto; that was looked upon with great disdain. d. The gospel of Jesus Christ was thought of as foolishness. e. But most of all, the cross was a mark of great shame unto the world. C. THE APOSTLE PAUL HAD THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE REASON FOR GLORYING IN THE CROSS OF CHRIST. 1. By the cross of Christ was the curse that had rested upon the world removed: a. This is the very heart of the plan of redemption - Gal. 3:13; Gen. 3:19, 20 b. God sent his Son, not to condemn the world but to save it - John 3:16, 17 c. But how did he redeem the world through the death of the cross? 2. All blessings of the gospel flow from the cross of Calvary: a. Pardon - Col. 1:18 b. Peace - Col. 1:20, 21; Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14-16 c. Sanctification - Heb. 13:12 3. The cross of Christ furnishes us with our only right to pray to God: Eph. 2:14-17 4. The cross of Christ is the only real incentive to live and die for God: Gal. 2:20 5. The cross of Christ is the only constraining power to love others and, if need be, die for them: 6. The cross of Christ is the great instrument of the believers' triumph: 7. The gospel of the cross of Christ forms the background to a new world: 8. My prayerful appeal: a. Have you, dear friend, experienced the influence and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ? b. Can you show some tangible evidence in your life of the influence of the cross of Christ? Gal. 6:17 c. Has it made you hate sin and love righteousness? Unless that is your experience, you must obtain a deeper knowledge of the meaning of the cross of Christ. ## THE LIGHT OF THE CROSS ROMANS 5:6-8; 1 CORINTHIANS 8:11 A. THE PROPHET ISAIAH CRIES, "ARISE, SHINE; FOR THY LIGHT IS COME, AND THE GLORY OF THE LORD IS RISEN UPON THEE. FOR, BEHOLD, THE DARKNESS SHALL COVER THE EARTH, AND GROSS DARKNESS THE PEOPLE." Isa. 60:1, 2 1. Sin creates darkness: a. Satan blinds the minds of the unbelievers - 2 Cor. 3:14; 4:4 b. Darkness becomes the covering for all whose deeds are sinful - John 3:19, 20 c. The darkness, created by sin, leads to eternal destruction - Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 25:30 2. The cross of Christ brings light to all who accept the atonement made on the cross: a. That is where the penitent Thief found light for his soul - Luke 23:38-44 b. That is where all who sit in darkness see the light of their redemption - Matt. 4:16 B. LET US LOOK AT THE LIGHT OF THE CROSS 1. Christ died for the ungodly! a. Ps. 58:4 b. Prov. 10:16 c. Rom. 3:10 Ungodly means to attempt to live without God in our thoughts, words, and actions - Ps. 14:1-7. By nature we all are ungodly; every one looks upon his own way - Isa. 53:6; Rom. 3:9-19 2. He died for sinners: a. That is the real cause of the death of Christ. b. Rom. 4:25; Isa. 53:5; 1 Pet. 2:24 c. We all have sinned and come short of the glory of God - Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:22 d. Thus the whole world, without any exception, is responsible for the death of the Son of God. e. For that reason the whole world must look to the crucified and risen Saviour for light - Isa. 45:22 3. He died for the weak: a. There are many weak souls in the church of God - 1 Cor. 11:30; 2 Cor. 11:30 b. Who has not felt his weakness in the face of the constant pressure of life? c. That fact ought to encourage us to say with Paul, "for when I am weak, then I am strong" - 2 Cor. 12:10 d. That ought, also, to help us to be more considerate toward our weak brother - Rom. 15:1; 1 Cor. 12:22 4. He died for our brother: a. We are, when we accept Jesus Christ, brethren. b. A brother is very closely related to us in the light of the cross of Christ - Gen. 13:8; Jas. 4:11; 1 Cor. 8:10, 11 c. The sacrifice on the cross makes our responsibility toward our brother much greater. 5. Christ died for all: a. That means that the light of the cross is to be brought to the whole world. b. "Ye are the light of the world" - Matt. 5:13-16 c. It means that our duty to God and man is never finished until the light of the cross has reached every darkened nation, every darkened home, and every darkened heart. 6. Beloved, is that what you see in the message that comes from the cross of Calvary? a. How it ought to embolden us to take this blessed gospel into every corner of this world - Matt. 28:18-20 b. How it ought to make us willing to give all we are and all we have to take the good news to all who sit in darkness. ## THE ATTRACTION OF THE CROSS - JOHN 12:32, 33 A. THE MERITS OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST OFFERS TO SINNERS 1. Complete and eternal liberty: a. From the guilt of sin - John 8:36; Rom. 7:24; 8:1, 2. What a love gift centers in the cross of Christ! b. From the enslaving power of sin - Rom. 6:1-3; 14- 16; Acts 26:18. True freedom centers in the atonement made for us on Calvary. c. From the eternal consequences of sin - 2 Cor. 5:17-21; Mi. 7:18, 19. One might exclaim, O the height and depth of mercy! Rom. 11:33 2. It brings to the believer a new and brighter outlook: a. We learn the true value of life in the light of the cross of Christ. b. It will teach us to value it more than we would in a world of sin and selfishness - Eph. 1:1-6; Phil. 1:21; Ps. 8:4-6 c. It reveals the value the Creator and Redeemer places upon our lives - Jer. 31:1-3; John 3:16 d. One sees a new and hopeful future for the human race - Luke 23:43, 44; 2 Pet. 3:12, 13; Heb. 11:14-16. When we read Hebrews Chapter 11 we find that the history of God's people has ever been the same; all the saints looked forward to a new and better world. B. IT CHANGES THE VALUE OF THE PENITENT SINNER 1. He is, by nature, a sinner: a. Isa. 40:15; Job 10:9; Ps. 103:14 b. Ps. 62:9; Isa. 40:6; 1 Pet. 1 2. He became, in the light of the cross: a. A saint - Phil. 4:21 b. A fellow heir to God's promises - Gal. 3:26-29 c. A trophy of God's grace - John 3:16; Eph. 2:7, 8 d. A Son of God - John 1:10, 11 C. WHAT DO ALL THESE THINGS MEAN TO YOU AND TO ME? 1. Much in every way: a. We need not worry about our confessed sins; they were taken care of on the cross of Calvary. b. Christ died for our sins - 1 Cor. 15:3; Rom. 14:9; 2 Cor. 5:14, 15 c. That fact alone should keep the memory of the cross of Christ alive in our hearts forever. Matt. 26:26-28; 1 Cor. 11:23-29 2. It gives sanctified reason for us to be fully dedicated to the gospel of the cross of Christ: a. "From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." - Gal. 6:17 b. "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus" - Gal. 6:14 3. Here are some soul-saving facts of the benefits derived from the gospel of the cross of Christ: a. It will give us rest and assurance forever - Rom. 8:1-3, 31-33 b. Think of the invitation of the Lord Jesus Christ: "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matt. 11:28 c. It makes us beloved in the Beloved. God sees us, not as we are but as the gospel of Jesus Christ has transferred us out of darkness into his marvelous light - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 1) These blessings of the cross place new and great responsibilities upon every person born into this world. 2) How can we, in the light of the cross of Christ, continue in sin? Heb. 10:26-29 3) How can we close our eyes to the infinite price paid for our redemption? ## THE PEACE OF THE CROSS - COLOSSIANS 1:20-22 A. DESIRE OF THE AGES 1. Peace and tranquility: 2. Lasting peace, the desire of the nations: 3. The tragic story of history: a. Ambassadors of peace are bitterly disappointed - Isa. 33:7; 38:17 b. The real enemy of lasting peace is sin in the hearts of men - Jer. 17:9 c. There is no peace where sin rules the hearts of the people - Jer. 6:14 4. Our world has been without real peace ever since Lucifer stirred up a rebellion in this universe: Rev. 12:7-12 a. Selfishness is at the bottom of the unrest among the nations. b. The spirit of lawlessness is another contributory factor to the trouble in the world. B. THE PEACE OF THE CROSS 1. Christ made peace when He slew the enmity between the people: a. "We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" - Rom. 5:1 b. This is the peace announced by the angels when they sang, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men" - Luke 2:14 c. "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace." - Eph. 2:14, 15 2. Peace of the cross is expressed in God's attitude of forgiveness: a. "Forgive them; for they know not what they do" - Luke 23:34 b. "And you, that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblemished and unreprovable in his sight." - Col. 1:21, 22 3. It holds out God's faith in the lives of sinners: a. "They know not what they do" - Luke 23:34 b. "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son" - Rom. 5:10 c. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." - Rom. 5:6, 8 EXAMPLES - 1) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:37-44 2) Saul, later called Paul - Acts 9:15 3) Christ would have died for one sinner - Luke 15:4-7 4. Christ overcame all His enemies on the cross: a. Lucifer - Rom. 16:20; Heb. 2:14 b. Death - 1 Cor. 15:26; Eph. 2:14-16 c. All enemies - Eph. 2:14, 15; Col. 2:14-16 C. BLESSINGS OF THE PEACE OF THE CROSS 1. It brings peace to the heart: a. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus - Rom. 8:1 EXAMPLES - 1) Stephen - Acts 6:15 2) Daniel - Dan. 6:21,22 3) Joseph - Gen. 39:22, 23; 40:1-23 4) Many other servants of God. b. When we possess peace in our soul, nothing outwardly can disturb us. 2. It is peace of character: a. We have such examples as Joseph, Daniel, Abraham, and other great Bible characters. b. Character is that part of man which expresses the highest ideal in word, thought and action. c. Actually, character is what a person is and does. d. When we can say with Job, "My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live." Job 27:6 ## THE SMITTEN ROCK - EXODUS 17:5 A. SETTING OF OUR TEXT 1. Israel in dire need of water: a. They camped at Rephidim, a place devoid of water. b. Men and beasts were suffering from want of water. 2. Israel, as usual, chided with Moses, blaming him for their lack of water: a. "Give us water that we may drink" b. This attitude by ancient Israel reveals a spiritual blindness that is so common among the professed people of God. c. They looked to men for the impossible, whereas they should have turned to the Lord for help. 3. It was at this point that God, in mercy, directed Moses to smite the rock: a. Water gushed out of the rock to supply the need of men and beasts. b. But the people continued to plague Moses, unmindful of the blessings of God. B. OBSERVE, PLEASE, THE TYPICAL ALLUSION OF THE SMITTEN ROCK AT REPHIDIM TO CHRIST THE ROCK OF AGES 1. The circumstances of the people: a. They were in need of water to keep themselves and their animals alive. b. There was no earthly way for anyone to supply this water in that place. 1) Moses knew and understood this situation; but the people did not, they looked to Moses to supply the water. 2) They left God out of their need, and that was a serious mistake on their part. 2. How completely destitute is man outside of Jesus Christ: a. "Without me ye can do nothing" - John 15:5 b. "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" - John 14:6 c. Yet how easy it is to look to poor mortals for help to supply our needs! Jer. 2:12, 13 C. GOD'S GRACIOUS CONDESCENSION 1. A loving and compassionate God provided the needed water: a. Man's extremity is God's opportunity. b. God used the most forbidding and most unlikely means to give them water - He had it come out of a rock, a flint-rock at that. c. He directed Moses to smite the rock in the presence of the Lord. d. Living water gushed forth from the rock to satisfy the needs of Israel. 2. This miraculous experience typified the smitten Rock of ages: a. The rock from which they got their water was none other but Christ - 1 Cor. 10:4 b. The Saviour must have alluded to the experience at Rephidim in his call to the people on the last day of the feast, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink" - John 7:37 3. The water at Rephidim came from the smitten rock: a. The blessings of salvation can come to us only by God smiting the Rock of ages - Zech. 13:7; Matt. 27:37 b. The soldiers pierced His side and blood and water came out of it - John 19:34 4. The experience of Israel at Rephidim has some very timely lessons for us today: a. God allows men at times to get into dire and seemingly hopeless circumstances - 1) To expose their true nature and hopelessness. 2) To direct them to the plan of salvation. b. He sends us help from the most unlikely places. c. He allows circumstances to blur our vision or view, not to discourage us but to help us to turn to our great helper. d. That will give us a better view of heavenly things. e. May the water of life meet our every need. ## TRAVESTY UPON JUSTICE - JOHN 18:12-27 A. THE JEWS, WHO HAD THE POWER OF MINOR COURT TRIALS 1. Professed to be governed by the law of the Lord: a. This, however, was true only superficially, as seemed to their own advantage. b. They, of course, had their own interpretation of the law. 2. The records show that during the trial of Christ they disregarded all the elements of justice indicated in the law and blindly sought to destroy Christ: a. By using methods condemned by the law - Acts 23:3 b. By using impugnation before a verdict could be based upon the evidence at hand. B. TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE AT THE COURT OF HIS PEOPLE 1. Prosecutors: a. A trial by night; that in itself was contrary to sound law. b. The testimony of false witnesses received - 1) The testimonies were self-contradictory - Mark 14:56 2) They falsified His words, making up sayings that He never said - Mark 14:58, 59; John 2:19. Even their own testimony was contradictive. c. They attempted to make Christ witness against Himself. d. They denied the office of the rulers. 2. Conduct of Jesus: a. He met fury with dignified self-control. b. Even Pilate had to exclaim at the trial of our Lord, "Behold the man! John 19:5 c. He answered the questions, concerning Himself and His ministry, with calmness and great dignity. d. The undeserved abuse He bore in great humility - Isa. 53:6 e. He was the only person at the trial that revealed a sense of justice, even in the face of gross injustice by His own people. 3. The conduct of His accusers: a. They disqualified themselves meting out justice - 1) Through unreasonable bias. 2) They showed personal venom toward Christ. b. They brought out a verdict of guilt without the needed evidence in the case. c. They put a false construction upon his words. d. They pretended that His avowal of Himself was a confession of guilt. e. They subjected Him to great indignation without any justifiable reason! 4. A friend that failed: a. Peter, who was so confident of himself a few hours before the trial, assured his Master that he would never forsake Him but failed to keep his promise. b. He moved to a dangerous place - 1) Warmed himself at the fire of the enemy - Luke 22:56-58 2) Denied his Lord three times - Mark 14:71 5. Why did that friend fail? a. He slept when he should have been in prayer. b. He trusted self when he should have leaned on the Lord. C. A LESSON FOR GOD'S PEOPLE TODAY 1. The trial of our Lord, by His own people, was a miscarriage of justice: a. Because they had rejected His message. b. That blinded them to truth and justice. c. By rejecting the Lord they placed themselves into the service of Satan, a murderer. 2. When we blind ourselves to the teachings of Jesus Christ, we, too, will become the agents of Satan, and so do his will even in the halls of Justice: 3. Rejection of light leaves no alternatives: a. He, who is not for Christ, is against Him - Matt. 12:30 b. There are but two Masters to choose from and to serve - Christ or Satan. c. The Jews preferred to serve Satan because they hated the Son of God and killed Him. d. What would we have done in their place? ## "LET HIM DELIVER HIM NOW" - MATTHEW 27:43 A. "HE TRUSTED IN GOD; LET HIM DELIVER HIM NOW: FOR HE SAID, `I AM THE SON OF GOD'" 1. These words, although slanderous in intent, are a fulfillment of Bible prophecy: a. "All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him." Ps. 22:7, 8 b. It seems incredible that men professing faith in God can become so heartless, without pity and without any compassion, as men manifested at the crucifixion of the Son of God. 2. What makes the crime against the Son of God more hideous is the fact: a. The murderers of the Son of God claimed to be the children of God, sons of Abraham - John 8:33-44 b. How many beastly crimes against the human race have not been committed in the name of religion! John 16:2 B. IMPLICATIONS OF OUR OPENING TEXT 1. An unusual acknowledgement by sinners: a. "He trust in God" 1) Could sinners give a higher compliment to the Son of God! b. Some of them must have observed Him when He was in prayer - John 11:41 c. They knew of the Lord's intimacy with His Father, and His reliance upon God - John 12:49, 50; Matt. 6:25-32 d. They were aware of His blameless life. Never did they accuse Him of carelessness or hypocrisy; they attacked His teaching only. 2. Essence of the taunt of sinners: a. He trusted in God; let Him deliver him now. b. This taunt was peculiarly painful, make no mistake. 1) God allowed His Son to suffer fearful abuse and the pain of the cross without interference by Him. 2) The bitter cry of the Son of God, in His dying moments, "My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?" seemed to support their taunt. 3. The taunt of sinners seeks to pin suffering and pain to sin: a. Even the disciples had this idea - John 9:2; Luke 13:1-4 b. Heathens had this idea - Acts 28:4 c. They ignored the prophecy which gives the reason for our Lord's suffering and death - Isa. 53:1-12 C. GOD'S FAITHFULNESS 1. Our God does deliver us out of trouble: a. That is His gracious promise - Ps. 41:1; 50:15 b. The Bible teems with vivid examples of such deliverance by God - 1) Joseph - Gen. 37: 39; 41 2) Daniel and his friends - Dan. 2; 3; 4; 6 3) Jeremiah - Jer. 38:6, 13 4) Paul and Silas - Acts 16:25-30 5) Peter and a host of other witnesses. 2. Sinners forget that the suffering and the death of Christ were for them; they were entirely because of our transgression: a. He was made sin for us - 2 Cor. 5:21 b. God dealt with sin in the person of His Son c. This was done by God to justify or satisfy the broken law - Rom. 5:12-19; 8:1-3 3. The Father did deliver the Son from death: a. He did not permit His body to see corruption - Acts 2:27 b. He brought forth the Captain of our salvation from the dead - Rom. 1:3, 4 c. The suffering and death of the Son of God were vicarious. d. They were voluntary - John 10:18 e. They were for our sakes - 1 Cor. 15:3 f. He took the cup that rightfully belonged to you and me. ## "THEY WATCHED HIM THERE" - MATTHEW 27:36-38 A. IMPORTANT BACKGROUND TO OUR TEXT 1. The place of the scene -- Calvary or skull: Luke 23:33 - "a bare skull" 2. The scene: The crucifixion of our Lord. That scene will be immortalized for what it stands for. B. "THEY WATCHED HIM THERE" 1. "They": a. The chief priests, the perpetrators of the crime of the ages - Matt. 27:20-25; Luke 23:23 b. A large number of spectators who had tried "crucify him" - Luke 23:4, 5, 35 c. The Roman soldiers and their officers, who had their sport with the "king of the Jews" - Matt. 27:27; Luke 23:36 d. Some of our Lord's close friends were there too - 1) Chief among them was his sorrowing mother - John 19:25-28 2) Some of the disciples, notable was John the Beloved - John 19:25-27 2. "They watched Him there": They were interested in His behavior on the shameful cross. a. Would He break down and plead for mercy from the tormentors? b. Would He call for vengeance against His enemies? c. Would His attitude remain the same as they had seen it when He healed the sick and comforted the sorrowing? 3. What they could have seen: a. That Christ was not a criminal, but actually the Son of God - Matt. 27:54 b. He manifested God's love under the severest test - Luke 23:34, 45, 46 c. They could have seen the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world - John 1:29 4. What they said about Him is most enlightening: a. "He saved others" - 1) What a testimony to the mission of the Son of God, at a time when Satan exhausted his fury to discredit and destroy Him! 2) That was an admission, on their part, that they were crucifying the Saviour and not a criminal. b. "Let him save himself" - 1) He could have done so had He not, voluntarily, suffered and died for my sins. 2) He could have asked His Father and He would have given an order to the angels to deliver the Son of God out of the hands of His enemies. c. "He trusted in God" - 1) What an inadvertent acknowledgement of the fidelity of the Son of God! 2) This was one time the enemies of Christ spoke the truth! d. "Let Him deliver him now" - 1) Ah! Here is reason for pause by all who watch our suffering Saviour on the shameful cross! 2) Why did the Father fail to intervene for His Son? 3) Had He done so, then you and I would be lost forever - Rom. 8:31-33 C. WATCHING OUR LORD ON THE CROSS 1. Only there can we see the terribleness of sin: a. When Martin Luther, so we are told, wanted to overcome certain sins in his life, he spent time near a crucifix in prayer and meditation. b. Only in the shadow of the cross of Christ will we learn to see sin in its sinfulness. c. Only in the light of the cross of Christ will we see hope for our sinful soul. 2. It is there where the morning star can be seen in all its heavenly glory: a. That is where one of the thieves saw the star of his hope - Luke 23:36-44 b. All who truly desire salvation will find it there - Gal. 3:13; Isa. 53:1-12 c. The story of the cross of Christ will be the subject of learning throughout all the ages to come. Is that what you see as you study the mystery of the cross? ## THE AGONY OF CHRIST - LUKE 22:44 A. "AND BEING IN AGONY, HE PRAYED MORE EARNESTLY" 1. Our text is connected with one of the most interesting and affected events in the history of this world: a. This is so, whether we contemplate the person or the sufferer; b. Or consider the reason for his agony. 2. Of special interest is: a. The cause of our Lord's anguish. b. The extent of His suffering. c. The great end of His suffering. B. LET US CONSIDER OUR TEXT IN THE LIGHT OF THE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH HIS HISTORICAL AGONY 1. The person of the illustrious Sufferer: a. It was none other but His Majesty the Son of God - Heb. 1:3; Col. 2:9; Isa. 9:6 b. It was the Son of man, our older Brother. 1) It was His humanity that shrank back from suffering and shame. 2) It was His knowledge that He was to be made sin, when He knew no sin, that brought on the agony - 2 Cor. 5:21 2. The agony itself: a. Luke is the only writer that mentions our Lord's agony. b. The word "agony" signifies - 1) Deep and intense mental suffering - "He began to be sorrowful" 2) For although He was a man of sorrow, yet all His previous griefs were as nothing, with what He felt, were as drops as to the swelling billows which now went over His head. 3. Two statements, as recorded by Mark, indicate the intensity of the agony of Christ: a. "he began to be sore amazed, and to be every heavy" b. "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful unto death" - Mark 14:32-35 It fills my soul with awe as I put down these words; it seems as if I were near Him when He was in deep agony! 4. Cause of the agony: a. It arose from the pressure of the world's guilt laid upon Him - 1) Although He was spotless, yet it pleased the Father to lay upon Him the iniquity of us all - 1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18; Isa. 53:6 2) God gave up His Son to suffering and death for us all - Rom. 8:3-7; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 8:31-33 b. The curse of sin rested upon the innocent One - Gal. 3:13 c. The agony of our Lord's suffering was intensified by our Father hiding His face for a moment - Matt. 27:46 5. Effects of the agony: a. He became physically exhausted - Luke 22:43 b. Sweat drops fell from His sorrowing face as drops of blood. c. It was necessary for an angel to come to strengthen Him - Luke 22:43 C. THE PRAYER OUR LORD OFFERED 1. He prayed more earnestly: a. There was much at stake - your and my destiny. The destiny of the plan of redemption depended upon what happened within twenty-four hours. b. He loved both His Father and also the human race, and sought to give all to both. 2. With strong cries and tears, He pled with God for help: Luke 22:44; Heb. 5:7 a. "Take this cup from me, Father" The cup of suffering and shame which did not belong to Him. b. "but not as I will, but as thou wilt" Luke 22:42; Matt. 26:42; Mark 14:36; John 18:11 3. Lesson for us: a. The amazing evil of sin! Our finite minds shall never realize the exceeding sinfulness of sin. b. Learn the price of our salvation - 1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 c. The sympathy of our Lord learned through suffering - Heb. 4:15 ## THE WOUNDS OF A FAITHLESS FRIEND - LUKE 22:47-50 A. IF WE HAD NEVER READ THE STORY OF THE BETRAYAL OF CHRIST, WE MIGHT NEVER DREAM OF A PROFESSED BELIEVER IN CHRIST TO BE THE BETRAYER OF THE SON OF GOD 1. The treachery that surprises: a. A convenient tool. b. One who lived a double life - 1) He was a professed follower of Christ; 2) and at the same time a Thief; 3) and the betrayer of the Son of God - Mark 14:10, 11 2. The Bible teaches: a. That the love of money is the root of evil - 1 Tim. 6:10 b. Here we see the conflict between following the Lord of love and self-denial and the love of money. B. THE WOUNDS OF A FAITHLESS FRIEND 1. It reveals a master stroke of the devil: a. He knows and seeks out the double minded members of the church. b. He knows only too well how unstable they are - Jas. 1:8 c. The double minded have sin in their hearts - Jas. 4:8 d. He knows their great potentials as effective agents for or against the cause of God. 2. The treachery of Judas: a. He used the symbol of love for a base purpose - to betray the Son of God into the hands of His enemies. b. He used the kiss to deliver his Master to be murdered by Satan's agents. 3. There is no other treachery as great as the one by a false brother: a. That is what Paul says - 2 Cor. 11:13; Gal. 2:4 b. The Lord forewarns God's people of such treachery in the last days - Matt. 24:10 c. Brother shall betray brother - Mark 13:12 d. Not even the one sleeping in your bosom is to be trusted completely - Mi. 7:5 4. Judas recognized the wrong of his treachery, but too late: a. "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood" - Matt. 27:4 b. That confession was too late, the act of the treachery had been consummated too far, it was irreversible. c. What an impression this treachery should make on us this morning! d. We must ever keep in mind that Satan is on the lookout to use a double-minded Christian to do injury to the cause of Christ - Luke 22:31; Mark 14:67-71 C. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE RESULT OF THE TREACHERY AND THE EVENTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT 1. The arrest: a. The armed mob coming out to take Jesus shows that they judged Him by themselves; they themselves were overpowered; they felt the Majesty of His presence - John 18:6 b. They could have known that He was their Superior! c. His nonresistance was not that He was powerless, but rather it was a manifestation of nonresistance! d. In this our Lord indicates the spirit and method of meeting the enemy - nonresistance. 2. A rash defender: a. Peter, impetuous but sincere, felt it his duty to prevent the arrest of the Master. b. He used physical force with no good effect. c. But the Lord had no need of Peter's carnal defense. d. There were legions of angels awaiting to be permitted to intervene - Matt. 26:56 e. The Lord of glory could have smitten His captors with one word - Rev. 19:15 f. This ought to teach us that divine triumph never comes through carnal means - Zech. 4:6 g. When the church uses carnal means to subdue others, that is an indication that it has no spiritual power. h. In closing, let us seek an answer to this question: Do we, as professed Christians, use a double standard? ## "IT IS FINISHED!" - JOHN 19:30 A. THESE ARE, IF THAT IS POSSIBLE, THE MOST MEANINGFUL WORDS EVER SPOKEN BY OUR LORD 1. They are, in truth, the death warrant against Satan, the chief instigator of sin: a. "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly" - Rom. 16:20 b. Satan knows that he is under sentence and his time is very short - Rev. 12:12 2. It is, thank God, the emancipator's proclamation to every victim and slave of sin: a. "He hath sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" - Isa. 61:1; 2 Tim. 2:26; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 b. "The people which sat in darkness saw a great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up." - Matt. 4:16; 1 Pet. 3:18, 19 3. It is the Magna Carta of the believers and their liberty: a. From sin - 1 Cor. 15:3; Matt. 1:21 b. From the power of Satan - Rev. 12:10; Luke 10:18; Acts 26:18 c. From the power of death and the grave - Hos. 12:13; Heb. 2:1-16 B. "IT IS FINISHED" 1. A life of loving obedience: Phil. 2:6-11; Ps. 40:8; John 12:49 2. He showed the way of obedience unto us: Matt. 26:39; John 10:18; Heb. 5:8 3. The old dispensation of types came to an end - type had been met by the anti-type: a. Luke 23:45; Heb. 10:1-9 b. Heb. 7:18, 19; 8:13 c. The sacrifice of animals came to an end - Heb. 9:8-12 4. God's moral law had been vindicated: Ps. 40:6-8; Matt. 5:17-19 5. The all-sufficient sacrifice for sin has been made once and forever more: Heb. 9:25-28; 10:10-14 6. The work of redemption, as far as the sacrifice was concerned, was finished: a. The moment had come when the consummation of the plan of redemption could be seen! b. The hope and expectation of all the pilgrims of God in all ages see that their hope has a solid foundation. c. The unfallen angels have seen and are fully satisfied - 1 Tim. 3:16 d. The mystery of iniquity has been fully exposed to the full view of the universe. 7. Meditate upon these scriptures: a. John 9:4; 17:4; Gal. 1:4 b. Rom. 8:2; 1 John 5:12; Gal. 3:13; Rev. 21:6 C. "IT IS FINISHED" 1. Can you, dear reader, fathom the signification of these words? a. The Son of God had work to do - John 9:4 b. To perform this work, Christ came, lived, taught, and died! c. He had fought with the most determined foes in the universe - Rev. 12:9; He had met and defeated him once and for all times. d. He had lived among men, shared life's experience with men - Heb. 2:14-16 e. He had prayed much and labored much; He had healed the sick and raised the dead. f. He had lived a sinless life. 2. What do all these things mean to you and to me? a. Mortal tongue cannot tell nor even begin to tell the meaning of the closing words of Christ on the cross. b. But this we do know, that all that pertains unto our salvation, on God's part, has been completed. c. When can we say, "It is finished?" 2 Tim. 4:6-8 ## CHRIST-CENTERED FAITH - PART I - MATTHEW 15:21-28 A. THE PLEA OF A MOTHER FOR HER SUFFERING DAUGHTER 1. Her daughter was plagued by a demon: 2. This woman, not of the Jewish nation, knew of the compassionate ministry of Christ, the son of David: 3. She begged for help: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil" B. THE ENCOUNTER OF THAT MOTHER WITH CHRIST 1. He met her plea with silence: 2. The disciples attempted to intervene, but how? "Send her away" 3. His response to their suggestion: "I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" 4. The woman's attitude: a. "She came near him and worshipped him." b. She would have had cause to give up in despair; but no, she was in need of help and nothing could stop her from getting it. 5. The final and climactic test came; it was more severe: a. Said Jesus, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to the dogs" b. That should have silenced every hope in the heart of that mother! c. But, no, she was more determined than ever; she had a ready and convincing answer. "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table." 6. Her argument was overwhelming and very convincing: a. Said the Master, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee as thou wilt." b. Victory over national prejudice and related obstacles had come at last. What a triumph in the hour of seeming hopelessness! c. What a lesson for the disciples, and for us, who may have similar difficulties because of race or religious prejudices! C. THE POWER OF CHRIST-CENTERED FAITH 1. This troubled mother recognized in Christ the great Healer: a. She knew that He had the power over demons and could cast them out. b. She believed that His heart of mercy would cross the race line and help her child. c. She saw in Christ the only hope for her daughter - Acts 4:12 2. Her faith had four specific qualities: a. It was clear sighted: She understood the trouble of her child - demon possessed; she knew that medical science could do nothing for the child. b. It was great because it was humble; she cried for mercy; she made no claims to deserve God's mercy; she fell down and worshipped the Lord; she manifested humility under the most severe tests. c. It was earnest: She made use of the opportunity while the Master was near; she made the case of her daughter her own, "have mercy on me". d. It was great because it was persistent: It refused to be discouraged; it found in the very heart of discouragement, encouragement. Think of her argument in the face of seeming impossibility! 3. The great lesson for us: a. It reveals to us the power of Christ-centered faith! b. Our need of salvation and our knowledge of the Saviour are a force that cannot be defeated - 1 John 5:4 c. It ought to help us not to become discouraged when the answer to our prayers is delayed for a time. d. It ought to take all pride of "self" out of our hearts and fill us with humility. e. Finally, the faith of that mother triumphed; will our faith triumph? ## CHRIST-CENTERED FAITH - PART II - LUKE 23:42 A. THE PRAYER OF THE PENITENT THIEF ON THE CROSS IS MEMORABLE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS 1. It was made under the least favorable circumstances: a. In a seemingly hopeless surrounding. b. It came after he had jointly mocked the bleeding Saviour - Matt. 27:44 2. It shows that where there is life there is hope: a. He had a change of heart in the shadow of death. b. It reveals that he had a certain knowledge of the kingdom of Christ--"remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom" - Luke 23:42 B. THE POWER OF CHRIST-CENTERED FAITH 1. It creates a penitent attitude: a. He sees that his punishment was just. b. "We indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds" - Luke 23:41 c. "Doest thou not fear God?" d. It brought a complete change into the life of the suffering criminal. 2. It lifted the dying thief beyond his hopelessness and despair: a. Not so with the other criminal! Think of his cry of despair - "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us" - Luke 23:39 b. It enabled him to see the light of hope in the darkest and most forbidding environment. c. He sees a different reason for the death of Christ on the cross! 3. He calls Christ "Lord": a. At a moment when the world looked upon Christ as "a defeated imposter". b. Many see Christ in a place of honor and esteem, but not on the shameful cross! c. Oh! The power and vision of a Christ-centered faith! d. We need that faith to appreciate the Christ of the Bible crucified for our sins! e. That was the great revelation to Paul - 1 Cor. 1:23 C. OUR LORD'S RESPONSE TO THIS CHRIST-CENTERED PRAYER OF FAITH 1. It was instant and powerfully reassuring: a. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee today, thou shalt be with me in paradise" - Luke 23:43 b. It transferred a condemned but penitent thief from eternal condemnation to the kingdom of the Son God! c. This raises a very serious question--does our prayer do that for us? 2. Think of the meaning of our Lord's answer? a. All sins of the sinner are blotted out as if they never had been committed - Mi. 7:18, 19; Isa. 44:22 b. No other condition for forgiveness and hope are stated! c. Our Lord literally transfers the penitent thief from a state of condemnation to commendation! 3. All this and more is the fruit of the Christ-centered faith: a. The thief saw salvation in the light of the cross on Calvary! b. He trusted in the merits of the atonement made for sinners on the cross. c. This is the real faith that will bring eternal redemption to the one who is blessed with it; it matters not what his past might have been! 4. Oh! What a lesson for me and you, dear reader: a. Light and hope in the darkest and most forbidding environment! b. A faith that is able to center in Jesus Christ and Him crucified for me and for you! c. A faith that can trust God, who gave His only Son to save us from sin and give us the hope of eternal life - John 3:16 ## PRECIOUS FAITH - 2 PETER 1:1 A. "SIMON PETER, A SERVANT AND AN APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST, TO THEM THAT HAVE OBTAINED LIKE PRECIOUS FAITH WITH US THROUGH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD AND OUR SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST." 1. Precious faith defined: a. Faith which is of inestimable value - EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham's faith - Gen. 22:1-12; Rom. 4:17; Heb. 11:8-19 2) The faith of the centurion - Matt. 8:1-10 3) The woman of Canaan - Matt. 15:22-28 b. Faith that is highly effective - Matt. 17:20 c. Such a faith is the gift of God - Rom. 10:17; Luke 17:5 B. PRECIOUS FAITH 1. Faith is precious because it has Jesus Christ as its object: a. Who can tell the preciousness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? 1) In dignity He is higher than the loftiest seraph in the heavens! 2) In relationship He is the Son of God! 3) In power He is the Creator and Redeemer of the world! 4) In love He is the very essence of love itself! b. He is my personal Saviour! Gal. 2:20; Phil. 3:21 2. Faith is precious because it rests upon the Holy Scriptures: a. It is not based upon cunningly devised fables or the traditions of men - 2 Pet. 1:16; 1 Pet. 1:18; Rom. 10:17 b. That includes the sixty-six books of the Bible - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Luke 24:25-28 c. It is based upon the Word of life - 1 John 1:1; Heb. 4:12 3. This faith is precious in its influence: a. It exercises a living, spiritual influence - John 11:26; Gal. 2:20. Read prayerfully 2 Pet. 1:2-11 b. It produces sanctified courage - 1) David meeting Goliath - 1 Sam. 17:45, 46 2) Daniel on several occasions showed both faith and courage - Dan. 1:8; 6:10 3) We think of the Mother of Moses - Ex. 2:1-10 c. It enriches the benefactor with the grace of a noble life - Phil. 4:8 C. FURTHER BLESSINGS OF THIS PRECIOUS FAITH 1. We are justified by it: "Being justified by faith" - Rom. 5:1. "It is God that justified" - Rom. 8:33; Acts 13:39; Rom. 3:21-26 2. By faith we have the adoption into the heavenly family: Eph. 1:1-9; Gal. 3:26; John 1:12 3. By this faith we are sanctified: John 17:17; Acts 15:9 4. By faith we have obtained complete and eternal salvation: 1 Pet. 1:5, 9; 2 Pet. 1:2-9 5. How precious is this faith in us? a. Does it control our lives? Jas. 2:24-26 b. Do we have reasonable evidence that this precious faith dwells in us? c. Do we know from our experience the power of this living faith? d. Could the Holy Spirit record the faith in us that would encourage others to embrace it? 6. What is our answer to these life questions? a. If this precious faith is missing in our lives, why? b. May we not join the disciples to pray, "Lord increase our faith"? ## A PUBLIC PROFESSION OF OUR FAITH - ISAIAH 44:5 A. "ONE SHALL SAY, I AM THE LORD'S; AND ANOTHER SHALL CALL HIMSELF BY THE NAME OF JACOB; AND ANOTHER SHALL SUBSCRIBE WITH HIS HAND UNTO THE LORD, AND SURNAME HIMSELF BY THE NAME OF ISRAEL." 1. Our text reveals that believers have different ways to express their attachment to God and His people: a. One does it by a public statement. "One shall say, I am the Lord's". b. Another shall emphasize that he is attached to the name of Jacob. "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and men, and hast prevailed" - Gen. 32:28 c. And others will make the name "Israel" their name. 2. All add up to give emphasis to one's belief; it is a public mark readable by the public: Matt. 5:14-16 B. THERE ARE, AS WE HAVE LEARNED FROM OUR OPENING TEXT, DIFFERENT WAYS TO GIVE EXPRESSION TO OUR FAITH 1. One may stress the fact that he belongs to Christ: a. That is very important - Matt. 10:32; Luke 12:8 b. To fail to identify ourselves with Christ is a denial of our faith. 1) Peter had failed in this at the arrest of our Lord - Mark 14:66-72; John 13:36-38 2) But Peter was not alone in this; the other disciples fled when they saw what was happening to their leader - Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:50 2. Another believer may see great significance in a name: a. The Jews placed great emphasis upon a name - John 8:33-39 b. Christ, too, emphasizes a public acknowledgement of His name - Matt. 10:22; 24:9; Luke 21:17 c. So did Paul - Acts 21:13 d. Bearing the name of Christ is very important. 3. Still another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord: a. These people feel that a written confession has greater weight to publicize their attachment to the truth. b. Read prayerfully Neh. 9:38; 10:1-29; Gal. 6:16; 1 Pet. 2:9 C. BLESSING OF A PUBLIC CONFESSION 1. It is a public acknowledgement that Christ and His cause are ours too: a. We are not ashamed to be identified with Jesus Christ and His cause - Rom. 1:16, 17 b. The propagation of Christianity is our main business - Luke 2:49 2. Jesus Christ has an original right on us and our lives: a. He created us - John 1:1-3; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:15-17 b. He redeemed us - Gal. 2:20; Gal. 3:13; Isa. 43:1- 7; Rom. 14:7-9 3. It is a great honor and a personal privilege to belong to Jesus Christ and His church: Rom. 14:7-11; Acts 26:1-29 4. There is great power in a public confession: a. Think of the effect of the confession of Elijah upon apostate Israel! 1 Ki. 18; 19; Daniel and his friends moved the heart and life of pagan rulers to acknowledge the God of Israel - Dan. 2; 3; 4; 5; 6; Peter's testimony - Acts 2:3 b. A book of remembrance is written for those who freely confess the Lord in public - Mal. 3:16, 17 c. The blind man that received his sight did not hesitate to confess Christ - John 9:23-27 d. That is how one brother won the other for the Lord - John 1:41 e. Read prayerfully Rom. 14:11; Phil. 2:10, 11 ## LIVING FAITH IN ACTION - MATTHEW 15:22-28 A. WHY THIS SUBJECT? 1. Our unfinished work demands a vigorous and active faith: a. Our cause is very similar to that of Noah - Heb. 11:7; he was possessed of a moving faith. b. We are in need of a faith that looks beyond all things visible! Heb. 11:7, 27 2. This late hour is very short and it calls for a dynamic faith to meet the challenge of this pleasure loving and godless generation: Rom. 9:28 3. This Movement is doubtless the voice of the Third Angel: Rev. 18:1-3 B. LET US CONSIDER SOME OF THE POTENTIALS OF LIVING AND ACTIVE FAITH 1. Experience shows that: a. All things are possible through Christ-centered faith - Mark 9:23; PK, p. 157, 2 T p. 140 b. The church must rely on faith in God's faithfulness - Heb. 11:6; CH, p. 226 2. Faith, anchored in God's promises, is a mighty force to be reckoned with: a. Goliath learned this truth in his combat with a man of faith - 1 Sam. 17:42-51 b. Pharaoh, too, learned this truth in the experience of Moses' mother - Ex. 2; 6; 8; 9; 10; 1) This living faith dissipates all obstructions--think of the walls of Jericho! 2) It changes the most discouraging outlook in life - Josh. 1:7, 8. Remember the experience of Israel when they heard the report of the spies - Num. 13; 14; 3) O for a faith that will not sink in the face of seeming insurmountable difficulty - -- ". . . stand still and see the salvation of God" - Ex. 14:13 -- ". . . our God...is able" - Dan. 3:17 -- ". . . Let us go up at once and possess it" Num. 13:30 C. NATURE OF LIVING AND EFFECTIVE FAITH 1. It never questions God's promises: a. Abraham's faith - 1) "My Son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering" - Gen. 22:8 2) "And being not weak in faith, . . . He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief" Rom. 4:19, 20 b. Joshua's and Caleb's faith - Num. 14:38; 26:65; Deut. 1:36 2. It is ever ready to sacrifice for truth: EXAMPLES - a. Abraham - Gen. 12:1-6; 22:1-12 b. David - 1 Chron. 21:24 c. Paul - Acts 21:13 3. It is like a grain of mustard seed: Matt. 17:20 4. It is dependent upon daily vigorous exercise: a. It must be developed in the school of Christian experience. b. Difficulties, problems, and hardships will aid in the development of our faith - 1) That was true in the experience of the disciples. 2) That is true in my own personal experience. Forty years of work in public, meeting all kinds of problems, have taught me to rely on the Lord. 5. It is steadfast in trials: a. Said Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him" - Job 13:15 b. ". . . for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 21:13 c. ". . . Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: . . ." said Ruth. Ruth 1:16 6. Adverse outlook never deters it from moving forward to obtain its objective: Matt. 15:22-28; Mark 10:46-52 ## THE FOUR ACTS OF SAVING FAITH - PSALMS 4:4, 5 A. "STAND IN AWE, AND SIN NOT: COMMUNE WITH YOUR OWN HEART UPON YOUR BED, AND BE STILL. OFFER THE SACRIFICE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE LORD." 1. This Psalm is an evening prayer: a. It reveals David's wonderful understanding of true faith in God. b. It is amazing to note the keen understanding the servant of the Lord had of true worship. 2. I like to think of four acts of saving faith, revealed in the text: B. THE FOUR ACTS OF SAVING FAITH 1. Self-awakening: "Stand in awe and sin not" a. This admonition by David that he had a vision of the holiness of the Lord; and exceeding sinfulness of sin. b. Isaiah, too, had a similar vision, and cries out, "Woe is me, for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts" - Isa. 6:5 c. Job has a vision of the holiness of God and he saw his own sinfulness, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:5, 6 d. When we meditate upon the holiness of God and the equity of His law, we will have less inclination to sin - Gen. 39:7-12 e. A realization of the eternal consequences of sin is still another deterrent to sin - Gal. 6:7-8; Rom. 6:23 2. Self-communion: "commune with thine own heart" - Ps. 77:6 a. Take time of contemplation and reflection. b. Such communion will lead to relaxation and correction. c. Life is full of problems, some self-made and others are the result of life itself. d. A safe course to follow when we commune with our own heart - 1) Our communion should be marked by uncompromising fidelity, absolute honesty, and sound principles. 2) The Word of God is the chart for such self- examination - Ps. 119:9; John 5:39 C. TWO SAVING EFFECTS OF SELF-EXAMINATION 1. "Offer the sacrifice of righteousness": a. That means more than mere lip service! Isa. 29:13 b. It is seasoned with sanctified actions - Ps. 50:1-12 c. Great decisions are often followed by sacrifice - 1) The covenant between Jacob and Laban - Gen. 31:44-55 2) The contest between Elijah and the priests of Baal ended in victory by Elijah at a sacrifice - 1 Ki. 18:21-39 2. "Put your trust in the Lord" -- that means complete self-abandonment! a. How graciously the passage closes! b. The awe and the trembling converge in fruitful trust in the Lord - Ps. 23:1-6 c. If self-examination will lead us to trust in the Lord, we will have made great gains in our Christian experience; we will be on our way to the kingdom of God. d. This trust in the Lord should have two marks - 1) We should trust in the Lord as we would a loving and compassionate Father - Ps. 103:13 2) It should create confidence in us that He is able to do for us above all that we ask of Him - Eph. 3:20 3. Thus we see the four acts of saving faith: 1) Self-awakening 2) Self-communion 3) Self-confession 4) Self-abandonment ## THE HISTORY OF LITTLE FAITH - MATTHEW 14:28-31 A. PETER'S UNUSUAL VENTURE 1. He saw his Lord walking on the water: 2. His love and affection for the Lord made him venturesome: a. "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water." b. No other mortal, as far as we know, has ever made such a request of the Lord. 3. Our Lord said unto Peter, "come": a. That meant that the Lord assumed full responsibility to safeguard the venture of Peter. b. In the invitation "come" was the secret of Peter's success. 4. Peter's faith shrunk when he got his eyes off of the Lord Jesus: a. He began to sink. b. Left to himself, he would have perished. 5. But little faith is better than no faith: a. "Lord save me." Little faith knows the power of prayer, and it uses it very effectively. b. The Lord's answer was instant and complete. B. LET US CONSIDER THE HISTORY OF LITTLE FAITH AND ATTEMPT TO DRAW SOME HELPFUL LESSONS FROM IT 1. The story of our text: a. Is full of spiritual signification for the Christian believers, "thou of little faith". b. I do not suppose that the Lord would call Peter "Little Faith". c. Yet, Brother, Little Faith is a true disciple of Jesus Christ - Matt. 16:16; 17:4, 20 1) He is adventurous -- it was the spirit of adventure that caused him to meet the Lord on the water. We know of no other incident like that. 2) There were times when Little Faith accomplished a lot - Matt. 17:27 3) The prophets Elijah and Elisha, too, were venturesome at times - 1 Ki. 18:33-35; 2 Ki. 6:5-7 4) Little Faith hath its weakness; it was tempted to turn its eyes away from the Lord to the oncoming waves. 5) But Little Faith had a special gift that all of us ought to covet: it knew when and how to pray, "Lord save me". 6) Here is where Little Faith is ahead of no faith. 2. Little Faith acknowledged by the Lord: a. It is true that the Lord rebuked Peter, saying, "O, thou of little faith", but that is much better than if he had said, "O, thou of no faith". b. It is important to mention the fact that Peter had a desire to be with the Lord; that was to his credit. c. He had solid footing so long as he kept his eyes on the Lord Jesus, who had said, "come". d. He ventured all to be with Jesus, and that is to his credit. e. Finally, Little Faith was coming to Jesus all the while, and that was his salvation. C. LITTLE FAITH'S DELIVERANCE 1. And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him": a. God does all things in time; that is a wonderful blessing. b. It should create a desire in us to do everything in time also. 2. Our text makes it plain that Little Faith received his help solely from the Lord: a. It was not Peter's ability to swim that saved his life. b. But it was the hand of the Saviour that saved him. c. The Lord caught him; that means that Peter was almost gone; he was a brand saved from the watery grave. d. It is very illuminating to know that the Lord brought Peter back into ship. e. Little Faith rebuked - 1) Peter was saved from drowning. 2) But the Master had to rebuke his unbelief. 3) It was, however, a gentle rebuke. f. What would our faith have accomplished, had we been in Peter's shoes? ## CHRISTWARD FAITH A DIVINE PREREQUISITE FOR A SPIRIT FILLED LIFE A. "THIS ONLY WOULD I LEARN OF YOU, RECEIVED YE THE SPIRIT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, OR BY THE HEARING OF FAITH?" Gal. 3:2 1. Confusion among the Galatian believers: a. False teachers had led them astray from the true gospel to Jewish ritualism. b. They were taught that unless they kept the law of Moses they could not be saved. 2. Paul wrote the Epistle to the Galatians to point out the difference between the works of the law and the fruit of the Spirit: a. Human efforts are excluded because our own efforts will and cannot save us from sin - Rom. 4:6; 9:11; 11:6 b. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is the only work acceptable to God - Gal. 5:22-25 B. SIMPLE AND LIVING FAITH THE DIVINE DENOMINATOR TO TRUE CHRISTIANITY 1. It opens the door to every blessing that is ours in Christ: a. Faith gives us access to - 1) Sonship - Gal. 3:26 2) Righteousness acceptable to God - Phil. 3:9 3) Sanctification - Acts 15:9; 26:18 4) All God's promises - Heb. 6:12 5) Unlimited power - Matt. 17:19-22 6) Victory over the world - 1 John 5:4; Eph. 6:16; Heb. 11:32-34 b. Without faith it is impossible to please God - Heb. 11:6 2. Simple Christ-like faith, the key to Christian living: a. It rests on God's foundation - 1 Cor. 3:11; 1 Pet. 2:6 b. It is rooted in God's great facts - 1) God's love - 1 John 4:8 2) His grace - 2 Cor. 12:9 3) His eternal and unchangeable will - Heb. 10:10 C. BEHAVIOR AND BLESSING OF THIS FAITH 1. Behavior: a. It does not stagger at God's promises - Rom. 4:17-20 b. It sees the invisible - 2 Ki. 6:17; Heb. 11:24-28 c. It relies upon God's promises - 2 Pet. 1:4; 11:33 d. It trusts God completely even when it must hope against hope - 1 Pet. 1:21; Job 13:15 2. Blessings: a. By it we have access to God the Father by Jesus Christ our Lord - Eph. 3:12 b. Christ dwells in our hearts - Eph. 3:17 c. We are credited with God's righteousness - Phil. 3:9 d. We are justified before God by faith - Rom. 3:22, 28 3. Examples of saving faith: a. Abel - Heb. 11:4 b. Enoch - Gen. 5:22-26 c. Noah - Gen. 6; 7; 8; 9 d. Abraham - Gen. 12; 15; 17; Heb. 11:8-11 e. Moses - Heb. 11:24-28 f. Rahab - Ps. 87:1-7 g. Ruth - Ruth 1:16 4. A challenge to God's people living in the last days: a. Our Saviour's big question - Luke 18:8 b. Will our faith carry us through the crisis of the last days? Rev. 3:10-22 c. Is our faith anchored to God's Word or to the rudiments of the world? Col. 2:8, 20 d. Is our faith intelligent to a point where and when it can understand the signs of our time? ## "WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?" - LUKE 8:25, 26 A. THE DISCIPLES IN THE SCHOOL OF PRACTICAL TRAINING 1. Voyage on a stormy sea: 2. Boat was filling with water: 3. Our Lord calmed the raging sea: B. "WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?" 1. Simple and childlike trust: a. Indicates a condition of relationship - Heb. 11:6 b. The secret of a living and victorious faith - 1 John 5:4 c. The one great essential for achieving good results in the work of the Lord - Matt. 17:20, 21; Luke 17:16 2. This faith must be cultivated in the school of practical experience: a. That is why God kept the children of Israel forty years in the wilderness. b. That is why Moses took care of the sheep of Jethro for many years. c. That is why some of us pass through trying and difficult experiences. 3. A misplaced faith: a. It is based upon things visible and tangible - 1) We think of the ten spies and their report to the congregation - Num. 13:29 2) It brings to mind the story of the defeated Israelites - 1 Sam. 4:3-5 3) Even Samuel had some difficulties on this point - 1 Sam. 16:7 b. It is motivated by feeling - 1) Peter had considerable trouble with this faith - Matt. 14:28-31; 26:35; Mark 14:66-72 2) The children of Israel had a similar experience when they left Egypt - Ex. 15; 16 3) Feeling is, in its very nature, blind; but when it is based upon sound reason and facts, it is an expression of heartfelt convictions - Rom. 9:1-3; John 2:13-17 4. The faith of the disciples limited God: a. They felt that should Christ remain asleep, all would be lost - 1) This is a fatal weakness of human reasoning common to most of us. Man is prone to attempt to fit God into his own mold or imagination. 2) The disciples forgot, overlooked, that He who was asleep in the boat was the same who created the seas in the first place. 3) Their faith was based upon things material, and not upon God's Word. b. Man limits God when he puts God into the groove of his own imagination - 1) Naaman attempted that with the God of Israel - 2 Ki. 5:1-11 2) The king of the Syrians thought that God is circumscribed by the hills and the valleys - 1 Ki. 20:28 C. THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO LIMITED GOD 1. Some people limit God in their prayers: a. Their requests or petitions limit God to what they think they need. Too many of us are apt to do this. b. Others exclude in their prayers what God is ready to do for them. Our vision is so limited and the circle of our plans so narrow that we forget God's claim to the universe. 2. To limit God means: a. That we make it impossible to do what He can and would do if our faithlessness would not block the way. b. Had ancient Israel allowed God to work out His original plan for them, they could have entered the promised land in ten days instead of 40 years. c. We, too, limit God by refusing to follow His counsel. Think of what God could have done for the church of God if the members of the church had followed the counsel it received during the last century! 3. Where is our faith? a. Is it based upon the promises of God? b. Do we really live up to the light God has given to us? c. Will our faith be with us when the final crisis comes upon us? ## HAVE FAITH IN GOD - MARK 11:20-22 A. "AND JESUS ANSWERING SAITH UNTO THEM, HAVE FAITH IN GOD." 1. Association with Jesus Christ was a period of training for the disciples: a. They learned the art of prayer by watching the Master in prayer - Luke 11:1-13 b. They learned to use the scriptures from the Saviour - Luke 4:32 2. They were in need of knowing the secret of fruit- bearing faith: a. This, too, could come to them in the school of experience. b. Our text is a typical example of the training they received from the Master of the divine art. B. ASPECTS OF LIVING FAITH 1. Faith defined: a. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Heb. 11:1 b. Faith in God is a living, dominant conviction concerning God, His Being, His character, and government. c. It is that act and habit of the mind by which the truth concerning God is drawn in from the study of the Word of God - Rom. 10:17 2. For faith to be sound: a. It must be based upon the Word of God - John 7:37, 38; Rom. 10:14-17 b. It must be exercised if it is to be sound and active - Jas. 2:26 1) Living faith is as much of our being as any other organ of the body. 2) That is one of the several reasons why the Lord allows us to go through various experiences - Heb. 12:1-11 3) It is the daily bread for which we pray - Heb. 11:8; Jer. 15:16; Matt. 6:11; Prov. 30:8; 2 Pet. 1:19, 20 3. Living faith in God our greatest need: a. We need not think of ourselves as unbelievers when we sense our need for a more active and living faith - 1) Of some it must be said that, "They have cast off their first faith" - 1 Tim. 5:12 2) Of others, Paul writes, "they have suffered shipwreck of their faith" - 1 Tim. 1:19 3) Others have departed from the faith - 1 Tim. 4:1 4) But to depart from the faith means to forsake the Lord - Jer. 2:13, 14 b. We need a living faith in God - 1) To please Him - Heb. 11:6 2) We need this faith to carry us through this present life - Rom. 1:16, 17 3) To live a victorious life - 1 John 5:4, 5 C. LET US HOLD FAST THE PROFESSION OF OUR FAITH 1. The profession of our faith: a. We profess to believe and we teach Present Truth - 2 Pet. 1:12 b. That indicates and includes the Three Angels' Message - Rev. 14:6-12 c. It includes the Sabbath Reform Message - Isa. 56:1-7; 58:1, 12-14; Acts 3:19-21; 15:16 d. It has reference to our faith in the soon coming of Jesus Christ - Tit. 2:11-14 2. To hold fast the profession of our faith indicates: a. Danger to losing it -- this danger is very serious in the closing days of earth's history - Luke 18:8; Matt. 24:12, 13 b. The sifting time is upon us and many will lose their experience and fall by the wayside. c. There is but one way to hold fast the profession of our faith; and that is to live it day by day; practice what we profess to believe - Jas. 1:22, 23; Rom. 2:13; Matt. 7:21-26 ## STAND IN THE FAITH - ROMANS 5:2 A. A QUESTION WE OUGHT TO PUT TO OURSELVES 1. Am I standing in the faith I profess? a. God is looking for those who stand up for what they profess - Jer. 5:1 b. Some have suffered shipwreck in their faith - 1 Tim. 1:19 2. Apostasy seems on the increase: Look at the reports from the General Conference. B. OF WHAT QUALITY IS OUR FAITH? 1. The Bible speaks of some that are: a. Weak in the faith - Rom. 14:1; 15:1; 1 Cor. 8:7 b. Rich in faith - Jas. 2:5 c. Bold in faith - 1 Tim. 3:13 d. Full of faith - Acts 6:5, 8 e. Faith unfeigned - 1 Tim. 1:5 f. Common faith - Tit. 2:4 g. Precious faith - 2 Pet. 1:1 2. The quality of my faith: a. Does it give me strength in adversity 1) As it did to Job - Job 1:21 2) What it did for Paul - Acts 27:25 b. Does it give me strength to prevail in prayer? 1) As it did for Jacob - Gen. 32:22 2) What it did for David - 1 Sam. 17:45-50 3) As it did for Jochebed in the hour of crises - Ex. 2:1-11 C. HEAVEN'S DESIGN FOR OUR FAITH 1. That our faith be Bible based: a. Many base their faith upon the traditions of men - Isa. 29:13; Mark 7:7-13 b. Only the Word of God creates a sound faith - Rom. 10:17; John 7:37-39 2. That it shall be an active faith: a. For a faith to be healthy and strong it must be exercised. b. Unless our faith is exercised it will die! Gal. 5:6; Jas. 2:24-26 3. That it shall be sound: a. To be sound means that it is free from defect - Tit. 1:13; Eph. 5:26, 27 b. To be healthy, free from disease - 1 Cor. 11:30 4. That it shall be unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: a. Unto praise - 1) As the faith of the centurion - Matt. 8:10 2) As the faith of the woman of Canaan - Matt. 15:28 3) As the faith of the poor widow - Mark 12:41-44 b. Unto honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ - Matt. 25:34-45 5. Examples of great faith: a. Noah - Gen. 11:7 b. Abraham - Gen. 22:1-12 c. The disciple - John 1:50 d. See and read these Bible texts - Luke 8:13; John 7:48; 20:25; Rom. 4:18; Luke 8:25; 18:8; Matt. 9:22; 15:28 ## THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH - ROMANS 16:26 A. "BUT NOW IS MADE MANIFEST, AND BY THE SCRIPTURES OF THE PROPHETS, ACCORDING TO THE COMMAND OF THE EVERLASTING GOD, MADE KNOWN TO ALL NATIONS FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH." 1. These words by Paul show clearly that: a. Obedience to the perfect will of God is the basis to life itself - 1) That was true in the Garden of Eden - Gen. 2:16 2) That was true when God brought His ancient people out of bondage - Deut. 30:19, 20 b. It is the foundation of all blessings - Isa. 1:19; Ps. 81:14; Rev. 22:14; Isa. 48:18 c. It is the test of true faith - Luke 6:46; 2 Cor. 2:9; 1 John 2:3-7 2. Loving obedience is the one great objective of the gospel of Jesus Christ: a. The basis of Christ's sacrifice - Heb. 5:9; Rom. 5:19; Phil. 2:8 b. Paul preached obedience - Rom. 1:5; Gal. 5:6; 2 Cor. 2:9 c. Obedience is the fruit of true faith - Heb. 11:8; Gal. 5:6; Jas. 1:22-25; 2:24-26 B. HOW GOD LOOKS AT DISOBEDIENCE 1. Disobedience is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry: 1 Sam. 15:23 2. It is enmity toward God: Rom. 8:6, 7 3. Will receive its due reward: 2 Cor. 10:6; Heb. 2:2. These are some truths to take to heart; to disregard them will be fatal to all. C. BLESSINGS OF LOVING OBEDIENCE 1. Loving obedience by the Son of God is the very foundation of our hope: a. That is what Paul teaches - Rom. 5:19; Heb. 5:8 b. That is what our Lord emphasized very strongly - Matt. 7:22-28 2. I can think of seven specific blessings which are the fruit of loving obedience: a. The right to the tree of life! Our first parents lost that right through disobedience - Compare Gen. 2:16-18 with Rev. 22:14 b. Entrance into the New Jerusalem! Rev. 22:14, 15; Isa. 26:2 c. Entrance to life everlasting! Matt. 19:17 d. Great peace! Isa. 48:18, 19; Ps. 119:165 e. God's peculiar treasure! Mal. 3:16, 17 f. The friendship of God! Gen. 22:12; John 15:14 g. God's promises for this life and the life to come! Ex. 15:26; Deut. 7:17; Rev. 22:14 3. Only as we obey the voice of God can we know the joy that comes through loving obedience: 4. Bible based faith will bring the fruit of loving obedience to God: ## CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH - JUDE 3, 4 A. SOUND DOCTRINE - Tit. 1:9; 2:1 1. Sound faith is based upon sound doctrine: 2 Tim. 1:13; Tit. 2:8 2. Sound doctrine is based upon the Holy Scriptures: 2 Tim. 3:15-17; John 7:37-39 3. Traditions of men are in sharp contrast to the Scriptures: Mark 7:7-13; Isa. 29:11-13 B. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT SOUND DOCTRINE 1. Negatively: a. Not the traditions of the Fathers which make void the Word of God - 1 Pet. 1:18; Ezek. 18:20 b. Not the commandments of men - Mark 7:7-13; Isa. 29:13 2. Positively: a. The Bible teaching of creation - Genesis 1; 2; Ps. 33:6, 9; Heb. 11:1-3 b. Bible teaching of the origin of sin - Isa. 14:12- 18; Ezek. 28:12-17; Gen. 2:15, 16; 3:1-6; 1 John 3:4-9 c. Teaching of the Bible about the plan of redemption - Acts 4:12; Matt. 1:21; John 3:16; 1 John 3:1-3 3. Object of the plan of redemption: a. To restore a broken relationship - Eph. 2:11-16; Rom. 5:1-3 b. To recreate man into the image and likeness of the Son of God - Rom. 8:29; John 3:1-6 c. To enable us to keep God's commandments - Heb. 10:15, 16; Phil. 2:12, 13; 4:13; 1 John 5:1-6 d. To create all things new - a new heaven and a new earth - Rev. 21:1-6; 2 Pet. 3:13; Isa. 65:17-21 C. CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH 1. Upholding its claims: Neh. 13:17-25; Gal. 2:11 2. Be doers of the Word and not hearers only: Jas. 1:22; Heb. 10:36; 1 John 2:17 3. Not to sacrifice it upon the altar of pleasure: 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 Pet. 4:1-4 4. Have its power transform and illuminate our lives as it did that of Stephen, of Paul, and many other dedicated witnesses for Christ: 2 Cor. 3:18; Acts 6:15 5. Stake our very lives, if need be, to uphold its principles: 6. Successful contention for the faith does not mean that we have to spend our time and energy arguing with others over what we consider the truth; our best argument is found in the consistent life we live: 7. Contending for our faith implies that: a. We are able to support it with the Holy scriptures; that is what our Lord did - Luke 10:25-27; that is what Stephen and Paul did - Acts 6:8-10; 9:22; that means that we must be diligent students of the Bible to learn firsthand the basis of our faith - 2 Tim. 2:15; Matt. 22:29 b. Most of all, to contend for the faith of our fathers, we must live it in our home and in our association with others - Matt. 5:14-16 c. It is a great honor to be able to contend for the faith that has made us a church. ## THE TRIAL OF OUR FAITH - 1 PETER 1:7 A. "THAT THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH, BEING MUCH MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD THAT PERISHETH, THOUGH IT BE TRIED WITH FIRE, MIGHT BE FOUND UNTO PRAISE AND HONOR AND GLORY AT THE APPEARING OF JESUS CHRIST." 1. We are in a most competitive age: a. Competition is so keen and intense that large companies never put their product on the market before they have tested it to their satisfaction. b. The purpose of testing is twofold--to discover the weakness of the product and bring out the good quality. 2. Our text speaks of the trial of our faith, and points out that this testing of our faith is more important than the testing of gold: B. LET US CONSIDER THE TRIAL OF OUR FAITH AND ITS IMPLICATIONS 1. Faith is the very foundation of life: a. Without our faith, it is impossible to please God - Heb. 11:6 b. We live by faith - Rom. 1:17 c. It is, in truth, the very substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen - Heb. 11:1 2. Faith is the power in our life which appropriates God's promises; these include: a. The forgiveness of our sins. b. The acceptance into the family of God -- think of the faith chapter, Hebrews 11. c. The hope of life everlasting. d. Can the reader think of any gospel blessing that is not channeled through faith? 3. Since so much is dependent upon faith, it seems self- evident that it is in need of being tested to perfect its quality: a. A test of our faith is imperative because of the human element connected with it. b. This human element can be seen in the lives of the following Bible characters - 1) Abraham - Gen. 16; 20 2) Moses - Deut. 32:51 3) Elijah - 1 Ki. 19:4 c. Trials are brought upon our faith, not to destroy it but to free it from the human element of weakness. C. BLESSINGS OF A TRIED FAITH 1. Think of Abraham, the father of all the faithful: a. He laid the best on God's altar and became a type of our heavenly Father giving the best he had - John 3:16; Gen. 22:1-12 b. We are to do the same - Heb. 12:11; Rom. 12:1 2. Triumph of a tested faith can be seen: a. In Job b. In David c. In Moses and many other stars in God's kingdom. d. Trial of our faith develops confidence and obedience - Ps. 119:6-60; Gal. 1:15, 16; Heb. 11:19 3. Finally, the trial of our faith reveals: a. God's timely intervention, as in the case of Joseph; of Abraham; of Jacob and many other witnesses tested and tried. b. Divine acceptance - Again I refer the reader to Heb. 11 c. Eternal blessings shall shine forth in God's kingdom - Phil. 2:15 ## GOD'S SPECIAL QUESTIONNAIRE - ISAIAH 39:1-6 A. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND TO OUR TEXT 1. Hezekiah's sickness and recovery: 2. The phenomenal sign of his healing and its effect upon other nations: 3. Hezekiah's failure to glorify the Lord, who had healed him: Isa. 38:1-22; 39:1-8 B. GOD'S SPECIAL QUESTIONNAIRE 1. "What said these men?" a. They were not interested in temporal things. b. They had been sent to make inquiry about the phenomenal healing of King Hezekiah. c. "Declare his glory among the heathen, his wonders among all the people." Ps. 96:3 d. That is what Nebuchadnezzar did after he learned of the power of the God of Israel - Dan. 4:1-4 e. Here is a timely lesson for God's people today - Isa. 43:10; Acts 1:8 2. "From whence came these men? a. They had come a long way to hear the story of salvation - 2 Ki. 20:14 b. They came from the land of idol worship - Isa. 2:8 c. All these facts multiply the importance of their mission and increase Hezekiah's responsibility to use that occasion to acquaint these people with the true God. d. They were special representatives of the king of Babylon, who was interested in the secret of Hezekiah's miraculous healing. e. God had influenced the heart of the pagan king to learn the story of salvation firsthand. 3. "What have they seen in thine house?" a. A family altar as evidence of the God of Israel? b. Hezekiah, where is now thy God? c. How searching are these questions to all who profess to serve the living God? 4. Hezekiah's miserable failure: a. He exposed all his treasures to these men -- gold and silver and other valuables - Isa. 39:2 b. Why did he not show the place where he pled with God to heal him? Why did he not explain to them God's undeserved mercy in the hour of death? c. What a travesty to the goodness of our Lord and Saviour! How sad was the turning of the events which followed Hezekiah's dismal failure. C. LET US CONSIDER THE EFFECT OF HEZEKIAH'S FAILURE TO USE THE OCCASION TO SHARE HIS FAITH IN THE LIVING GOD WHO HAD SO SIGNALLY HEALED HIM 1. The effect was very harmful: a. To him b. His kingdom c. And the cause of truth - Isa. 39:5-7 2. Those men left, returned home: a. Unimpressed b. And unchanged as far as their original mission was concerned. c. What effect does my life have upon those who associate with me? Are they impressed with the wonderful story of salvation? EXAMPLES - 1) The story of the woman of Samaria and her fellow country men - John 4:29-42 2) The experience of the disciples on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-41 3. How different was the experience of Daniel and his friends with Nebuchadnezzar! a. What he learned about their loyalty to the God of Israel - Dan. 3:16-18 b. About God's part in that drama - Dan. 3:24-30 4. That was true, also, of Daniel's experience with king Darius: a. He had been misled by Daniel's enemies. b. Placed his loyal servant into the lions' den - Dan. 6:1-14 c. But he learned the reward of faithfulness to principles - Dan. 6:19-27 d. If our life's story was recorded in God's book, what would it be like? # Section IV: 20 Outlines on the Holy Spirit ## THE HOLY GHOST - ACTS 19:1 A. PAUL VISITING AND STRENGTHENING THE BELIEVERS 1. His visit at Ephesus: a. Met a group of disciples, who needed his encouragement. b. They were uninformed on the Holy Spirit and His work in the lives of the believers. 2. The gift of the Holy Spirit was uppermost in the mind of that great preacher: a. He could have talked about a number of other profitable subjects. b. But no, the gift of the Holy Spirit was the subject of his conversation and with good reason. B. OUR TEXT OFFERS A MIGHTY MESSAGE FOR OUR TIMES 1. Paul's question, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?" a. This question indicates the burden upon the heart of Paul - 1) It had been promised - Joel 2:28; John 15:26; Acts 2:17 2) It had been procured by the death and the resurrection of Christ - Gal. 3:13, 14; John 16:7, 8 3) It had been received by the early disciples - Acts 2:1-6; 4:30-33; 10:40-43 2. Faith in Jesus Christ will bring this heavenly gift to the believers: John 7:37, 38; 10:44 a. "Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost." b. "For this promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." Acts 2:38, 39 c. If we fail to receive this heavenly gift there is something very wrong in our lives. d. Paul's question is still timely and ought to receive our prayerful consideration. e. Can we at this time answer Paul's question in the affirmative? 3. The answer of those disciples is very revealing: a. It confirms the fact that light does not come all at once, but it comes very gradual - 1) Jesus recognizes human limitations and He said so - John 16:12, 13 2) "But the path of the just is as a shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Prov. 4:18 b. Not even John preached, as far as we know, on the subject of the Holy Ghost, "We have not heard whether there be any Holy Ghost." c. Best of all, their answer shows that they were ready and eager to receive new light. C. A REAL CHALLENGE 1. To the ministers and all the members of the church: a. How well are we informed on the subject of the Holy Spirit? b. Do we know from experience the blessing of the Holy Ghost? c. Is our faith the recipient of the Heavenly gift? If not, why not? 2. Reasons why we ought to be able to answer in the affirmative: a. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross would be of no avail without the gift of the Holy Ghost. Desire of Ages, page 671. b. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the highest gift that Christ could solicit from His Father for us. Desire of Ages, page 671. c. Christ bestowed this gift upon the disciples before they preached a single sermon. Desire of Ages, pages 668, 669. d. The impartation of the Holy Ghost is, in fact, the impartation of the life of Christ. e. It is the beginning of eternal life. Desire of Ages, 805, 388. Can we truly understand the importance of this statement? I doubt it. f. This heavenly gift beautifies the life, energizes the soul, gives power to witness, and equips us for successful soulwinning. Acts of the Apostles, pages 412-414. ## THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - ACTS 19:1-6 A. TWO OPPOSING VIEWS 1. Some say that the Holy Spirit is an influence and not a person: a. They appeal to John 20:22, "And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost." b. They quote Acts 2:1-4 - "They were filled with the Holy Ghost." 2. Others teach that the Holy Ghost is a personal Being; and this view I share for the following reasons: B. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSONAL BEING 1. Because of worship: a. We worship God the Father in spirit and in truth - John 4:22, 23 b. We have fellowship or communion with the Holy Spirit just as truly as we fellowship with the Father and the Son - 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 1:3 2. We do not use Him, but He uses us: a. The experience of Philip - Acts 8:29-39 b. The ancient prophets were, at times, carried from place to place by the Holy Spirit - 2 Ki. 2:16 3. The Bible attributes the attributes of a person to the Holy Spirit: a. The personal pronouns - "I" - Acts 13:1; "Me" - Acts 13:1; "He" - John 15:26; 16:13; "Him" - John 13:14; 16:7, 8; "Himself" - John 16:13 b. Personal attributes - 1) Knowledge - 1 Cor. 2:10, 11 2) Will - 1 Cor. 12:11 3) Mind - Rom. 8:27 4) Love - Rom. 15:30 5) Intelligence - Neh. 9:20; Eph. 4:30 c. Personal acts - 1) Searching - 1 Cor. 2:10 2) Speaking - 1 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 2:7 3) Hearing - John 16:13, 14 4) Groaning - Rom. 8:26 5) Teaching and directing - Neh. 9:20; John 16:14; Rom. 8:14; Acts 16:7-13 4. The Holy Spirit can be influenced: a. He can be grieved - Eph. 4:30; Ps. 78:40 b. He has been vexed - Isa. 63:10 c. He has been done despite - Heb. 10:29 d. Some resist Him - Acts 7:51; Heb. 12:25 e. He may be pleased - Acts 15:28 f. He can be lied to - Acts 5:3 5. The person of the Holy Spirit has been seen by different men: a. The prophet Ezekiel saw him - Ezek. 8:1-3 b. John saw Him descend upon the Son of God - John 1:32, 33 c. Other people saw Him - Luke 3:22 C. SOME FACTS ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT 1. We do not know the nature of His being, no more than we know the nature of God the Father, or the angels: a. Paul makes a difference between terrestrial bodies, and there are celestial bodies - 1 Cor. 15:40 b. What the nature of the celestial bodies is has not been revealed to man. 2. It would seem unreasonable for man to worship an influence or to have communion with an influence: a. We commune with the Holy Ghost, but not with an influence. b. We fellowship with the Holy Spirit, but not with an influence. c. One may vex, grieve, anger, or please the Holy Spirit, but not with just an influence. 3. Personally, I am not too concerned about the nature of the Holy Spirit so long as I know that I have fellowship with Him: ## NAMES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - MATTHEW 28:19 A. IMPORTANCE OF A NAME IN ISRAEL 1. It stands for relationship: 2. It quite often reveals character: a. Jacob and the name Israel - Gen. 32:27-29 b. Abram and the name Abraham - Gen. 17:5 c. Saul and the name Paul - Acts 13:9 3. At times a name indicates occupation: a. Jesus - Matt. 1:21 b. Prophet - Num. 12:3-6 c. Apostle - Heb. 3:1 B. AMAZING REVELATION ABOUT THE NAMES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 1. He is called "Spirit of the living God": a. 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Cor. 3:3 b. Isa. 61:1 That indicates His relationship to God the Father! 2. He is spoken of as "The "Spirit of Jesus Christ": a. Acts 2:33; Gal. 4:6 b. Phil. 1:19; Acts 16:7 R.V. 3. He is called "The Spirit of adoption": Rom. 8:15 4. His names which reveal His character: a. Holy Spirit - Luke 11:13; 1 Pet. 1:2 b. Spirit of truth - John 14:17; 16:13 c. Spirit of burning - Isa. 4:4; Rom. 1:4 5. His names which indicate His influence: a. Spirit of life - Rom. 8:2; John 6:63 b. Spirit of wisdom, understanding, and might - Isa. 11:2 c. Spirit of grace - Heb. 10:29 d. Spirit of glory - 1 Pet. 4:14 e. The Comforter - John 14:26; 15:26 f. His name stands for His endurance; he is called "Eternal Spirit" - Heb. 9:14 C. IMPORTANT THOUGHTS RELATED TO THE NAMES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 1. Some Bible characters, in whom the Holy Spirit lived, revealed the Spirit of wisdom: a. Daniel and Joseph revealed the Spirit of wisdom in their lives - Dan. 5:12; 6:3; Gen. 41:38, 39 b. Moses manifested the Spirit of meekness - Num. 12:3; 1 Cor. 4:31 c. Job was possessed of the Spirit of great patience - Jas. 5:11; Eccl. 7:8 2. Other Bible characters manifested: a. The Spirit of love - 1 John 3:1-3; 4:8; 5:1-5 b. The Spirit of charity - Acts 9:36-42 c. Elijah manifested the Spirit of burning - 2 Ki. 1:12. That was true, also, of John the Baptist - John 5:35 3. It is awe inspiring to know that the Holy Spirit leaves His character impression upon the believers: a. Since He is the Representative of both the Father and the Son, He will bring the divine nature into our being - 2 Pet. 1:2-7 b. That means that He will bring a change of nature in us - 2 Cor. 5:14-17 4. The new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit: a. That is what Jesus teaches - John 3:1-9 b. He uses the Word of God to change our nature - 1 Pet. 1:23-25; Heb. 4:12 5. Dear reader, as you think of the multiplicity of the names of the Holy Ghost, and in view of your own relationship to Him, can you see your privileges and also the awe-inspiring responsibility that comes with this heavenly gift? ## THE DIVINE COMFORTER A. "AND I WILL PRAY THE FATHER, AND HE SHALL GIVE YOU ANOTHER COMFORTER, THAT HE MAY ABIDE WITH YOU FOREVER." John 14:16 1. Another Comforter: a. Our blessed Lord gave continuous comfort to the disciples. A typical example is found in John 14:1-3 b. The Holy Spirit is that other Comforter - John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7 2. Meaning of the word COMFORTER: a. This is a translation from the word "parakletos" meaning "one that helps you, stands by your side." b. The common concept of the word "Comforter" is too narrow; the word, "helper" would be more proper. This we shall see as we seek to enter into a fuller understanding of the mission of the Holy Spirit. B. THE DIVINE COMFORTER 1. Our great Helper: a. He helps us when we pray - Rom. 8:26 1) Only when we pray in the Holy Ghost is our prayer effectual - Jude 20 2) It is He who makes intercession in our behalf when we pray - Rom. 8:26 b. He helps us to understand the Word of God; He is our divine teacher - John 14:26; 16:13 c. He helps us to resist the temptations of Satan - Isa. 59:19 2. Our Comforter: a. Gives comfort in sorrow - 2 Cor. 7:6 b. Gives assurance in trials - Acts 16:25; 27:23, 24 c. Gives boldness in witnessing for the truth under severe circumstances - Acts 4:19; 5:29; 7:1-39 d. Encourages us when doubt seeks to undermine our confidence in our relationship to the Lord. e. How often does Satan whisper into the ears of the saints, "You just think that you are a child of God; you know in your heart that you are not fit for the kingdom of glory." C. THE HOLY SPIRIT CONTINUES THE WORK OF OUR LORD IN THE HEARTS OF THE BELIEVERS 1. He enables us to become effective witnesses for Christ: a. We think of the large number of believers after Pentecost, who went about witnessing for the truth of God - Acts 8:4; 11:19 b. Then think of the boldness of Paul in the face of death, and when he was in chains - Acts 23; 24; 25; 26:24-28 2. He brings to our mind words that will help us to repel subtle temptations: Isa. 59:19 a. You will recall how Martin Luther was tempted by the priests of Rome to doubt his understanding of the scriptures, but how the Spirit of God gave him strength of memory to recall scriptures he needed to repel the tempters. b. How often have I been helped when I needed to show that our position on certain doctrines was based upon the Word of God. 3. But what is of special interest to us, if that is possible, is what He does in our lives, preparing us for the life hereafter: a. He sheds abroad in our hearts the love of God - Rom. 5:5 b. That divine grace makes us partakers of the divine nature - 2 Pet. 1:2-4 c. God's love in our hearts enables us to conform with the direction given by the Lord in Matt. 5:38-48 d. God's love in our hearts will keep the love of the sinful pleasures of this world out of our hearts - 1 John 2:15, 16 e. It will help us to keep God's commandments out of a pure motive - John 14:15; 15:10; 1 John 5:4, 5 4. Do we ever think seriously of the implications of the work of the Holy Spirit?: a. He gives direction in the work of the church of God - Acts 13:1-6 b. He unfolds the scriptures to us - 1 Cor. 2:11-17 c. He brings comfort to us in sorrow. d. He guides us in the way of the Lord. He is truly the paraklete sent from heaven for God's people. ## THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST - ROMANS 15:13, 19 A. THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 1. Promised: Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; Joel 2:28 2. Secret of a victorious life: a. Eph. 6:10; 1 Thess. 1:5 b. Luke 4:14; 2 Cor. 6:7; 13:4 B. THE FOURFOLD MANIFESTATION OF THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST 1. It was manifested in the creation of this world: a. Job 33:4; Gen. 1:2; Eph. 2:10 b. Col. 3:10; 2 Cor. 5:17 2. The sixty-six books of the Bible are the work of the Holy Spirit: a. Isa. 34:16; 2 Pet. 1:19, 20 b. 2 Tim. 3:15-17; John 6:63 3. The conversion of sinners is the work of the Holy Spirit: a. Rom. 1:16, 17; John 16:7, 8 b. Acts 2:37; 26:18; John 3:3 c. Heb. 3:7-9; Acts 7:51 4. The lives of God's children are motivated by the power and operation of the Holy Spirit: a. 1 Sam. 10:6, 9-12; 2 Cor. 3:18 b. 1 Pet. 1:5; Jude 24; 2 Tim. 1:12 c. He preserves them for eternal salvation - 1 Pet. 1:5; Jude 24-26; 2 Tim. 1:12 5. Means used by the Holy Ghost: a. The Word of God - Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12 1) By it He recreates - 1 Pet. 1:23; Jas. 1:15-17 2) By it He produces faith - Rom. 10:14-17 3) By the Word He preserves us for eternal salvation - 1 Pet. 1:5; 2 Cor. 13:4 4) By the word of truth He sets us free from all error - John 8:31-36; Jas. 5:20 5) By it He nourishes our soul - Matt. 4:4; Jer. 15:16 6) By the Word of God He dispels the power of darkness - 2 Cor. 4:4-6; Ps. 119:105 b. The precious blood of Jesus Christ - 1) By it He cleanses us from all our sins - 1 John 1:7-9; Rev. 1:5; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 2) By it He brought us nigh unto God - Eph. 2:12-16 3) We are purged - Heb. 9:14 4) We are overcomers of Satan and sin - Rev. 12:11 C. AMAZING FACTS 1. God's provision for our salvation is all inclusive: 2 Pet. 1:2-8 2. Yet many will never make it into the kingdom: Luke 13:23, 24 3. Note, please, what God has provided for our salvation: a. He gave His only Son - John 3:16 b. He promised and gave His Holy Spirit - Joel 2:28; Acts 2:14, 15 c. He gave us the sixty-six books of the Bible - Isa. 34:16; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 d. He brought into being the church of the living God 1) To shelter us - John 10:15, 16 2) To guide us - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 3) To bless us with the spiritual gifts - Eph. 4:11-17; 2 Cor. 12:1-28 e. Yet many, many, will never make it into the kingdom of God; all this in spite of the plea of the Holy Spirit through the church - Rev. 22:17 4. Can you, dear reader, think of any of our needs that God has not made provisions for? a. Do we need light? The Holy Spirit will bring it to us. b. Are we in sorrow? God will send us the Comforter - John 14:26 c. Are we weak and heavy laden with the burdens and cares of this life? The Holy Spirit invites us to come to Jesus and cast them upon Him, for He careth for us - Matt. 11:28-30; 1 Pet. 5:6, 7 d. Would we be more like Jesus? Let the Holy Spirit transform us into His likeness - 2 Cor. 3:18 ## ACTIVITIES OF THE HOLY GHOST A. SINCERE SEEKERS FOR MORE LIGHT ON THE SUBJECT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL FIND IT HELPFUL TO NOTE SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 1. The Bible gives us some information of the activities of our heavenly Father: a. He is the great Creator of the universe - Acts 4:24; Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:1-3 b. He is the great Redeemer of men - John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-33; 2 Cor. 5:18-21 c. He is the great Caretaker of the universe - Rom. 11:36, 37; Acts 17:25-28 2. It tells us of the activities of the Son of God: a. By Him the Father created the universe - John 1:1- 3; Col. 1:14-17; Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:1-3, 8, 9 b. By Him the Father redeems this sin-sick and lost world - Matt. 1:21; 1 John 2:1-3; Acts 4:12 c. He is our great High Priest and our Mediator - Heb. 4:14-16; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1-3 B. SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 1. His part in the creation of this world: a. He moved creatively above the waters - Gen. 1:2; Ps. 104:30 b. Said Job, "The Spirit of God hath made me" - Job 33:4 2. By the Spirit of God all life is sustained: a. Ps. 104:29, 30 b. Gen. 2:7 3. His part in the plan of redemption: a. He is the Author of the Bible - Isa. 34:16; 2 Pet. 1:19, 20 b. He strives with sinners - Gen. 6:1-3; Isa. 63:10 c. He reproves the world of sin - John 16:8; Acts 2:37 d. He convicts of righteousness - Acts 24:25; Dan. 5:5, 6 e. He comforts God's people - John 14:26; 15:26 f. He guides the saints into all the truth - John 16:12, 13 4. Some very special work for the children of God by the Holy Ghost: a. He renews them. That means that our regeneration, the change of our nature, is the work of the Holy Spirit - Tit. 3:5; Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 5:17 b. He actually imparts the divine nature. This is a glorious truth to consider - 1) By nature man is carnal, sold under sin - Rom. 7:14 2) The carnal mind is enmity toward God and His law - Rom. 8:7 3) The Holy Spirit creates in us a new nature -- a God-ward nature--2 Pet. 1:37; Ps. 51:10; Zech. 4:6 c. He strengthens us with power in the inner man - Eph. 3:16. R.V. d. He leads us into a holy life - Rom. 8:14; Gal. 5:22-28 e. He brings God's promises to our mind - John 14:26; Matt. 10:19; 1 Cor. 2:9-12 f. He is our Helper in prayer - Rom. 8:26 g. He gives us power to witness for the truth - Acts 1:8 h. He will quicken our mortal bodies in the first resurrection - Rom. 8:11 5. What is our personal attitude toward the third person of the Godhead? a. Do we welcome Him into our lives? "Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me" b. Do we gladly obey Him? Acts 5:32 c. Or do we grieve Him at times? Eph. 4:30, 31 d. Is He using us, or are we attempting to use Him? ## MISSION OF THE HOLY GHOST A. THE BIBLE SPEAKS OF THREE SPECIFIC AND DISTINCT OPERATIONS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 1. We are to be baptized with the Holy Ghost: Matt. 3:11; Zech. 12:10 a. This is a work of cleansing, purifying our sinful lives - Ezek. 36:25; Zech. 3:3, 4 b. This cleansing process precedes every other work of the Holy Spirit - 1) It is the cleansing of our conscience - Heb. 9:14; 10:22 2) It is the cleansing of our bodies, the temple of the Holy Spirit - 2 Cor. 7:1-3 c. This work is called sanctification, the perfection of our character; this work of the Holy Spirit is the work of a lifetime - 2 Cor. 7:1-3; Phil. 3:13-15 d. When the baptism of the Holy Ghost has been effective, our daily life, our thoughts, words, and deeds will be wrought in the Holy Ghost - Gal. 5:16-25 e. Our lives will not be fruitless. This is a very important operation of the Holy Spirit - Phil. 1:11 2. We are to be filled with the Spirit: a. To be filled with the Spirit means that He has taken over in our lives, He is in full control - Eph. 5:17 1) Our Lord was full of the Holy Ghost - Luke 4:1 2) The early disciples were full of the Holy Ghost - Acts 2:1-4 3) Peter and Paul were full of the Holy Ghost - Acts 2:25; 4:1; 13:9 b. This, so I understand, is a work of the Holy Ghost in and through the lives of God's people in accordance with the Lord's promise, "the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" - John 14:17 c. This cannot be done before the soul's temple has been cleansed and made ready for the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. 3. We are to be anointed with the Holy Ghost: 2 Cor. 1:21; 1 John 2:27 a. Bible students will be interested to note that our Lord was filled with the Holy Ghost, and He was anointed with the Holy Ghost - Acts 10:38; but there is no statement in the Bible about Him being baptized with the Holy Ghost. b. The reason is obvious. He did not need that experience; He was sinless, the express image of God. c. Anointing was a very sacred and most solemn experience in the services of the sanctuary - 1) The king was anointed to function in his office - 1 Sam. 15:15, 17; 16:13 2) A priest was anointed for his office - Lev. 6:20 3) A prophet was anointed for his office - 1 Sam. 12:5 d. To be anointed simply means being authorized to represent, to minister for God and His people. e. The final experience of the work of the Holy Spirit is to authorize us to witness for Christ. B. THE HUMAN PART OF THIS THREEFOLD EXPERIENCE 1. To seek the Lord in the upper room: Acts 1:4, 13; Zeph. 2:1-3. Special seasons of agonizing prayer are a must before we will experience the work of the Holy Spirit. 2. Empty ourselves of all known sin: One sin will prevent the Holy Spirit from taking possession of our lives. 3. Claim the promise of the Father: This is most important. We can do no more than to claim God's promise and thank Him for it. 4. Yield all to the Holy Spirit: That means a complete surrender, including our body, our means, and our time. 5. When we do these things, we will be ready for the gift of the Holy Spirit and for the blessing He brings with Him: ## THE SPECIAL COMMISSION OF THE HOLY GHOST - JOHN 14:26; 15:26 A. CHRIST-WARD 1. He is the representative of Christ: a. "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you . . ." - John 15:26 b. ". . . he shall testify of me:" - John 15:26 c. ". . . for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you" - John 16:14 2. He reveals Christ to the world: a. ". . . he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:" b. "Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;" c. "Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged" - John 16:8-11 3. Note, please, these facts about the special commission of the Holy Ghost: a. Christ sent Him. b. He comes from the Father; just the Son came out from the Father - John 17:8 c. He will not emphasize His own person, but the Lord Jesus Christ. B. WORLD-WARD 1. He will enlighten the world about God and His infinite gift to men: a. It is He who saith, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" - John 3:16 b. It is He who said, ". . . that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them" - 2 Cor. 5:19 c. Sin blinded the minds of sinners against the light of truth; but by the operation of the Holy Spirit, many are enlightened - 2 Cor. 4:4; 1 John 2:11; Matt. 15:14 2. He convicts the world of sin: a. That is what He did on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:37; 5:33 b. That is what He does yet through the preaching of the Word of God - Heb. 4:12; Jer. 23:29 c. He uses the law of God to convict sinners - 1 John 3:4; Rom. 3:21; 7:7 3. Leads the world back to God: a. Creates faith in the heart - Rom. 10:14-17 b. Brings peace to the penitent heart - Rom. 8:16, 17; Eph. 1:13; 2:11-16 c. Delivers them from the power of sin - John 8:31- 33; Acts 26:18 C. SAINT-WARD 1. He leads them: Gal. 5:18. How wonderful it is to be led by the third person of the Godhead. 2. He leads us through the Word of God: 2 Tim. 3:15-17 3. He leads us through the spiritual gifts: Eph. 4:11-17; 2 Cor. 12:1-28; Rev. 12:17; Isa. 8:16, 20 4. He leads us into all truth: John 16:13. For Him to do that, we must be willing to walk in the light as it is revealed to us in the book. 5. He enables us to live a victorious life: 1 John 5:3-5; 1 Cor. 15:57 6. He gives us power to do effective witnessing for the truth: Acts 1:8. Meditate upon this fact. Why is our testimony for the truth so feeble? Is it because we are devoid of the Holy Spirit? 7. We are sealed with the Spirit of promise unto the day of our redemption: Eph. 1:13, 14 a. What a glorious truth is embodied in this seventh point! Redemption is the one goal we all live for and look forward to. b. Fear fills our hearts at times whether we will make it into the kingdom of God. Satan seeks to discourage us through our weakness. c. How wonderful it is to know that the Holy Spirit has sealed us unto the day of redemption. We do not have to be afraid of the future because God is for us and the Holy Spirit has sealed us - Jude 24-26; 1 Pet. 1:5 ## THE DEW OF THE SPIRIT - HOSEA 14:5 A. "I WILL BE AS THE DEW UNTO ISRAEL: HE SHALL GROW AS THE LILY, AND CAST FORTH HIS ROOTS AS LEBANON." Hos. 14:5 1. It is wonderful to read God's loving appeal to His backsliding people: a. No harsh threatenings, b. But gently wooing them by using the gentleness of the dew. c. See how He approached a poor sinful woman of Samaria - John 4:22-28 2. How it warms our hearts as we attempt to draw new knowledge from God's Holy Word: B. "I WILL BE AS THE DEW UNTO ISRAEL" 1. The dew: a. Its nature - scientists tell us that the dew is the water of the atmosphere falling in very small drops. b. It is developed by the warmth of plants and the earth. c. It works quietly and penetrates almost unperceptibly and most effectively. d. It is so gentle as it touches the vegetation that the most sensitive plant is unharmed. 2. That, God says, is how He will deal with backsliding Israel: a. ". . . I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." Hos. 2:14 b. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth." Ps. 110:3 3. Our Lord's gentleness with sinners is further described in words like these: a. "A bruised reed shall he not break, the smoking flax shall he not quench - Isa. 42:3 b. ". . . thy gentleness hath made thee great" - Ps. 18:35 4. Typical examples of the dew in its relationship to God's tender labors with sinful and erring humanity: a. The Samaritan and the wounded traveler - Luke 10:30-37 b. The story of the prodigal son - Luke 15:11-32 C. BLESSING OF THE DEW 1. Think of how the lilies grow: Song of Solomon 7:14; Matt. 6:28 2. The fame of Lebanon: Isa. 47:6; Jer. 12:2; 17:8 3. The olive tree receives much of its life-giving strength from the dew: 4. What would happen to us if God would not use the gentleness of the dew to reach our hearts? 5. Let us note the blessings God promises as a direct result of His gentleness with His people: a. "I will heal thy backsliding, I will love them freely." b. "He shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon." c. "They shall revive as the corn." d. "And grow as the vine." e. Ephraim shall say, "What have I to do anymore with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found." 6. Is this our experience? ## A STILL SMALL VOICE - 1 KINGS 19:11 A. THE PROPHET ELIJAH 1. He was a man of power - ". . . the spirit and power of Elias," Luke 1:17 2. This power revealed itself on a number of occasions: a. In the contest with the priests of Baal - 1 Ki. 18:21-46 b. In his conflict with King Ahab - 1 Ki. 21:20-22 3. He was a man of passion, like other men: a. It was not too difficult for him to take vengeance on his enemies - 1 Ki. 18:40 b. He, too, became discouraged and attempted to run away from difficulties - 1 Ki. 19:1-15 B. A STILL SMALL VOICE 1. God taught this mighty man some very timely lessons about the presence of the Lord: a. He showed him where God is not, in a most practical way and very impressively too - 1) God is not in a windstorm - Winds of Doctrines - Eph. 4:14; Wind of disposition - Matt. 11:7 2) He is not in earthquakes - Spasmodic terror. Think of the children of thunder - Mark 3:17 3) He is not in fire - Eloquence and oratory are not necessarily God's means to carry the message of truth - 1 Cor. 2:1-6 b. He showed to him further where God is - 1) In stillness - "a still small voice" - in it there is great power. Think of the power of the sun! 2) There is great assurance forever - Isa. 30:15; 32:17. 3) In smallness - a) Saul's beginning - 1 Sam. 15:17 b) Gideon's beginning - Judg. 6:15 c) David and Goliath - 1 Sam. 17:45 d) Saul becomes Paul - Acts 13:9 C. A TIMELY LESSON FOR OUR DAY 1. We live in a power conscious age: a. There is no parallel in history. b. Physical science has done the impossible - Dan. 12:4 c. Power is in evidence everywhere, the kitchen, the barn, in the field. 2. Yet, there never has been a time when there was greater unrest and uncertainty than now: Luke 21:25, 26 a. Nervousness among the people is on the increase. b. This is due to the constant uncertainty among the people. 3. Some facts about the quiet life of a true Christian: a. Their knowledge that their cause is right makes them quite assured - Dan. 2:13; 3:14-18 b. Their absolute reliance upon God - 2 Ki. 6:17 c. Their awareness of the purpose of the power possessing their lives makes them quiet - 1 Sam. 17:42-51; 1 Ki. 18 4. Nature can teach us some valuable lessons: a. The movement and behavior of the heavenly bodies is so quiet that there is, as yet, no means to measure their quietness and precision. b. There is no way of determining the power of the sun, yet it is so quiet that we have no perception of its movement. 5. The lesson for us is: quietness is God's method of calming the troubled heart: Ps. 23; Matt. 11:28-30; Isa. 30:15 6. Noise is, as a rule, a sign of emptiness: We have seen that demonstrated on many occasions. ## "BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT" - EPHESIANS 5:18 A. BIBLICAL FOUNDATION OF BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT 1. The Promise: a. Joel 2:28; Isa. 32:15-20 b. John 14:26; 15:26; Acts 2:33 2. The promise secured: a. Our Lord's sacrifice on the cross is vouch- safement of the filling of the Holy Ghost - Gal. 3:13, 14 b. The ascension of our Lord is still another assurance of this heavenly gift - John 16:7, 8; 12, 13 3. The promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit experienced: a. On the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-17 b. During the early history of the church of God - Acts 6:3; 8:14-19; 9:17; 10:44; 11:24; 13:9; 19:1-6 B. "BE YE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT" 1. That is a command: a. The filling with the Spirit of God is imperative. b. Not to be filled is sin. 2. The filling of God's Spirit is not, as some would have us think, regeneration: a. John 15:3; Acts 8:12-16 b. Acts 19:1-6; John 14:16, 17 3. It simply means that God's Spirit will fill and control our lives with His presence: a. Rom. 8:9-11; John 14:17 b. 1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16 4. There is still another wonderful truth implied in the commandment, "be ye filled with the Spirit": a. The filling is the work of God, and not our own effort. We yield, and He fills! b. This is wonderful - all we need to do is to so relate ourselves to God that He can fill us with this heavenly gift. C. THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS, LIKE ALL GOD'S PROMISES, CONDITIONAL 1. It is a free gift, without money and without price: Isa. 55:1, 2 2. It cannot be earned, nor do we deserve it, yet it is conditional: 3. We have already shown in our other studies on the Holy Spirit that there are certain basic conditions laid down in God's word that must be met before we can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit: a. We must be emptied from all things of which the Holy Ghost cannot approve. b. That means that all evil habits and all sinful inclinations will have to come under the axe; they will have to be crucified - Eph. 4:21, 22; Rom. 6:1-11 c. We must claim the gift of the Holy Spirit through faith, child-like faith - Heb. 11:1-6 d. We must walk in the Spirit; that is we must obey Him - Acts 1:13, 14; 5:32 D. BLESSINGS OF THE FILLING WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT 1. It brings the presence of Christ into our lives: Matt. 28:20; Rom. 15:33; John 14:26 2. It will create in us the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ! a. What a blessing to be more like the Master! Gal. 1:15 b. By beholding, we become changed into His likeness - 2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:3; 1 Pet. 2:9-11 c. It will bring into our lives the power of Jesus Christ - 1) Power to live a victorious life. 2) Power to witness effectively for God. 3) Power to say "no" to sin - Acts 1:8; Rom. 15:13, 19; Acts 6:8; 10:38; 1 Cor. 2:4; John 14:12 ## SPIRIT-FILLED CHRISTIANS - ACTS 2:4; 4:31 A. CHRISTIANS CAN EASILY BE DIVIDED INTO TWO GROUPS 1. Nominal Christians: a. They belong to a Christian organization. b. Contribute to the work of the church. c. Live under certain restrain, but do not know the life-giving relationship with the Holy Ghost - Rev. 3:1, 14-17 2. Spirit-filled Christians: a. They belong to the church of God. b. They contribute to the work of the church; and they live under the restrain of the Holy Spirit - EXAMPLES - 1) Elizabeth - Luke 1:41 2) Paul - Acts 9:17; 13:9 3) Stephen - Acts 6:8 4) Peter - Acts 4:8 B. MANIFESTATION OF THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST 1. Existing confusion among Christians: a. Claims of Pentecostalism. b. Denials by other church organizations. 2. The Holy Spirit reveals Himself: a. Through the gifts he bestows upon the believers - 1 Cor. 12:1-28; Eph. 4:8-13 b. Is known by the fruit seen in the lives of the people that are full of His power - Gal. 5:22-25; Matt. 7:16-20 3. All the spiritual gifts are to enable the believers: a. To live a victorious life over sin - 1 John 5:4, 5; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 21:7 b. To do effective witnessing for Christ - Acts 1:8- 11; Matt. 28:18-20; Isa. 43:10 c. To become transformed into the image and likeness of the Son of God - 2 Cor. 3:17, 18; Rom. 8:29 d. These are some of the chief ends of being filled with God's Holy Spirit. C. BEHAVIOR OF SPIRIT FILLED CHRISTIANS 1. Negatively: a. They will not parade their own goodness, as the hypocritical Pharisees did - Matt. 6:1-5; 23:1-37 b. They will not emphasize any single achievement which could detract from Christ. c. This truth is fully revealed in the testimony Christ gave us the Holy Spirit - "for he shall not speak of himself . . . He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you" - John 16:13, 14 2. Positively: a. They will center their testimony in the person of Jesus Christ - EXAMPLES - 1) Paul is a typical example of a spirit-filled Christian - 1 Cor. 1:23, 24; 2:1-6; Phil. 1:21; Gal. 2:20 2) Barnabas is another witness to the filling of the Holy Ghost - Acts 11:24 b. They will magnify the gospel of Jesus Christ and not themselves - Gal. 6:14 c. They will be loyal to God's law -- key scriptures - Isa. 8:20; 30:8, 9; 48:18, 19; Rom. 3:31; Rev. 12:17; 14:12 d. They will reveal the fruit of the Holy Spirit - 1) Love - John 14:15; 15:10; 1 John 5:1-6 2) Joy - Acts 8:8; 2 Cor. 7:4 3) Peace - Rom. 5:1-3 4) Long-suffering - Jas. 5:11 5) Gentleness 6) Goodness 7) Faith 8) Meekness 9) Temperance - Gal. 5:22-25 All these graces are the fruit of the Holy Spirit and they are the true evidence of the Spirit filled life we speak of. ## SEALED WITH THE SPIRIT - EPHESIANS 4:30 A. PURPOSE OF A SEAL 1. A distinguishing mark or token by which a claim to property may be shown and established: Jude 9-14; John 17:11, 12 2. A mark of assurance that the Lord is in earnest to make good His promises to us: Heb. 6:13-15; Eph. 1:13 3. In this sense, the sealing with the Spirit of promise is God's approval of our adoption into the heavenly family: 2 Cor. 5:5 B. IMPLICATIONS OF THE SEAL 1. That an attempt will be made to alienate the believers from God and His promises: a. John 10:7, 10, 17, 27-29 b. Matt. 4:1-12 Think of the first sinful temptation and its effect upon the human race! Gen. 3:1-3 2. The seal of the Holy Spirit is our assurance that we are God's children and that His promises are reliable: a. Eph. 1:4-6; 3:14, 15; Rom. 8:12-17 b. It is God's Holy Spirit that witnesses to our spirit that we are sons and daughters - John 1:10- 12; 1 John 3:1-7 3. The seal of the Holy Spirit is the divine badge of the believers' eternal security in Christ: a. Against condemnation - Rom. 8:1-3, 31-33 b. Against the day of judgment - Ezek. 9:1-6; Rom. 8:32-38; John 8:1-8 c. It is the power by which God will impress His own image upon our lives - 1) Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18 2) Phil. 3:21; Gal. 2:20 3) 1 Cor. 11:7; 15:49 C. OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE SEALING WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT 1. Series warning: a. ". . . grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." Eph. 4:30 b. "Quench not the Spirit." - 1 Thess. 5:19 c. ". . . lie not against the truth." - Jas. 3:14; Acts 5:3, 4 d. "Harden not your hearts, . . ." - Heb. 3:7, 8 2. The right attitude of the believers to the sealing work of the Holy Spirit: a. Obey His instructions at all times, regardless of the cost - EXAMPLES - 1) Stephen - Acts 6:7 2) Peter and John - Acts 4:19; 5:29 3) Paul - Acts 19:21-41 b. Have an open ear to His counsel at all times. c. This counsel is of special signification when we consider how the Lord closes the messages to the seven churches - 1) "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" - Rev. 2:7 2) "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" - verse 11 3) "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" - verse 17 4) "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" - Rev. 3:6 5) "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" - verse 13 3. These and other implications of the seal of the Holy Spirit show plainly the need for our complete surrender to God and His Holy Word and will: ## THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY A. "THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS IS THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY" Rev. 19:10 1. The Bible reveals that God communed with men: a. Personally - Gen. 3:9; 18:1; Acts 9:3; Num. 12:7 b. In dreams - Gen. 28:12-13; Num. 12:7; 1 Sam. 3:15 c. In visions - Num. 24:4, 15, 16 2. He uses three specific channels to make known His holy will: a. The laws of nature - Ps. 19:1-6 b. His only begotten Son - Heb. 1:1-3 c. The Bible - 2 Tim. 3:15-17 B. PLACE OF THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY IN THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION 1. We know from the Bible: a. That the Spirit of Prophecy is, not a person, but one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Compare 1 Cor. 12:1-28 with Eph. 4:11-14 b. That this gift was manifested throughout the history of God's people - 1) Enoch, the seventh from Adam, had this gift - Jude 14 2) Abraham was a prophet - Gen. 20:7 3) Jacob had this gift - Gen. 49 2. We know further from the Bible: a. That God used this gift when He led His people out of Egypt to the promised land - Hos. 12:13 b. That He uses this gift to guide His remnant church in the preparation for the second coming of Jesus Christ - Rev. 12:17; 1 Cor. 1:6 3. How to know a true prophet: a. This is necessary because many false prophets have gone out in the world - Matt. 7:15; 24:11, 24; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 4:1 b. Isa. 8:20; 30:8, 9 give us the key to know the true from the false. c. When a prophet leads away from the law of God, we know that he is false - Deut. 13:1-5; 18:20-22 d. God safeguarded the gift of prophecy by two other marks - 1) When a prophet was in a trance, God withheld His breath from him during the vision - Dan. 10:17. Satan cannot do this and keep his victim alive. 2) A person in vision has his eyes open - Num. 24:1-4 C. THE GIFT OF PROPHECY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH 1. Our Lord foretold: a. That He would send prophets to His people - Matt. 23:34; Luke 11:49 b. That He will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh, ". . . your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, . . ." Acts 2:17 2. There were a number of prophets in the early days of the apostolic church: Compare Acts 11:27 with chapter 13:1, 15, 40; 15:32 3. God's remnant church has this gift as a mark of identity: a. Paul foretold this blessing - 1 Cor. 1:6 b. John, too, saw this gift associated with God's law - Rev. 12:17. See, also, Isa. 8:16, 20 4. Blessing of the gift of prophecy: a. The gift of prophecy is, in a certain sense, the eyes of the church. Anciently, the people called a prophet "seer" - 1 Sam. 9:9, 11, 18, 19. b. When this gift is absent, spiritual blindness is in evidence - 1 Sam. 3:1-21; 28:6; Prov. 29:18 c. When the message of the prophet is heeded by God's people, it will bring prosperity - 2 Chron. 20:20 5. What should be our attitude toward the gift of prophecy? a. "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." - 1 Thess. 5:21 b. Heed its instructions and it will be for our own good - 2 Chron. 20:20 c. What would have happened to this movement without the guidance of the gift of prophecy? ## SPEAKING WITH NEW TONGUES - ACTS 2:1-12, 13 A. BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST 1. Promised: Acts 1:8; 2:16-18; Joel 2:28; John 14:26; 15:26 2. Disputations and confusion: a. The "Pentecostal" movement. b. Speaking in tongues. Is speaking in tongues, in itself, proof of the baptism of the Holy Ghost? If it is evidence of the baptism of the Holy Ghost, what shall we say about devout Christians who do not have this gift? B. BIBLE EVIDENCE OF THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST 1. Fruit of the Holy Spirit: a. "Ye shall know them by their fruits." - Matt. 7:16; 12:33 b. Paul enumerates these gifts - Gal. 5:22, 23 2. Presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives will not bring confusion: a. "Let all things be done decently and in order" - 1 Cor. 14:40 b. ". . . God is not the author of confusion, but of peace," -- verse 33; 2 Thess. 3:7 3. The prophet Isaiah describes the behavior of people under the influence of the Holy Spirit: Isa. 29:15; 32:15-17 a. Dignity was the mark of the Spirit that lived in Daniel - Dan. 5:12; 6:3 b. That was true of Joseph - Gen. 39:1-18 4. Loyalty to God's law is still another sign of the presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit: a. It is a test of light - Isa. 8:20 b. It is a test of the genuineness of the claims to truth - Isa. 30:8-10 c. Disloyalty to God's law is evidence of untruthfulness - 1 John 2:4-7 C. THE GIFT OF TONGUES 1. Is one of nine gifts: a. Acts 2:1-6; 10:41-46 b. Acts 19:1-6; 1 Cor. 12:11, 12, 28, 29 2. Not all believers have the same gift: a. "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." - 1 Cor. 12:4 b. ". . . But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that." - 1 Cor. 7:7 c. "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of the faith." Rom. 12:6 3. Tongues: a. They are languages spoken by men of different nationalities - Acts 2:1-17 b. They are for the purpose of conveying the message of truth to men - Acts 2:6-9; 10:38-44; 19:1-3 c. They are a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that do not believe - 1 Cor. 14:22 d. If of God, they will be easy to understand - 1 Cor. 14:6-8 e. That was true on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:8- 11; that was true when the Gentile Christians spoke in tongues - Acts 10:38-44; 19:1-3 4. We are warned not to believe every Spirit, but to try the spirits: 1 John 4:1-6 5. Phenomena are no evidence that God is the author of them; in fact we are warned against some such manifestations in the last days: Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9-11; Rev. 13:13, 14 ## POWER TO WITNESS - ACTS 1:1-8 A. THE PARTING WORDS OF OUR LORD TO HIS DISCIPLES MAKE IT CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE KINGDOM THAT: 1. The Father keeps in His own power: 2. That includes the times or seasons which the Father has put in His own power: 3. Not the angels, neither the Son knows about this: Matt. 24:36; Mark 13:33 4. If men know the times of the consummation of God's plan for His people: a. They would be tempted to misuse it, as did Jonah - Jonah 4:1-3 b. This is made clear in our Lord's warning against the attitude of that evil servant - Matt. 24:48, 49 B. WAIT 1. Bible use of this word: a. "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." - Ps. 62:5 b. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength." - Isa. 40:31 c. ". . . wait for the promise of the Father" - Acts 1:4; Luke 24:49; John 14:26 2. Why wait? a. They were not ready. The brief record makes it clear that they were in need of a personal preparation for witnessing for Christ - Acts 1:13, 14; 2:1-3; Luke 22:24 b. There were things in their lives that would have militated against the cause of God; these had to be removed before God could use them effectively. c. What was true of the early disciples is true of God's people today. We have the plain testimony of the true witness in Rev. 3:14-22 d. Sins had to be confessed; a closer relationship between the brethren was needed; all this was sufficient for the waiting period. C. WAIT FOR THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST 1. That power was promised: a. By the Father - Luke 24:49; John 14:25, 26 b. By the Son of God - Luke 24:49; John 15:26 2. The outpouring of God's Spirit was foretold in Bible prophecy: a. Isaiah told of it - Isa. 32:15-17; 44:3, 4 b. The prophet Joel predicted this heavenly blessing for God's people - Joel 2:28 3. It awaited their state of readiness: a. That indicates that we have a part in the outpouring of God's Spirit. b. There are things we will have to do for ourselves. c. We are told that one sin between us and God will prevent the gift of the Holy Ghost in our lives. 4. What a difference the presence and outpouring of the Spirit of God will make in our personal experience and in our work for others! EXAMPLES - a. Samson - Judg. 13:25 b. Saul - 1 Sam. 10:6; 19:23 c. Stephen - Acts 6:8 d. Paul - Acts 13:9 e. Peter - Acts 4:8 f. Barnabas - Acts 11:24 5. Wait: Do we by now understand the importance of this heavenly counsel? a. Our Lord knows our infirmity, only too well. b. Peter learned this truth and must have appreciated the lesson. c. Brethren, are we spending our waiting period, like the early disciples, in the upper room in seeking the Lord? d. Power has been promised; it awaits our readiness to use it to the glory of God. ## EFFECTS OF THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT A. WHEN WE THINK OF THE EFFECTS OF THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN OUR LIVES, WE MUST CONSIDER A NUMBER OF FACTORS WHICH ENTER INTO THAT EXPERIENCE 1. Satan has counterfeited most all heavenly blessings: a. Seeming phenomena witnessed in the life of a certain person claiming the baptism of the Holy Spirit. b. Such outward manifestations, purporting to be the work of the Holy Ghost, were predicted by our Lord, by Paul, and by John - Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9-11; Rev. 13:13, 14 c. Satan will assume the likeness of our Lord before Christ comes - 2 Cor. 11:13-16 2. These Satanic manifestations will be most effective: a. Because the vast majority are uninformed about the truth that would keep them from being deceived. b. The natural inclination of people is to fall for the demonstrative or spectacular, and not for that which leans on the world of obedience. B. SEVEN SPECIFIC MARKS OF THE PRESENCE AND INDWELLING OF THE HOLY GHOST 1. "Self" will be crucified and Christ will be glorified: a. Paul's testimony - Gal. 2:20 b. The early disciples - Acts 2:7, 8 c. "Not I, but Christ be loved, honored, and exalted." 2. We are transformed into the likeness of the meek and lowly Saviour: Matt. 11:28-30; Gal. 1:15, 16; 2 Cor. 3:18 a. That makes us new creatures - 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:10 b. That removes the sinful "self" out of the picture. 3. We will be turned into a new man: a. The old man of sin has died, and he has been buried - Rom. 6:1-14 b. It is Christ in us, the hope of glory - Col. 1:27; Eph. 3:17; 1 John 2:5 4. Our lives will be devoted to do effective witnessing for Christ: 1 Pet. 2:9-11 5. We will reveal the beauty of true Bible holiness: a. That means that we will reveal Christ in our thoughts, words, and actions. b. It means that we will no longer live unto ourselves, but unto Him that loved us and gave Himself for us - Gal. 2:20 6. Victory over every evil inclination in our lives will be assured. We will gain strength to subdue all human and sinful tendencies: 7. Finally, the indwelling Spirit of God will take out of our lives the enmity toward the law of God: a. Christ will slay that enmity - Eph. 2:14-16; Rom. 8:1-7 b. We will delight in the law of God after the inward man - Rom. 7:22; Ps. 40:8 c. The Ten Commandments will become a part of our renewed nature - Heb. 10:15, 16; Ezek. 36:26-28 C. ALL THESE BLESSINGS OF THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKE US DOUBLY RESPONSIBLE TO GOD NOT TO USE THIS HEAVENLY GIFT IN VAIN 1. Paul warns us in very strong words: a. "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins." - Heb. 10:26-29 b. "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, . . . to renew them again unto repentance" - Heb. 6:4-8 2. Blessings bring responsibility which we must use to the glory of God: ## THE PREREQUISITE TO FULLNESS - OF GOD'S SPIRIT A. WHY ARE SOME PROFESSED CHRISTIANS BLESSED WITH THE FULLNESS OF GOD'S SPIRIT, AND OTHERS ARE DESTITUTE OF THE BLESSING? 1. One answer must be that the filling of the Spirit of God is, like all other blessings, conditional: a. If we fail to meet the conditions we forfeit the blessing. b. This fact cannot be overemphasized by the minister of the gospel. 2. Cleansing is one of the divine prerequisites before we can claim the gift of the Holy Spirit: B. LET US CONSIDER CLEANSING, METHOD OF CLEANSING, AND THE MEASURE OF CLEANSING 1. Cleansing: a. ". . . let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." - 2 Cor. 7:1 b. All of us have been defiled by sin and sinful habits - Isa. 64:6 c. Our Lord gives a graphic picture of the defilement of sin in Matt. 23:27 d. Paul mentions the soul defiling forces - Gal. 5:19-21 e. The Spirit of God will not and cannot dwell with the uncleanness of sin. So long as we cherish one sin in our heart, we cannot receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. f. The Bible makes it clear that emptying of self and sin is a primary condition for receiving the Holy Ghost. 2. Method of Cleansing: a. Sincere confession of sin is the first step in the preparation for receiving the Holy Spirit - 1 John 1:9 b. Such a confession cannot make any reservations whatever - 2 Sam. 12:13 c. Confession by Achan - Josh. 7:20; and by Saul were different - 1 Sam. 15:15. This is important to remember all the way! d. Uncleanness must be removed. It is not enough for us to confess sin and sinful habits; we must remove them out of our lives with great speed. 1) ". . . put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth." - Col. 3:8 2) ". . . be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord" - Isa. 52:11 3) Jacob recognized the importance of removing the unclean things from his life - Gen. 35:2 4) Remove the stumbling blocks - Isa. 57:14 5) Making of some reparations are often indicated - Luke 19:8 C. THE MEASURE AND THE MEANS OF CLEANSING 1. The measure of cleansing: a. God demands a cleansing that reaches from the innermost desire to the utmost deed. b. That goes from the core to the circumference. c. This cleansing includes - 1) Body - Compare Ex. 19:10 with 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20 2) Soul - Ps. 35:13 3) Spirit - Ps. 51:10 2. The God chosen means for the cleansing: a. No human device can remove the stain of sin from our lives - Jer. 2:22 b. There is an open fountain, provided by God, against all uncleanness - Zech. 13:1 c. The precious blood of Jesus Christ is the God chosen means to cleanse us from all unrighteousness - 1 John 1:7 d. That blood must be applied through faith in the all-sufficiency of the atonement made for us on Calvary. e. Heeding the Word of truth is still another God provided means of purifying our soul - 1 Pet. 1:22 f. Finally, it is of the utmost importance that we surrender our whole life to God, moment by moment, lay it upon God's altar - Rom. 12:1 ## THE BELIEVER'S PART IN BECOMING SPIRIT FILLED IS YIELDING A. IN OUR LAST BIBLE STUDY WE CONSIDERED CLEANSING AS A PREREQUISITE TO THE FILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. AT THIS TIME WE DESIRE TO CONSIDER STILL ANOTHER NECESSITY TO RECEIVING THE GIFT OF GOD; NAMELY, YIELDING 1. That word - yield - is used quite freely in the writings of the apostles: a. "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey . . . for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." - Rom. 6:16, 19 b. "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." - Rom. 6:13 2. Yielding is so important on our part that we shall do well to enter this subject with a deep desire to know and appreciate this truth in our lives: B. LET US CONSIDER WHAT IS IMPLIED BY OUR YIELDING TO GOD AND HIS HOLY WILL 1. Yielding is the definite, deliberate, voluntary transference of the undivided possession, control and use of the whole being, spirit, soul and body from self to Christ, to whom it rightfully belongs: a. We are His by creation - Col. 1:15-17; Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:3 b. We are His by reason of redemption - Isa. 63:15; Ps. 34:22; Rev. 5:9; Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 1:18 2. Let us remember that consecration does not confer ownership; it presumes it: 1 Chron. 29:14. It is not in order to be His, but because we are His. It is the purchase that gives title; delivery simply gives possession! The question is not, do I belong to God; but, it is very serious, Do I yield to God!? 3. Yielding is the glad, joyous, willing response of love to love. We love because He loved us! a. Our Lord yielded His life because He loved us. b. We, too, will gladly yield all, if need be, in response to His love - Acts 21:13 C. THE LIFE YIELDED, WHAT? 1. This sermon would not be complete without bringing its truth closer home: a. "Yourselves" - ". . . but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God." 2 Cor. 8:5 1) That is what our Lord did - ". . . who loved me, and gave himself for me." - Gal. 2:20 2) "Submit yourselves therefore to God." - Jas. 4:7 b. "Your members" 1) Body - Rom. 12:1 2) Soul 3) Spirit - 1 Thess. 5:23; 1 Pet. 3:15. This makes it very clear that all I am and all I have and all I will be belong to Christ my Lord. c. The life yielded How? 1) In seeking an answer to this question we must remember that yielding is not an empty gesture, but an act that will affect our whole being. 2) It simply involves everything entrusted to our stewardship - Luke 16:1-9 d. Yielding to God is threefold - 1) It is voluntary, an act of our free will - Rev. 22:17 2) The act of marriage will illustrate my point. 3) Yielding is a continuous act! Moment by moment, hour by hour, day by day, week by week, month by month, and year by year. 4) Yielding is a final act! That is true in marriage unto death; but for us it is for good. Nothing in this world can change that attitude - Rom. 8:35-37. ## POVERTY OR POWER A. "SILVER AND GOLD HAVE I NONE, BUT SUCH AS I HAVE GIVE I THEE" Acts 3:6 1. The scene in our text: a. Peter and John meet a lame man at one of the temple gates. b. This man asked alms of them. c. Peter informed him that they had neither gold or silver to give. d. But they were not helpless, they still had something to give to him, which they did. 2. This incident, if we may call it so, is full of divine signification of which we hope to learn as we develop our subject title: B. THE MEASURE OF TRUE WEALTH 1. A common misconception: a. That wealth must be measured by the gold standard. b. That this precious metal is the supreme object in life to bring happiness and contentment to the soul. 2. Silver and gold, like other precious metals, have their place in life, even in the work of the church: a. They are a medium of exchange without which it would be difficult to do business. b. But they are not man's greatest and most valued possession - Luke 12:16-20 3. The experience of Peter and John, as revealed in our opening text, prove that there are other values far more enduring than silver and gold: a. The wealth of a rich and God endowed character, as that of Joseph - Gen. 39:9; of Daniel - Dan. 1:8; 6:10; of Ruth - Ruth 1:16 b. The fullness of the Spirit of God, which blesses us with the fruit of the Spirit; as the life of Stephen - Acts 6:8, 15 4. The wealth of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is infinitely more to be desired than any amount of silver and gold which cannot give life to them that may possess them: a. That is what Jesus taught - Luke 12:15 b. That has been demonstrated in the lives of persons who did not even know how rich they were, who died in misery. C. "SUCH AS I HAVE GIVE I THEE" - POVERTY OR POWER 1. "There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty." - Prov. 11:24 a. All means entrusted unto us are for a purpose, and when used wisely they will not diminish but increase. b. When they are withheld they will tend to poverty. 2. Here are but a few ingredients of true and lasting wealth not measured by the gold standard: a. Love - Rom. 13;8 b. Peace - Rom. 5:1-3 c. Joy - Acts 8:39 d. Gentleness - 2 Sam. 22:36 e. Goodness - Acts 9:36 f. Heaven born kindness - Eph. 4:32 g. A Bible based faith that centers in Christ - Jas. 2:1-7 h. To be rich in God means that we are blessed with the manifold gifts of the Holy Spirit - Luke 12:21; 2 Pet. 1:2-9 3. Poverty or power: a. Are we full of power because the Holy Spirit lives in us? EXAMPLES - 1) Our Lord - Luke 4:14 2) Paul - 1 Thess. 1:5 3) David - 1 Sam. 17:34-51 4) Samson for a time - Judg. 15 b. Or are we poverty stricken? EXAMPLES - 1) Some of the disciples - Matt. 17:14-20 2) Eli the priest of the Lord - 1 Sam. 3 3) The Jews who attempted to cast out devils in the name of Christ - Acts 19:13-16 4) The Laodiceans - Rev. 3:14-17 4. "Such as I have give I thee" - Peter gave that man five blessings: a. He connected him with the Lord Jesus. b. He helped him on his feet. c. He gave him a new start in life. d. He put praise upon his lips. e. He made a faithful disciple out of him. # Section V: 48 Outlines on Christian Witnessing ## A CALL TO WORK - MATTHEW 21:28-32 A. "SON, GO WORK TODAY IN MY VINEYARD" 1. In reading this text I feel especially impressed: a. By the endearing name "Son". b. It is a high honor to be a son of God - 1 Pet. 2:8-11; Heb. 12:6-9; 1 John 3:1-3; John 1:11-13 2. We become sons: a. By believing in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ - John 1:12; Gal. 3:26 b. Through the new birth - John 1:11-13; 3:3-6; Rom. 8:11-16 c. Through the adoption into the family of God - Eph. 1:5 B. A CALL TO WORK -- "GO, WORK" 1. It is a pleasure for a son to work for his father: a. The Son of God considered it a joy to work for His Father - 1) ". . . wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" Luke 2:40-52 2) "I delight to do thy will, O my God . . ." - Ps. 40:8 3) "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." John 9:4 b. Every child of God is included in this call to work - 1) We are co-workers with God - 2 Cor. 6:1 2) We all are a part of the royal priesthood - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 3) Had King David been busy working in God's vineyard, he would never been tempted to take another man's wife. 2. The sphere of work: "In my Vineyard" a. The vineyard is, in the first place, the church of God. Compare Isa. 5 with Matt. 21:33-43 b. The church of God has a wonderful program and plenty of work for all God's children - Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8-10 c. It is a great honor to know that when I take part in the activities of the church I am answering the call of God to work. C. THE TIME TO WORK: "TODAY" 1. This indicates that our opportunity to answer the call of the Lord to work in His vineyard is limited -- "today": 2. Our Saviour recognized the fact that the time to work in God's vineyard is very limited: John 9:4 3. That proves that there is always an end to the time of service: a. There was a limited time for Noah to work - Gen. 6:3; 7:1-6 b. There was an end for Lot's opportunity to work in Sodom - Gen. 19:1-19 c. The story of the ten virgins, too, shows that there comes an end to every effort - Matt. 25:1-12 4. The Bible gives special emphasis to the limited time for attempting to win souls for the Lord: a. ". . . today if ye will hear his voice" - Heb. 3:7 b. ". . . now is the day of salvation" - 2 Cor. 6:1-3 c. "Thus saith the Lord, in an acceptable time have I heard thee . . ." - Isa. 49:8 5. The work we are called unto: a. Witnessing for God - 1) "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord," - Isa. 43:10 2) ". . . ye shall be witnesses unto me . . ." - Acts 1:8 b. To make known in this sin sick and troubled world the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light - 1 Pet. 2:9 c. To become fishers of men - Luke 5:10. Soul- winning is the heart of our heavenly assignment. 6. There is a blessing in working in the Father's vineyard: a. Our labors shall not be in vain - 1 Cor. 15:58 b. They that go forth sowing the seed of truth shall doubtless come again bringing their sheaves with them - Ps. 126:6 ## THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVERS - 1 PETER 2:9-11 A. "BUT YE ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, AN HOLY NATION, A PECULIAR PEOPLE; THAT YE SHOULD SHOW FORTH THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO HATH CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT." 1. With these words, Peter unfolds the mission of the church of God in this world: a. "Ye are a chosen generation" b. "A royal priesthood" 2. That ye should show forth His praises": a. Ours is a mission to this dying world. b. It is a demonstrative mission, something to be seen and demonstrated. B. THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD AND ITS IMPLICATIONS 1. History of the priesthood: a. It began in the home of the believer. b. This is indicated in Cain and Abel bringing sacrifices to the Lord, independently of each other - Gen. 4:3, 4, 26 c. This family priesthood was continued in the days of the Patriarchs - 1) Noah and his family - Gen. 8:20 2) Abraham and his household - Gen. 13:18 3) Jacob - Gen. 35:1 d. With Israel moving to the land of Canaan a change came in, the ministry of the priesthood was given to Aaron and his sons, later to the tribe of Levi - Heb. 7:8, 9 2. The Christian church: a. Has the priesthood in which all the believers have an active part. b. Every believer in Christ is called to witness for the glorious truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ - Acts 1:8, 9; Rom. 15:9 c. It is called "a royal priesthood" because it connects the believers with the ministry of the Messiah, who is a Priest King. d. We are linked with the work carried on by our Lord in the heavenly sanctuary. e. This makes witnessing for Christ a royal privilege, and places upon us royal obligations. 3. Office of the priesthood: a. We are God's Ambassadors of good will to this world - 2 Cor. 5:20 b. We seek to connect the lost world with heaven. EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham was called for this work - Gen. 12:1-3 2) Moses and Israel - Ex. 32:30-32 3) Paul and his people - Rom. 10:1-3 c. We are workers for God, witnessing for Jesus Christ our Lord - 2 Cor. 6:1-3 C. ESSENTIALS FOR AN EFFECTIVE PRIESTHOOD 1. A living sacrifice: a. This living sacrifice includes, in the first place, our own selves - Rom. 12:1 b. It includes all we posses, which belongs to the Lord in the first place - 1 Chron. 29:12, 13 c. It includes the best we have, not the lame or sickly - Mal. 1:7-10 2. An altar: a. The altar is a symbol of our surrender and dedication to the Lord. b. It is an emblem of loving devotion to God and His cause. That is indicated in the worship of the Patriarchs - Gen. 8:20; 12:7; 13:4; 35:1 c. The altar is a constant reminder of the worshipper of our need of a constant surrender to the perfect will of God - Matt. 26:42 3. Consecration: a. The act of consecration was a very solemn event in the Levitical priesthood. b. The ceremony was most impressive and very significant to the priest and the people. c. A study of the following scriptures will be very useful to the people of God in our day - Ex. 28:3- 41; Num. 3:1-17; Lev. 7 4. Purpose of consecration: a. It represents a wholehearted and unreserved dedication of the individual to God and His service. b. It means a complete separation from that which is sinful and unclean. This is absolutely necessary for man to be used by the Lord. c. Finally, consecration indicates that we are dedicated to the service of the Lord - heart, soul and body, as indicated in our opening text. ## THE PRIESTHOOD IN THE HOME - JOB 1:1-6 A. WE HAVE LEARNED IN OUR FORMER STUDY 1. That the priesthood of God's people carried: a. By the heads of the families in the days before the flood - Gen. 4:1-9, 26 b. In the days of the Patriarchs they followed the same practice - Gen. 8:20; 12:7; 22:9; 35:1-3 2. As the people of God grew in numbers and the work of God increased in its influence: a. God gave to Aaron and his sons the priesthood. b. Later this same work was given to the tribe of Levi - Heb. 7:1-28 B. OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO US IS THE FUNCTION OF THE PRIESTHOOD IN THE HOME 1. The priest of the house was: a. A representative of God in his own home. b. He was a connecting link between God and the members of his family. EXAMPLES - 1) Noah and his family - Gen. 8:20-22 2) Abraham and his household. He has a large family, about three hundred persons - Gen. 18:17-26 3) Jacob, too, had a large group of people in his household - Gen. 35:1-8 4) Job is another example of the work of the priesthood in the home - Job 1:1-5 5) Joshua is still another wonderful example of the priesthood in the home - Josh. 24:15 2. The work of the priesthood in the home is fourfold: a. Intercession - to make intercession is to plead the case of someone in serious trouble in the family - EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham made intercession for his nephew Lot and his family, as well as for Sodom - Gen. 18:23 2) Moses interceded for Israel - Ex. 32:9-12 3) The woman of Canaan for her daughter - Matt. 15:22-28 b. Stepping into the gap or breach. Read carefully Ps. 106; Ex. 32:32 c. To serve at the altar - that means that the priest in the home keeps the family ready and willing to lay their lives and themselves upon God's altar. Compare Rom. 12:1 with Heb. 13:15; 1 Pet. 2:5 d. To teach the way of the Lord - this shows that the family altar includes more than prayer; it includes the study of the Word of God - 1) That was the program of Abraham - Gen. 18:17 2) The Bereans followed a similar plan - Acts 17:11, 12 C. BLESSING OF THE PRIESTHOOD IN THE HOME 1. Our finite minds shall never be able to fully comprehend the benefits derived from the priesthood in the home: a. It gives the home the connection with God that it needs to be saved. b. It becomes a wall of partition between the members of the family and the world - Josh. 24:15; 2 Cor. 6:14-17 c. It is a living barrier to sin - Isa. 26:1; Job 1:10 d. It binds the heart to God and the family at the same time. e. It prepares the members of the family for service in the case of God. The history of the church of God and its activities indicate that the deeper roots of dedication are to be found in the training received in the home. 2. What people miss when they do not have the priesthood in the home: a. They lose their connection with God and that means that they are in a lost condition. b. They cannot claim the promises of God for themselves and their household when they fail to keep connection with the Lord, the source of life and hope. c. They expose themselves and their loved ones to the working of Satan, and that means ruination in the end. d. God pronounces a curse upon the families that do not call upon the name of the Lord - Jer. 10:25 e. The Lord calls it "iniquity" - Ps. 14:4; Isa. 43:22 ## WORK IN THE MASTER'S VINEYARD - MATTHEW 21:28 A. "SON, GO WORK TODAY IN MY VINEYARD" 1. A divine relationship: a. An honor to be the son of a ruler or king. b. Jesus was honored to be the Son of God - Heb. 1:5, 6; Matt. 3:17 2. We become sons of God: a. Not by nature - John 1:11-13; 1 John 3:1-6 b. By receiving Christ into our hearts - John 1:11- 13; Gal. 3:26 c. When He becomes our personal Saviour - 1 John 5:1-5 d. By obeying Him - John 8:31; 15:7 B. THE DIVINE CALL 1. "Go work": a. A true son loves to work for his father. b. It is a great honor to work for our heavenly Father; and a disgrace not to work for Him - Matt. 25:14; 2 Thess. 3:10 2. Different kind of work in the Lord's vineyard: a. We are stones in the Lord's temple. Each stone fills a particular place and need. b. Are we faithfully doing what the Lord wants us to do? c. ". . . and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work" - Mark 13:34 d. ". . . dividing to every man severally as he will" - 1 Cor. 12:11 3. How long are we to work in the Lord's vineyard? a. Until the Lord says, "It is enough" - Matt. 24:14 b. Until He says, "It is finished" - John 4:34 c. Until we can say with Paul, "I have finished my course" - 2 Tim. 4:7 d. Until the gospel has been preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations - Rev. 14:6, 7 C. THE TIME FOR OUR SERVICE 1. "Today": a. That means that it may include tomorrow, and it may not. It may mean a week, a month, a year, and it may mean a day only. b. As long as mercy lasts - John 9:4; 2 Cor. 6:1-3 2. There is an end to "Today": a. That was true in Noah's day - Gen. 6:3 b. It was true in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah - Gen. 19:24 c. ". . . my spirit shall not always strive with man" - Gen. 6:3 3. This knowledge should arouse us to work harder for the winning of souls for the truth: a. The time element is important - Rom. 13:11-14 b. "Today" is a very prominent factor even in the work of the Lord - Ps. 95:7; Heb. 3:7-9 4. The sphere of our service: a. "In my vineyard" - 1) The vineyard of the Lord is His church - Isa. 5:1, 2; Matt. 21:33-41 2) The world is the field at large - Matt. 13:19-30; 28:18-20 b. This indicates very plainly the field of service for the Christian worker - 1) In the Master's service - Rom. 6:16-18 2) The program is guided by the church of God. 3) Soul winning is our chief business. c. That excludes self service - Rom. 14:7 5. Work in the Master's vineyard provides: a. Talent to do the work of the Lord - Matt. 25:15 b. Talent differs -- one may have five, another three, and another only one. c. Important is the fact that the Master will hold us accountable for the use of the talent. d. Our stewardship will be brought to an accounting - Luke 16:1-14 ## OUR HEAVEN APPOINTED MISSION - REVELATION 14:6-12 A. MESSENGERS OF PRESENT TRUTH 1. Noah preached present truth in his day: a. He warned the people of the coming flood - Gen. 6:1-22 b. He preached the gospel of righteousness by faith - 2 Pet. 2:5 2. John the Baptist preached present truth: a. "Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee." - Matt. 11:10 b. He was a voice crying in the wilderness - Matt. 3:1 3. Our blessed Lord was a preacher of the gospel of righteousness by faith: John 12:44-50 4. We, of all men, must have a positive message to a judgment bound world: a. ". . . wherefore wilt thou run, my son, seeing thou hast no tidings ready?" 2 Sam. 18:22 b. The Three Angels' Message is as positive as any truth can be. B. STRESSING THE GREAT FUNDAMENTALS 1. Bible creation: Gen. 1; 2; Ps. 33:6, 9; Heb. 11:1-6 2. Origin of sin: Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18; Gen. 3:1-22; Rom. 5:12-18 3. Salvation through Christ alone: a. No other name - Acts 4:12 b. His blessed name is the only hope for lost sinners - Matt. 1:21; Acts 16:31 4. The new birth, the gateway to the kingdom: a. It is a must - John 3:3-9 b. The work of the Holy Spirit - Zech. 4:6 5. Obedience to the law of the Ten Commandments -- the fruit of faith in Christ: Matt. 5:17-19; Heb. 10:15, 16 6. The spiritual gifts, among them the gift of prophecy: Rev. 12:17; Isa. 8:16 7. Loyalty to all the light the Lord has given to us as a people: 1 John 1:7-9 C. SOME IMPLICATIONS OF PREACHING PRESENT TRUTH 1. Only childlike faith in Present Truth will give us power to win souls for this message: a. Truth gives power and authority. b. It will bring conviction. c. It gives saving power - Rom. 1:16 2. We must be able to say, as Paul said, "I have kept back nothing that was profitable unto you." Acts 20:20 3. Our preaching must ever be Christ-centered: People ought to testify of our message. ". . . Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" Luke 24:32 4. An effective sermon has a fourfold objective: a. To create a desire in the heart of the hearer to search the Word of God - Acts 17:10, 11 b. To connect the hearer with Christ; or to connect every promise in the Bible with Christ - John 5:39 c. To reveal the love of God to a loveless world - John 3:16 d. We must be able to say with John, ". . . God is love." - 1 John 4:8; or to say, " "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, . . ." - 1 John 3:1-3 e. We must show the awfulness of sin in the light of the Cross of Christ on Calvary. "But we preach Christ crucified," - 1 Cor. 1:23 5. Our preaching must be inspirational: a. Like Stephen's message - Acts 7 b. Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2 c. Paul's sermon on Mars' hill - Acts 17:22-34 d. We are told that a Christless sermon is a wasted sermon, and that is true. "If I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me." "Behold the Lamb of God" must be our burden as we stand before the people. ## CHRISTIAN WITNESSING - ACTS 10:8 A. "YE ARE MY WITNESSES" Isa. 43:10 1. A witness is one who affirms the claims of God in His word: a. "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses." - Acts 2:32 b. Effective witnessing - Acts 3:14-16; 5:32; 10:39 2. The testimony which is based upon personal experience works: a. The blind man who received his eyesight - John 9:25 b. The lame man that could walk - Acts 3:1-10; 1 John 1:1-6 B. OUR LORD IS OUR EXAMPLE IN EFFECTIVE WITNESSING FOR THE TRUTH 1. Much of His ministry was personal visitation in the homes: a. Mark 2:1-11 b. Mark 10:10. Chapter 14:3 2. He brought comfort to the heart and health to the body: a. Healed the brokenhearted - Luke 4:18; Isa. 61:1 b. Of Him it is written, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." - Acts 10:38 3. He never thought of His own comfort or convenience, but rather of bringing blessings to the needy: a. "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich." - 2 Cor. 8:9 b. "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head" - Matt. 8:20 c. He could send a message to John, in prison, "The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised . . ." - Matt. 11:1-5 4. His method of labor: a. He was very tactful - EXAMPLES - 1) His conversation with the woman of Samaria - John 4:1-28 2) His talk with Nicodemus - John 3:1-36 b. Think of how gently He treated Zacchaeus - Luke 19:1-9 c. He approached each case best suited to the needs and understanding of the individual - Luke 24:32 d. His method of working for souls is indicated further in some of His parables - 1) The lost coin. 2) The lost sheep. 3) The prodigal son - Luke 15:1-32 C. EFFECTIVE METHODS OF CHRISTIAN WITNESSING 1. "Learn of me" sayeth the Master of the art of witnessing: a. Secret prayer was the key to His success in His work - Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16 b. Reliance upon His heavenly Father is still another factor entering into the success of His ministry - John 5:19, 30 c. Absolute loyalty to the Word of God is the very foundation of His ministry - 1) Think of how He met the temptation of Satan! Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-9 2) He followed the same line of reasoning with the Pharisees and others - John 5:39-46; 7:17; 10:35 d. It was the Holy Spirit that enabled the Son of man to perform the many miracles! Acts 10:38 2. Christian witnessing by us depends upon several related factors: a. Are we motivated by the Love of Christ? 2 Cor. 5:14-17 b. Are we possessed of the soul passion that energized Paul? Rom. 9:1-3 c. Do we sense the value of the souls Christ died for? 1 Cor. 8:11 d. Are we willing to pay the price connected with Christian witnessing? Acts 7:59, 60 e. Is our faith in our cause and in the integrity of men strong enough to persist even when the odds are against us? ## TEAMWORK AND ITS EFFECT - MARK 2:1-14 A. OUR TEXT BRINGS TO OUR MIND 1. Our Lord's method of working for the salvation of souls: a. "It was noised abroad that he was in the house" b. That is the most effective advertising for soulwinning - Matt. 9:1; Luke 5:18; John 1:38, 39 2. A transformed home becomes the center for the ministry of our Lord: a. It became a light tower of the gospel. b. The center of dispensing divine mercy - Matt. 5:14-16 B. CHRISTIAN TEAMWORK IS THE BURDEN OF MY MESSAGE 1. "And they came unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy" a. The burden they carried. b. He was a hopeless, helpless, suffering person that suffered great mental remorse because of a life of sin and shame. c. He had heard that the great physician had come to the community; his neighbors gave him hope of being healed. 2. He was carried by four: a. That indicates Christian teamwork. b. And what is needed today to finish the work God has given to us. c. Said Moody, "Give me four men who are on fire for God and I will set the world on fire." d. Said President Lincoln, "United we stand, divided we fall." e. There is no limit to our achievement when we are united in our efforts to win souls for Christ. 3. Their implicit faith: a. That there was hope for that helpless man. b. That Christ would honor their effort in behalf of the impotent man energized them to put forth the effort. c. It was a great faith - hope against hope! d. Such a faith is needed today to do effective work for God. C. LET US TAKE A PRAYERFUL LOOK AT THEIR FAITH AND ITS RICH REWARD 1. Jesus saw their faith: a. Christ saw their faith when they inspired the Paralytic with new hope. b. He saw it when they sought means to bring their burden to Christ. c. He saw it when they encountered difficulty on their way -- many obstacles. d. He saw it when they raised the roof to bring him near to the Lord. e. He saw their faith when they succeeded at last - Mark 2:1-14 2. What a challenge to us! a. Does our Lord see us near the bedside of the hopelessly sick and seeking to inspire them with new hope for life? b. Does He see our faith when we seek ways and means to win souls for Christ? c. Does He see our reaction when we encounter difficulties on the way? d. Are we willing to do the unconventional to bring souls to Christ? e. How many people will be saved because of our faith? 3. Let us look at the reward of their teamwork: a. Said Jesus, "Son, be of good cheer". Those words must have turned night into day for that helpless man. b. What the world needs more than anything else today is the words of cheer! That means words of hope. If our mission would bring cheer to the disheartened, it would bring glory to God. c. "Thy sins be forgiven thee." What a message to a poor sinner! Sin was the difficulty in that man's life; it brought the sickness upon him. d. Sin is the great problem that seems to make life so difficult for so many people in the world today. e. Friends of mine, is our teamwork responsible for our Lord speaking words of forgiveness to poor sinners? ## DOING EXPLOITS FOR GOD - DANIEL 11:32, 33 A. "AND SUCH AS DO WICKEDLY AGAINST THE COVENANT SHALL HE CORRUPT BY FLATTERIES: BUT THE PEOPLE THAT DO KNOW THEIR GOD SHALL BE STRONG, AND DO EXPLOITS" 1. This text shows that there are two classes of people: a. One group is swayed by flattery and betray the cause of God. b. The other group is loyal to God and the church; they are strong in God and do exploits. 2. It is by pointing out the difference between the two groups in the church that God teaches His people some timely lessons: B. LET US CONSIDER THE TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE AS PORTRAYED IN OUR TEXT 1. Their similarity: a. They belong to the same people, at least in name. b. Yes, they bear the same name. c. Live under the same environment. 2. Their dissimilarity: a. They are different in their conduct - that is what counts. b. They are dissimilar in their outlook and deeds. 3. Of one group God says: a. That they do wickedly. b. This type of wickedness differs from other iniquities; it is a sin that is based upon knowledge which is harmful to the cause of God. 1) Judas belonged to that group - Matt. 26:14-16 2) Gehazi, too, belonged to this group - 2 Ki. 5:20-27 3) Ahithophel a key actor in this group - 2 Sam. 15:12 4) Doeg is still another case in question - 1 Sam. 21:7; 22:22 5) Enemies in the church are among the most dangerous to God's cause. They know the inside of the church and use their knowledge to harm God's cause. 4. They do wickedly against the covenant: a. They betray the sacred relationship set forth in the covenant. b. This is practicing in the highest sense possible. c. We have already indicated that Judas was guilty of this conspiracy - Luke 22:47 C. THE LOYAL BELIEVERS IN THE CHURCH 1. "But the people that know their God shall be strong": a. They have strength of character and for that reason they cannot be bought or sold. b. They are strong in faith which helps them to surmount all difficulties - 1 John 5:1-6 c. God has supplied us with a roster of such worthies in Hebrews chapter 11. 2. "They shall do exploits": The word "exploits" indicates that their accomplishments were out of the ordinary, outstanding. EXAMPLES - a. Zadok - 1 Chron. 12:28 b. Benaiah - 1 Chron. 27:6 c. Abijah - 2 Chron. 13:47 d. David - 1 Sam. 17:40-47 3. A very instructive lesson for God's people in the remnant church: a. There are the builders in the church - 1) They know and love the Lord. 2) They hold their membership in the church very sacred. 3) No amount of flattery will make them disloyal to God's cause. 4) They do exploits - accomplish the unusual in the cause. b. And then there are the destroyers - 1) They are, so to speak, parasites to begin with. 2) They are a plague to the church. 3) They will, thank God, eventually leave the church - Isa. 49:17 c. My friends, to which of the two groups do we belong - not only in theory but much more in practice! ## THE SALT OF THE EARTH - MATTHEW 5:13 A. OUR LORD, THE MASTER TEACHER OF TRUTH, USES SOME OF THE COMMON THINGS IN LIFE TO EMPHASIZE GREAT GOSPEL TRUTHS 1. Things in nature: a. ". . . consider the lilies of the field, how they grow" - Matt. 6:28 b. ". . . the kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal" - Matt. 13:33 2. In our text he calls attention: a. To the salt of the earth. b. The light of the world. B. "YE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH" IS THE BURDEN OF MY MESSAGE 1. The universality of the mineral known as salt: a. It is esteemed highly for its beneficial properties. b. Ancient nations used salt for money. c. Homer called salt, "the favor of the gods". 2. Ancient Israel had many ceremonial uses for salt: a. To them salt was a symbol of friendship. b. They used salt in connection with their sacrifices - 1) The Bible speaks of "the covenant of salt" - Lev. 2:13; Num. 18:19; 2 Chron. 13:5 2) Bread and salt on the table of the king symbolized perpetual submission to the king. 3. Domestic use of salt: a. It is, as our Lord said, a savor or seasoner of food - Mark 9:49, 50 b. It is a preservative of animal food; it keeps meat from spoiling. c. Some people use it to disinfect wounds; my mother used it to cleanse our wounds on many occasions. d. Salt is a food, without which no animal life can continue; that is true, also, of the vegetable kingdom. e. Salt is a thirst creator. f. It is used to kill weeds. g. These and other uses of salt make it indispensable in our domestic life, including men, beast, and vegetables. 4. The action of salt: a. It works silently. b. It penetrates other substances very readily. c. It gives up its visible identity; it becomes a part of that which it penetrates. d. It is very powerful or effectual in its work. 5. But, our opening text makes it clear that salt is perishable: a. When it is exposed to the elements in nature. b. When it is exposed to that which will destroy its life. C. ITS SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICATION 1. "Ye are the salt of the earth": a. This shows the universality of the Christian believer - EXAMPLES - 1) Of Abraham God said, ". . . in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed." - Gen. 12:3 2) Of John the Baptist, our Lord said, "He was a burning and a shining light . . ." - John 5:35 b. That is especially true of the church of God - Matt. 28:18-20; Rev. 22:17 2. God uses Christians and their sanctifying influence: a. To preserve integrity among the nations - EXAMPLES - 1) Joseph in Egypt - Gen. 39 2) Daniel in Babylon - Dan. 1:8; 6:1-10 b. Christians preserve the world from being destroyed- 1) That would have been the case with Lot, had he been the salt of the earth - Gen. 18:17-32 2) That is true of the children of light in the world today. 3. "But if the salt has lost its savor": a. We think of Judas, one of the twelve - Matt. 26:14-16; 27:1-5 b. We think of Solomon, one of the world's wisest men - Neh. 13:26 c. These facts demonstrate that one is in constant danger of losing spiritual power when exposed to the elements of sin. d. Are we truly the salt of the earth? ## "SUCH AS I HAVE" - ACTS 3:1-9 A. THE HOUR OF PRAYER 1. Key to the story of the miracle of personal evangelism: a. Peter and John on their way to prayer meeting at the hour of prayer. b. A lame man at the beautiful gate of the temple begging alms. b. A conversation which led to the healing of the lame man. 2. Community prayer a life saver on many occasions: a. The Jews in the days of Queen Esther - Esth. 4:15-17 b. Daniel's prayer group saved the wise men of Babylon - Dan. 2:17-23 c. The apostles in prison - Acts 4:24; 12:12-17 3. Regular community prayer ought to be had by God's remnant people at all times: a. Such a call is made to God's people - Zeph. 2:1-3 b. Especially so in times of stress and danger to God's people - Joel 2:15-17 B. THE BURDEN OF MY SERMON IS EFFECTIVE EVANGELISM 1. Look at us: a. A daring invitation by God's witnesses to discover Christ and the power of God unto salvation in our personal lives - Gal. 1:15, 16 b. It shows that Christ and His influence can be seen in the believers - Matt. 5:14-16 c. It shows also that Christianity is more than a form of godliness - Gal. 2:20 2. Such as I have: a. True Christians are never bankrupt; they will always have something to share with others - "share your blessings with others". b. Their possessions are not necessarily measured by the gold standard. That does not mean that gold may not be used for the furtherance of the work of God; but it does mean that our connection with the resources of heaven enable us to have some blessings to share with others. 3. Peter shared five blessings with the lame man: a. He gave him an incentive for a new outlook upon life - "rise up and walk". This was something no other person had ever suggested to him since he had been lame from the time of his birth. He had heard before of the miracles of Christ performed, but never had opportunity to meet Christ. b. He filled him with faith and new hope for a better future. c. He helped him on his feet; for the first time in his life he stood up and walked. d. He connected him with the Redeemer of men; that was the greatest blessing that ever came to this poor man. e. Finally, this experience brought praise and thanksgiving to this man - he became an ardent follower of the Lord. C. LESSON FOR US 1. Do we possess the moral courage: a. To invite a sinful and doubting world to examine our personal lives to discover Christ? b. Let us be honest with God and ourselves. What would others discover in us if they were invited to search our lives? c. Would they discover the power of God unto salvation? Or would they find a form of godliness but a denial of a living experience? 2. Why is it that in spite of our Bible knowledge we have so little to offer to a sin-sick world? a. Is it because we do not live as close to the Lord as we ought to? b. Or is it that we lack the dynamic faith to draw divine strength and vitality from the storehouse of divine grace? c. These are not idle questions, but rather an attempt to find a reason and a remedy for our weakness! ## "WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND?" - EXODUS 4:1-4 A. SETTING OF OUR TEXT 1. Time for the deliverance of God's people had come: a. God's promise to Abraham - Gen. 15:13, 14 b. Its fulfillment was at hand - Ex. 2:23-25; 3:8 2. The training period for Moses was about over: 3. This was clearly indicated by his answer to God's call to lead his people out of Egypt: a. ". . . Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" - Ex. 3:11 b. "And Moses said unto the Lord, O my God, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." Ex. 4:10 c. ". . . who am I of uncircumcised lips" - Ex. 6:12 B. "WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND?" 1. This question by the Lord reveals His reasonableness in the call: a. He is willing to use what we have. b. The rod was Moses' occupational tool. 2. Moses' rod becomes the rod of God: a. It was no longer in the common service of the shepherd in the land of Midian. b. It now became the emblem of redeeming power. 3. The rod of God became the symbol of power: a. With it Moses performed miracles - Ex. 4:17 b. Locusts - Ex. 10:13, 14 c. Blood - Ex. 7:19, 20 d. Frogs - Ex. 8:5 e. Lice - Ex. 8:16 f. With it he overcame the counterfeit - Ex. 7:9-12 C. WHAT IS THAT IN THINE HAND? 1. God has, in past times, used many tools as common as the rod of Moses: a. David's sling - 1 Sam. 17:40, 50 b. Elisha's stick - 2 Ki. 6:6, 7 c. Samson's jawbone - Judg. 15:15 d. Peter's fishing hook - Matt. 17:27 2. What we possess must be in the service of God to become the symbol of power: a. We all have some talent which, if consecrated to the service of the Lord, can become a potential for the saving of souls. b. God speaks to us this morning, asking us, as He did Moses, "What is that in thine hand?" 1) Is it money? Use it in the service of the Lord - Prov. 3:9 2) Is it your working tool to make your livelihood? Dedicate it to the Lord and His cause - 1 Chron. 29:12-18 3. Our subject shows very plainly the reasonableness of God: a. He does not expect of us what we do not possess. b. But he does ask of us to use what He has blessed us with to the glory of God and for the benefit of mankind. c. This was emphasized by our Lord in the parable of the talents - Matt. 25:14-30 ILLUSTRATIONS 1) God frequently takes the most trivial possession of men to teach great truths. This shows the divine adaptation to the circumstances of men. This shows the divine wisdom in making insignificant things teach divine truths. It shows the divine simplicity of the plan and purpose of heaven. 2) God takes up the weakest instruments to accomplish His mightiest ends - a rod, a ram's horn, a cake of barley meal, an earthen pitcher. Men imagine that the splendid ends can only be reached by splendid means; but such is not God's way, He can use the crawling worm as well as the scorching sun, a gourd as well as a violent east wind. (C.H.M.) ## PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY - JOHN 21:22, 23 A. "WHAT IS THAT TO THEE, FOLLOW THOU ME" 1. The context shows Peter's concern for the future of John: 2. Our Lord assured Peter that He would take care of John: 3. He admonished Peter to follow Him: B. LET US NOTE, BRIEFLY, THE IMPLICATION OF THE WORDS OF OUR LORD TO PETER 1. The Lord Jesus Christ has a personal and essential pre- eminence: a. He and His cause ought to be our first and greatest concern - 1) "Follow thou me" 2) Make all else secondary to Me and my cause - Matt. 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; Luke 9:59 b. First things come first; and Christ is first - Matt. 6:33 2. This truth is revealed in the two great commandments: a. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." This is the first commandment. b. And the second is like unto it, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Matt. 22:37, 38; Deut. 6:4, 5 3. Our obligations to Jesus Christ are personal, independent of others: a. Anything they may or may not do cannot affect our individual obligation to God - EXAMPLES - 1) Aaron was forbidden to mourn over the death of his wicked sons - Lev. 10:3-7 2) Samuel was a man of God, but his sons were wicked; that did not change his loyalty to his God - 1 Sam. 8:1-3 b. Our responsibility to God and His Word remain the same, regardless of what others may or may not do. "What is that to thee, follow thou me." c. Those who make their relationship to Christ contingent upon others are not wholeheartedly for Christ - 1 Ki. 18:21 C. LET US TAKE STILL A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR OPENING TEXT, IF THAT IS POSSIBLE 1. There can be but one perfect pattern for us to follow: CHRIST! Heb. 12:1, 2 a. To pattern after others may or may not be approved by God. b. Such guidance is extremely human and limited - Isa. 29:13 c. The Psalmist warns against this error - Ps. 62:8, 9; 146:1-3 d. The prophet Jeremiah warns us against leaning upon flesh - Jer. 17:5-7 2. It follows, therefore, that our duties to God are up and above: a. Those to our concept or attitude of our fellow men. b. It matters not what they may or may not do or think, our duty to God is personal just the same - EXAMPLES - 1) Adam knew that Eve did wrong when she ate the forbidden fruit; yet he ate of that same fruit, telling God that it was the woman that God gave him that was mainly responsible for his transgression - Gen. 3:8-19 2) The man of God knew what God wanted him to do, yet he went back with the false prophet and ate - 1 Ki. 13:1-22 c. The principle of action is plainly stated by Peter upon two separate occasions - Acts 4:19; 5:29 d. We will not be weakened in our loyalty to God, regardless of what the price of such loyalty may be - EXAMPLES - 1) Joseph in Egypt - Gen. 39:1-16 2) The three young Hebrews in Babylon - Dan. 3:17 e. We know that God's remnant people will be called upon to pay a price for their loyalty to God - Rev. 12:17 f. But it is worth it at all points. Let us in closing consider the loyalty of the Lord of glory - Phil. 2:6-11. ## THE MINISTRY OF GRATITUDE - LUKE 4:39 A. "AND IMMEDIATELY SHE AROSE AND MINISTERED UNTO THEM" 1. When we read the context of Luke 4:38, 39, we learn that Simon's mother-in-law had been sick with a great fever: a. Our Lord entered the house of Simon. b. He rebuked the fever, and it left her. 2. Immediately she arose and ministered unto them: B. THIS EXPERIENCE IN THE HOUSE OF SIMON SHOWS THE MINISTRY OF GRATITUDE 1. The fact that this restored woman began at once to minister to Christ and His disciples proves: a. The certainty of her cure; and it is the highest expression of her gratitude to God for being healed! b. It is a positive sign of the cure wrought by Christ. OTHER EXAMPLES - 1) Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast out seven devils ministered unto Him - Matt. 26:7; Luke 8:2 2) Zacchaeus, the tax collector, too, expressed humble gratitude to God for what had happened unto him - Luke 19:8 2. Such an attitude is a sure sign of true conversion: a. There can be no better way to prove that we have been born again, that we have been healed from sin, than to dedicate our lives to the service of God. b. It is indicative of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit - Acts 10:38 3. It is to be noted that the ministry was of the humble kind: a. So was the ministry of Mary when she washed the feet of the Lord - John 11:1, 2 b. Thus it can be seen that we may serve the Lord in the common everyday duties of life. c. Our Lord recognizes such services more than any other efforts on our part - Matt. 25:34-45 4. Her act in ministering to Christ and the disciples was: a. An expression of her personal appreciation of our Lord's ministry to her physical needs. b. Salvation is personal, and gratitude to God is personal - EXAMPLES - 1) Christ cleansed ten lepers, but only one returned gratitude to Him - Luke 17:11-17 2) Simon Peter showed his appreciation of having found the Saviour when he brought his brother to Christ - John 1:40, 41 C. THIS WOMAN'S MINISTRY TO CHRIST REVEALS THE CONDESCENSION OF THE GREAT PHYSICIAN 1. He, who healed her of the fever, did not need her to minister unto Him: a. He, who had power to free her from the fever, surely had the power to care for Himself. b. If Christ could heal the sick, raise the dead, turn water into wine, He most certainly was able to care for His own needs. 2. Yet, and this is so important, He accepted the humble service of gratitude: a. Thus he honored the sincere expression of gratitude - EXAMPLES - 1) A cup of cold water given in the interest of heaven is appreciated - Matt. 10:42; Mark 9:41 2) A visit to the sick room is appreciated - Matt. 25:35, 36 3. I am thinking this morning of the ministry of our sisters, doing the work of Dorcas. They may feel that their needlework is not appreciated but it is, and it will be rewarded in the kingdom. 4. Yes, God accepts the ministry of gratitude; the Bible is full of vivid illustrations of God's acceptance of such acceptance: a. He accepted the ministry of a widow to Elias and blessed her for it - 1 Ki. 17:10-24 b. He made the memory of Mary Magdalene immortal by calling attention to her ministry of love for his burial. c. He did the same for another widow who gave all her living to God - Mark 12:41-44 ## SELF-CONSECRATION - 1 CHRONICLES 29:5, 6 A. "WHO THEN IS WILLING TO CONSECRATE HIS SERVICE THIS DAY UNTO THE LORD?" 1. With these words, David appealed to the leaders of the people and to the congregation to make special sacrifices for the building of the house of God: 2. He had been denied the building of the house of the Lord himself because he had shed too much blood: B. SELF-CONSECRATION UNTO THE LORD IS THE BURDEN OF MY MESSAGE 1. God claims the loving surrender of our life to His service: a. He has the right to our life because He is our Maker - Gen. 1:26, 27; Deut. 4:32 b. He says to man, ". . . thou art mine" - Isa. 43:1 c. ". . . I have created him for my glory" - Isa. 43:7 d. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works . . ." - Eph. 2:10 2. God claims us and all we have because He is our Redeemer: a. ". . . thou . . . hast redeemed us O God . . ." - Rev. 5:9 b. ". . . I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer . . ." - Isa. 49:26; 54:8 c. He has redeemed our soul from destruction - Luke 1:68 d. ". . . ye are bought with a price . . ." - 1 Cor. 6:19, 20 3. Nature of our self-consecration: a. Present our bodies unto God as a living sacrifice - Rom. 12:1-3 b. Dedicate all we have to the Lord -- body, soul, and spirit - 1 Thess. 5:23 c. Such consecration includes our talent, all the power of our mind - Matt. 25:14-30 d. How inclusive is our dedication to our God and His cause! e. When we come to Him and give ourselves to Him, that means all we have and are! C. LET US CONSIDER SOME OF THE GROUNDS OF OUR SELF-CONSECRATION 1. We have already established the facts: a. That God has a full right to us by reason of creation and redemption. 2. But here are still other binding reasons: a. We are free moral agents and God will and cannot do anything for us until we of our own free will have placed ourselves into His service - Rev. 22:17 b. "Who then is willing?" Only willing service is acceptable to the Lord; it must be voluntary to be acceptable. 3. David's appeal was blessed wonderfully: a. Because the people offered willingly of a free heart - 1 Chron. 29:6-9 b. It was a joyful consecration by all the congregation - 2 Cor. 9:7 c. Our Lord taught us that "It is more blessed to give than to receive" - Acts 20:35 4. Shall I dare to believe that everyone in this congregation will consecrate self to God this morning? 5. Friends, do it earnestly and with no reservations: Rom. 12:1-3 6. The result of such a self-consecration cannot be measured by us at this time: a. It will bring a new experience to all of us. Our relationship with the Lord will take a new and added meaning. b. Others will catch new inspiration and who knows the end results from such a consecration! c. It will make our witnessing for the truth much more effective. EXAMPLES - 1) Think of the reformation day of ancient Israel in the days of Elijah - 1 Ki. 18 2) Or recall the results of Queen Esther's resolve to dedicate her life to the saving of her people - Esth. 4:16, 17 3) We must never forget the dedication of our early Pioneers to the cause of truth. ## CHRISTIAN SURETY - GENESIS 43:1-12 A. HISTORIC BACKGROUND TO OUR SUBJECT TITLE 1. Jacob and his family in need of food: 2. The ten Patriarchs: a. Went to Egypt to buy provisions for themselves and their livestock - Gen. 42:27; 43:24 b. They soon found themselves in difficulty over their youngest brother. c. Judah becomes surety for Benjamin - Gen. 43:8, 9 B. CHRISTIAN SURETY 1. Implied in our opening text: a. Our love and affection for our brother will lead us to become responsible for him. b. "I will be surety for him" - 1) Abraham for his nephew and his family in Sodom - Gen. 14:11-16 2) Moses for Israel - Ps. 106:23 3) Paul for Onesimus - Philemon 8-14 4) Judah for Benjamin - Gen. 44:18-32 5) Christ for us - 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1-3 2. That means that we all make ourselves responsible for the safety of our brothers: a. ". . . of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever" - Gen. 43:9 1) Jonathan for David - 1 Sam. 20:2 2) Job for his family - Job 1:5 3) Paul for the believers - 1 Cor. 9:19 b. That takes love, born from above - 1 John 2:8-11; 4:8 c. That was the motive of Christ in becoming surety for me - Gal. 2:20; Rev. 1:5 3. We will, if need be, step into the breach caused by sin: a. That is what Moses did for Israel - Ex. 32:32 b. That is what Paul did for his son Onesimus - Philem. 1-14 C. CHRISTIAN SURETY THE SECRET OF TRUE CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP 1. It is the law of church relationship: a. "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." - Gal. 6:2 b. "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." - Gal. 5:14 c. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." - Rom. 13:10 d. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." - John 13:34 2. This new commandment is forcefully illustrated: a. In our Lord's story of the good Samaritan - Luke 10:33 b. This relationship is explained by Paul in his Epistle to the Romans - Rom. 14:1-7 3. Furthermore, we find that our Lord's new commandment is implied: a. In the golden rule - Matt. 7:12 b. In the sermon on the mount - Matt. 5:1-48 c. In the two basic laws of life - Matt. 22:34-40 4. Christian surety: a. Is the goal of the gospel of Jesus Christ. To restore a loving relationship between men is the highest assignment the gospel places upon those who profess Christianity. b. "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." - 1 John 4:8 c. ". . . he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blindeth his eyes." - 1 John 2:11 d. Brethren, do you feel toward one another, as Judah felt toward Benjamin, his youngest brother? e. Has your relationship with Christ brought you into a new relationship with your neighbor? ## STRENGTH, SERVICE, REWARD - 2 CHRONICLES 15:1-7 A. "BE YE STRONG THEREFORE, AND LET NOT YOUR HANDS BE WEAK: FOR YOUR WORK SHALL BE REWARDED." 1. This is a most timely message to God's people: a. Israel had forsaken the true God, "Now for a long season Israel had been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law." - verse 3 b. "Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." - Jer. 2:12, 13 2. This message was to bring the people back to the true God: a. Ancient Israel was accused of being a perpetual backsliding nation - Hos. 4:16, 17 b. But God promised to heal their backslidings -- love them freely - Hos. 14:1-9 B. THIS MESSAGE IS VERY APPROPRIATE FOR OUR DAY 1. Apostasy is indicated in many faces of those who hold membership in the church: 1 Tim. 4:1-6; Acts 20:29, 30 2. We are living in a time of great strain and stress: Luke 21:25, 26 3. This is the time when God's people need to be on guard against the sinister allurements of the world: a. The lust of the eye. b. The lust of the flesh. c. The pride of life. 1 John 2:15, 16 4. We are to learn from the experience of God's ancient covenant people: a. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope." - Rom. 15:4 b. Note what Paul writes in 1 Cor. 10:1-11 C. OUR OPENING TEXT OFFERS TO US A THREEFOLD ADMONITION WITH ITS ATTENDANT BLESSINGS 1. Strength: "Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak:" - 2 Chron. 15:7 a. The Bible makes it very clear that God wants His people to be strong - Josh. 1:6, 7; Eph. 6:7 b. Our strength comes from a fourfold source - 1) Receiving our commission to witness from the Lord Jesus Christ - Matt. 28:18; Ps. 24:7, 8 2) The Word of truth - Heb. 4:12, 13; Jer. 23:29 3) The presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit gives strength - Zech. 4:6; Judg. 13:25; Acts 1:8 4) Prevailing prayer is a must to be strong - Jer. 33:3; Jas. 5:16 2. Service: "Let not your hands be weak" - a. Christ is our example of loving service - John 9:4; 17:4. The best text about our Lord's services is found in Acts 10:38 b. Our services belong to Him who has called us out of darkness unto His marvelous light - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 c. This service is threefold - 1) To witness for the Lord with our lives - Isa. 43:10; Acts 1:8 2) To make our lives a shining light in this sin-darkened world - Matt. 5:14-16; Phil. 2:15 3) To make converts for the truth - John 1:40- 42; Luke 5:10 3. Reward: "for your work shall be rewarded" - a. Faithful service for God and humanity has its reward, whether one sees that in his day or not. b. Of God's people we read, ". . . blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." - Rev. 14:13 c. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." - 1 Cor. 15:58 ## PASSION TO SAVE SOULS - ROMANS 9:1-3 A. OUR TEXT IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE ONE WHOSE BURDEN FOR SOULS HAD FLAMED INTO SANCTIFIED SOUL PASSION 1. "I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart." 2. "For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." 3. Two very special characteristics of a successful soulwinner stand out: a. Eternal values were pressing upon his soul. That was true of David's attitude toward Absalom, his son - 2 Sam. 18:33. And that was true, in a special sense, of our Lord's attitude toward Jerusalem - Luke 19:41 b. Self and whatever life may be had in store for one is willingly laid upon the altar of service. That was true of Moses - Ex. 32:32 B. PASSION FOR SAVING SOULS 1. What it is not: a. It is not an outburst of blind human emotions. b. Neither is it a temporary excitement that lasts until the excitement has died out. 2. What it is: a. When sanctified knowledge of values is involved, self-sacrificing love and an undying faith in human values have been unified in a life of service, the soul becomes aflame with passion to save souls. b. All this is exemplified in the life of Paul, as shown in our opening text. His passion for souls was not an outburst of human emotions, but rather the effect of his undying love for his kinsmen. c. The Bible is full of examples of real soul passion. You will find a mother pleading for her daughter - Matt. 15:22-28; Abraham pleading for Sodom - Gen. 18:18-26; Paul pleading for Onesimus, his spiritual son - Philem. 16-20 3. This soul passion is generated by the Holy Spirit: a. It is the Holy Spirit that made John the Baptist a burning and shining light - John 5:35 b. That is true, also, of the Lord Jesus Christ in the days of His flesh - Ps. 69:9; acts 10:38 c. It was true of Stephen, who lost his life when preaching the great sermon recorded in Acts, the 7th chapter. C. WHAT IS YOUR PASSION? 1. The curse of this generation: a. Sensual passion seems to be flooding our younger generation. Statistics show that sensual passion has invaded the lives of untold numbers of teenagers. b. Worldly amusements are the main attraction of our times. Many millions and millions of dollars are paid at the gateways of modern amusements. c. These and other sinful pleasures are, in fact, the greatest dangers facing the church of God - 2 Tim. 3:1-7 d. These are some of the things against which our Saviour warns us, who live in the last days of world history - Luke 17:26-29; Matt. 24:37-42 2. Our greatest need as a people: a. We need church members that are aflame with a passion to save souls. This passion, being generated by the Holy Spirit will prevent the passion created by the lust of the flesh and the pride of life - 1 John 2:15, 16 b. We need church members that have grasped the eternal values of a soul for which the Son of God dies. c. We need a people that realize that we have lived in the judgment hour ever since 1844 and none of us know when the work of judgment will begin with the living. d. The burning question is, do I as a member meet the above qualifications? e. One might well re-examine himself in the fear of God to know our state of soul passion. ## GOD'S WELL DIGGERS - GENESIS 26:17-20 A. THE PATRIARCHS WERE WELL DIGGERS 1. They devoted much of their time to raising livestock; they dug many wells to provide water for men and beasts: Gen. 24:43; 26:15 2. We think of Jacob's well of which the Samaritans were so proud: John 4:6-28 3. Hagar was found by a well: Gen. 16:7-11 4. Our opening text informs us that: a. Isaac reopened the wells dug by his father. b. This he did in direct opposition of other cattle men. B. GOD'S WELL DIGGERS IS THE BURDEN OF MY MESSAGE 1. God's soul winners are, in a spiritual sense, well diggers: a. They open up wells of salvation to many for whom life has been the vale of tears - Gen. 21:15-19 b. Writes the Psalmist, "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools." - Ps. 84:5, 6 EXAMPLES - 1) Joseph was one of those well diggers in Egypt. 2) King David was still another well digger. Think of what the Psalms, written by David, mean to God's pilgrims in the vale of tears! 2. They reopened the wells that served their fathers: a. That is a wonderful thought. That which was blessed in the life of our fathers is still a blessing to us. b. They did not despise the achievement of others - John 4:38 c. We are indebted to the pioneers for much light and truth which we now enjoy, but was sought out by the pioneers with much prayer and many tears. d. The great framework of present truth was set up by the early pioneers; let us appreciate it; they were God's well diggers. C. SOME GREAT AND USEFUL LESSONS FOR THE CHURCH OF GOD TODAY 1. The Bible speaks of the wells of salvation: a. "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." - Isa. 12:3 b. God charges His people that they have forsaken God's fountain of living water, and have made themselves cisterns which cannot hold water - Jer. 2:12, 13 2. Our Saviour speaks of the wells of salvation: a. Faith in His Word - John 7:37-39 b. The church of the living God is for thirsty souls a well of salvation - Rev. 22:17 3. God's well diggers -- who are they? a. He who carries the message of truth to thirsty hearts is one of God's well diggers. b. He who digs deep in the study of the Word of God is one of God's well diggers - EXAMPLES - 1) Paul wrote fourteen epistles of truth which have satisfied untold millions with the water of life. 2) The prophet Isaiah is known as one of the very greatest gospel evangelists; he, too, has dug deep into the well of salvation. 3) Ellen G. White, a very humble soul, is one of God's well diggers. Think of the wealth of divine information she has left for God's people in the last days! 4. Blessings of the wells of salvation: a. They are an open fountain against all uncleanness - Zech. 13:1 b. They are for the health of the nations as seen by the prophet Ezekiel - Ezek. 46:1-11 c. They are free to all thirsty souls, without price or money - Isa. 55:1-3 d. Dear reader, are you one of the well diggers of God's people? e. How many thirsty souls have been satisfied by your dedication to the truth? ## ON FIRE FOR GOD - PART I - JEREMIAH 20:7-9 A. A MOST REVEALING PRAYER 1. About a very difficult ministry: a. The call - Jer. 1:4-10 b. The people's attitude - Jer. 18:18; 20:9 2. A very discouraged preacher: a. ". . . I will not make mention of him, nor speak in his name." - verse 9 b. That is what Jonah attempted to do - Jonah 1:3-17 c. Elijah, too, became discouraged - 1 Ki. 19:4 d. Even John the Baptist became discouraged; he was a very disheartened preacher - Matt. 11:1-5 3. But the fires within those mighty men of God kept them aglow: "his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones" a. Said the Psalmist, "My heart was hot within me, while I was musing the fire burned: then spake I with my tongue" - Ps. 39:3 b. This, dear friends, is the great secret of successful preaching - EXAMPLES - 1) John Wesley, one of the church's greatest revivalists, was on fire for God to such a degree that all England seemed to be on fire. 2) A. B. Earle, that famous evangelist, is reported to have traveled 325 miles in the United States and Canada to preach Christ. 4. Our text shows that the Word of God is the divine power which sets a life on fire for God: a. There is a great difference between a "head" message and one that comes from the "heart". b. Said the two disciples about our Lord's conversation with them, "did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" - Luke 24:32 c. Consider the power of the simple sermon by Peter on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2 d. May God grant to us this experience to be more effective in witnessing for Christ. B. THE LIVING WORD IN THE HEART IS A CREATIVE FORCE WHICH WILL 1. Free God's witnesses from all human impediments, and make them without favor of fear: a. That was true of Stephen, who lost his life because of preaching the truth - Acts 7 b. That was true of the unlearned disciples on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:7, 8 c. That was the secret of Peter and his fellow worker to defy the threatenings of Jewish leaders and preach the truth - Acts 4:29; 5:19 2. It will create an unquenchable passion for perishing souls: a. That was true of Paul - Rom. 9:1-3 b. That was true of Moses in behalf of his nation - Ex. 32:32 3. Let us note, briefly, some of the forces that set a person on fire: a. The baptism of the Holy Spirit - Matt. 3:11; Isa. 6:6-11 b. Much secret prayer. More prayer, more souls; more souls, more passion to save souls. c. Said a certain believer to a woman who sought to win him for Christ, "Your man must be very thick with the Almighty; that is why he is so mighty." d. The study of the Word of God is a must to be mighty in our preaching - 1) Ignorance of the Word of God is one of the reasons why so many sermons are empty and useless. 2) It is the sanctified knowledge of the Word of God that gives power in our preaching. e. Living the truths that we seek to bring to others is a must to be effective in our preaching. f. That was the weakness of the Pharisees and scribes; they knew the Word, but failed to practice it - Matt. 23:1-5 g. Friends, our time demands of us to be on fire for God. ## ON FIRE FOR GOD - PART II - JEREMIAH 20:7-9 A. A REMARKABLE TESTIMONY BY JEREMIAH THE PROPHET 1. He had a most difficult mission: Compare Jer. 20:7-9 with chapter 18:18 2. Continued and bitter opposition discouraged him to a point where he sought to give up the ministry - verse 9 3. Burning fire within kept him going: Compare Jer. 1:4-9 with Isa. 6:6-10 B. FORCES THAT SET THE SOUL ON FIRE FOR GOD 1. God's Word in the heart: a. Jeremiah's experience - Jer. 5:14; 23:29 b. Think of Peter on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:14 c. Stephen is still another example of what the Word of God will do in the heart - Acts 7:1-53 2. Sensing the worth of eternal values will set the heart on fire: a. Paul and his kinsmen - Rom. 9:1-3 b. Moses and his nation - Ex. 32:32 c. John Knox and Scotland - "Lord give me Scotland or let me die." 3. The love of Christ constraineth us: a. The love of Christ is stronger than death - John 13:1; Isa. 54:8 b. It is the impelling power that moves men to live and, if need be, die for him - Acts 21:13 c. We have a panorama of witnesses who gave their lives for Christ - Heb. 11:34-40 4. The presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit sets the soul on fire: a. John the Baptist was a burning and shining light - John 5:35 b. Apollos, an eloquent man, was mighty to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ - Acts 18:24, 25 c. Paul was, perhaps, one of the greatest preachers of all times because he was full of the Holy Spirit. C. COMPELLING REASONS WHY EVERY SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST OUGHT TO BE ON FIRE FOR GOD 1. Present truth: a. The Three Angels' Message ought to set us on fire for God - Rev. 14:6-14 b. The gospel of restoration ought to burn in our hearts - Acts 3:19-21; Isa. 56:1-6; 58:1-14 c. Preparing a people for translation is still another impelling reason for being on fire for God. 2. The shortness of time is a compelling power which ought to motivate us to be on fire for God: a. Paul's statement - Rom. 13:11-14 b. Signs point to the end of all things - Matt. 24:33 3. The open door in the mission field is a compelling reason to be on fire for God: a. Never before in the history of the world was there such a thirst for knowledge as there is in the world today. b. The doors are wide open to enter new fields for soul winning. c. This will not be long; Satan will do his utmost to stop the progress of the Word of truth - 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:12 4. But there are still other factors that ought to arouse us to action: a. The lukewarm condition among so many of our people is good reason to be on fire to help them find a new experience in the things of God - Rev. 3:14-17 b. What the world needs today is men and women that are literally aglow with the light of present truth to help others to accept it to their joy and salvation. 5. Do you see people on fire for God? a. They will be busy spreading the good news of the soon coming of Christ. b. They will live a life of constant sacrifice for God and His cause. c. Dear reader, are we among the people in whom the light of present truth is so powerful that it cannot be stopped? ## ZEAL FOR GOD A. "I BEAR THEM RECORD THAT THEY HAVE A ZEAL OF GOD, BUT NOT ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE" - Rom. 10:1-3 1. Every time I read these words by Paul, I think of the great potentials of "zeal": a. It was zeal that fired Saul of Tarsus to persecute the Christians -- ". . . breathing out threatenings and slaughter . . ." - Acts 9:1 b. It was zeal that made him say ". . . I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." - Acts 21:13 2. Zeal is dynamo either for good or for bad, depending on the basic motive: B. SANCTIFIED ZEAL 1. When our knowledge of God and His Word takes hold of us and motivates our life to a point where holy fervor impels us to give all to God's cause, that is zeal for God: a. It may, at times, be misguided zeal, as in the case of Saul - Acts 22:3, 4 b. It was true and God-directed zeal when the life of Jeremiah became aflame with power - Jer. 20:9 c. It was sanctified zeal that made John the Baptist a burning and shining light - John 5:35 2. Living faith and love of the truth are two great generating forces to create holy zeal in our lives: a. ". . . I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able . . ." - 2 Tim. 1:12 b. This explains why the martyrs of our Lord defied the flames of fire and sang hymns of praise to God unto death - Heb. 11:20-40 3. Love for perishing souls is still another motive for godly zeal: a. ". . . I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh" - Rom. 9:3 b. "Now if thou wilt not forgive their sins . . . blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book . . ." - Ex. 32:32 4. How do men get holy zeal for God? a. When the Holy Spirit rests upon them. b. Think of the day of Pentecost - Acts 2 c. Sensing the lateness of the hour in which we live will also generate energy in our soul to be zealous for God. d. Holy zeal cost Stephen his life - Acts 7:60 e. Knowledge of existing dangers will cause men to be full of zeal for God - Num. 14:6-9 C. FRUIT OF SANCTIFIED ZEAL FOR GOD 1. Deborah saved her nation through her zeal for God: a. The story of her life is a great source of inspiration in the hour of crisis - Judg. 4 b. Barak the son of Abinoam lacked this zeal, and God used a woman to inspire the people to rise up to their national defense - Judg. 5 2. The men of the tribe of Levi stayed the plague by their zeal for God: Ex. 32:27, 28 a. Israel had sinned grievously and God was ready to destroy them, but the Levites saved God's people. b. That was when God gave them the ministry in the sanctuary. 3. It was holy zeal that caused our Lord to drive out of the temple all who had desecrated the house of God with their merchandise: John 2:13-18 4. The history of the church of God is alive with the godly zeal of its many heroes: a. We think of John Huss who sang hymns of praise when he faced the flames that consumed his body. b. Martin Luther was fired with a zeal that emboldened him to face the dignitaries of the church of Rome, and gave him victory over his enemies. c. Dear reader, I plead with you, pray God that He will fill your souls with holy zeal to win many, many souls for this wonderful truth. ## THE DAY OF GOD'S POWER - PSALMS 110:3 A. "THY PEOPLE SHALL BE WILLING IN THE DAY OF THY POWER" - Ps. 110:3 1. Look and listen wherever you please, and you are made aware of some kind of power: a. The radio. b. The television. c. The very atmosphere seems charged with some kind of power. 2. Our age is rightly called: a. The age of the atom. b. The space age. 3. Who can doubt that God has His hand in the manifestation of power in this power conscious age? B. BUT OUR OPENING TEXT IS THE SPECIAL BURDEN OF THIS MESSAGE 1. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness": a. What is to be regretted is - 1) That men discover and harness the powers in nature; yet, morally they are, by and large, slaves to immorality and lawlessness. 2) Violence plagues the nations - Luke 21:25, 26; 2 Tim. 3:1-13 b. The world has produced mental giants, who are, in many instances, victims of vice and corruption. c. Even God's professed people profess impotence in the face of worldliness and temptation. 2. But our text points to the day of God's power: a. When the beauty of God's holiness adorns the saints. b. That was true in the days of Pentecost - Acts 1:8; 2:1-17 c. That will be true in the time of the end - Rev. 18:1; Acts 2:17 d. The loud cry of the third angel is the revelation of the power of God to close the work of the gospel of Christ. e. Bible prophecy focuses upon our day as the outpouring of the early and the latter rain. This is the day, dear friends - Acts 2:17 C. NATURE AND FRUITAGE OF THIS DAY OF GOD'S POWER 1. God's power, manifested in the lives of God's people, is His saving grace: a. Power of moral character that defies sin and temptation - EXAMPLES - 1) Joseph in Egypt - Gen. 39:1-22 2) Daniel and his friends in Babylon - Dan. 3:6 3) Peter and Paul in the face of persecution; also, Stephen. b. Power of prayer - EXAMPLES - 1) Elias prayed and heaven was sealed against rain - Jas. 5:17, 18 2) Elisha prayed and an army was blinded - 2 Ki. 6:18, 19 3) Peter prayed and Dorcas came back to life. 2. Channels of God's saving power: a. The Holy Spirit - Zech. 4:6; Acts 1:8 b. The Word of God - Heb. 4:12; Jer. 23:29 c. The blood of Jesus Christ - Rev. 12:11 d. The transformed lives of God's people are a channel of God's power. No other agency is as convincing as a transformed life. e. Think of the words found in 1 Pet. 2:9; Acts 3:1- 9; John 4:22-28 3. Effect of God's power: a. "Thy people shall be willing in the day of God's power - willing to sacrifice; willing to undertake for God; willing to endure hardship for the cause of truth." b. The church needs this power to set it on fire to finish the work of the Lord. c. We need John the Baptist, of whom it is written that he was a burning and shining light - John 5:35 d. We need the experience of the prophet Isaiah, who experienced the power of cleansing and the grace to say, ". . . here am I; send me." - Isa. 6:1-11 e. Our attitude toward the work of God will attest to the power of God in our life. ## THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS - ZECHARIAH 4:10, 11 A. "WHO HATH DESPISED THE DAY OF SMALL THINGS?" 1. This is one of the most thought provoking questions in the Bible: a. It was a rebuke to the disheartened Jews, who had lost heart in the reconstruction of the temple. b. And it is a message of assurance to Zerubbabel, the governor, to continue the work that had a very small beginning - Zech. 4:1-14 2. But its signification goes beyond the experience of ancient Israel; it applies to God's people and their work in all ages: a. The history of the church has been marked by "the day of small things". b. Our blessed Lord alluded to this in a number of His parables - 1) "The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal . . ." - Matt. 13:33 2) Said Paul to the Corinthians, "A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump" - 1 Cor. 5:6 3) The Lord spoke of the small mustard seed - Matt. 17:20 B. BUT THERE IS A BRIGHTER SIDE TO OUR OPENING TEXT 1. The day of small things has been in the past and still is God's day: a. Who raised Joseph from prison and made him the father of Egypt? - Gen. 45:8 b. Who called David from the care of his father's few sheep to become the greatest king Israel ever had? - 1 Sam. 16:3 c. Who placed Moses into the royal house of Egypt; trained him in the science of law to make him one of the world's greatest legislators of all times? d. Who would have chosen a few uneducated fishermen and made them the stars of the gospel of Jesus Christ? - Rev. 12:1-6 2. Let us take a closer look at the days of small things in the cause of God: a. Christ used a few little fishes to feed a multitude of people - Matt. 15:34 b. He compared the work of God to the growth of vegetation - Mark 4:28 C. TRUTHS WORTHY OF OUR PRAYERFUL CONSIDERATION 1. There are really no small things because great things spring from small or little things: a. The atom is so small that to see its substance, it has to be magnified many times; but it is so mighty that the whole world lives in great fear of its power. b. A broad river has its source in very small springs. c. Great cloudbursts consist of tiny drops of water. 2. Do we, dear friends, appreciate the days of small things? a. Said the Lord to Saul, "When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the Lord anointed thee king over Israel?" 1 Sam. 15:17 b. We recall the small beginning of this movement; the literature it had for the world could be carried in a very small container; but behold what this small beginning has developed into today! c. God knows human limitations, what might be called, "The day of small things" - 1) Little knowledge. 2) In need of being fed with milk. 3) Defective in character. 4) Weak in faith. 5) Nothing to boast of but the grace of God. 3. How grateful we must ever be that God does not despise the day of small things as far as we are concerned: a. We are comparable to "miry clay" - Ps. 40:2 b. "A worm and no man" - Ps. 22:6 c. All the nations are "counted as nothing" - Isa. 40:15 d. That God in mercy thought of us, and gave his only Son to raise us from a life of total unworthiness to a place of honor in His kingdom! e. Let us, therefore, not despise the day of small things; but rather be grateful that in God's sight there is nothing small. ## "HE BROUGHT ME FORTH INTO A LARGE PLACE" A. "HE BROUGHT ME FORTH ALSO INTO A LARGE PLACE" - Ps. 18:19 1. This was literally true in the experience of King David: a. The Lord found him caring for the few sheep of his father - 1 Sam. 17:15, 28 b. The Lord trained him to be king over Israel by letting him care for the sheep of his father to keep them safe from the lions and the bears - 1 Sam. 17:37 2. The study of the Bible shows that God has moved individuals from obscurity to great responsibilities: a. He took Elisha from behind the plow and made him a prophet in Israel - 1 Ki. 19:19 b. He took Amos, a herdsman, and made him a prophet in Israel - Amos 1:1 c. He took Abraham Lincoln from poverty and obscurity and made him President of the United States of America. d. He took a little girl out of the sick room and made her one of His last days' messengers to guide the remnant people of God in safe paths toward the kingdom of God. B. LET US CONSIDER SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS IN OUR OPENING TEXT 1. The words of the Psalmist are an acknowledgement: a. That the Captain of our salvation is the author of our placement in the cause of God. b. This is the experience and encouragement of all dedicated workers for God. c. He knows our lives and also our whereabouts; it matters not how humble the station or how unimpressed men may be with us. 2. Our text indicates further that: a. Christianity broadens the usefulness of all who accept Christ as their personal Saviour. b. This fact disproves the charge that Christianity deprives a person from expansion. The opposite is true. C. THE LARGEST PLACE POSSIBLE FOR ANY PERSON IS 1. Negatively: a. Not wealth or fame. b. Not the making of a name. 2. Positively: a. To become witnesses to Christ and His mission to a sinful world. b. Winners of souls have obtained the highest place possible. c. No other station in life can compare with being a co-worker with God in the saving of souls from sin and damnation - 2 Cor. 6:1 3. But one must not forget some of the qualifications needed for larger places: a. Talents are basic to larger responsibilities - Matt. 25:15 b. Character is a must - think of the reason why God rejected the oldest son of Jesse - 1 Sam. 16:6 c. And the reason why He accepted David to be king in Israel - Acts 13:22 d. Consecration is another must. That is why the Lord rejected Esau and accepted Jacob - Gen. 25:28-34; Heb. 12:16 e. Humility is still another condition to larger responsibilities. The humbler the man, the more blessed will be his influence in life - Num. 12:3 f. Sterling honesty is also a must for larger responsibilities. Think of Daniel and his office in the Babylonian and Medo-Persian kingdoms - Dan. 6:4 g. That was true of Joseph in Egypt - Gen. 39:8 h. All these truths add up to the opportunities Christianity offers to people when they dedicate their lives to Christ and His cause. That is especially true of our youths. ## HIGH PLACES AND LOW MOTIVES - MARK 10:35-48 A. "GRANT UNTO US THAT WE MAY SIT, ONE ON THY RIGHT HAND, AND THE OTHER ON THY LEFT HAND, IN THY GLORY." 1. A little while before this, the Lord was speaking of some sitting on the twelve thrones to rule over the twelve tribes of Israel: Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30 2. This brought strife among the disciples; each one wanted to have the seat of honor: Luke 22:24 B. LET US NOTE 1. A false conception of spiritual truth: a. The disciples entertained the idea that the promotion in God's kingdom depended upon favoritism. b. But the Bible reveals that such promotion is based upon character - Dan. 12:3, 13 c. The concept of the disciples was based upon the same desires that caused Lucifer to rebel against the government of Christ - Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18 2. It should be noted: a. That selfishness is one of the main obstacles to greatness in God's kingdom. b. "Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted." - Matt. 23:12 c. The requested advancement of the two disciples would have been, if granted, at the expense of others. d. That is not according to the golden rule - Matt. 7:12 3. The request failed: a. Because it lacked fitness for such a high place. b. Moses felt different when he was asked to lead Israel - Ex. 3:11 c. Saul, too, felt unworthy to be king over Israel - 1 Sam. 9:21 d. Normally, he who is best qualified for duty feels least fit for it. 4. Experience teaches that the way to high places means: a. Large investments - 1) Time - it belongs to the position. 2) Energy belongs to the position. 3) Sacrifice is a part of the position. 4) Loyalty belongs to the position. b. Choosing the hard places - 1) The form and the place of a servant. 2) Do what others refuse to do. 3) Be in front in time of danger. c. Serving instead of ruling - 1) Our Lord set the pace. 2) They who serve best will be best qualified to sit with our Lord in the kingdom. C. HIGH PLACES AND LOW MOTIVES 1. We have already pointed out that the motives of the two disciples was the same as that of Lucifer: a. At first he aimed to be next to God. That is as high as anyone can aim. b. Then he went a step further, he wanted to be equal with God; that was aiming higher than was possible for him. c. In all this he sought to advance his ego and not the glory of the Creator - Isa. 14:12-18 2. Those who aim for high places in the kingdom of God forget: a. That the place of any is the sole prerogative of God the Father alone. b. This was made clear by the Son of God, "But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared." - Mark 10:40 c. "Lift not your horns on high: speak not with a stiff neck. For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another." Ps. 75:5-7 d. It would be a calamity to be in high places and follow low motives. ## CRIMINAL NEGLECT - PSALMS 142:4 A. "I LOOKED ON MY RIGHT HAND, AND BEHELD, BUT THERE WAS NO MAN THAT WOULD KNOW ME: REFUGE FAILED ME; NO MAN CARETH FOR MY SOUL." 1. This is an awe-inspiring complaint by the Psalmist: a. About the indifference of man to man "no man careth for my soul." b. It was uttered to God in prayer "I cried unto thee, O Lord" 2. This complaint may have reference to: a. The experience of our Lord at His trial and on the shameful cross. b. Or it may have reference to David's flight before Saul. 3. Experience shows, however, that loneliness or abandonment by man is quite common in human relationship: a. Who has not felt, at times, utterly forsaken even by professed friends. b. That is true, particularly, when things go hard. B. "NO MAN CARETH FOR MY SOUL" 1. This experience of bitter disappointment reveals: a. Men's interdependence. b. We are, by reason of creation, interdependent, one is dependent upon the other - 1) A child is completely dependent upon the care it receives by parents for a normal development and life itself. 2) A sick person is dependent upon a physician or a nurse - Rom. 14:7 2. This is true, also, socially, morally, mentally, and spiritually: a. "Ye are the salt of the earth." b. "Ye are the light of the world" - Matt. 5:13-16 3. The complaint reveals: a. That some people follow Cain's attitude - Gen. 4:9 b. Others take after the ten older brothers of Joseph - Gen. 37:18-34 4. The complaint of our opening text seems to apply mainly to God's professed children: a. "No man careth for my soul" - 1) Man's soul represents all he is or can be and sums up life itself. 2) Heaven places great value upon the soul - Luke 12:20; Matt. 16:26 b. That makes one's indifference to others a crime - Gen. 4:9 5. A solemn responsibility rests upon all, who accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour: a. Christ's relationship to all men makes all men His primary concern; He died for all - 2 Cor. 5:15 b. His death ties all men to us, His children; there is no exception - Rom. 14:7 C. OUR SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO GOD AND MEN 1. The complaint in our opening text emphasizes: a. The responsibility God places upon the church and its members - 1) "Ye are the salt of the earth." 2) "Ye are the light of the world" - Matt. 5:13-16 2. It points out to me my personal responsibility to share my faith with my neighbor; with my own relatives, and with spreading the gospel in all the world: Matt. 28: 18-20; Acts 1:8-10 a. It shows how serious life is, and how alert one must be to the needs of others - Gal. 6:1-3 b. This truth is illustrated very forcefully in our Lord's story about the good Samaritan - Luke 10:30-37 c. How much of my personal life is in service for others? d. Is there any needy person waiting for my assistance? e. Our blessed Lord speaks of my duty to others in Matt. 25:34-46 f. Let us imitate the Master; of Him it is written, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Acts 10:38 ## THE CURSE OF MEROZ - JUDGES 5:23 A. "CURSE YE MEROZ, SAID THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, CURSE YE BITTERLY THE INHABITANTS THEREOF; BECAUSE THEY CAME NOT TO THE HELP OF THE LORD, TO THE HELP OF THE LORD AGAINST THE MIGHTY." 1. Rarely has God employed such strong words to show His displeasure with some of His people: a. In the Garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve sinned against God, He cursed the ground for their sakes - Gen. 3:18, 19 b. Moses enumerated the blessings and the curses to Israel - Deut. 28: 2. Deborah is the speaker for the angel: a. She was a natural leader, very gifted. b. She recounted the events leading to the victory God gave His people during the battle with the enemy. B. CURSE YE MEROZ - WHY? 1. The hour of great crisis: a. The context of Judges 5 shows that the battle between Israel and Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, brought on a great crisis for Israel and God's cause. b. There was visible danger that Israel would be subjected to brutal treatment and slavery if they lost the battle. 2. In the face of all this, the inhabitants were totally indifferent and inactive: a. They paid no attention to the crisis. b. They cared less to see Israel lose the battle. c. Their crime against God and His church was doing nothing while others laid down their lives on the battlefield. 3. All this suggests: a. That God's cause comes first - Matt. 6:33 b. To be indifferent to His cause is high treason - that was the sin of Meroz! c. Here is a real lesson for all the members in the church of God; let us heed it! d. I have difficulty reading the curse pronounced upon Meroz and not be affected by its moral lesson. C. A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR OPENING TEXT 1. We all are, by our very relationship to Christ, co- workers with God: a. He has identified with us in that He took the nature of the seed of Abraham - Heb. 2:14-16 b. He gave Himself to save us from destruction - Gal. 2:20; John 3:16 c. He has placed at our disposal the resources of heaven. 2. God has, therefore a right to use the redeemed in His battle with Satan: a. To fail the Lord in the hour of need is a sin that will bring swift retribution. b. The Sin of Meroz was a sin of total indifference to the cause of God. 3. That sin was a sin of inaction: a. We have no information why those people failed to come to the help of the Lord. b. But that does not remove the curse. 4. Let us note, briefly, the seriousness of inaction in the church of God: a. Souls may be lost because of our doing nothing. b. Our own indifference to the work of God, doubtlessly, discourages others to do their honest part. c. The real danger of inaction is that we will be lost just because we are doing nothing. 5. Why I bring this strong message to this congregation: a. We are about to enter upon a strong soul winning campaign in this community. b. We have, what we believe, worthy objectives to double the membership of this church. c. Some of you are planning on doing your part to make the effort a success. d. But I fear that there are some in this audience that have not, as yet, seen the seriousness of our undertaking. e. You may feel that it is up to the preacher and his associates to make the coming campaign a success. f. But will you believe that God wants every one of us to do our part to win in the effort? God help us. ## WHAT MEANEST THOU O SLEEPER? - JONAH 1:6 A. SETTING OF OUR TEXT 1. God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh and warn that city against the terrible sins the people were guilty of: 2. But Jonah, not liking this assignment, went to Joppa, boarded a ship that was to sail to Tarshish: 3. The Lord disrupted this flight by sending a great storm which threatened the lives of the voyagers: 4. The mariners, in fear of their lives, prayed to their gods; while Jonah, the Lord's runaway messenger, was sound asleep in the bottom of the boat: 5. The shipmaster sought him out, woke him up and asked him, "What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that he will think of us, that we perish not." B. LET US ANALYZE THE SEARCHING QUESTION OF THE SHIPMASTER 1. How can you, Sir, sleep in such a time as this? a. When the sea is raging. b. When our lives are in great danger. c. When everyone else on the ship is praying? 2. "Thou sleeper": a. Do you not know that when the saints sleep the devil works overtime to destroy them! b. There is no temptation so weak but it is strong enough to foil a Christian that is napping in security! EXAMPLES - 1) Samson asleep - while Delilah cut his locks, the secret of his physical powers - Judg. 16:19 2) Noah was asleep, and his graceless son has fit time to discover his father's nakedness - Gen. 19:22 3. It is most unreasonable to sleep in time of danger: a. The birds and the beasts know danger by instinct and flee to save their lives. b. Can we do less? C. WHAT A LESSON FOR GOD'S SLEEPERS IN THE CHURCH OF GOD 1. The question of our opening text comes from an idol worshipper: a. It is addressed to a messenger of truth! b. It reveals that this shipmaster expected much more from a professed believer of truth. 2. Those idol worshippers had faith in the prayer of Jonah; that if he besought his God, their lives would be spared: 3. Brethren, suppose a person having less light than we have would put this question to us; what would our answer be? 4. We know that the delay of the coming of the Lord has made some among us sleepy: a. Think of the parable of the ten virgins - Matt. 25:1-12 b. Recall what Paul gives as one reason why some of the believers fall asleep - 1 Cor. 11:30 c. We are nearing the final great test that will come to God's people; will we have made the needed preparation to stand? d. Let us heed the solemn admonition of the Apostle Paul, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lust thereof." - Rom. 13:12-14 5. Think of it, dear brethren, the harm caused by God's people being asleep when they should be wide awake preaching Present Truth! 6. What would we have done had we been in Jonah's place? a. Just what we are doing today! b. If we are asleep in such a time as this, we would have the same that Jonah did. ## "WHERE IS ABEL THY BROTHER?" - GENESIS 4:9, 10 A. THIS, YOU WILL RECALL, IS GOD'S SECOND QUESTION 1. The first question was directed to Adam, the first responsible man - "Where art thou?" - Gen. 3:9 2. This second question is directed to Adam's oldest son, who had killed his brother, "where is Abel thy brother?" - Gen. 4:9 3. Both questions show God's interest in the state of man. B. WHERE IS ABEL THY BROTHER? 1. This question by God: a. Reveals my personal responsibility to my fellow men. b. My very relationship to others indicates my responsibility toward others to treat them as I would want to be treated by them - Matt. 7:12 c. "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise." - Luke 6:31 2. My personal responsibility toward others is dictated by factors outside of my decisions: a. My responsibility toward my brother is determined by my relationship to Christ our Lord - 1 Cor. 8:11 b. Let us keep this fact in mind as we seek to understand the subject before us. c. My personal responsibility to my brother is indicated further by our being members of the mystical body of Christ, the church - 1 Cor. 12:26 d. But what makes my responsibility doubly great is the fact that Christ died for him - 1 Cor. 8:10, 11 e. Since Christ valued his life to a point where He gave himself for the brother, I cannot be indifferent to him - Gal. 2:20 f. If this truth was observed by God's people there would be a closer relationship between all of us; we would truly love one another even as Christ loved us - John 13:34 3. My personal responsibility is indicated, also, by the fact that as members of the body of Christ, we are interdependent, one cannot be happy without the happiness of the other: a. This fact has been forcefully illustrated by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians - 1 Cor. 12:12-25 b. Also, Christ is the head of the church, his body, and my life is controlled by Him; but that is true, also, of my brother; if both of us are controlled by Christ, then it must follow that our relationship with Christ is very close, and also that between us as brethren. C. THE SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHURCH TO ALL ITS MEMBERS 1. The church of the living God is a great Mutual Benefit Society, the Brotherhood of men: a. Its bylaws include these immortal words - "Love one another as I have loved you" - John 13:34 b. "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." - Gal. 6:2 c. "Forgive one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you" - Eph. 4:32 d. "Let no man seek his own, but every man another man's wealth." - 1 Cor. 10:24; 13:5 2. Where is Abel thy brother? a. If this question came to us in the light of our present attitude to one another, what would our answer be? b. Would we seek to evade the weight of the heart searching question of our opening text by attempting to make excuses? c. To be a Christian is the most wonderful privilege that anyone can have; but it is also a very great responsibility, and who is able to measure up to it? d. Let our answer be - "My brother is a child of God, enjoying Christian fellowship; I have heard him testify and also pray; he is daily on my prayer list; and his joy is my joy because he is my brother." ## "AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER?" - GENESIS 4:1-11 A. BACKGROUND TO OUR SUBJECT TITLE 1. The first murder scene: "Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him." 2. Where this murder took place: "when they were in the field." 3. The first murderer was brought before the highest tribunal: a. He had been warned against this crime - Gen. 4:6, 7 b. But he ignored God's warning. 4. God's heart-searching question: a. Reveals the nature of a murderer. b. He seeks to hide his crime behind a brazen lie. B. AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER? 1. This question of Convict Number One proves to me: a. That going through a form of worship is no evidence of godliness - 1) Judas and his master - Luke 22:21 2) Saul - 1 Sam. 15:13 3) Simon - Acts 8:18-25 4) The Pharisees - Matt. 23:27-29 2. That religion often serves evil-minded persons as a cloak to hide their evil intent: a. It is said that during the dark ages priests would kiss the cross before they burned their victim. b. How often have religious reasons been given for the zeal to destroy Christian people, who may have differed with the persecutors. 3. The question of Cain before the highest tribunal makes it plain to me: a. That we are responsible for our attitude toward our fellow men. b. That was made clear to the prophet Ezekiel - Ezek. 3:17, 18 c. Paul, too, states our responsibility to others very clearly - Rom. 14:7; 2 Cor. 2:15, 16 d. A child of God will soon recognize a mutual responsibility. C. WHAT IT MEANS TO BE MY BROTHER'S KEEPER 1. There can be no neutrality on our part: a. I am my brother's keeper - Ezek. 3:17-21 b. Or, in one way or another, I become his murderer - 2 Cor. 2:15, 16 2. To be my brother's keeper means: a. That I love my brother to the extent that I will, by the grace of God, make his safety my first concern - EXAMPLES - 1) Jonathan did that for David - 1 Sam. 18:1-4 2) Benjamin was treated in the same manner by Judah - Gen. 43:9; 44:32 3) David is still another example in his attitude toward Saul - 1 Sam. 24:5-7; 26:11 b. It means that we love our brother as our own selves - John 13:34; Matt. 22:34-38 c. We will do nothing in thought, word, and action to bring grief to our brother. 3. Christianity causes us to look at our brothers in a new light: a. "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." b. "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." - Eph. 4:31, 32 c. "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye." - Col. 3:12, 13 4. My brother's keeper! How can I do it? a. I can include him in my daily prayer - Jas. 5:16 b. I can give him encouragement in the hour of need. c. I can share his burdens as a brother - Gal. 6:1-3 ## "I AM YOUR BROTHER" - GENESIS 45:4 A. BACKGROUND TO OUR TEXT 1. You will recall that the sons of Jacob sold Joseph and told their father that a beast had killed him: 2. They had forgotten Joseph altogether; never did they dream of meeting him under the circumstances they did: 3. And now, to be told by him, "I am your brother", must have given their conscience a rude awakening: a. "What will he do to us now?" b. "How will we explain this thing to our old father?" c. "What will our father think of us now, discovering how we lied to him, and what we actually did to our brother?" d. Their minds must have been the center of unusual torment and accusations. B. I AM YOUR BROTHER 1. That is the language of the children of God: a. "We be brethren" - Gen. 13:8; 14:14 b. "Our brother" - Gen. 37:27 c. "I am distressed for thee, my brother" 2 Sam. 1:26 d. "All ye are brethren" - Matt. 23:8 2. Joseph, a true pattern of the brotherhood of men: a. He made himself known to his brethren - 1) Open-hearted 2) Without guile - Ps. 32:2 b. Nothing seemed more dangerous to Paul than to fall among false brethren - 2 Cor. 11:26 3. This is in sharp contrast to pretense by false brethren: a. Judas betrayed his Master - Matt. 26:49 b. Paul considered false brethren the most dangerous to his life - 1 Cor. 11:26 c. We are told to beware of them - Matt. 10:17 4. He had a forgiving attitude: a. "Be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves" - Gen. 45:5 b. "Forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." - Eph. 4:32 c. This attitude of forgiveness toward our brethren cannot be terminated by us at any time and under any circumstances - Matt. 18:21, 22 d. This spirit of forgiveness is a test of discipleship - Matt. 6:14, 15 5. He sees the brighter side of his experience: a. He sees that God had a hand in his experience - Gen. 45:6-8 b. Can we see the brighter side in our relationship with the brethren? c. If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom. 8:28 C. JOSEPH'S BRETHREN ARE A TYPE OF CHANGED LIVES 1. They had changed their attitude toward their brethren: Read carefully Gen. 44:32-34 2. Had deep sorrow in their hearts because of what they had done to Joseph: 3. They repented of their deeds: 4. They asked for forgiveness: Gen. 50:16, 17 5. They became his messengers: Gen. 45:26, 27 D. THIS IS THE EXPERIENCE OF ALL WHO ARE BORN AGAIN 1. They show that they have passed from death unto life because they do love the brethren: 1 John 2:10; 3:14 2. They will forgive from the heart, hold no grudge against one another: Jas. 5:9; Lev. 19:18 3. They seek to carry out the golden rule in their relationship with others: Matt. 7:12 4. They have the mind of Christ, and for that reason they are a new creation: Phil. 2:1-11 5. That makes the difference between the old and the new; between the carnally minded and those that are spiritually minded: 2 Cor. 5:17 ## OTHERS AND I A. THE SIN OF SELF-SEEKING 1. It is the fountainhead of temptation: a. It began in the heart of Lucifer - Isa. 14:12-18; Ezek. 28:12-17 b. It led Eve to yield to temptation - Gen. 3:1-6 c. It caused the first murder--one brother kills the other - Gen. 4:1-8 d. It separates brethren - Gen. 13:1-14 e. It brings trouble into the church - Acts 6:1-3 B. UNSELFISHNESS 1. Is the price of brotherly love: a. Abraham's attitude toward Lot - Gen. 13:8 b. Jonathan toward David - 1 Sam. 18:1-4 c. Joseph and his brethren - Gen. 45:4 2. Unselfishness will not seek her own: a. Lives the golden rule - Matt. 7:12 b. The language of unselfishness is found in these inspired words, "If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left." - Gen. 13:9 3. Our Lord expressed the Christian attitude of one to the other this way: a. "Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away." - Matt. 5:42 b. "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive" - Acts 20:35 c. "Freely ye have received, freely give" - Matt. 10:7 d. "It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord" - Matt. 10:25 e. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" - Matt. 22:39 f. "Love one another as I have loved you" - John 13:34, 35 C. OTHERS AND I 1. When I think of others and my relationship to them: a. I must look at them in the light of Christ's relationship to them, "he died for all" - 2 Cor. 5:15 b. That fact changes their standing and it places new responsibilities upon me, "But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ." - 1 Cor. 8:11, 12 2. When we see others in the light of Christ's relationship to them, it makes it much easier for us to love them: a. That is the way Paul looked at others - 1 Cor. 10:33; Rom. 14:13 b. This is true, in a very special sense, of members of the church - 1 Cor. 10:15, 16; 12:14-24 3. We shall think of them as being worthy of our respectful consideration: a. Think of David's attitude toward Saul, who actually sought to kill him - 2 Sam. 1:11-17 b. Or remember the specific instructions of our Lord in the sermon on the mount - Matt. 5:38-48 4. Contrast the attitude of the following persons: a. Abraham and his nephew Lot - Gen. 13; 14; b. David and Saul - 1 Sam. 24:1-18 c. Our Lord and Judas 5. To consider others more and better than ourselves: a. Takes the love of God in our own hearts. This is what is fading away from many believers in the church - Matt. 24:12, 13 b. When the law of love motivates my life, it will surely affect those with whom I associate. c. This is the one great lesson that is understood easier than lived. d. When I think of others, I must look at them in the light that heaven sees me and them also. ## BUSINESS HERE AND THERE - 1 KINGS 20:40-42 A. HISTORIC SETTING OF OUR TEXT 1. Benhadad, King of Syria, had been given into the hand of Ahab, the king of Israel: 2. Ahab neglected to destroy the enemy of God's people: 3. A prophet uses a parable to point out to Ahab the consequences of his neglect: B. "AND AS THY SERVANT WAS BUSY HERE AND THERE, HE WAS GONE" 1. Ours is a busy age: a. One finds plenty of opportunity to keep occupied - Luke 14:16 b. The cares of this busy age endanger our soul's salvation - Luke 21:34, 35 2. The Lord warns against this danger: a. The cares of this world are, according to the Master, foremost in weakening the believers in their spiritual relationship to the truth and to a life of prayer - Luke 12:16-21 b. The ever increasing clamor for riches - Mark 4:19; Jas. 5:1-7 c. Ours is a pleasure made generation - 2 Tim. 3:1-9 3. These conditions have dimmed the vision of some church members: a. They have lost interest in the activities of the church. b. The prayer life seems to have died so completely, there is no more reading of the Bible; the family altar is a forgotten institution. c. The enticements of the world have become the main attraction for these deluded people. 4. Our opening text shows that: a. Golden opportunities are the gift of the Lord; that was true in the experience of Ahab; he failed to make use of them. b. That was true of the people before the flood, they flaunted His appeal for repentance - Gen. 6:1-20 c. The Lot family--some of the children failed to heed God's invitation - Gen. 19:1-20 5. Golden opportunities come but once in a lifetime: a. The foolish virgins learned this truth - Matt. 25:1-12 b. The requirement for ancient Israel to put the blood of a lamb on the doorposts of the home came but once - Ex. 12:7 c. Esau's birthright came but once to him - Heb. 12:14; Gen. 25:30-33 C. HERE IS A GREAT LESSON FOR US TODAY 1. We are a very busy people: a. Our ever increasing problems to make a living and keep up with the Jones' keep us very busy. b. Daniel speaks of our times in terms of running to and fro - Dan. 12:4 2. And yet, ours is more than making a living; we have a job to do, a work to finish: a. We are duty bound, under God, to share our faith with others. b. This is the great day of carrying the message to the ends of the world - Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:18-20 c. The fields are ripe for harvest; and the Lord is looking to us to do our part in this great harvest of souls - John 4:34-36; 9:4-8 3. Only eternity will reveal the harm done through neglecting to make use of the golden opportunities that come our way but once in a lifetime: a. Ahab was sorry afterward, but that did him no good. b. The five foolish virgins were so sorry afterward, but that gave them no oil for their lamps. c. We ought to pray daily for wisdom to know how to use every opportunity to the glory of God and for the advancement of the cause of truth. 4. What a sad acknowledgement it was on the part of Ahab to say, "And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone." a. But how much more sorrowful will we be to discover that we have had golden opportunities to prepare for God's kingdom, but did not use them. b. Or when we learn that we had a chance to help a soul into the kingdom of God, and failed. ## "WHAT DO YE MORE THAN OTHERS?" - MATTHEW 5:47, 48 A. THINGS THAT ARE NATURAL TO MEN 1. Love those that love us: Matt. 5:46; Luke 6:32 2. Do as others do: Gen. 3:12; John 21:3 3. Be satisfied with our personal achievements: Luke 18:11, 12; Rev. 3:17, 18 B. "WHAT DO YE MORE THAN OTHERS?" 1. Out of love to God: a. The poor widow - Mark 12:43 b. Mary Magdalene - John 12:2 c. Abraham - Gen. 22:1-12 2. Do more for others: a. Our blessed Lord - Acts 10:38 b. Joseph in Egypt - Gen. 39:1-23; 45:8 c. The little Hebrew maiden - 2 Ki. 5:1-3 3. Real acts of living faith: a. Elijah's contest with the priests of Baal - 1 Ki. 18:32-37 b. Elisha and Naaman the leper - 2 Ki. 5:1-14 c. The four that carried the impotent man - Mark 2:1-7 d. The mother and a demon-possessed daughter - Matt. 15:28 4. All these things are written for our admonition: a. We profess to be more enlightened than some other people, and it is only reasonable that we show this in our life. b. Here is food for much prayer and serious thoughts on our part. c. It is not enough for me to know the truth--I must show in my daily life that the truth has made me free. d. If the faith I have is real, the fruit of my life will be healthy and strong. e. That is what our Lord says - John 7:37, 38; Matt. 5:16-26 C. WHO DOES MORE THAN OTHERS? 1. Men of living faith: a. David - 1 Sam. 17 b. Paul - 1 Cor. 15:10 c. Jochebed - Ex. 2:1-10 2. Men of much prayer: a. Think of the words found in Jer. 33:3; in Jas. 5:16; and in Gen. 20:17 b. People who dare for God - Helen Keller, Booker T. Washington, Gideon, Deborah and others. 3. Some reasons why the question of our text affects us as a people: a. We claim more - "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask much" - Luke 12:48 b. We have, indeed, been entrusted with more - 1) God has, in mercy, given us light from a chain of Bible prophecies - Dan. 2; 7; 8; Rev. 12; 13; 14; 16; 18; 20 2) To us God has committed the proclamation of the Three Angel's Messages; which in itself is an awe-inspiring commitment to a small people. c. Our opportunities are much more extensive than our pioneers ever dreamed of - 1) Scientific developments have made communication a modern miracle. 2) That has made it possible to hasten the message of truth to the ends of the earth in short time - Rom. 9:28 d. Never, in the history of the church, have opportunities been greater than now - 1) There is an awakening among the nations. 2) A great effort for more enlightenment among the backward peoples - Joel 3:9 3) People are inquiring of the reason for the conditions in this world today. Bible prophecy has the answer. e. Are we ready to share our faith with others? ## THE IRON DID SWIM - 2 KINGS 6:6 A. BACKGROUND TO OUR SUBJECT 1. A building project by the prophet Elisha and his students: a. They needed more classrooms. b. It was to enlarge a student project, allowing them to have a part in the construction of the school for the prophets. 2. A borrowed axe fell into the water which brought some anxiety to the student that had used the axe to fell the trees: a. That shows character on the part of the student. b. He felt responsible for the loss of the axe. 3. The man of God knew how to retrieve the axe: a. He had them cut off a branch from a tree. b. The young man showed to the prophet the place where the axe had fallen. c. The prophet used the stick to touch the axe, and upon touching the axe it came above the water, it actually swam. B. THIS UNUSUAL DEMONSTRATION OF THE SUSPENSION OF THE FUNCTION OF THE LAW OF GRAVITATION OFFERS SOME WONDERFUL LESSONS: 1. It shows that: a. A man, connected with the Lord, finds a solution to the problems that beset us so often in this life. b. He is the man of the hour in time of difficulties EXAMPLES - 1) David, the army of Israel, and the challenge of Goliath - 1 Sam. 17:1-54 2) Joshua and Caleb and Israel in the hour of confusion in the congregation - Num. 14:6 3) Queen Esther and her Uncle Mordecai in the hour of great crisis for the Jews - Esth. 4 2. He relies upon the power of God, and here is his great secret: a. "Not by might nor by power" - Zech. 4:6 b. "Without me ye can do nothing" - John 15:5 c. This was the secret of making the iron swim; Elisha knew that God is above the law of gravitation. 3. The iron did swim: a. Unexpectedly. b. Just like the water burned - 1 Ki. 18:30-39 c. All through the supernatural power - John 2:7-11 4. God has always had persons that did exploits for God; a. Paul - Acts 27:33 b. Moses - Num. 12; 13; 14; C. THE SPECIAL LESSON FOR US TODAY 1. We see so little of the supernatural: a. The world knows a lot about the working of the natural laws; but knows very little about the supernatural operation. b. Even God's professed people are more able to demonstrate the things based upon the natural laws than those resting upon the spiritual laws. 2. Too many have had the axe fall into the water: a. They have lost all ambition to work for perishing souls. b. They reason from cause to effect. c. You hear very little about God's special intervention in behalf of His work. 3. Well might we ask the following searching questions: a. Where is the modern Paul when dangers beset the church of God? b. Where is the modern Caleb when a spirit of defeatism plagues the church? c. Where are the modern Elijah and Elisha that can make the water burn and the iron swim? 4. Our opening text proves that our Lord was very right when He spoke the following immortal words: a. "With men this is impossible" b. "But with God all things are possible" - Matt. 19:26 c. "All things are possible to him that believeth" - Mark 9:23 d. "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you" - Matt. 17:20 ## THE MAKING OF A MISSIONARY - ISAIAH 6:1-8 A. A VISION OF GOD 1. Time and occasion: a. "In the year that King Uzziah died" -- History of Uzziah - 2 Ki. 15:1-5 2. The vision: a. "I saw the Lord" 1) A change from the earthly to the heavenly glories. 2) Moses on the mount - Heb. 11:24-27 3) Paul in a trance - 1 Cor. 9:1 b. "Sitting on a Throne" 1) High and lifted up - Dan. 7:9-11; Rev. 20:11 2) His train filled the temple - 1 Ki. 8:10, 11 c. "I saw Seraphims" 1) Each having six wings, with two he covered his face, with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 2) One cried unto the other "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God of Hosts" 3) The whole earth is full of His glory. B. EFFECT OF VISION 1. Self-discovery: "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips." a. Job had a similar experience - Job 42:1-3 b. So did Peter - Luke 5:8 c. Saul of Tarsus experienced the divine glory - Acts 9:1-6 2. "Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." a. Seeing the King of glory will lead to real self- discovery. b. The unprepared inhabitants of the world will understand the signification of the divine glory, but too late - Rev. 6:15, 16 c. What an impression the vision of seeing the great King on the throne of His divine Majesty must make upon poor mortals! C. A VISION OF DUTY 1. Isaiah hears God's call to service: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" a. He who reads the hearts of men, knew before hand who would answer the call of duty. b. But God wants volunteers for His service; He wants us to take a personal interest in the service of soul winning. 2. Isaiah's response: a. He was a changed man; he had a vision of the sacredness of the ministry; he had been cleansed from all uncleanness. b. He was willing and fully surrendered to God; that is the main prerequisite for service--surrender - dedication! c. Ponder, if you will, the deep significance of Isaiah's response to the call of duty - 1) He had a vision of God; that is basic to the service of the Lord. 2) He had a vision of himself; that is a must if we are to realize our need for divine help to do acceptable service. 3) He experienced a cleansing; that makes the difference in fruitful service. 4) He had a burden for lost souls; that was the impelling power for him to say, "Here am I, send me." 3. Thus we learn these essentials for entering the service of the Lord: a. A vision of God is imperative! "Where there is no vision, the people perish" - Prov. 29:18 b. "We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long" - Ps. 74:9 c. A vision of the perishing souls, for whom Christ died - Ezek. 37:1-14 d. A vision of a clean and sanctified life to be the representative of the King of glory - Isa. 52:11 e. A vision of the Lord who will make us fit vessels of His grace to bear the message of truth - 2 Cor. 3:6 f. Finally, it is wonderful to be called to serve the King of kings and the Lord of lords. ## THE CHRISTIAN DEBTOR - ROMANS 1:14 A. HUMANITY AT THE POINT OF COMPLETE BREAKDOWN 1. Moral debt: a. As it was in the days of Noah; and in the days of Lot - Matt. 24:37-39; Luke 17:26 b. The earth literally groans under the ever increasing weight of sin - Compare Isa. 24:1-20 with 2 Tim. 3:1-9 c. Effect upon the human race is very evident - Rev. 6:15-17 2. Financial debt is beyond calculation: a. The U.S.A., the richest country in the world, has over $300,000,000,000. b. It would take five generations to pay the interest alone, much less the principle. B. THE CHRISTIAN DEBTOR 1. "I am a debtor, both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians; both to the wise and to the unwise." a. Paul has many names, none of them lofty, all of them lowly; the highest of them is ""I am an apostle". He calls himself "a prisoner"; "least of the saints"; "chief of sinners"; here he calls himself "a debtor". b. To whom is he a debtor? 1) Not to the flesh - Rom. 8:12 2) But to God; to Christ; to the world! 2. How he became a debtor: a. He became a debtor when Christ died for him - Gal. 2:20, 21 b. When he became in possession of the priceless gift of salvation which must be shared with all for whom Christ died - Rom. 9:23; 11:33; Eph. 2:7; 3:8, 16 c. When he was commissioned to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord - 1 Cor. 9:16 d. When he experienced in his own life the transforming grace of Jesus Christ! e. This experience alone made him a debtor to others - 1 Cor. 15:10; Eph. 3:7 f. When the Spirit of God moved him to share his faith with others - 2 Cor. 5:13, 14 g. He became a debtor when he realized the infinite price heaven paid to redeem men from sin! C. HOW HE PAYS HIS DEBTS 1. By sharing God's blessings with others: a. Jonah learned his lesson - Jonah 1:3; 2:1-9 2. By living the truth day by day: 3. By withholding nothing from the service of the gospel of Christ: Acts 21:13 4. By laying down his own life in the defense of the gospel of Christ: D. WE, TOO, ARE DEBTORS 1. Not to the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof but we are debtors: a. To God and to Jesus Christ our Lord for the priceless salvation offered to us. b. To the great second advent movement for the light it has brought to us about the truths for the last days. c. It is in deep humility that I say that no other people have ever been blessed with more knowledge of the Bible than this people. d. It is this knowledge of the truth that obligates us to the world to make known the mystery of Jesus Christ as unfolded in Bible prophecy. 2. The nearness of the coming of our Lord makes us special debtors to warn the world and prepare a people for His coming! a. How could we be guiltless if we failed to proclaim the blessed hope of the coming of our Lord! b. What excuse would we give for failing to faithfully witness to the Three Angels' Messages? c. But, we, like Paul, are debtors to God for His love so undeservedly bestowed upon us in making us willing to leave all and embrace Present Truth. d. Personally, I feel that I, of all people am a debtor to God and His dear Son in sparing my life and letting me share the blessings of the gospel with others! ## MUTUAL CHRISTIAN DUTIES - HEBREWS 10:23, 24 A. "AND LET US CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER, TO PROVOKE UNTO LOVE AND TO GOOD WORKS" 1. This exhortation by Paul is a continuation of his effort for Christian constancy in both: a. Their public profession. b. Their inner church relationship. 2. It reveals his vision of living faith and Christian fellowship: a. He was, indeed, a Master Builder in the great and living temple of faith - 1 Cor. 3:10 b. He recognized the great essentials of the inner affectionate relationship of the believers to the winning of souls. B. NOTE, PLEASE, THESE THREE SALIENT POINTS IN OUR OPENING TEXT 1. Mutual consideration: a. "Let us consider one another." The word "consider" means to give serious thought to; to make it a point of special interest. b. We are called upon to "consider our ways" (Hag. 1:5, 7); to "consider our latter end" (Hos. 7:2); to "consider the wondrous works of the Lord" (Job 37:14); to "consider our great high priest" (Heb. 3:1). 2. Consider one another: a. The frailty of our common human nature - Jas. 3:2; Rom. 6:19; Heb. 5:2 b. The oneness of our calling. c. Our common exposures to affliction and temptation, as well as dangers. d. Our reciprocal duties to the church and the world, indicated in the working of the human body - 1 Cor. 12:12-25 3. Consider each other in our relationship to Jesus Christ our Lord: a. We should think of our brother in his relationship to Jesus Christ - 1 Cor. 8:11 b. We should have the same attitude to one another that our Lord has toward us. c. Many of our difficulties come because we do not consider one another in our relationship to Jesus Christ, who is no respecter of persons. C. END RESULTS OF OUR MUTUAL CONSIDERATION 1. It will lead to: a. A better understanding among ourselves. b. Many difficulties are due to misunderstanding among the brethren. 2. It will help us, by the grace of God, to esteem one another higher than ourselves: Phil. 2:3; 1 Thess. 5:13 3. It will, in the words of Paul, "provoke one another unto love": a. That word "provoke" is to call forth; to stir up; to incite action or activity - 2 Cor. 9:2 b. Love the brethren - 1 John 4:6-8; Rom. 13:8 c. Love sinners - John 3:16; Rom. 9:1-6; 10:1-3 4. Provoke unto good works: a. To bear one another's burdens - Gal. 6:1-3 b. To be good Samaritans - Luke 10:30-37 c. To share our faith with others - Acts 1:8, 9; 10:38 d. To care for the poor - Jas. 1:27 e. To be an example in humility, in faith, in love, and in charity - 1 Tim. 4:12 5. In doing these things: a. We reveal the virtues of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 b. We shall be both the light of the world and the salt of the earth - Matt. 5:13-16 6. Last, but not least: a. No one among us can be a true Christian and not sense our mutual obligations. b. Cain attempted to be irresponsible for his brother Abel, but it did not work. c. The prodigal's brother felt no burden for his erring brother; to the contrary, he felt hurt because his father took an interest in the prodigal - Luke 15:11-32 d. Even men in official positions in the church need to be on guard - Luke 10:30-37 ## GOD'S SOUL WINNERS - JOHN 1:40-42 A. A BIBLE EXHIBIT OF GOD'S SOUL WINNERS 1. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; and bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God liveth." - Isa. 52:7 2. "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." - Prov. 11:30 3. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." - Ps. 126:5, 6 4. "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as stars forever and ever." - Dan. 12:3 B. WHAT THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY SAYS ABOUT SOUL WINNING 1. It is the greatest, the noblest effort in which men can engage: "Gospel Worker", page 18. 2. It is the highest science to aspire to: "Ministry of Healing", page 398. 3. Its excellency is unsurpassed: "Testimonies for the Church", Vol. 9, page 398. C. QUALIFICATIONS OF GOD'S SOUL WINNERS 1. Negatively: a. Extraordinary and oratorical talent, wonderful as it may be, is not necessary to be a real successful soul winner. b. Paul had a measure of these excellent qualities; yet when he mixed with the people, he decided that he wanted to use none of them, lest the gospel of Christ should be hindered - 1 Cor. 2:1-4 2. Positively: a. I can think of seven qualifications basic to successful soul winning - 1) Knowledge of God, His Word, His power, and of the people we work for - Prov. 11:30; Luke 15:4-12; Matt. 16:26 2) Love for souls - John 3:16; 11:36. There are times when soul winning will require special effort and sacrifice, even unto death; the love of God in the heart alone can qualify - EXAMPLES - a) Paul and his kinsmen - Rom. 9:1-3; Acts 21:13 b) A mother and her suffering daughter - Matt. 15:22-28 c) Our Saviour and Lazarus - John 11:35, 36 3) Faith: Simple child-like faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, its power to save, and also in the people you labor for. EXAMPLES - a) A centurion's faith - Matt. 8:8-10 b) Paul's unbounded faith - 2 Tim. 1:12; Rom. 8:38, 39 4) Prayer: It is said that persevering prayer is to the act of soul winning what the dew is to the tender plant in the field - Hos. 14:1-6 EXAMPLES - a) Moses and Israel - Ex. 32:31, 32 Greater and more wonderful things are wrought by prayer than through any other means - Jer. 33:3 5) Total consecration to our assignment, in heart and life itself. The effective consecration of a soul winner is a must to be successful. Read and compare prayerfully John 17:19; Acts 21:13; Rom. 10:1-3 6) The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the one great essential - a must or failure is certain. No person is capable to meet and defeat our great and cunning adversary. Read very carefully the following Bible references: Acts 1:8, 9; 2:1-17; 10:38; Zech. 4:6 7) Perseverance: It is not enough for one to start to work for souls and when things go hard to flee: No, we must see our efforts to a finish line. Too often we give up when we should have continued with all the grace given to us. The great secret of success is in the patient persistence in the work we are doing to save souls. God will give the increase. ## LIFE'S BURDENS AND I - GALATIANS 6:1-3 A. SIN AND THE EFFECTS OF SIN BRINGS WITH THEM BURDENS FROM WHICH NO LIFE IS EXEMPT 1. Some of these burdens are personal; no one else, no matter how close he or she may be to us, can bear them for us: a. The burden of parenthood. Sorrows that came to Adam and Eve when Cain killed his brother illustrate my point. b. That was true of Job when Satan used the storm to destroy Job's children. c. David's sorrows when Absalom sought to kill his father to take the kingdom. d. Then we have the burden of sickness. Some of us have prayed for God to remove a certain infirmity, our friends are sympathetic, yet they cannot help us. 2. Other burdens are brought upon us by the performance of our public duties: a. Moses was loaded with burdens from morning till evening - Num. 12:3 b. Paul speaks of the "cares for all the churches" - 2 Cor. 11:28 c. The higher the position, the greater will be the burdens. B. BEAR YE ONE ANOTHER'S BURDEN 1. Our opening text reminds us that there are burdens common to men which we can share or help to bear: a. Helping to bear one another's burden is included in the law of Christ. b. This truth is wonderfully illustrated in our Lord's story of the good Samaritan - Luke 10:30-35 c. In this story the Lord shows that our moral duties go beyond the religious ceremonies, important as they may be; they include actual aid to those who need our help. d. In this the priest and the Levite failed miserably. e. But the Samaritan, looked down upon by the Jews, did nobly share the burden of the wounded man in the hour of great need. C. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BURDENS COMMON TO ALL MEN, WHICH WE ARE TO SHARE ACCORDING TO THE LAW OF CHRIST? 1. Being helpful in time of need is a moral duty of moral people: a. Feed the hungry - Matt. 25:35; Isa. 58:7 b. Visit the sick - Matt. 25:36 c. "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." - Jas. 1:27 d. Shield others against harmful influences when and wherever this is possible for us. e. Include them in our daily prayers, which is a wonderful stimulant to the discouraged. 2. The blessedness of bearing one another's burdens: a. We shall never, in this present life, know the full blessedness by sharing with others their burdens. b. The importance of this grace receives strong emphasis in our Lord's pointing out the difference between those who are indifferent to the need of others and those who care - Matt. 25:25-36 c. A memorial book will be written for them by the angels of God - Mal. 3:16-18 d. Words of encouragement sincerely spoken will be a healing balm to the wounded heart. 3. How best to share other peoples' burdens: a. By putting ourselves into their difficult position; only in this way can we really help them in their difficulty. b. By forgetting our own advantages and allowing others to share with us do we bear one another's burdens. c. The statement of our opening text is one of the gems of Paul's great understanding of the principles of Biblical Christianity. ## CUMBERERS OF THE GROUND - LUKE 13:7 A. "CUT IT DOWN; WHY CUMBERETH IT THE GROUND?" 1. Christ was a Master Teacher, who knew the needs of men, and for that reason He used divers illustrations taken out of the life of the common people: a. In this instance a man planted a fig tree in his vineyard. b. For some reason the tree bore no fruit. c. The owner of the vineyard saw no need for the fig tree to take up ground that could be used by a more fruitful plant. d. He asked the vineyardist to cut it down, but the gardener pleaded with his master to give it another chance to produce. 2. There is a spiritual lesson in the parable of our Lord worthy for our prayerful consideration: B. THE CUMBERER IN THE LORD'S VINEYARD 1. Dead trees: a. A dead tree is devoid of life and for that reason cannot produce fruit. It occupies the ground that should be used for a living and fruit-producing tree - John 15:6 b. There are some members in the church who manifest no spiritual life for any usefulness in the church. They are cumberers of the ground! 2. Rotten trees: a. Rotten trees are loathsome; all they reveal is rotten -- their language, their business transactions, and their reputation are rotten. b. A rotten tree is light, worthless; so their conversation, their promises, and their conduct are worthless to God's cause. 3. Withered trees: a. When the tree has lost all sap and is withered away, it cannot bear fruit. b. Some look green, but have lost all fruit-producing energy and must be cut down. 4. Sick trees: a. Plant life is plagued with all manner of infections; that is what makes them sick. They need care and medications to restore them to health, to bear fruit. C. THIS BRINGS US TO THE SPECIAL APPLICATION OF OUR LESSON 1. How and in what respect do these nonproductive trees cumber the ground? a. They take up room, precious room, that might be better occupied. b. There is no advantage to the owner to continue them. c. Some of them take the nourishment away from the tree that bears fruit. d. Thus the cumberers of the ground are not only unprofitable to the owner, but they are hurtful to other plants. 2. This brings us to the high point of our sermon: a. The nonproductive tree symbolizes the unfruitfulness of some members in the church. b. What shall the church do with them? 1) Not fellowship with them? Remove them from the church? Pay no attention to them, just leave them to themselves? c. By no means! Follow the suggestion in our text. Work with them, preach more spiritual life into them, give a message that will awaken them to a new life. Pray for them! 3. Our text shows: a. God's forbearance with those of us in the church that are unproductive to His cause. b. He urges the church to work with the nonproductive members, love them, think kindly of them, give them another chance! c. Let us not be hasty in our judgment towards them, but rather attempt to awaken in their soul the spark of new hope and new life. 4. There is, however, a more serious side to our text: a. Our text shows that there is a limit to even God's long-suffering and forbearance. b. The cutting down of the unproductive life means that it will be removed out of the church of God. c. Finally, let us not sit in idle judgment upon others, but examine ourselves and know that we are not guilty of cumbering the ground. ## A CAPTAIN WHO WON HIS DECORATION - LUKE 7:2-10 A. THE STORY OF THE CENTURION EMBODIES A NUMBER OF VITAL GOSPEL TRUTHS WORTHY OF OUR PRAYERFUL CONSIDERATION 1. Its prominence in the Bible: a. Not because he was a Roman officer, b. Not because nobility was uncommon among such men, c. Not because he built a synagogue for the Jews, d. But because he possessed a faith lacking among God's people in Israel. 2. That was the testimony of the Lord and Saviour of Israel: Matt. 8:10 3. Such a faith will be lacking among modern Israel in the last days: Luke 18:8 B. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK 1. At the centurion: a. He was a man of great integrity and very high principles. b. These principles are revealed in his attitude toward his servant - Matt. 8:5, 6 c. He was benevolent toward a good cause - Luke 7:5 d. He was modest in his relationship to others - Matt. 8:8; Luke 7:6-8 2. The quality of his faith: a. There was national prejudice to overcome - Acts 10:28 b. Official pride could have hindered him from coming to Christ for a special favor - Matt. 8:8 c. Lack of precedent might have kept him from appealing to Jesus. d. A deep sense of unworthiness was in the way - Luke 7:6, 7; Matt. 8:8 e. He, by faith, surmounted all these and other difficulties. f. His faith centered in the Great Physician who never turns anyone away, if sincere in motive - John 6:36, 37 g. Such a faith was very rare in Israel. 3. Effects of the faith of the centurion: a. It secured the life of his servant - Matt. 8:13; Luke 7:10 b. How many people live today because of our faith? 4. Christ honors the childlike faith that takes hold of His grace: EXAMPLES - a. The touch of the hem of his garment by a woman - Matt. 9:20-22 b. The cry of blind Bartimaeus - Mark 10:46-52 c. The perseverance of a mother for the deliverance of her daughter - Matt. 15:28 C. A SPECIAL LESSON FOR US, LIVING AT THE VERY END OF TIME 1. The faith of the centurion is a very strong reminder to us: a. That saving faith is not confined to members of the church. b. This fact has been demonstrated on many occasions in our ministry. c. That there are many unknown to us, who have a living faith in the power of God to save sinners. 2. True and effective faith is not circumvented: a. By position - 2 Ki. 5:1-8 b. By popularity. c. By prejudice or other obstacles. 3. Living faith is: a. Christ-centered. b. It is humble and unassuming. c. Cannot be influenced by outward circumstances. d. It is ever venturesome. e. It is altogether unselfish. f. It never fails. g. It is the one power that can surmount mountains of difficulties; and it has in the past, and still does, move the heart of God. h. This faith manifested itself in the Captain, who won his decoration at a moment when it did the most good--the saving of a life. ## THE UNCONVENTIONAL WAY - 1 KINGS 18:30 A. CONVENTIONALITY DEFINED 1. That which grows out of custom or usage is conventional: See Webster's Dictionary. a. Customs do not necessarily represent the highest ideals - Jer. 10:3 b. Customs change with the times, and are usually controlled by traditions which brought them into being to begin with. 2. The Jews were experts in cleaving to the traditions of their fathers: a. The Lord testified to that - Mark 7:1-13; Isa. 29:13 b. Painful observance of certain customs do not produce holiness - 1 Sam. 4:1-11 3. Conventionalism is impossible in an imperfect world: a. In many instances, strict adherence to certain rules have been detrimental to the cause of soul winning. b. At times it leads to despotism among God's people. c. There is no divine guarantee that God will tie Himself to any man-conceived method of doing God's work. B. UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS HAVE BEEN USED BY GOD 1. In the case of Elijah versus the priest of Baal: a. No one has ever used water to start a fire, but he did - 1 Ki. 18:21-39 b. It worked very effectively as far as the cause of truth was concerned - verse 39. 2. Elisha made the iron swim by touching it with a stick: 2 Ki. 6:6, 7 3. Think of the method used by God's people in the days of Queen Esther: a. In a national crisis. It worked. Esther 4:11-16 4. What some of our able generals have thought of Joshua's command for Israel to walk around the walls of Jericho to subdue it? a. But that was God's plan. b. It worked very effectively - Josh. 6:1-21 What God blesses works. C. BIBLE HEROES, AS WELL AS OTHER WITNESSES FOR GOD, USED UNCONVENTIONAL METHODS WITH GREAT SUCCESS 1. In the days of ancient Israel: a. Gideon and his army used broken pitchers to win the battle against a superior enemy - Judg. 7:16-25 b. David used a sling and a stone to kill Goliath the challenger - 1 Sam. 17:45-50 c. Abimelech and his group of soldiers used bows from trees to destroy the enemy - Judg. 9:47-49 2. Our blessed Lord used unconventional means and methods to bring life and health to the people: a. He applied clay mixed with spittle to open the eyes of a blind man - John 9:7, 8 b. He sent Peter to catch a fish and to open the mouth of the fish to find the money to pay His and Peter's tax - Matt. 17:27 3. John Wesley, one of the great soul winners of all times, was marked as "a Methodist" because much of his work was done the unconventional way, according to the concept of the church: 4. Some have told me, on different occasions, that my method was too unethical, governed by too much emotionalism: Said they, a. "Shedding of tears during a sermon is very unethical and borders on nervous exhaustion." b. "It is highly improper to weep in the pulpit and make the people nervous." 5. God's answer to these charges: a. "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy! He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." - Ps. 126:5, 6 b. "Blessed are ye that weep now; for ye shall laugh" - Luke 6:21 c. "Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the Elders, gather the children..let the priests, the ministers of the Lord weep between the porch and the altar" - Joel 2:16, 17 d. When the Son of God stood at the tomb of Lazarus He wept - John 11:35 ## IN MEMORY OF CHRISTIAN MOTHERS - 2 TIMOTHY 1:5 A. MOTHERS' DAY 1. A national Memorial Day: a. A time for the American people to pay their respect to the memory of worthy American mothers. b. A time for reflection upon the devotion and sacrifices of motherhood. 2. The church of God has good reason to use this occasion to give emphasis to the memory of God-fearing mothers in all ages: a. Christ set the pace for Mothers' Day with His dying words, "Behold thy Mother" - John 19:26, 27 b. The Bible chronicles the memory of God-fearing mothers. c. Eternity alone will bring to light the life story of the mothers in Israel. B. LET US, TODAY, CONSIDER, IN PART, THE DESTINY OF MOTHERHOOD 1. Ancient Israel had the life of many godly mothers as the background to its glories: a. In a time of national crisis, God used mothers to carry the day - 1) Jochebed, the mother of Moses - Gen. 2:1-4 2) Jael, Heber's wife - Judg. 4:21 3) Deborah, the wife of Lapidoth - Judg. 4; 5; b. In judicial service - 1) Huldah - a judge in Israel - 2 Ki. 22:14 2) Deborah - Judg. 4:4 c. Noble characters - 1) Naomi and Ruth - Ruth 1:1-22 2) Elisabeth - Luke 1:5, 6 2. Notable women that adorn the history of America: Mary Lyon; Clara Barton; Frances Willard; and many other noble characters that have contributed to the fame of America. 3. Motherhood is the embodiment of love and sacrifice: a. A typical example is found in Rizpah - 2 Sam. 21:8-12 b. Moses' mother is another example - Ex. 2:1-9 4. It molds the life, and, in many cases, determines the future of the children: EXAMPLES - a. Eunice has much to do with the life of her son Timothy - 2 Tim. 1:5 b. Josiah, one of the kings in Israel, was prepared for that service by his saintly mother Jedidah - 2 Ki. 22:1, 2 c. Abraham Lincoln attributed his success to his stepmother. C. WE SALUTE OUR CHRISTIAN MOTHERS TODAY 1. Their faithfulness and sacrifice is worthy of note by all of us: a. I think of my sainted mother, who sacrificed her very life out of love for her children. b. On a very cold night she took her own quilt and covered me, and she took a sheepskin coat and covered herself with it. c. My own wife has, on many occasions, taken her own food and given it to the children. 2. Let me enumerate some of the blessings Christian mothers are to be remembered for: a. Love: The love of a Christian mother comes nearest to expressing the love of God. b. Patience: Who has more patience than the mother that has to raise a family and keep them happy and contented? c. Prayerfulness: What can be more effective than the prayer of a loving and God-fearing mother! d. Some years ago I conducted a revival meeting in one of our schools when many students gave their hearts to Christ. At one of the testimony meetings about 95% of the students thanked God for their praying mothers! e. Implicit and unshakable faith in God and in the potential of their children! Most every mother sees a glorious future in the life of her children. f. Lovers of the Bible, the Word of God! My dear mother planted her love into my very life--the Bible--I love it! This was the charter of her life. ## IN REMEMBRANCE OF DORCAS - ACTS 9:36-42 A. FAMOUS WOMEN OF THE BIBLE 1. Jochebed, Moses' mother: Ex. 2:1-10 2. Ruth: Ruth 1:16 3. Esther: Esth. 4:16 4. Tabitha called Dorcas: B. IN REMEMBRANCE OF DORCAS 1. The story of Dorcas is full of pathos and inspiration: a. She was full of good works. b. And almsdeeds which she did. 2. She occupied herself: a. Not to gratify self-interest; b. Not to accumulate material wealth or fame; c. But to relieve suffering; to aid the poor. d. She worked for those, who were unable to compensate her for her labor. e. In all this she emulated her Lord and Master; f. And came to live a life of service without compensation by men. 3. The church of God, in all ages, has been blessed by the life of Dorcas: 4. It brought into being: a. The inspiration of Christian women to follow her example in working for the poor and unfortunate. b. That brought our Dorcas Society into being and into prominence in our organization. c. This blessed Advent Movement has been made that much more useful and prominent by the unselfish ministry of thousands of dedicated Christian women. 5. The humble ministry of Sister Dorcas indicates: a. That living for others is the highest virtue anyone can aspire to. b. No effort by men can give the satisfaction as does the unselfish and loving ministry for the needy. c. This is made very evident by our Lord's words as recorded in Matt. 25:34-40 C. BLESSING OF THE MEMORY OF SISTER DORCAS 1. God did for her what He, to the best of my knowledge, did not do for the greatest preacher in the church: a. He raised her from the dead - Acts 9:40 b. I know of no preacher that was brought back to life to continue his service, as was Dorcas. c. That, in itself, is thought provoking to any believer of God's Word. 2. What is important in our consideration of the memory of Dorcas is: a. That the convincing argument for her resurrection is not found - 1) In sentimentalism or human emotion. 2) Not because she wanted to live a little longer, as Hezekiah did; but the fruit of her labor and its need for the poor was sufficient for God to honor the prayer of Peter and those standing by. b. "and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them" - Acts 9:39 c. This is, dear friends, what counts on the glorious resurrection morning -- deeds of mercy and unselfishness! d. Living for others is the mark of true piety. e. That is what will count in the judgment - 2 Cor. 5:10 3. A word of encouragement to our sisters, who immortalize the memory of Dorcas: a. You may never come into the limelight of the world by reason of oratory or other exceptional talent. b. You may never be extolled by anyone, but those almsdeeds will speak more convincingly on the day when the reward for faithfulness will be given to you. c. I sincerely hope and pray that the original purpose of the Dorcas Society to work for the poor will never be lost sight of by you and the church of God. ## CAMP MEETING OBJECTIVES - HOSEA 9:5 A. OUR TEXT POSES A SOLEMN QUESTION TO EVERY ONE OF US ON THIS CAMP GROUND -- "WHAT WILL YE DO IN THE SOLEMN DAY, AND IN THE DAY OF THE FEAST OF THE LORD?" 1. We are living in the most solemn day: a. The day of a world encompassing crisis - 6 T, p. 16. b. This is the prophetic hour of God's judgment - Rev. 14:7; 11:19, 5 T, p. 573. 2. And yet, it is the day of God's gospel feast: a. This suggests a plan for this camp meeting. b. Our opening text excludes all lightness and worldly gestures - Joel 2:14-18 c. It indicates a spiritual feast - Eph. 5:15-20; Rom. 13:11-17 B. SOME PRIMARY OBJECTIVES FOR THIS GATHERING 1. To devote a few days exclusively to seeking the Lord in prayer: 2 T, p. 601 a. A revival of the family altar - 1 Ki. 18:30-35 b. To make every tent a prayer chamber - Zeph. 2:1-3; Joel 2:15-17 c. A time when every one of us will do some very serious self-examination - 2 Cor. 13:5 d. Follow the example of the early disciples in the upper room - Acts 1:13, 14 2. Another worthy objective of this gathering is that we may feel our constant danger of being overcome with the cares of this life: Luke 21:34 a. This danger is very real to all of us - Compare Matt. 13:24-40 with Luke 21:34-36 b. The daily cares of life engulf us so much that we are tempted to forget our daily devotions at the family altar. 3. A third objective of this gathering must be: a. To promote more spiritual life among our own people - Phil. 4:8; 2 Pet. 1:2-9 b. This necessity is clearly indicated by the testimony of the true witness - Rev. 3:14-17 c. A deeper experience in the realm of the Spirit is overdue by all of us - Rev. 3:18 4. Still another worthy objective for this gathering must be to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit: a. That was the important objective of the gathering of the disciples in the upper room - Acts 1:8-15 b. We cannot do less at the close of the gospel dispensation - Rom. 13:11-14 5. And, finally, all the great objectives stated serve this great objective: a. To become better equipped to finish the work God has given this people to do - John 9:4 b. To lead us to remove out of our personal lives the things that are sinful - Heb. 12:1-11 c. Thus we shall hasten the coming of our blessed Saviour for whom we are waiting - Rev. 22:20 C. HOW DO THESE OBJECTIVES APPEAL TO YOUR HEARTS, DEAR FELLOW BELIEVERS? 1. Do these sentiments express your own conviction? a. We know that it is high time for us to seek the Lord - Jer. 30:7; Hos. 10:12 b. The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light - Rom. 13:11-14 2. God will watch our personal attitude during this encampment: a. Who knows but what the angel of the Lord, with the inkhorn is in our midst - Ezek. 9:1-11 b. What makes this hour so solemn is the investigative work now going on in the courts of heaven - Rev. 14:7, 8 c. We know not when the cases of the living will come into review before God - 1 Pet. 4:17, 18 3. Our young people are still another reason for us to make this occasion the special time for us to seek the Lord in prayer: a. Many of the sons and daughters in Zion, the precious gold of the church, are without a living connection with the Saviour. b. We need to claim the promise of God in Joel 2:28; 3; Acts 2:17 c. Let us take courage from God's promise in Isa. 49:25, 26. That promise belongs to us! ## WHEN SATAN COMES OUT AHEAD - MARK 9:14-29 A. OUR LORD'S MINISTRY IN THIS WORLD WAS TWO-FOLD: 1. To seek and to save that which was lost: a. He came to call, not the righteous, but sinners - Luke 15:7 b. That, of course, includes all of us - Isa. 53:6; 1 Pet. 2:25 2. But He came, also, to train workers for the work of the gospel: a. One can see this fact in most of His ministry; He always took some of His disciples into His daily ministry. b. Our text is a vivid illustration of this training for His disciples. B. OUR OPENING TEXT BRINGS TO OUR MINDS A DUAL SCENE 1. Mountain top glory: - Matt. 17:1-5 a. The transfiguration of our Lord. What a scene that must have been for the disciples! b. It gave them a preview of coming glory in Christ's kingdom. c. The three disciples became so enchanted by the divine panorama that they would have continued there. d. Little did they sense the gloom and frustration of their fellow disciples at the foot of the mountain. 2. Valley gloom and defeat: a. A different scene meets us when we leave the mount of Transfiguration and re-enter the valley below - 1) A devil-plagued child. 2) A perplexed father. 3) A group of defeated disciples - Mark 9:14-29 b. This scene is quite typical of Christ's modern disciples. c. Some of them, too, have mountain top experiences, while some of their brethren have experiences of defeat because of sin in their lives. d. Worldliness, in one form or another, keeps them powerless to cope with ever present problems of their Christian profession. 3. When Satan comes out ahead: a. The afflicted boy - verses 18, 19 b. The troubled father - verses 17, 18 c. The perplexed and defeated disciples - 1) The multitude pressed them for action to prove their connection with God. 2) Their heart condition was such that they were woefully unprepared for their mission. 3) They had been separated from their Master, and spent much of their time in faultfinding with each other. C. THE SPECIAL LESSON FOR MODERN ISRAEL 1. In the school of Christ we find that God leads His people in mysterious ways: a. He invites us to see and taste the glory of things to come - 1 Cor. 2:9-11 b. We are, at times, enchanted by the glory that is portrayed in Bible prophecy. c. The scene before us helps us to forget, for the time being, the trials and disappointments of the everyday life. That is one of God's ways to encourage us in our experience. d. Even the Son of God was strengthened, by the joy that was set before Him, to take the cup of suffering that faced him - Heb. 12:2 2. But there is another side to our opening text: a. We are not ready to continue in the rapture of heavenly glory. b. There are souls to save; they are waiting for us to bring them the message of salvation. c. We have a work to do - John 9:4 3. Of special importance for us is: a. That whenever we become involved in our sinful pleasures, Satan comes out ahead; he uses our weakness to hinder the work of God. b. That is, I believe, one of the primary lessons to be gathered from our opening text. c. Whenever we become separated from the Lord, we lose connection with the power to win against Satan and sin. d. Fasting and prayer, according to the Words of Christ, is the key to power to become useful in the cause of soul winning. ## THE MAN BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD - LUKE 10:25-37 A. MANY OF OUR LORD'S PARABLES WERE CONNECTED WITH THE EVERY DAY HAPPENINGS. THE PARABLE OF OUR TEXT IS NO EXCEPTION 1. The scene portrayed in our text was vivid in the minds of His listeners because robbers, on the road to Jericho, were a constant threat to the traveling public: a. There were many so-called wayfarers who robbed the traveler, and in some instances killed them. b. The terrain lent itself to hideouts for the robbers. 2. Our Lord, the Master of applied truth, answered the lawyer's question - "Who is my neighbor" by relating the incident of our text: B. THE MAN BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD 1. His nationality: a. It seems evident that he was a Jew. b. To the Jewish lawyer, one of another nation would not come into consideration. c. Our Lord knew the attitude of His people toward other nationalities - John 4:1-28; Acts 10:28 2. Had he indicated that the man that had been waylaid by the robbers was a Samaritan: a. His listeners would have lost interest in His message. b. Only one of their nation was considered a neighbor - Matt. 22:39 c. The inquiring lawyers would have resisted the interpretation given by the Lord. d. There existed considerable hatred in the hearts of the Jews toward the Samaritans. 3. The application of the parable: a. A wounded man lay beside the road. b. He was in need of urgent help by someone with any compassion, regardless of nationality. 1) Two clergymen passed on the road to Jericho, who, of all men, should have come to his aid, but they failed to even touch him; they passed by on the other side. 2) What a reflection upon the clergy! 4. Let us take a closer look at their attitude toward the helpless victim of the robbers: a. Both of these men wore the garb of God's ministers of mercy. b. They, of all men, should have rendered help to the suffering. c. They failed utterly to even so much as turn a finger for the man. d. What a reflection on God's ministers! 5. Then comes the Samaritan: a. Hated by the Jews and looked down upon as undeserving. b. He was full of compassion; he did not ask of what nationality the wounded man was. c. He tended to him; saved his life. C. THE GREAT LESSON FOR US THIS MORNING 1. My neighbor: a. Not a question of religious philosophy, but action, help, mercy, deeds! b. One who needs my help, regardless of race, color or creed? c. One for whom Jesus died. d. One to whom I am able to give help or assistance. 2. The tragedy as revealed in the parable: a. The exposure of pretenders to holiness. b. Their utter blindness to the meaning of their office. c. Their total lack of the spirit of the God of mercy, at a time when mercy was to be dispensed. d. Their attitude - 1) Was a reflection on the priesthood of God. 2) It showed that to be in the garb of a priest did not mean that he was possessed of the spirit of Him who came to minister to the needs of others. e. But let us take the lesson home to our own lives. Do we have the form of godliness and lack the spirit of service? f. How many people by the side of the road have seen us pass by them without giving the help they were in need of? g. Let us practice the love and compassion of the good Samaritan. Deeds, and not form, is what is needed in the cause of God today. # Section VI: 100 Outlines on Decisions ## "WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?" - ACTS 16:25-31 A. THE QUESTION, BY THE STARTLED JAILOR, REVEALS TWO GREAT GOSPEL TRUTHS WHICH EVERY SINNER MUST REALIZE 1. The true condition of the sinner: a. He is lost--body, soul, and spirit - Rom. 3:9-18 b. He must realize that he is lost - Luke 18:13 c. Finally, he must confess his lost condition - Rom. 7:24 2. For the encouragement of the penitent sinner: a. He knows that he can be saved from his sinful condition - 1 Tim. 1:15 b. But, he must want to be saved - 1) "Lord save me" - Matt. 14:30 2) "Lord save us: we perish" - Matt. 8:25 c. Most of all, he must do something about it to be saved - 1) The prodigal son acted - Luke 15:20 2) Blind Bartimaeus acted with persistence - Mark 10:46-52 3) Zacchaeus acted - Luke 19:5-9 B. HEAVEN'S ALL-SUFFICIENT ANSWER 1. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" a. He is able to save to the uttermost - Heb. 7:25 1) The thief on the cross experienced it - Luke 23:44 2) So did the woman of Samaria - John 4:1-28 b. He is the sinners' only hope - Acts 4:12; John 3:16 c. "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you" - John 6:53 2. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house": a. Saved from what? Matt. 1:21; Gal. 2:17; 1 John 3:8 b. Saved for what? For the kingdom of God and His services. C. RESULTS OF SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST 1. Salvation affects us personally: a. It affects our attitude, b. Our actions, c. Our relationship - Luke 19:8; John 4:26-29 d. It makes us ready and willing - Acts 9:6 e. It makes us happy in the service of the Lord - EXAMPLES - 1) The jailor - Acts 16:32, 33 2) The Samaritan woman - John 4:28, 29 3) Peter's mother-in-law - Matt. 8:14; Mark 1:30; Luke 8:29, 30 2. Best of all, salvation includes, not only character, important as that is, but it includes the hope of eternal life: a. "godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life that now is, and that of the world to come" - 1 Tim. 4:8 b. This salvation includes the fruit of the kingdom of God - John 15:1-11; Matt. 21:38-43 3. "What must I do to be saved?" a. That word "must" is a very strong word and deserves careful consideration. b. Let us note, briefly, how it is used in the Bible- 1) "Ye must be born again" - John 3:7 That means that there is no other way to get into the kingdom of God. 2) "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth" - John 4:24 3) "He must increase, but I must decrease" - John 3:30 4) "we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" - Acts 14:22 5) "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" - 2 Cor. 5:10 c. God's musts leave no alternative; the sooner we realize that, the better it will be for us. ## WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS? - MATTHEW 27:22-24 A. THE BACKGROUND TO PILATE'S QUESTION 1. Christ, the Son of man, is on trial for His life in Pilate's judgment hall: a. The Jews had in mind to kill the Son of God; but to do this legally, they had to do it through the Roman courts. b. But to sentence the accused to die required the establishment of criminal evidence against the state. 2. There was, at the time of Christ's trial, a notable prisoner, a criminal by the name of Barabbas, also on trial for crimes committed against the state: a. The contrast between the two prisoners was so obvious that Pilate felt sure that the Jews would ask for Christ to be freed. b. By custom, he gave them one prisoner to be set free -- to pacify them. c. The Jews asked for Barabbas to be released and Christ to be crucified. B. WHAT PROMPTED THEIR ACTION? 1. Their hatred for Christ blinded them to reason and justice: a. They violated their own civil coat of law which provided that no one should be condemned to death without due process of law. b. They, hypocritically, appealed to Roman justice which they despised. 2. But the deeper reason for their murder must be laid to their moral condition: a. They loved darkness more than light - John 3:19, 20 b. They did not want the Son of God to rule over them - Luke 19:14 c. Actually, the Jewish leaders saw that Christ was so infinitely superior mentally, morally, and factually, that they feared that they would be rejected by the people. d. Bitter envy and unrestrained hatred for the Son of God was at the bottom of the crime of the Jews - Matt. 27:18 3. Implication of the action of the Jews: a. Blindly they committed the crime of the ages by crucifying the Son of God - Acts 3:15 b. They thus rejected the choice gift of heaven - John 1:11; 3:16 c. They destroyed their only hope as a nation - Matt. 23:38 d. They did the most unreasonable thing by preferring a criminal to that of the Prince of Peace. C. BUT THE QUESTION OF OUR TEXT IS AS APPLICABLE TO US NOW AS IT WAS WHEN PILATE PLACED IT BEFORE THE JEWS 1. Christ has placed Himself in every life of every person born into this world: a. He died for all - 2 Cor. 5:14 b. That makes every one of us morally obligatory to take a positive attitude toward Him. 2. There are two basic factors that will enter our personal decision: a. Our appreciation of what He did for us - Gal. 2:20, 21 b. Our attachment to sin - John 3:19 3. Let us consider Pilate's question from another standpoint: a. The question, what to do with Jesus will help us to resist temptation; because if I yield to temptation, I crucify Him afresh - Heb. 6:6 b. There can be no compromise between Christ and sin; accepting Christ means parting with sin - Matt. 6:24 c. Rejection of the Word of God is the same as rejecting Christ - John 5:39 4. But before you make your final decision, consider prayerfully: a. The sin problem - what will you do with your sins without Christ? John 9:41 b. Think of what you lose by rejecting Christ - John 5:40 c. Finally, let me warn you that not to choose is choosing just the same; postponing your decision will only endanger your hope. ## "THIS ONE THING I DO" - PHILIPPIANS 3:13, 14 A. WHEN WE STUDY THE LIFE OF PAUL, WE LEARN THAT HE WAS A MAN OF DECISION 1. He felt that Christ was an impostor and that it was his God given duty to oppose Christianity with all he had in his power: a. "And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus . . . that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem." - Acts 9:1, 2 b. In his letter to the Philippians he says, "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church" - Phil. 3:6 2. But after he had given his heart and life to the cause of Christ, he was equally determined to go all the way: a. His trip to Jerusalem - Acts 21:13 b. His burning desire to help his own nation - Rom. 9:1-3 B. "THIS ONE THING I DO" 1. Paul was not the only Bible character that was determined to do what he knew to be his duty: a. Ruth, the Moabitess, stands out as a vivid example of determination, "Entreat me not to leave thee" - Ruth 1:16 b. Joshua, too, was a man of great decision, "choose you this day whom ye will serve . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" - Josh. 24:15 c. David is still another example of great decision - Ps. 119:30-33 2. "This one thing I do": a. Paul was a realist; he knew his limitations; that he could do only one thing at a time. b. Too many people attempt to do many things at the same time and they fail. c. True men begin with wholehearted concentration - Read Matt. 6:24; Neh. 6:2, 3. That is why they succeed in what they do. d. Said Jesus, "the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force" - Matt. 11:12 C. "FORGETTING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND" 1. What forgetting includes: a. Forgetting necessitates detachment. So long as a person is attached to someone or something, it is almost impossible to forget. b. Forgetting includes, also, to face in a different direction -- face forward, and you will forget the things behind you - EXAMPLES - 1) Lot's wife failed to detach herself from Sodom and that caused her to stand still and to look back. 2) Elisha, on the other hand, burned all bridges behind him and he succeeded - 1 Ki. 19:21 2. Set the heart upon things that are before: a. Life is, in most instances, determined by what our hearts dictate, "As he thinketh in his heart so is he" - Prov. 23:7 b. Said Jesus, "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." - Matt. 6:21 c. If our heart is set upon what God has promised in the future, we will be resolved to focus our efforts toward that mark - EXAMPLES - 1) Paul gives us a panoramic view of all who look for a new heaven and a new earth - Heb. 11:11-40 2) Moses is an outstanding example of this group of believers - Heb. 11:23-28 3. The mark of God's children is threefold: a. Christlikeness -- that is first - Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:1-7; Phil. 3:7-15 b. To have part in the first resurrection is the second mark for which all of God's children aim - Phil. 3:10; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; Rev. 20:6; Luke 14:14 c. To be on the new earth is the ultimate in the mark that God's children have set for themselves - 2 Pet. 3:13; Heb. 11:14-16; Isa. 65:17-19 d. If we are as determined as Paul was to make the kingdom of God the sole object of our life's efforts, we shall not be disappointed. ## CHRIST OR CHAOS - ISAIAH 45:22; JOHN 3:14-19 A. MY FRIENDS, ONE NEED NOT BE A PESSIMIST TO SAY THAT OUR WORLD TODAY IS IN VERY SERIOUS TROUBLE IN MORE THAN ONE WAY 1. The nations are in serious difficulty; that was foretold by our Lord: a. Distress among the nations. b. Heart trouble among men - Luke 21:25, 26; Matt. 24:6, 7 2. Our modern society is in trouble: a. Morality is, in many instances, cast to the wind - 2 Tim. 3:1-8 b. Excess in amusements and pleasures are sapping the strength of the nation - Luke 17:26, 27 (as in the days of Noah, etc.) c. The America home is in difficulty - 1) Juvenile delinquency keeps the courts more than busy. 2) Parents seem unable to keep their children within bounds. 3) Divorces are on the increase to an alarming extent, and the end is not in sight. 3. The church is in a state of impotence, unable to cope with the influence of the world upon its members: a. Ponder the testimony of the true witness to the church of Laodicea - Rev. 3:14-22 b. Think of the prediction of our Lord of the last days - Matt. 24:12 (Because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold.) c. And above all, read Paul's prophecy of the conditions in the last days - 2 Tim. 3:1-9 B. WHERE SHALL WE TURN UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES FOR HELP? 1. The nations have turned to science and the scientist: a. Accomplishment of current science is amazing and at times baffling. Dan. 12:4 b. We are living in an era of great forward movement in many fields of knowledge. 2. But there is one field where science is helpless -- to build up moral strength. It has not even touched the character of human beings: C. CHRIST OR CHAOS 1. Our text offers God's remedy for ills of the world, society and the family: a. "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth" - Isa. 45:22 b. There is no remedy for sin outside of Christ - Acts 4:12 c. Only the blood of Christ is able to cover our sins - 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; Rev. 1:5; John 6:51-56 2. When the Jews, as a nation, rejected Christ: a. They cut themselves off from all hope. b. They cut the last link between them as a nation and a people. 3. Christ has the remedy for what ails the world: a. The world needs real peace. b. Christ offers that peace to all who desire it - John 14:27 c. The world needs rest. d. Christ offers rest to all who come unto him - Matt. 11:28-30 4. Here are a number of very timely questions: a. What will the world do with its sins? b. The Bible has the answer - John 1:29 c. What can the world do with all its problems? d. The Bible has the answer - 1 Pet. 5:5-7 e. How shall we face the judgment day without Christ? f. The Bible has the answer - 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:10-12 g. Take Christ out of the world, and peace is impossible; take him out of society, and society is doomed; take Christ out of the church, and the church is meaningless; take Christ out of the home, and you have a home filled with darkness and despair. h. That brings us back to our subject title -- Christ or chaos? ## GO FORWARD A. "AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES, WHEREFORE CRIEST THOU UNTO ME? SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, THAT THEY GO FORWARD." Ex. 14:15 1. Israel was in a tight place: a. The overflowing Red Sea before them. b. The towering mountains about them. c. The Egyptians followed them. 2. Israel was inexperienced: a. In the ways of the Lord. b. Unprepared to cross the Red Sea, and not organized to fight off the enemy - Ex. 14:14-18 B. "GO FORWARD" 1. Was the Lord's answer to Moses' cry: a. The captain of the host of Israel had taken command of the army of the Lord - Josh. 5:14, 15; Heb. 2:10 b. "The Lord shall fight for you" - Ex. 14:14 2. Forward! a. Has ever been God's command - 1) Was the order in creation: light came first. 2) All other creative acts by God followed - Gen. 1; 2 b. That is God's order in the new creation - 1) Christ, the light of the world broke up the darkness - Isa. 60:1, 2; John 1:1-6; 14:6 2) Believers in the world are the lesser lights, breaking through the darkness in the world - Matt. 5:14, 15 3. The great gospel truth of a risen Saviour is on the forward move today: a. Said the captain of the army of the Lord, "Go" - Matt. 28:19 b. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations" c. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world" - Matt. 24:14 4. That means that the army of the Lord: a. Must not look backward - Luke 9:62 b. Must not become entangled with the cares of this world, as Israel did in the wilderness - Acts 7:39 5. Go forward: a. In faith - 1 John 5:4 b. With full confidence - 2 Tim. 1:12 EXAMPLES - 1) Joshua and Caleb - Num. 13:30 2) David fighting Goliath - 1 Sam. 17:45-51 3) Paul and the gospel - Acts 27:21-25 C. A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR OPENING TEXT 1. When God tells His people to go forward: a. He assumes full responsibility for the success of the move! EXAMPLES - 1) He told Israel to go forward and He divided the waters of the Red Sea so that Israel crossed it, walking on dry ground - Ex. 14:21-31 2) He told the disciples to make about 5000 people to sit down; and He saw to it that all had enough to eat, and more. John 6:5-13 3) The Lord told Peter to go and catch a fish; and He saw to it that Peter caught the right fish - Matt. 17:24-27 2. Jesus Christ has never changed: a. He is the same today that He was when He created the world - Heb. 13:8 b. It was He who directed ancient Israel to go forward - Isa. 63:9 c. It is the Lord of glory that is directing His people to go forward today. 3. It is wonderful to note that: a. To go forward indicates progress, from glory to glory - 2 Cor. 3:18 b. It means that God's people have nothing to fear but fear itself. c. Said Moses to Israel, "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord" - Ex. 14:13 4. Blessing of going forward: a. We will see the manifestation of the great power of God in the hearts of souls for whom Christ died. b. We shall praise God, as ancient Israel did in days of old. c. Let us, therefore, obey our marching orders and go forward in faith. ## THE HOUR OF DECISION - JOEL 3:14 A. "MULTITUDES, MULTITUDES IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION: FOR THE DAY OF THE LORD IS NEAR IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION." 1. To make a decision is one of the most important acts mortal men can make: a. Harry S. Truman had to make a great decision when he gave the green light for the dropping of the Atomic Bomb. b. The decision to accept or to reject Jesus Christ is of eternal importance. 2. A moral decision is based upon the recognition of our obligations to God and men: B. MULTITUDES, MULTITUDES ARE IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION 1. This prophetic announcement indicates two important facts: a. That divine providence has not, as yet, cut man off from deciding for or against God. b. The text shows further that the time to make our decision is now at hand, and that there can be no exception. 2. The text shows further that there is no middle way: a. It is either God or the idols of the heart - 2 Ki. 17:33-41; 18:21 b. We either want Christ or Barabbas - Matt. 27:21 3. Things to decide on: a. Doctrine and faith - Matt. 15:11; 2 Tim. 4:3 b. Walking with God or with the world - Jas. 3:13; Gal. 5:16 c. Speaking the truth at all costs - Judg. 12:5, 6; Matt. 26:27; Jas. 3:5; Prov. 18:21; Matt. 12:36 d. Our thinking pure and true, or sinful and impure - Ps. 94:11; Luke 9:47; Isa. 14:13 4. The choice is ours to make: a. Read Hosea 14:1 b. Pray over Rev. 22:17 c. And remember for us not to choose is already chosen. There is no middle ground. C. DECISIONS OUGHT TO BE MADE WITH CARE AND MUCH PRAYER 1. Its consequences are far-reaching in most instances: a. That was true for young Moses - Heb. 11:24-28 b. That was true, also, for Ruth, the Moabitess - Ruth 1:16, 17 2. Many decisions in the past have been fatal: a. That was true in the decision of the rich young ruler - Matt. 19:16-22 b. That was true of the man of God that decided to return with the false prophet to eat bread - 1 Ki. 13:19-26 c. It was fatal for Esau when he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage - Gen. 25:29 d. Such decisions are, in most cases, irreversible - Heb. 12:16 3. My friends, even now I am thinking of some fateful decisions: a. Which are based upon the knowledge of the truth - Matt. 19:16-19 b. That is why this gospel of the kingdom is preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations - Matt. 24:14; Rev. 14:7-12 4. Even at this moment, according to our opening text, large numbers of responsible people in all lands stand in the valley of decision: a. It is up to the church of the living God to come to their aid to make the right decision. b. That is done by bringing to them God's truth - John 8:32 c. As for this intelligent audience in this house of worship, I feel deeply that every one of you that has not made his decision will do it before you leave this building. d. You have enough information of your duty to Christ that you have no excuse not to decide for Him. e. Why do some people decide against Christ? 1) Because they love darkness - John 3:19-21 2) They are unwilling to forsake sin - Matt. 7:13, 14 ## MAN'S COOPERATION A. "TAKE AWAY THE STONE" - John 11:39 1. "The scene" a. The tomb of Lazarus. b. The sorrowing sisters -- Mary and Martha. c. Some spectators. d. A weeping Saviour. 2. Our Lord's direction and action: a. "Take away the stone" b. "Lazarus come forth" c. "Loose him, and let him go" - John 11:33-44; Luke 12:17 B. "TAKE AWAY THE STONE" 1. Our opening text shows that cooperation by man is a must to be blessed: a. Man must do his part - 1) To express his faith in God's saving power. 2) Our deeds are, in fact, the measure of our faith - Jas. 2:24-26; Matt. 13:58; Mark 6:6 b. When our deeds are a denial of our faith, we show that we have suffered shipwreck in our faith - 1 Tim. 1:19 2. Cooperation with God will increase our faith: a. Naaman learned from experience that to be blessed by God necessitates obedience on our part - 2 Ki. 5:10-15 b. Abraham offered Isaac, believing that the Lord can raise him from the dead; and he actually received him in that manner - Heb. 11:17; Gen. 22:1-12 3. God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves: a. Moses held out his rod over the Red Sea, and the Lord did the rest - Ex. 14:21, 22 b. Israel was told to walk around Jericho seven days, and the Lord did the rest - Josh. 6:1-12 c. The ten lepers were told to report to the priest, and the Lord did the rest - Luke 17:12-14 d. God directed the poor widow to empty the oil from her vessel into other vessels, and the Lord did the rest - 2 Ki. 4:2-6 C. THERE IS A SPIRITUAL APPLICATION OF OUR OPENING TEXT 1. "Roll away the stone": a. Stones of stumbling - Isa. 62:10 b. Misrepresentation of the truth. c. A spirit of worldliness - Rom. 12:1-4 d. Carelessness in our conduct in business and in our association with the world - 1 Pet. 4:1-4 e. Disregard for the high standards of the message - Rev. 3:14-17 2. Neglect of our personal relationship: a. Communion with God in secret prayer, or in family worship - Jas. 4:1-3; Matt. 6:6 b. Neglect of witnessing for the Lord; doing active missionary work. c. Neglecting the study of the Word of God - Acts 17:11 d. Indifference to the program and the activities of the church - Heb. 10:24-26 3. The high point in our message may be summed up as follows: a. The Lord wants cooperation by us -- "God helps those who help themselves." That is true to a certain extent. God will do His part when we do what we can do for ourselves. b. There are stones to be removed that keep people from coming into the message; even our loved ones may be kept back by some stumbling block in our life. c. There may be things between us and our fellow men which must be made right before God can undertake for us. d. There are times when our prayers remain unanswered because there are things in our life that prevent our prayer. e. It is of the utmost importance that we cooperate with the Lord, be it in our personal life or in our relationship with others. f. May the lesson for this hour be useful to help us to work together with the Lord, who is ever willing and ready to do the impossible for all who cooperate with Him. ## FOUR BIG CHEATS - MARK 8:36-38, 39 A. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CHEATED? 1. Paul warns against the great deception in the last days: 2 Tim. 3:1-9; 2 Thess. 2:9-11 2. Bitter remorse came to some of the Old Testament characters: a. Adam and Eve became fully disillusioned of their deal with the serpent - Gen. 3:7 b. Judas, the traitor, also became disillusioned with his deal with the leaders of the Jews when he sold his Master for thirty pieces of silver - Matt. 26:16, 17; 27:1-5 B. THIS EVENING I PURPOSE, WITH THE HELP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO FOUR BIG CHEATS THAT WILL KEEP MANY OUT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD 1. "No Danger" is a deadly cheat; beware of it: a. Lot's sons-in-law fell for this death trap - Gen. 19:14 b. The people, living in the days of the second coming of Christ will be faced with the same deadly cheat - Luke 21:34, 35 c. Your humble servant could write a large book showing how many he knew personally that lost their lives by not heeding the "No Danger" sign. 2. "Plenty of Time" is another deadly cheat; beware of it: a. The rich farmer of the parable of our Lord is a vivid example of this cheat - Luke 12:16-18 b. Let none of us be hasty and point the finger at the foolish farmer of yesterday. How many of us think of tomorrow as being sure because we feel well bodily! c. Thousands lose their lives every year attempting to cross the railroad tracks; why? because they are cheated by "Plenty Time"! d. Lot's wife was cheated out of her life by thinking that she had "Plenty Time" to stand still and look back to see what was happening to her home town - Gen. 19:26 e. No, dear soul, you do not have "Plenty Time" to get right with the Lord; it never pays to put off the most important duty of our life. 3. "Not Now" is the third deadly cheat to beware of: Felix, governor of the province of Judah, was troubled at the thought of meeting his sins in the day of judgment, but he said to God and Paul: a. "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee" - Acts 24:25 b. Pharaoh's answer to Moses' plea to let Israel leave Egypt was - "Tomorrow" - Ex. 8:10 c. But God says, "Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation" - 2 Cor. 6:1-3 d. "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith) Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts" - Heb. 3:7, 8 4. "Almost" is, if that is possible, the most deadly cheat of the four: a. It endangers the future of God's own people. How many "almost" Christians are members of the church of God? b. Said King Agrippa, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" - Acts 26:28 c. Who is an "Almost" Christian? 1) One who lives his faith maybe seventy-five percent, or even ninety-five percent, but not one hundred percent. 2) To many, many in the church of God, Christ would say, "One Thing Thou Lackest" - Mark 10:31; Luke 18:22 d. He who keeps nine commandments and breaks one - Jas. 2:8-11 C. WHAT A LESSON FOR SINNERS AND SAINTS 1. It is possible for a person to believe the theory of the truth, and yet perish in sin; why? because one of the four cheats will keep him out of the kingdom: 2. It is even possible to be a member of the church, take part in some of the activities of the church, and yet be lost: why? because one of the four cheats kept that person out of the kingdom of God: 3. Dear reader, are you in danger of being cheated out of the kingdom of God because you listened to one of the four cheats? ## REASONING WITH GOD - ISAIAH 1:18 A. A WONDERFUL CONDESCENSION 1. The invitation is given: a. Not by a glorious being, such as the angels, but the Sovereign of the universe. b. The condescension by God is another token of His divine love for fallen humanity. 2. It is given: a. Not to a loyal subject of God. b. But to a rebel, a traitor against heaven. 3. Notice the description: a. It includes those whose sins are glaring and very manifest. b. It is an invitation to them whose iniquities are especially productive of great evil and misery. c. It has reference to them that have sinned against great privileges - Matt. 11:20-24 B. THE SUBJECT FOR SPECIAL CONSIDERATION 1. The problem of sin: "Thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities" - Isa. 43:24; Mal. 2:17 2. The need for cooperation by the sinner with his redeemer: a. Do not play the hypocrite and hide behind the form of religion. b. That was the great and unforgivable sin of the Pharisees and the scribes - Matt. 23:25-29 c. Put away the evil of your doing; cease to do evil - Isa. 55:7 d. Learn to do well - Matt. 11:28-30 3. The assured results: a. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." b. "Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." c. Read these Bible references prayerfully - Isa. 44:22; Ps. 51:7; Rev. 7:14; Zech. 13:1; Rev. 1:5; 1 John 1:7-9 C. LET US DEVOTE A LITTLE TIME TO THE CONSIDERATION OF GOD'S WONDERFUL APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM OF SIN 1. He appeals to the powers of reason: a. That is one reason God has equipped man with the faculty of reason. b. It is the gift that differentiates between man and beast. 2. Let it be noted in this connection that Satan is fully aware of the powers of reason and he will do all at his command to destroy or to weaken this God-given power: a. When he gets control of men, he makes sure that their minds are blinded first - 2 Cor. 4:4 b. That was what happened to the prodigal son - Luke 15:11-32 c. That is the work of demons, to destroy the powers of reason - Mark 5:1-17 d. He knows that God appeals not to human emotions, important as they may be, but He appeals to reason. e. Read prayerfully Eph. 1:18; Acts 26:18; 2 Cor. 4:4; John 12:40 3. God wants us to see the terribleness of sin: a. Belshazzar saw his sin - Dan. 5:1-7 b. Felix saw his - Acts 24:25 c. Peter saw his sinfulness - Luke 5:8 4. It is when we see the terribleness of sin that true repentance will come to our hearts: Mark 14:7-72 5. The appeal in our opening text shows very clearly the attitude of God toward sinners: a. He does not want to see them die in sin - Ezek. 18:23, 32 b. He gave all and the best He had to deliver us from the power of sin - John 3:16 c. What more can a reasonable God do to save us from ourselves and sin? ## THE CHOICE OF A MASTER - JOSHUA 24:15 A. BACKGROUND TO OUR TEXT 1. A farewell message by Joshua: a. Reviews travel experiences of Israel. b. Points to guidance by God, in spite of their continuous rebellion against God's leadership - Josh. 24:2-15 2. Israel, in themselves, their main difficulty: a. That was true when they entered into a covenant relation with God at Mount Sinai - Ex. 19:8; 24:3, 7 b. And it was their situation in the closing days of the great leader Joshua - Josh. 24:16 B. THE CHOICE OF A MASTER 1. All life is service: a. "No man liveth to himself" - Rom. 14:7 b. Our influence, good or bad, leaves its mark upon others, regardless of what we may think or do - 2 Cor. 2:15, 16 2. There are, according to the Bible, two Masters to choose from: a. Christ, or b. Satan. 3. Man has it in his own power to choose one Master: a. Adam and Eve had that power - Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:1-6 b. Cain and Abel made their choice - Gen. 4:1-6, 9 c. Ruth and Orpah made their choice - Ruth 1:15, 16 d. The Jews made an open choice - Matt. 27:21 4. We can serve but one Master: a. Some attempt to serve Christ and the devil; they seek to serve God and also the world. b. Our Lord says, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon" - Matt. 6:24 c. Ancient Israel sought to serve Baal, and at the same time they attempted to serve Jehovah also - 1 Ki. 18:21 C. THE CHOICE OF A MASTER IS URGENT 1. "Choose you this day whom ye will serve": a. Today is the only God accepted time to make our choice between Him or sin and Satan - 2 Cor. 6:1- 3; Heb. 3:7, 8 b. Tomorrow may never come to us - Prov. 27:1; Jas. 4:13, 14 2. Our choice of a Master affects: a. Our present life. b. Eternity itself. EXAMPLES - 1) Pharaoh chose to reject the plea of Jehovah; but Moses accepted it -- think of the difference now! 2) Ruth accepted God's invitation to join Israel; Orpah rejected it -- note the difference now! 3. What a decision for every one of us to make: a. It should not be difficult for us because to choose to serve the devil means servitude and eternal damnation. b. To choose Christ means the forgiveness of our sins; the deliverance from the power of sin; and in the world to come, eternal life - EXAMPLES - Look at the choice of the two thieves on the cross: they had the same opportunity to choose a Master, even when hanging on the cross; they made their choice, and think of it now - Luke 23:39-44 4. Not to choose is a choice just the same: a. Christ came to save you and me from sin and death; to reject Him means eternal death. b. There is no neutral ground; we either make Christ our Master, or Satan will master over our lives. c. "Heard are the voices, heard are the sages, choose well: The world's and ages: Your choice is brief but endless" - Goethe. d. As for me and my loved ones, we will serve the Lord - Josh. 24:15 ## "REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE" - LUKE 17:32 A. THE STORY OF LOT'S WIFE 1. Is very brief: a. It covers twenty-six verses in Gen. 19:1-26 b. It should be noted that the very brief record of Lot and his family is found in what is called the Old Testament. If we reject the Old Testament, we have no information about Lot's wife. 2. When we think of Lot's wife, we see a terrible tragedy that came to that family: a. Our Saviour calls our attention to this sad experience in that family. b. He does so because many of God's children are in similar danger in the last days. "as it was in the days of Lot . . . even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed" - Luke 17:28-30 B. "REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE" 1. She and her family lived in Sodom: a. A very wicked city. b. This is evident from the way they attempted to treat Lot's guests and him too! Gen. 19:5-10 c. The people in Sodom practiced Sodomy - Rom. 1:26 2. Sodom and its inhabitants were under God's judgment: a. That is why the two angels came to make a final investigation - Gen. 18:17-31 b. But those heavenly messengers had still another mission - 1) They came to rescue Lot and his family. 2) Lot and his family were among those that Abraham prayed for - Gen. 18:17-29; 19:12-17 3. Lot's wife: a. Was one of those the angels came to rescue. b. But she made the mortal mistake when she disobeyed the rule of the Lord, stood still and looked back - Gen. 19:17, 26 c. She became a pillar of salt - verse 26. C. LET US TAKE A BRIEF LOOK AT SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF LOT'S WIFE 1. Lot was partially to be blamed for the calamity that came to his wife: a. He, as the head of the family, hesitated, lingered, when he should have moved forward - Gen. 19:16 b. He would not have gone forward, had not the angel urged him on - verse 16. 2. Divided interest seems to have been responsible for her disobedience: a. It is possible that they had accumulated treasures in Sodom; and that she was unwilling to part with these treasures - Matt. 6:21; 19:16-20 b. They had married children in Sodom, who refused to leave that city - Gen. 19:14 c. She evidently was unwilling to leave part of her family behind; if that is not so, why did she look back? 3. The sad part of it all: a. She perished on the way of rescue. b. She was lost in spite of God's efforts to save her. c. What makes it still sadder, if that is possible, is that her loved ones were not permitted to bury her; no, not even to look back to see what had happened to her. 4. The important lesson for God's people in the last days: a. The judgment hour message is proclaimed in all the world - Rev. 14:7, 8 b. We believe that we understand the implication of this message - 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Pet. 4:17, 18 c. We know that the world today is no better than Sodom was before it was destroyed - John 7:7; Luke 17:26-32; 1 John 5:19 d. Paul confirms this fact - 2 Tim. 3:1-9 e. We, too, have heard God's call of mercy - Rev. 18:1-4; Matt. 24:14 f. We have made a good beginning; left the world, our relatives and friends - Mark 10:28-34; Rev. 18:4; 2 Cor. 6:17 g. Are we going to be in the same danger that overtook Lot's wife? Are our affections divided between God and the world? WHATEVER OUR ANSWER MAY BE, LET US REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE. ## THERE CAN BE NO RETREAT - DEUTERONOMY 17:16 A. "YE SHALL HENCEFORTH RETURN NO MORE THAT WAY" 1. With these words Moses reminded Israel that Egypt once quitted was quitted for good: 2. God has a special reason for this law: a. For Israel thought of the flesh pots in Egypt; they forgot their cruel bondage - Ex. 16:3 b. They returned in their hearts to Egypt - Acts 7:39, 40 B. BUT THERE IS, IN OUR OPENING TEXT, A MUCH DEEPER TRUTH FOR OUR PRAYERFUL CONSIDERATION 1. The "no retreat" is true in the sphere of our own being: a. No one can retrace the steps we have already trodden; nor recall the words we have carelessly spoken; nor reproduce the circumstances of bygone days. b. We cannot recall, or change, or obliterate the past, even if we wanted to. c. The actions of the past are eternal; they are history, good or bad. 2. But there is a brighter side to our text: a. Thank God that we may forget our sinful past - Phil. 3:13 b. God has promised to blot out all our sins - Mi. 7:18, 19; Isa. 44:22 c. "Therefore if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold all things are become new" - 2 Cor. 5:17 d. For who wants to return to the old life of sin? Not I. 3. Let us take a still closer look at our opening text: a. Retreat is indicative of weakness of the one in question. That is true when an army flees in battle. b. In the case of a professed Christian, retreat into the old life of sin is indicative that he or she has never been free from the bondage of sin. c. It means that at heart the guilty one is still in Egypt - Acts 7:39 C. GOD'S MEANS TO KEEP US FROM GOING BACK TO A LIFE OF SIN 1. The rule He laid down for Lot and his family: a. "Look not behind thee" - Gen. 19:17; Matt. 24:16-18 b. "Neither stay thou in all the plain" - Gen. 13:10. Any place under the judgment of God is forbidden to God's children. 2. Set our face like a flint toward the kingdom of God: a. First, to become like our blessed Lord Jesus in character - Phil. 3:10, 13; Rom. 8:29 b. We have set our affections on things above and that will keep us from turning back to spiritual Egypt - Col. 3:2 c. We have set our hearts upon a new heaven and a new earth; that will keep us from looking back to Egypt - 2 Pet. 3:13; Heb. 11:13-17 3. Detach ourselves from the things of the past: a. Do as Elisha did, burn the bridges behind us - 1 Ki. 19:19-21 b. Follow Matthew's example, who left his former occupation and followed the Lord Jesus - Matt. 9:9-11 c. Do what Peter told the Lord they did, "We have left all and followed thee" - Mark 10:28-31 4. My prayerful appeal: a. How many of us are humbly grateful that we can forget our sinful past and rejoice in a new relationship to God and His people? b. How many of us have enough of the life of sin and waste, and are determined to turn our back to the past? c. If you are in doubt, please recall how God, in mercy, followed you until you were willing to listen to His voice and yield yourself to His will. d. I am so glad to see all of you standing up to let all the world know that there can be no retreat for you to the old ways, to the old life of sin. ## "WHERE ART THOU?" A. "AND THE LORD GOD CALLED UNTO ADAM, AND SAID UNTO HIM, WHERE ART THOU?" 1. Disobedience brings disillusionment: a. The serpent's promise, "your eyes shall be opened . . . ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." b. Opened their eyes to discover their nakedness. c. They did learn the difference between good and evil, but only to their sorrow. 2. Effect of disobedience: a. It distorted their concept of God. b. God's voice was no longer an invitation to sweet fellowship as before. c. They no longer sought refuge with God, but sought to hide from Him. d. Sin has made them afraid of God. What a tragedy! B. "WHERE ART THOU?" 1. Here we have heaven's first appeal of mercy to a lost sinner: a. It is God's first call of mercy, expressing loneliness for our first parents. b. This truth is illustrated in our Lord's parables of - 1) The lost sheep - Luke 15:4-6 2) The lost coin - Luke 15:8, 9 3) The prodigal son - Luke 15:11-29 2. God did not wait for Adam and Even to return to Him but He came first, seeking to save them! "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." Luke 19:10 3. The guilty pair's attitude: a. They went into hiding from the Lord - Gen. 3:8 b. That is always a sign of guilt - Gen. 4:16. This is still the attitude of the sinner, indicative of a guilty conscience. c. How different is the attitude of the saved? Moses, and the Psalmist - Ex. 3:15; Ps. 31:20. For them it is a pleasure to fellowship with the Lord; it is sweet communion with God. C. EFFECTS OF A BROKEN RELATION AND GOD'S EFFORT TO HEAL THE RELATIONSHIP 1. The sinners efforts: a. "And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked." b. "And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons" - Gen. 3:7 2. Here we have the attempts of sinners to cover their own nakedness: a. But that brought no security against sin and shame. b. Pilate washed his hands, but not his heart - Rev. 3:14-17; Matt. 23:25; 27:24 3. A God of mercy calls: "Where art thou?" a. He knew where they were - Ps. 139:1-9 b. But they did not realize their condition. Satan had blinded them against the effects of sin - 2 Cor. 4:4 c. They were brought to God's judgment seat because there can be no justice without an accounting for sin. d. God must enter into judgment with sin, even in the person of His Son - 2 Cor. 5:21 4. Blaming others for our wrong will not remove the guilt from us: a. In blaming Eve, Adam actually blamed God, who had given him Eve. b. Eve's blaming the serpent did not excuse her own guilt. c. Adam's love for his wife and eating of the forbidden fruit did not lessen his own guilt; he knew better - Acts 5:1-11 5. Mercy mixed with Judgment: a. After pronouncing judgment upon the sin of our first parents, God went to work to save the lost. b. He took the life of animals to make aprons for the guilty pair. c. He mixed the sentence of guilt with a promise of redemption - Gen. 3:15 d. This experience of our first parents was the first lesson of God's love for lost sinners. ## "THOU ART THE MAN" - 2 SAMUEL 12:7 A. "AND NATHAN SAID TO DAVID, THOU ART THE MAN" 1. The great sin of King David: a. Committed adultery in the open daylight by taking his soldier's wife to him. b. He planned and supervised the murder of an innocent husband by the hand of the enemy. 2. He passed the verdict of criminal guilt upon himself: 2 Sam. 12:1-6 a. This is the irony of sin, when one seeks to hide it from others. b. We often pass severe judgment upon sin, not realizing that the verdict falls on us. B. LET US CONSIDER, PRAYERFULLY, THE SIN OF SELF-INDULGENCE 1. A fall, like that of David, does not happen at the unguarded moment: a. It was carefully planned by the guilty. b. It was an act of carelessness which led to such immoral acts. c. A life of ease and self-confidence by the king opened the door to the temptation which led to the crime. 2. I can think of three specific reasons why men of God fall prey to such hideous crimes: a. Neglect of private prayer. Had King David spent that time praying for his men on the battlefield, the crime by him would never have taken place. b. Lingering where danger lurks is another contributing cause to sin. For example - Peter at the fire of the enemy - Mark 16:67; Cain at an altar that was useless - Gen. 4:7; Judas and the chief priests - Matt. 26:14-16 c. Idleness is still another factor which exposes one to temptation. Had Eve kept herself occupied in the garden, she would not have yielded to temptation. That was the downfall of King David. That, too, was one of the contributing factors to Samson's demise - Judg. 16:1-22. That was the downfall of Belshazzar - Dan. 5:1-25. C. SELF-DECEPTION 1. It strikes us most forcefully when we read the conversation between David and Nathan, the prophet: 2. David unwittingly passed sentence upon himself: 3. He had planned the crime so cleverly that he was confident that no one would ever know about it: 4. That is why he was so ready to pass sentence upon the man in the parable: 5. Note four specific facts about self-deception: a. We blind ourselves to the evil we know is in our own life. b. We make excuses for the sin we know we ought to confess. c. We become so familiar with the sin in our life that it diminishes in our own estimation. d. We never are honest enough to go into judgment with ourselves. Face savings is the ever present temptation to all of us. D. SELF-DISCOVERY 1. The story of Nathan's interview with David moves us with pain and pity: a. God takes a hand in it by revealing the sin of David to Nathan. b. He lets David see the hideousness of the crime he had committed against his own soldier, whom he was pledged to protect. c. Finally, he allows David to pass the verdict. 2. Thou art the man: a. David made a new discovery, which he faithfully recorded in Ps. 139:1-17 b. He discovered that all things are open to the eyes of God - Heb. 4:13; Ps. 139:1-8 c. He began to see the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and it pressed heavily upon him - 2 Sam. 12:13 d. He was a very fortunate sinner because there was pardon with God for him - 2 Sam. 12:13 But friends, what if that verdict should come to us after probation closes? ## THE TENTH MAN - LUKE 17:11-19 A. "AND JESUS ANSWERING SAID, WERE THERE NOT TEN CLEANSED? BUT WHERE ARE THE NINE?" 1. Many useful sermons have been preached on The Tenth Man: 2. The story of the 10 lepers is full signification: a. Leprosy is a chronic endemic infectious disease marked by the formation of nodules, ulcerations and deformative eruptions in the affected body. b. It is a disease of the blood and it is very repulsive to look at. c. Lepers were isolated from the people and they had to make known their condition by a warning voice. d. In Bible times, leprosy was considered a plague - Lev. 13:45 B. THE TENTH MAN 1. Our opening text indicates: a. That affliction brings to a common level - 1) All ten men were unclean, regardless of what their station may have been in life before their sickness. b. They all were isolated, that made them dangerous to society. c. What was worse in those days, their condition was hopeless, unless God interposed - 1) That is typical of sin and the influence of sin upon society. d. And so it is with sin in the heart; it puts all men on the same level, all are sinners by nature - Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:22-23 1) Sin defiles body, soul, and spirit - Matt. 15:19, 20 2) It separates from God - Isa. 59:1, 2 3) A sinner outside of Christ is hopeless - Rom. 6:23 2. Our text shows further: a. Sensing a deep need creates faith. That was the case of the lepers - Luke 17:13 b. People that have no faith in Christ never sense their need of salvation - Luke 14:16-27 3. Cure in cooperation with Christ: a. An easy condition: "Go shew yourselves unto the priests" b. That was a law in Israel - Deut. 24:8 c. But it was also a very difficult requirement - 1) They were told to express gratitude when, as yet, they had not been healed. They could not go by sight; they had to trust the Healer. 2) But when they obeyed the physician, God honored their faith. C. THE TENTH MAN 1. They all obeyed and were made whole: a. God is no respecter of persons - Acts 10:34 b. God will always honor the faith of all who come unto Him by Jesus Christ, regardless of race, color, or creed. 2. But only the Samaritan returned and gave thanks to God: a. This is the sad part of the story of the ten men; nine failed to express gratitude to the healer. b. Ingratitude is a mark of cold-blooded indifference to the blessings from God. c. How it must pain the Lord to see untold thousands never turn to God and thank Him for the undeserved mercies they enjoy. d. Ingratitude is the curse of our age - 2 Tim. 3:1-11 e. How many meals are consumed without saying grace! 3. Thank God for the tenth man who felt in his heart to return and give thanks unto the Healer: a. As a Samaritan, he was looked down upon by the Jews - Acts 10:28; John 4:9 b. But not so with the Lord; that man was blessed, regardless of his racial connections. 1) Does our life represent one of the nine sinners that were healed without returning to thank God for his mercies? 2) Or do we represent the tenth man, who did come back and express gratitude to Christ! ## TOUCHING THE MASTER - LUKE 8:43-44 A. "AND JESUS SAID, WHO TOUCHED ME?" 1. A woman, having an issue of blood twelve years, found her way to the Master, touched the border of his garment: a. Saying, "If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole" - Matt. 9:21 b. She had before this spent all her means with the physicians without receiving any help - Luke 8:43 2. She was healed instantly, but was too timid to openly express her gratitude to the Lord: B. "WHO TOUCHED ME?" 1. Purpose of our Lord's question: a. He knew well who had touched him; for he knoweth all things - John 21:17 b. It was not the common touch, as the disciples said. c. It was the touch of faith by a sick woman, who believed that He would heal her. 2. Secret of the effects of her touch: a. She touched the fountain of life - John 1:4; 5:26 b. Virtue left him and entered into her being - Mark 5:30; Luke 6:19 3. The searching question by our Lord: a. Reveals a public obligation on our part to God - EXAMPLES - 1) The healing of the ten lepers - Luke 17:17 2) The man carried by four - Luke 5:25 3) The centurion - Luke 23:47 b. To men - EXAMPLES - 1) The woman of Samaria - John 4:28-30 2) Mary, who saw her risen Lord - John 20:17 3) The blind man that received his sight - John 9:15-30 c. It is one of God's means to make converts for the truth. d. That was true on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:1- 41; also of the healing of the impotent man - Acts 3:1-26 C. TOUCHING THE MASTER 1. The various touches: a. There is, as revealed in our opening text, the touch of faith; this touch brings blessings to us - EXAMPLES - 1) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 2) The touch of a pleading mother in behalf of her daughter - Matt. 15:28 3) The touch of the centurion - Matt. 8:10 b. This touch honored the Saviour; it gave glory to God - John 4:29 2. There is the touch of unbelief: a. We think of the people in His own country - Matt. 13:58 b. Think of the attitude of the disciples after His resurrection - Mark 16:14 3. Our text offers a threefold lesson: a. Let us be very careful of how we touch the Master! b. It will affect Him and us. c. It may be the difference between life and death; between salvation and damnation. d. There are a number of ways to touch the Lord of glory - 1) We touch Him with our thoughts because He knows them like an open book - Ps. 139:1-9 2) We touch Him with our words because He says, "That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" - Matt. 12:36, 37 3) We touch Him with our actions; deeds by us can bring joy to His heart or they will bring deep sorrow to Him and to us - EXAMPLES - a) Think of Peter when he cursed, denying the Lord; its effects - Mark 14:71, 72 b) Judas, when he sold the Lord of glory for thirty pieces of silver - Matt. 26:15; 27:1-3 ## THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER - LUKE 13:12, 13 A. THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER 1. Is expressive of His love and care: a. No illness or sorrow can come to us but affects the Master. b. "In all their affliction he was afflicted" - Isa. 53:4; 63:9 c. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him" - Ps. 103:13 2. It is one of God's ways: a. To help suffering humanity - Matt. 8:3; Mark 1:41; Luke 5:13; Matt. 9:23 b. To draw us closer to Himself - Jer. 31:3 B. THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER MEETS ALL OUR NEEDS AND SOLVES ALL OUR PROBLEMS 1. It brought life to the dead: a. The daughter of the ruler of the synagogue - Mark 5:13 b. The dead son of a widow - Luke 7:14 2. It brought cleansing to the leper: a. Matt. 8:3 b. 1 Cor. 6:11; Heb. 4:3 3. His touch brings light: a. The blind man of Bethsaida - Mark 8:22, 23 b. Blind Bartimaeus - Matt. 9:29; Mark 10:46-52 c. It is because He is the light of the world - John 8:12 4. His touch enables the dumb to speak: a. The man that had an impediment of speech - Mark 7:32-35 b. That is His promise to us - Isa. 35:6; Acts 2:4; 19:6 5. His touch brings relief to the suffering: a. Luke 7:13, 14 b. Ps. 108:12; John 14:27 6. "But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19 a. Friends of mine, what do you know about the touch of the Master? b. Can you say from experience, He touched me? C. THE MASTER'S MEANS OF TOUCHING US ARE NOT ALWAYS THE SAME 1. He touches us through His word: a. "Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?" - Luke 24:32 b. "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart" - Acts 2:37 2. He touches us through the Holy Spirit: a. Note that touch on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-16 b. In the house of Cornelius - Acts 10:44-48 c. At Ephesus - Acts 19:1-6 3. He uses the lives of His children to touch us: a. The touch of Peter and John and what it did to the lame man - Acts 3:1-8 b. The touch of the dead body of Dorcas by Peter - Acts 9:36-43 4. At times He touches us: a. With the hand of sickness - Isa. 38:39 b. With the hand of sorrow. Most all of us have felt that hand at times when we seemed overcome with deep sorrow. c. There are times when trials come to us and we wonder why; but God, who loves us, allows trials to come to us for a good reasons. d. Meditate upon these wonderful Bible passages - Rom. 5:3; 8:35; 12:12; 1 Thess. 3:4 5. Do we recognize that the touch of the Master is ever: a. An expression of divine love - Heb. 12:6-11 b. To make us aware of His presence and heaven's interest in us - Acts 12:7 c. To give us assurance, divine protection in the hour of danger - Ps. 34:7 d. If we could but realize that the touch of the Master is our only hope in this present life, full of danger to body and soul. ## WHO SHALL GO? - EXODUS 10:8 A. PHARAOH'S QUESTION WAS A CHALLENGE TO MOSES AND AARON AND ANCIENT ISRAEL 1. He challenged them to dare to leave Egypt: Ex. 8:25 2. He sought to beguile Moses through compromise: a. "Go ye sacrifice to your God in the land" - Ex. 8:25 b. "I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go far away" - Ex. 8:28 c. "Your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you" - Ex. 10:10 d. "Let your flock and your herds be stayed" - Ex. 10:24 B. WHO SHALL GO? 1. This question is very thought provoking: a. It involved God's plan for His people; all Israelites were included in God's plan. b. Pharaoh sought to bring confusion among the leaders of Israel about the inclusiveness of the liberation movement. 2. On the other hand, this question reveals the obligation of the leaders of the movement to make positive plans that included every soul in Israel: a. That would mean that the parents were placed on the alert that not one of their loved ones would be left behind. b. Here is where Lot failed; some of his family stayed in Sodom and were destroyed - Gen. 19:1-26 3. Moses' answer indicates clearly: a. That he fully understood God's plan for his people. b. Every member in every family was included in the movement. "We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go" - Ex. 10:9 c. That gave Pharaoh a good understanding of the plan of God for the Israelites, that had been slaves in Egypt for about four hundred years. C. IMPLICATIONS OF MOSES' ANSWER AND THE LESSON FOR GOD'S PEOPLE TODAY 1. The implication: a. The answer of Moses made it clear that God's program is complete, that He never does anything halfway. b. Moses wanted Pharaoh to understand that it was impossible to serve God under the yoke of bondage in Egypt - Ex. 8:26; Lev. 26:13; Ezek. 34:27 c. It was paramount for Israel to be removed from Egypt as was possible; to do otherwise would have been fatal to God's plan. d. Our substance is a part of our service of the Lord; without it, it would be impossible for us to worship the Lord. 2. A timely lesson for God's remnant people: a. The Bible speaks of two major movements - 1) The coming out of Egypt of ancient Israel to take possession of the promised land. 2) The great second Advent movement which will take God's people into the promised Canaan, the earth made new. b. If God had a positive program for his ancient covenant people, He certainly has an all-inclusive program for the last movement of which we are a part. c. That program provides that - 1) All believers, including the whole family, shall participate in the movement. 2) That all God-given means shall be a part of the movement that will take us into the kingdom of God. d. It is certain that we cannot serve God halfway - Matt. 6:24 e. We must make a complete break with the world and with Babylon - Rev. 18:4; 2 Cor. 6:14-16, 17. f. There can be no halfhearted participation in the closing work of the Lord. We either are altogether for the movement or we are against it - 1 Ki. 18:21 ## GOD'S TODAY A. "WHEREFORE AS THE HOLY GHOST SAITH, TODAY, IF YE HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEART." Heb. 3:7, 8 1. Today may mean eternity: a. Esau sold his birthright to Jacob, his brother; and Jacob made this offer to Esau, "Sell me this day thy birthright" - Gen. 25:29-34 b. That the word "today" meant eternity - compare Gen. 25:34 with Rom. 9:13 and Heb. 12:16 c. The decisions of Ruth and Orpah were eternal - Ruth 1:14-19. Orpah returned to her people and her idols; that was the end of her, as far as the record goes. 2. The word today meant the conversion of a nation, as in the case of apostate Israel: 1 Ki. 18:36, 37-39. 3. It meant redemption to the penitent thief on the cross: Luke 23:43 B. "IF YE HEAR HIS VOICE" 1. The voice of assurance: a. "Fear not" - Isa. 41:10, 13, 14; 44:8 b. "Come unto me" - Matt. 11:28-30; Isa. 65:1-3 c. "It is I" - Matt. 14:27 2. The voice of power: Heb. 12:26; Ex. 19:18; Luke 8:24, 25 3. The voice of love: Jer. 31:3; John 13:1-3; 1 John 4:8 4. The voice of hope: Jer. 29:11; 31:17 5. The voice of a friend: John 10:4, 5. "What a friend we have in Jesus." 6. The voice of truth: John 14:6; 16:12, 13 7. The voice of our God and our Redeemer: Isa. 41:14; 49:26; 54:5; Jer. 50:34 C. "HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS" 1. Not to respond to the call of mercy is to harden the heart: a. Lot's sons-in-law did just that - Gen. 19:14 b. Pharaoh of Egypt hardened his heart at every appeal by God to let God's people leave Egypt - Ex. 7:14; 8:15 c. Stephen's message was rejected by the Jews, and hardened their hearts - Acts 7:1-53 d. The invited guests rejected the wedding feast of the gospel and so hardened their hearts against God - Luke 14:16-24 2. Every time we hear God's word and refuse to accept it: a. We harden our hearts. b. The people before the flood heard Noah preach for about one hundred and twenty years; they rejected his message, and so hardened their heart - Gen. 6:1-9; Luke 17:26-29 3. Not to respond to God's invitation of mercy is to reject mercy: a. Saddest words our Lord ever spoke -- "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." - John 5:40 b. Paul uses very strong words to express this truth, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" - Heb. 2:3 4. God's today: a. Excludes man's tomorrow. b. Jesus emphasizes this fact in the parable of the rich farmer who planned for tomorrow - Luke 12:16-20 c. James, too, calls attention to this same truth, "Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain. Where as ye know not what shall be on the morrow" - Jas. 4:13-16 d. God's today means now! 2 Cor. 6:1-3; Heb. 3:13; Isa. 49:8 ## HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE? - HEBREWS 2:1-6 A. "HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE, IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION?" 1. A question, normally, demands an answer; but here is a question to which there can be no answer: 2. The inspired question can have but one purpose to provoke us to serious thinking: a. When we consider our need of being saved, we will be moved to action. b. That was true in the experience of the prodigal son - Luke 15:17-20 B. LET US CONSIDER THREE RELATED TRUTHS ABOUT OUR SALVATION IN THE LIGHT OF OUR OPENING TEXT 1. If we neglect so great salvation: a. To neglect is to disregard heaven's effort to save us. b. The antediluvians disregarded God's message through Noah - Matt. 24:36-39; Luke 17:26-29 c. That was true of Lot's sons-in-law when Lot appealed to them to leave Sodom - Gen. 19:14 d. To slight, to be indifferent to, or to look upon God's invitation as unimportant - EXAMPLES - 1) The man without a wedding garment - Matt. 22:1-12 2) The men that had been invited to a big feast - Luke 14:16-24 2. So great salvation: a. The greatness of salvation is found in what it offers--it offers to save us from sin and its penalty; it offers eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord; and finally, it offers a home in the earth made new. b. The cost to heaven to redeem us from sin and its consequences, as well as make us fellow heirs with Christ of God's promises, is infinite. c. We may be able to form some idea of the cost of salvation when we compare John 3:16 with 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 8:31-33 d. The scars in the hands and feet of the Son of man will be a constant reminder to the redeemed of the price heaven paid for salvation. e. In the way it is offered to sinners - 1) By faith in Jesus Christ! Could God make salvation easier? EXAMPLES - a) The answer of Peter to the jailer's question - Acts 16:30, 31; b) the answer of the eunuch to Philip is still another illustration of God's requirements to save sinners - Acts 8:37 2) This offer is made by One who cannot lie - Heb. 6:17, 18; Num. 23:19 C. HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION? 1. Privileges bring responsibilities: a. This is made clear in Matt. 11:20-24; Jas. 4:17 b. The damning sin, which will send people to hell will be the sin of indifference to God's infinite effort, at unspeakable cost, to save man. This fact is illustrated in several of our Lord's parables - 1) The invitation to a great feast and the attitude of the invited guests - Luke 14:16-24 2) The story of the five foolish virgins - Matt. 25:1-12 2. Why this subject? a. No one, that we know, wants to be lost. b. Many have given their consent to a better life. c. Our greatest danger may not be outright rejection of salvation, but preoccupation and doing nothing about saving our soul. 3. We may be sure that hell will not be full of infidels; there will be plenty of people there, who believed in God and accepted the Bible as God's Word, but who simply neglected to be saved. a. This is proven in the teaching of Christ - 1) His warning, as found in Matt. 7:21-26. He does not state that they were infidels, not at all. 2) A similar illustration is found in Luke 13:25-28. All these people made a profession, yet they neglected the most important thing -- to do the will of God. b. Let us heed the warning of our text and we shall not be guilty of neglecting so great salvation. ## MARRED VESSELS - JEREMIAH 18:4 A. "AND THE VESSEL THAT HE MADE OF CLAY WAS MARRED IN THE HAND OF THE POTTER" 1. Our text is another illustration of how God used the life of the common people to teach great truths: a. We think of the great Master teacher, Jesus Christ, and His method of teaching the people the gospel of the kingdom - 1) The sower, the seed, and the soil - Matt. 13:18-40 2) The woman, the leaven, and the meal - Luke 13:21 3) The vineyardist, the vineyard, and the fruit - Matt. 21:33-45 b. In our text God compares Himself to the potter, and His people to the clay. 2. The vessel was marred in the hand of the potter; some people are marred by sin while God is working with them: B. LET US CONSIDER GOD, THE POTTER, THE PEOPLE, THE CLAY, AND HOW THE VESSEL GOT MARRED 1. God the Potter: a. Here we have a great gospel truth brought to view under the simile of a potter - Lam. 4:2 b. This shows that my life is not an accident, but a design in the hand of God - Gal. 1:15 c. We are the workmanship of the great Potter of our life - Eph. 2:10; 4:24 2. The people, the clay: a. This fact receives repeated emphasis in the Word of God - Job 10:4; 33:6; Ps. 40:2; Isa. 29:16; 64:8 b. Clay, left to itself, is helpless; it is utterly unable to make anything out of itself; so is man helpless, unless God makes something out of him. 3. The Pattern: a. The potter is an artist in his own right. He uses a pattern when he fashions a vessel. b. Jesus Christ is God's Pattern after whose likeness he seeks to fashion our lives - Rom. 8:29 c. Paul understood this great truth as well as John - Phil. 3:8-12; 1 John 3:1-3 C. THE VESSEL WAS MARRED IN THE HAND OF THE POTTER 1. Here, again, God admits: a. That in spite of His divine skill and effort, He fails to achieve His original design in the life of His people. b. This shows that we are free moral agents, that we must cooperate with God if He is to succeed in our life. c. That no amount of effort by God can do anything with us without our will and cooperation. 2. The meaning of the word "Marred": a. To mar is to damage, to impair, to impede, to disfigure. b. All these and more are very much in evidence in the human race - EXAMPLES - 1) The image of Cain - Gen. 4:15 2) The image of Solomon - Neh. 13:26 3) The image of Judas - Matt. 27:1-5 3. The Potter and the marred vessel: a. What did the Potter do with the vessel that was marred? Did He cast it away as a total failure, unworthy of further effort? b. Not at all, He made it another vessel. He did the next best thing with it. c. What does God do with our marred life? Does He cast us away, as hopeless? Not at all, He works us over, makes the next best vessel out of us. EXAMPLES - 1) The thief on the cross, a brand plucked out of the fire - Luke 23:42-44; Zech. 3:2 2) Jacob, a broken vessel - Gen. 32:29 3) Peter, a broken vessel - Mark 14:70-72 4) Paul, a broken vessel - Acts 9:15 4. What a picture of God's effort to save us for the kingdom of God! a. The infinite one occupies Himself with working over marred lives - Isa. 43:24 b. Admits failure with many of us; this, in spite of His skill and power. c. But He never gives up, He does the next best for us. ## LOOKING TO JESUS - ISAIAH 45:22 A. "LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED, ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: FOR I AM GOD, AND THERE IS NONE ELSE." 1. This gracious invitation is indicative: a. That the eyes of humanity are fixed upon all else but God. b. The lust of the eye, the pride of life, and the lust of the flesh have turned the hearts of men away from God - 1 John 2:15, 16 2. The eye is the light of the body and reveals the condition of the heart: Matt. 15:19-23 B. LET US CONSIDER, BRIEFLY, THE OBJECT OF HEAVEN'S INVITATION TO LOOK TO JESUS 1. By looking at Him we see ourselves as we are seen: a. Sinful and lost - "O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Rom. 7:24 b. All our righteousness is as filthy rags - Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:23; Isa. 1:4 2. To us as we should be: a. Saved - redeemed - Matt. 1:21; Isa. 6:1-6; 43:1-9 b. Perfect and sinless - Tit. 2:14; Eph. 5:27; Rev. 14:1-5 3. To see God in His fullness: a. "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" - John 14:9 b. "Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature" - Col. 1:15 c. "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily" - Col. 2:9 d. "The express image of his person" - Heb. 1:3 C. BLESSING OF LOOKING AT JESUS 1. Moses was directed by God to make a serpent of brass for the people, that had been bitten by the poisonous reptiles, to look at the brazen serpent to be healed: Num. 21:9 2. Even so, God invites sinners to look to the Son of God hanging on the tree to be saved from their sins: John 3:14, 15 3. Vivid exhibits of salvation: a. The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 b. Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast out seven devils - Luke 8:2-6 c. Saul of Tarsus - Acts 9:1-11; 1 Tim. 1:15 4. Transformation follows a look at the Lamb of God: a. "By beholding, has become changed" - 2 Cor. 3:18; John 1:29 b. We will be transformed into the same image - 1 John 3:1-3 5. Universal salvation: a. All human barriers are removed between God and men - Eph. 2:14-16 b. Nationalities, color, wealth or fame, are removed also - Acts 10:34 c. The hope of a troubled world is not in the vanities of men, but in a look to the Redeemer. d. How wonderful it is to direct a bewildered and confused humanity to the only hope left to man - Isa. 45:22 ## "ETERNITY" - THE MOMENTOUS WORD - ISAIAH 57:15 A. "FOR THUS SAITH THE HIGH AND LOFTY ONE, THAT INHABITETH ETERNITY, WHOSE NAME IS HOLY; I DWELL IN THE HIGH AND HOLY PLACE, WITH HIM ALSO THAT IS OF A CONTRITE AND HUMBLE SPIRIT, TO REVIVE THE SPIRIT OF THE HUMBLE, AND TO REVIVE THE SPIRIT OF THE CONTRITE." 1. The word ETERNITY is found but once in the Bible: a. Our text shows that it applies to the great JEHOVAH ALONE. b. He is the eternal and self-existent One - 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15, 16; Rom. 1:20; Deut. 33:17 2. He is the SOURCE or FOUNTAIN of all life-giving energy: Acts 17:25-28; Ps. 36:9 B. LET US ATTEMPT TO ANALYZE THE WORD "ETERNITY" IN THE LIGHT OF OUR TEXT 1. Eternity: a. Is a duration without limits -- past, present, and future - Jas. 1:17; Mal. 3:6 It is the very essence of INFINITY. b. Man is finite; he has a beginning; he is a created being - Gen. 1:26, 27; 2:7 c. That is true of the angels. They, too, are created beings, and we do, at this point, think of them, as well as of man, as finite beings - Col. 1:15-17; Ps. 8:4-9 d. To both, the angels and man, Christ is the SOURCE of life - Gen. 1:1-5; Acts 17:25-28 2. ETERNITY and the PLAN OF REDEMPTION: a. Sin made man a finite, very finite being; he is subject to death because of sin - Rom. 5:12; Heb. 9:27 b. But God has provided a way, a plan, whereby ETERNITY can become the possession of man! This is what the Bible means by "eternal life" - Matt. 25:46; Mark 10:30; John 3:16 c. Man's ETERNITY is tied to the plan of redemption, to his relationship with the Son of God - 1 John 5:10-12 d. It has its Source in Christ, past, present, and future. "He that hath the Son hath life." - 1 John 5:11, 12; Rom. 6:23 3. That shows that ETERNITY is, as yet, conditional: a. Faith in Jesus Christ - John 3:16 b. Tied to the first resurrection - Rev. 20:6; John 5:28, 29; Luke 14:14 c. Our acceptance of the sacrifice made by Christ on the cross of Calvary - John 6:53, 54 C. "ETERNITY", HOW THOUGHT PROVOKING 1. Think of what God offers to sinners: a. Complete deliverance from sin and its eternal penalty - John 8:36; Matt. 1:21; Heb. 7:25 b. The gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ - John 3:16 c. What that includes - 1) Eternal salvation - Heb. 5:9 2) Eternal weight of glory - 2 Cor. 4:17 3) Eternal inheritance - Heb. 9:15 4) Eternal life - John 6:54; 10:28 2. How we may possess ETERNITY: a. Free, absolutely free, without money, and without price - Isa. 55:1, 2; Rev. 22:17 b. Can be had for simple faith in Jesus - 1 John 5:10-12; Acts 16:30, 31 3. Think of what it includes: a. Eternal fellowship with the Godhead - 1 John 1:3; 2 Cor. 13:14 b. Eternal fellowship with the redeemed - Eph. 3:14- 20; Heb. 12:22-24 c. Life without end -- in joy, free from pain, suffering; no more sorrow, no more weeping -- what an ETERNITY! d. The prophet Isaiah attempts to picture that ETERNITY - Isa. 35:1-10; 65:17-25; 66:22, 23 e. Said the Psalmist, when speaking of the redeemed, "Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing" - Ps. 126:1, 2 f. ETERNITY - what does it mean to you, dear reader? Is it worth the price you and I are asked to pay? g. Can any one of us afford not to make the needed preparation to spend ETERNITY in God's kingdom? THINK! THINK AND THINK about ETERNITY! ## IDOLS IN THE HEART - EZEKIEL 14:4-8 A. "THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD: EVERY MAN OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL THAT SETTETH UP HIS IDOLS IN HIS HEART, AND PUTTETH THE STUMBLING BLOCK OF HIS INIQUITY BEFORE HIS FACE . . . I THE LORD WILL ANSWER HIM ACCORDING TO THE MULTITUDE OF HIS IDOLS." 1. It seems strange that God would have to direct the message of our text to His ancient covenant people; a. Who had been blessed with the heavenly gift of the lively oracles - Acts 7:38; Rom. 3:2 b. Who worshipped in the sanctuary where the law of God was, that prohibited idolatry - Ex. 20:1-3 2. This is positive proof that idolatry is a sin peculiar to the individual practicing it: B. LET US CONSIDER, BRIEFLY, "IDOLATRY", ITS NATURE AND ITS SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS 1. Idolatry is very ancient: a. Lucifer is the founder of Idolatry. b. He initiated it when he centered his affections upon his own person - Isa. 14:13, 14 c. Introduced Idolatry to the human race when he told Eve, "ye shall be as gods" - Gen. 3:5 2. It is to be noted that the first two of the Ten Commandments are directed against idolatry: Ex. 20:1-5 3. What is an idol? a. An idol is that which is placed by man into the place which belongs to God alone. b. It receives the devotions and affections of man which belong to God alone. c. It is, in its very root, self-worship, self- glorification, the worship of the human ego! d. It is a misrepresentation of God, therefore, a reproach to God and His holy name, and is, therefore, an affront to the Creator. 4. Why Idolatry or the worship of idols appeals to the human heart: 5. A study of the history of Idolatry shows: a. That it appears to the carnal nature. b. Immorality flourishes where Idolatry prevails - 1 Ki. 21:26; 2 Ki. 21:11 c. Study the history of the temple worship in India and other countries to discover the true nature of Idolatry. 6. Idolatry leads to the grossest and most fiendish practices possible: a. Human sacrifices are brought to appease the idol - Ps. 106:38; 1 Ki. 13:1-9 b. Sons and daughters were sacrificed to Molech -- burning them - 2 Chron. 28:3 C. SETTING UP IDOLS IN THE HEART 1. How can that be among Christians? a. When they set up in their hearts anything which takes the place that belongs to God alone. b. When they give their affections, their time and means to anything in place of God. c. It can be self, gold, silver, pleasure, ideas, motives, and kindred inclinations of the human heart - Jer. 17:9 2. Our security against "idol" worship: a. Christ and Christ alone - EXAMPLES - 1) The Thessalonians - 1 Thess. 1:9 2) The Galatians - Gal. 4:8 b. Christ in control of our hearts will leave no room for an idol! Eph. 3:17; Col. 3:16 3. Any sin cherished in the heart above God must be cast out or it will bring swift retributions by the Lord: 4. It must be noted that God's people may never be tempted by the gods of wood and stone, but there are other temptations which seek to take the place of God: 5. We will do well to heed the admonition of John 5:21 - "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." ## LIES AND FALSEHOOD - ISAIAH 28:15 A. "BECAUSE YE HAVE SAID, WE HAVE MADE A COVENANT WITH DEATH, AND WITH HELL ARE WE AT AGREEMENT; WHEN THE OVERFLOWING SCOURGE SHALL PASS THROUGH, IT SHALL NOT COME UNTO US: FOR WE HAVE MADE LIES OUR REFUGE, AND UNDER FALSEHOOD HAVE WE HID OURSELVES." 1. The strong words of our text indicate that God, and not Isaiah, is the speaker: a. The One who knows the intents of our heart - 1 Chron. 28:9 b. The Spirit of God, who searcheth the deep things of God, records these words - 1 Cor. 2:10; Isa. 34:16 2. The words of our text are an eye opener to the true condition of our sinful heart: a. It is deceitful and desperately wicked - Jer. 17:9 b. Human imagination is evil all the way - Gen. 6:5 c. Man makes plans that never can come true for his own good - Jas. 4:13-14; Luke 12:16-20 d. The indictment by the all-seeing God should lead to a re-examination of our lives in the light of our opening text. B. OUR OPENING TEXT BRINGS TO LIGHT THREE RELATED GOSPEL TRUTHS 1. Man's infatuation with sin: a. The word infatuation suggests an inspiration to make a foolish and unrealistic move. b. This word is closely related to misjudgment, credulity, folly, insanity, obstinacy, and passion. c. The amazing thing of it all is that infatuation is contrary to sound reason, thus leading to folly in most instances. 2. The illusion of sin: a. All illusion is an unreal and misleading image presented to the vision. b. It is a deceptive appearance, a perception that fails to give a true perspective of things. c. How many souls are on their way to eternal ruin led by the illusion of sin! 3. Let us consider: a. The demoralizing effects of sin - 1) It blinds its victim - John 12:40; 2 Cor. 4:4 2) It binds them - Isa. 49:24, 25 3) It torments them - 1 John 4:18 b. The three main agents of Satan - 1) The lust of the eye - Gen. 3:6; 2 Sam. 11:2 2) The lust of the flesh - 1 John 2:15, 16; John 3:6 3) The pride of life - Dan. 4:30; Acts 12:21-23 C. EXPOSURE AND PUNISHMENT 1. "Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies": a. Nothing can be hid from the Lord - Ps. 139:1-9; Heb. 4:13 b. To attempt to hide things from the Lord is but to lay them wide open to God - EXAMPLES - 1) Adam and Eve - Gen. 3:1-22 2) Cain - Gen. 4:1-14 3) Moses - Ex. 2:11-14 4) Ahab - 1 Ki. 21:20 2. Let us note four overlooked lies: a. "My conscience does not bother me." Actually, that is no refuge for sin because our conscience may have been seared and thus made ineffective - 1 Tim. 4:2. It may be so weak that it cannot function properly - 1 Cor. 8:10 b. "Hiding behind the shortcomings of others is no hiding place for sinners." Adam sought to hide behind Eve, but that did not remove his guilt - Gen. 3:12. Saul attempted to hide behind his people, but that did not remove his sin - 1 Sam. 15:9 c. "The cloak of religion is no hiding place for sinners." The Pharisees - John 8:1-9; Matt. 23:23-33. The priest and the Levite - Luke 10:31, 32 d. God will bring into judgment sin; it matters not under what illusion it was committed - Eccl. 12:13, 14; 2 Cor. 5:10 ## THE PEACE CHRIST GIVES - JOHN 14:27 A. "PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU, MY PEACE I GIVE UNTO YOU: NOT AS THE WORLD GIVETH, GIVE I UNTO YOU." 1. Our Lord was about to be crucified, and soon after that He would leave this world: a. This filled the hearts of the disciples with deep sorrow - John 14:1-3; Luke 22:45 b. To comfort them, He promised that His own peace would abide with them. 2. In this gracious promise our Redeemer shows His love and compassion: a. For all who are troubled with the sorrow that is so common to so many of us. b. "That ye sorrow not, even as such which have no hope" - 1 Thess. 4:13 c. The Lord knew that the world would be hostile to the disciples after He left them. B. THE PEACE THAT CHRIST GIVES 1. Peace defined: a. Peace is both an attitude and a quality of the mind. When the mind is free from fear, agitating passion, moral conflict, it is in possession of the very substance of peace. b. To me, personally, peace is the effect of harmony with moral law, and consequently the fruit of loving obedience to the perfect will of God, revealed in His law - Ps. 119:165; Isa. 48:18 2. The peace the world offers: a. It is superficial. b. It is the peace of selfishness. c. It has no true foundation - Isa. 57:21; 1 Thess. 5:3 d. So long as sin controls the human heart there can be no true peace; the conscience will be defiled and the moral fiber broken. e. That is why God testifies in these words, "They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." - Jer. 6:14 3. The nature of the peace Christ gives: a. It is always the same, even as He remains the same - Heb. 13:8; John 13:1-3 b. It is the peace of a good and free conscience - John 19:5; Matt. 27:1-3 c. Peace of character - Heb. 7:26 d. Peace of complete confidence - John 11:42 e. Peace born of a sinless life - 1 Pet. 2:22-23 C. PRICE AND BLESSING OF THE PEACE OF CHRIST 1. The price of peace: a. The peace Christ offers to us is, like all blessings from God, the gift of God -- "My peace give I unto you." b. And yet, it cost Heaven an infinite price - Rom. 5:1-3; Eph. 2:11-16 c. We have to make peace - Jas. 3:18 d. To have this peace, we must enter into the covenant of peace with God - Rom. 6:19 e. We must seek and follow it at all times and at any cost - Ps. 34:13-14; Rom. 12:18; 14:19 f. But the most important thing for us to retain is the peace of Christ; we must let it reign in our hearts - Heb. 13:20-21 2. Blessings of the peace Christ gives: a. It brings calmness and assurance to our troubled hearts - EXAMPLES - 1) David meeting Goliath - 1 Sam. 17:45-53 2) Stephen facing death at the hands of the enemy - Acts 7:56 3) Paul and Silas in prison - Acts 16:25 b. The peace of Christ acts as a medicine to body, soul, and spirit - Ps. 23:1-6 c. It is our assurance of a happy relationship with God and His people. d. This peace was lacking in the heart of Judas, but was present in the life of Daniel - Matt. 27:1-3; Dan. 5:1-8 e. They, who are controlled by this peace, are the children of God - Matt. 5:9 # Section VI.1: 100 Outlines on Decisions ## A BRAND PLUCKED OUT OF THE FIRE - ZECHARIAH 3:1-3 A. "IS NOT THIS A BRAND PLUCKED OUT OF THE FIRE?" 1. In reading the first three verses of the third chapter of Zechariah, one cannot help but recognize the great controversy between Christ and Satan: a. Satan, the accuser of the brethren, is ever ready to expose the weakness of God's children - Rev. 12:10 b. The Son of God, on the other hand, seeks to cover His children with the robe of His righteousness - Isa. 63:10; 1 Cor. 1:30 2. The outcome of this controversy is the important point in this lesson: B. A BRAND PLUCKED OUT OF THE FIRE 1. The accused: a. "He shewed me Joshua the priest" - 1) The spiritual leader of Israel - Ex. 28:29 2) He wore the breastplate with the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. 3) Also, the Urim and Thummim, symbols of light and justice - Ex. 28:30 b. Condition of the accused - 1) He appeared in filthy garments - Zech. 3:3; Isa. 64:6 2) That meant that the high priest was sinful and defiled: this, the adversary of God's people knew and used against Him - Matt. 15:19; Isa. 6:5 2. This experience shows that the devil watches the lives of God's people: a. He knows when God's professed people are beset with open or secret sins. b. He is ever ready to expose them to discredit God's plan to save man from sin. c. He says to the world, "behold the sins and shortcomings of God's children!" d. That is what he did with the sins of King David and his son Solomon. e. That is what he did with the sin of Hezekiah when the messengers from Babylon came to hear about the miracle of healing. f. "Satan stood at his right hand" - 1) The role of Satan, in this instance, is very similar to his attitude in the experience of Job. 2) Going about and seeking whom he may devour - 1 Pet. 5:8; Job 1:7 3) "Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" - 1 Pet. 5:8 C. A BRAND PLUCKED OUT OF THE FIRE 1. "The Lord rebuke thee, Satan": a. Satan may attempt to hide the fact that he himself is under sentence for murder - John 8:44; Ezek. 28:12-18 b. The saints, that he seeks to accuse day and night, will pass judgment upon him - 1 Cor. 6:1-3; Rev. 20:1-6 c. He also ignores the fact that God has found a ransom for sinners - Job 33:24 2. "Take away the filthy garments from him": a. We have seen already that all our righteousness is as filthy rags - Isa. 64:6 b. All are under sin - Gal. 3:23; Rom. 3:23 3. "Behold I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee": a. God has a way to free us from the guilt of sin - Isa. 6:5, 6 b. There is an open fountain against all uncleanness - Zech. 13:1 c. The precious blood of Jesus Christ is that fountain - 1 John 1:7-9; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; Rev. 1:5 4. "Set a fair mitre upon his head": a. This was always the crowning act in the consecration of the high priest for his office. b. This means that God had accepted the consecration of the man for the office of the priesthood. c. When the battle is over, God will have all those washed in the blood of Christ receive a crown of glory - 2 Tim. 4:7, 8 ## "THOU HAST SOLD THYSELF TO DO EVIL" - 1 KINGS 21:20 A. "AND AHAB SAID TO ELIJAH, HAST THOU FOUND ME, O MINE ENEMY? AND HE ANSWER, I HAVE FOUND THEE, BECAUSE THOU HAST SOLD THYSELF TO WORK EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD." 1. This was the last meeting that Elijah had with Ahab: a. What a meeting that was! b. The vineyard of the murdered Naboth was the meeting place. 2. The conversation included the Lord's final sentence upon the wicked king: a. Who had sold himself to work evil. b. By becoming an accomplice to a brutal murder of an innocent citizen, Ahab should have protected. B. THOU HAST SOLD THYSELF TO WORK EVIL 1. Sold thyself: a. The phrase "sold thyself" indicates that Ahab was a party to the crime committed deliberately to satisfy Ahab's selfishness. b. There are instances when people do wrong ignorantly; but that was not the case of Ahab; he knew better. 2. The exceeding sinfulness of Ahab is indicated: a. By the fact that Ahab was the chief officer of the law in Israel; it was his highest duty to protect the citizens of his country. b. As a king, he represented all the people and when he became a party to the murder of Naboth, he implicated the whole nation. c. He violated the oath of office - 1 Ki. 14:16; 16:2, 3 3. Sold out: a. Adam and Eve sold out when they yielded to temptation - Luke 4:5, 6; Gen. 3:1-22 b. Cain sold out when he murdered his brother - Gen. 4:1-9 c. The ten sons of Jacob sold out when they sold their brother into slavery - Gen. 37:28 d. Judas sold His Lord for thirty pieces of silver - Matt. 26:14-16 e. Esau sold out when he bargained away his birthright for a mess of pottage - Gen. 25:30-34 4. The price of the sellout: a. The price is incomprehensible. b. When we sell out to sin, we break connections with God - Rom. 8:6, 7; Isa. 55:1-3 c. We become the tools of Satan - Rom. 6:16 d. We become the enemies of God - Rom. 8:6, 7 C. THE PLAN OF REDEMPTION 1. There is hope for those who have sold themselves for nought unwittingly: a. "For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money" - Isa. 55:3 b. All this because we have nought to pay for our redemption. 2. The price paid for our redemption is beyond estimate; it is priceless: 3. It includes: a. Complete pardon from sin - Isa. 55:7; Luke 15:11-32 b. Deliverance from the power of sin - John 8:36; Acts 26:18 c. Heaven will treat the redeemed as if they had never sinned - 2 Cor. 5:17 d. Immortality, eternal life, awaits them in the world to come - John 3:16; Rom. 6:23 4. Sold out: a. What a tragedy for the sinner! b. What a travesty upon justice! c. How amazing is God's love to find a ransom for our redemption - Isa. 35:10 5. Beloved, what is your reaction to the message of this hour, based upon the words of Elijah to Ahab? a. Are we guilty of selling out to the devil? b. And when we see that we have made a serious mistake by selling out to the devil, do we know the remedy God is ready to apply to redeem us? ## UNTENABLE EXCUSES A. "THEY ALL WITH ONE CONSENT BEGAN TO MAKE EXCUSE" - Luke 14:16-24 1. To better comprehend the subject before us, it is important to note that: a. The feast or supper was of a spiritual nature. b. Had it been of a physical or material nature, there would not have been such unanimous excuses. 2. A banquet: a. That does not involve financial obligations, on the part of the invited guest, will not be turned down readily. b. The human heart is not so self-denying as to refuse a free meal. B. LET US CONSIDER THE IMPLICATION OF OUR SUBJECT TITLE -- UNTENABLE EXCUSES 1. The great supper or dinner: a. Is the plan of redemption - Isa. 55:1, 2, John 7:37, 38 b. The guests were, to begin with, the Jewish nation - Rom. 9:1-6; Matt. 10:6; 15:24; 21:33-41 c. The Son of man, a son of Abraham, was sent by the father to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel - Matt. 15:24 1) They had the form of the truth - Rom. 9:1-7; 2:20 2) Theirs were the fathers, and the covenants, and God's promises - Rom. 9:1-5 2. In view of these facts: a. The invitation to the supper, to begin with, had been given to Israel, as a nation - EXAMPLE - 1) God sent messengers to Israel, while they were a nation, to bring God's banquet to them - 2 Chron. 36:15; Acts 3:26; 13:46 b. It was when they rejected the gospel of Christ that the apostles went to the Gentiles, who gladly received the truth. c. With these facts in our mind, we shall be better able to analyze the untenable excuses. C. "AND THEY BEGAN TO MAKE EXCUSES" 1. Webster offers the following definition for the word "excuse" a. "To make apology for" b. "To endeavor to remove blame" c. "To seek to extenuate" d. "To seek or obtain exemption or release for one self" 2. The unappreciative guests used every concept of Webster's definition: a. They formally apologized for their not coming to the banquet. b. They endeavored to blame their environment for not coming. c. In this manner they brushed aside the invitation. 3. These excuses are untenable for the following reasons: a. The kingdom of God, the plan of salvation takes precedence over all else - Matt. 6:33; Luke 12:31 b. Even if their excuses had been legitimate, preparations could have been made that there would have been no conflict between the points in question. c. It is very wrong to make salvation secondary to earthly enterprises; it indicates indifference to God's effort to save us from sin. d. Their excuses were, however, so flimsy and without a reasonable basis that that in itself indicates their total lack of interest in the gospel invitation. e. Their excuses were an underhanded rejection of the invitation. 4. This is the sad state of many souls, who are indifferent to the gospel invitation: a. They seek to hide behind anything that seems to cover their excuses. b. But we must keep in mind that rejection of the gospel invitation is fatal to the rejecter. c. By rejecting God's mercy, they shut themselves out of the divine banquet hall in God's kingdom. ## "HOW MUCH OWEST THOU TO MY LORD?" - LUKE 16:1-17 A. OUR WORLD IS LOADED WITH DEBTS 1. Financial obligations: 2. Moral shortcomings: Matt. 6:12; Rom. 3:19; Isa. 24:1-19 B. "HOW MUCH OWEST THOU TO MY LORD?" 1. Very few persons ever stop and think of their indebtedness to God: a. They forget that they are not their own - 1 Cor. 6:19; Rom. 14:7 b. They seem to be unaware of the fact that, at best, we all are unworthy stewards of God's goods - 1 Pet. 4:10 c. And that some day we shall have to give an accounting of our stewardship - 2 Cor. 5:10 2. A prayerful study of the Bible shows that our obligations to God are sevenfold: a. We have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That means that we are deeply indebted to God - Ps. 130:1-3; Luke 5:4-9; 18:13 b. We are indebted to Christ for paying our debts with His own life - Isa. 53:1-12; Rom. 8:31-33; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 2:20 c. Our talents and our possessions are the Lord's - Matt. 25:14-30 d. Our very lives are but the gift of the Lord - Rom. 14:7, 8; Dan. 5:23; Acts 17:25 e. We have made, at different times, vows to God and that is a solemn obligation to Him - Ps. 50:14; 56:12 f. Our knowledge of His holy will obligates us to Him - Rom 1:14-17; Jas. 4:17 g. The God-given opportunities obligate us to God to use them wisely and to God's glory - Luke 14:16-25 EXAMPLES - 1) Hezekiah failed to glorify God at a time when he could have done it to God's glory - Isa. 39:1-8 2) Moses failed to glorify God at a time when he could have directed his people to the Lord - Num. 20:11-14 3) Daniel did glorify God in Babylon - Dan. 1:8; 6:10 C. WHY THIS QUESTION? 1. What Christ did for us brings our obligations to Him into sharp focus: a. He gave himself for me; that obligates me to Him - Gal. 2:20 b. I am a poor sinner, a blood bought trophy of God's grace - Acts 20:28 c. We all are, by creation and by redemption, the Lord's. d. He did everything to save us, and He still pleads our case before God - Heb 7:24-26 2. Solemn questions demand solemn answers: a. That was true when God questioned our first parents - Gen. 3:9 b. It was true when He asked Cain about his brother Abel - Gen. 4:9 c. And that will be true when the King asks the wedding guest as to why he entered without the proper wedding garment - Matt. 22:12 3. Questions serve a threefold purpose: a. They are to arrest our attention; to get us to stop and think! EXAMPLES - 1) "Whose shall those things be, which thou hast prepared?" - Luke 12:20 2) "Whence camest thou? and whither goest thou?" - Gen. 16:8 b. They demand an answer. That is why questions are asked. c. They are to bring about a change in our attitude to God and men. EXAMPLES - 1) "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" - Acts 9:4. 2) "What doest thou here, Elijah?"- 1 Ki. 19:9 4. Friends of mine, have you ever attempted to find an answer to our opening text? a. How much owest thou my Lord? b. Have you ever attempted to straighten out your account with God? c. There is, to my knowledge only one solution to our indebtedness, and that is found in Christ alone - Rom. 8:1-3 d. Is that your answer? ## IMMORTAL DECISIONS - PSALMS 119:30-32 A. HISTORY RECORDS MANY AWE-INSPIRING DECISIONS 1. National decisions: a. Abraham Lincoln and the slavery question. b. Franklin D. Roosevelt and World War II. c. Harry S. Truman and the Atomic Bomb. 2. Personal decisions: a. Moses and the throne of Egypt - Heb. 11:24 b. The rich young ruler - Matt. 19:16-22 B. IMMORTAL DECISIONS 1. "I have chosen the way of truth": a. There are but two ways to choose from - Matt. 7:13, 14 b. Both are open to our own free choice - Deut. 30:15; Josh. 24:15 c. The false way appeals to the natural mind more than the narrow way -- less inconvenience and more company - Matt. 7:13; but it is the way that will lead to destruction - 1) Cain and Abel - Gen. 4 2) Esau and Jacob - Gen. 25 3) Ruth and Orpah - Ruth 1:16-18 4) Matthew and the young ruler - Matt. 9; 19:16-22 2. To choose God's way necessitates: a. Forsaking our own way - Isa. 55:7 b. Complete self-denial - Matt. 16:24 3. "Thy judgments have I laid before me": a. That means that we will keep our eyes upon God's road map, the Bible - Josh. 1:7, 8; Ex. 32:8; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 b. That, in turn, means that we give up the traditions of men - Jer. 6:16; Ps. 1:1-6; Mark 7:7-13 c. This constitutes one of the severest tests of discipleship to Christ because the inherited traditions of our fathers seem to be a part of our very life - EXAMPLES - 1) Saul of Tarsus - Gal. 1:14 2) Martin Luther and the Reformation. 3) My own personal experience. d. To break loose from all of it is a miracle itself. 4. "I have stuck unto thy testimonies": a. That indicates the constant danger of being tempted to forsake the testimonies of the Lord. b. We are warned to beware of last day deceptions - Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9-11 c. Many, many stick to spiritual spider webs - Isa. 59:5, 6; Job 8:13, 14 5. "I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart": a. This shows that when people refuse to accept light and truth, it is because their prejudice has closed their minds to the truth. b. Enlargement of the heart will mean that our concept of truth has been widened; we have an open mind for more light - John 16:12, 13 c. This involves a change of heart; it is a new experience -- one might call it the new birth - Ezek. 36:26-28. Examples of persons that received enlargement of heart - 1) Saul of Tarsus - Acts 9:6 2) The Jailer - Acts 16:31-33 3) The Samaritan woman - John 4:22-29 C. A FEW FACTS TO KEEP IN MIND 1. Salvation is based upon our own personal decision: a. Moses had to decide for himself what he must do - Heb. 11:24-28 b. The thief on the cross had to make his own decision. No living person ever suggested to him to set his hope in the crucified Christ - Luke 23:42-44 c. Ruth the Moabitess had to make a personal decision. No one encouraged her to go with her mother-in-law. 2. When we decide on the question of salvation: a. We make an immortal decision; it is effective in all eternity. b. In this no one can or ought to make the decision for us. c. How solemn, and yet how rewarding, is the decision to walk on the way of truth! d. It will decide our eternal destiny! e. Friends, have you made your eternal decision? ## BUILDING FOR ETERNITY - MATTHEW 7:24-27 A. WE ARE LIVING AT A TIME WHEN CONSTRUCTION WORK IN THE U.S.A. IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH 1. It is a sign of the end: 2. The nearness of Christ's second coming: Luke 17:28; Matt. 24:37-39 3. Many are building, but not for eternity: Matt. 7:26; Ps. 127:1, 2 B. BUILDING FOR ETERNITY 1. Negatively: a. Not that which is material only - 1 John 2:15, 16 b. All material constructions are bound to be destroyed by fire - 2 Pet. 3:1-13; 1 Cor. 3:10-12 2. Build a Bible based faith: a. That will endure forever - Jude 20 b. Such a building is spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ - Matt. 7:24-27 c. Substance of this faith - John 7:37-39; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Rom. 10:17 d. This building has Jesus Christ for the chief cornerstone - 1 Cor. 3:9-14; Luke 6:46; Eph. 2:20-22 3. The most important building project in the world today is: a. Character building 1) Christlikeness - Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:1-3 2) Christlikeness must be the goal of everyone that wants to build for eternity - Phil. 3:10-15 4. Usefulness in the service of God and humanity is still another worthy project to work on: a. That was Paul's great ambition - 1 Cor. 9:19 b. Said Jesus, "I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit" - John 15:16 c. We are unto God a savour of life unto life to those who are blessed by our services - 2 Cor. 2:15, 16 d. Endurance -- Our Lord gives great emphasis to endurance - Matt. 10:22; 24:12, 13. These are worthwhile projects to work for. 5. Our pattern for our building: a. The Lord Jesus first and last - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 b. He is the choice of our heavenly Father - Matt. 3:17; 17:5; Heb. 1:1-9 c. This pattern is found in the sixty-six books of the Bible - John 5:39, 46, 47; Rom. 10:14-17 d. Earnest and prevailing prayer is the heaven directed channel to give us the supply for our spiritual building - 1 Thess. 5:17; Col. 4:2 C. BUILDING FOR ETERNITY 1. We know from experience that such a project is the work of a lifetime: a. That which has been ruined or destroyed through sin cannot be reconstructed in a day. b. Those who say that sanctification is instantaneous are greatly in error. c. Character building is based upon experience, and experience is based upon our daily life. d. Consider what Paul writes - 1) About himself - Phil. 3:13-15 2) The work of sanctification - 2 Cor. 7:1-3 e. Peter writes about additions - 2 Pet. 1:2-8 f. James understood this truth - Jas. 3:1-17 2. To have our building endure through all eternity, we must make sure: a. That our thoughts, words, and actions are based upon eternal principles. b. These principles are stated plainly in the Ten Commandments - Ex. 20:3-17; Eccl. 12:13, 14 c. They are a transcript of God's eternal and unchangeable will - Ps. 111:7-9 d. Those who oppose God's law will build on the sand - 1 John 2:4-7; Isa. 30:8, 9 e. We must be doers of the word and not hearers only - Jas. 1:22, 23; Rom. 2:13 3. Thus, it is crystal clear that when we build according to God's plan, use the material provided for us in the Bible, our building will endure: 2 Cor. 3:18, 19; Matt. 7:24-27 ## A CURE FOR OUR WORRIES - MATTHEW 11:28-30 A. IN SPITE OF ALL THE UNHEARD OF MODERN CONVENIENCES TO MOST AMERICANS, MOST PEOPLE ARE AFFLICTED WITH WORRY 1. Things are moving along at an unprecedented pace: a. Affecting most of us. b. To attempt to keep up with the Jones' adds still more pressure to the load. 2. This state of increased worry was foretold in Bible prophecy: Luke 21:34, 35 B. LET US CONSIDER THE MANY UNDERLYING CAUSES FOR THE WORRIES PLAGUING OUR NATION 1. For many, finances seem at the bottom of their worries: a. The cares of this life sap the life out of our nervous system - Matt. 13:22; Luke 18:22, 23 b. Said someone wisely, "The load of the world's financial obligations is heavy enough to sink any ship of state." 2. Family difficulties: a. Divorces are on a steady increase and some predict that soon there will be as many divorces as there are marriages. b. Financial difficulties in the home have darkened many hearts and broken up many homes. c. Poor health is another contributory factor leading to increased worry! How to meet the medical bills, which are staggering in our day, cannot be overlooked. d. Fear of the future leaves its marks on the minds and bodies of many - Luke 21:26 e. The Bible predicts uncontrollable fear in the last days - Isa. 13:6-8; 22:17 f. A life of sin and the certainty of the judgment to come worries many people - 1) It worried Felix - Acts 24:25 2) It worried Belshazzar - Dan. 5:6 3) It will worry the unsaved - Rev. 6:13-16 3. Worry is actually a sin: a. It is the result of mistrusting God; for if we had childlike confidence in a loving Providence, there would be no worry on our part - Ps. 23:1-6 b. It is a sin because we have no faith in God's promises - Matt. 6:25-34 4. Worry is enemy Number One: a. It digs early graves. b. It takes the joy out of life. c. It poisons the atmosphere we live in. d. It discourages not only ourselves but it makes the lives of those who have to live with us miserable. C. A SURE CURE FOR OUR WORRIES 1. Negatively: a. Cannot be found in the things one may possess - Luke 12:15 b. Cannot be found in seeking to numb our powers of reason -- that will only harm our health and shorten our lives. 2. Positively: a. By coming to Christ with all our needs at His loving invitation - Matt. 11:28 b. He and He alone can deliver us from the cause of worry - John 8:31-34 c. He blesses us with His peace - John 14:27 d. He promises to supply all our needs - Phil. 4:19 e. He will help us to follow a different plan of living; from the one that brings worry and grief - "take my yoke upon you and learn of me . . . and ye shall find rest for your souls" - Matt. 11:29 3. Three sure means to end worry and prolong life: a. Have faith in God. b. Walk with God. c. Abide in Jesus Christ our Lord. ## OVERCOMING BAD HABITS - ROMANS 12:21 A. A SOBERING BUT AN UNDENIABLE TRUTH 1. Man was endued with the moral powers to subdue and control things in nature: a. He was made in the image of God - Gen. 1:26, 27 b. And he was told, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it" - Gen. 1:28 2. But, in many ways, he has lost his power and the will to rule his own nature: a. That is the verdict of the Creator - Jer. 13:23 b. Paul, having experienced this truth, confirms it - Rom. 7:14-24 B. WHAT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE IN THIS STUDY IS 1. That evil habits are not only harmful to body and soul, but they will keep us out of the kingdom of God: Consider very carefully these scriptures - Gal. 5:19-21; Rev. 21:27 2. That these bad habits affect not only us but they affect those who associate with us: "Be not deceived: evil communication corrupt good manners." - 1 Cor. 15:33 - "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." - 1 Cor. 5:6 3. That bad or evil habits are not formed overnight, but they are the result of repetition: a. One drink will lead to the next drink; one cigarette will lead to the next one, until drinking and smoking will become a habit. b. The more we repeat a certain action, the more will it become a part of our nature. 4. Effect of evil habits: a. They will enslave body, soul, and mind. b. Man will become a complete slave to his acquired habits - Rom. 7:14-24 c. These are facts which the victim of bad habits too often overlooks until it is too late to safeguard against them. d. My conclusions are based upon the testimony of many persons delivered from bad habits. 5. Still another fact to keep in mind is that we acquire bad habits by perverted reasoning: a. Some people become involved in the drinking habit because they feel that is a good way of getting away from some problem connected with their life. b. But the facts are that this reasoning is wrong because bad habits weaken the moral powers and so weaken the individual affected. C. HOW TO OVERCOME BAD HABITS 1. Negatively: a. Man is no longer master over himself, he has become a slave - Rom. 6:16; 14:7; Jer. 13:23 b. He must receive strength from outside himself - Rom. 7:24; John 15:5 2. Positive help for all who desire it: a. Jesus Christ, the mighty conqueror. b. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." - Phil. 4:13 c. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Phil. 2:13 d. He can save to the uttermost all who come unto Him for deliverance - Heb. 7:25 e. That is why He came into this world -- "to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" - Isa. 61:1 3. Man's cooperation is a must: a. Man is, by his creation, a free moral agent, and God cannot do anything for him against his own will - Rev. 22:17 b. God has put before men two choices -- he can choose life, or he may choose death - Deut. 30:15; 32:47 4. Three laws that enter into our subject: a. To become free from bad habits, we must set our mind against them - Prov. 23:7; Eccl. 12:1 b. Many evil habits continue in our life simply because we do not think, period! Expel bad habits and replace them with good habits - Isa. 1:16; 55:7; Gal. 5:26 c. Learn to think straight and you will live straight, and that includes habits - Matt. 11:28-30; Deut. 33:25 ## "AWAKE THOU THAT SLEEPEST" - EPHESIANS 5:14 A. "WHEREFORE HE SAITH, AWAKE THOU THAT SLEEPEST AND CHRIST WILL GIVE THEE LIGHT" 1. This is, without any doubt, one of the strongest gospel appeals: a. It is, in fact, a resurrection call. b. That fact alone ought to stir our hearts and awaken us out of our state of spiritual lethargy. 2. What amazes me is the fact that this resurrection call is directed to sleeping church members: 1 Cor. 11:30 B. "AWAKE THOU THAT SLEEPEST" 1. "Wherefore he saith": a. The call comes from Him who saith, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last." Rev. 1:11 b. "The Amen, the faithful and true witness" - Rev. 3:14 c. "Who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire" - Rev. 2:18 d. "I know thy works" - Rev. 3:15 2. "Awake thou that sleepest": a. You are insensible; your eyes and ears are closed to truth; and you have no proper sense of your true condition - Luke 15:11 b. You are in a false state of security - Luke 12:16-20 c. You are in a state of total spiritual activity - Prov. 24:27-30 3. "Arise from the dead": a. Dead in trespasses and sin - Eph. 2:1-6 b. Some are dead twice - Jude 12 4. "Thou hast a name that thou livest": a. How sad it is to think of having the name of an active Christian, yet be dead to the spiritual life in Christ - Rev. 3:1 b. The cemetery and not the church is the proper place for the dead. c. O that God, in mercy, would use His word to bring back to life the many among us who are spiritually dead! d. Think of the condition of the Laodiceans - Rev. 3:14-17 C. "AND CHRIST WILL GIVE THEE LIFE" 1. So long as you are asleep, light, however bright and clear, shines upon you in vain: a. It shines upon the graves of the dead, yet it does not affect them. b. Until the warning in God's word has awakened you, all instruction in the word of life will not help you. c. Christ seeks to awaken you out of your fancied dreams of security and happiness, and have you reflect upon your true lost condition - EXAMPLES - 1) The prodigal son - Luke 15:11-17 2) The rich farmer - Luke 12:16-20 3) The prophet Jonah - Jonah 4:5-8 2. The call of Christ for us to awake out of our spiritual sleep indicates: a. That He can do nothing for us unless we cooperate with Him. b. The most powerful sermon can do us no good unless we answer God's call. c. It seems to me that before the end comes to God's people, God will allow trials and hardship to come upon some of us to wake us up out of our sleep. 3. God will give you light: a. Light is the peculiar property of God, the source of light - John 1:1-12 b. The purpose of light is threefold - 1) To reveal to us our true condition - Rev. 3:14-17; Job 42:5, 6 2) To light the way that leads to the kingdom of God - Ps. 43:3 3) To help you to avoid the pitfalls of sin - Ps. 119:9, 105 4. How wonderful it will be when God will send the Holy Spirit among His sleeping people: a. To raise them from the deep sleep of sin and unfaithfulness. b. To bring a new life into their experience. c. To cause us to put on the strength of God's eternal truth. d. Shall we not pray more earnestly for a resurrection experience? ## STOPPING SHORT OF THE PROMISED LAND - GENESIS 11:32, 33 A. "TERAH DIED IN HARAN" 1. This is a brief but thought provoking obituary of Terah, the father of Abram: a. He was on his way to Canaan, but he never made it. b. He was very close, but not close enough. 2. Death overtook Terah before he could reach the promised land: B. STOPPING SHORT OF THE PROMISED LAND 1. Three heart searching questions press themselves upon our minds: a. How far may a person go toward the land of Canaan, and yet, like Terah, die in Haran? b. We think of Lot's wife; she left Sodom, went a good distance, but never made it to the place of refuge - Gen. 19:26 c. God's ancient covenant people left Egypt nearly seven hundred thousand strong, but only two of them actually made it to Canaan. d. God's people are in similar danger today as in the last days; if that is not so, then why does the Lord give such specific warning - 1) "Remember Lot's wife" - Luke 17:32 2) "Now these things were our example, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they did . . . Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come" - 1 Cor. 10:6-11 2. What are some of the dangers that disrupt the progress of God's people toward the kingdom of God? a. Entanglement in the pleasures and sins of the world is one serious obstacle - 2 Tim. 4:10; 1 John 2:15, 16 b. The cares of life are still another snare the devil uses to slow down the pace of God's people - Luke 21:34, 35 c. Unwillingness to part with some hidden sins is another barrier to progress - Heb. 12:1-6; Acts 24:25 d. An inward aversion to the way of God, a dislike of walking on the straight and narrow road impedes our onward march toward the kingdom of heaven - Matt. 7:13, 14 3. The third point of special consideration in this subject is one of sorrow and regrets: a. Consider those who stop short of the kingdom of God or Canaan. b. They have been members of God's family, have had part in the activities of the church, but, at the end of their journey they lose out altogether; they fall short of the promised land. c. What will aggravate their sorrow is that it is all their own fault! C. STOPPING SHORT OF THE PROMISED LAND 1. Terah died in Haran: a. That disrupted the family fellowship, and also Terah's journey toward the promised land -- all caused by death! 2. Experience shows: a. That when death comes it stops everything, all our plans, hopes, desires, and opportunities. b. But what is far worse than physical death is spiritual death. c. To be dead in trespasses and sin is a calamity of great magnitude. d. Think of the prodigal son; of Judas, and other examples - Luke 15:11-32; Matt. 27:1-5 e. Some people allow one sin to keep them out of the kingdom of heaven. Judas loved money and that led him to commit the crime of the ages. f. If the curtain were dropped upon your life today and you could see the epitaph which would say: "John Doe died at the borders of the kingdom of heaven", how would you feel about this final verdict of your life? g. Why not resolve right now to make sure of reaching the promised land! h. Take a tip from Paul, read prayerfully Phil. 3:13-15 i. Go on your knees and plead with God to give you grace to make it to His kingdom. ## "WHAT WAIT I FOR?" - PSALMS 39:7, 8 A. "AND NOW, LORD, WHAT WAIT I FOR? MY HOPE IS IN THEE" 1. When we study the writings of David, we discover that he was a deeply religious person: a. He seemed to live altogether in the very atmosphere of prayer. b. To him, a living connection with God was the very essence of life itself. 2. Much of his prayer is prefaced by meditation and communion with self: a. This is indicated in our text this morning. b. It is the key to his deep understanding of the nature of the spiritual life. B. "WHAT WAIT I FOR?" IS THE BURDEN OF THIS MESSAGE 1. With this question the Psalmist turns to the Lord to help him to discover his own need: a. That is a wise thing to do - Jas. 1:5 b. Said Jesus, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matt. 11:28 c. However, so many professed Christians do the very opposite! 2. David's course for guidance is the only reasonable plan to follow: a. God alone knows the end from the beginning, and therefore knows what is best for us. b. That is true, particularly, of our salvation - Acts 16:30 c. One of His great names is "Wonderful, Counsellor" - Isa. 9:6 3. What wait I for? a. This is the language of one who hesitates and cannot give a good reason for his hesitation - 1 Ki. 18:21 b. He seems unable to decide what is best for him. In this case he should follow the decision of Saul of Tarsus - Gal. 1:15 c. Why do people hesitate to take a firm stand for Christ? Some have one excuse and others have other excuses. d. But none of the excuses solve the problem of salvation. C. HERE ARE SOME OF THE INEXCUSABLE EXCUSES 1. "I want to be a Christian, for I know that is the proper thing for me to do; but I am waiting until I feel that I am strong enough to be a good Christian": a. Experience shows that they who wait until they are good enough will perish in their sins. b. Because all our goodness is like the morning cloud -- Hos. 6:4 -- It is like filthy rags - Isa. 64:6 c. Said Jesus, "Without me, ye can do nothing" - John 15:5 d. "All we like sheep have gone astray" - Isa. 53:6 2. "I am waiting to make sure that I want to be a Christian; also, that I want to be a member of the church": a. I have heard this excuse on different occasions, but that excuse is inexcusable. b. It is true that God does not want any forced service - Rev. 22:17 c. But, dear soul, your own lost condition should be convincing to you that you need to come to Christ - Rom. 7:14-26 3. "I am waiting for God to speak to me. When I am sure that he has spoken to me, I will give my heart to Christ": a. This excuse seems very plausible. We do want to make sure that the Lord has spoken to us. b. God has many channels to speak to us - 1) He speaks to us through the sixty-six books of the Bible - John 5:39; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 2) He speaks to us through the Holy Spirit - Heb. 3:7-9; Rev. 22:17 3) He speaks to us through the church of God - Rev. 22:17; Matt. 28:18-20 4) He speaks to us through nature; Ps. 19:1-6; Rom. 1:20 5) He speaks to us through experiences - Dan. 4:30-37 6) He speaks to us in prayer - Matt. 6:5-11. Yes, God does speak to us, but do we respond to His voice? ## THAT FATAL NIGHT - DANIEL 5:30 A. "IN THAT NIGHT BELSHAZZAR, THE KING OF THE CHALDEANS, WAS SLAIN" 1. Historic setting of our text: a. Belshazzar was the son of Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled between 500 and 600 years before Christ. b. Just prior to the fatal night for Belshazzar, the city of Babylon was one of the wonders of the world. 1) It had hanging gardens. 2) Magnificent buildings. 3) Its walls were made of bitumen 87 feet thick and 350 feet high. 4) The city was surrounded by a deep channel, the Euphrates, and seemed impregnable by every known military standard of the time. 2. All this until the fatal night: a. Fatal for the kingdom of Babylon. b. Fatal for the king - Belshazzar. 3. A memorial to the just retribution of divine justice: B. THAT FATAL NIGHT 1. A night of dissipation and sinful pleasures: a. It was a royal banquet, with all the trimmings that go with such feasts. b. Only the top nobles of the Babylonian society were the participants - Dan. 5:1 c. All moral perception was set aside and sinful pleasures had full sway, the description of which would be a nightmare. 2. We are choosing this text because a similar situation will prevail in the days of the Son of man: a. James warns us against this pleasure-mad condition in the last days - Jas. 5:1-9 b. Our Lord warns us against this sin of the last days - Luke 17:2-34; Matt. 24:36-39 c. Paul warns against the same sin - 1 Thess. 5:1-6; 2 Tim. 3:1-9 3. It was a night of impious profanity: a. Reveling leads to profanity. b. Reason gives away to stupidity and immoral excesses. c. Sacred things must serve the vileness of sin. d. Belshazzar surely knew that the Medes and the Persians were at the gates of the city. e. They knew also that the enemy was digging a new channel to divert the water of the Euphrates out of its natural channel, and so exposing the very foundation of the city. f. What is still worse, they left the gates to the city wide open. g. Drink and revelry had caused the Babylonians to neglect their duties to the city and to the kingdom. C. A CLOSER LOOK AT THE HISTORICAL SPECTACLE 1. It was a night when heaven intervened: a. The handwriting on the wall for Belshazzar and his kingdom. b. Its message was very brief - 1) "God hath numbered thy kingdom." 2) "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." 3) "Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians." 2. It was a night of fearful realization: a. While the lords of Babylon reveled, the enemy drained the canal, moved into the city, besieged the palace and killed the king. b. Thus, the handwriting on the wall found a speedy fulfillment. c. The judgment of God fell on the sinners with a speed unexpected by the revelers. 3. What a lesson for our day: a. That fatal night! b. It was fatal because it ended a life of sin and degradation swiftly. c. It was fatal because it ended all hope for the guilty. d. It was fatal because it came unexpectedly. e. So will it be a fatal night for the sinners in the last days - Luke 21:34-36 ## THE HANDWRITING ON GOD'S HANDS - ISAIAH 49:16 A. "BEHOLD I HAVE GRAVEN THEE UPON THE PALMS OF MY HANDS" 1. These words are a singularly bold metaphor, drawn from the strange and half-savage custom that still lingers among sailors and others: a. They indelibly inscribe the names of loved ones on parts of their bodies. b. In ancient times, some worshippers inscribed the figure of their gods upon their arms and foreheads. c. Here God writes on His hands those whom He loves. 2. But the real purpose of the metaphor was to emphasize God's attachment: a. To His people. b. His constant reminder of that attachment engraven on the palms of his hands. B. THE HANDWRITING ON GOD'S HANDS 1. A mark of divine love: a. An eternal memorial of His love. b. The scars on His hands and feet. c. Let us never, never forget that He was nailed to the cross, and the reason why - John 20:25; Zech. 13:6 2. A reminder of the ransom price paid for our redemption: a. A remover of all doubt from our minds that God loves us - John 20:24-29 b. The divine insignia - 1) Of the forgiveness of our sins - Gal. 3:13 2) The divine badge of our acceptance into the heavenly family - Gal. 2:20; Eph. 3:20-22 3) The tie by which we know His partaking of our nature - Phil. 2:6-11; Heb. 2:14-16 3. O! What manner of love God has manifested toward us: a. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us - Rom. 5:8 b. God made Him sin, who knew no sin, that we may become the righteousness of God - 2 Cor. 5:21 4. The divine remembrance works all things to realize a great ideal, as yet unreached: a. "Thy walls are continually before me" - Isa. 49:16 b. This is an allusion to the state of God's people, as yet captives of the enemy. c. We think of the wall of human traditions which has become a cage to many souls - Rev. 18:1-4; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 d. It is a constant reminder that redemption has, as yet, not been consummated - 1) We know that the wall of sin and evil habits is keeping thousands in bondage. 2) Serious work has yet to be done before God's Ideal has been realized. C. BUT GOD'S HANDWRITING ON THE PALMS OF HIS HANDS GOES DEEPER 1. That engraving on the palms of the Lord's hands and feet: a. Is an eye opener to the true character of sin. b. Those scars on the body of the Son of God show Satan in his true light, as the very embodiment of cruelty and murder - John 8:44 c. It is a vivid picture of the aim of Satan, to kill and to destroy - John 10:10 2. But what is so wonderful about the handwriting on God's hands: a. Is our eternal assurance of the fulfillment of God's promises to us! Heb. 6:17-20 b. Is the highest expression of God's love - John 3:16 c. Is the Magna Carta to the saint's hope, present, and future. 3. What more can God do for us? a. He that spared not His only Son, but gave Him up for us all - Rom. 8:31-33 b. If doubt still lingers in your mind, take a look at the scars on our Lord's hands and feet! c. Remember the words of our opening text: "Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands." ## WHAT IS TRUTH? - JOHN 18:38 A. IN A WORLD OF GREAT CONFUSION, PILATE'S QUESTION: "WHAT IS TRUTH?" IS A MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION 1. Usually we consider that which we accept as truth, the truth: a. A Mohammedan will tell you and me that the Koran is God's truth. b. Hindus will point to their "sacred writings" as the truth. c. The church of Rome asserts that the Tradition of the Catholic fathers is the truth. 2. What we, therefore, consider the truth will give direction to our words, thoughts, and actions: Prov. 23:7 B. "WHAT IS TRUTH?" 1. "Truth is a queen who has her eternal throne in heaven and her seat of empire in the heart of God": (Bossut) 2. The Bible speaks of: a. The holy scriptures of truth - Dan. 10:21; John 14:6; 17:17 b. The law of truth - Ps. 119:142, 172 c. Christ says of Himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 14:6 d. The Holy Spirit is called "the Spirit of truth" - John 16:13 3. Protestantism maintains: a. That the writings of the sixty-six books of the Bible are the only safe rule of faith. b. They reject the traditions of church fathers as being anything but the truth. c. Our Lord himself marked the traditions of the Jews as being void of the truth. Compare Matt. 15:1-9 with Mark 7:1-13 d. Seventh-day Adventists maintain that the Bible and the Bible only is the God given rule of our faith and practice. e. They maintain that all claims to truth must be tested by the Bible. f. "To the law and to the testament, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." - Isa. 8:20 C. IMPORTANCE OF THE TRUTH 1. The Spirit of Truth: a. It will guide us into all truth. b. It will teach us things to come - John 16:13 c. There is no conversion without the Spirit of Truth making the word of God effective in our heart - Heb. 3:7, 8; Gen. 6:5 d. It witnesses to our spirit that we are the children of God - Rom. 8:12-15 2. The law of truth: a. Controls the moral relationship between God and man - Ex. 20:3-17 b. It is a transcript of the character of God - Rom. 7:12, 14; Ps. 19:7 3. Jesus Christ, the Truth made flesh: a. Without Christ there can be no hope for salvation - Acts 4:12; John 6:52-56 b. Without Christ there is no connection between God and man - John 14:6 c. Without Christ there can be no hope of eternal life - John 11:25 d. It is Christ that gives us power to become the sons of God - John 1:10-12 e. Without Christ we would have no intercessor before the Father - 1 John 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:25, 26 f. He is the Head of the church; the Saviour of his body - Eph. 1:22; 5:24-27 g. He is the Bible Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the first and the last - Rev. 1:8; 21:6; 22:13 4. But the truth is not effective until and unless: a. It has the control of our lives. b. It must have the control of the heart before it can change our nature. c. That is why the Bible emphasizes obedience of the truth by the believers. d. That is why we must partake of the word of truth daily to be nourished in the things of the Spirit. ## THE WAY OF TRUTH - PSALMS 119:30-33 A. "I HAVE CHOSEN THE WAY OF TRUTH" 1. Our Lord states in plain words that there are two ways from which to choose: a. There is the broad road, and b. There is the narrow road - Matt. 7:13, 14 2. Men are free moral agents and have the freedom of choosing one of the two roads to walk on: a. There were two trees in the Garden of Eden to choose between - 1) The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was forbidden, yet, man could, at his own risk, take of that tree and eat; they did eat of it. 2) The tree of life was to be the source of their life and health, so long as they obeyed the law of God. b. There are two ways for man to live; he can live a godly life or he may sin away his life. 3. There is a difference between the two roads: a. The broad road is natural, with the least temporary inconveniences, a lot of company - Matt. 7:13 b. The narrow road is indeed narrow in many ways, has a lot of restrictions, and for that reason few people will even bother to look for it - Matt. 7:14 B. CHOOSING EITHER ONE 1. Choosing either road indicates our attitude toward the world, or toward the word of God: 2. Choosing the way of truth: a. Indicates our attitude toward the word of God -- we love it - Ps. 119:165 b. We are willing to endure the inconveniences that are associated on the narrow road. c. We are willing to pay the price to be on this highway to the city of God. 1) Moses chose that road and it paid off - Heb. 11:24-26; Matt. 17:1-7 2) Ruth chose that highway and it paid off - Ruth 1:16-22 C. GOD'S CHARTER FOR THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW ROAD TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD 1. Travel on the King's highway has rules to go by: a. We must consult the law that governs the road - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Matt. 22:29; Ps. 43:3, 4 b. Study the word daily - Acts 17:11; John 5:39 c. Ignorance of God's word is inexcusable without exception - Matt. 22:29 d. We are willing to give up and leave behind everything offensive to God. e. We realize that it is not easy to break old habits or the customs of the world. f. But Christ laid down the law - Matt. 10:32-36; Mark 10:28-31; Luke 14:26, 27 2. "I have stuck unto thy testimonies": a. Firm adherence to fixed principles laid down in the word of God is a must on the King's highway. 1) Joseph in Egypt - Gen. 39:9 2) Daniel in Babylon - Dan. 1:8 b. Many are sticking to spider webs - 1) Human traditions - Mark 7:7-13; Matt. 15:1-9 2) Not so Ruth - Ruth 1:16 c. Isa. 59:5; 29:13 d. Our opening text has the answer to the rule of the road. 3. Many, many past, present, and I suppose in the future, will enter the narrow road and fail: a. Judas entered but failed; why? because he was unwilling to abide by the rule of the road. b. Many of the early disciples entered that straight and narrow road, but they failed; why? because they were unwilling to abide by the rule of the road - John 6:66 c. That is why the Lord says, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." - Luke 13:24 ## "BUY THE TRUTH AND SELL IT NOT" - PROVERBS 23:23, 24 A. OUR TEXT EXPRESSES THE BURDEN OF MY MESSAGE 1. I do not doubt that you are here in this service because you believe the truths taught by the Seventh-day Adventist Church: 2. It takes courage to break away from former positions taught to us by our well meaning and sincere parents: a. They were taught the things which they, in turn, taught us. b. They assumed that what they believed was biblical. B. "BUY THE TRUTH" 1. That admonition indicates that truth is no longer our natural possession; if it were not so, why buy it? 2. Also, that while the truth is free, yet it has a price attached to it: a. We know from experience that truth cannot be had for nothing, in the sense of exchange. b. The rich young ruler learned this truth the hard way - Matt. 19:16-19 3. The price may differ for each person buying the truth: a. To some, it may require to sell all to come into the possession of the truth, as indicated in our Lord's parable - Matt. 13:46 b. To others, it may necessitate giving up the affections of loved ones who are opposed to the truth - Luke 14:26 c. Peter boasted to the Lord that they had left all and followed the Lord - Mark 10:28-30 d. We know, also, that the history of the church of God is marked with the names of untold numbers who bought the truth with their own lives - Heb. 11:36-40 e. The value we place upon the truth will determine our willingness to pay the price God has attached to the truth. f. The Book of Martyrs will reveal the reason why so many persons during the Dark Ages gave their substance and their lives so freely and with joy. C. INCENTIVES FOR BUYING THE TRUTH AND FOR NOT SELLING IT AGAIN 1. Some incentives for buying the truth: a. It makes us free - John 8:32. That means that by nature none of us are truly free; we need to be made free. b. It will eventually lead us to the kingdom of heaven - Ps. 23:1-6; 43:3 c. It will purify our lives - 1 Pet. 1:22; Isa. 1:18, 19 d. Truth, in our lives, has the promise of this present life and that of the world to come - EXAMPLES - 1) Joseph - Gen. 39:9 2) Daniel - Dan. 1:8; 6:10 e. It will, some day, open for us the gates into the city of God - Isa. 26:2 2. This brings us to Pilate's question: "What is truth?" a. Jesus Christ is God's Truth in the flesh - John 14:6 b. The Bible - sixty-six books! The Bible is the truth - Dan. 10:21; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 c. The Ten Commandments are God's truth - Ps. 119:142, 172 d. The Holy Spirit is the truth - John 16:13 3. "Sell it Not" a. That ever present temptation to exchange the truth for worldly advantages is too well known unto most of us - 1) Judas sold the embodiment of the truth for thirty pieces of silver - Matt. 26:15, 16 2) Esau sold the truth for a meal of vegetables - Gen. 25:30-34 3) Adam and Eve sold the truth for a lying promise - Gen. 3:1-19 b. To sell the truth is to become disloyal to what we know to be our duty to God and our fellow men - 1) Sabbath keeping. 2) A faithful tithe. 3) Upholding the standards of the truth. ## THE SOLEMN CAUTION - HEBREWS 3:7 A. "TODAY, IF YE WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, HARDEN NOT YOUR HEARTS" 1. The history of the Jews is replete with helpful instructions: a. We cannot review that history without learning how God loves His people. b. But deep depravity of the heart increased the difficulty for God to help them. c. We perceive, also, how patient and long suffering God is toward those He loves. 2. But God's dealing with His ancient people shows, also, that God will not always strive with men: Gen. 6:3 B. "TODAY, IF YE WILL HEAR HIS VOICE" 1. "His Voice": a. The voice of mercy -- Note carefully what He says through Isaiah - Isa. 61:1-3; and what He said in person to His people - Luke 4:18 b. It is the voice of authority - Matt. 28:18; Heb. 12:25-27 c. It is the voice of Him who is directly connected with our salvation - Matt. 1:21; Acts 4:12 2. This voice speaks directly to us: a. Through the written word - John 5:39, 46, 47; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 b. Through the Holy Spirit - Rev. 22:17 c. This voice is heard, also, in the events revealing the divine providence - Matt. 24:6-8; Acts 9:1-11 3. Implication of God's seeking to arrest our attention: a. He wants us to know that He is personally interested in our salvation. This makes the voice doubly important for us. b. It is a pleading voice - Isa. 63:8, 9; 65:1-3 c. It is the voice of final appeal - "Today, if ye will hear His voice". 4. The specified period for hearing Christ's voice: "Today, if ye will hear His voice": a. Today is God's appointed time for us to be saved - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; John 9:4 b. Today is the only time in which God gives any promise of salvation - Luke 13:25-33; Matt. 25:1-12 c. Today is a short time and very uncertain - Jas. 4:13-16; Luke 12:16-19 5. The solemn caution: a. There is deadly danger of hardening our hearts when we are inattentive to the voice of the Lord. b. Every time we refuse to heed this voice, we make it more difficult for Him to help us. C. THINGS THAT TEND TO HARDEN THE HEART 1. The refusal to obey the voice of God: a. That was the final downfall of Pharaoh; every time he refused to obey the voice of God, his heart was hardened more. b. That was the reason for the destruction of the people in the days of Noah - Luke 17:26-29; Gen. 6:1-3 2. By yielding to the spirit of unbelief: Heb. 4:1-11 3. By a sordid attachment to the sins and pleasures of the world: a. The lust of the eye. b. The lust of the flesh. c. The pride of life - 1 John 2:15, 16; Hos. 4:17 4. We sin against the voice of God when we misuse the light God has given to us: Heb. 6:4-8; 10:26-29 5. It is 'the' most serious matter for us to refuse to heed the voice of God because we know that the voice of mercy is our only hope: Rev. 22:17 6. The voice of God is, as yet, not the voice of judgment, but the voice of compassion: Matt. 11:28-30; Isa. 65:1-3 7. Let us heed this voice of love and mercy for our own good! ## GILEAD'S BALM AND PHYSICIAN - JEREMIAH 8:22 A. "IS THERE NO BALM IN GILEAD? IS THERE NO PHYSICIAN THERE? WHY THEN IS NOT THE HEALTH OF THE DAUGHTER OF MY PEOPLE RECOVERED?" 1. Gilead is a name given to a ridge of mountains which extended from Lebanon southward on the east coast of Palestine: 2. This name is applied to that whole district: 3. This same name has reference, also, to a compact made between Jacob and his uncle Laban: Gen. 31:48 4. The country was noted for its fertility and for some herbs with healing properties: B. WE HAVE RECENTLY CONSIDERED THE PLAGUE OF THE HEART: LET US NOW INQUIRE WITH THE PROPHET: "IS THERE NO BALM IN GILEAD? IS THERE NO PHYSICIAN THERE? WHY THEN IS NOT THE HEALTH OF THE DAUGHTER OF MY PEOPLE RECOVERED?" 1. There is balm in Gilead: a. God's word is God's balm for the health of the daughter of Zion - Ps. 103:30 b. It is called, "the word of salvation" - Eph. 1:13; Acts 13:26 c. The precious blood of Jesus Christ is also the cleansing power, to make clean and white from the stain of sin - 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7 d. There is no life outside the blood of the Son of God - John 6:53; Heb. 9:22, 23 2. Yes, there is the great Physician in Gilead: a. Jesus Christ is that physician - Ex. 15:26; Matt. 9:12; Luke 4:23 b. He encouraged John the Baptist with these memorable words, "The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised." Matt. 11:5 c. His ministry of love is summed up in these words, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Acts 10:38 3. He is well qualified as a physician: a. He knows our frame - Ps. 103:14 b. He is well acquainted with our infirmities - Matt. 8:17; Luke 5:15 c. He is distinguished for great tenderness - Isa. 42:3; Matt. 12:20 d. He is accessible at all times and in all places, "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" - Matt. 28:20 e. His cures are permanent - John 8:36 f. His terms are of the most gracious kind "without money and without price" - Isa. 55:1 C. WHY, THEN, ARE NOT THE MALADIES OF MANKIND REMOVED? 1. The world is full of open and putrefying sores: Isa. 1:5-7 a. There are, so we are told, upwards of 55,000,000 ill and incapacitated at a given time. b. Diseases among men are on the increase; this, in spite of the constant research to stem the tide of sickness. 2. But what concerns us still more is why are the people of God in a sickly condition? Rev. 3:14-17 a. Why is there such a great lack of spiritual power among us? 1 Cor. 11:30 b. Is there no balm in Gilead? c. Is the great Physician removed from his people? 3. I can think of three specific reasons for these conditions among God's people: a. Unbelief seems to be the chief obstacle to the difficulties among God's people - Matt. 13:58; 17:20; Mark 6:6. This present age is noted for unbelief - Luke 18:8 b. Spiritual blindness is still another reason for the condition the people of God find themselves in, "thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind" - Rev. 3:17 c. Unwillingness to come to the Physician to be healed - John 5:40. Too many of the people love darkness more than the light and for that reason refuse to come to the light. But the hand of mercy is still held out to all who desire to be healed - Matt. 11:28, 29 ## THE BOW IN THE CLOUDS - GENESIS 9:13 A. "I DO SET MY BOW IN THE CLOUD, AND IT SHALL BE FOR A TOKEN OF A COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND THE EARTH." 1. The flood and the rainbow: a. Symbolize justice and mercy - Ps. 85:10 b. The flood came because of sin. c. And mercy or grace came because of Christ's righteousness - Rom. 5:17-19 2. Thus we see a close relationship between the flood and the placing of the rainbow in the cloud: B. THE BOW IN THE CLOUD 1. The rainbow is a circular bow or an arc exhibiting the several colors of the spectrum, formed opposite the sun, by the refraction and reflection of the sun's rays in the drops of rain or spray: (Webster) 2. You must have a cloud, rain, and sunshine, to get the rainbow: a. Every drop of rain is a little prism. The prism divides the pure ray of the light into several parts and the light shining against the cloud makes the rainbow. b. Thus we see again, the majesty and wisdom of the Creator, gloriously manifested in nature itself - Ps. 19:1-6 3. There is one more Bible reference in which the rainbow is mentioned: "And he that sat was to look upon like jasper and sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne: in sight like unto an emerald." Rev. 4:3 a. This is, no doubt, a description of the throne of grace. b. Paul seems to have understood it that way because he admonishes the believers to come boldly to the throne of grace - Heb. 4:16 c. When light and truth penetrate the clouds of trouble and sorrows, both will make a sure background for the reflection of God's mercy. C. THE SIGNIFICATION OF THE RAINBOW 1. It is a symbol, or sign, or token, of the covenant of peace: a. God's promise of mercy and peace - Gen. 9:16, 17 b. It is the emblem of God's pledge that He will never again destroy the earth with a flood. 2. If it be true that God has set His bow in the cloud to be a sign that He never again will destroy the world with a flood: a. That is assurance to our troubled lives that God, in mercy, will not destroy them. b. This is a wonderful consolation for all who go through many dark and threatening clouds. 3. Let us note, briefly, some of the Bible references which mention some of the clouds which beset men's lives: a. He covered Israel with a cloud to shield them against the heat of the sun - Ex. 13:21 b. A cloud covered the tent of the tabernacle - Ex. 29:43; 40:34 c. A cloud filled the temple when it was dedicated - 1 Ki. 8:10 d. The Bible speaks of bright clouds - Zech. 10:1 e. Our Saviour will come in a cloud - Luke 21:27 f. The Lord rideth upon a swift cloud - Isa. 19:1 4. The bow in the cloud is a symbol: a. Of God's mercy centered on the cross of Calvary. When Christ was raised up on the cross, God set a banner for salvation - John 12:32 b. Calvary stands for judgment; a place where God mete out judgment to sin in the person of His own Son - 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13 c. Calvary stands for God's eternal pledge that He will not take us into judgment if we accept the atonement through Jesus Christ's death - Rom. 8:1 d. The rainbow in the cloud is God's power to penetrate the deep darkness of sin and bring hope to the penitent sinner. e. It is there where the invitation is most forceful, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world" - John 1:29 ## GOD'S LIFE INSURANCE POLICY - PHILIPPIANS 4:19, 20 A. "BUT MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS." 1. This glorious promise by God should put to rest the fainthearted: it should set them at ease about their security: Matt. 6:31-34 2. It is a gracious assurance by God that He knows our every need and will, in due time, supply it: 2 Thess. 3:3; Heb. 10:23 B. GOD'S LIFE INSURANCE POLICY 1. The promissory note: a. "My God shall supply all your need." b. Note, please, God does not promise to supply all our wishes, but all our needs - Ps. 23:1; Luke 22:35 2. Our need is manifold: a. Temporal needs. "Give us this day our daily bread" - Matt. 6:11 b. Clothing. "Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field . . . shall he not much more clothe you." Matt. 6:30 c. Physical strength. ". . . as thy days, so shall thy strength be" - Deut. 33:25 3. Our spiritual needs: a. We need grace to walk with God every day - Heb. 4:15, 16 b. Peter enumerates the blessings of grace - 2 Pet. 1:2-8 c. "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." Eph. 3:20 d. There is, therefore, no need for any one of God's children to be in want of grace to live and walk in the Spirit - Gal. 5:16 e. If we do lack the grace of God in our lives, it is because we are out of the proper relationship with God; we do not have the connections we must have to receive help in time of need. C. THE SOURCE AND MEDIUM OF OUR NEED 1. The Source: "My God" a. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein." Ps. 24:1 b. "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts." Hag. 2:8 2. He gives for the asking: Matt. 7:7; Jas. 4:2 3. He gives without partiality: Jas. 1:5; Mark 11:24; Luke 11:9. How wonderful it is to be connected with a God of love and compassion. 4. The medium of the supply: "By Christ Jesus" a. Christ, our Lord, is the heaven chosen channel through whom all our needs are supplied. b. "Without me, ye can do nothing" - John 15:5 c. Heb. 2:13; Acts 17:28 d. By the word of His promise - Heb. 6:16-20 5. If we have Christ, we have all we need physically and spiritually, in this present world and in the world to come: 6. The measure of supply: "all our needs" a. All that pertains to life and godliness - 2 Pet. 1:3 b. His gifts to ancient Israel are a typical example - Ex. 16:4-28 c. "As thy days so shall thy strength be" - Deut. 33:25 7. In view of these glorious truths, there is no reason for any one of God's children to be concerned about his needs; the Creator and the Redeemer know our needs better than we do, and they will, according to God's promise, supply our every need: 8. We are well advised to heed the admonition of Peter: "Humble yourselves, therefore under the mighty hand of God . . . casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." - 1 Pet. 5:6, 7 ## THE VALLEY OF ACHOR, THE DOOR OF HOPE - PART I - HOSEA 2:15, 16 A. "AND I WILL GIVE HER . . . THE VALLEY OF ACHOR FOR THE DOOR OF HOPE" 1. Bible students know that the valley of Achor is noted as: a. The tragedy that came to Achan and his family. b. This tragedy affected the whole congregation of Israel - Josh. 7:4, 13, 14 2. It has a lesson for God's people: a. Secret sins among some of the church members are known to God as truly as the sin of Achan was known to him. b. "Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance." Ps. 90:8 c. We will do well to pray, with David, "cleanse thou me from secret faults" - Ps. 19:12 B. EVERY LIFE SEEMS TO HAVE ITS VALLEYS 1. Even the Son of God had His valley: a. Watch Him in the garden of Gethsemane - Luke 22:39-44 b. His darkest valley was when he died of a broken heart on the shameful cross of Calvary - Matt. 27:46 2. John the Baptist surely had his valley before he finished his mission in this world: a. See him in a dark, cold, and forbidding prison - Matt. 11:1-5 b. He ended his ministry by being beheaded because he reproved the sin of Herod - Matt. 14:6-12 3. The disciples had their valley: a. Let us not forget that memorable night when their Lord was taken away from them and they were scattered. b. Or when they bemoaned their shattered hope - Luke 24:13-21 4. Every life has its valley: a. David speaks of it - Ps. 23:1-6; 73:1-24 b. How soon we shall pass through the valley is known to God alone. C. THE VALLEY OF ACHOR, THE DOOR OF HOPE 1. This is a great gospel promise from a God of love and compassion: a. He will cause the light to shine out of darkness - 2 Cor. 4:6 b. Think of the experiences of - 1) Joseph - Gen. 37:1-36; 39; 40; 41 2) Daniel - Dan. 6:10-28 2. Our strength is made perfect in weakness: a. 2 Cor. 12:9, 10 b. This may be difficult to understand, but it is true just the same. 1) Jacob was declared victor over his difficulties with Esau, his brother; yet, to remind him of his weakness, the angel of the Lord touched Jacob's thigh - Gen. 32:25-32 2) Saul, whose name is now Paul, suffered from a special weakness in his eyes, and the Lord never removed that weakness, to remind Paul that God saved him in spite of himself. 3. But the blessedness of this text is: a. The valley of Achor has been given as the door of hope. b. That means that our darkest and most forbidding experiences will be turned into a most wonderful experience. c. It means that our weakest points in our lives can, by the grace of God, become our strongest points. 4. Let us ever keep in mind that our troubles can, under the direction of the Lord, be very helpful to us: a. They detach us from the world and its pleasures - Gal. 6:14 b. They not only separate us from the sins of the world but they drive us to God on our knees - Rom. 5:3; 8:35; 2 Cor. 7:4 5. This experience will help us to see God's unchangeableness: a. He loves us in the shadows as well as in the sunshine. b. He cares for us in the day of affliction as well as in the day of prosperity. c. He can turn darkness into light, sorrows into joy. d. He has given us the valley of Achor for the door of hope. ## THE VALLEY OF ACHOR, THE DOOR OF HOPE - PART II - HOSEA 2:15-17 A. HISTORIC SETTING OF OUR TEXT 1. Defeat and despair of God's people: a. Achan and the accursed thing. b. Israel before her enemies - Josh. 7:4, 13, 14 2. Utter defeat of God's people in the days of Hosea: a. "Ephraim is joined to idols: let him alone" - Hos. 4:17 b. "Israel, who looked to other gods, and loved flagons of wine" - Hos. 3:1 B. THE VALLEY OF ACHOR, THE DOOR OF HOPE 1. A wonderful promise: a. God will bring light out of darkness; hope out of despair; joy out of sorrow - 2 Cor. 4:6 EXAMPLES - 1) The would-be suicide becomes a joyful Christian - Acts 16:24-34 2) A criminal, while paying for his crime, becomes an heir of the kingdom of Christ - Luke 23:42-44 3) Remember Bataan and MacArthur. b. Our strength is born out of weakness - 2 Cor. 12:9, 10 EXAMPLES - 1) A little boy, crippled so badly that he despaired of life, learned to use the typewriter with his toes. 2) Beethoven did his finest work after he had been stricken with blindness. 3) Paul wrote his fourteen Epistles after his eyes made it difficult for him to see. 2. The gospel of Jesus Christ points to the door of hope: a. Christ is that door of hope - John 10:1-16; Acts 4:12 b. He takes away our sins - John 1:29; Matt. 1:21 c. He transforms our lives - Col. 1:27; 2 Cor. 3:18 d. Is He the door of hope to you? C. WATER BAPTISM, THE DOOR OF HOPE FOR PENITENT SINNERS 1. Satan hates the ordinance of water baptism: a. It is a public renunciation of a sinner's allegiance to the devil and his work. b. It is a public testimony of our new allegiance to Christ and His cause. c. Satan hates this and he fights it with all the forces at his command; I know this from experience. 2. Water baptism is the door of hope because: a. It symbolizes the death, the burial, and the resurrection of our Lord - Rom. 6:1-6; Col. 1:12 b. It is an outward ceremony of an inward experience - 1) It is the answer of a good conscience toward God and our fellow man - 1 Pet. 3:21 2) It is the putting on the Lord Jesus Christ - Gal. 3:26, 27 3) It is the entrance into the spiritual body of Christ, the church - 1 Cor. 12:13 4) It is the symbol of things new in our lives and our relationship with Jesus Christ - 2 Cor. 5:14-17 3. The valley of Achor, the door of hope: a. What a symbolism of redemption - 1) The cross was the symbol of a curse. 2) But Christ has given it a new meaning; it now is the symbol of hope for sinners - Gal. 3:13; 6:14, 16 b. Death and the grave were and still are the end of the transgressor. c. But the death of our Lord and His resurrection have changed it all; death no longer holds terror to the child of God; it is just resting until it is morning; it is a sleep in Jesus; and the grave has become the chamber of the saints to hide them for a short time until the wrath of God is passed over - Isa. 26:20 ## WHY EVERY INFIDEL SHOULD BE A CHRISTIAN - MATTHEW 16:26, 27 A. SOME PEOPLE WISH TO BE KNOWN AS INFIDELS 1. They like to think that there is no God: Ps. 14:1-4 2. To them there is no life beyond the grave: 3. They have no message of hope for those who sorrow: B. WHY I WISH THAT EVERY PROFESSED INFIDEL WERE A CHRISTIAN 1. If they love life: a. Christ, the source of our life, came to give life, and to give it more abundantly. Said the Master, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10 b. Paul enumerates the ingredients of the more abundant life - love, joy, peace, long suffering, temperance, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, brotherly kindness, charity. Compare Gal. 5:22, 23 with 2 Pet. 1:2-8 2. Faith in Christ, the Essence of Christianity: a. Takes care of my sins - Matt. 1:21; 1 Pet. 2:24 b. Gives me security against the judgment to come - John 5:24 c. It promises me a future - 2 Pet. 3:13 3. What has infidelity to offer to man? a. For the present, professed unbelief in God, and in the resurrection of the dead, and eternal life. b. The future? Infidelity claims that there is no future, that death ends all. c. In the hour of sorrow? Infidelity has nothing to offer -- all is black and blank in the theory of the infidel. d. What about his sins? He is ever ready to explain and excuse them as unavoidable. e. What about the function of natural law? Infidelity simply states that natural law evolved when things in nature needed guidance and control. It attempts to give credit to all the forces in nature, only to the exclusion of an all wise God. C. FAITH IN CHRIST OFFERS THESE ADDITIONAL BLESSINGS THAT OUGHT TO PERSUADE INFIDELS TO BECOME CHRISTIANS 1. It changes my concept or outlook upon life: a. It makes the golden rule the moral compass of my life - Matt. 7:12 b. It gives me something to strive for -- the highest concept of morality - Phil. 4:8 c. It shows the difference between the life for 'self' and that for 'others'. It uproots human selfishness. - Rom. 9:1-3, 14:7-14; Phil. 1:20 2. Faith in Christ gives life insurance that infidelity cannot give: a. David testifies. - Ps. 23:1-6 b. Paul's assurance. - Phil. 4:19 3. Faith in Christ brings to us honors which infidelity cannot give: a. We become associated with the noblest characters which ever lived in this world. b. We are associated with the most useful lives. -- Daniel, Moses, Joseph, Ruth, Paul and many other worthies too many to enumerate. c. It connects us with the most enduring friendship. d. It helps us take hold of the most beneficial and enduring memories. 4. But best of all: a. Christianity brings us back to God and His love. b. It appropriates the sacrifice of the Son of God to atone for our sins. c. It has the promise of this life and of that to come. 5. But what about the infidel? a. He has no hope. b. He has no future. c. He faces the judgment of the God he seeks to deny and the Christ he rejects. ## THE SPIRITS IN PRISON - 1 PETER 3:18-20 A. A SUBJECT OF MUCH SPECULATION, CONTROVERSY, AND CONFUSION 1. Some think that Peter's words are proof that man is a dual being "immortal spirit" and the body made of clay: 2. They maintain that our Lord actually, and personally, went and preached to the "disembodied spirits in the spirit world." 3. Mormons and Catholics think Peter's words confirm their theory that at death the "immortal" soul, or spirit, separates itself from the body, goes to the "spirit world" -- purgatory or limbo or "spirit world": B. THE SPIRITS IN PRISON 1. The text: "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water." 2. High points of the text: a. Christ was put to death in the flesh. Compare 1 Pet. 3:18 with Rev. 1:18; 2:8; 1 Cor. 15:3, 12-18 b. He was quickened by the Spirit (resurrected) Compare 1 Pet. 1:18 with Rom. 8:11. The Spirit that raised Christ from the dead was the third person of the Godhead. c. By the Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, Christ went and preached unto the spirits in prison. d. When? In the days of Noah, when the ark was in preparation. e. Whom did the Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, use to preach? f. He used Noah for one hundred and twenty years to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ - Gen. 6:1-20 g. This is the heart of Peter's words in 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 3. What was the result of Christ, through the Spirit, and the Spirit using Noah, preaching to the spirits in prison? a. Eight souls were saved. b. Noah and his family were saved. c. The rest of the antediluvians perished in their sins. Compare Gen. 6:7, 8 with Luke 17:26, 27; Matt. 24:37-39; 1 Pet. 3:18-20 C. THE SPIRITS IN PRISON 1. The spirits, who are they? a. They lived in the days of Noah, when the ark was in preparation. b. They, doubtless, saw Noah build the ark. c. They heard him preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. d. It was Christ who sought to save them through the preaching of Noah. e. They rejected both Christ and the gospel of Christ - Gen. 6:1-3; Matt. 24:37-39 f. They were destroyed by the flood - Luke 17:27 2. The prison: What was it? a. It was the enslavement of sin; the captivity Satan held them bound in. Compare Isa. 61:1 with chapters 42:7, 8; 49:9; Ps. 142:7 b. It refers to persons taken captive by Satan at will - 2 Tim. 2:26; Rom. 6:16 c. A prison is a place of involuntary captivity, where one is not at liberty to exercise his free will - Rom. 6:16; 7:18-24 3. The Spirits in prison: a. They were prisoners to Satan, and Christ sought to set them free - John 8:36 b. The Holy Spirit strove with them during Noah's preaching, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years" - Gen. 6:3 c. This brings up a very important point overlooked by our "spirits in prison" preachers. 1) If Noah could do nothing to change the antediluvians, if the pleading of the Spirit could not help them, who could? 2) They all perished in the flood; they had a chance to be saved, but rejected it: why preach more to them? ## BIDDING GOOD-BYE TO GOD - ACTS 24:25 A. "GO THY WAY FOR THIS TIME; WHEN I HAVE A CONVENIENT SEASON, I WILL CALL FOR THEE" 1. To get the true signification of this polite rejection of Paul's appeal, we must remember: a. The impression Paul's appeal had made upon the conscience of that cold and sin-hardened governor - 1) Felix trembled. 2) He was visibly affected by the appeal of Paul's testimony - Acts 24:25; Dan. 5:6 b. The power of the truth laid Felix's life open; his conscience tormented him to a point where he lost self-control. c. He realized that he will have to give an account of the life he wasted - 2 Cor. 5:10 2. In turning down Paul's appeal, Felix committed a threefold sin: a. He sinned against the appeal of the Holy Spirit - Heb. 3:7-9 b. He sinned against an awakened conscience - John 8:9; Dan. 5:22 c. He turned down his God-given opportunity to be saved - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; Luke 21:36 B. BIDDING GOOD-BYE TO GOD 1. Why did Felix bid God good-bye? a. He was intelligent enough to know that he was a great sinner, doing things that were wrong. b. He knew, further, that he faced ultimate ruin, as it was. c. He felt in his own soul that a higher power was speaking to his conscience. d. It was when he rejected the appeal of God's message that he said "good-bye" to God. e. We have no record that he ever called anyone to teach him more of God's word. 2. Felix is a type of unknown thousands who go through similar experiences: a. How many thousands have been in my services, deeply moved by the word of God, yet never obeyed the truth. b. This is a serious mistake. c. How seriously God takes the rejection of light shed in the hearts of men is plainly indicated in the Bible - 1) Luke 14:16-24 2) Luke 17:26-29; Matt. 24:37-39 C. IT IS A FATAL MISTAKE TO TELL GOD GOOD-BYE 1. When you tell God good-bye, you do not want Him to help and guide you. You want to be one of the ungodly: EXAMPLES - a. Cain told God good-bye - Gen. 4:16 b. Many of the early followers of Christ told God good-bye - John 6:66 c. Judas told the Lord good-bye - John 13:30; Matt. 27:1-3 2. When we bid good-bye to God: a. We cut ourselves off from the source of life and light - John 1:4-11 b. We cut ourselves off from Him who alone can save us from sin and death - Matt. 1:21; 1 Cor. 15:3 c. What will we do when we have to appear before the judgment seat of Christ? 2 Cor. 5:10 d. We need an advocate, an intercessor; and if we say good-bye to God, we are without any representation - 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1-3 e. What will you do with Jesus who died for you? Gal. 2:20; Matt. 27:22 f. When you tell God good-bye, you cut yourself off from the very source of life, light, and truth. g. You lose hope - 1 Thess. 4:13 h. Salvation - Acts 4:12; Matt. 1:21; 1 Tim. 1:15 3. When people tell God good-bye they reveal: a. That they do not like to fellowship with Him. b. They, in fact, hate Him. c. That was the case of Esau, of Cain, and many who live among us today. ## SOWING AND REAPING - GALATIANS 6:7 A. THE LAWS OF NATURE CONTROL SOWING AND REAPING 1. Each seed after its kind: Gen. 1:11, 12; Jas. 3:12 2. The growth of vegetation is controlled, not by man, but the condition of the soil, weather and moisture: B. OUR LIFE IS, IN MOST INSTANCES, THE TIME TO SOW 1. Some sow upon the flesh: a. Sow wickedness - Job 4:8 b. Reap the fruit of it - 2 Sam. 12:11 c. Sow iniquity, d. And reap vanity - Prov. 22:8 EXAMPLES - 1) Gehazi and gifts - 2 Ki. 5:21-27 2) Haman and the Jews - Esth. 7:10 3) Achan and the accursed things - Josh. 7:20-26 2. Others sow upon the Spirit: a. Sterling purity -- Joseph in Egypt - Gen. 39:1-12 b. Loving loyalty to principles of truth -- Daniel and his friends - Dan. 1:8 3:16-26; 6:10-28 c. Love -- Jonathan and David - 1 Sam. 20:42; 2 Sam. 9:1-7 d. Patience -- Job, a symbol of patience and its reward - Jas. 5:11 e. Faith -- the woman from Canaan - Matt. 15:22-28 The list of those who sowed upon the Spirit could be multiplied, but these examples will suffice. C. HARVEST TIME 1. Sowing and reaping are nature's twins: a. Where there is no seeding there can be no harvest; that is a law quite well understood by most people. b. The laws of sowing and reaping seem to be unchangeable; are true to the season as planned by the Creator - Eccl. 3:1-2 2. This is true, also, of our earthly lives: a. There is a time when we have opportunity to sow -- thoughts, words, and deeds. b. Seeding time is followed by harvest - Gal. 6:7, 8 c. Sow a thought and reap an action; sow an action and reap a blessing or a curse. 3. We know of some misguided souls: a. Who think that God is merciful and that we will not harvest the results of sin, but that is an illusion on their part. b. Our opening text states very clearly: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." 4. Let us note these eternal truths: a. The seriousness of this present life - 1) God will hold us accountable for what we do or say - Matt. 12:36, 37 2) That we shall not escape the results of our deeds in the body - 2 Cor. 5:10 3) That God does not pay at every turn, but He will surely pay at last. b. The importance of sowing upon the spirit and not upon the flesh - 1) Sow upon the flesh and reap corruption. 2) Sow upon the Spirit and reap eternal life. ## "WE WILL SERVE THE LORD" - JOSHUA 24:15 A. "CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE . . . BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD." - Josh. 24:15 1. Joshua was a man of decision: a. That was a quality that fit him for leading Israel into the promised land. b. Indecision would have been fatal to him and his people. 2. He placed himself in the lead: a. To his nation and to his family, he could say, "follow me, as I follow the Lord." 3. My burden at this point is to point out the positive attitude and relationship of Joshua to his family: a. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." 1) That shows that he knew the attitude of his family. 2) They had confidence in his faith and followed his leadership. b. That was the testimony God gave to Abraham - Gen. 18:19 B. "WE WILL SERVE THE LORD." 1. Joshua was a servant of the Lord: a. He lived his faith. b. So did Daniel - Dan. 1:8; 6:10 c. God gave the same testimony to Job - Job 1:1-6 2. He won his family for God and his cause: a. Lot failed in this - Gen. 19:14 b. Samuel, a mighty man of God, too, was unable to win his family for God - 1 Sam. 8:5 c. How many of us have succeeded in our efforts to win our loved ones for God and His cause? We have tried! d. The winning of his family for the Lord and his service was one of the greatest achievements of Joshua on record. e. Happy are they who can at all times speak for themselves and their family, as Joshua did. 3. He devoted his life and interests to the service of God - "we will serve the Lord": a. They all took part in family worship. b. They all had a part in the activities of the church. c. They were all dedicated to the service and glory of God. d. Can that be said of us? C. TRUE SERVICE FOR THE LORD 1. Negatively: a. It does not consist of outward forms, although they may be a part of our service. b. Because formalism without the spirit of truth is useless - Mark 7:1-13; Matt. 23:21-28 It takes more than to observe the outward tenets of our faith; we must have respect to the condition of the heart - Isa. 29:13 2. Positively: a. True service is the expression of loving obedience to the will of God. We serve Him because we love Him - John 14:15; 15:10 b. True service expresses itself in loving sacrifice. That was true of Abraham - Gen. 22:1-12 c. It includes living for others. That is what our Lord, the servant of all servants, did - Matt. 25:40; Jas. 1:27 d. When God said of Abraham that all nations would be blessed in him; that meant that the life and faith of that man of God affects the lives of all God- fearing men in the world - Gen. 12:1-5 3. Effective service is possible only: a. When the Holy Spirit controls our lives - Gal. 5:16, 17 b. The fruit of the spirit is the seed of fruit- bringing service - Matt. 7:15-21 c. When Christ lives in us, we will render true and effective service to God and His children. d. We will keep ourselves unspotted from the world - Matt. 6:24; Rom. 6:19; Rev. 2:19 ## GOD'S MOUNTAINS - ISAIAH 49:11, 12 A. "AND I WILL MAKE ALL MY MOUNTAINS A WAY, AND MY HIGHWAYS SHALL BE EXALTED." 1. Mountains have, in the history of ancient Israel, played a large part in God's communion with His people: a. Mount Sinai where Israel received laws and the ministry of the earthly sanctuary. b. Mount Nebo where Moses died and was buried by the Lord - Deut. 32:49; 34:5-7 2. We think of Mount Moriah where Abraham sacrificed his son Isaac: Gen. 22:1-12 B. GOD'S MOUNTAINS 1. Mountains have become symbolic of the experience of God's people: a. We think of 'mount sacrifice'; this mountain has to be climbed by all who aim to enter the kingdom of God - EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham and his son Isaac climbed this mountain - Gen. 22:1-12 2) Moses, all alone, climbed this mountain - Deut. 32:48, 49; 34:5-7 3) Our blessed Saviour, too, climbed this mountain - Matt. 17:1-6; Heb. 5:1-12; Phil. 2:6-11 b. This mountain was made a condition of discipleship by the Lord - Matt. 10:34-36 c. Some were unwilling to climb this mountain - EXAMPLES - 1) The rich young ruler - Matt. 19:16-22 2) Seventy disciples - John 6:66 2. Mount tribulation: a. Here is where some people get confused. They think that when we accept Christ as our Saviour, all trials and tribulation cease. b. But let us listen to the Bible to get the truth - 1) "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." - 2 Tim. 3:12 2) "We must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God" - Acts 14:22 3) "In the world ye shall have tribulation" - John 16:33 3. Mount Zion of victory: a. John sees God's remnant people standing upon Mount Zion, singing the song of victory - Rev. 14:1-5 b. All of God's people, who have won the victory over sin, will eventually stand on that mountain - Heb. 12:22-29 C. "I WILL MAKE ALL MY MOUNTAINS A WAY." 1. This is a most encouraging promise of the Lord: a. Mountain climbing can be very dangerous unless an experienced Mountaineer guides us over some very treacherous crevices. b. It takes stouthearted persons to climb mountains. c. Our blessed Lord and many of His faithfuls have blazed the trail for us. He paved the way for His saints to travel. 2. The experience of many of God's children shows that their mountain experience became a special blessing to them and the cause of God: a. Mount Moriah became the place where the temple was built and where Israel offered their sacrifices. b. Every time an intelligent worshipper came to offer a sacrifice to God, he could not help but recall the sacrifice of Abraham. c. David spent some time on or near Mount Olivet during the days of his persecution by his own son - 2 Sam. 15:30 d. Our Lord spent considerable time on Mount Olivet - Acts 1:12 3. Some musts for all mountaineers: a. Divest yourselves of all unnecessary weight which would impede your progress - Heb. 12:1-6 b. Keep looking up as you go forward. This is a must for you to make progress towards the kingdom of heaven. c. Said the Psalmist, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help" - Ps. 121:1-6 d. Follow the instructions of our guide with care and much prayer - Ps. 24:3 e. Hold the hand of your guide very closely, and you shall be landing on Mount Zion. ## THE REVEALING OF THE FACE - ISAIAH 3:9 A. "THE SHEW OF THEIR COUNTENANCE DOTH WITNESS AGAINST THEM." 1. We are carefully and wonderfully made: a. Just as the countenance reveals the physical state of our health -- 1 Sam. 16:12; Dan. 1:13 -- so do thoughts and character reveal themselves in our faces - Dan. 5:6; Gen. 4:5 2. Our nature, with its complexity of being, has yet a subtle and mysterious oneness, and the tone of the mind and the inclinations of the heart are made manifest, not alone in speech, but in look and gesture and mannerism: 3. In the simple language of our text there is a show of countenance: B. THE REVEALING OF THE FACE 1. Man cannot prevent self revealing: a. "They that be otherwise cannot be hid" - 1 Tim. 5:25 b. Scientists tell us that there is no concealing in nature. 2. Said Moses to the children of Gad and Reuben, "Be sure your sin will find you out": Num. 32:23 a. As snow reveals the footprints of the beast or prey, as the wind of the desert drifts the sand from the body that is covered, so sin will surely be found - EXAMPLES - 1) Felix in the presence of his prisoner - Acts 24:25 2) Belshazzar on his last night - Dan. 5:6 3) Ananias and his wife Sapphira - Acts 5:1-11 4) The hypocritical Pharisees in the presence of Christ - John 8:9 3. Men cannot long act a part: a. You cannot forge handwriting. b. You cannot make an artificial rock and keep it unknown beside the real. c. This is true, also, of the voice and the face of the individual. d. Hypocrisy unconsciously drops its mask. e. The truth will have a way to get out; this is a fact of moral and natural law. C. WHAT IS OF ETERNAL IMPORTANCE TO SINNERS AND SAINTS ALIKE IS 1. Men cannot avert punishment: a. "Woe unto their soul! For they have rewarded evil unto themselves" - Isa. 3:9 b. Memory is their painful misery - Dan. 5:9; Matt. 27:1-5 c. Theories of unaccountability are useless in the face of truth. d. Paul quotes God's unalterable law in nature, "For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" - Gal. 6:7 e. "He that soweth upon the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption" - Gal. 6:8 2. There is, however, one exception which may alter the law of sowing and reaping: a. Jesus Christ and my relationship to Him is that one exception. b. When we accept Him as our personal Saviour, a complete change of our life comes into full view - 2 Cor. 5:14-17 c. A transformation that affects body, soul, and spirit is visible - 2 Cor. 3:18 d. One may, however, not escape the results of sin completely, scars will show up in some way - EXAMPLES - 1) God forgave persecuting Saul, but he refused to remove the physical impediment from him - 2 Cor. 12:9 2) The Lord forgave Jacob's sins, made him a prince, but left a mark on his body - Gen. 32:32 3. Our face reveals many things: a. Our association - EXAMPLES - 1) Moses spent forty days with the Lord on the mount; his face showed that - Ex. 34:29 2) Ahab had committed a crime against one of his subjects and his face showed it - 1 Ki. 21:4 3) Belshazzar had desecrated the vessels of the Lord's house, and his face showed it - Dan. 5:4-8 b. The face will reflect the life of the soul, it will mirror that which is within because nature itself provides no hiding place for a guilty conscience. ## A PROMISE TO THE OVERCOMER - REVELATIONS 21:7 A. "TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH WILL I GIVE TO EAT OF THE TREE OF LIFE, WHICH IS IN THE MIDST OF THE PARADISE OF GOD." 1. A most revealing promise: a. It leads us back to the Garden of Eden, as recorded in the second and third chapters of the book of Genesis. b. It shows that the paradise of God has not been altered - the tree of life is still in the midst of the garden. Compare Gen. 3:3 with Rev. 2:7; 22:1-3 2. It is an inspired reminder of the beginning of the loyalty test of the human race: a. That is why the tree of knowledge of good and evil was planted beside the tree of life. b. The test itself shows that man was created a free moral agent; he could choose between good and evil. B. LET US CONSIDER, PRAYERFULLY, THE IMPLICATION OF GOD'S PROMISE TO THE OVERCOMER 1. The word "overcomer" is most revealing: a. It is indicative of a conflict - Gen. 2:15, 16; 3:1-6 b. It presupposes temptation or difficulty - Gen. 3:1- 6; Luke 4:13 2. It must be noted that in temptation the principle of loyalty is involved: a. That was true in the case of our first parents - Gen. 2:15, 16; 3:1-6 b. That has been true ever since - EXAMPLES - 1) The temptation of Joseph was a loyalty test - Gen. 39:7-9 2) The temptation of Abraham was a loyalty test - Gen. 22:1-12 3) Saul's temptation was a loyalty test - 1 Sam. 15:1-22 3. It points to the great controversy between Christ and Satan: a. That conflict began in heaven - Rev. 12:7 b. It was transplanted to this earth, and it will end here on the earth. 4. It must be noted, further, that the book of Revelation strongly emphasizes the importance of overcoming: a. Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 25 b. Rev. 3:5, 12, 21 5. There is a reason for the assurance of the promise to the overcomer: a. As we near the end of time, the conflict between good and evil will be intensified. b. Satan knows that his time to do his work is very short, and for that reason he is doubling his effort against the church of God - Rev. 12:12; Dan. 12:1 c. To all the final test will come over - 1) Loyalty to God's law - Rev. 12:17; 14:12; 22:14 2) Loyalty to all principles of truth - Dan. 1:8; 3:10 6. Power to overcome: a. Faith in Christ Jesus - 1 John 5:4; 1 Cor. 15:57; Phil. 2:13; 4:13 b. By the Holy Spirit - Zech. 4:6; Isa. 59:19 c. By the blood of Jesus Christ - Rev. 12:11 d. By the word of the testimony of the saints - Rev. 12:11 C. BLESSINGS AWAITING THE OVERCOMER 1. It is to be noted that the blessings promised to the overcomer are related to the specific conflicts won: a. Loyalty to truth will be rewarded with the privilege of eating of the tree of life - Rev. 2:7 b. Loyalty unto death will be rewarded with being saved from the second death. c. Steadfastness in our relationship to the Lord will bring the reward of being pillars in the church of the living God - Rev. 2:17 d. Perseverance in the faith will be rewarded with the garment of Christ's righteousness - Rev. 3:5; 19:7, 8 2. In the light of what we have considered, we must conclude: a. That Christianity implies a conflict for all who bear this name. b. That this conflict will be intensified as we near the end of time. c. That God will have a rich reward for all faithful soldiers of the cross when the conflict is ended. ## THE LOVING KINDNESS OF GOD - PSALMS 63:3 A. "BECAUSE THY LOVING KINDNESS IS BETTER THAN LIFE, MY LIPS SHALL PRAISE THEE." 1. The phrase "loving kindness" occurs a number of times in the Bible: a. The Psalmist uses this expression twenty-one times - Ps. 17:7; 92:2; 26:3; 36:8, 10; 40:10, 11; 42:8; 48:9; 51:1; 63:3; 69:16; 88:11, 33; 92:2; 103:4; 107:43; 119:88, 159; 138:2; 143:8 b. Jeremiah uses this phrase four times - Jer. 9:24; 16:5; 31:3; 32:18 c. It is found once in the Book of Hosea - Hos. 2:19 2. It will be most rewarding to the reader of the Bible to learn how the Psalmist and also the prophets used this phrase to magnify the love of God: B. NOTICE THREE HIGH POINTS IN OUR OPENING TEXT 1. God's loving kindness is joyfully acknowledged: a. "Thy loving kindness." b. "Thy loving kindness before mine eyes." c. "How excellent is thy loving kindness." 2. This loving kindness is manifested: a. In the gift of God's only Son! - John 3:16; Eph. 2:7 b. God spared not His only Son, but gave him up for us all - Rom. 8:31-33 c. It is displayed in His forgiving mercy and saving grace - Isa. 44:22; 43:25; Jer. 31:34 d. He manifests His loving kindness to those who love him - Ps. 103:13 e. In His promises to His children - Ps. 31:19 f. These are but a few of the many manifestations of God's loving kindness. 3. The superlative value of God's loving kindness: a. "Better than life." b. The truth is that life, health, talents, wealth, knowledge are all the gifts of God's loving kindness. c. God's loving kindness is above life because - 1) Life is supported by God's loving kindness. 2) It is the joy and felicity of life. 3) It sanctifies the adversities of life. 4) It is more endurable than life. These are but a few points about the loving kindness which we receive daily! C. ITS GRATEFUL INFLUENCE 1. "My lips shall praise thee." How our hearts should overflow with praise and heartfelt gratitude for God's loving kindness! 2. That praise should not be limited to lip service -- it should include: a. Undivided loyalty to God, His word, and His cause - EXAMPLES - 1) Joseph 2) Daniel and his friends 3) Stephen 4) Paul and many other faithfuls b. Loving service in His cause. How can we compensate for God's loving kindness more joyfully than dedicating our life to his service! ## THE MARVELOUS GRACE - 1 PETER 2:9 A. "THAT YE SHOULD SHOW FORTH THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT." 1. Our text shows that: a. True faith not only amends, but it also transforms. 2. Our views, dispositions, and actions are all transformed: a. It is this experience which brings great joy and is most convincing. 3. Our text is most illuminative on the effects of faith in Christ: B. LET US ATTEMPT TO ANALYZE PETER'S WORDS IN OUR TEXT 1. Darkness is our pristine natural condition: a. Sin is a work of darkness - 1) It blinds its victims - 2 Cor. 3:14; 4:4 2) That is the testimony of our Lord - John 12:40 b. Sin makes captive and imprisons its victims - Rom. 6:16 c. It places them in a state of wretchedness - Rom. 7:24 d. By nature we are spiritually dead in trespass and sin - Eph. 2:1 e. Jude speaks of the "blackness of darkness" - Jude 13 2. All this gives us a dark but true picture: a. This darkness was portrayed on Calvary when the Sinless was made sin. b. It is seen today when we see men and women slaves of evil habits seemingly beyond the bounds of redemption. 3. Redemption produces a change: a. We are called out of darkness into the marvelous light of truth. b. By the light of God's word - Ps. 119:105 c. It is the light of God's grace - Eph. 2:7, 8 d. The light of the blessed hope - Tit. 2:11-14 e. The light of eternal redemption. 4. All these and other blessings are summed up in the gospel of Jesus Christ: 2 Cor. 4:4-6 C. SUCH HEAVENLY BLESSINGS BRING WITH THEM CERTAIN OBLIGATIONS TO THE RECIPIENT 1. Gospel blessings cannot be hoarded away by the believer: a. They are to be shared with others - 1) The parable of the talents - Matt. 25:14 2) The pounds give a similar message - Luke 19:13-25 b. This shows that we all are, at best, God's stewards, entrusted with the blessings of the gospel of grace - 1 Pet. 4:10 2. Our mission in this world: a. To shew forth the praises of God. b. That means that we demonstrate with our transformed lives that God's word is indeed the power of God unto salvation. c. We are to be able to say with Peter and John, "Look at us" - Acts 3:1-3 d. Yes, we are to say with Paul, "it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal this son in me, that I might preach him unto the Gentiles." - Gal. 1:15, 16 e. This is the most effective way of witnessing for Christ - 1) "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." - Matt. 5:16 2) By the fruit shall we know the tree - Matt. 7:16-20 3) "While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear" - 1 Pet. 3:2 4) "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." - Rom. 2:13 3. Thus we see the work of God's marvelous grace: EXAMPLES - a. The lame man made whole - Acts 3:8, 9 b. The impotent man made whole - Matt. 9:7, 8 c. The work of the apostles - Acts 4:18-21 God grant that we, too, may manifest the marvelous grace of God to a dying world. ## WHAT LACK I YET? - MATTHEW 19:20 A. BACKGROUND TO THE QUESTION OF OUR TEXT 1. The eager inquiry by a young man: a. "What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" b. Our Lord referred him to the second table of the Ten Commandments. c. In answer to our Lord's quotation of some of the commandments, he said, "These I have kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?" 2. I fear that not many of this audience could make such a claim in the presence of one who knows our life like an open book: a. The assertion of the young ruler indicates his home life; he was taught loyalty to God's law - Deut. 6:4-7; that his parents instilled high principles into his life. B. LET US CONSIDER THE QUESTION OF OUR SUBJECT TITLE 1. The question of the young man is personal, "What lack I yet?" a. It is so easy for us to discover the lack in others - Luke 10:40 EXAMPLES - 1) The self-righteous Pharisees - Luke 18:11, 12 2) The unjust steward - Matt. 18:28-30 3) Consider those hypocrites that dragged a woman to Christ - John 8:1-9 b. Our Lord gives us a very strong warning - Matt. 7:1-5 2. How to know our lack: a. Examine ourselves in the light of the truth we profess to believe - 2 Cor. 13:5 b. We profess to believe in the highest moral standard known to man - Ex. 20:3-17; Matt. 7:12 c. Search our hearts very diligently to discover our lack. d. David even prayed that the Lord would search him to know his true state. e. Can we do less? 3. By searching the scriptures daily we learn God's holy will more perfectly: a. The Bereans did - Acts 17:11; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 b. The egotistical Pharisees failed to study the word for their own soul benefit - Matt. 22:29 4. Earnest prayer is a must: a. The Psalmist prayed, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts." - Ps. 139:23, 24 b. By obeying the light when it comes to us after earnest prayer - Jas. 1:22; 1 John 7:7-9 c. That is where the rich young ruler fell short; he came and inquired, but when he learned the cost of the lesson, he refused to heed the counsel given to him. C. OUR LORD'S COUNSEL TO THE YOUNG MAN 1. Note, please, the young man asked for it: a. "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." - Jas. 1:5 b. "Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you, ask and it shall be given unto you." - Matt. 7:7, 8 2. Our Lord stated to him the basic facts to entering the kingdom of heaven: a. Keep the commandments - 1 John 2:4-7; Isa. 48:18, 19; Eccl. 12:13, 14; Rev. 22:14 b. Share your material blessings with the poor - Matt. 25:31-34 c. "Follow me." That means that we forsake our own selfish ways and choose the way set out for us by the Lord of Glory - Jer. 6:16, 17. It means that we will fix our eyes upon the Lord Jesus and follow in his footsteps - Heb. 12:1-3 d. There were times when some of the disciples followed the Lord from what they thought was a safe distance, "But Peter followed him afar off" - Matt. 26:58 e. Would we have done any better than Peter? Would we brave the dangers of persecution and stand up for the truth? ## THE PROFANITY OF ESAU - HEBREWS 12:16 A. ESAU 1. What we know about his person: a. He was the oldest son of Isaac and Rebekah. b. He was, for some reason, his father's favored son. c. He was, by occupation, a hunter - Gen. 25:25-28 2. The Bible calls him a profane person: a. The word "profane" means to be disrespectful; to disregard, and to treat with contempt things of a religious nature. b. Some Bible translations speak of Esau as a wicked person, one that has no desire for God or His word; who lives by the impulses of his own heart. B. ESAU'S PROFANITY 1. He was godless: a. Even though he had been brought up in a God-fearing home, the same as Jacob, yet we have no record of him ever using the name of God in prayer or otherwise -- he was godless. b. His two wives were idol worshippers, and there is no record of him winning them to the worship of the true God. 2. He was disrespectful: a. As the first born to his parents, he was the heir to the birthright and its blessings. b. He manifested neither respect or interest in the birthright; he sold it for a mess of pottage - Gen. 25:32-34 c. He lived by his own sinful impulses and had no respect for the future; he lived for today, tomorrow was discounted by him. d. He cared for things temporal only; O yes, he wanted the blessing of the birthright, but refused the responsibility connected with the birthright. e. We shall see that Esau's profanity did not die with him; he has many counter parts in the world today. f. That is what makes this sermon of great importance to us. C. ESAU, A PROTOTYPE OF PROFANE PERSONS IN OUR DAY 1. He typifies those who attempt to live without God: a. Ps. 52:7 b. Jer. 10:16-24 2. He manifested the same attitude toward all God-given privileges as millions do in our day: a. Luke 14:16-24 b. John 5:40 3. Profane persons, who have no regard for things sacred, live for the present only, as Esau did: a. Luke 17:26-30 b. Jas. 5:1-9 c. Jas. 4:13-17 d. Dan. 5:1-4 4. Being brought up in a Christian home is no assurance against infidelity: a. Esau was under the identical influence as Jacob was; was taught the same truths; yet he was godless. b. That shows that godliness is a personal attitude, and cannot be instilled in the heart of even the closest relative. 5. Look into the history of God's people: a. The home of our first parents; they were God- fearing, yet Cain became the first murderer of the human race - Gen. 4:1-26 b. We think of the family of Samuel as a God-fearing family, yet his sons were so wicked that the Lord had to destroy them - 1 Sam. 8:3, 5 c. Think of the priest Eli and his sons; God had to destroy them because of their wickedness - 1 Sam. 2:12 6. Profanity cannot be limited to profane words, but it includes a complete exclusion of God from one's life: 7. Let us beware, dear friends, lest we shall become guilty of profanity, as Esau was: a. He excluded God out of his life. b. He disrespected his birthright, but sought the blessing of the birthright. c. He perished in sin. ## TAKE HEED WHAT YOU HEAR - MARK 4:24 A. THE ADMONITIONS BY OUR LORD ARE TIMELY AND APPLY ESPECIALLY TO OUR TIMES 1. Never before, in the long history of man, has humanity been surrounded by so many voices as today: a. The radio. b. The television. c. Press and kindred media. 2. What makes the Lord's warning doubly important is that the very air is filled with confusing and contradictive messages: a. Some things that are coming over the air are most harmful to the moral life of the listener. b. It takes a keen mind to differentiate between truth and error. B. LET US CONSIDER OUR OPENING TEXT TO LEARN ITS IMPLICATIONS 1. What we hear affects our life and gives direction to our attitude toward God and the world of sin: a. That was true in the experience of our first parents -- Had they heeded what God told them, the history of man would be different - Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:1-6 b. Had Cain heeded God's warning, he would never have murdered his brother - Gen. 4:6, 7; 8, 9 2. What we hear makes us responsible, regardless of our attitude: a. That was true in the experience of Moses and Aaron - Num. 20:8, 9-12 b. It was true in the experience of the man of God sent to Jeroboam - 1 Ki. 13:8, 21-25 c. It will be true in this last generation - Matt. 24:14 Truly, the warning by our Lord is an eye opener to all of us. C. GOD'S MEDIA TO SPEAK TO MAN 1. He has, in the past, used different means to speak to man: a. The voice of nature - Ps. 19:1-6; Rom. 1:20 b. The Son of God - Heb. 1:1-3; 12:26 c. The Holy Bible - Heb. 4:12; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; John 5:39 d. The Holy Spirit - Heb. 3:7-9; Rev. 22:17 e. Through the conscience - John 8:9; Acts 24:25 f. Through His church - Rev. 22:17 2. Christ's admonition has special signification for this present generation: a. The Three Angels' Messages going to every kindred and nation is God's final appeal to a rebellious world - Rev. 14:6-12 b. What the world hears through the Three Angels' Messages will leave men without excuse. c. It will bring men to a final decision to side either with God or with the anti-Christ. 3. But most of all, what we, the professed believers of the Advent message hear will: a. Prepare us for the soon coming of our Lord - Rev. 19:7, 8; Eph. 5:26, 27; 1 John 3:1-3 b. It will stir our hearts to a point where we will break with every known sin and place ourselves upon the altar for service. c. Or, if we do not heed God's message, it will seal our doom to eternal destruction - Heb. 12:25, 26; 2:1-3 ## "IS THERE NOT A CAUSE?" - 1 SAMUEL 17:29 A. WHEN GREAT JUDGMENTS HAPPEN, THERE MUST BE GREAT GUILT. WHEN A NATION, CITY, OR FAMILY IS BROUGHT INTO DANGER, IT IS WISE TO INQUIRE INTO THE CAUSE 1. David, doubtless, under divine inspiration, came to visit his brethren on the battlefield: a. He saw how the hearts of the soldiers of Israel fainted in the face of Goliath, the challenger. b. David thought of the situation as a reproach to all of Israel. 2. He offered to meet the challenger -- this to the dismay and displeasure of his brethren: a. It was in answer to the belittling by his brothers that he asked the question of our text. "Is there not a cause?" B. OUR TEXT RAISES A THOUGHT-PROVOKING QUESTION - "IS THERE NOT A CAUSE?" 1. The army of Israel was in total dismay at a time when courage and daring should have been one of the evidences of their strength: a. Their leader, the king, had been rejected by the Lord - 1 Sam. 15:28 b. The morale of the army was very poor; it was unprepared to meet the challenger - 1 Sam. 17:11 2. It was at this time that God made David the man of the hour: a. To save the honor of God and Israel. b. His concept of offering his service to his nation in the hour of crises was far more inclusive than his brethren comprehended. 3. Is there not a cause? a. Achan's sin affected a whole nation - 1) The Lord refused to join Israel in battle against their enemies because there was a curse in the midst of the camp of Israel - Josh. 7:1-26 2) The whole family of Achan was affected by his sin. b. That was true in the experience of David and the children of Israel - 2 Sam. 24:1-14 c. That was true in the experience of Jonah and the mariners connected with the ship he attempted to flee in - Jonah 1:4-15 d. That shows that we are responsible, at all times, for the fate of others. C. OUR OPENING TEXT IS A PENETRATING AND HEART SEARCHING QUESTION 1. Why are things with us as they are? a. Are they an accident over which we have no control? b. Or is there a cause or reason for it all? 2. Let us take a brief look into the experience of nations and individuals: a. Ancient Israel went into captivity, had its cities laid in ruin, its youth destroyed. Why? Was there a cause for it? b. The answer is yes; there was a cause -- sin, rebellion against God, idolatry; there was no other choice for God, but to cast them off. 3. Let us consider, briefly, some individuals: a. Two brothers in the family; of them God said, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated" - Rom. 9:13 b. Was there a cause for making such a great difference between two brothers? Yes, there was! Esau was an infidel, and Jacob loved the Lord. c. Cain and Abel; two brothers in the same family, both religiously minded, yet, God accepted the sacrifice of Abel, and rejected the offering of Cain - Gen. 4:1-9 d. Was there a cause? Yes, indeed, sin in the heart of Cain was the cause. 4. Our God is reasonable: a. He invites men to come and reason together with Him - Isa. 1:16-19 b. When we get into difficulties or into tight places, let us ask ourselves the question of our text - "Is there not a reason or cause for my present situation?" c. If our bodies break down before we feel it is time, can there be a cause for that? The answer must be yes, there is a cause; sin against our body is the reason. d. We must ever remember that the Bible says, "whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap" - Gal. 6:7, 8 e. Life is not a chance, not an accident; if things happen there must be a reason, a cause for it all. ## "BE TROUBLED, YE CARELESS ONES" - ISAIAH 32:11 A. "BE TROUBLED, YE CARELESS ONES" 1. The context will show that this warning is given to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judea: 2. Dire predictions concerning the city and the land in general are made by the Lord: 3. This passage, however, may be appropriately applied to all who are in a state of indifference about their soul: B. LET US CONSIDER THE IMPLICATION OF OUR TEXT 1. To Whom it Applies: a. "Ye careless ones" b. To be careless signifies inattention, indifference, unconcern, heedlessness. 2. Who are the careless? a. Those who live as without God in the world - EXAMPLES - 1) Esau - Gen. 25:30-34. We have no Bible record showing that he believed in God! 2) Pharaoh - Ex. 5:2 3) Rabshakeh the Assyrian - 2 Ki. 18:29-34 b. They who neglect communion or fellowship with the Lord - Jer. 10:25; Hos. 7:7 c. All who make an outward profession, yet deny the Lord in their daily life - 2 Tim. 3:1-9 d. They who neglect their spiritual nature - Rev. 3:14-17 3. Let us note the indicated symptoms of the careless: a. They are inattentive - EXAMPLES - 1) The relatives of Lot - Gen. 19:14 2) The special guests - Luke 14:17-20 b. The indifferent - Luke 17:26-29; Matt. 24:36-39 c. The unconcerned - Luke 12:16-20; 21:34-38; 1 Thess. 5:1-9 d. The heedless ones - Heb. 3:7-9; 4:1-9; Acts 24:25 C. WHY THE HEEDLESS ONES OUGHT TO BE CONCERNED 1. God is exceedingly displeased with their carelessness: a. Said He to the antediluvians, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man" - Gen. 6:3 b. "For when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction shall come upon them" - 1 Thess. 5:3 2. God has a time limit for sinners and saints: a. For sinners - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; Heb. 3:7-9 b. When their cup of iniquity is full, they will drink out of it - EXAMPLES - 1) Belshazzar and his lords - Dan. 5:1-18 2) Herod - Acts 12:23 3) Ananias and his wife Sapphira - Acts 5:1-14 4) All the nations - Isa. 51:17; Jer. 25:31 c. Professed Christians -- Our Lord's admonition, "Watch and pray" - Matt. 24:42-44 d. He is against the careless preachers - Matt. 24:48-51 e. Laodiceans take notice - Rev. 3:14-17 3. Why the careless ought to be deeply concerned: a. There is an accounting taking place of all we do, say, or think - 2 Cor. 5:10 b. Our Lord warns us against that time - Matt. 12:36, 37 c. We are well advised to discontinue to be careless, or take the consequences of our carelessness. ## REPENTANCE, FORGIVENESS, RETRIBUTION - 2 SAMUEL 12:1-14 A. "AND DAVID SAID UNTO NATHAN, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE LORD. AND NATHAN SAID UNTO DAVID, THE LORD ALSO HATH PUT AWAY THY SIN; THOU SHALT NOT DIE. HOWBEIT, BECAUSE BY THIS DEED THOU HAST GIVEN GREAT OCCASION TO THE ENEMIES OF THE LORD TO BLASPHEME, THE CHILD ALSO THAT IS BORN UNTO THEE SHALL SURELY DIE." 1. David's confession of his sin: a. Was sincere and heartfelt - Ps. 32:1-6 b. It evoked deep sorrow in his heart; he never was the same man after this - Ps. 41:4; 51:4 2. God, who knows our heart, was ready and willing to forgive David his sin: Mi. 7:18, 19 a. That is the promise to all who are truly sorry for their sin - Isa. 55:7 b. The story of the prodigal son is encouraging testimony for the willingness of the Lord to forgive us - Luke 15:11-27 B. LET US NOTE THREE RELATED TRUTHS REVEALED IN OUR OPENING TEXT 1. Repentance: a. Deep, heartfelt contrition is basic to true repentance - 2 Cor. 7:10 b. An open confession is required - 1 John 1:9; Prov. 28:13; Ps. 32:1-12 c. Restitution, when possible, must be made - Luke 19:1-8 d. This was impossible in the case of David -- he could not restore the man that fell in battle, nor could he give his wife back to him. 2. Forgiveness: "The Lord hath put away thy sin" a. The pardon was immediate. One minute David stood guilty and lost, and the next minute he was forgiven. b. Not only was the pardon immediate but it was complete - John 8:36 3. Retribution: "Howbeit . . . the child shall surely die" a. Our text makes it crystal clear - 1) That pardon for sin does not mean impunity altogether. 2) The effects of sin seem unavoidable. 3) We cannot recall it. Speak a word and you cannot recall it; think a thought and you cannot change it. b. We cannot control its evil influence - 1) The law of sowing and reaping - Gal. 6:7 2) The sins in our lives quickly enter into the bloodstream of others. c. There are times when the Lord allows us to harvest the results of our own sins, not to punish us, but rather to teach us a soul-saving lesson for the benefit of others. C. FRIENDS, WE HAVE TAKEN A BRIEF LOOK AT THREE RELATED FACTS WHICH FOLLOW SIN 1. Repentance: A deep and heartfelt sorrow because of our sin against God, his cause, and our fellow men. If it is sincere, it will bring good and lasting benefits. 2. Forgiveness: That is God's nature -- mercy, compassion, and pardon. How thankful we ought to be that we have a forgiving Saviour! 3. Retribution: Sin is a contagion, a malady, a poison, and its effects cannot easily be erased. Look into the history of mankind and see the scars sin has made in the lives of saints and sinners; in the lives of kings and prophets. It is frightening to think of the final wage of sin - Rom. 6:23. There is but one hiding place -- under the blood of Jesus Christ. ## THE SUPREMACY OF THE SPIRITUAL - ZECHARIAH 4:6 A. "NOT BY MIGHT, NOR BY POWER, BUT BY MY SPIRIT, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS." 1. This heavenly assurance came to Zerubbabel, the governor of the Jewish province at a time: a. When the work was at a standstill. b. When even the stouthearted of the returning Jews grew faint. 2. The Jews from exile were few and poor; and the enemy that harassed them was strong and very active: 3. To encourage the hearts of His people, God assured them in the words of our text: a. Not by might, nor by power, b. But by my Spirit, saith the Lord. B. CONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE GRACIOUS PROMISE GOD GAVE TO HIS PEOPLE 1. Not By Might: a. With these words the Lord indicates the might as conceived by men; God does not choose to finish his work in that manner. b. Think of the means God used by the hand of Gideon to free Israel - Judg. 7:4 c. David used a small stone and a sling - 1 Sam. 17:1-39 d. Recall the means Samson used to smite the Philistines - Judg. 15:3-5, 8, 9 2. Nor By Power: a. This was a timely message for the Jews; they were so weak that the enemy made sport of their feebleness. b. Material power may have its place, but it cannot change the heart - Jer. 13:23 c. You recall what Peter said to one Simon - Acts 8:18-20 3. Salvation is of a spiritual nature which must be effected by spiritual power: a. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit - John 3:1-9 b. Spiritual things are perceived by a spiritual mind - 1 Cor. 2:10-14 C. THE SUPREMACY OF THE SPIRITUAL 1. It is noteworthy that David, a man of war, skilled in the art of war in his day, recognized this glorious truth and freely acknowledged the supremacy of the Spiritual: a. "Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand." b. "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God." c. "They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen and attend upright." d. "There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength. An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength." - Ps. 20:6-8; 33:16; 44:6 2. The Holy Spirit is the key to the success of any God approved project: a. He transforms human nature - 1 Sam. 10:6; 2 Cor. 3:18, 19 b. He gives us a new outlook upon life - 1 Cor. 2:11-14 c. He replaces hatred with love - Rom. 5:5 d. He convicts of sin - John 16:7-13 e. He brings comfort to the sorrowing - Isa. 40:1, 2 f. He creates new hope in our hearts. This is important for us in these last days when the Saviour foretold that men's hearts would fail them for fear of the things that shall come upon the earth - Luke 21:24-26 g. Finally, and gloriously, God's Spirit prepares our life for glory land. This is the key to the Supremacy of the Spiritual - 1) It enables and it transforms. 2) It preserves and prepares for the world to come. Thank God for the supremacy of the Spiritual! ## CHRIST RECEIVING SINNERS - LUKE 15:2, 3 A. "THIS MAN RECEIVETH SINNERS" 1. The Pharisees were our Lord's greatest enemies: a. They sought occasion to accuse him of being a false prophet. b. They were filled with spiritual pride and paraded it at the street corners and in the market places - Matt. 6:5 c. To them it was a disgrace to come in contact with what they called 'sinners'. 2. When they saw our Lord being surrounded by tax collectors and publicans, they sought to mark him as a false teacher because he received sinners: a. That attitude, by the supposed leaders in Israel, revealed that they were blind to both the plan of redemption and also to the mission of the Son of God - Luke 6:39; Matt. 15:14; 23:16 b. That shows, further, that it is possible to have the form of truth, yet be totally ignorant of our mission in this world. B. "THIS MAN RECEIVETH SINNERS" 1. This statement, by the Pharisees, was intended to be a taunt, a stigma: 2. But, unwittingly, they expressed the very heart of the mission of our Lord: a. "For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." - Matt. 9:13 b. "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which is lost." - Luke 19:10; Matt. 18:11 c. Said the angel, "thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." - Matt. 1:21; Acts 3:26 d. "For there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." - Acts 4:12 3. "This man receiveth sinners." Let us note a few implications of this statement: a. Since all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God - Rom. 3:23; 6:19 b. And since sin has brought all men under condemnation - Rom. 5:12-19 c. It is an expression of God's love to invite sinners to come to Him through Jesus Christ, our Lord - John 3:16 d. What would poor sinners, under condemnation, do with their sins if they could not come to Christ - 1) The Lamb of God which alone can take away sins - John 1:29 2) It is Christ, who died for our sins - 1 Cor. 15:3 C. CONDITIONS AND BLESSINGS OF CHRIST'S RECEIVING SINNERS 1. Conditions: a. Come and confess our sins is a basic condition to be received by Christ - 1) The prodigal son - Luke 15:18 2) The thief - Luke 23:38-44 b. Make restitution as far as it is in our power - Luke 19:8 c. Sin no more - John 5:14; 8:11 2. Heavenly assurance: a. "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." - John 6:37 b. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matt. 11:28 c. "Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." - Rom. 10:11 3. Yes, Christ does receive sinners: a. I personally know it from experience! b. If you have not experienced the joy of salvation -- why not come to Him now? c. His arms are still stretched out to receive you - Isa. 65:1, 2; Luke 15:20 d. Thank God for His mercy when He sent Jesus to receive sinners -- that is the heart of the plan of redemption! ## BRUISES AND WOUNDS - JEREMIAH 30:12 A. "FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD, THY BRUISE IS INCURABLE, AND THY WOUND IS GRIEVOUS" 1. These words are directed primarily to God's ancient covenant people, showing the reason for their going into captivity: 2. But I believe that they have a spiritual message for the people today: a. "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning" - Rom. 15:4 b. "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." - 1 Cor. 10:11 B. BRUISES AND WOUNDS 1. Our opening text shows the sinner's true condition, as God sees it: a. Bruises. Everyone living in sin will receive bruises. That is the work of the devil - Luke 9:39; 10:30 b. Satan will leave no soundness in his victims - Isa. 1:6 c. He will leave incurable wounds - Ps. 38:5; Prov. 23:29 EXAMPLES - 1) Samson - Judg. 16:20 2) Esau - Heb. 12:16, 17 3) Judas - Matt. 27:1-5 2. Attitude of the world when they see you bruised and wounded: a. Who cared for the prodigal when he was down and out? - Luke 15:11-29 b. Who cared when Judas hung himself? - Matt. 27:1-5 3. Effects of bruises and wounds: a. You are incapacitated for doing good. b. You are losing precious opportunities to prepare for the kingdom of God - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; John 5:3-6 c. You miss the blessing of the great feast of the Lord - Luke 14:16-28 d. Who is able to measure the effects of sin in this present world or in the world to come? C. BUT NONE NEED DESPAIR OR BE DISHEARTENED 1. There is a promise for the bruised and the wounded: a. "I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thy wounds, saith the Lord." - Jer. 30:17 b. There is balm in Gilead - Jer. 8:22; 46:11 c. It is found in the wounds of the Lamb of God - Isa. 53:5 EXAMPLES - 1) The prodigal son was restored fully - Luke 15:22-32 2) Mary Magdalene was restored fully - Mark 16:9 3) The woman of Samaria was restored - John 4:1-29 d. "I will, says the Lord, heal thy wounds" - Ps. 103:1-3; 143:3; Luke 10:34 2. To heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds was the great mission of the Son of God, when he came into this sin-sick world: a. That is what the prophet Isaiah foretold - Isa. 61:1 b. That prediction was quoted by the Lord as finding its fulfillment in Him - Luke 4:18 c. He will wear the scars of the wounds He received for you and me forever and ever. They will be a mark of His love for poor sinners - Zech. 13:6 3. How wonderful is God's love which has made provisions for healing our wounds and bruises: a. That mission of mercy occupied the largest part of our Lord's ministry - Acts 10:38 b. He is the great Physician of our body and our soul - Ex. 16:26 c. Of Him the Psalmist writes, "who healeth all thy diseases" - Ps. 103:1-3 4. Dear friend, do you know this Physician from experience? Has he touched your heart and your body with the hand of healing? 5. How wonderful it is to know from experience that God is willing to heal us from the wounds caused by sin! ## THE VALUE OF MAN - PSALMS 8:1-9 A. HUMAN ESTIMATES OF THE VALUE OF MAN 1. Chemists say 'man' is worth about ninety-eight cents: 2. Nations' estimate of man in time of war: a. Used to be less than the price of a good horse. b. Less than any investment made for military reasons. 3. In places of amusements, man is worth less than the satisfaction of animal passions, less than a filthy dollar made either in a liquor store or in a tavern, or in a theater: B. MAN'S IMPORTANCE IN THE UNIVERSE 1. Counted as a small dust: Isa. 40:15 2. Lighter than nothing: Ps. 62:9 3. His endurance is comparable to: a. Green grass - Isa. 40:6; 1 Pet. 1:24 b. Vapor - Jas. 4:14 c. A tale that is told - Ps. 90:9 4. His stand before God: a. As an unclean thing - Isa. 64:6 b. A condemned rebel - Rom. 3:23, 9-11 c. A slave to evil habits - Rom. 7:15-17, 25, 26; Jer. 13:23 d. A captive of Satan - John 8:34, 44; 2 Tim. 2:26; Rom. 6:16 e. The prodigal son - Luke 15:11-32 f. The lost sheep - Luke 15:1-6 g. A stranger to the promise of God - Eph. 2:11 h. Less than nothing - Ps. 62:9 C. CHANGED VALUES 1. The gospel of Jesus Christ has changed the value of man: a. He has again become a son of God - 1 John 3:1-3; John 1:12, 13 b. A new creation - 2 Cor. 5:14-17; Eph. 2:10 c. Worth more than the whole world - Matt. 16:26 d. The salt of the earth - Matt. 5:13 e. The light of the world - Matt. 5:14-16 f. A costly pearl - Matt. 13:45, 46 g. One of God's treasured jewels - Mal. 3:16, 17 h. A saint - Ps. 50:5; 1 Cor. 1:2 i. A fellow heir to God's promises - Eph. 3:6 2. The price God was willing to pay for man's redemption: a. "Ye are bought with a price" - 1 Cor. 6:20 b. The price for man's redemption included the best Heaven had to offer - John 3:16 c. Holy angels are put to serve men that are to be heirs of God's kingdom - Heb. 1:13, 14 1) They protect him against danger - Ps. 34:7; Dan. 6:22 2) They deliver men from death - Acts 5:19 3) They are God's messengers of peace to men - Luke 2:13, 14 4) They will gather the saints for a trip to heaven - Matt. 24:31 d. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is wholly dedicated to the preparation of man for immortality - John 16:13; Zech. 4:6 ## THE POWER OF MEMORY - GENESIS 41:9 A. "THEN SPAKE THE CHIEF BUTLER UNTO PHARAOH, SAYING, I REMEMBER MY FAULTS THIS DAY" 1. The story of Joseph is familiar to most Bible readers. It never loses its attraction: a. Children hearing the story of Joseph are fascinated by its pathos. b. It ranks among the best of the Bible stories. 2. The chief butler had a good reason to make the confession, as stated in our text: a. Joseph's interpretation of the butler's dream brought hope to him to be set free again. b. And it was in appreciation of this deed of kindness that Joseph asked him to remember him when he regained his freedom - Gen. 40:7-15 B. THE POWER OF MEMORY 1. Memory is a God-given faculty: a. To be treasured by us for what it does for us even in this present life. b. With it we can bring to our mind God's wonderful promises. c. With it we can recall the Lord's wonderful care for us in adversity, in sorrow, and in danger. d. With it we can encourage ourselves in meeting life's duties. 2. We should guard our memory as we would guard life itself: a. If Satan can harm or destroy our memory, he has destroyed our usefulness. b. That is why he assails our memory continuously because he knows its powers. 3. Function of the memory: a. Memory is based upon events or incidents that have made a strong impression upon our minds, in one way or another. b. David made great use of the power of memory - Ps. 42:6; 77:10; 143:5 c. The ability to use the power of memory has, at times, meant the difference between life and death. 4. Our text reveals two special blessings of memory: a. The power of association, "I remember this day" - Gen. 40:14, 15; 41:9. Pharaoh's dream sharpened the memory of the butler. He, too, had a dream while in prison, and Joseph interpreted it. The power of conscience aided the butler to make good his duty to Joseph. b. The experience of the butler reveals how powerful a conscience is. This idolater sensed a consciousness of guilt, of neglect, and of ingratitude. It exited a painful feeling of remorse. He was truly sorry for his sin of neglect. C. A SPECIAL LESSON FOR US 1. Does our memory open to us our faults? a. If it does, it is a great blessing. b. That gives us an opportunity to make things right. c. The chief butler must have been grateful that he still had opportunity to make things right. 2. Seven things our sharpened memory ought to bring to us this evening: a. How good the Lord has been all the days of our lives. When I think of God's mercies to me in all my unworthy life, I have no words to express my humble gratitude toward Him for his love and care. b. How often we have failed Him and our fellow men in either word or deed. c. How often we entered the shadows of death, and somehow, we do not know how, we were snatched out of the very shadows of death. d. How has our memory affected our lives? Has it helped us to avoid the pitfalls of sin? e. Does our memory bring to our minds God's promises in the hour of temptation, or in the hour of sorrow? f. Is it a grateful memory -- filled with praise and thanksgiving? g. Finally, does our memory retain God in its great powers? - Eccl. 12:1-6 ## MAN, A TOMB OR A TEMPLE MATTHEW 23:37; 2 CORINTHIANS 6:16 A. "YE ARE LIKE UNTO WHITED SEPULCHERS." "YE ARE THE TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD." 1. Both these utterances are addressed to men: a. That reveals two possibilities in our lives - 1) We can be a tomb 2) Or a temple 2. We have the capacity of virtue or of vice, of joy and of sorrow: B. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT 1. A Tomb: a. It is dark, no light penetrates it. b. It is lifeless. c. There are no activities outside of the worms that feed upon the bodies of the dead. d. There is corruption and decay. e. It is full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 2. The Tomb is a representation of the condition of those who are dead in trespass and sin: a. Darkness fills body, soul, and Spirit - 2 Cor. 6:14; John 3:19; Rom. 13:12 b. They are dead in trespass and sin - Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 2:13 c. Heart and soul are defiled and full of moral corruption - Matt. 15:19-21; Eph. 4:22; 1 Tim. 6:5; Rom. 3:10-18 3. There is strong evidence of the presence of Satan: a. Think of the demon possessed beings - Mark 5:1-10 b. Consider the bloodthirsty spirit of the scribes and Pharisees who paraded in sheep's clothing - Matt. 23:29-35 C. A TEMPLE 1. The dwelling place of the Holy Spirit: a. 1 Cor. 3:16, 17 b. 1 Cor. 6:19, 20 2. Lighted up with the word of truth: Ps. 119:105, 130 3. Full of the life of the Holy Spirit: a. Experience of the believers on the day of Pentecost - Acts 2:1-17 b. The gifts of the Holy Spirit will fill the soul- temple with life and light - Gal. 5:22, 23 D. THE GREAT DIFFERENCE 1. A tomb houses the dead: 2. A temple houses God's Holy Spirit: 3. You and I have it in our power to be: a. A tomb b. Or a temple. 4. If we allow Satan to control our lives, we shall be a tomb: 5. But if we let Christ come into our hearts, we shall be the temple of the living God. Which shall we be? 6. There is a prayer in my heart that as you weigh the decision you and every other person must make: a. You will realize the importance of your life, body, soul, and spirit, bought with an infinite price - 1 Cor. 6:20 b. You will see the wisdom of Paul's admonition to the Romans, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." - Rom. 12:1 c. There is a difference in the final outcome of what our lives have been, a temple or a tomb - 1) Think of Judas - Matt. 27:1-5 2) Or of Paul - Acts 9:15 3) What is your life? ## THE SEARCHING TEST - LUKE 18:18-30 A. "AND A CERTAIN RULER ASKED HIM, SAYING, GOOD MASTER, WHAT SHALL I DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE?" 1. Of special interest to the careful reader of the Bible is in the fact that similar questions were asked by different persons: a. John the Baptist was approached by the publicans, "Master, what shall we do?" - Luke 3:12 b. The soldiers, listening to John, asked, "What shall we do?" - Luke 3:14 c. The multitude, who had been stirred by Peter's sermon the day of Pentecost, asked "What shall we do?" - Acts 2:37 d. A lawyer asked the Lord, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" - Luke 10:25 e. Saul, of Tarsus, asked the Lord, "What wilt thou have me to do?" - Acts 9:6 f. The startled Jailer said, "What must I do to be saved?" - Acts 16:30 2. All these burning questions show that the salvation of man is, as it has been in the past, a very burning question for every judgment bound sinner: B. THE SEARCHING TEST 1. The petitioner in our text: a. A prominent man in Jewish Society - 1) Very wealthy. 2) Excellent in character. 3) Apparently very sincere. b. Jesus loved him - Mark 10:21 2. His attitude at first: a. Very eager -- he came running - Mark 10:17 b. He kneeled to our Lord. c. He had sufficient faith in Christ to ask for guidance in spiritual matters; all this in spite of the bitter opposition of the leaders. d. This was noteworthy of this young man, worthy of our emulation. 3. His question -- "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" a. Is most revealing. b. He was wealthy and popular, but was not satisfied with his knowledge or his life. c. He longed for something better than he had. d. He was thinking of things eternal. All this is to his good. 4. His attitude toward eternal life and its requirements show: a. That the schools of the Pharisees had left him in darkness on one of the most vital truths in the Bible - eternal life! b. He knew that only the Author of life (John 1:4; 14:6) could give the true answer. C. THE SEARCHING TEST 1. All went exceedingly well up to this point: a. The question was proper and worthy of an answer. b. The Lord loved him; he admired him for his moral attitude and a desire for eternal life. c. He was, indeed, an exceptional person. 2. Until the all-knowing Lord and Master applied the divine test: a. "Keep the commandments" b. Obedience to God's law is the key to the straight gate and the narrow road that leads to life everlasting - Rev. 14:12; 22:14; 1 John 2:4-7; 5:4, 5 3. The questioner's instant reaction was: "which?" a. That was the beginning of the unfolding of his misinformation because with God there is no difference -- all commandments are equally important and binding - Jas. 2:8-11 b. The word "which" is selective and it has no place in God's plan - Matt. 5:17-19 4. Our Lord referred him to the sixth commandment, and here is where he failed to meet the test: Deut. 6:4-9; Matt. 22:34-38 5. He refused to comply with the requirements of heaven. Would you have done any better? ## PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD - AMOS 4:11, 12 A. HERE IS A MESSAGE WHICH NO ONE CAN BY-PASS 1. A meeting with God is as certain as death: a. Every eye shall see Him - Rev. 1:7-8 b. All shall appear before Him - Matt. 25:31-33 c. It is a question of time only -- some sooner and some a little later. 2. This message has special significance for the children of God - Israel: a. Members of the church. b. People professing to believe God's word - Ps. 50:7-23 B. PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD 1. This admonition shows that we are not prepared to meet God: a. Our condition is stated in Rev. 3:14-17 b. How serious is it to meet God? Ask Job - Job 42:1- 5. The prophet Isaiah, too, knows what it means to be in the presence of the great King - Isa. 6:1-6 2. Christ gives special emphasis to prepare to be able to stand before the Son of man: a. "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." - Luke 21:36 b. "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such a time as ye think not the Son of man cometh." - Matt. 24:44 3. The signs of the time urge us to get ready to meet God: Matt. 24:26-44 4. How are we to get ready to meet God? a. Prepare our hearts - 2 Chron. 12:14; 30:19 b. Put on the garment of salvation - Isa. 61:10; 64:6; Rev. 6:13-15; 16:15; Matt. 22:1-12 5. When are we to get ready? a. Some people say in their hearts, "My Lord delayeth His coming" - Matt. 24:48 b. They raise questions about the coming of the Lord which are uncalled for -- "We see not our signs: there is no more any prophet: neither is there among us any that knoweth how long." - Ps. 74:9 c. God says, "Now is the time to prepare to meet your God" - Ps. 5:4; 2 Cor. 6:1-3; Heb. 3:7-9 d. In the accepted time - Matt. 25:1-12; Luke 13:25-28 C. TO MEET THY GOD 1. He wants to meet us in the prayer closet: Matt. 6:6; 18:20 2. We are to meet him before the throne of grace: Heb. 4:16 3. He wants to meet us on that great homecoming day when Jesus takes us to meet our heavenly Father: Heb. 12:22-24 4. We all will have to meet Him on that great judgment day: 2 Cor. 5:10 5. Let us come to God our Father by the Lord Jesus Christ: ## DIVINE PARDON - ISAIAH 55:7, 8 A. "LET THE WICKED FORSAKE HIS WAY, AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS MAN HIS THOUGHTS: AND LET HIM RETURN UNTO THE LORD, AND HE WILL HAVE MERCY UPON HIM; AND TO OUR GOD, FOR HE WILL ABUNDANTLY PARDON." 1. The pardoning of our sins is the foundation blessing of all the enjoyments and privileges the gospel presents: a. We are, by our very nature, sinners; sin is the transgression of God's law - Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:22; 1 John 3:4 b. The transgression of God's law brings the sinner under condemnation; he stands in need of divine pardon - Rom. 5:12-19 2. Pardon is, therefore, the very heart of the plan of salvation: a. We think of Mary Magdalene - Luke 7:37-47 b. The publican - Luke 18:13, 14 B. "HE WILL ABUNDANTLY PARDON." PLACING THE EMPHASIS UPON THESE WORDS, LET US NOTE THESE WONDERFUL TRUTHS 1. Consider the disparity between God and those whom He pardons: a. He is the Eternal and self-existent One, divinely self-sufficient - Isa. 57:15 b. Those who are pardoned by Him are but a speck of dust, a little more than the atom - Isa. 40:15 c. He is the embodiment of Holiness and perfection; his eyes are purer than to behold evil - Hab. 1:13 d. The sinners are defiled and in a state of rebellion against God's will - Isa. 1:4-6; Rom. 3:9-19 2. Yet, God's pardon far exceeds man's guilt of sin: a. Meditate upon Isa. 1:18; 55:7 b. Think of the words found in Ezek. 16:6 - "And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live." c. Rejoice over Mi. 7:18, 19; Isa. 38:17 3. Mark the contrast between the offenses committed against God and men: a. Sin is aggravated by the dignity of Him against whom we have sinned, and by our obligations to Him. b. Now the Being against whom we have sinned is not only the greatest but also the best Being in the universe - Jas. 1:17 c. Remember the divine independence and power of God to punish, yet He still loves to pardon our transgressions - Isa. 55:7 d. How different is the pardon by men - 1) They forgive with difficulty. 2) He limits his forgiveness - Matt. 18:21 (Is seven times enough?) e. Keep in mind the story as recorded in Luke 16:1-22; Matt. 18:23-32 f. How often do we hear words like these, "I will forgive him, but I am unable to forget"; thus attaching a condition to his forgiveness. g. That is why the Lord makes our readiness to forgive others a condition to His forgiveness - 1) Forgive as we forgive - Matt. 6:15 2) "If ye forgive not from your heart" - Matt. 18:35 4. How differently is the forgiveness by our heavenly Father: a. "I will remember their sins no more." b. "I will blot out their transgression." c. "I will remember them no more." - Mi. 7:18, 19; Isa. 44:20 5. Let us claim the wonderful promise of our merciful God as recorded in our opening text: a. Yes, it is conditional -- based upon our attitude toward sin. b. It must be confessed. c. There must be sincere sorrow over our sin - Ps. 32:1-9 d. We must want to be set free from the power of sin. e. As free moral agents, we can claim the pardon of our God, or we can reject it. f. Friends of mine, what is your personal reaction to this message this evening? g. Are you ready to seek and accept the pardon God offers through the gospel of Jesus Christ? ## SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS - MATTHEW 6:33 A. WHAT HAVE PEOPLE NOT UNDERTAKEN IN THEIR ADVENTURE FOR EARTHLY GAIN? 1. Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage: Gen. 25:31-34; Heb. 12:16 2. Lot chose Sodom because that valley was very fertile: Gen. 13:13, 14 3. Balaam sought to curse Israel for gain: Num. 23:1-3; Jude 11 4. Judas sold the Prince of life for thirty pieces of silver: Matt. 26:15, 16 5. Ananias and Sapphira attempted to lie to Peter because of the filthy lucre: Acts 5:1-11 B. "SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD" 1. Its value is immeasurable: a. In it dwelleth righteousness - 2 Pet. 3:13 b. It is eternal - Heb. 12:28; Dan. 2:44, 45 c. Its glories cannot be comprehended by us - 1 Cor. 2:9-11 d. It is without money or price - Isa. 55:1-3 e. It includes all God's promises - 2 Cor. 1:20; Gal. 3:16 2. "And his righteousness": a. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God's righteousness - 1 Cor. 1:30, 31; Jer. 23:6 b. God's law is righteousness - Ps. 119:172 3. God's requirements are most reasonable: a. Our temporal needs are not overlooked by our heavenly Father - Matt. 6:24-34 b. "My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" - Phil. 4:19 c. They, too, are the gift of God - 1) "Give us this day our daily bread" - Matt. 6:11 2) They are added unto us - Matt. 6:33 d. For our heavenly Father knows and supplies our needs - Matt. 6:33 e. If we could learn this lesson and have childlike faith in God. C. SOME REASONS WHY WE SHOULD TAKE HEED TO THE ADMONITION OF OUR LORD 1. We must heed the admonition: a. Because of our natural tendency to be preoccupied with the cares of this life - Luke 21:34; Matt. 13:22 b. Because of our ignorance of true values - John 6:27 2. There is a great risk in our delay: a. This is illustrated in the parable of the five foolish virgins - Matt. 25:1-12 b. Our own life is so uncertain - Luke 12:20; Gen. 33:17-20 c. God's appointed time is Now - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; Heb. 3:7-9 3. Rule of God's kingdom: a. First things come first - 1) Moses had to remove his shoes first before he could commune with the Lord - Ex. 2:5 2) His hands had to be held first before the army could win against the enemy - Ex. 17:11 3) Abraham had to go all the way in offering Isaac before the Lord demonstrated that he provided for himself a sacrifice - Gen. 22:1-12 4. Why so few seek the kingdom of God first: a. God's kingdom is light, and sinners love darkness rather than light - John 3:19-21 b. God's kingdom is based upon truth and righteousness, but the world would rather believe a lie and refuse to comply with the principles of the kingdom. c. The kingdom of God requires self-denial, and so many people do not want to deny themselves - Matt. 19:16-22 d. There is a price attached to seeking the kingdom of God, stated by the Son of God - Matt. 10:34-36; Mark 10:28-30; Matt. 19:16-22 e. The kingdom of God is based upon love, and the world does not possess this heavenly gift. ## OBJECTS OF THE DIVINE DELIGHT - PSALMS 149:4, 5 A. "FOR THE LORD TAKETH PLEASURE IN HIS PEOPLE." 1. What an inspiration comes to our hearts when we read in the Bible about the great affections of God for His children: a. They are the apple of His eye - Deut. 32:10; Ps. 17:8 b. A peculiar treasure - Mal. 3:17 c. A royal priesthood - 1 Pet. 2:9 d. The portion of God's inheritance - Ps. 119:57 2. They are, as our opening text states, His great delight: B. LET US CONSIDER THESE TRUTHS 1. The Saints are God's people: a. He created them for His pleasure - Isa. 43:7; Rev. 4:11 b. He redeemed them for His glory - Eph. 1:6; 1 Pet. 2:9, 10 c. They bear His name - Rev. 22:4 d. They bear His image - Gen. 1:26, 27; Rom. 8:29 e. They possess the Lord's Spirit - Rom. 8:12-16; 1 Cor. 6:19, 20 2. The Lord delights in them: a. "The Lord taketh pleasure in his people" - Ps. 147:11 EXAMPLES - 1) Daniel - Dan. 10:11 2) Abraham - 2 Chron. 20:7 3) Job - Job 1:1-3 b. He does so in their person. c. Their bodies are His dwelling place - 2 Cor. 6:16; 1 Cor. 6:19 d. He takes pleasure in their health, in their success, and in their spiritual growth. e. He shares with them their joys and also their griefs - Isa. 53:4 f. They are indeed the delight of His soul. C. WHAT GOD KNOWS AND SEES IN HIS CHILDREN THAT GIVES HIM SUCH AFFECTIONATE DELIGHT 1. Negatively: a. Not because of their sins. b. They grieve him and cause him much work and weariness - Isa. 43:24; 47:13 c. Not when they go through suffering and pain - Isa. 63:9 d. Not in the death of His children - John 11:35 2. Positively: a. In their redemption from sin - Luke 15:6, 9, 23 b. In their loyalty to His will - Gen. 18:17-19 c. In their eagerness to witness of the great wonderful works of God - Acts 7:55 d. In their childlike trust in His mercy - Ps. 91:14 3. This raises a number of challenging questions for each of us to ponder: a. Am I so closely connected with the Lord to know that He delights in me? b. What can I conscientiously point to in my life that would cause delight to my heavenly Father? c. Do I take delight in Him, His Word, His people, and His Cause? 4. May I close this outline with this humble prayer offered by David on a number of occasions: "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." - Ps. 139:23, 24 ## THE HOPE OF THE BACKSLIDER - HOSEA 14:1-6 A. A BACKSLIDER 1. One falling behind or out of step; one who retrogresses in his moral duties: a. Lot's wife is a vivid example of backsliding - Gen. 19:26 b. The prophet Jeremiah uses the word "backsliding" twelve times - Jer. 2:19; 3:6, 8, 11, 12, 14, 22; 5:6; 8:5; 14:7; 31:22; 49:4 c. Hosea uses this word three times - Hos. 4:16; 11:7; 14:4 2. The term "backsliding" was used in connection with army practices; when a soldier fell behind or out of step with his comrades, he was marked as a backslider: a. That was considered a serious offense in the army, unless illness or other unavoidable incident caused it. b. This word is used, also, with reference to persons that retrogress in their moral obligations; fail to keep a promise. c. It is in this sense that the Bible uses the word continuously. B. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF A BACKSLIDER 1. When a person or a people depart from the word of God, that is very serious backsliding in the sight of the Lord: a. That is God's serious complaint against Israel as stated in Jer. 2:12, 13, "Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be ye very desolate, saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and have hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." b. Thus, a two fold cause for backsliding is laid down in God's word - 1) Departing from the living God. 2) Setting up our own standards - 1 Tim. 1:4, 5 c. This type of backsliding is the root of all backsliding, personal or collective retrogression alike. 2. Nature of backsliding: a. One may never realize the seriousness of backsliding because, in most instances, it is a gradual process, at times hidden to the guilty himself. b. It usually begins with carelessness -- leaving out the private devotions, reading of the Bible, or neglecting secret prayer. c. Absent from the church services is still another indication of irregularity in the life of a backslider. d. Worldliness is still another sign of serious backsliding. Following the ways of the world in dress and other infractions. C. THE HOPE OF THE BACKSLIDER 1. This is the heart of my subject: a. God does not utterly forsake the backslider; He does not leave him to go down to destruction because He knoweth our infirmities, and has compassion upon us - Ps. 103:13, 14 b. If that were not the hope of the backslider, many of us would have no hope at all, because in some ways we all come short of the glory of God. 2. But, note, please, that backsliding is a disease, needs healing: "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely" - Hos. 14:4 a. Backsliding leaves bruises and wounds - Isa. 1:6 b. And often scars are the abiding evidence of a life of backsliding. 3. Let those who find themselves having backslid, take courage: a. God is interested in you; He has not abandoned you to your fate; He wants you to return to Him; and He will help you. b. That is the repeated invitation of the Lord to you - Isa. 19:22; Hos. 6:1; 14:1 EXAMPLES - 1) The prodigal son returned - Luke 15:11 2) Peter returned to the Lord - Mark 14:72 3) the people of Israel returned to the true God and His worship - 1 Ki. 18:39 c. How thankful we can be for a compassionate Father in heaven, who is ever ready to receive to Himself the backsliders! ## "AND THE LORD SHUT HIM IN" - GENESIS 7:16 A. THE BIBLE STORY OF THE FLOOD EMBODIES A NUMBER OF GOSPEL TRUTHS FOR GOD'S PEOPLE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS 1. Our text expresses one of these thought provoking truths, "And the Lord shut him in": a. The time of God's waiting and long-suffering had finally run out - 2 Pet. 3:9; 1 Pet. 3:20 b. That shows that there is a limit even to the forbearance of a merciful and compassionate God - Ex. 34:6, 7 c. Said the Lord, "My Spirit shall not always strive with men." Gen. 6:3 2. That the forbearance of God has its limits is easily seen: a. In the experience of Sodom and Gomorrah - Gen. 19:23 b. That was true of ancient Israel - Matt. 21:43 B. THE MESSAGE OF OUR TEXT AS IT APPLIES TO OUR DAY 1. When God shut the door of the ark: a. He shut Noah and his family in. That gave Noah and his family full security against the waters of the flood. b. But He who shut Noah in, shut the sinners, in the days of Noah, out; that meant eternal doom for all outside the ark - Matt. 24:37-39 2. "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" - Matt. 24:37 a. Soon, very soon, the long-suffering God will shut the door of mercy. b. The words in Rev. 22:10, 11 will be fulfilled, "the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still." c. It means that, as it was in the days of Noah, they that were ready entered the ark; but they that were not ready were shut out; they were subjects of destruction by the waters of the flood. d. The door of mercy will close, and that means that probation will have ended forever for all who have not entered the ark of salvation - Matt. 25:1-12; Luke 13:25-29; Amos 8:11-14 3. The story of the flood shows further that God is not a respecter of person: a. He gave the sinners in the days of Noah one hundred and twenty years to make up their mind - Gen. 6:3 b. The message of righteousness by faith, preached by Noah, left them without excuse - Luke 17:26, 27 c. We have already learned that Christ makes the experience of the antediluvians an object lesson for the people that live just prior to his second coming. d. The door of mercy, now wide open, will close some day and thus all who reject salvation through Christ will be without excuse. C. PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF OUR LESSON IS FOUND IN THESE FACTS 1. God honored the faith of Noah: a. Noah believed God. b. He proved it when he built the ark for salvation of his family - Heb. 11:7 c. Those who perished in the flood made no provision for the safety of their own selves, nor for their families. 2. A most solemn question to all of us: a. When the door of mercy closes forever, will it shut us in or will it shut us out? b. Learn a lesson from the study of Matt. 7:13, 14 c. Think of the wedding feast and the ten virgins - Matt. 25:1-12 d. Or attempt to understand the words of our Lord as recorded in Luke 13:22-29 3. The answer to our question is very simple: a. They that were ready went in before the door was closed. b. They who were not ready came too late, and were left in outer darkness. c. Our Saviour, knowing the end from the beginning, warns us in these words, "be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh" - Matt. 24:44 d. How many of us do want to make sure that when the door of mercy is shut, that we are in and not out! ## THE BRUISED REED - ISAIAH 42:3 A. THE REED 1. It is mentioned a number of times in the Bible: a. Bible references in the Old Testament - 2 Ki. 18:21; Job 40:21 b. Scriptures in the New Testament - Matt. 11:7; 12:20; 27:30; Rev. 11:4; 21:15 2. Its habitation and usefulness: a. It grew in the miry places, in those oozy marshes where fever lurked and the foul air rises. b. Wild beasts had their habitation in its environment. c. The stronger sorts were converted into measuring rods; others were used as a staff on which the traveler leaned; the finer ones were used as writing pens. B. THE DIVINE ESTIMATE OF MAN 1. A bruised reed: a. Here we have a symbol of an impaired life; a life broken and bruised by sin - EXAMPLES - 1) The prodigal son - Luke 15:11-32 2) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:40-44 3) Mary Magdalene - Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2 b. The broken reed symbolizes feebleness, helplessness, and almost worthlessness - Rom. 7:24: Isa. 1:19 c. There is no power in the broken reed to repair itself; neither is there power in sinners, morally, mentally, and physically broken, to repair themselves - Isa. 40:28-31; Ps. 62:9 2. What the estimate implies: a. God's attitude toward sinners -- many of them have wasted their talent and their physical and mental strength, but God does not cast them away, He is willing and ready to restore them - "he restoreth my soul" - Ps. 23:1-6 b. "And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou was in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou was in thy blood, Live." - Ezek. 16:6 C. THE DIVINE METHOD OF TREATING SINNERS 1. God does not use naked force to deal with us: a. He comes to us as the dew. The dew is very gentle upon the tender plant; works very quietly and penetrates deeply - Hos. 14:5 EXAMPLE - Note how gentle and kind the Master dealt with the woman of Samaria! He knew her life, that must have been anything but moral, but he never treated her harshly - John 4:1-29 b. He speaks of wine and oil to heal the wounded man that had been waylaid by bandits - Luke 10:34 2. The force of truth: a. Manifests itself in love, long-suffering, kindness, and restraint - 2 Pet. 3:9; 2 Cor. 5:14-17 b. It appeals to the power of reason - "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isa. 1:18 3. God's method indicates further: a. That he has faith in man, otherwise he would not set all the forces in his universe in motion to save man. b. His dealing with Saul of Tarsus shows that God has faith in man - Acts 9:15 c. He knows that sin is the root of all our difficulties in life, and He has made full provisions to redeem us from sin. d. The Psalmist puts it this way, "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." - Ps. 103:14 e. In verse 13, he says, "Like a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." 4. What a wonderful lesson is to be found in our opening text: a. Most of us are but broken reeds, and yet, our heavenly Father sent his only Son to repair our life - "he restoreth my soul." b. He sees hope where, to all appearance, there is no hope! ## THE POOR MAN'S MARKET - ISAIAH 55:1, 2 A. "HO, EVERY ONE THAT THIRSTETH, COME YE TO THE WATERS, AND HE THAT HATH NO MONEY; COME YE, BUY AND EAT; YEA, COME, BUY WINE AND MILK WITHOUT MONEY AND WITHOUT PRICE" 1. Bible students are agreed that Isaiah was a prophet of the highest order and, also, a great Evangelist: a. The second half of his book is devoted to the highest type of soul saving Evangelism. b. Our text contains enough material for Evangelistic messages, for a series of sermons. c. The appeal of our text touches upon two great essentials of life - bread and wine. These, we know, are typical of spiritual food freely offered through the gospel of Jesus Christ. 2. It is an invitation best understood by the people who treasured both bread and wine: B. A VERY UNUSUAL AND VERY LIBERAL INVITATION 1. Appeals to the universal hunger and thirst planted into the life of men: a. Even the Son of God hungered and thirsted while He was in this world - Matt. 4:2; Mark 2:25; 11:12; John 19:28 b. But, I believe, that the gospel appeal has particular reference to the hunger and thirst for hearing the word of the Lord - Jer. 15:16 2. Most encouraging to the gospel worker is the universal hunger and thirst for the food of the soul and the spiritual drink -- the water of life: a. The word of God is the bread of life - Luke 4:4; Prov. 9:5; Jer. 15:16 b. The water of life -- the spiritual life - John 7:37, 38; Rev. 22:17 c. This hunger and thirst for hearing the word of God will come some day to those who now are indifferent to the word of God - Amos 8:9, 10 d. Let us heed the invitation of heaven while it is today - Heb. 3:7-9 e. How wonderful it would be if all of us could say with the Psalmist, "As the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God" - Ps. 42:1, 2 3. The vain search for satisfaction: a. "Why do ye spend money for that which satisfieth not?" b. Why do you labor for that which satisfieth not? 1) Some seek satisfaction in their accumulated wealth; but they will be disappointed - Luke 12:15; Jas. 4:13, 14 2) But material things will not and cannot satisfy the soul - Ezek. 7:9 3) A woe is pronounced upon all who seek to the pleasures of material wealth - Jas. 5:1-6 4) Still others seek satisfaction in sensuality which will in the end bring a harvest woe upon them - Luke 12:19; Gal. 6:7, 8 C. THE TRUE SOURCE OF SATISFACTION AND HOW WE MAY BENEFIT FROM IT 1. The knowledge of the true God will bring true happiness: a. "How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings." b. "They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures." c. "For with thee is the fountain of life" - Ps. 36:7-9 2. The poor man's Market: a. Are you heavy laden with sin? The blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse you without money and without price - 1 John 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 b. Are you groaning under the burden of evil habits? The Son of God will set you free without money and without price - John 8:36; Isa. 49:25, 26 c. Remember the price has been paid -- it is all free to you now - Luke 14:14-24 d. It is amazing but true -- at the poor man's market you buy, but you need have no money or the equivalent of money. e. And yet, how many go to the wrong market and spend their money and their life for the things that bring neither satisfaction or the salvation of their souls. f. Friends of mine, how does the invitation of our opening text appeal to you? ## THE UNANSWERED QUESTION - HEBREWS 2:1-10 A. "HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE, IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT SALVATION?" 1. It is noteworthy how the little word "so" is used in the Bible to give very strong emphasis to a specific truth: a. "For God so loved the world" - John 3:16 b. "If God so clothe the grass" - Matt. 6:30 c. "So worship I the God of my fathers" - Acts 24:14 2. In our text, the word "so" is to call special attention to the greatness of the salvation offered through Jesus Christ our Lord: B. THE GREATNESS OF THE SALVATION OFFERED TO US IS SEEN 1. By what it costs: a. The scars on the body of the Son of God, inflicted on Him on Calvary, will speak very eloquently as to the price paid for our salvation - 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; Rom. 8:31-39; 2 Cor. 5:21 b. The broken heart of the dying Christ is still another added evidence of the price heaven paid to save us from damnation. c. The ministry of heavenly beings unto those who are to be heirs of salvation is added evidence of the supreme effort of God to save us - Heb. 1:13, 14; Ps. 34:6 2. By what it offers: a. Complete and free pardon of sin to all who accept Christ Jesus as their Saviour - Isa. 55:7; Mi. 7:18, 19 b. Complete deliverance from the power of sin - Acts 26:18; John 8:36 c. Complete deliverance from the eternal consequences of sin - 2 Cor. 5:17 1) It must be noted that salvation in Christ may not remove (in this present life) the effects of our transgressions - Gal. 6:7, 8 2) When we violate the laws that control our bodies we may have to suffer the temporal consequences. d. But the fact remains that salvation in Christ is all inclusive -- body, soul, and spirit; the past, the present, and the future! 3. By the method this salvation may be obtained: a. Free, absolutely without money or price; it is the free gift of God! Isa. 55:1, 2; Eph. 2:7, 8 b. Through simple faith in Jesus Christ - Acts 8:37; 16:31; Rom. 5:1-3 c. There is nothing that any sinner can do to merit salvation, nothing at all. d. By accepting Jesus Christ now, not tomorrow, now! 2 Cor. 6:1-3; Heb. 3:7-9 Illustrations of the practice of simple faith - 1) All who were bitten by the poisonous reptiles were placed under the one condition -- "look and live" - Num. 21:6-8 2) They could not go by feeling or emotion; their salvation rested in the exercise of faith in God's faithfulness. C. THE UNANSWERED QUESTION 1. Note, please, the part the little word "neglect" plays in being lost: a. How easy it is to be damned forever -- do nothing! Just stand by and be indifferent to God's efforts to save our soul. b. The inhabitants of Meroz were cursed, not because they did a lot of things. No, they were cursed because they did nothing, at a time they should have been active - Judg. 5:23 c. The parable of the Lord about the great supper a man made for his friends speaks very loudly on the subject before us -- Read Luke 14:16-24 2. There are three ways or types of criminal neglect: a. To be indifferent to what God says is a hideous sin in the sight of the Lord - Gen. 19:14 b. To be preoccupied at a time when God calls is another mark of damnation - EXAMPLES - 1) The people in the days of Noah - Matt. 24:36- 39; Luke 17:26-29 2) The guests that failed to come - Luke 14:16-29 c. Attempt to postpone our duty to God is another crime against the soul - Acts 24:25 ## PILATE WASHED HIS HANDS - MATTHEW 27:24 A. "PILATE . . . TOOK WATER, AND WASHED HIS HANDS BEFORE THE MULTITUDE, SAYING, I AM INNOCENT OF THE BLOOD OF THIS JUST PERSON: SEE YE TO IT." 1. This was, without question, Pilate's most important decision he ever made, as governor, over Jesus: a. He passed judgment upon the Judge of the universe - Acts 10:42; Gen. 18:25 b. His judgment was, in fact, a miscarriage of justice in the highest degree. 2. Our opening text embodies a number of very valuable points, worthy of our prayerful consideration: B. PILATE WASHING HIS HANDS REVEALS THREE SPECIFIC FACTS ABOUT WRONGDOING 1. The vain plea for wrongdoing: a. He knew that the sentence he gave was a miscarriage of justice. b. He had been forewarned by God against doing what he did - Matt. 27:18 c. He knew that the Jews sought the life of the Son of God because of envy - Matt. 27:19 2. His decision to deliver the Son of God into the hands of His enemies was based upon pure selfishness: a. It was based upon seeking the favor of the Jews, regardless of the injustice; but in doing what he did, he lost the favor of the Jews. b. No man can force us to do wrong at any time. The Jews had neither right nor power to cause Pilate to betray an innocent person to be killed. 3. Note, please, the possibility of self-deception: a. Pilate had persuaded himself to believe that he was free from the blood of the Son of God, by the ceremony of washing his hands. b. He had blinded himself to the fact that some day God will bring into review the miscarriage of justice in Pilate's judgment hall. c. All in all, the act of Pilate shows that one can persuade himself to believe that under certain conditions wrong is right and evil is good. C. BUT THE ACT OF PILATE AND HIS EXCUSES FOR THAT ACT REVEAL TO US 1. The utter impossibility to wriggle out of our personal responsibility: a. He washed his hands but not his heart. b. History will mark him as a coward, a murderer, and a charlatan of justice. 2. Shifting the blame on others was not, however, Pilate's exclusive gift: a. Adam blamed God for giving him Eve - Gen. 3:12 b. Saul blamed the people for sparing the king and the cattle - 1 Sam. 15:15 c. How often are we tempted to blame others for our wrong doing! 3. When we look deeper into Pilate's washing his hands, claiming innocence, we learn: a. He revealed an inherent weakness in his person to act out his own convictions. b. Had the Jews been less persistent in their demands, he might have set the Son of God free. c. But God, who foreordained that His Son should take the cup that rightfully belonged to us, allowed Pilate to become one of the chief actors in the crime of the ages. 4. Yes, a person may ceremoniously wash his hands, but he is powerless to wash away the sins in his heart: a. The Pharisees and Scribes were masters in this art - Matt. 23:25, 26 b. There are many among God's people who follow the same practice, "having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" 2 Tim. 3:5 5. Friends of mine, what would you have done, had you been in Pilate's place? a. Would you have stood up for justice, regardless of the opinion of the Jews? b. Would you have shown to the world that when you assumed the responsibility to uphold justice, you would do so at all times? c. Well the answer can be found in your attitude! Do you accept or do you reject the Son of God, who died for you? ## LIFE BELTS FOR SEA VOYAGERS - PSALMS 85:1-14 A. ALL MODERN SHIPS ARE FURNISHED WITH LIFE SAVING DEVICES 1. No one would undertake to travel on the high seas without some safety device: a. In fact that is a must according to law. b. It is a part of the specification a sea-worthy vessel must meet. 2. In a time of emergency, this is the difference between life and death: B. OUR TEXT OFFERS SOME VERY THOUGHT PROVOKING IDEAS ON LIFE BELTS FOR SEA VOYAGERS 1. Our present life may easily be compared to a voyage on a stormy sea: a. That was Jacob's testimony to Pharaoh, in an interview Pharaoh gave him - Gen. 47:8, 9 b. Paul gives us a vivid picture of his voyage on a stormy sea - 2 Cor. 11:23-27 c. None of us is exempt from this experience - 2 Tim. 3:12 2. The danger to the people of God will increase as we near the end of our voyage: a. We are indeed facing perilous times as we near the end of the controversy between Christ and Satan - 2 Tim. 3:1-5 b. Satan, knowing that he has but a short time, will turn his wrath upon the people that keep the commandments of God - Rev. 12:17 c. Cunning deceptions will test all who are not well founded upon the word of God - Rev. 3:10; Luke 23:32, 33 d. Our greatest dangers are spiritual indifference; neglect of prayer; and the cares of this world. These are forces the devil uses to tempt God's people with - Matt. 24:12; Luke 21:34-36 e. Secret sins, too, endanger our voyage to the kingdom of heaven - Ps. 32:1-6; 90:8 f. Our greatest danger is a state of lukewarmness which paralyzes us in many ways and threatens our hope of being saved. C. WE ARE IN URGENT NEED TO MAKE USE OF THE HEAVEN PROVIDED LIFE BELTS FOR OUR SECURITY 1. God has graciously provided us with life belts which provide maximum security: a. God's promises must be considered as real life belts of sea voyagers. We are told that the Bible contains over 4000 such promises. b. God's people have, in times of danger, made use of these wonderful life belts. 1) David used them to save his soul on many occasions - 1 Chron. 17:26 2) Moses, too, reminded the Lord of promises when things went hard for him and his people - Deut. 1:11; 15:6 2. The Lord's care for His people is another life belt to have and hold onto: a. "Lord, thou hast been favorable unto thy land." b. "Thou has forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sins." c. "Thou hast taken away all thy wrath." - Ps. 85:1-3 3. Faith, active and living faith, is still another life belt to make sure of: a. Read Hebrews 11. What a panoramic view of those who passed over the raging sea of life. Many, many lost their earthly possessions, their loved ones and friends; yea, even their lives, but they saved their souls! b. On the other hand, many have suffered shipwreck, have fallen by the wayside - 1 Tim. 1:19 c. The things of this world have blinded them to the deadly dangers facing them - 2 Cor. 4:4, 5 d. Consider the testimony of the true witness as found in Rev. 3:14-22 e. This testimony shows conclusively that it is possible to make a profession of Christianity and yet be devoid of spiritual life and security against shipwreck. 4. Earnest prayer is still another must for us to have security: a. Read Ps. 107:13, 14 b. Consider Ps. 50:15; Heb. 5:8, 9 ## THE FOLLY OF SELF-CONFIDENCE - PROVERBS 28:26 A. "HE THAT TRUSTETH IN HIS OWN HEART IS A FOOL" 1. The object of our trust and confidence must necessarily be of the greatest importance: a. It is the very foundation of our life. b. For when man loses confidence, he has nothing to hold on to. 2. Trust or confidence: a. Is the ground into which the anchor of the mariner is cast, and on which the safety of the vessel depends. b. Being so confessedly important, we must make sure that our trust or confidence is anchored to the word of God. B. THE FOLLY OF SELF-CONFIDENCE 1. "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool": a. When we trust in our own heart, we reveal our ignorance of the true condition of the heart. b. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." - Jer. 17:9 2. Trusting in our own heart includes: a. Reliance upon our own wisdom - 1 Cor. 1:19-21 b. Reliance upon the Lord is a condition to safety and true happiness. 3. Trusting in our own heart simply means that we rely upon our own scheme instead of upon the counsel of the Lord: a. That was one of the first sins after the flood - Gen. 11:1-9 b. This is one of the main doors to the corruption that characterizes our present age - 2 Tim. 3:1-8; Rom. 1:21-25 c. That will be Satan's final triumph over the world, which has rejected the wisdom of God and desired to be guided by the wisdom of sinful men. d. Take a look into this present world and see how the imagination of human beings has become the idol of the masses - science, social science, physical science, medical science is sought as a shield against the forces of destruction. e. This is a sign of the very end of time. 4. He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: a. Think of so-called "Christian Science", a cult called "Unity", and other theories which seek to glorify the human ego, or "the inner self." b. All this in spite of the testimony of the Bible that our hearts are unsound and undependable - Rom. 7:14-24 c. The heart has deceived many, many individuals - 1) It deceived Abraham - Gen. 12:13-19 2) It deceived Moses - Ex. 2:12; Num. 20:10, 11 3) It deceived David on a number of occasions. 4) It deceived Peter in a marked way - Mark 14:71 5) But it will be well to think of our experience with our own heart. 5. We appeal to the word of God to show how undependable the human heart is: a. "Be not wise in your own conceit." - Rom. 11:25 b. "Be not high minded." - Rom. 11:20 c. "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord." Prov. 16:5 C. IN WHOM SHOULD WE PLACE OUR TRUST AT ALL TIMES? 1. The Bible says: a. "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God." Ps. 20:7 b. "The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate." Ps. 34:22 c. "But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead." 2 Cor. 1:9 2. Examples of persons who trusted in the Lord: a. Job - Job 13:15 b. The Hebrews - Dan. 3:16, 17 c. David - 1 Sam. 17:45-50 3. In whom do we place our trust? 1 Tim. 4:10; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 ## PLAYING WITH THE FIRES OF HELL - JUDGES 16:1-14 A. THE STORY OF SAMSON RANKS AMONG THE MOST FASCINATING BIBLE STORIES 1. One can see the great potentials of a life under the power of the Holy Spirit: a. Samson had been chosen for a special work before he was born. b. He was to be a Saviour of his nation. 2. But sin in his life changed God's plan, and ruined Samson's life: a. The lust of the eye and the lust of the flesh became his master. b. A life of great possibilities became a spectacle of sin and ruination. B. PLAYING WITH THE FIRES OF HELL 1. Samson before: a. His birth was foretold by the angel of the Lord - Judg. 13:21 b. Only two other births, outside of the birth of Christ, were foretold by an angel - 1) The birth of Isaac - Gen. 18:10 2) And the birth of John the Baptist - Luke 1:13 c. He had God-fearing parents - Judg. 13:9 d. Samson was moved by the Holy Spirit; that made him a man of power. Judges 14 to 16 give vivid evidence of the unusual power of the man Samson. 2. Samson after: a. He played with the fires of hell - 1) "He saw a woman" - Judg. 14:1 2) That is what happened to king David and his son Solomon - 2 Sam. 11:2; Neh. 13:26 b. He argued with his parents; thinking them old fashioned when they counseled him to marry a believer. c. "Then went Samson down" - 1) He went down and talked with a Philistine woman, and she pleased him; that is what happened in the days of Noah - Gen. 6:1-6 2) Philistines gave him plenty of company later. 3) His marriage went on the rocks; that was when his eyes were opened! 3. "Then went Samson down and saw there an harlot": a. Picture, if you please, a man of God going down to see an harlot! b. Near the harlot's bed are a thousand devils waiting to work Samson's doom. 1) "Entice him, and see where his great strength lieth, and by what we may destroy him." 2) She, being loyal to her nation, pressed him day after day until he gave away the secret of his strength and his life. C. WHAT A PICTURE BEFORE OUR MIND 1. Samson before: a. Samson was destined to be the Saviour of his nation - 1) God's plans for Samson were full of great promise -- no limit to the usefulness of a life under the power of the Holy Spirit. 2) His home environment was conducive to a proper preparation for service. b. He made a wonderful beginning. 2. But think of what happened! a. He saw a Philistine woman. b. He saw his marriage destroyed. c. He saw a harlot, and from here on Samson went down, down to utter ruin and disgrace. 3. Does that not make one hate sin for what it is, and for what it does? a. How many bright lights went out because they saw the wrong woman! b. How sad it is that the history of great and useful lives is marred by the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh! EXAMPLES - 1) David 2) Solomon 3) And many, many other bright lights in the history of the church have gone out because of sin. 4. The saddest part of all was that Samson slept in the lap of her that had the means to remove the symbol of physical power: a. Sin is a dope; it makes you unconscious of your condition. b. Still sadder yet was the fact that Samson knew not that the Lord had departed from him. c. All because he played with the fires of hell. ## THE VISIBLE AND THE INVISIBLE - 2 KINGS 6:17, 18 A. "AND ELISHA PRAYED, AND SAID, LORD, I PRAY THEE, OPEN HIS EYES THAT HE MAY SEE. AND THE LORD OPENED THE EYES OF THE YOUNG MAN; AND HE SAW; AND BEHOLD, THE MOUNTAIN WAS FULL OF HORSES AND CHARIOTS OF FIRE AROUND ABOUT ELISHA." 1. There are people who think that what is called the Old Testament is of historical value; but here we have a mighty spiritual demonstration of the difference between the visible and invisible: a. Our text reveals human limitations. b. It shows how prayer changes things, it opens our eyes to the invisible world. 2. There are many precious gems of gospel truths in the writings of Moses and the Prophets, of these our text is one: B. THE VISIBLE AND THE INVISIBLE 1. The visible: a. Visible things are tangible, they are material and may be seen with our eyes. b. These are, at best, temporal, and for that reason changeable - Ps. 102:25, 26; 2 Pet. 3:10 c. Since we are a part of the physical world, our vision is limited. EXAMPLES - 1) The servant of Elisha saw the host of enemy compassing the city with horses and chariots; but he failed to see the heavenly host that was present also. 2) Samuel saw the attractive appearance of Eliab, the oldest son of Jesse, but he knew not his unfitness for being a king - 1 Sam. 16:6, 7 2. Things visible are no criterion of either sound faith or heaven's approval: a. "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." John 7:24 b. Things visible are either out of focus, or they have been tainted by sin - Isa. 24:1-8; John 7:7; 1 John 2:15, 16 c. They who trust in the things that are visible lose their perspective of the heavenly things. 3. The invisible: a. It is quite clear that the servant of Elisha was not familiar with the invisible, as was the prophet Elisha. b. The first thing we note about the invisible is that it is superior to the visible - Ps. 34:7; 91:11; Isa. 37:36 c. The second thing we note about the invisible is that while things visible are of a transitory nature, the invisible are permanent. d. A third truth seen in our opening text is that the invisible things can be seen only with the eye of faith. e. The eye of faith sees God, the Lord Jesus, and the heavenly host which protest the children of God - Heb. 11:24-26 C. THE INVISIBLE BECOMES VISIBLE 1. Earnest prayer gives us spiritual vision or eyesight to behold the glory of God: a. Moses saw the promised land - Deut. 34:1-4 b. Stephen saw Jesus at the right hand of God - Acts 7:56 c. John saw the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven - Rev. 21:10-27 d. Ezekiel saw the abomination in the temple - Ezek. 16:1-11 2. Here purity is a must for us to see things invisible: a. The priest Eli was lacking it and for that reason he was blind to the condition of his home - 1 Sam. 3:1-18 b. Sin separates us from the invisible - Isa. 59:1-3; Rev. 3:14-17 3. A deep desire for the spiritual is still another must to perceive of the things invisible: Ps. 121:1-3 a. This is what is lacking among God's people today. b. We seem satisfied with things visible, and seem to care less for the invisible. c. Well might we pray with Elisha, "Lord open his eyes that he may see." ## BURIED IDOLS A. "AND THEY GAVE UNTO JACOB ALL THE STRANGE GODS WHICH WERE IN THEIR HAND, AND ALL THE EARRINGS WHICH WERE IN THEIR EARS; AND JACOB HID THEM UNDER THE OAK WHICH WAS BY SHECHEM." - Gen. 35:1-10 1. Our text is most revealing: a. Jacob did not break or burn the idols; he buried them. b. The whole procedure shows that the patriarch had some special failings in his life, in spite of his knowledge of the true God. 1) He was not altogether weaned from his idols. 2) That accounts for the idols hid by Rachel, the woman he loved - Gen. 31:34-36 2. This weakness in the life of the Patriarch was very harmful to his relationship with God: a. It is known as double dealing. b. His natural descendants are noted for this weakness. B. BURIED IDOLS 1. This is a challenging subject: a. How we may be guilty of the same double dealing - 1) We are guilty of double dealing when we retain privately those evil practices we have renounced in public. 2) Iniquity is iniquity to God, whether done in secret or openly. b. We are guilty of double dealing when we practice partially the evils we have renounced as a whole. 2. That was the weakness of the Reformers: a. The inherent weakness of the reformation was when the reformers retained some of the Papal practices, which the reformers knew were out of line with the Bible. b. This is true also of the individuals who leave the world and join the church. They seem in earnest, yet privately they retain some of their former ways which are contrary to the faith they profess. c. Here is food for thought for all of us. 3. Let us be honest with ourselves and with God: a. Is our life any different than that of the Patriarch Jacob? 1) Can we think of some secret pet sin to which we cling, even though we know better? 2) By what standard do we measure our dedication to the Lord? b. Do we bury our little or big idols, or do we hide them as Rachel did? C. COMPLETE CONSECRATION TO GOD, WITHOUT ANY RESERVATIONS, IS A MUST 1. Look at the experience of ancient Israel: a. They left Egypt, but they took some of the practices of the Egyptians with them - Acts 7:39 b. They had the form of truth but ignored it, practicing idolatry - Acts 7:42 2. Are we much better in this so-called enlightened age? a. We should have a better experience because we do have more light. b. But let us examine our relationship in the truth and to the world - 1) Can we think of hidden idols in our private life which we would not want our neighbors to know? 2) Do we know of things in our life which witness against our profession? 3) Are we not weak spiritually because we often are guilty of double dealing - Jas. 1:1-6 3. The sensible thing for us to do is to heed the simple but timely counsel of the Bible: a. Put off all known sins - Eph. 4:24-26 b. Break off every yoke and the sin that so easily besets us - Dan. 4:27; Heb. 12:1-6 c. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh - Rom. 13:14 d. It will be to our own good to destroy our idols and not bury them. e. Burn all the books that contain poison for the soul - Acts 19:19 f. Let the life of Jacob teach us a lesson that it is utterly impossible to serve two Masters - Matt. 6:24 ## THE MEASURE OF GOD'S LOVE - JOHN 3:16 A. IT IS SAID, WITH GOOD REASON, THAT JOHN 3:16 IS A SUMMATION OF THE SIXTY-SIX BOOKS OF THE BIBLE; THAT THE LOVE OF GOD IS SPREAD OVER EVERY PAGE IN THE BIBLE 1. God's love created this world: 2. And God's redeeming love seeks to save it from sin and destruction: 1 Tim. 2:1-3 B. THE MEASURE OF GOD'S LOVE 1. In Eph. 3:18 Paul writes about: a. The breadth. b. The length. c. The depth and the height of God's love. 2. I believe that the dimensions of God's love are found in John 3:16: a. The breadth of God's love, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son" b. "For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" - verse 17 EXAMPLES - 1) Every person born into this sinful world is included in this world-wide plan. 2) That is what the gospel commission calls for - Matt. 28:18-20 3) It is God's will that all men should be saved, and come unto the knowledge of the truth - 1 Tim. 2:1-6 3. The length of the redeeming love: a. It offers eternal salvation - 2 Tim. 2:10 b. Eternal salvation - Matt. 25:46 c. Eternal inheritance - Heb. 9:15 4. The depth of God's love: a. God's love reached the greatest depth when God's Son hung on that shameful cross; when He made Him sin, who knew no sin - 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Phil. 2:6-11 5. The height of God's love: a. The height of God's love is found in Christ taking humanity into the highest heaven. b. By this he took sinful humanity out of the lowest depth of sin and degradation. c. The climax to all this will come when the saints enter heaven - John 14:1-3 C. BUT THE BREADTH, THE LENGTH, THE DEPTH, AND THE HEIGHT OF GOD'S LOVE IS ALSO MANIFEST 1. In His long-suffering and forbearance with our rebellious world: a. That is His Name - Ex. 34:6 b. He endureth, with much long-suffering, the vessels of wrath - Rom. 9:22 c. This long-suffering was manifested in the days of Noah - 1 Pet. 3:20 2. In the forgiveness of our sins: a. Meditate, please, upon the words of God found in Mi. 7:18, 19 b. Or memorize the words of David recorded in Ps. 103:8-17 EXAMPLES - 1) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 2) The woman of Samaria - John 4:1-28 3) Saul of Tarsus - 1 Tim. 1:15, 16 c. A wonderful text to remember is found in Heb. 7:25 3. This divine love shines brightly in the lives of God's children: a. They are bright shining lights in this sinful world - Phil. 2:15 b. It shined brightly in the dying Stephen when he prayed for his murderers - Acts 7:60 c. It shined brightly in the lives of Daniel and his three friends - Dan. 1:8; 3:16-30; 6:10-28 d. That is what our Lord desires in the lives of the believers - Matt. 5:14-16 e. It is God's love that dwells in the hearts of God's children - Rom. 5:5, 8 f. That is why Paul writes, "For the love of Christ constraineth us" - 2 Cor. 5:14 4. All this poses a very serious question to all of us, who profess to be followers of Jesus Christ: a. Do we reflect a measure of God's love in our speech, our conduct, and in our association with others? b. If not, why not? ## CHRIST'S YOKE - MATTHEW 11:29, 30 A. "TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU, AND LEARN OF ME; FOR I AM MEEK AND LOWLY: AND YE SHALL FIND REST UNTO YOUR SOULS. FOR MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT." 1. The hearers were familiar with this gracious invitation of this metaphor: a. They smarted under the yoke of bondage for many years - Lev. 26:13; Deut. 28:48 b. They knew the yoke of affliction - Lam. 3:27 c. They knew the yoke of severe punishment - Lam. 1:14 2. Our Saviour was well informed of the attempts by the Jews to cast off the yoke of the Romans: B. CHRIST'S YOKE 1. Purpose of that yoke: a. It is God's means of restraint. A yoke is placed on the neck of an ox to restrain him, and at the same time enable him to do useful service to his master. b. When we place our lives under the restraint of the doctrine of Christ, we become true yokefellows in the service of the gospel - Phil. 4:3 2. The yoke of Christ in contrast to the yoke of man-made traditions: a. The yoke of human traditions enslaves and is at times unbearable - Matt. 23:4; Acts 15:10; Gal. 5:1 b. But of the yoke of the gospel of Christ, Jesus says "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." 3. What makes the yoke of Christ easy? a. It is the absence of sin and its effects upon the burden bearer - John 8:36 b. It is our association with him, who knows our every care - Isa. 53:3 c. Are you weary and heavy laden? Cast all your cares upon Jesus; he careth for you - 1 Pet. 5:7 4. The lesson the Lord seeks to communicate: a. The aim of the yoke is to give him the control of our energies and talents. b. To use these gifts in the service of soul winning. c. Finally the yoke of Christ keeps us from coming under the yoke and bondage of sin. C. BLESSINGS OF WEARING THE YOKE OF CHRIST 1. Rest - "I will give you rest": a. Rest from sin - Matt. 1:21; John 8:36 b. Rest of assurance - 1 Tim. 1:15; Rom. 8:31-33 c. Rest of security - John 10:28; Rom. 8:1-3 2. We become partakers of His nature: a. That was Paul's great aim - Phil. 3:8-12; 2 Cor. 3:18 b. He is able to create in us His own image - 2 Pet. 1:2-7; Gal. 1:15, 16 c. This experience must come to us before our Lord comes the second time - 1 John 3:1-4 3. The Lord wants us to learn the difference between His yoke and the yoke that Satan puts us under when we yield to him: a. We think of the yoke of the Pharisees. Our Lord told them what their yoke, that burdens the people, is like. b. Read carefully - Matt. 23:4; Acts 15:10. They themselves would not think for one moment to carry the yoke that they had placed upon their victims. c. The yoke of Christ is easy because it is made of love, truth, and righteousness. 4. The invitation of our Lord is both singular and incomparable: a. No other theorist of religion has ever been known to extend such an invitation to anyone. b. The reason is most obvious; no other teacher had either the capacity or the power to make such a promise. c. What shall we do with this heavenly invitation? Accept it and make the Master of our life our pattern to copy. ## KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD - 1 PETER 1:5 A. OUR TEXT IS A CHALLENGE TO THE UNBELIEVING WORLD; AND A JOYOUS BOAST OF THE BELIEVERS 1. Many think that they are their own keepers: a. Napoleon thought he was, but he learned a lesson in Russia. b. The prosperous farmer thought that he had it made, but he, too, found out that without God, all is lost - Luke 12:20 2. The believers, however, make their boast in God: a. The Psalmist does - Ps. 23:1-6; 46:1; 121:1-8 b. And Paul boasts in his God - 2 Tim. 1:12; 4:16-18 c. Says David, "My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad." - Ps. 34:2 B. KEPT BY THE POWER OF GOD 1. Negatively: a. Not from trials and temptation. b. So long as there is a conflict between truth and error, between light and darkness, between Christ and Satan, there will be trials and temptations - Heb. 12:6; 1 Pet. 1:7; 4:12 2. Positively: a. From falling - Jude 24 b. And if the righteous stumble, they will stand up again - Prov. 25:26 c. From evil - 2 Thess. 3:3 d. Our prayer must be, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" - Matt. 6:13 e. The Lord has promised to keep His own as the apple of His eye - Deut. 32:10 f. "Keep me as the apple of the eye" - Ps. 17:8 g. "For he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye" - Zech 2:8 3. Kept for what? a. For translation into the kingdom of glory according to God's promise - 1 Cor. 15:51; Jude 24. What a wonderful future awaits the children of God! 1 Cor. 2:9-11 b. Kept unto eternal salvation - 1 Tim. 2:4 c. Unto an eternal inheritance - Col. 1:5; Heb. 11:14-40 C. MEDIUM OF GOD'S KEEPING POWER 1. It is not in ourselves: John 15:5; Jer. 10:23 2. The secret of being kept unto salvation is found in simple faith in Jesus Christ: a. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" - Phil. 4:13 b. "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure" - Phil. 2:13 c. "My soul shall make her boast in the Lord" - Ps. 34:2 3. In the power of God's love: 2 Cor. 5:14 Here is the great secret of the enabling grace of the children of God. EXAMPLES - a. That was the secret in Paul's willingness to suffer and die - Acts 21:13 b. That was, also, the reason for Joseph's steadfastness in resisting the advances of Potiphar's wife - Gen. 39:8, 9 4. The word of truth in the heart is a fortress which the enemy of our soul cannot break through: a. That was the defense of the Son of God in the hour of temptation - Matt. 4:1-9 b. That was the source of David's strength - Ps. 119:9, 11 5. Paul gives the reason for the confidence of God's people in the word of God: Heb. 4:12, 13; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 6. Prayer is still another source of power against Satan and sin: a. Think of the days of the apostles and what prayer did for them and the churches - Acts 4:24-31; 8:14, 15; 16:25-31 b. What it did for Daniel - Dan. 6:10 ## A CASTAWAY A. "LEST THAT BY ANY MEANS, WHEN I HAVE PREACHED TO OTHERS, I MYSELF SHOULD BE A CASTAWAY." - 1 Cor. 9:27 1. This statement by Paul speaks volumes: a. It exposes the man-made theory of "once in grace, always in grace" as a deception. b. For, if it were true, as alleged by the theorists, "once saved always saved", why speak of the possibility of becoming a castaway? 2. Paul was a realist; he was too practical to dally with a bogy dread: a. He knew and he taught that salvation is conditional. b. To him it was a most serious matter to devote a whole life to the service of God, and yet realize the ever present danger, of possibility, of being a castaway - EXAMPLES - 1) Saul had been chosen by God to be king over Israel, yet, he became a castaway. 2) Judas was one of the twelve chosen by the Lord, yet, he became a castaway - John 6:70; Matt. 27:1-5 B. LET US CONSIDER PAUL'S DEEP CONCERN OF KEEPING FROM BEING A CASTAWAY 1. That great and dedicated student of the Bible and human nature knew only too well: a. That man, in his very nature, is surrounded by human frailty - Ps. 103:13, 14; he writes about it - Rom. 7:8-26 b. That Satan is well informed about our weakness. He knew Peter's weakness - Luke 22:31; Mark 14:66-71; 2 Tim. 2:26 2. He knew very well that so long as we are in a state of imperfection, incompletion, we must be on guard lest we do become a castaway: a. Ananias and his wife became castaways - Acts 5:1-11 b. The record of history knows many such victims of satanic delusions - 1 Tim. 1:19 c. A man of God became a castaway - 1 Ki. 13:21 d. We, too, know that God is not a respecter of person; he will deal with us as our works shall be - Acts 10:34, 35 3. Man is, by his creation and redemption, a free moral agent: a. He has the power of choice - Rev. 22:17; Deut. 30:15, 16 b. If that were not so, then why do we find the phrase: "whosoever will" repeatedly in the Bible? Rev. 22:17; John 7:37 c. Man is imperfect in his knowledge; and he does not measure up to God's requirement - Rom. 3:23 d. So long as that is true, it remains true also that he must be ever on guard in word and deed, lest he become a castaway. C. BUT LET US COME CLOSER TO OUR OWN EXPERIENCE 1. Who is he that has not moments in life when he gives serious thought to: a. The possibility of becoming a castaway. b. David was deeply concerned about this ever present danger - Ps. 139:23 c. Would it not be wise, on our part, to pray with David, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts." 2. There is a blessing in serious concern about our state and relationship with God and His word: a. It will lead us to daily examine ourselves in the light of God's word and our personal experience - 2 Cor. 13:5 b. It will lead us to free ourselves from the sins that beset us and sap the spiritual energies out of our lives - Heb. 12:1 c. It will make us conscious of our need of keeping very close to our blessed Saviour in thought, word, and action. d. The admonition of Paul is very timely when he writes, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" - Phil. 2:12 e. It was he who says, "I have no confidence in the flesh" - Phil. 3:3 3. A few rules for our life may be useful: a. Make it a daily duty to prayerfully check your life against the possibility of drifting away from the Lord - Heb. 2:1-3 b. Pray without ceasing - 1 Tim. 5:17 ## WHEN THE GUESTS FAILED TO COME - LUKE 14:15-24, 25, 26 A. OUR LORD WAS AT THE HOME OF ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE PHARISEES 1. A man that had dropsy was healed by the Lord: a. That was looked upon as manual labor by the Pharisees. b. Christ pointed out to them that if the ox of one of them would fall into a pit, he would surely pull it out, even on the Sabbath day. c. That being true of an animal, how much more should a son of Abraham deserve to be healed from his sickness. 2. It was at this point that one of the guests exclaimed: "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God": Luke 14:15 B. WHEN THE GUESTS FAILED TO COME 1. The erroneous concept of the Jews about the kingdom of God: a. They looked for their nation to be restored as an independent nation. b. Even the disciples, after they had heard the Lord expound the gospel of the kingdom, were not free from the materialistic concept of the Jews - Luke 24:21; Acts 1:6 c. They seemed ignorant of the dual nature of the kingdom of God - 1) The kingdom of grace -- a preparatory period or phase of God's kingdom. 2) The kingdom of glory to be set up when sin will have been removed from this planet forever. 2. The parable of the great feast has reference to the kingdom of grace: a. The invited guests were, in the first place, the lost sheep of the house of Israel - Matt. 15:24 b. The gospel invitation went to them first - Matt. 10:6 c. That was the great argument of the apostles - Acts 3:26; Rom. 2:9, 10 3. The supper is a type of the universal gospel appeal to the world lost in sin: a. Wonderfully expressed in John 3:16 b. Also, in the gospel commission - Matt. 28:18-20 4. The attitude of the invited guests: a. Totally indifferent to the feast they had been invited to. b. That, we know, is not normal, when people are invited to a material feast. c. But this was a spiritual feast; it was heaven's invitation to the guests to be saved. 5. Why were the Jews so indifferent to the gospel of Jesus Christ? a. They were blind to their lost condition - John 8:31-44; Rom. 10:1-3 b. They loved darkness rather than the light - John 3:19, 20 c. They, foolishly, boasted of never having been in bondage to any man! That was very untrue because at that very moment they were under the yoke of the Romans. C. WHEN THE GUESTS FAILED TO COME 1. The parable was directed, primarily, to the Jewish nation: a. Because God sent his Son to his people to bring them back to God. b. The parable shows that God's efforts were rejected by the Jews. 2. But are we, today, any better? a. Do we make unreasonable excuses for being absent from the feast of the Lord? b. If the truth was known by us, how often are we tempted to bypass the gospel invitation? Would we dare to point the finger of accusation at the Jews? c. Let us take a closer look at an ungracious reception of the invitation - 1) Men manufacture boldfaced excuses to cover up the true sentiment of their heart. 2) How senseless it was for them to claim all the time for their certain projects, to the exclusion of the feast. 3) Are we any different today? Do we make the material things in life more important than the salvation of our soul? ## COMING SOUL FAMINE - AMOS 8:11 A. WARNING BY GOD 1. Directed, not to Heathen lands, but to the land unappreciative and backsliding -- Israel: a. A people professing to be God's children - Isa. 29:13, 14 b. The people that have the form of godliness but deny the power thereof - 2 Tim. 3:5; Rom. 2:20 2. It is, without doubt, a prophecy for the last days: a. Note, please, Paul's predictions in 2 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Thess. 2:10 b. We are living in these days - 2 Tim. 3:1-9 3. The prediction of a coming soul famine shows: a. That the present privileges to hear the word of God will not continue forever. b. We have been forewarned of the conditions in the last days - 1 Pet. 3:20; Gen. 6:1-3; Luke 17:26-28 B. SOUL FAMINE IS THE WORST OF ALL FAMINES 1. Israel experienced such famines: a. In the days of the judges - 1 Sam. 3:1; Ps. 106:15 b. When they rejected the Messiah of Bible prophecy - Luke 19:41-44 2. A soul famine implies: a. A cutting off of all communications with God - 1 Sam. 28:6; Deut. 28:3 b. That will happen to humanity when the door of mercy will be closed forever - Rev. 22:10, 11; Luke 13:25-28 3. This prediction shows the word of God in its true perspective: a. Food for the soul - Matt. 4:3; Ps. 106:15; Jer. 15:17 b. Blueprint for a happy, godly life - Ps. 119:105; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; John 5:39 c. The divine source for saving faith - Rom. 10:17; John 7:37, 38 C. THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT PROVOKE IT 1. Extreme and inexcusable sins: a. Inversion of character - Isa. 5:20 b. Relegating the word of God into silence by substituting it with the vain teachings of men - Jer. 3:11-13; 2 Tim. 4:4-6 c. Rejecting God's final appeal of mercy - 2 Thess. 2:10, 11; 1 Sam. 15:22, 23 2. Effect of this terrible soul famine: a. Spiritual darkness will cover the earth and gross darkness the people - Isa. 60:2; Matt. 25:1-12 b. A vain search for light. Think, dear reader, what went on in Russia during and after the revolution - when the Bible was so precious to the people that they actually memorized any portion of the Bible they could find. 3. Why this condition? a. To understand the main reason for the coming soul famine, we must take into consideration present day conditions. b. Even God's professed people seem destitute of the divine power at a time when we should reveal it in our lives - Rev. 3:14-19 c. But look into the world of today and behold a pleasure mad race seeking, not to nourish their souls, but rather to satisfy human passions - Luke 17:26-29 4. Why this strong message? a. God loves us and does not want us to perish in sin. b. There is still time for us to turn to the study of the word of God. c. The Spirit of God is still calling to lead us into all truth. ## THE DEADLY DANGER OF DRIFTING - HEBREWS 2:1-3 A. THAT WORD - DRIFTING 1. That which is driven, forced, or urged along; anything driven at random: 2. That which has broken away from its mooring; that which has no self-control: 3. To drift is to be carried by the tide; it means that dangerous currents are pulling us away from our anchorage either into the open sea or to a coral reef: 4. Now look at the words of our opening text in the light of the above definition of the word "drifting"; All indicate: a. No self-control. b. Broken away from our foundation. c. Carried by a dangerous current to the open sea, or to a coral reef. d. Does any one of them apply to our own life? B. THE DEADLY DANGER OF DRIFTING 1. It must be noted that the words of our text do not apply, in particular, to the world, but rather to God's people: a. They indicate a state of carelessness by God's professed people. b. Drifting indicates spiritual helplessness of many - Rev. 3:14-17 c. It is possible to have the form of godliness and yet be dead in trespass and sin - Rev. 3:1 d. It indicates further a state of drowsiness, sleepiness which makes it doubly dangerous to our spiritual nature - Matt. 24:12; 25:1-12 2. Light and truth bring responsibility: a. The things we hear or learn from the Bible make us responsible. b. The knowledge of the prophetic truths for our day makes us doubly responsible to God - 1) We have tasted of the heavenly gift. 2) We have experienced the powers of the world to come. 3) We have been partakers of the Holy Ghost. 4) We are an enlightened people - Heb. 6:4, 5 C. SOME DANGEROUS AND INSIDIOUS CURRENTS OF OUR DAY THAT ARE DANGEROUS TO THE REMNANT CHURCH 1. The spirit of our time: a. Our Lord describes this spirit and its influence in Luke 17:26, 27; Matt. 24:36-42 2. The spirit of our time is noted for: a. Indifference in the conduct of the people. b. Carelessness in our conduct. c. Neglect of prayer and the study of the word of God. d. Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. e. Neglecting to work for the salvation of souls. f. Harboring ill feelings to others. g. Drinking out of polluted fountains -- reading things that will dull the mind and deaden the spirit. 3. But the most dangerous of all is found in: a. Simply doing nothing about our spiritual relationship to the truth and the cause of God -- just drifting. b. Allowing time and opportunity to slip away from us until it is forever too late. 4. "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." a. You see what it means to just drift along with the tide of our times! b. Unless we take hold of ourselves and arouse ourselves out of the deep stupor we find ourselves in, we are of all men most miserable; we are to be pitied because we have the light and do not live it. ## SEEKING A RIGHT WAY - EZRA 8:21, 22 A. EZRA'S GREAT CONCERN FOR HIS PEOPLE 1. Return of the Jews from their fatherland: 2. Road was difficult and beset with many dangers: 3. Ezra was concerned for their safety: a. Of the aged. b. The little ones. c. Their substance. B. OUR TEXT OFFERS A TIMELY MESSAGE FOR US AS A PEOPLE 1. We are, indeed, homeward bound: a. A wonderful thought to cherish as we face the climax of the controversy between Christ and Satan. b. Our hearts and our affections are focused upon that which is yet future - 2 Pet. 3:13; Heb. 11:14-16 2. The way-marks of Bible Prophecy indicate clearly that we are nearing the final home stretch: a. We have been living in the toes of the image of Daniel 2: for a number of years. b. The signs foretold by our Lord of His second coming and the end of the world are almost history. c. It is at this point where our Lord says, "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the door." Matt. 24:33 3. The road before us is beset with many pitfalls: a. Our Lord warns us against the snares the devil will use to trap and destroy us. b. Read these scriptures very prayerfully - Matt. 24:1-24; Luke 21:34, 35 c. Paul repeats these warnings - 2 Tim. 3:1-9; 4:1-6 d. Peter, too, points out the same dangers that face the people of God - 1 Pet. 5:8 e. John gives a graphic picture of the wrath of the enemy against the people that keep the commandments of God - Rev. 12:12, 17; 13:1-17 C. A LESSON FOR US TODAY 1. We, of all people, should diligently devote much time and prayer in the study of God's road map directing us to the city of our God: a. I know that we are somewhat familiar with the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation; but I fear that there is much in these great prophecies unknown to us. b. We also see the fulfillment of Bible prophecy in the events of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. c. We do understand that when the word of prophecy pertaining to our day has been fulfilled, Jesus will come, as he has promised. 2. There are several prophecies in the Bible which concern themselves with the preparation of God's people: a. We think of Joel 2:15-17 b. This admonition should stir the hearts of our leaders and us as a people. There is a need in our life that has not been met, as yet. c. The testimony of the true witness in Rev. 3:14-17 applies to us today. I realize that there is nothing in that message that will flatter our ego. d. But the condition described by our Lord is true and demands a change for the better. e. Zeph. 2:1-3 is directed to us, make no mistake. The spirit of prayer is one of our greatest needs. f. Our lukewarmness is a testimony against our prayer life. Would we spend more time in earnest prayer, we would see a wonderful change among us as a people. 3. God has blessed us with a number of church agencies that will help us in our search for more light on our way into the kingdom of God: a. We think of the Sabbath School, a wonderful agency for deeper knowledge of the road map to heaven. b. The Sabbath morning message should be a great help in understanding the safest way into the kingdom of God. c. The midweek prayer services, too, have a special blessing for those who make use of that service. ## TWO WAYS TO LIVE - MATTHEW 7:13, 14 A. "ENTER YE IN AT THE STRAIT GATE: FOR WIDE IS THE GATE, AND BROAD IS THE WAY, THAT LEADETH TO DESTRUCTION, AND MANY THERE BE THAT GO IN THEREAT. BECAUSE STRAIT IS THE GATE, AND NARROW IS THE WAY, WHICH LEADETH UNTO LIFE, AND FEW THERE BE THAT FIND IT." 1. These words show clearly that Christ recognizes only two ways to live: a. The broad way. b. The narrow way. 2. He emphasizes the end of each of these two ways of life: a. The broad way leads to destruction. b. The narrow way leads to life everlasting. B. THE BROAD HIGHWAY OF LIFE 1. Has a wide entrance: a. Very convenient to enter. b. Allows men to take along many of their acquired sinful habits. 2. But it is seductive or misleading: a. It is spiritually dark. - Prov. 2:13 b. It is crooked. - Ps. 125:5 c. There are many people found on that way. Matt. 7:13 3. End of the broad way: a. Leads to fall. - Prov. 28:18 b. Eternal death. - Prov. 14:12 c. It is beset with thorns and snares. - Prov. 22:5 d. It ends in eternal damnation. - Matt. 7:13 Here is food for thought! Because we have but two ways to choose from, and the broad highway of this world is very appealing to the natural heart, yet, we know where it will lead to in the end. C. THE NARROW WAY OF LIFE 1. It has a very narrow entrance: a. All who enter here must leave all things of this world behind; they cannot enter with them - 1 Tim. 6:7 b. Peter said to the Master, "We have left all and followed thee." - Mark 10:28 2. It is so narrow that we can walk on it singly only! 3. The restrictions are so great that but a very few choose to walk on it: 4. But it is lighted: a. Prov. 4:18 b. Ps. 119:105 5. The end of this way of life: a. Leads to life everlasting - Mark 10:28-30 b. It leads to eternal joy - Matt. 25:23 c. It brings eternal rest and security - Heb. 4:1-11; 11:14-17 6. An important lesson: a. We are free moral agents; we may choose a way of life - Deut. 30:19, 20 b. Jacob and Esau made their choice of the way of life, and the result is fully described in the Bible. c. Judas and Peter chose two opposite roads to walk on, and here, too, the word of God tells us of the end results. d. The two thieves on the cross of Calvary made their final choice to end their mortal lives, and here again, we have the end results. 7. Let us be honest with the Lord and with ourselves: a. If death should overtake us today, on what road would eternity find us? b. The answer is simple, our daily life will have the answer, and what is it? c. The burden of the message is to call attention to the seriousness of life, and to assist any honest soul to enter the strait gate that leads to eternal life. ## UNCONSCIOUS LOSS - JUDGES 16:20 A. "AND SHE SAID, THE PHILISTINES BE UPON THEE, SAMSON. AND HE AWOKE OUT OF HIS SLEEP, AND SAID, I WILL GO OUT AS AT OTHER TIMES BEFORE, AND SHAKE MYSELF. AND HE WIST NOT THAT THE LORD WAS DEPARTED FROM HIM." 1. The story of Samson must rank among the most colorful in sacred history: a. The announcement of his birth. b. Samson's childhood training. c. His exploits among his enemies. 2. His tragic ending brings sadness to our hearts: B. LET US CONSIDER THE LIFE AND DEATH OF SAMSON AND THE LESSON IT HAS FOR US 1. Samson before: a. Samson had an exceptional background, equal to that of many other Bible heroes. b. We think of his birth - "Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death." Judg. 13:7 2. Thus we see that his life had been planned before he was born: a. Definite responsibilities rested upon his parents in bringing him up according to God's plan. b. He received his early training in the God-fearing home of his parents - Prov. 22:6 c. The Holy Spirit used him to do exploits for God. 3. But Samson went down four times and came to a tragic end: a. "And Samson went down to Timnath, and saw a woman in Timnath of the daughters of the Philistines" - Judg. 14:1 b. He married a nonbeliever, contrary to his parents' wishes and God's counsel - Judg. 14:3; Deut. 7:4 c. But he was destined to be bitterly disappointed. 1. The Philistines gave him plenty company. 2. Lost his wife to another - Judg. 14; 15 4. He went down the second time: a. He saw an harlot at Gaza - Judg. 16:1 b. That indicates how sin blinds a person progressively -- first step seems easy, but the second step leads into the mire of sin, deeper and deeper. c. He ignored his parents' instructions and the repeated snares the enemies had set for him. 5. He went down the third and fourth times: a. He was untruthful to the Philistines and the harlot Delilah - Judg. 16:5-15 b. He went down to his ruin when he gave away the secret of his strength - Judg. 16:16-21 C. UNCONSCIOUS LOSS 1. This is the heart of my message: a. Because all of us are, as Samson was, in constant danger of being doped by sin. b. Satan is a master deceiver; he knows how to dope people - EXAMPLES - 1) Achan was doped - Josh. 7:1-20 2) Solomon was doped - Neh. 13:26 3) David was doped - 2 Sam. 11:1-4 2. Let us take a closer look at Samson: a. He imagined that his sins would not affect his relationship with his Maker. b. He forgot a natural law - Gal. 6:7, 8 c. His playing with sin cost him the loss of moral power, his eyes, and finally his life. 3. What a lesson for our young people today: a. The high and useful plans God has for our youth. b. The wonderful educational privileges at their disposal. c. The home surroundings -- the family altar, the services of the church. 4. He wist not that the Lord had departed from him: a. Can it be possible that we are forsaken by God and not know it? b. Would it not be a travesty for us to make a profession and yet be forsaken by the Lord? ## "GIVE ME MY PRICE" - ZECHARIAH 11:12 A. UNUSUAL REQUEST: "GIVE ME MY PRICE" 1. Christ is speaking: 2. He speaks to professed Christians: 3. That means that He wants us to put a price on His person, His service, and His sacrifice: 4. Ancient Israel, when they consecrated a gift to the Lord, had to place a price on: a. Men and women, young and old. b. Beasts too - Lev. 27:1-6 B. "GIVE ME MY PRICE" 1. How can poor, sinful, finite beings evaluate the Majesty of heaven? a. Judas did - Matt. 26:15 b. Mary Magdalene did - Luke 7:38-40 2. When we place a price upon the Lord Jesus Christ: a. When our faith in Him requires a special sacrifice - EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham offered Isaac - Gen. 22:1-12 2) The poor widow placed all her living on the altar - Mark 12:41-44 3) The rich young ruler refused - Matt. 19:16-22 b. In the hour of temptation - EXAMPLES - 1) Joseph paid a price for purity - Gen. 39:7-12 2) Daniel, too, paid a price for standing up for principles - Dan. 1:8; 6:10-17 c. When we are asked to give up the world and its sinful pleasures - Matt. 10:32-39 EXAMPLES - 1) The disciples - Mark 10:28-30 2) The New Converts at Ephesus - Acts 19:18, 19 3. How much are we willing to endure for the Lord Jesus? a. Are we minded as Paul was? Acts 21:13 b. Peter was crucified with his head downward. c. Think of the martyrs of Christ in all ages; how they joyfully endured cruel tortures for Christ's sake - Heb. 11:36-40 d. It is under severe trials that we place a price upon the Lord Jesus; we either pay the price or we refuse, as many do. C. HOW MUCH DOEST THOU OWE THY LORD? BY FINDING THE RIGHT ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION, WE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT VALUE TO PUT UPON THE LORD 1. We evaluate our Lord by what He did for us: a. He became poor to make us rich - 2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:6-11 b. How poor was He? Matt. 8:20; Luke 9:58 c. He bore our sins in His own body - 1 Pet. 2:24 d. He became curse to redeem us from the curse - Gal. 3:13 e. He died for us that we may live - 1 Cor. 15:3; Gal. 2:20 2. We show that it means to us by what He is doing for us: a. He is our advocate, our mediator before God; pleads our case before the Father - 1 John 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:25 b. He is preparing mansions for us, whatever that means! John 14:1-3 3. In placing a price upon the Lord Jesus, we must keep in mind a number of facts: a. The value that Heaven has placed upon Him! b. What He actually means to us - EXAMPLES - 1) What will I do with my sins without Him? 2) What shall I do with sorrow when it strikes? 3) What does the future hold for me without Christ? 4. The least I can do to show how much I value my Lord and Saviour: a. I can give my unworthy, sinful self to Him! b. I can acknowledge Him in all my ways. c. I can witness for Him in word, thought and deeds. d. I can commune with Him day by day, and enjoy His fellowship. e. I can, by His Spirit, obey His will. f. Finally, I can live to His wonderful praise the remainder of my life! ## THE CHOICE OF A MASTER - JOSHUA 24:15 A. BACKGROUND TO OUR TEXT 1. A farewell message by Joshua: a. He reviews some of the experiences of Israel's travel in the wilderness. b. Points to the guidance of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - Josh. 24:2-15 2. Israel's mistaken confidence in themselves: a. That seems to have been an inherent weakness of God's ancient people - Ex. 19:8; 24:3, 7; Josh. 24:16-18 b. That was one reason why they rejected the Messiah - John 8:33; Rom. 10:3 B. THE CHOICE OF A MASTER 1. All life is service: a. Nature itself testifies that all creation is to serve. b. Paul verifies this truth - Rom. 14:7 2. We may choose our Master: a. We are, to a certain extent, free moral agents - EXAMPLES - 1) Adam and Eve were created with the power of choice - Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:1-6 2) Cain and Abel, too, were at liberty to choose their method of serving - Gen. 4:1-9 3) Ruth and Orpah made their choice between the God of Israel and the idols of Moab - Ruth 1:15-17 4) Israel, in a state of apostasy, was given a new opportunity to choose a Master - 1 Ki. 18:21 b. That was true before Pilate, for the people to choose either Christ or Barabbas - Matt. 27:17 3. We can serve but one Master: a. That is what the Master Himself says - Matt. 6:24 b. Paul indicates how we make our choice known - Rom. 6:16, 17 c. Not choosing is choosing just the same -- silence gives consent. 4. The choice is urgent: a. "Choose you this day" - Josh. 24:15 b. "Today if ye will hear his voice" - Heb. 3:7 c. "Today is the day of salvation" - 2 Cor. 6:2 d. Tomorrow may never come for us to choose - Jas. 4:13-15 5. The choice is for eternity: a. Moses' choice between Egypt and Israel - Heb. 11:24-27 b. Ruth and Orpah and eternity - Ruth 1:1-20 C. WHEN GOD SAYS "CHOOSE YE THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE" 1. He proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are free moral agents, and that we have it in our own power to choose a Master: a. This fact cannot be emphasized too strongly because there are so many people who think that we are not free moral agents to choose our own destiny. b. But, I repeat, the experience of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, and ancient Israel are conclusive evidence that God does not want any forced service; he will accept only a service of love and devotion. 2. So let us seriously examine our life to determine whom we are serving: a. Are we the servants of the Lord our God who created and redeemed us for the glory of His wonderful name? b. Or are we the bond servants of sin and Satan, the end of which must mean eternal ruin and damnation? c. What a wonderful testimony was Joshua's decision -- "We will serve the Lord". d. Dear friends, is this our own experience today? ## MY GOD IS ABLE - 2 TIMOTHY 1:12 A. "I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED AND AM PERSUADED THAT HE IS ABLE TO KEEP THAT WHICH I HAVE COMMITTED UNTO HIM AGAINST THAT DAY." - 2 Tim. 1:12 1. The words of our text are both inspiring and reassuring to God's people: a. They express complete confidence in the great cause in which the apostle was engaged. b. Such implicit faith in the ultimate triumph of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the heartbeat of Christian witnessing. 2. That is why Peter writes, "we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty." 2 Pet. 1:16 3. John adds his testimony in these words, "we have seen with our own eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life." 1 John 1:1 B. MY GOD IS ABLE 1. This testimony, by Paul, about God being able, is based upon his threefold knowledge about God: a. By what the Bible teaches about God - Deut. 33:27; That the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength - Isa. 40:28-30 b. By what God did for him. c. And by what God did for His people - Eph. 3:20, 21; Phil. 2:12; 4:13; Gal. 2:20; 1 Tim. 1:15 2. The untold numbers of transformed lives of God's people confirm the testimony of the apostle in a glorious way: a. How he cared for ancient Israel - Deut. 5:15; 7:19; 26:8 b. How he cared for his persecuted church in its infancy and throughout its history - Rev. 12 3. That God is able is demonstrated over and over: a. In the uniformity of His laws that govern the universe - Ps. 19:1-6; Heb. 1:1-3 b. He, at whose word the universe keeps in motion, is able to make good His word to His people - Heb. 6:17-20 C. GOD IS ABLE 1. To save sinners to the uttermost: Heb. 7:25 a. By recreating them into the likeness of the image of His dear Son - Eph. 2:10; 2 Cor. 5:14-17 b. By preserving those who come to Him through Jesus Christ our Lord - John 17:1-26; 2 Tim. 1:12 c. By presenting the saints unto Himself without spot and without wrinkles - Eph. 5:27; 1 John 3:1-3; Rev. 19:7 2. To translate them into His glorious kingdom: a. He promised this to the penitent thief on the cross - Luke 23:42, 43 b. Our Lord assured the sorrowing disciples that He would prepare mansions for them - John 14:1-3 c. He promised to raise the dead and give them immortality - John 5:28, 29; Luke 14:14 3. Let us take a brief look at God's agents used in fulfilling His promises to His people: a. His Holy Spirit - Zech 4:6; Isa. 59:19 b. His word of promise - Heb. 1:3; 4:12; 2 Cor. 1:20 c. The power of faith in His wonderful name - 1 John 5:4, 5; John 17:11. Think of what living faith in the name of the Lord Jesus did for all who exercised it - 1) The lame man at the gate of the temple - Acts 3:16 2) The woman with the issue of blood - Matt. 9:20-22 3) The centurion and his servant - Matt. 8:8 4. The blood of the Lord Jesus takes care of all our sins: 1 John 1:7-9; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 5. What more need we to know that MY GOD IS ABLE! ## PAST - PRESENT - FUTURE - EXODUS 14:13 A. "FEAR NOT, STAND STILL, AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD, WHICH HE WILL SHEW TO YOU TODAY." 1. "Fear not": a. Israel in a state of great fear because of the Egyptians being almost upon them. b. The Red Sea before them. c. The mountains surrounding them. 2. They blamed Moses for their seeming plight: a. "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?" b. "Is not this the word that we spake unto you in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians." 3. How soon they forgot the miracles of the God of their fathers in Egypt: a. How quickly men's memory fails to bring God's love and care to us. b. How easy it is to blame the leaders for our seeming difficulties! B. "SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD" 1. In the past: a. "Hitherto had the Lord helped us" - 1 Sam. 7:12 b. "If it had not been for the Lord, who was on our side" - Ps. 124:1-5 c. "Thou hast given commandment to save me" - Ps. 71:3 d. "Lacked ye anything; they said, nothing" - Luke 22:35 2. Present: a. "I have set before thee an open door" - Rev. 3:8 b. God provides to us this day new opportunities - 1) for improvement in our own life, 2) for using God's gifts to share our faith with others. c. "This is your hour" - Luke 22:53 d. "What thou doest, do it quickly" - John 13:27 C. AS WE LOOK BACK OVER OUR BRIEF SOJOURNING IN THIS PRESENT LIFE, WE CAN SEE HOW WONDERFULLY THE LORD HAS LED US. EVEN THE PRESENT LOOKS ENCOURAGING, BUT WHAT ABOUT . . . 1. The Future? a. This we know for sure, that our future is in the same hands that led us in the past and cares for us at the present. b. This is very important for us to keep in mind at all times. 2. Experience shows that human memory is very forgetful at times: a. That was Moses deep concern with his people - Deut. 4:9, 23; 6:12; 8:11; 14:19 b. David, too, was concerned, lest the people forget - Ps. 59:11; 78:7 3. Heavenly assurance for the future: a. "As thy days so shall thy strength be" - Deut. 33:25 b. "My God shall supply all your needs" - Phil. 4:19 c. "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding." d. "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength" - Isa. 40:28-31 4. The future of God's people is as bright as God's promises to them: a. One promise to keep in mind is found in Isa. 49:15-16 b. Another gracious promise for the future of God's children is found in Matt. 28:20 c. A third assurance is found in the words of the Son of God as recorded in Matt. 24:35 and in Heb. 13:8 # Section VII: 60 Outlines on Christian Living ## A BIBLE CHRISTIAN A. A ROYAL PRIVILEGE 1. To be identified with Christ: It meant much to the martyrs for Christ - Rev. 2:1-6 2. There is much in a name: a. It indicates relationship - Acts 11:26 b. It reveals attitude - Acts 24:14, 21-23 c. It stands for service - 1 Cor. 1:17-19 B. QUALIFYING TO BE A CHRISTIAN 1. Accepting Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour: a. The man from Ethiopia - Acts 8:37-40 b. Paul - 1 Tim. 1:15; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:20 2. Confessing the Lord Jesus in word and deed: a. 1 John 4:1-3; Rom. 10:10 b. Matt. 10:32; Luke 12:10 3. Become loyal disciples of the Lord Jesus: John 8:31; Matt. 10:14 a. That takes self-denial on our part - Matt. 16:24; Mark 14:31 b. Bearing our own cross - Matt. 10:38; Luke 14:27 c. This is one of the severest tests to the discipleship of a Christian; but Paul was glad to bear the marks of Christ in his body - Gal. 5:11; 6:12 4. Doing all the Lord commands us is still another requirement for a Bible Christian: a. "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" - Luke 6:46 b. "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed" - John 8:31 c. "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." - Rom. 2:13 d. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." - Jas. 1:22-25 C. BLESSINGS OF BEING A BIBLE CHRISTIAN 1. It brings to the believer complete salvation from sin: a. Matt. 1:21; Rom. 8:1, 31-33 b. 1 Tim. 1:15; Luke 23:42-44; Luke 19:9; Acts 8:37-39 2. Makes us fellow heirs with Christ: a. Of all God's wonderful promises - 2 Pet. 1:2-7 b. Eph. 1:22, 23 3. Glorious and eternal victory over all our enemies: a. Satan - Rom. 16:20; Ezek. 28:18 b. Sin and death - 1 Cor. 15:26; 50-58; Heb. 2:14-16 4. It gives a part in the resurrection of the Just: Luke 14:14 5. And it will give us immortality: a. John 3:16; 1 John 5:10-12 b. Rom. 6:23; Mark 10:28-30; John 6:54; 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15, 16 6. The gift of the Holy Ghost: Acts 2:37-39; 19:1-3 7. Why are you not a Christian? This is no idle question, but very proper and very challenging to all who hesitate of being Christians. 8. Let us note some of the excuses by people for not being Christians: a. "I am waiting until I am strong enough to be a Christian". Christ's answer -- "without me ye can do nothing" - John 15:5 b. "I am just not ready to be a Christian." The Bible answer -- "Now is the accepted time." - 2 Cor. 6:1-3 c. "It is too hard to be a Christian." The Saviour's answer -- "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light" - Matt. 11:30 d. "There are too many hypocrites in the church and I do not choose to be another one." Our Lord's answer, "why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" - Matt. 7:1-4 ## THE MIND OF JESUS CHRIST A. "LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS" - Phil. 2:5 1. The Bible speaks of: a. A reprobate mind - Rom. 1:29 b. A carnal mind - Rom. 8:7 c. A fleshly mind - Col. 2:18 d. A defiled mind - Tit. 1:15 e. A blinded mind - 2 Cor. 4:4 2. It speaks, also, of: a. A sound mind - 2 Tim. 1:7 b. A fervent mind - 2 Cor. 7:7 c. A humble mind - Acts 20:19 d. A willing mind - 2 Cor. 8:12 e. A ready mind - 1 Pet. 5:2 B. THE MIND OF JESUS CHRIST 1. He had a mind full of humility: a. He was truly clothed with humility - Phil. 2:5-11; Matt. 11:28-30; 1 Pet. 2:22 b. A humble mind is free from pride and arrogance. c. "In Him was no guile" - 1 Pet. 2:22 2. Christ had an obedient mind: a. Loving obedience to the will of His Father was the law of His life - Phil. 2:8, 5-11; John 5:19, 30 b. "Not my will but thy will be done" - Luke 22:42 3. He had a sacrificial mind: a. He who owned the wealth of the universe became poor to make us rich - 2 Cor. 8:9 b. He gave Himself as an atoning sacrifice for our sins - Isa. 53:1-12 c. "For their sakes I sanctify myself" - John 17:19 d. "I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day" - John 9:4 4. He had a resolute mind: a. "I set my face like a fling" - Isa. 50:7 b. "He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem" - Luke 10:51 5. He had a pure and sinless mind: a. There was no guile in Him - 1 Pet. 2:22; Heb. 4:15; 1 John 3:5 b. His mind reflected the nature of His Father - Heb. 1:3; Col. 2:9 C. "LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS." 1. That little word "Let" indicates: a. That Christ is willing and ready to have His mind become a part of our lives - Matt. 11:28-30; Rev. 3:20 b. That it is up to us to let or not to let the mind of Christ be in us. c. "Whosoever will" - Rev. 22:17 2. Paul assures the believers in these positive words, "We have the mind of Christ": 2 Cor. 2:16 a. Since God is not a respecter of person, and since He is willing that the believers shall be possessed of the mind of Christ, there is no reason why we should not be able to join Paul in saying, "We, too, have the mind of Christ." b. All, in whom the Spirit of Christ lives, do have the mind of Christ. 1 Cor. 6:16 3. Let us note, briefly, the implications of having the mind of Christ: a. The new birth or regeneration is the very foundation of being possessed of the mind of Christ - John 3:3-9 b. Letting the Spirit of God control our lives is the expression of the mind of Christ - Rom. 8:10-16 c. Letting the word of God dwell in our hearts is the mind of Jesus Christ - Col. 3:16-18 d. We receive Christ into our hearts through faith - Eph. 3:17; Gal. 4:19 e. Paul gives us the key to retaining the mind of Christ in these immortal words: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Phil. 4:8 ## GOD'S ESTIMATE OF CHARACTER - MALACHI 3:17 A. "AND THEY SHALL BE MINE, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, IN THAT DAY WHEN I MAKE UP MY JEWELS" 1. The words of our text are a revelation of God's estimate of character: a. He uses simile - Jewels to show how much He values character. b. Though the universe is His, including all created beings, yet He expresses a very special attachment to some human beings. 2. Our text is both a wonderful revelation of God for His children and also His evaluation of a character: B. CHARACTER - WHAT IT IS 1. Character is a manifestation of those virtues that reveal godlikeness: a. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God; they reflected God's character image - Gen. 1:26, 27 b. This was true in their physical appearance as well as in their nature - Eccl. 7:29; 2 Cor. 3:17, 18 2. God's character is: a. Expressed in His name - Ex. 34:7, 8 b. By His Son - Heb. 1:3; Col. 2:9; 2 Cor. 4:4; Col. 1:15; John 14:9 c. His written word -- the Bible - John 5:39; 2 Tim. 3:15-17 d. In His handiworks - Ps. 19:1-6; 111:1-9 e. In the Ten Commandments - Rom. 7:12, 14; Ex. 20:3- 17; Ps. 19:7 f. In His children - 1 Pet. 2:9-11; Matt. 5:1-16 3. Character, or the divine nature, is the great objective of redemption: a. The restoration of the image of God. b. Through faith in Christ Jesus - Rom. 8:29; 2 Pet. 1:2-11; 1 John 3:1-3 c. This will be accomplished through the Holy Spirit - Zech. 4:6 C. "THEY SHALL BE MINE, SAITH THE LORD OF HOSTS, IN THAT DAY WHEN I MAKE UP MY JEWELS" 1. The Bible gives us some specimens of what God's character jewels are like: a. Joseph, the second youngest son of Jacob, revealed godliness most when he was tested most severely - Gen. 39 b. Ruth the Moabitess, is still another star in the constellation of God's worthies - Ruth 1:16 c. Job, Daniel, Isaiah, Enoch, and many other Bible characters revealed some of the virtues God treasures. 2. Description of God's character jewels: a. They are not easily broken. b. They do not fade when exposed to the elements. c. Contact with some of the hardest experiences will bring out their luster more fully. 3. Examples of God's jewels which are on display: a. Enoch, the seventh from Adam - Gen. 5:22-24; Heb. 11:5 b. Daniel - Dan. 1:8; 6:10 c. Job, Joseph, Paul. d. They did not fade when exposed to severe trials. e. Contact with the hardest and most severe tests brought out their true luster - Dan. 12:3 f. Think of the many professed followers of Christ who have lost their luster when they became exposed to tests. 4. "When I will make up my jewels": a. That indicates that God has many jewels in the rough who need polishing. b. The church of God is the workshop where God is preparing His jewels - Eph. 5:24-29 c. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are the tools God uses - Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Cor. 12 d. Are you, dear reader, one of the jewels that God is preparing for display in the universe? e. Then let us keep in mind that when hardships and trials come, that the great God of heaven allows them for a purpose. ## LOVE TO JESUS - JOHN 21:17 A. "SIMON, SON OF JONAS, LOVEST THOU ME?" 1. This appears to be the first conversation between our Lord and Peter after our Lord's resurrection: a. You will recall Peter's experience during the trial of Christ - Mark 14:54-72 b. What people forget -- Peter's deep sorrow after his denial of his Master - Matt. 26:75 2. Our Saviour's compassion, His forgiveness, and reassurance: a. He knows our frame and the infirmities, and He has compassion upon us - Ps. 103:13, 14 b. This is plainly indicated in the conversation between the Lord and Peter. c. He had confidence in Peter, "feed my sheep" "feed my lambs" - John 21:17 B. "SIMON, SON OF JONAS, LOVEST THOU ME?" 1. Why this searching question, when the Lord knew Peter far better than Peter knew himself? a. Peter knew only too well that His Lord and Master knew him, "Thou knowest all things" - John 16:30; 21:17 b. The question was asked for the benefit of Peter and all the 'Peters' that would come afterward. 2. The searching question of our opening text has a threefold basis: a. To reveal to Peter, and to us, the only heaven accepted basis for service -- love. b. We love to serve the Lord because we love Him, "For the love of Christ constraineth us" - 2 Cor. 5:14 c. Sincere and abiding love has the only ingredient to stand up under the trials which are a part of the service for Christ - 2 Tim. 2:3; Matt. 24:13 3. The testing question of our Lord to Peter indicates further: a. That severe trials or tests were awaiting Peter - John 21:18, 19 b. Peter writes about the fiery trials that would come upon the saints - 1 Pet. 4:12, 13 C. CHARACTER OF THE LOVE THAT JESUS DESIRES IN US 1. It is far more than paying lip-service to Him, His cause, and His children: a. There was considerable dissimulation going on among the disciples - Gal. 2:13. Even Peter and Barnabbas had been influenced by this weakness. b. Paul admonishes the believers to love without dissimulation - Rom. 12:9 2. The nature of service for Christ demands more than superficial formalism: a. It demands self-denial in the highest degree - Matt. 16:24; Luke 14:27 b. It implies the bearing of our cross - Matt. 10:38; Luke 14:27 c. For Peter, it meant to lay down his life in his old age for the Son of God - John 21:17-19 3. Such love must have a sure foundation: a. It must rest upon heaven born convictions -- "We love Him, Because He first loved us" - 1 John 4:19 b. It must rest upon unshakable confidence in the cause of Jesus Christ - Rom. 8:38, 39 c. Such love is the fruit of the Holy Spirit - Rom. 5:5; Gal. 5:22, 23 4. Love, fervent and abiding love for the Lord is the only basis: a. To be entrusted with the care of God's sheep and His lambs - John 10:11-15 b. It was when Peter repeated, "Lord, I love you", that the Lord said to him: c. "Feed my sheep . . . feed my lambs" - John 21:16-18 d. Christ will not entrust his sheep and lambs to an hireling - John 10:13 e. Forty years of labor in the field of evangelism have taught me that only the abiding love of God in our hearts can and will give strength to endure and give all to the cause of truth. ## A CHRISTIAN, A LIGHT - MATTHEW 5:14 A. "YE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD" 1. Light is indispensable in a world filled with darkness: Isa. 60:1, 2 2. Men walking in darkness will stumble: Isa. 59:10; John 11:9, 10 B. THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN IS LIKE THE WAY OF THE SUN 1. The sun works silently: 2. God's ways are, in most instances, silent: a. Elijah had to experience this truth - 1 Ki. 19:11-13 b. It is a test of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts - Isa. 30:15; 32:15, 16 c. "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" - Ex. 14:14 d. "Be still and know that I am God" - Ps. 46:10 3. The sun is regular and dependable: a. Think of what would happen to all life on this planet, if the sun was not regular and dependable. 4. A true Christian is dependable and regular: a. Enoch was - Gen. 5:22-24 b. Daniel was - Dan. 6:10 c. Job, too, was dependable and regular in his relationship with God - Job 1:1-6 5. The sun is sure: a. Nothing can stop it from shining. b. A well balanced Christian is sure and dependable. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" Rom. 8:31-39 c. Abraham is a good example of constancy and reliability. Of him God said, "I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." Gen. 18:19 6. The sun is a dispenser of: a. Light. b. Heat. c. Energy. 7. A true Bible Christian, too, is: a. A burning and shining light - EXAMPLES - 1) John the Baptist was truly a burning and shining light - John 5:35 2) The Philippians were a burning and shining light in a crooked and perverse world - Phil. 2:15 b. The pathway of a Christian is as a shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day - Prov. 4:18 C. BLESSING OF A TRUE BIBLE CHRISTIAN 1. They are God's agents to bring light and hope into dark hearts and lives: a. Paul and Silas in the home of the jailer. The lives of Paul and Silas never were more useful than when a would be suicide was saved with all his house - Acts 16:30-36 b. That was true of Peter in the home of Cornelius - Acts 10:1-48 c. Dorcas, too, gives us a vivid example of a true Christian who let her light shine in the most effective way - Acts 9:36-42 2. The object of the Christian light is: a. That men may see their good works, and glorify God - Matt. 5:14-16 b. They who let their light shine reveal the virtues of Bible Christianity - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 c. There is no more effective way to make converts for Christ than by showing Christianity in our daily lives. d. Christians are, as Paul states it, a savor of life unto life - 2 Cor. 2:15 e. All this adds up to the mission of the church of the living God in this world; it shows that we are to shine and shine unto the perfect day. ## THE CHRISTIAN BIRTHRIGHT - 2 PETER 1:4 A. THERE ARE TWO CLASSES OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD 1. Those who place all value upon the spiritual: a. The merchantman of our Lord's parable - Matt. 13:45, 46 b. The apostle Paul - Phil. 3:7, 8 2. And there are those who live for the material things in this world: a. Esau is a typical example - Gen. 25:30-34 b. The rich farmer in another parable of Christ - Luke 12:16-20 3. We can think of two groups of people whose life's interest is opposite to each other: a. One of these groups, well dressed, sits around magnificent tables in a modern office, working over plans to produce more, increase their income; aim: more wealth in gold or other material values - Jas. 4:13, 14 b. We can think of the other group, much smaller, sitting around tables, working feverishly to find ways and means to carry the gospel to all men - Matt. 28:18-20. We cannot belong to this latter group and be Esau! Heb. 12:16, 17 B. THE CHRISTIAN BIRTHRIGHT 1. Our birthright brings to us special honors and blessings: a. We have been made kings and priests in the household of faith - 1 Pet. 2:9-11; Rev. 5:10 b. We are, in Christ, fellow heirs to the exceeding great promises of God, all inclusive - 2 Pet. 1:4; Eph. 3:6 2. This birthright brings, however, special obligations to the heirs: a. Ministry through the royal priesthood - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 b. The first-born in Israel became the priest of the family in case the head of the house passed away. 3. Esau despised his birthright and its obligations: a. He cared nothing for altars, sacrifices, faith or prayer. b. We have no record of him believing in God or even mentioning God in a reverent manner -- "he was a profane person." c. He was too busy with hunting to think about spiritual values. C. THE BIRTHRIGHT OF SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS 1. It is no exaggeration on my part, when I state in humility, that God bestowed a double portion of the Christian birthright upon his remnant people: a. We have been honored to live in the closing days of earth's history. b. We have been blessed with prophetic light as no other people experienced. c. Think of the prophetic chain of fulfilled Bible prophecy - Dan. 2; 7; 8; 10; Rev. 12:1-17; 14:6-12; 18:1-4; 20:1-11 2. But this heirship of the Christian birthright brings with it solemn obligations: a. Christian dignity - 2 Pet. 3:11-14 b. Upholding the high standard of Present Truth - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 c. These obligations are increased or heightened by the fact that the coming of the Lord is nigh at hand - 2 Pet. 3:11-14 d. Many among the remnant people will live to be translated without seeing death; that being true, they must be free from sin and its stain - 1 John 3:1-3 3. How shall we relate ourselves to the Christian birthright, its blessings and its solemn obligations? a. "Walk worthy, honestly, in the light of Present Truth" - Eph. 4:1; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:12; 1 John 1:7 b. Cast off all works of darkness and put on all the armor of light, making no provision for the flesh - Rom. 13:11-14 ## THE CHRISTIAN RACE A. "KNOW YE NOT THAT THEY WHICH RUN IN A RACE RUN ALL, BUT ONE RECEIVETH THE PRIZE? SO RUN, THAT YE MAY OBTAIN?" - 1 Cor. 9:24 1. Paul was a keen observer of the Grecian games, and he used them to illustrate the Christ-race: 2. He gives special emphasis to: a. The rules controlling those games. b. To the prize given to the winner. c. The special effort put into the race by the runner. B. A PROFITABLE COMPARISON 1. Regulation of the foot races: a. Intensive training, including perfect control of the body - 1 Cor. 9:27 b. Strict observance of the rules, including staying in the lane assigned to the runner. 2. The Christian race is somewhat similar: a. Abide by the same rule - Phil. 3:16 b. Walk by the same rule - Gal. 6:16 c. Exercise and self-control are a must, if we wish to win the race that is set before us - 1 Tim. 4:7; Acts 24:16; Rom. 12:3-6 d. The measure of the rule set by God - 2 Cor. 10:13, 14 e. Lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily besets us - Heb. 12:1-6 f. Observe carefully the Christian limitation - 1 Cor. 9:24; 2 Pet. 1:6; Rom. 12:3-6 3. The Grecian runner had a mark to reach: a. The Christian, too, has a mark to reach - 1) Christlikeness - Phil. 3:14; Rom. 8:29 2) Christian perfection - 1 John 3:1-3 3) To obtain a crown of life - 1 Pet. 5:4; 2 Tim. 4:6-8 b. Let us keep our eyes and our heart set upon the mark of high calling in Christ Jesus - Phil. 3:13-16 C. THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE WILL GIVE THE REWARD 1. Grecian judges were, at times, bought by bribery: 2. But not so the judge of all the earth: a. Paul calls him "the righteous judge" - 2 Tim. 4:8 b. He rewards men without partiality - Jas. 3:17 3. The Christian runner has a great advantage over the Grecian runner: a. There were numerous runners in the Grecian games, but only one could win the prize. b. In the Christian race, all may obtain a crown of glory. c. The Grecian runner obtained a crown that faded away, left only a memory. d. But the Christian has for his goal - 1) The crown of life - Jas. 1:12 2) A crown of righteousness - 2 Tim. 4:8 3) A crown of glory - 1 Pet. 5:4 4) A crown that fadeth not away - 1 Pet. 5:4 4. What we must keep in mind: a. It will take concerted effort on our part to win the race and obtain a crown. b. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Luke 13:24 c. It will take complete self-denial on our part - Matt. 16:24; 2 Tim. 2:12 d. Free ourselves from all the weight of sin and evil habits - Heb. 12:1 e. Set our face, like a flint, toward the kingdom of God - Phil. 3:13, 14 f. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith - Heb. 12:1-6 g. These and other rules of the Christian life must be observed, if we desire to reach the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus - Luke 21:34-36 ## THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE A. "WAR A GOOD WARFARE" 1. The word "war" fills a person with horror: a. It is associated with all that is most horrible and in most instances disastrous. b. David was a man of war, yet he prayed "O God, scatter the people who delight in war" - Ps. 68:30 c. Who can describe the wretchedness, woe and wailing, war has produced on our earth? 1) The earth is filled with the blood of those who lost their lives in war. 2) It is said that no less than 37,000,000 persons perished during World War II. This includes the different effects the war had on the lives of the people involved in war. 2. But this we know, that so long as sin exists the conflict will continue: B. THE CHRISTIAN WARFARE 1. Some readers may be baffled when they read in the Bible about war in heaven: "And there was war in heaven": a. The Bible shows clearly that there was war in heaven - Rev. 12:7 b. That it was the beginning of the great controversy between Christ and Satan. c. Our Lord calls Lucifer a murderer - John 8:44 2. Satan transplanted this war to this earth: a. It began with the conflict over the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. b. This was the beginning of man's conflict with the prince of darkness - Gen. 3:15, 16 3. War implies enemies: a. Satan is our chief enemy - 1 Pet. 5:8 b. Fallen angels or spirits in the air - Eph. 6:12 c. Our carnal nature is one of the devil's channels - Rom. 7:14-18, 23 d. The Trinity of the flesh is also a means used by Satan in his fight against Christ - 1 John 2:15, 16 These are facts to think over; they will help us. 4. The battlefield of the Christian: a. The heart - occupied by Satan. b. A faithful description of it - Jer. 17:9 c. Christ describes the condition of the unregenerated heart - Matt. 15:19; Rom. 1:29-31 5. Weapons of the Christian soldier: a. Negatively - 1) Not carnal - 2 Cor. 10:4 2) Not of man's devices - Mi. 2:1 b. Positively - 1) Spiritual. 2) The whole armor of God - Eph. 6:11 c. Earnest prevailing prayer is feared more by Satan than any other effort by Christians. C. WHAT THE ADVENT BELIEVER MUST TAKE TO HEART ABOUT THIS WARFARE IS 1. It will increase in intensity as we near the end of the great conflict between Christ and Satan: a. Satan is a student of Bible prophecy, and he knows that he not only has lost the conflict to Christ, but that his end is near at hand - Rev. 12:12 b. "He knoweth that he hath but a short time." c. He not only is angry, but he has great wrath - 1 Pet. 5:8 2. His attack will, in the last days, be concentrated against a small group of Christian believers: a. He will make war against the people that keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus - Rev. 12:17 b. He will use the nations to seek out the commandment keeping people and attempt to destroy them from off the earth. Matt. 10:18-23 3. Bible prophecy reveals Satan's method of attack against Christ and His people: a. He will use the latest and most modern means to spread deception. b. Paul warns against this deception. c. John reveals the success of this warfare. Compare Matt. 24:4, 5; 24 with 2 Tim. 4:1-6 ## THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD - EPHESIANS 4:13 A. "WHEREFORE, TAKE UNTO YOU THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD, THAT YE MAY BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND IN THE EVIL DAY, AND HAVING DONE ALL THIS, STAND." 1. Experience shows that the condition of a true Christian is one of trial and peril: a. He is, in a sense, a mariner, crossing the sea of life, exposed to storms and tempests, wherein many, I fear, have made shipwreck of their faith and a good conscience - 1 Tim. 1:19 b. He is a spiritual racer, and is running the Christian course, eagerly stretching forth his hand to seize the wreath of glory of eternal life - Phil. 3:13, 14 2. But our text sees the Christian as a warrior; he is constantly exposed to cunning and brutal foes; "Wherefore", says the apostle, "take unto you the whole armour of God." B. OBSERVE, PLEASE 1. The evil day: a. Jacob, when relating about his life to Pharaoh, said, "few and evil have the days of the years of my life been" - Gen. 47:9 b. The preacher writes, "All the days of the afflicted are evil" - Prov. 15:15 2. Some seek to ignore the certainty of the evil days in this life: a. "Ye that put far away the evil day" - Amos 6:3 b. "All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us." - Amos 9:10 3. Nature of the evil day: a. It is a day of affliction - 1) Our bodies have the seeds of innumerable diseases in them. 2) "We that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened" - 2 Cor. 5:4 b. The evil day of temptation - Compare Matt. 4:1-12 with 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:12 c. So long as Satan and his agents are at large temptation will continue, will even increase - 1 Pet. 1:6 4. Evil day of persecution: a. "Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Tim. 3:12 b. "Beloved think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you." 1 Pet. 4:12 C. THE WHOLE ARMOUR OF GOD 1. Note, please, "The Armour of God." a. That indicates real warfare for the children of God. b. It specifies the kind of armour we are to put on. 1) No carnal weapons are to be used - 2 Cor. 4:4 2) But those weapons God has provided us with. 2. The whole armour of God includes: a. The girdle of truth - Eph. 6:14 b. The breastplate of righteousness - verse 14 c. The feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace - verse 15 d. The shield of faith - verse 16 e. The helmet of salvation - verse 17 f. And the sword of the Spirit - verse 17 g. Last, but not least, constant prayer and supplication in the Spirit - verse 18 3. What an array of spiritual weapons for the saints! a. They are mighty, irresistible - 2 Cor. 4:4-7 b. They have much evidence for their power - 1) Think of the conflict of Christ with Satan - Matt. 4:1-12; 22:15-34 2) Stephen beat back the assaults of the enemies - Acts 6:10 3) Paul, that mighty warrior, has many laurels for his successful battles - Rom. 8:37; 2 Tim. 4:7-9 4. That ye may be able to stand: a. Stand loyal to the banner of truth. b. Be steadfast in adversity. c. Stand even at the risk of life itself. d. Stand before the Son of man when He comes in the clouds of heaven. ## CHRISTIAN PERPLEXITY - 2 CORINTHIANS 4:8 A. PERPLEXITY, BUT NOT DESPAIR 1. Definition: a. The word "perplexed" signifies embarrassment, difficulty, trouble, anxiety. b. Despair, to give up hope, and all expectations, to resign one's self, a state of hopelessness. 2. You will notice that our text contains a twofold assertion: a. A positive -- perplexed. b. A negative -- but not in despair. B. THE TWOFOLD EXPRESSION BY PAUL EMBODIES A TRUE REVELATION OF THE EXPERIENCE COMMON TO ALL MEN, EVEN GOD'S CHILDREN 1. Perplexed: a. John the Baptist, a mighty man of God, came to a point in his life, when he was perplexed: 1) See him in prison for reproving sin - Matt. 4:12; 14:3 2) The night of doubt seemed to press so heavily upon the mind of this dedicated preacher that he seemed confused about the Messiah - "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" Matt. 11:3 b. The Jews, in the days of queen Esther, were in a state of perplexity; the death sentence was hanging over them - Esth. 3:1-15 c. God's remnant people will have to live through a period of perplexity unknown before - Dan. 12:1, 2; Rev. 12:17 d. The whole world will, in the last days, enter into a state of perplexity - Luke 21:25 2. Events in the last days will bring on: a. The night of Jacob's trouble for God's commandment keeping people - Jer. 30:7 b. That will be the time when the people of God will have to live without an intercessor, when they will cry day and night unto God for security against their enemy; that will truly be a state of perplexity - Luke 18:7 3. But not in despair: a. Job was in a state of great perplexity, but never in despair - 1) "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him." 2) "I will maintain mine own ways before him" - Job 13:15 b. Jeremiah was in a state of perplexity, but never in despair. There were times when he wished to die, but he continued trusting the God of Israel - Jer. 20:1-13 c. Mordecai was perplexed at the time the death sentence hung over the Jews, but he never despaired - Esth. 4:13, 14 d. Nehemiah was harassed by the enemy day after day; he was greatly perplexed about the work of God, but he never despaired - Neh. 6:1-12 C. THERE IS NO REASON FOR GOD'S PEOPLE TO DESPAIR AT ANY TIME 1. God allows perplexity to come to His people, not to discourage them, but to use perplexity for our good: a. That is what Paul believed and taught - Rom. 8:26 b. The Lord uses trials to correct us, and not to destroy us. Compare Heb. 12:5 with Deut. 8:5; Ps. 94:14 2. Everything connected with our salvation remains the same: a. Christ is the same - Heb. 13:8 b. God's word is the same - Matt. 24:35 c. The love of God is the same - Jer. 31:3; John 13:1-3 3. The things that befall us will, in the end, produce the most salutary effects in our lives: a. The furnace of affliction - Isa. 48:8-10; Mal. 3:3 b. "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Cor. 4:17, 18 ## CHRISTIAN CONSTANCY - 1 CORINTHIANS 15:58, 59 A. "THEREFORE, MY BELOVED BRETHREN, BE YE STEADFAST, UNMOVABLE, ALWAYS ABOUNDING IN THE WORK OF THE LORD, FORASMUCH AS YE KNOW THAT YOUR LABOR IS NOT IN VAIN IN THE LORD." 1. The resurrection: The fifteenth chapter of First Corinthians is the very heart of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead: a. In this memorable chapter Paul emphasizes the resurrection of the dead. b. He ties in with the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead the hope of God's children. c. "For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain; ye are yet in your sins." 2. He closes this wonderful chapter with the admonition to the believers to be steadfast and unmovable to the end: B. CHRISTIAN CONSTANCY 1. "Therefore, by beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable": a. To be steadfast and unmovable, one must be well rooted and grounded in the truth, in the doctrine of Christ - Eph. 3:17; Col. 2:7 b. Not to be carried away with every wind of doctrine - Eph. 4:14 c. It is good for the heart to be established in the love of the truth - 1 Pet. 5:10; Heb. 13:9 2. We must build solidly: a. On the Holy scriptures - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; John 7:37, 38 b. On the teaching of the Apostles and the prophets - Eph. 2:20-22 c. On Christ the rock of ages - Matt. 16:18, 19; 1 Pet. 2:8; 1 Cor. 3:11; 10:4 d. Upon Present Truth - The prophetic messages of Rev. 14:6-12 is the true basis of the Great Second Advent Movement. It will be impossible for one to remain steadfast in this Movement, unless he knows the truth from experience. 3. Unmovable: a. This requires a sure foundation. b. And the implication is, that to be unmovable, we must live the truths we profess to believe - Matt. 7:24-27 c. Only the doer of the word of God shall be saved - Jas. 1:22, 23; Rom. 2:13 4. The above admonition to be unmovable suggest: a. That our faith will be exposed to severe tests. b. Recall our Lord's words to Peter, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have thee, that he may sift you as wheat" - Luke 22:31 C. PAUL'S TIMELY ADMONITION FINDS A SPECIAL APPLICATION IN THE EXPERIENCE OF GOD'S REMNANT CHURCH 1. Rev. 12:17 has, I believe, special reference to the Seventh Day Adventist Church: a. They are a small remnant, or that which remains before Christ comes - Rom. 9:27; Rev. 12:17 b. They keep God's law - Rev. 14:12; 22:14; Isa. 51:7 c. They have the testimony of Jesus - Rev. 19:10; Isa. 8:16 d. It is against this group of Christians that Satan will declare war. 2. Many of God's people will actually: a. Go through the experience of Jacob's trouble - Isa. 14:1; Jer. 30:7 b. They will be left alone to lean upon the God of Israel - Gen. 32:24-29 c. Many of them will be deprived of their rights as citizens; they will have their Bibles taken away from them; they will be declared persona non crata; they will be hated by all men - Matt. 10:22; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17 d. It is then that we need to be rooted and grounded in the truth - 1) Like Joseph was - Gen. 39:9 2) Like Daniel and his friends were - Dan. 3:6 3) Like Martin Luther and his associates were. 4) "Be ye steadfast, unmovable." ## "WE ARE TRUE MEN" A. "WE ALL ARE ONE MAN'S SONS; WE ARE TRUE MEN, THY SERVANTS ARE NOT SPIES" - Gen. 42:11 1. This remarkable assertion by Joseph's brothers was an attempt, on their part, to reassure the governor of their fidelity: a. We belong to one honorable family. b. We believe in being honest and upright in all our dealing with others. 2. All this, the governor, their own brother, wanted to find out: a. His past experience at their hands was just the opposite of what they claimed now. b. They had been heartless and cruel beyond words - Gen. 37:11-36 c. They had lied to their heartbroken father about what they claimed had happened unto Joseph - Gen. 37:32 B. LET US CONSIDER THE IMPLICATION OF TRUE MEN 1. By nature, no man, born of a woman, is a true man: a. By nature all are sinners - Gal. 3:22; Rom. 3:23 b. The nature of a sinner is anything but true - Rom. 3:9-19; Isa. 1:6 c. The brethren of Joseph were, before, liars, haters, cruel, and outright wicked. 2. Nature of true men: a. Men, whose words are yea, yea, and nay, nay, are true men - Matt. 5:37; Jas. 5:12 b. They are without guile - John 1:47; Ps. 32:2; Rev. 14:5 c. Who are upright in all their ways - Job 1:1; Ps. 3:1-6 d. Men who are godlike in their conduct - Gen. 5:23-25 e. Adam was upright to begin with - Eccl. 7:29; Gen. 1:26, 27 f. The thought of being true is a real and timely challenge to all who profess to be God's children. g. We have a few who can stand as a pattern of true men -- Read about Noah, Daniel, and Job - Ezek. 14:14, 20 C. HOW WE BECOME TRUE MEN 1. Negatively: a. Not by our own efforts or devices - Jer. 13:23 b. Paul discovered this truth when he attempted to live a godly life outside of Christ - Rom. 7:14-26 2. Positively: a. Through the process of the new birth, which changes our carnal nature and enables us to be partakers of the divine nature. b. Ezekiel gives us a wonderful description of this transformation - Ezek. 36:26, 27; John 3:3-6 c. Through faith in Christ Jesus - 2 Cor. 5:14-17; 1 John 3:1-3 d. Through operation of the Holy Spirit, who transforms our sinful nature - Zech. 4:6; 2 Cor. 3:18 3. To make true men out of us is the aim of the gospel of Jesus Christ: a. That is the assertion by the apostle Paul in several of his Epistles - 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:24-27 b. "For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:10 c. "Therefore if any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things are new." 2 Cor. 5:17 4. This transformation was evident in the lives of Joseph's brethren: a. They had mellowed during the years of Joseph's separation from his family. b. They took a different attitude toward their younger brother, as plainly indicated in the test Joseph applied to them. c. He learned that what they said about themselves had become true; and he was happy for that. d. Time and experience are a wonderful means to bring about a change in human nature, as is evident in the experience of the ten Patriarchs. ## TRUST INEXTINGUISHABLE - JOB 13:15 A. "THOUGH HE SLAY ME, YET WILL I TRUST HIM: BUT I WILL MAINTAIN MINE OWN WAYS BEFORE HIM." 1. These words, by Job, stand out in all the Bible as a shining example of the inextinguishable trust in God: a. They come from the lips of one severely tested by Satan, who sought to overthrow his faith in God. b. But our text is surety of Job's steadfastness throughout. 2. The words of Job have been the means of God to enable God's martyrs in all ages to remain steadfast to the very end: B. LET US CONSIDER THREE DIFFERENT AND YET CLOSELY RELATED ASPECTS OF THE TEXT 1. "Though he slay me": a. The Lord was willing to remove the hedge about him and all that he had to show that Job's integrity was far deeper than even life itself - Job 1:12 b. Job's most severe test came when Satan killed his children. c. But Satan was not satisfied with having Job's family wiped out, he was ready to lay his hands on Job also. d. The Lord gave him permission to lay his hand on Job's body, but not on his life. e. But the severest test came to him when his wife sought to persuade him to curse God and die - Job 2:9 f. But that was not the end of his tests. It continued in the visit of his miserable comforters, who had enough nerve to argue with a man in pain and anguish. g. Job's inability to understand his case was an added test to his trust in God. 2. Job's inextinguishable trust: a. "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him." What was it that gave Job such tenacity to cleave unto the Lord? b. He knew his God - Job 19:25 c. He knew God as his redeemer. d. He was steadfast because he believed in the resurrection of the dead - Job 13:22; 14:15 C. INEXTINGUISHABLE TRUST REWARDED 1. "And the Lord turned the captivity of Job" - Job 42:10-13 a. It proved Satan a liar in every way! b. You will recall how Satan sought to attach Job's earthly blessings to his relationship to God. c. How he did everything in his power to discourage the servant of God. 2. But God's turning of Job's trials vindicated the Lord's claims for Job's loyalty to God: a. Job had lost all his earthly goods; he lost all his children; and he lost his own wife's fidelity in God, which must have been shocking to him. b. He suffered great bodily pain, yet he remained steadfast. c. He was jarred by the criticism of his miserable comforters - Job 16:2 3. A wonderful lesson for God's sufferers: a. The Lord may allow fiery trials to come upon us - 1 Pet. 4:12 b. He may allow Satan to shift and try us - Luke 22:32, 33 c. He may allow us to be laid low by sickness and pain - Isa. 38:1-22 d. He may have our so-called friends turn against us and cause us to be looked down upon by men. e. But he will never forsake us, nor will he allow us to be tempted above that we are able to endure - 1 Cor. 10:13 f. He will, in due time, vindicate our case and be gracious unto us, if we, like Job, remain faithful to the end - Matt. 24:12 4. What a testimony for all to take to heart -- "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him." a. Paul states our case - Heb. 11:17 b. All things will work out for the good of all so chosen by the Lord. ## GOD'S CALL TO AWAKE - ROMANS 13:11 A. "AND THAT, KNOWING THE TIME, THAT NOW IT IS HIGH TIME TO AWAKE OUT OF SLEEP: FOR NOW IS OUR SALVATION NEARER THAN WHEN WE BELIEVED. THE NIGHT IS FAR SPENT, THE DAY IS AT HAND: LET US CAST OFF THE WORKS OF DARKNESS, AND LET US PUT ON THE ARMOUR OF LIGHT." 1. This is one of Paul's timely admonitions, which, I believe, is meant for God's remnant people: a. We, of all men, are a time conscious people. b. We are, and rightly so, Bible prophecy minded. 2. The admonition in our text embodies truths, if heeded, which will save the soul. That mighty man of God knew the constant dangers to the spiritual life of God's people, and he sought to warn us against them." B. THERE ARE THREE HIGH POINTS IN OUR TEXT WORTHY OF OUR PRAYERFUL CONSIDERATION 1. We know the time: a. A chain of prophetic forecasts in the books Daniel and Revelation show clearly that we are at the very threshold of eternity. b. Included in these forecasts are The Image of Daniel 2; The Beasts of Revelation 7; the cleansing of the sanctuary recorded in Daniel 8:13, 14; and the special prophecies in the book of Rev. 12; 13; 14; 16; 18; 20 c. We do not overlook that great prophetic outline of Matt. 24. 2. All these prophetic forecasts point to the end of time and the soon coming of Jesus Christ: a. That is what our Lord says - Matt. 24:33 b. He especially emphasizes this truth in Luke 21:25, 26 3. The breakdown of morality in society is still another sign of the time: a. Note, with prayer, what the Lord said of conditions in the last days - Luke 17:26-29; 21:34-38 b. Paul speaks of the same conditions - 2 Tim. 3:1-9 c. The lukewarm condition among God's people is still another mark of the time of the end - Matt. 24:12, 13; Rev. 3:14-17 d. The cry for union with the Papacy is also a sign of the end - Rev. 13 C. OUR URGENT NEED 1. Is plainly indicated by our spiritual condition: a. We are sleepy - 1) Secret or hidden sins cause us to sleep when we ought to be wide awake. Compare Rom. 13:11 with Heb. 12:1-9; 1 Cor. 11:30 2) Being engrossed with the cares of this world is still another reason for our sleepiness - Luke 21:34-38 b. Some among us are entangled in the works of darkness - Gal. 5:19-21 2. Paul's timely admonition is: a. "Awake out of sleep" b. Said the mariner to Jonah, "What meanest thou O sleeper?" Jonah 1:6 c. Sleep is characteristic of inactiveness, being unproductive, and unconscious of the surrounding. 3. Cast off the works of darkness: a. That God's people should be weighted down with the works of darkness is to be regretted. b. Consider 1 John 2:15, 16 c. The works of darkness are a condition of the heart - Matt. 15:19 4. The admonition of our opening text is, therefore, a clear indication: a. That Present Truth, powerful as it is, is ineffective in the lives of the people that are entangled in the works of darkness. b. That is one sad reason for so many among us being soundly asleep. 5. My God shall supply all your needs: a. By us putting on the whole armor of light or Present Truth. b. This armor of light is pictured by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians - Eph. 6:10-18 c. If we heed the counsel of the faithful and true witness - Rev. 3:14-17 6. The time is very late, the day is at hand, and it will be to the saving of our souls to heed the counsel of our text. ## WITH JESUS THROUGH THE STORM - MATTHEW 8:23-27, 28 A. AFTER THE STRENUOUS DAY OF PUBLIC TEACHING, AND AFTER THE INQUIRY MEETING THAT WAS ALMOST CERTAIN TO FOLLOW HIS PUBLIC ADDRESSES, JESUS, IN COMPANY WITH HIS DISCIPLES, STARTS ACROSS THE SEA: 1. It was a training school for the disciples: a. The ministry of the Son of God on earth served a dual purpose. b. To proclaim the gospel of the kingdom, and to train missionaries for service. 2. This boat ride served purposes: B. LET US NOTE THE IMPLICATIONS OF OUR TEXT 1. The weary sleeper: a. Reveals his perfect humanity - Heb. 2:14-16; John 1:14 b. He had hunger pains - Mark 11:12; Matt. 4:1, 2; Luke 4:2; Matt. 21:11 c. His body was weary and tired, and sleep was normal for him. 2. The unexpected storm: a. Why it was permitted to come. b. For the benefit of the trainees. 3. The disciples needed that lesson very badly: a. Their faith in the Saviour was, as yet, rather weak. b. They leaned too much upon the things visible to their eyes. c. They were possessed of a misplaced faith. d. They limited the Holy One in Israel to outward circumstances - Ps. 78:41 e. They were frightened by the storm and were impatient with the Lord. f. They were plainly distrustful. g. They were shortsighted. They had forgotten past manifestations of the power of God. h. They overlooked that the Lord was sharing the same apparent dangers. i. They were in need of the lesson, as we all are, because we all are shortsighted. C. OUTCOME OF THEIR EXPERIENCE 1. The Master intervened: a. He commanded the storm to cease. b. It obeyed him instantly. 2. The disciples are startled: a. Who is He, that the raging sea should obey Him - Matt. 8:27 b. This statement by the disciples reveals the imperfection of their faith in the divinity of the Son of God. c. It also shows how short their memories were! d. Had He not manifested His divine power on a number of occasions! e. How could they forget what He did at Cana? - John 2:7-11 f. How could they forget what He did with five little loaves and two fishes? John 6:1-13 3. There is a lesson for God's people today -- with Jesus through the storm: a. Why does the Lord allow the trials and perplexities of life to overtake His people? b. They need the training! Heb. 12:6-11 c. It will teach us to trust the Lord at all times and under all circumstances - Job 13:15 d. Trials and temptations are not to destroy us but to strengthen our faith in God and His promises - 1 Pet. 1:7 e. Let us never forget the trials of our brethren in past ages - Heb. 11:36 4. What is most important for God's pilgrims on the stormy seas: a. The presence of the Lord! b. What affects us will affect Him too. c. He is able to calm the stormy sea at will. d. Let us trust him! ## FOR CHRIST'S SAKE - EPHESIANS 4:32 A. TIMELY ADMONITION 1. "Be ye kind one to the other": 2. "Tenderhearted": 3. "Forgiving one another as God forgave you for Christ's sake": B. OUR TEXT SHOWS VERY PLAINLY GOD'S REASON IN DEALING COMPASSIONATELY WITH US -- "CHRIST" IS THAT GREAT REASON 1. We are accepted into the family of God: a. In the Beloved. b. Mephibosheth was accepted by king David into the royal family for Jonathan's sake - 2 Sam. 9:7-9 c. Onesimus, who had run away from his master, was received back into the family of Philemon for Paul's sake - Philem. 10-17 2. It is in Christ that we have been adopted into the heavenly family: a. Sin had alienated us, made us strangers, to God's family - Eph. 4:18; Col. 1:21 b. But our Lord brought us back into that happy relationship through His great love - Eph. 2:11-16 3. God has, for Christ's sake, forgiven us our sins: a. Pharaoh received Jacob and his large family for Joseph's sake - Gen. 47:5-10 b. God forgave Israel because Moses stood in the breach that had been caused by the continuous rebellion of his people - Ex. 32:32 4. We are now heirs and fellow heirs for Christ's sake: a. Rom. 8:17 b. Gal. 3:26-29 c. Eph. 3:6 5. All God's promises center in the person of Jesus Christ our Lord: a. He is the seed to whom the promises are made - Gal. 3:16; Matt. 21:38 b. "For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us." 2 Cor. 1:20; Rom. 15:8 C. CHRIST, THE GREAT REASON FOR OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD OUR FELLOW MEN 1. This is the great Master key to a new approach in human relationship: a. It makes Christ the all compelling motive of a changed attitude toward others. b. We have the mind of Christ and in that mind we deal with our fellow men. Phil. 2:6-11 2. Our thoughts toward others, our words with others, and our actions toward others, are motivated in the spirit and mind of Christ: a. We love others because He loved us - 1 John 4:19 b. We forgive because He first forgave us - Eph 4:32 c. We are ready and willing to suffer because He suffered for us - Acts 21:13; 2 Cor. 4:11 d. We are ready to forsake all because He gave up the wealth and glory of heaven for our sake - 2 Cor. 8:9; Matt. 19:29; Mark 10:28 3. A Bible Christian will ever weigh his or her action toward others in the light of his relationship with Christ: a. He will ever ask himself the question -- What would Christ do in my place? b. Paul states this truth very forcefully in these words, "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus" - Col. 3:17 4. Some startling statements which will give new and added meaning to our subject: a. "Because for thy sake I have borne" - Ps. 69:7 b. "For thy sake are we killed all day" - Rom. 8:30; Ps. 44:22 c. "All things are for your sake" - 2 Cor. 4:15 d. "I will spare all the place for their sakes" - Gen. 18:26 5. Is Christ the key to my relationship to the people I associate with? a. If he is, it will give a new meaning to human relationship. b. It will mean a complete and happy change in my attitude towards others -- in thought, word, and action. ## THE DISCIPLINE OF CHANGE - JEREMIAH 48:11 A. "MOAB HATH BEEN AT EASE FROM HIS YOUTH, AND HE HATH SETTLED ON HIS LEES, AND HATH NOT BEEN EMPTIED FROM VESSEL TO VESSEL, NEITHER HATH HE GONE INTO CAPTIVITY THEREFORE HIS TASTE REMAINED IN HIM, AND HIS SCENT IS NOT CHANGED." 1. Moab, a small country: a. Was noted for its vineyards. b. They used the ancient process of changing wine from vessel to vessel. 2. Jeremiah uses a figure of speech to show that Moab was dying of moral stagnation: a. It never had been brought into captivity. b. It was at ease, in spite of its moral decay. B. THE DISCIPLINE OF CHANGE IS THE BURDEN OF THIS MESSAGE 1. Life's changes: a. Our checkered experiences have a wonderful power of cleansing effect upon our lives. b. "We glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience" - Rom. 5:3 c. "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Heb. 12:11 EXAMPLES - 1) Nebuchadnezzar would never have testified for the true and living God, had he not gone through experiences which convinced him of the power of the true God - Dan. 4:30-37 2) Pharaoh would never have acknowledge the Hand of God, had not the Lord shown him the power of God - Ex. 9:27 3) Then think of Saul before David - 1 Sam. 26:21 2. It is in changes and surprises through which we pass continuously in this life: a. This is one of God's means to prepare us for translation. It is the oven in which the Lord separates the gold from the dross - Prov. 25:4; Isa. 1:22; Mal. 3:3 b. The frequent unsettlements in our experience keep us from becoming wedded to the world and from taking root in a world that will pass away - 1 Sam. 27:1-12; 29:1-11; 1 John 2:15, 16 3. The penalty of stagnation: a. This sterile, stagnant Moab, whose good wine of life is vitiated by inaction and indolence, is surely a text for a thousand sermons. b. We are in constant danger that our God given blessings become the curse of inaction or spiritual stagnation - EXAMPLES - 1) Think of Meroz - Judg. 5:1-27 2) Sodom and Gomorrah are still another warning sign on the highway of life - Ezek. 16:49 3) The Babylonian kingdom is still another example of the result of stagnation - Dan. 5 4) Finally, we have the parable of the rich farmer - Luke 12:16-21 C. BLESSINGS OF THE DISCIPLINE OF CHANGE 1. It develops character: Heb. 12:7-10 2. That was the experience of Moses after he had slain the Egyptian -- 40 years in the school of experience: Num. 12:3 3. It purifies the souls: a. "I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction" - Isa. 48:10, 11 b. The dregs in the bottom of our heart need to be removed to make room for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit - Jas. 4:8; 2 Cor. 7:1, 2 4. It teaches us to rely upon the Lord at all times: a. Peter's experiences at the time he denied his Lord taught him valuable lessons in his relationship with the Lord. b. After the betrayal, he was more careful in his promises - Compare Matt. 14:30 -- "Lord save me." c. Paul, too remembered his daily need of leaning upon the power of God - Rom. 7:1-26; Phil. 2:12, 13; 4:12, 13 5. Finally, the discipline of change will save us from eternal ruin: a. The vineyard of the Lord needs pruning - John 15:1-11 b. So a constant change in our lives will purify the soul. ## "HOLD THAT FAST WHICH THOU HAST" - REVELATION 3:11, 12 A. "BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY: HOLD THAT FAST WHICH THOU HAST, THAT NO MAN TAKE THY CROWN." 1. A message to the church of Philadelphia: a. The name of "Philadelphia" indicates that the church had things worth holding on to -- b. An open door - "For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries." 1 Cor. 16:9 c. Little strength. d. "Thou hast kept my word." e. "And hast not denied my name." 2. The admonition of the true witness indicates that danger was threatening that noble church; Satan would do his utmost to weaken that church: B. HOLD THAT FAST WHICH THOU HAST 1. This admonition indicates: a. That the church of Philadelphia had some treasures Satan sought to get away from it. b. This church is wonderfully illustrated by the parable of the sower that went forth to sow the good seed; some fell by the wayside - "Then cometh that wicked one, and snatched away that which was sown in his heart." Matt. 13:1-19 2. It implies, also, that we have much to do, on our part, to retain the blessings of the kingdom: a. The church at Ephesus failed in this responsibility - "thou hast left thy first love" - Rev. 3:4 b. "For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water." Jer. 2:12, 13 3. "Let no man take thy crown": a. This shows that it is possible that someone else may take the place that should have been ours - EXAMPLES - 1) Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, took Reuben's place, the oldest son of Jacob. 2) Manasses, the youngest son of Joseph, took Dan's place. 3) Compare Rev. 7:5 with Gen. 49:1-10. Here is food for earnest thoughts on our part. 4. How sad it would be to learn to our sorrow that someone else took the crown that was intended for us: C. "BEHOLD I COME QUICKLY" 1. In these words the Lord gives the special reason for the Philadelphians to hang onto the things they had received from the Lord: a. This has, as we understand, reference to the second coming of Jesus Christ. b. That coming is the theme of the ages and the blessed hope of the redeemed. 2. This blessed truth is sufficient reason to not let the things we have heard slip away from us: a. How sad it makes us when we hear of a brother or a sister leaving the message, going out into the world and living on the husks of sin. b. As we see the end nearing, we should make sure that we have a good hold on the great truths that will save our soul. c. Apostasies are too many among us, but what can we do to stop this drifting away from the truth. 3. Here are some of the things we must hang on to: a. Our confidence in God's promises and in the ultimate triumph of the gospel - Heb. 10:35 b. Our first love for Present Truth. The great danger to all of us is the temptation to become careless in our relationship to the message. c. It is possible for one to believe the theory of the message, and yet be lost; reason, because of neglecting to practice the truths we profess to believe. d. "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." Rom. 2:13 e. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." Jas. 2:22 f. "Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Rev. 22:14 ## WHENCE HATH IT TARES? - MATTHEW 13:24-43 A. "SIR, DIDST NOT THOU SOW GOOD SEED IN THY FIELD? FROM WHENCE THEN HATH IT TARES?" 1. The sower, in this parable, is the Son of man, He sows the good seed: a. The field is the world - Matt. 13:38; 28:18-20 b. The good seed are the children of God or the kingdom of God. 2. The sower of the tares is the devil: a. The tares are the children of the wicked one - Matt. 13:38, 39 b. The harvest is the end of the world. c. The harvesters are the angels. B. WHENCE HATH IT TARES? 1. This is a thought provoking question: a. Christ calls his children out of the world; He separates them from their former life - 2 Cor. 6:14-17; Rev. 18:4 b. Yet, sooner or later, one discovers that among the saints are children of the wicked one. c. How did they get into the church? 2. Did they get into the church: a. Because the church lowered its standard? b. Did they come into the fellowship of the believers with hidden sins in their lives, unknown to themselves? 3. Do we not read in Eph. 5:27 that when the Son of Man cometh to receive his people, his church will be without spot or wrinkles? a. How do wicked people get into the church? b. We may not be able to answer these very important questions, but this we do know that it is the devil that guides them into the church to harm it - Matt. 13:39 4. This parable of our Lord is very important for a number of reasons: a. It shows how Satan uses divers means and ways to hinder the work of the gospel. b. To make the cause of Christ appear in an unfavorable light. c. To entice or ensnare careless souls and destroy them. 5. How Satan works and how to guard against his devices; how to foil his evil designs: a. Satan works in the church while we sleep - 1) When the members of the church are asleep and off guard, Satan does his dirty work - Rom. 13:11-14 2) The ten virgins are a good example of God's children going to sleep - Matt. 25:1-12 b. The tares always surprise those who must take or deal with the consequences of sin. c. Our unguarded moments are ever openings for the enemy of our soul. C. A VALUABLE LESSON FOR US TO DO 1. It shows that sinful and wicked people do get into the church, where they can do much harm: a. A little leaven leavens a whole lump - 1 Cor. 5:6; Gal. 5:9 b. Sin works like a cancer, it will eat into the very life of those affected by it - 2 Tim. 2:17 2. Experience shows that sinners get into the church through divers channels: a. Carelessness in holding up the standard in the church opens the door for sinners to join the careless to make trouble to the church. b. Association with worldlings will lead to worldliness among the members of the church, and that will work like a contagion, spreading its poison very rapidly. 3. The question is ever present -- What can be done about it to keep the enemy out of the church? a. That is a most difficult job for anyone. b. The difficulty arises from our inability to differentiate the wheat from the tares. c. There is a time in the growth of the wheat and the tares when it seems impossible to know which is the wheat and which are the tares. 4. Here is what the church can do: a. It can hold up the banner of truth and urge its members to live up to the standard. b. It can expose the working of Satan, so that the people can be on guard. c. It must, however, let the wheat and tares grow until the harvest -- and let God divide the tares from the wheat - Matt. 13. ## "BLOW THE TRUMPET IN ZION, SOUND THE ALARM" - JOEL 2:15-17 A. BLOWING THE TRUMPET AND SOUNDING THE ALARM IN ZION 1. Was to warn the people against the plague of locusts that were and still are common in the Middle East: a. Egypt has been plagued with this pest to a point when the locusts ate up every green thing. b. Only modern methods of poisoning the locust has improved the situation somewhat. 2. But this warning signal was used to warn the nation of an impending invasion by an enemy: Isa. 22:11, 12 3. The prophetic message of our opening text belongs to God's remnant people: a. We know from the prophetic word the aim of our adversary - Rev. 12:17 b. Satan hates God's people which keep the commandments of God. B. BLOW THE TRUMPET, SOUND THE ALARM 1. The hour of a world crisis is upon us: Read "Testimonies for the Church, Volume 9, pages 11-12" a. International danger. b. Internal difficulties. c. Special danger facing the people of God, "Testimonies for the Church, Volume 6, page 16." d. Missionary opportunities will soon be cut off. "Testimonies for the Church, Volume 6, pages 14- 15." 2. Our real danger: a. Involvement in worldliness. So long as the world is without, we still have a chance to recognize its dangers, and close the door to all its enticements; but when the world has moved into the churches, has taken control of some of the activities in the church, difficulties before us are great and deadly. b. The testimony of the true witness must be heeded by us, or many among us will be lost - Rev. 3:14-17 c. God loves his people and he, therefore, sends us the needed warnings before it is too late. 3. Let us note, briefly, God's testimony to the remnant Church: a. We are charged with making false claims - Rev. 3:17 b. We are charged with blindness to our undone condition - Rev. 3:15-17 c. The true witness charges us with harmful self- complacency - Verse 17 d. But what is worst of all, is that we are woefully unprepared for the crisis that is before us. Here is, indeed, food for serious thought by all of us. C. THE LORD'S GRACIOUS COUNSEL TO US 1. Some people make fun of us because we claim to belong to the church of Laodicea: a. They forget that the Lord loves this church; that is why He speaks plainly about our condition. b. That His fault-finding with the church is not for the purpose of casting it off, but to give the trumpet a definite sound and so arouse the people of God. c. You will notice that the true witness does not find fault with the doctrine of the church but with its spiritual condition. d. The message to the Laodiceans is to draw God's people closer to Himself and so cleanse the church from its faults - Heb. 12:6-11 2. Our need has been stated by the Lord in words that are easily understood: a. We need an experience that is comparable to the gold tried in the fire. The fire will take away the dross of sin - Isa. 48:10; Mal. 3:3, 4 b. We need to be clothed with the righteousness of Christ, comparable to the white raiment - 1 Cor. 1:30; Rev. 19:7; Isa. 61:10; 64:6 c. We need eye salve for our eyes so we may see. That is indicative that worldliness has blinded us to the dangers that beset us - Ps. 119:18; 146:8 d. Let us heed the counsel of our Lord and draw near to Him in prayer and dedication before it is forever too late - Zeph. 2:1-4 ## THE TALEBEARER - LEVITICUS 19:16 A. A TALEBEARER 1. One who peddles, a trader in kinds: 2. The talebearer is a person who goes about dealing in scandal and calamity, getting the secrets of people and retelling them wherever he goes: Adam Clark B. MOTIVE OF A TALEBEARER 1. To expose the weakness of his victim, by showing it in the most unfavorable light: a. That is the way the rebellion began in heaven -- not that God had made mistakes, but Lucifer interpreted everything God said or did in a very unfavorable light - Matt. 25:24, 25 b. That is the way the enemies of our Lord construed some of his words to make him say what he had not said - Compare John 2:19 with Mark 14:58 c. That is the way the tale was spread that Christ had not been raised from the dead, but that he had been stolen - Matt. 28:15 2. To destroy the confidence of people in his victim: a. That was what the silversmith did to enrage the people against Paul - Acts 19:24-31 b. To discredit a person in the eyes of others is one of the most ruthless deeds that can be done to any person. c. And, yet, how many of us are reminded that we, too, have been guilty of this hideous sin in one way or another. 3. God foresaw this evil and he put into the Ten Commandments this injunction, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." - Ex. 20:16 a. To bear false witness means to say something that is not true, and if it is not true, it is a lie. b. We know then that talebearing is the work of the devil, and those who are guilty of it are his agents, peddling his wares. c. Here is food for serious thought and prayer because the temptation is ever present to say something unkind about the people we do not like. C. THE HARM THE TALEBEARER CAUSES IS BEYOND OUR CALCULATION 1. First of all we think of the harm the talebearer does to himself: a. He is guilty of the transgression of the ninth commandment - Ex. 20:16 b. "Thou shalt not raise a false report" - Ex. 23:1 EXAMPLES - 1) That lewd woman, Potiphar's wife, did just that about Joseph - Gen. 39:13-18 2) That is what the Jews did to Paul - Acts 26:31 2. Then we attempt to evaluate the hurt the talebearer causes to his victims: a. He causes wounds which are hard to heal - Prov. 18:8; 26:22 b. He brings strife among the people, "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth." - Prov. 26:20 3. Beware of the talebearer: a. He will surely reveal secrets - Prov. 11:13; 20:19 b. When people volunteer information about other people, be on guard because they are aiming to get you into trouble. 4. The harm done by the talebearer: a. It has broken up homes. b. It has led to suicide. c. It has brought deep sorrow and grief to innocent persons. 5. How to guard against a talebearer: a. Do not associate with him. b. Train yourself to speak well of people, in private and particularly in the presence of people who are known as gossip peddlers. c. If someone talks about the weakness of others in your presence, change the subject, and let that party know that you are not interested in talking about the weakness of others. d. You need not do that many times and the talebearer will omit your home. e. Knowing how God feels about the talebearer, we should never be guilty of that sin. ## DIVORCE A. THE WORD "DIVORCE" OUGHT TO SEND ALL, WHO PROFESS TO BE CHRISTIANS, ON OUR KNEES WITH THIS PRAYER: DEAR GOD KEEP US FROM BEING GUILTY OF THIS TERRIBLE SIN 1. Some facts about divorce that are saddening: a. We are told that a divorce takes place every forty five minutes in the U.S.A. b. Over 6,000,000 children are without the united care of their parents by reason of divorce. c. The church is, seemingly, powerless against this tragedy in our society. 2. If the church of God is powerless to stem the divorce wills, who will do it? a. Marriage is a Bible ordinance - Gen. 2:18, 19; Matt. 19:1-3 b. Instruction in the matrimonial relationship is a primary concern for the church. c. The sacredness of this institution should be emphasized by the teachers of Christianity. d. If the church of God neglects this important institution, it fails its Lord and society. B. BASIC CAUSE OF DIVORCE 1. There may be different causes that lead to this tragedy, but there are some basic reasons which I want to touch upon: a. A flagrant disregard of the author of the marriage institution. 1) God is the author of the marriage institution. 2) Marriage was instituted in the Garden of Eden, when sin had, as yet, not marred the home - Gen. 2:18, 19; Mal. 2:14; Matt. 19:1-3 3) The overthrow of the antediluvians was the result of men disregarding the marriage as God had instituted - Gen. 6:1-3 b. Ignoring the original purpose of marriage is another contributory factor of divorce - 1) The woman was given to man for a helpmeet. 2) The pair was to bring an holy seed into the world - Mal. 1:15 c. Hasty unions also contribute to family disorders. 2. But the main mischief maker is incompatibility: a. People do not take time to get to know each other sufficiently to determine their compatibility. b. Outlook upon life - religiously and otherwise has a lot to do with the marriage relation. 3. The third party has, in some instances, a lot to do with breaking up a home: a. It may be the "in-laws" that cause divorce. b. Or it might be an intruder. C. GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE 1. In our civil courts, a number of reasonable grounds are considered: 2. But the Bible recognizes only one ground for the divorce: a. Infidelity or fornication - Matt. 19:1-9 b. Adultery or unfaithfulness to the marriage vows. 3. In such a case, the innocent party of the broken marriage relation is free: a. There are some who think that if a husband or a wife is untrue, a divorce may be proper for the innocent; but in that case, the innocent must remain single all their remaining life. b. That I cannot see; for why punish the innocent for the crime of the guilty? Why make the innocent suffer for the sin of the guilty? c. It is my humble opinion that when one of the contracting parties breaks the mutual vows, and the other one is true, the original relationship has been broken, and the guilty party is as good as dead to the innocent party. 4. What about these factors that break up homes: a. Cruelty? The answer is that when cruelty makes it difficult for two to live together, separation may be the only solution, but that is not sufficient cause for divorce. b. Non-support is another experience that breaks up homes, and it may be that the woman that does not receive the support of her husband may be forced to make her own living, but that is not sufficient ground for divorce. c. Two or more living husbands. What shall a person do that has two or more husbands or wives living? Should a person leave all and live alone? The answer is, begin your Christian life with the one you live with, and make the best of your situation. Running away from your mistakes will not alter the situation. ## THE MODERN DANCE - MARK 6:14-30, 31 A. THE BIBLE AND DANCING 1. The story of the dance, as recorded in the Bible is twofold: a. The religious or ceremonial dance, as indicated in 2 Sam. 6:14. David danced for joy before the ark of the Lord. b. The apostate Israelites danced before the golden calf - Ex. 32:19 2. There were dances connected with drinking and revelry, as at the banquet of Herod. a. At the time John the Baptist was beheaded - Matt. 14:6 b. At socials when people combine dance and strong drink. B. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE MODERN DANCE? 1. This is no idle question: a. Many of our young people have approached me with the question, "What is wrong with dancing, as long as it is done to have a good time?" b. "They danced in Bible times, and what can be wrong if our young people dance today?" 2. I must admit that I am very prejudice against the modern dance: a. I am a minister of the gospel, and the Bible tells us that one of the greatest preachers of all times lost his life in the heat and atmosphere of drinking and dancing. b. It was in connection with the dance that the Israelites became demoralized - Ex. 32 3. The modern dance has seven earmarks which prove it to be public enemy Number One: a. In most instances, dancing is associated with drinking. b. Nakedness and dancing are common where strong drink makes the dancers lighthearted. That means "Dance Set" the straight appeal to lust. It is a sorry but a well known fact that the modern dance breaks down morality and modesty. c. Divorce and the modern dance go hand in hand. "Changing dancing partners in the twilight" is quite common. Remember Herod and his unlawful wife. d. The dance, of our so-called modern society, is the mother of lust. The annals of history will have a story to reveal of the unspeakable immorality connected with the modern dance. This lust of a carnal mind is inflamed by the heat of strong drink. e. Murder goes with the modern dance - Mark 5:27, 28 f. The modern dance is the gateway to hell. How many victims await hell fire because they frequented the dance halls? g. No one can, with good conscience, claim to be walking with God, and at the same time patronize the modern dance. C. SAFEGUARDS AGAINST THE MODERN DANCE 1. Test the temptation with the word of God: a. Does the modern dance with the opposite sex come under 1 John 2:15, 16? 1) The lust of the flesh. 2) The lust of the eyes. 3) And the pride of life. If it does, then it is sinful to indulge in. b. Will dancing with the other man's wife bring cleavage between you and your wife? If it does, it is sinful. 2. Would the Lord Jesus approve of me taking part in a society dance associated with strong drink? a. Most of us know the answer only too well because the Lord would not approve indulgence that leads to immorality. b. In view of this fact, we are not doing the will of the Lord when we go on the devil's grounds. 3. The Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, will not approve a practice that leads to disregard of God's moral precepts: a. The people of God, living in the end of time, have too many other more important things to do than associating with the people who go to dancing parties. b. To them the modern dance bears the earmarks of moral corruption and will, unless it is forsaken, lead straight to hell. ## "EXAMINE YOURSELVES" - 2 CORINTHIANS 13:5 A. BACKGROUND TO OUR TEXT 1. Paul had learned that the Corinthians had criticized his ministry, and were bringing divisions among the believers: 1 Cor. 1:10-15 2. This attitude, by some of the Corinthians, necessitated the second Epistle to those believers: B. SELF-EXAMINATION AND ITS IMPLICATION 1. It is a most difficult undertaking: a. It runs against the human ego - 1) Many are blind to their own shortcomings - Luke 18:11, 12; Matt. 7:1-5 2) Pride and self-conceit keep them from applying the test for self-discovery. b. It necessitates self-exposure - 1) That is not in human nature, 2) Because it is human to seek to hide our defects - Gen. 3:7 2. It requires the application of principles outside of one's self: a. The Pharisee measured himself by his own conception of himself. b. But the Publican measured himself by what he knew about God's requirements - Luke 18:11-13 3. We find God's measuring rod in his Word: a. To the law and to the testimony - Isa. 8:20 b. It is the divine mirror in which we can see, not only God's requirements, but, also, our own sinful self - Jas. 1:22-25 c. By it, Paul says, "is the knowledge of sin" - Rom. 3:20; 7:7 d. Let us apply this rule to our own self and thereby be benefited or helped. e. We all are, more or less, tempted to remove the mote out of our brother's eye, and forget to remove the beam out of our own eye - Matt. 7:3, 4 f. Prayerful self-examination will help us to avoid the serious mistake that is so common among God's people. 4. Seventh-Day Adventists claim to have the highest moral standard known by men: a. The law of the Ten Commandments. b. We refer our friends to Rev. 12:17; 14:12 as proof. c. We call attention to the prophetic forecast of the final Reform Movement, which we believe we carry today - Acts 3:19-21; Isa. 56:1-7; 58:1-14 5. We sincerely believe that this Advent Movement carries the Three Angels' Message in this present generation: a. Announcing the hour of God's judgment. b. Exposing the fall of Babylon. c. Warning against the beast, his image, and his mark - Rev. 14:6-12 6. All these heavenly blessings add up a serious responsibility to God's people, which must not be taken lightly: C. "PROVE YOURSELVES" 1. That we enter into judgment with ourselves, prove ourselves, not by determining our own concept of truth, but rather of what the truth is in itself: a. This is the very heart of self-examination. 1) Is our knowledge of the truth workable? Does it stand up in practice? Luke 6:46 2) For not the hearer but the doer of the law shall be justified in the sight of the Lord - Rom. 2:13 b. All tests of our lives have but a twofold aim - 1) To discover our need. 2) To apply the remedy God has for our need - Rev. 3:14-17 2. Such self-examination will be most helpful: a. To our ownselves - 1) It will keep us from spending time and energy in finding fault with others. 2) It will bring us closer to the Lord. 3) It will be beneficial to the church of God. b. Thus Paul gives us timely instructions for our own good. c. Let us be humble enough to apply them to our own sinful selves. ## VICTORY OVER THE WORLD - 1 JOHN 5:4, 5 A. THE GREAT CONTROVERSY BETWEEN CHRIST AND SATAN 1. Began in heaven: Rev. 12:7, 8 2. It was transferred to this world: Gen. 3:1-22; Job 1:1- 9; Rev. 12:12 B. OUR CONFLICT IN THIS PRESENT WORLD 1. Was forecast in the Garden of Eden: Gen. 3:15 2. Will become more intense as we near the great and final battle between good and evil: 3. This conflict is twofold: a. Moral principles are involved - EXAMPLES - 1) Joseph's temptation by a lewd woman concerned moral principles - Gen. 39:9 2) Daniel and his friends were subjected to a test of moral principles - Dan. 1:8; 6:10; 3:1-30 b. God's remnant people will be tested on the same principles - Rev. 12:17 c. Heb. 11:34-40 records a panorama of the saints, who, in past ages, were tested, but remained faithful to the end. 4. The customs in this present world are, in some ways, most difficult to fight against: a. There is the great difficulty by God's children to differentiate between the things that are most modest and becoming to the saints and those which are a denial of the faith. b. Only a working knowledge of Bible standards and guidance by the Holy Spirit will enable God's people to walk safely in this present evil world - 2 Cor. 4:2; Rom. 13:11-14 5. Three powerful snares we must avoid at all cost: a. The lust of the flesh - 1 John 2:15, 16. Think of its victims! Include such persons as king David - 2 Sam. 11:2-17; Solomon - Neh. 13:26 b. The pride of life - That was the downfall of Nebuchadnezzar - Dan. 4:30. That kept the young ruler from becoming a follower of Christ - Matt. 19:16-19. Will it keep you out of the kingdom of God? c. The lust of the eye - This is, perhaps, the most deadly enemy man has. Think, please, of its untold victims throughout the reign of sin? EXAMPLES - 1) Eve fell for this enticement - Gen. 3:6 2) Achan became victim and dragged his family with himself into eternal ruin - Josh. 7:1-10 3) Samson, too, became a slave to this evil - Judg. 14 C. VICTORY OVER THE EVILS OF THIS PRESENT WORLD 1. No one has any reason to become discouraged because our mighty Captain has gotten the victory over sin: a. "Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" - John 16:33 b. "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 15:57 2. The heaven provided weapons that will insure victory, if used right: a. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God - Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12. This is the weapon used so successfully by the Son of man - Luke 4:1-12 b. The shield of faith. Faith is the victory that overcometh the world - Eph. 6:16; 1 John 5:4, 5 c. The breastplate of righteousness - Eph. 6:14; Isa. 59:17, 19; 1 Thess. 5:8 d. Fervent and persevering prayer - 1 Thess. 5:17. More and greater victories are won by the saints than by any other means - EXAMPLES - 1) Moses on the day of the great battle with the enemies - Ex. 17:11, 12 2) Elisha and the army of the enemy of Israel - 2 Ki. 6:17-19 3) Hezekiah and the mighty army of the Assyrians - Isa. 39 e. It is important, however, that we disassociate ourselves from worldlings, who would entice us to do evil. f. That we keep ourselves occupied with the work of the Lord and so prevent the enemy to lead us into sin. ## THE CHRISTIAN CONFLICT - 1 TIMOTHY 6:12 A. EXPERIENCE TEACHES THAT THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A CONSTANT CONFLICT FROM WHICH NO ONE IS EXEMPT 1. This conflict began in the Garden of Eden: a. Temptation and fall of our first parents - Gen. 3:1-6 b. This conflict was to continue to the end of time - Gen. 3:15 2. Satan will intensify this struggle against the children of the Lord as we near the end of the conflict: a. He goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour - 1 Pet. 5:8 b. He has great wrath against God's children because he knows that his time is just about run out - Rev. 12:12 B. NATURE AND IMPLICATION OF THIS CONFLICT 1. It is a conflict over our loyalty to Christ and His law: a. The seal of God and the mark of the beast are the two great issues in the conflict - Rev. 7:1-3; 13:1-17; 14:9-11 b. Satan will declare war against the people that are loyal to the law of God - Rev. 12:17 2. It will become more marked as we near the end of time: a. Daniel saw the climax of this conflict - Dan. 12:1 b. Peter speaks of this conflict as, "the fiery trial" that shall befall the people of the Lord - 1 Pet. 4:12 c. Paul says that "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" - 2 Tim 3:12 d. He says, further, "that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" - Acts 14:22 e. But there is a promise for us, "as thy days, so shall thy strength be" - Deut. 33:25 f. For our God will not allow us to be tempted above that which we can bear - 1 Cor. 10:13 C. GOD'S WONDERFUL ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS 1. Our armor: a. Our Christ centered faith - 1 John 5:4, 5; Matt. 17:20; Luke 17:6 b. The blood of Jesus Christ is a mighty weapon against Satan - Rev. 12:11 c. The word of God - Eph. 6:17; Luke 4:1-8; Heb. 4:12 d. The Holy Spirit - Isa. 59:19; Gen. 39:7-9 e. Earnest prayer. f. Eternal vigilance - Mark 14:38 2. We must keep in mind that our victory centers in our Captain, Christ our Lord: a. He won the victory for us - John 16:33; Rev. 17:14 b. All we need is to resist the devil and he will flee from us - Jas. 4:7 3. A rich reward awaits all who overcome in the conflict: a. The right to eat of the tree of life - Rev. 2:7 b. We are saved from the second death - Rev. 2:11 c. The crown of life awaits them - 2 Tim. 4:7, 8 d. A royal welcome awaits them at the gates of heaven - Ps. 24:1-10 4. The Christian conflict is based upon a just cause: a. Truth and righteousness are the banner of the saints of God. b. Justice and mercy are our goal in the struggle against the forces of evil. c. The eternal glory that comes to all that are faithful to the end will far exceed the trials we will have to pass through in this conflict. d. Let us consider these divinely inspired words, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us." Rom. 8:18 ## GOD'S GRACIOUS PROVISION FOR THE DEFENCE OF HIS PEOPLE A. "HE SHALL DWELL ON HIGH: HIS PLACE OF DEFENCE SHALL BE THE MUNITIONS OF ROCKS; BREAD SHALL BE GIVEN HIM; HIS WATERS SHALL BE SURE." - Isa. 33:16 1. The context of the chapter shows that God warns: a. The spoilers against the oppression of his people - Isa. 33:1 b. He will deal with them according to their deeds - Rom. 6:23; Gal. 6:7 2. On the other hand, the Lord makes provision for: a. Them that walk uprightly. b. That despiesth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil - Isa. 33:15 c. God does make a difference between the righteous and the wicked - Mal. 3:16 B. GOD'S GRACIOUS PROVISION FOR THE DEFENCE OF HIS PEOPLE 1. This heavenly provision indicates, clearly, that serious difficulties face the saints in the last days: a. These trials are mentioned by Daniel in Dan. 12:1 b. The prophet Zephaniah, too, speaks of the time of trouble ahead of us - Zeph. 2:1-3 c. In Revelation 12:17 we read that Satan will declare war against the remnant of the church of God. 2. That means that there will be a time when all civil protection for the saints will be taken away from us: a. That means that God's children will flee from their habitations to places prepared by the Lord for refuge. b. The massive rocks in some places of the earth will be the defence of the oppressed. c. Cities, in ancient times, were built upon high places; such places are always an excellent defence against an enemy. 3. The godly man's security: a. His main defence is, as we all know, the Rock of Ages - 1 Sam. 22:1-3 b. That will be true of God's people in the final time of trouble. c. Satan knows that the Lord will not forsake His people in the day of trouble - Job 1:10; Ps. 91:1-6 C. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE LORD'S CARE FOR HIS PEOPLE IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE 1. "Bread shall be given him": a. That was true of Elijah - 1 Ki. 18:1-7 b. The Lord cared for the widow that ministered to Elijah - 1 Ki. 18:8-14 c. He fed ancient Israel for forty years - Ex. 16:35; Num. 14:33 2. We are taught to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread": Matt. 6:11 a. That is heavenly assurance that the Lord will supply all our needs - Phil. 4:19 b. Those who trust in Him shall never lack any good thing - Luke 22:35 3. "His water shall be sure": a. Water is as necessary to live as bread is; and when God promises us bread he will also supply the water. b. He cared for Hagar and her son - Gen. 21:15-19 4. The heavenly provision of bread and water for God's oppressed people is most revealing: a. It shows that bread and water are the two main essentials for the sustenance of our physical health. b. There are many other so-called luxuries that will not be needed, and for that reason will not be supplied by the Lord. c. Note, further, that bread and water and shelter are the gift of heaven, and come to them that have put their trust under the care of their heavenly Father, who careth for them. d. That ought to remove from us all worry as to how we shall fare when the time of trouble comes upon us in the last days. e. How gracious is the Lord to all who trust to dwell under the shadow of His wings! ## WE, AS A PEOPLE, ARE ON TRIAL - 1 CORINTHIANS 4:9 A. WE CLAIM TO BE GOD'S CHOSEN PEOPLE WITH A SPECIAL MESSAGE TO A JUDGMENT BOUND WORLD 1. We are, indeed, proclaiming the everlasting gospel of Rev. 14:6-12: a. The angel that announces the hour of God's judgment; what a solemn calling! b. The fall of Babylon is shown from Bible prophecy. c. Warning the world against the mark of the beast. 2. We sincerely believe that we have been entrusted by God to finish the work of the Reformation: Acts 3:19-21; Rev. 18:4 a. The restoration of the truths of the Bible. b. The proclamation of the Sabbath Reform Movement - Isa. 56:1-7; 58:1-14 B. OF THE GREATEST IMPORTANCE TO US AND TO THE WORLD IS THE FACT 1. That we apply three specific Bible marks of God's people to ourselves: a. The patience of the saints. b. The keeping of the commandments of God. c. And the faith of Jesus - Rev. 12:17; 14:12; Matt. 5:17-19 2. We sincerely profess to believe in the soon coming of Jesus Christ: a. That coming is near at hand - Matt. 24:33; Rom. 13:11-14 b. We believe that we interpret correctly the prophecies foretelling his second coming. c. We know that current events are indicative of the end of this present age; and that it means that the consummation of all things is at hand. 3. All these facts lead us to consider very prayerfully: a. Our own relationship to Him and to the world today - 2 Cor. 13:5 b. What must shake us out of our lethargy is the testimony of the true witness about Laodicea - Rev. 3:14-17 c. How can we, with good conscience, read this testimony without being humbled into desiring a change for the better? d. We know that getting ready for the coming of the Lord is a personal work each one of us must do for ourselves - Mal. 4:5, 6; 1 John 3:1-3 e. We are warned that this is the hour of crisis for the nation and the church - 1) It is now - Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, p. 11 2) We are not ready - Testimony for the Church, Vol. 6:16; Volume 5, p. 713. C. WHY THIS SPECIAL SERMON? 1. God's people are in constant danger of being ensnared in the world and its cares: 1 John 2:15, 16; Luke 21:34, 35 2. We know that there were sinners in Zion: Amos 6:1; Rev. 3:17; Luke 12:20 3. The wrath of Satan will soon be directed against God's remnant people: Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 9, page 11. a. He will seek to blot out the people that keep God's commandments. Testimonies to Ministers, page 37. b. Peter foresaw this attempt and warns us to be on guard - 1 Pet. 5:8 4. This is, indeed, a time when we must, for our own good, do some searching of our own hearts: Vol. 4, page 486. 5. The world is forming a definite opinion of us and what we profess to believe: 6. The sifting time is upon us, and let us not think of the other fellow, but of our own selves! 7. Who will stand before the Son of man when He comes in the clouds of heaven: Luke 21:36 8. Let us heed the words of the prophet Zephaniah in Zeph. 2:1-3: 9. As we near the end of time, we must seek the Lord in prayer more earnestly: Luke 18:7 10. There must be a daily searching of hearts to remove the things that are offensive to the Lord: Heb. 12:1-4; Judg. 5:16 11. This is the time when the words of Paul in Rom. 13:11-14 should be taken very seriously. Let us make sure that we are ready when the Master comes. ## THE SECOND MILE A. "WHOSOEVER SHALL COMPEL THEE TO GO ONE MILE, GO WITH HIM TWAIN" - Matt. 5:41 1. Our Lord's audience was familiar with the practice of the Romans: a. They pressed anyone into the service, to carry burdens for the soldiers. b. They did this with one called Simon, whom they compelled to carry our Saviour's cross - Matt. 27:32; Mark 15:21; Luke 23:26 2. By coincidence a group of Roman soldiers passed during our Lord's discourse, which was a strong reminder to the listeners of the Roman practice: B. THE GOSPEL OF THE SECOND MILE 1. This gospel of the second mile has its source: a. In the life of the Son of God - 1) He ever went beyond the point of duty, beyond all human expectations and comprehension. 2) This is amplified in His teaching - Matt. 5:1-48 3) In his life - Acts 10:38; Matt. 11:1-5 4) It is expressed in the golden rule - Matt. 7:12 b. It is repeated in the lives of God's children over and over. 2. Implications of the gospel of the second mile: a. It accepts imposition upon God's people, forced upon them -- "compel thee". b. Such impositions were frequent in the early days of the gospel of Christ. c. Uncalled abuse and hardship were heaped upon those who professed Christ in their lives - Matt. 10:22-24 d. "If they take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also" - Matt. 5:40 e. "Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also" - verse 39 3. This gospel of the second mile: a. Was in direct opposition to human nature. b. It was the very opposite of what men believe and practice in their daily life. c. It takes a person filled with the Spirit of Christ to live up to this heavenly directive. C. THE REASONABLENESS AND BLESSING OF THE GOSPEL OF THE SECOND MILE 1. It is reasonable: a. It represses or kills the spirit of human selfishness. b. It brings to light the true spirit of Bible Christianity - Matt. 5:13-16 c. It shows that faith in Christ will enable us to go beyond the point of what some call our duty - EXAMPLES - 1) Think of David and Jonathan. Out of love for David, Jonathan relinquished his right to the throne, risked the wrath of his father - 1 Sam. 18:1-4 2) We think of Joseph and his brethren. There came a time when Joseph could have paid them back for their cruelty, but he did not do that - Gen. 45:1-15 d. It takes a real Christian to live so completely unselfishly, that he will go the second mile. 2. But let us take a brief look at the blessing of living the gospel of the second mile: a. The Jews hated the Samaritans, and the Samaritans might have had a perfect right to shun them, but the story of the good Samaritan shows that it pays to go the second mile - Luke 10:30-37 b. David went beyond the point of duty when he spared the life of Saul, who had hunted him like a wild beast, but it paid off - 1 Sam. 26:17-23 c. Think, dear reader, of what blessing our Lord pronounces upon those who are willing to take abuse at the hands of their enemies - Matt. 5:11; 1 Pet. 4:14 d. It has been said, truthfully, that the blood of the martyrs of Christ has been the seed of great harvest of souls for God's cause. e. It took the courage of a Roman soldier to obey the command of his officer to walk into the river and drown, to led a whole regiment to follow him, accepting Christ, and dying for him. ## "FOLLOW PEACE WITH ALL MEN" - HEBREWS 12:14, 15 A. THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IS, ESSENTIALLY, THE GOSPEL OF PEACE 1. That was the message of the angels to a peaceless world at the birth of the Prince of peace: Luke 2:13, 14 2. He, the Lord of glory, is called, "The Prince of Peace": Isa. 9:6 3. Our heavenly Father is called, "the God of peace": Rom. 15:33; Heb. 13:20 4. Peace is the great pursuit of the children of God: Col. 3:15 B. "FOLLOW PEACE" 1. That means that we are to cultivate: a. A peaceable disposition. b. But to cultivate a peaceable disposition means that it will take some effort on our part. EXAMPLES - 1) It must have taken some effort on the part of Abram to restore a peaceful relation between him and his nephew Lot - Gen. 13:1-11 2) That must have been true of Joseph in dealing with his brethren after they had so cruelly mistreated him - Gen. 49:14-21 2. It takes the spirit of good will toward others to follow peace with all men: a. The spirit of good will is embodied in the golden rule -- "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even unto them." Matt. 7:12 b. That means that we will not seek our own, but another man's wealth - 1 Cor. 10:24 3. Some characteristics of peace: a. Long-suffering - Eph. 4:2; Gal. 5:22 b. Envieth not - Envy is one of the main disturbers of peace. That was true of Cain toward his brother - Gen. 4:8 c. Easy to be intreated - 1 Tim . 5:1; Phil. 4:3 d. Slow to anger and being ever ready to forgive - Jas. 1:19 4. The motive of peace: a. The love of God in our heart is the true motive of being peaceable. b. We seek peace because the God of peace dwells in our heart - Ps. 133:1; 2 Cor. 6:16 c. Because that is the very purpose of the gospel of peace - Luke 2:14; John 14:27 5. The price of peace: a. To begin with, Christ purchased peace through his death on the cross - Eph. 2:14-17 b. Such a price by the Prince of Peace shows the emphasis Heaven places upon peace. c. This is certain that the price of heaven is measured by our desire for peace. C. BLESSINGS OF THE PURSUIT OF PEACE 1. Our Lord pronounces a special blessing upon all who follow peace: a. "Blessed are the peacemakers" b. "They shall be called the children of God" - Matt. 5:9; Jas. 3:18; Matt. 5:44, 45 2. By pursuing peace we become: a. True representatives of the God of peace and effectually uphold the gospel of peace. b. We shall leave a favorable impression with those who observe or experience our attitude of peace. c. We shall reveal to a world at war and strife, that God desires peace and tranquility among men. 3. Follow peace with all men: a. That, dear friends, gives direction to the life of a child of God! Peace! b. That becomes a test to our claims to true Christianity! Are we truly men of peace? Does our life represent the Prince of Peace? c. If the peace of our Lord rules in our hearts, our influence will reveal it; we will bring peace to all who come under our influence. d. What a challenge to all of us to re-examine our lives to find out why there is so little of the peace of God in our hearts. e. That means that if we are not men and women of peace, it is because sin prevents it. We need a new experience in the realm of God's kingdom. ## POPULARITY, THE MOST TRYING TEST OF OUR CHARACTER A. "AS THE FINING POT FOR SILVER, AND THE FURNACE FOR GOLD; SO IS A MAN TO HIS PRAISE" - Prov. 27:21 1. It is common knowledge that men, ancient and modern, submit precious metals, such as silver and gold, to the test of the fire: Prov. 25:4; Mal. 3:3 2. What fire is to these and other metals, Solomon says popularity or applause is to man's character: a. It tests it. b. It discovers the man. B. POPULARITY, THE MOST TRYING TEST OF OUR CHARACTER 1. It reveals the vanity of the proud: a. He, who by some brilliant faculty, or dexterous deed, or propitious circumstance, has won the applause of the multitude and falls for such applause, reveals the weakness of his character - EXAMPLES - 1) Herod fell altogether - Acts 12:21-23 2) Absalom is another case of vanity - 2 Sam. 14:25 b. That was Lucifer's weakness which led him to rebel against the government of God - 1) His high position and his unholy ambition led him to be self-centered. 2) He began to admire himself more than his Maker - Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-17 2. Popularity, on the other hand, brings to light the true strength of character: a. That was true in the life of Moses. No other public figure outside of Christ, had reached the height of usefulness as did Moses. b. He was a leader of leaders, a legislator of legislators, and yet the Lord says of him that he was the meekest man on earth - Num. 12:3 c. Meekness is a Christian virtue to be coveted by all - Gal. 5:23 d. To the meek it is said that they shall inherit the earth - Matt. 5:5 e. The meek will the Lord guide in judgment - Ps. 25:9 f. Meekness is one of the ornaments of a true Christian - 1 Pet. 3:4 C. LET US NOTE SOME OF GOD'S SAFEGUARDS AGAINST FALLING FOR POPULARITY 1. He exposes men to special tests: a. He did this with Jacob after he had given wonderful promises - Gen. 32:24-32 b. He sent Moses to the desert country to herd Jethro's sheep for forty years - Exodus chapters two and three. c. He placed upon Paul, one of the greatest preachers of all time, an infirmity to keep him humble - 2 Cor. 12:9 d. He allowed the beautiful face of Madam Guyon, the French Mystic, to be disfigured, to keep the true strength of her character to the view of others. 2. Our text is, in fact, a warning to the aspiring person to remember that there is a price attached to popularity: a. Experience shows that popularity is very unreliable even to the noblest - EXAMPLE - 1) No nobler person ever walked on the earth than the Son of man; no other person has ever been exposed to greater acclaim than He, yet in the hour of final crisis in His life, the public abandoned Him completely. b. The people that sought to make Him king, cried, "crucify him". 3. True strength of character does not necessarily rest on public acclaim: a. Christ was the very embodiment of virtue; yet of him it is written that he was despised and rejected of men - Isa. 53:5 b. The applause and praise of men are at times an abomination to God - Luke 16:15 c. Much of the public applause is very superficial and unreliable; it is shallow and very fragile. 4. Popularity, when examined with care: a. Is based upon the gratification of the human ego. b. That was true of Nebuchadnezzar; that is how the enemies of God's people caused him to bring great hardship upon them. c. The same was true of Darius, who made a decree that no one should ask anything of his god for thirty days - Dan. 6:1-9 ## CHRISTIAN ENDURANCE - MATTHEW 10:22 A. OUR LORD PUTS GREAT EMPHASIS UPON CHRISTIAN ENDURANCE 1. "He that endureth unto the end shall be saved": Matt. 24:13 2. He connects endurance with: a. The increase of lawlessness in the last days - Matt. 24:12, 13 b. The impact of lawlessness upon some of the professed followers of God - Rev. 2:4 c. Satan will stir great hatred in the hearts of worldlings against the people that keep the commandments of God - Rev. 12:17; Matt. 5:11; 10:22; 24:9 B. CHRISTIAN ENDURANCE 1. Presupposes difficulties, trials, hardships, and even death; it recognizes Christianity as a conflict between Christ and Satan: a. Paul speaks of Christianity as, "Our warfare" - 2 Cor. 10:4 b. James writes about "wars and fightings among you" - Jas. 4:1 c. Peter, too, speaks about "fleshly lusts which war against the soul" - 1 Pet. 2:11 2. But Christian endurance is needed in our war with Satan and his angels: a. Paul recognizes this fact in his letter to the Ephesians - Eph. 6:11-18 b. In Satan we face an experienced antagonist, and we must be well prepared to resist this vile foe - 1 Pet. 5:8, 9 c. As we near the end of time, Satan will increase his pressure against the people of the Lord because he knows that his time is short - Rev. 12:12, 17 3. What makes people lose out in their fight against sin and the devil: a. Being unwilling to break with the works of darkness - Rom. 13:11-14 b. Carelessness in their daily lives; too much worldliness - Matt. 24:12 c. Wholly unprepared for the conflict of a true and experienced Christ - Rev. 3:14-17 C. ARMOR OF BIBLE CHRISTIANS 1. Negatively: a. They do not use carnal weapons - 2 Cor. 10:3, 4 b. Only they who are carnally minded will use carnal means to fight with - Jas. 4:1, 2 c. Apostate Christianity, under the leadership of the Papacy, used carnal weapons against God's people during the dark ages. 2. Positively: a. Our weapons are spiritual all the way. The people of the Lord, born of the Spirit will not make use of the weapons that would destroy their own spiritual life. b. Here are some of the weapons employed by the saints in their conflict with sin and the devil - 1) The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God - Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12. That is the weapon used by our mighty Captain - Matt. 4:1-10 2) The girdle of truth, used by Joseph, Daniel and his friends, and Martin Luther in their fight against the enemy - Gen. 39:1-12; Dan. 1:8; 3:16-18 3) The shield of faith which assures protection against the fiery darts of the evil one - 1 John 5:4-6. We look, in faith, to Jesus, the Author and finisher of our faith - Heb. 12:1-6 4) The breastplate of righteousness is a must for us to keep our hearts free from the defilements of sin. 5) Fervent prayer is another must for us in our Christian warfare against sin and the devil. Satan fears kneeling Christians more than any other force. It is said that the weakest saints are the most powerful fighters for the cause of God when they face the enemy on their knees. 3. Things to remember on the Christian conflict: a. We are not alone in this conflict. Our Captain and the holy angels are with and for us - Matt. 28:20; Ps. 34:7 b. They that are with us are more and mightier than they that are with them - 2 Ki. 6:16 ## THE DAY OF PROSPERITY A. "IN THE DAY OF PROSPERITY BE JOYFUL" - Eccl. 7:14 1. Among the varied excellent qualities of a Christian is the ability of adoption and adjustment to all circumstances and conditions in this life: a. Paul was a master in this - "I have all and abound" - Phil. 4:11-13; "I am made all things to all men" - 1 Cor. 9:22 b. John had to learn this lesson - Acts 13:13 2. Prosperity, its blessings and dangers are a very timely subject: a. To some, a state of success in the undertaking of an enterprise is considered prosperity - Luke 12:16 b. Possession of material wealth or gains is looked upon, by some, as prosperity. c. Spiritual frugality can be considered real and abiding prosperity - 3 John 2. d. Growth in grace and usefulness is an indication of true prosperity. e. Promotion from lesser to greater responsibility and trust is a major element of prosperity - Gen. 39:1-6 3. Elements or essentials for prosperity: a. There must be a measure of competency - 1) A successful farmer is one who is able to get a maximum result out of his farming. 2) That is true of any profession. b. A state of health, body, soul, and spirit, is a must for one to enjoy the day of prosperity - 3 John 2 c. Peace of mind and the favor of the Lord are imperative to true prosperity - Luke 1:30 d. The interchange of true friendship with other people is another must to be truly happy. Think of some who possessed material wealth but were miserable - 1) The prodigal's brother - Luke 15:28 2) Nabal the fool - 1 Sam. 25:1-38 3) The rich young ruler is still another case to remember - Matt. 19:16-22 B. THE DAY OF PROSPERITY, ITS PRIVILEGES AND ITS SNARES 1. Its privileges: a. Be joyful and happy - 1) God gives us of the abundance of the material things of life to enjoy them. b. He provided ancient Israel with a set time when they were to rejoice and be happy - Deut. 14:23-26 c. Such joy should be a special occasion to give thanks and praise to Him who gives power to have riches - Eph. 5:20; Deut. 8:18 EXAMPLES - 1) David set a good example of gratitude to God for all material blessings - 1 Chron. 29:11-17 2) Let us ponder his statement in Ps. 116:12 2. Snares of prosperity: a. A prosperous man is tempted to forget God - Luke 12:19; Prov. 30:7-9 b. "If riches increase, set not your heart upon them" - Ps. 62:10 c. "He that trusteth in his riches shall fall" - Prov. 11:28 d. Pride is one of the dangers that prosperity may bring - Dan. 4:30 e. Worldliness or conformity to the world are definitely to be guarded against - 1 John 2:15, 16 f. Earthly or carnal mindedness is still another danger we must guard against - Jas. 5:1-9 g. But most of all, if we are not careful, we may lose our own soul - Matt. 16:26; 19:16-22 3. Moderation is in place: a. "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." Phil. 4:5 b. Prosperity, in itself, is no evil; it is a blessing, if used rightly - EXAMPLE - 1) Abraham was very wealthy, and God wanted it that way; but Lot, who also was wealthy, used it the wrong way, and it was against him. c. If the day of prosperity comes to us, let us rejoice on it, and use the power given to us to the glory of God. ## THE DAY OF ADVERSITY A. "IN THE DAY OF ADVERSITY CONSIDER" - Eccl. 7:14 1. Man, born of a woman, is of few days: a. So says Job - Job 14:1 b. Jacob utters similar words - Gen. 47:9 c. The Psalmist prayer was, "teach us to number our days" - Ps. 90:12 2. Experience teaches us: a. That man is born for trouble and adversity. b. "Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward" - Job 5:7 c. We become heirs of sorrow as surely as we are born into this world - Ps. 127:2 d. Man is exposed to misery as surely as he breathes - Eccl. 8:6 B. THE DAY OF ADVERSITY 1. What is to be understood by The Day of Adversity? a. When we are deprived of the temporary things in this life, as Job was, we are in the day of adversity. b. So long as we are in this present world, we will need and strive for the possession of this world's goods. c. Yet, some of the very best men have been deprived of the material things of this life - EXAMPLES - 1) Our Lord, Creator of the universe, heir to all there is in the world, lived about thirty- three years in this world without being recognized as the rightful owner of all there is - Matt. 8:20; 2 Cor. 8:9; Luke 9:58 2) Hagar had spent considerable of her life in the home of Abraham, yet, when she left, she could carry all her possessions on her head - Gen. 21:14 3) Elisha, a mighty man, fled his homeland with but his staff in his hand - 1 Ki. 19:4 d. Family bereavements keeps most of us in the shadow of adversity - EXAMPLES - 1) Adam and Eve had their sorrow - Gen. 4:8 2) Job had plenty of it - Job 1:12-21 3) Recall the sorrows of David - 2 Sam. 18:33 4) Ezekiel was told that his desires would be taken away with a stroke - Ezek. 24:16 5) Then there is the case of a man by the name of Lazarus - Luke 16:20, 21 6) The widow of Nain, who was following her son's coffin - Luke 7:11-13 C. THE COURSE PRESCRIBED: "IN THE DAY OF ADVERSITY CONSIDER" 1. It cannot be denied that we all are adverse to adversity: a. Even the Son of God was pained at his heart when the day of adversity approached - 1) He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief - Isa. 53:3 2) See Him in the garden of Gethsemane - Luke 22:41-45 b. If that was true of Him, who knew no sin, what may any one of us expect! 2. Consider: a. "O that they were wise, that they would consider their latter end" - Deut. 32:29 b. "Israel doth not know, my people will not consider" - Isa. 1:3 3. Afflictions, sorrows, have often turned into great blessings in disguise: a. Note how the story of Job turned into glorious triumph - Job 42:10-17 b. God requires for us to go through the refining process - Isa 48:10 c. We shall be satisfied when all our trials are over, and the eternal rest comes to us. 4. Afflictions are but transitory or seasonable: a. "For our affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." - 2 Cor. 4:17 b. "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporary: but the things which are not seen are eternal." Verse 18 5. Job's answer to his discouraged wife expresses the correct attitude of the children of God in the day of adversity: "shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" - Job 2:10 ## A GOODLY HERITAGE - PSALMS 16:5, 6 A. "THE LORD IS THE PORTION OF MINE INHERITANCE AND OF MY CUP: THOU MAINTAINEST MY LOT. THE LINES ARE FALLEN UNTO ME IN PLEASANT PLACES: YEA, I HAVE A GOODLY HERITAGE." 1. Whatever one may think of some of the shortcomings of David: a. His love and affections for God are worthy of being cherished by God's people in all ages. b. Psalms 16 is rightly styled "The golden Psalm" in some Bible translations. 2. One can build a number of timely messages upon our text: B. A GOODLY HERITAGE 1. David laid claim to a wealthy estate -- "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance": a. In the division of the land of Canaan, the tribe of Levi received no inheritance - Deut. 10:9, 10; 18:1 b. The Lord was to be their portion. 2. Note, please, the wealth of such an inheritance, as claimed by the Psalmist: a. A wealth of goodness - Ex. 33:19; 34:6; 2 Chron. 6:41; Ps. 23:6 b. An abundance of security - Deut. 33:26-29; Rom. 8:31-39; Ps. 121:1-3 c. It is a permanent, eternal, inheritance; it will never pass away - 1 Pet. 1:4; 5:4; Heb. 9:15 d. It is secure tenure -- "Thou maintainest my lot." e. There are misguided souls who think that they are their own keepers; but the facts are that if the Lord does not keep us, we are not kept - Ps. 121:5-8 f. David expressed the sentiment of all the saints when he wrote that beautiful and inspiring Psalm as recorded in Psalms 23. g. Said Jesus, "Without me, ye can do nothing" - John 15:5 h. One must experience the blessings of God to realize their worth to the children of God. They, who do not know the Lord, will not understand the writings of David when he says, "The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance." C. A SATISFYING AMBITION: "THE LINES ARE FALLEN UNTO ME IN PLEASANT PLACES." 1. The man, who finds his treasures in God, tells us that he is satisfied, and why should he be otherwise? a. It includes the forgiveness of his sin - "If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared." Ps. 130:3, 4 b. "To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him." - Dan. 9:9 c. It includes God's blessings now and in the world to come - 1 Tim. 4:8 d. It brings wonderful contentment - Ps. 17:15; 23:1; 1 Tim. 6:6 e. Peace of heart is another priceless part of the inheritance - Ps. 29:11; 119:165. Think of the words found in Isa. 48:18! EXAMPLES - 1) Stephen - Acts 6:15, 7:56 2) The three Hebrews - Dan. 3:16, 17 3) Simeon - Luke 2:25-32 2. Included in these blessings are: a. Continued access to the storehouse of divine mercy or grace - Heb. 4:15, 16 b. When God is our portion, we have an anchor for the soul steadfast and sure even when the billows roll - Heb. 6:17-20 3. Finally, friends, our finite minds can not, as yet, comprehend the inclusiveness of our inheritance in Christ: a. We might as well attempt to enumerate the wealth of God's treasures, which are infinite. b. Paul must have seen some of this wealth when he exclaims, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out." Rom. 11:33 c. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Cor. 2:9 ## FRIENDS OF GOD - JOHN 15:14 A. A MAGIC WORD 1. "There is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother": Prov. 18:24 2. "A friend loveth at all times": Prov. 17:17 3. "Abraham believed God . . . and he was called the friend of God": Jas. 2:25 4. "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you": John 15:14 B. THE LAW OF FRIENDSHIPS 1. The first requisite of the association of hearts is that they shall believe in each other: a. God's faith in us is seen in the investment He made in us - John 3:16 b. He is eternally attached to us - Isa. 41:17-20; Matt. 28:20 2. Man's friendship is tested by his fidelity to God's cause: a. Abraham was dependable and that is why he is called "the friend of God" - Gen. 18:17, 19 b. Daniel proved his fidelity to God and His word by going into the lion's den - Dan. 6:10-28 c. That was true of Joseph and other worthies. d. Ruth stands out as a true example of true fidelity - Ruth 1:16 e. Enoch, who was translated without seeing death, was so close to the Lord that the Lord removed him from this world - Gen. 5:22, 23; Heb. 11:5 3. Friendship grows through association: a. This truth is illustrated by Enoch's walk with God. b. Also Ruth's association with Naomi, her mother-in- law - Ruth 1:16-22 c. Our Lord's attachment to His disciples and His promises to them illustrates how our association ties us closer to each other - John 14:1-3 d. And think, loved ones, of what God says about his attachment to His people, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee." Isa. 49:15 4. Association with friends makes us become more like our friends: a. That was true of Moses when he was with God for forty days - Ex. 34:28-36 b. The aim of the gospel of Christ is to recreate us into the likeness of the Son of God, who is the express image of God - 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 John 3:1-3; Rom. 8:28, 29 C. BEHOLD, MY FRIENDS, THIS FRIENDSHIP 1. It does not depend on color or race: a. God is not a respecter of person - Acts 10:34, 35; Gal. 3:26-29 b. Jesus Christ removed all barriers between the nations - Eph. 2:11-16 2. Yet we know that true friendship is conditional: a. To have friends we must be friendly. b. Says the wise man, "A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." - Prov. 18:24 c. Loyalty to God and His word is a must to be known as a friend of God. d. "Ye are my friends, if ye do what I command you" - John 15:14 e. True friends to God will bring any sacrifice to show their love and loyalty to him - Gen. 22:12 3. True friendship with God is the union of hearts in thought, word, and action. It is a joyful interchange of life, an affinity of soul that flourishes amid the trials of time and survives the shock of death: 4. What an honor it is to be called a friend of God! a. But that can be true only when our lives are in harmony with His will. b. Think of these statements by our Lord, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" - John 14:15; "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." - John 15:10 c. When we have the same attitude that our father Abraham had in his relationship with God -- "Here I am". d. Let us strive to be the friends of God, not in word only, but much rather in deeds. ## A CHRISTIAN HOME - GENESIS 26:25 A. THE PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS 1. Dwelt in tents: Heb. 11:9; Gen. 26:3; 33:20; 35:1 2. They were active missionaries: a. Built altars - Gen. 9:20; 12:8; 13:4; 35:1-3 b. Preached the gospel or righteousness by faith - Gen. 4:26; Jude 14; 2 Pet. 2:5 B. A CHRISTIAN HOME 1. Is, in most instances, of a temporary nature: a. It is a sign of pilgrimage - Gen. 47:9; Ps. 119:54 b. It indicates that we have no abiding city here in this present world - Heb. 13:14; 1 Chron. 29:15 c. True Bible Christians freely confess that they are pilgrims and strangers in this present world - Ex. 6:4; Heb. 11:13; Ps. 119:54 d. They are looking for a heavenly country - Heb. 11:14-16; 2 Pet. 3:13 2. A Christian home is where: a. The altar of God is found. b. This altar is a sign of a state of grace - Gen. 8:20; 22:9 c. It is a symbol of continuous self-surrender by the occupant - Gen. 26:25; Rom. 12:1-3 d. It is a mark of their confession of faith - 1 Ki. 18:33-36 3. The Patriarchs dig wells: Gen. 21:22-25; Ps. 84:6, 7 a. A meeting place for Jacob and Rachel - Gen. 29:1-12 b. The meeting of Christ with the woman of Samaria - John 4:1-29 c. It symbolizes the fountain of life where thirsty souls may drink freely - Gen. 16:4; Rev. 21:6 d. Our blessed Saviour is that divine fountain out of which we all may drink to the quickening of our spiritual nature - John 7:37-39 e. The Spirit and the Bride invite all who are thirsty to come and drink freely - Rev. 22:17 C. THE HOMES OF THE PATRIARCHS ARE BIBLE PATTERNS FOR THE CHRISTIAN HOME 1. Bible informed Christians know too well that we all are but pilgrims and strangers in this present world: a. They know that death disrupts their sojourn here. b. They know that this earth and the works therein will burn up some day - 2 Pet. 3:1-10 2. Our sights reach beyond this sin-sick world: a. We are, indeed, looking for a better world - Heb. 11:14-17; 2 Pet. 3:13 3. No Christian home can be complete without these essentials: a. A consecrated priesthood. Someone in the family serving between God and the members of the family - Job 1:1-6; Josh. 24:15 b. A daily family altar where all the members of the family are laid on the altar for God and His kingdom - Rom. 12:1-3 c. This family altar is the place where all we are and all we have is tied to the horns of the altar - Ps. 118:27 d. It is a specific meeting place of the family for the study of the word of God and prayer - Matt. 18:20; Acts 10:1-9 e. These are but minimums to keep a living connection between our home and heaven. 4. Let us take a closer look at a few homes which typify the Christian home: a. Noah and his family made it their first duty after the flood to build an altar for the Lord; the Lord liked this - Gen. 8:20-23 b. Joshua, a very busy man, made the family relationship with God the first thing in their daily vocation - Josh. 24:15 c. Philip, the Evangelist, was noted for being the head of a Christian home. What a wonderful experience it must have been for him to see his daughters in a vision of the Lord - Acts 21:8-11 d. The converted keeper of the prison set a wonderful example of establishing a Christian home - Acts 16:34 e. Is our home a Christian home? ## THE MOTE AND THE BEAM - MATTHEW 7:1-3, 4 A. "AND WHY BEHOLDEST THOU THE MOTE THAT IS IN THY BROTHER'S EYE, BUT CONSIDEREST NOT THE BEAM THAT IS IN THINE OWN EYE." 1. Our Saviour was a Realist: a. In His life, b. In His teaching, c. And in His ability to read character. 2. Our opening text proves my point: a. His standard is lofty and He admits no compromise. b. Yet He deals gently with the erring. c. And He urges a similar line of conduct upon the disciples. 3. He came not to judge the world, but to save it: a. He bids us not to judge one another. b. While we are to be severe with our own selves. B. LET US CONSIDER THE EVIL OF CENSORIOUSNESS 1. To pass judgment upon others is, saying the least, very dangerous: a. We are not capable to judge right, b. Because we cannot read the heart or mind and are most apt to fail in our judgment. 2. But, perhaps, the deeper reason for our inability, lies in the fact that when we pass sentence upon others we may be the ones deserving it: a. We, ourselves, are encumbered with many infirmities at best - Jas. 3:1-9 b. If we are guilty of the same failing, we have no right to be severe with those who may fail also - Rom. 2:1-23! c. Think of the judgment that overtook David - 2 Sam. 12:1-7 d. Or consider the judgment that overtook Felix the Judge - Acts 24:25 3. The Mote and the Beam: a. The Mote is a very tiny speck, hardly noticeable. b. The Beam is a great plank by comparison. 4. The simile teaches this striking lesson: a. The fellow that has a Beam, or plank, in his eye is totally incapable to see sufficiently to pass a correct judgment. b. His vision is blurred. c. That was the difficulty of the Pharisees -- they were blind to their own sinful conditions - EXAMPLES - 1) Look at the scene as recorded in John 8:1-9. Those hypocritical Pharisees were guilty of the same sin they charged the woman with. 2) Think of their condition morally - Matt. 23:1-33 3) Even Peter fell short of the glory of God at certain times - Gal. 2:11, 12 C. LESSON FOR GOD'S PEOPLE 1. Our mission is not to judge the world, but rather to do our best to save it: a. Our own faults are apt to blind us to judge the shortcomings of others. b. We will do much better if we look into our own life and discover our own needs. 2. The words of our opening text are to the point and should be heeded by all: a. Because it is possible that Satan will keep us busy to discover the specks in others and he will let us forget the beams in our own lives. b. Let judgment be to Him, who knows the intents of the heart and who will judge with equity and truth. ## LOVING AND HATING TO THE GLORY OF GOD - LUKE 14:25-35 A. WE FIND THAT THE BIBLE TEACHES GREAT TRUTHS BY CONTRASTS 1. The two men that went to the temple to pray: a. One was a Pharisee, b. The other was a publican - Luke 18:10-14 2. The prodigal and his brother: Luke 15:11-32 3. The priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan: Luke 10:30-37 B. OUR OPENING TEXT SHOWS THAT OUR LORD EMPHASIZED GREAT TRUTHS BY USING CONTRAST 1. A lover who knows how to hate: a. "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and his mother, and wife, and children and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." b. These are strong words, centering on the little word "hate"! c. Who can claim to be a true child of God and yet hate his parents, his wife, his brethren, yea, his own life? d. How can these things be? 2. The interpretation of our Lord's words focus on the word "hate"; if we understand the meaning of the word "hate", we will see the reasonableness of our Lord's statement: a. The general concept of the word "hate" is to feel an intense aversion to, to detest, abhor, to dislike exceedingly. b. This attitude to our fellowmen is strictly forbidden in the Bible. Read our Lord's discourse in Matt. 5:38-45; Ex. 20:12-17 c. The word "hate" in our text actually means -- love less - Deut. 21:15; Prov. 13:24 d. Matthew does not use the word "hate"; he uses the word "love more" - Matt. 10:37 e. The point is that we must make God first, regardless of relatives or even life itself -- that is the law of heaven. 3. Loving and hating to the glory of God: a. Loving to the glory of God means to make Him and His word and work first and foremost in our life - EXAMPLES - 1) Mary Magdalene and her ministry to Jesus - Luke 7:44-47 2) The poor widow and the treasury - Mark 12:42-44 b. Loving to the glory of God simply means that our affections for God and His word are such that they can easily be read by men - EXAMPLES - 1) Paul and the brethren - Acts 21:13 2) Stephen - Acts 7 c. True love means renunciation of all personal claims - Matt. 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23 d. Loving Christ is cross-bearing. 4. Hating to the glory of God: a. Hate sin. b. Hate hypocrisy. c. Hate every evil way. d. Hate the world of sinful pleasures. C. LESSON FOR US 1. No man can serve two masters: a. That is what our Lord teaches - Matt. 6:24 b. We cannot be halfway in our relationship with God and the world - 1 Ki. 18:21 c. A double minded person is unstable in all his ways - Jas. 1:8 d. There are some among God's people, they have a double standard - Jas. 4:8 2. If we set our affections on the things above, we will do both -- love to the glory of God, and also hate to his glory: a. Love righteousness. b. And hate iniquity - Heb. 1:9 ## THE SECRET OF THE LORD - PSALMS 25:14 A. THE SECRET OF THE LORD IS WITH THEM THAT FEAR HIM; AND HE WILL SHOW THEM HIS COVENANT 1. Bible students know that the book of the Psalms is among the most influential books of the Bible: a. It shows David's close connection with God. b. It unfolds the rich experience of one instructed in the things of God. 2. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will show them his covenant: a. What is the secret of the Lord. b. What is the covenant which He will make known unto them that fear Him? B. THE SECRET OF THE LORD 1. The phrase "secret of the Lord" occurs about twelve times in our English Bible: a. It denotes the special favors of the Lord. b. His intimacy and close relationship with certain persons. EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham - Gen. 18:17, 18 2) Moses - Num. 12:1-8 3) Enoch, the seventh from Adam - Heb. 11:5 4) The disciples - Mark 4:11, 12 2. I can think of seven special enjoyments which come to us because of a close relationship with God: a. The knowledge of the word which leads unto salvation - 2 Tim. 3:15-17 b. Wisdom which appropriates the knowledge of God's word - 1 Ki. 3:9; Eccl. 2:13; 7:19; Deut. 4:6; Prov. 3:13; 1 Cor. 1:30 c. Confidence, the basis of true and lasting fellowship - Acts 28:31; Job 4:6; 13:15; Ps. 118:6, 7 d. Strength which enables us to live the truth - Neh. 8:10; Zech. 4:6; Deut. 33:25 e. Courage which is necessary to undertake for God - Josh. 1:7; Acts 28:15 f. Endurance - Matt. 24:12-14 g. Accomplishment or fruitage - 2 Tim. 4:7 3. The Beneficiaries of God's secret: a. It is with them that fear him - 1) The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - Ps. 111:10 2) The fear of the Lord is clean - Ps. 19:9 3) The fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life - Prov. 22:4 b. Let us note, briefly, the chief purpose of raising man to greatness - 1) It is to reveal the manifold grace of God. 2) To teach man to trust in God only. 3) To influence others for God and good. C. A REVELATION OF THE COVENANT OF GOD 1. We know that it is the covenant of peace: a. Made with the Patriarchs of old - Gen. 3:15; 9:11- 15; 12:13 b. It is, in fact, the New Testament - Heb. 9:6-11; 10:15, 16 c. It is light from heaven which is the fruit of loyalty to God's law - Ps. 119:97, 98 2. The covenant referred to in our opening text has reference to: a. The divine pledge to His people which assures them of God's faithfulness - 1 Thess. 5:24 b. Paul leaned heavily on God's faithfulness as to his own standing before God - 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 Tim. 1:15 c. He will keep His promise to those who will keep their promise to Him - Heb. 6:13-20 3. This covenant was ratified with the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord: a. This is a part of the great doctrine of our salvation - Heb. 9:14-17 b. This is the very life of the hope of the penitent sinners - Matt. 1:21; 1 Cor. 15:1-3 4. The secret of the Lord is the great mystery of godliness -- Christ in us the hope of glory. ## REDEMPTION OF GOD'S PEOPLE A. "HE SENT REDEMPTION UNTO HIS PEOPLE" 1. Redemption of God's people will come at the right time; it always has: a. Deliverance of ancient Israel came at the right time - Compare Gen. 15:13-16 with Ex. 12:40-43 b. Our time, too, has been set by our Redeemer, and when it is here God will redeem His own - Rev. 14:6-12; Dan. 8:13, 14 2. God plans wisely, and God will do all things for the good of His people and to the glory of His wonderful name: a. He guided his ancient people by the gift of prophecy - Ex. 4:10; Num. 12:1; Deut. 34:3; Hos. 12:13 b. He is guiding His remnant people by the same gift back to the Bible - 1 Cor. 1:6; Rev. 12:17; 19:10; Isa. 8:16 B. EVENTS CONNECTED WITH THE DELIVERANCE OF GOD'S PEOPLE 1. Anciently: The plagues and marvelous protection of the Israelites from the plagues - Ex. 8:18-22 2. Before the deliverance of the remnant of the church: a. The seven last plagues will fall after probation has closed - Rev. 15; 16 b. The Lord will protect His people from the plagues - Ps. 90:1-8 3. There will be a sifting time before the deliverance: a. Amos 9:9 b. Luke 22:31; Heb. 3:7 4. Deliverance will come at midnight: a. That was true in the experience of ancient Israel - Ex. 12:42 b. The church will be delivered in the darkest hour - Job 34:20; Dan. 12:1-3; Matt. 25:1-12 c. Severe persecution will prevail; many of the saints will be hidden in places prepared by the Lord - Dan. 12:1; Rev. 12:17 C. PREPARATION FOR OUR DELIVERANCE 1. Must precede our deliverance: a. The Lord warns His people, in these words: "Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." b. "Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh". Matt. 24:42-44 2. Our preparation must be completed before the door of probation closes: a. The door of mercy will close and not open again. Compare Luke 13:24-28 with Rev. 22:10-12 b. God will have a people that have made themselves ready for the appearing of their Lord and Saviour - Rev. 19:7; 1 John 3:1-3; Eph. 5:24-27 3. The Three Angels' Message will be God's means to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord: a. The hour of the Investigative Judgment. b. The announcement of the fall of Babylon. c. The warning against the beast, his image, and his mark, will prepare a people - Rev. 14:6-12 4. The coming of the Lord will be marked by a great shout: Compare Josh. 21:45 with chapter 23:14; Ex. 15:1-6; Rev. 15:2-4 5. How our hearts should be set to be among those who will be ready to meet the Lord in the air when He comes to receive those that are ready and waiting! 6. Dear reader, will you, will I, be among God's waiting people? Or will the cares of this world keep us so occupied that we will not be ready when the Master appears! 7. Surely, none of us wants to be lost, and yet the testimony of the true witness to the church is against us; we are totally unprepared to face the crisis of the last days; we are not ready to meet the Lord when He comes: Rev. 3:14-17 8. But we must not become discouraged; there is, as yet, time to make ready; let us cast off the works of darkness, and put on the Lord; walk in the light, lest darkness overtake us at last: Rom. 13:11-14 ## THE LIBERTY OF GOD'S CHILDREN - ROMANS 8:20, 21 A. THE WORD "LIBERTY" IS ONE OF THE MOST EXPRESSIVE AND ENTICING WORDS IN OUR VOCABULARY 1. It is the most cherished and most abused word: a. It is interpreted in so many different ways that it means everything to everyone's notion. b. And yet, the very mention of this word electrifies the oppressed of this world. 2. It is a subject worthy of prayerful consideration: B. THE LIBERTY OF GOD'S CHILDREN 1. It is not natural, from a human standpoint: a. By nature, man has become a slave by birth - Ps. 51:7 b. By reason of selling out to Satan - Rom. 7:14; 1 Ki. 21:20 c. By reason of having been made a captive to sin and the devil - 2 Tim. 2:26; 2 Pet. 2:19 2. The liberty of God's children is priceless: a. It was purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ - 1 Cor. 6:19, 20; 2 Pet. 2:1 b. God found a ransom - Job 33:24 c. The life of the Son of God is that ransom - Matt. 20:28; 2 Cor. 5:21 d. All this is an expression of the redeeming of God - John 3:16; Rom. 8:31-33 e. Only when we realize the infinite price at which our liberty was purchased, will we treasure it as we ought to. 3. I love to dwell on the liberty of God's children: a. It encompasses all that is dear to the heart of the child of God. b. Said Patrick Henry, "Give me liberty or give me death." c. Too many people use this word too loosely, either in their conversation, or by their actions. d. Only they who have come from under man-made oppression, will cherish liberty in the way it is worthy to be cherished. e. To me, personally, Liberty is synonymous with salvation through Christ Jesus - John 8:36 C. NATURE AND LIMITATION OF THE LIBERTY OF GOD'S CHILDREN 1. The liberty of God's children is fourfold: a. Freedom from the guilt of sin - Rom. 8:1; John 8:36; Rom. 8:31-39 b. Freedom of the power of sin - Rom. 6:14-16; Acts 27:18, 19 c. Freedom from the eternal consequences of sin - 2 Cor. 5:17; Rev. 21:4 d. Freedom to serve the Lord with all we are and with all we have - Rom. 6:16-18 2. Limitation of our liberty: a. We must abide in Christ Jesus to retain it - John 15:1-10 b. We must walk in the Spirit to enjoy true liberty - Gal. 5:16; 1 John 1:3, 9 c. We must keep God's commandments to be truly free - Jas. 1:25; 2:12; Ps. 119:165 d. Think of this promise - Isa. 48:18! 3. The freedom of God's children is within; it comes through the indwelling of God's Spirit: a. That means that so long as we are in this sinful world, we shall have tribulation - John 16:33 b. Persecution comes without us waiting for it - 2 Tim. 3:12 4. Let us, in closing this message, ask ourselves this twofold question: a. Am I truly free? The answer to this question must be found in my life, and in my daily experience - Rom. 6:16; John 8:34 b. There are some, according to Peter, who boast of liberty, but are, in fact, the slaves of their evil habits - 2 Pet. 2:19 c. Do I want to be truly free? This is a very forceful question and needs careful consideration. Why? Because there are many who talk about being free, yet they refuse to allow the Son of God to set them free. d. Liberty is the great objective of heaven, and it paid an infinite price to obtain it for all who will accept it as it is offered through Jesus Christ our Lord. ## THE TEN VIRGINS - MATTHEW 25:1-12 A. "THEN SHALL THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN BE LIKENED TO TEN VIRGINS, WHICH TOOK THEIR LAMPS, AND WENT TO MEET THE BRIDEGROOM" 1. The disciples, and the Jews in general, knew the custom of wedding ceremonies in their country: a. It was customary for the bridegroom to come to receive his bride ceremoniously and with a lot of fanfare! b. Many of those ceremonies took place at night or early in the morning. 2. Our Lord used this ancient custom to portray his second coming. The story of the ten virgins has a timely application for our day: B. THE TEN VIRGINS 1. A virgin in Bible terminology: a. A woman, unmarried, never having known a man, is spoken of in the Bible as a virgin - Gen. 24:16; 2 Sam. 13:2; Isa. 7:5 b. A virtuous woman, even though she has been married is called a virgin - Ruth 3:11; Prov. 12:4; 31:10 2. This expression is used, also, to describe the purity of the true church: 2 Cor. 11:1, 2; Rev. 12:1-17 3. The ten virgins represent two classes of people in the church of God: a. Five were foolish. b. Five were wise. 4. Let us note, briefly, their similarity: a. They all were of the same faith. b. They had the same form of worship and followed the same profession of their faith in conversation and in dress. c. They all were members of the same church, and enjoyed the same privileges. d. They all believed in the imminency of their Lord's return. e. They carried lamps, a mark of their faith - Ps. 119:105 f. They all fell asleep in the waiting period. There was no seeming difference. 5. Their dissimilarity: a. Five were wise and five were foolish. b. The wise provided oil in their vessels while the foolish neglected this opportunity. c. Neglect is one of the deadliest dangers facing the people of God - Heb. 2:3 d. It is not enough to have a form of godliness, we must have more. e. Oil, spiritual life and energy in the soul is our greatest need at this time - Rev. 3:14-17 C. THE CLIMAX OF THE PARABLE 1. A delay of the coming of the bridegroom: a. Creates a waiting period for the saints. b. That, in turn, causes relaxation and sleepiness. 2. Fell asleep: a. That means that they became unconscious of their own condition and the events that took place. b. It meant that the five foolish virgins neglected precious time to provide oil in their vessels. 3. The Midnight cry: "The bridegroom cometh": a. An awakening takes place; all have been aroused out of their slumber. b. They all trimmed their lamps; that means that all made sure that they lived up to the form of their faith. c. Up to this moment, no difference seemed in evidence. 4. Suddenly a difference is found between believer and believer: a. Self-examination shows that five of them were unprepared to march with the bridegroom to the banquet hall. b. In desperation they turn to the follow believers for sharing their oil, but that does not work; everyone must provide for his own. c. The period of "share your faith" is over; each has just enough to keep safe for himself. 5. That, dear friends, gives us the picture of the closing events as they affect the members of the church of God: a. Shall we use the waiting time wisely? b. Do we have oil in our vessels? ## HUMILITY A. "BE CLOTHED WITH HUMILITY" - 1 Pet. 5:5 1. The chief ingredient in the origin of sin was pride: a. Lucifer was so proud of himself, that he conspired against the government of God - Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18 b. Pride caused Eve's downfall - Gen. 3:6 2. Pride is one of the Trinity of sin: 1 John 2:15, 16 3. It is one of the most universal sins known to men: Mark 7:22 4. The Bible is full of warnings against this hideous sin: Ps. 31:20; 36:11; 59:12; 73:6; Prov. 29:23 B. HUMILITY - WHAT IS IT? 1. Humility consists: a. Low and abased views of ourselves - EXAMPLES - 1) Moses was a very humble and meek person - Ex. 3:11; 4:10; 6:12; Num. 12:3 2) Jacob was a humble person - Gen. 32:9, 10 3) David, too, was a humble man - 1 Chron. 29:4, 15 4) Job was a meek person - Job 40:4 b. A humble person will feel his native unworthiness, his imperfection, his moral weakness, and defects - EXAMPLES - 1) Paul is a typical example - Rom. 7:24; 1 Tim. 1:15; 1 Cor. 15:9; Eph. 3:8 2) There was a time when Saul, the king of Israel, felt his unworthiness - 1 Sam. 10:22; 15:17 2. "Be clothed with humility." a. That means that we are to wear humility like a garment. b. It is to clothe our profession. c. It includes our speech, or relationship with other people, and it should mark our business relationship with others. d. Humility, so we are told, is the mark of a person that has discovered the dimensions of truth about things outside himself, and those he is lacking. C. THE TRUTH ABOUT HUMILITY 1. It is not native to human nature: a. Sin has man's concept of true humility. b. Sin has blinded the human mind to the proper perspective of ourselves - EXAMPLES - 1) The Pharisee that went to the temple to pray had no concept of his own sinfulness - Luke 18:11, 12 2) The Jews, in the days of Christ, were totally blind to their sinful condition - John 8:33 3) That is true, also, of the Laodiceans - Rev. 3:14-17 2. Humility is one of the virtues that is centered in Jesus Christ: a. "I am meek and lowly" - Matt. 11:29 b. "He made Himself of no reputation" - Phil. 2:7 c. "Thy King cometh unto thee, meek" - Matt. 21:5 3. True humility is: a. One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit - Gal. 5:23 b. It comes through experience - EXAMPLES - 1) Moses was one of the meekest persons on earth, but that took forty years of wilderness experience and much hardship. 2) Job is a symbol of true patience, but he, too, got that virtue in his trials. c. Humility is gotten through association or fellowship with Jesus Christ. d. "By beholding we become changed" - 2 Cor. 3:18 e. We must never become discouraged when we fail to measure up to true humility; God will bless us with this divine virtue as we trust in his grace. f. It is a worthy objective to strive for, as Paul says - Phil. 3:13-15 g. Much prayer for the grace to see ourselves in the light of the truth will bring us closer to our goal to be more Christlike. ## CHRISTIAN UNITY - PSALMS 133:1-3 A. UNITY 1. That word "unity" is most enchanting because it stands for that which gives harmony and great strength: a. "Then join in hand, brave Americans! By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall." (John Dickinson) b. "He that is not with me is against me." Luke 11:23 2. Unity is the very soul to true happiness and endurance: a. A rope or a cord consists of so many strands which when tightly twined will be strong, but when separated will be proportionately weak. b. That is true of God's people! United they will be strong, but divided they are weak. B. CHRISTIAN UNITY 1. Is most desirable among God's people: a. Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 5, page 236 b. Paul gave strong emphasis to Christian unity - 1 Cor. 1:10; Eph. 4:11-14 2. Simple faith in the message and the brethren is a must for an enduring union among the brethren: a. The message - Gospel Worker, page 307 - 1 Cor. 3:11; Gal. 1:7 b. The brethren - 1 Cor. 1:10, 11; Testimonies for the Church, Volume 8, page 132. c. Paul's timely admonition as found in Eph. 4:32 and in 1 Cor. 10:38 3. Good will toward one another: a. Is the golden rule of Christian unity - Matt. 7:12; Ps. 133:1-3 b. If we possess true love in our hearts, we will have no difficulty of living unity with the brethren - 1 John 4:8; John 13:34, 35 c. Willingness, on my part, to make all my own interests subservient to the interest of the church is one of the main elements of Christian unity - 1 Cor. 10:24; 13:5 d. When we walk in the light of these facts, we have the secret of true Christian unity. C. BLESSING OF CHRISTIAN UNITY 1. Our opening text pictures unity in vivid and living words: a. Such a union is comparable to the precious ointment that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard. b. That oil was a symbol of God's approval of Aaron's ministry for his people. c. It represented the gift of the Holy Spirit in a special way. 2. It is comparable to the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon Mount Zion: a. "For there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life ever more." b. I doubt that our finite minds are able to comprehend the deep signification of this great promise! c. It means, for one thing, that if we lack the blessing, as promised in this text, it is because the essential unity is lacking among us. 3. Think, dear reader, what is included in the blessing of true Christian unity: a. The presence and indwelling of the Holy Spirit; that became true on the day of Pentecost - Acts 1:12-14; 2:1-3 b. It means that God will hear the prayers of His people, and respond as He did in the days of the Apostolic prayer meeting - Acts 4:24-31 c. "Life for ever more." That was the secret of Enoch's translation, so that he did not see death - Gen. 5:22-24 4. Beware of the enemies of Christian unity: a. It was when Lucifer succeeded to create mistrust against God's government in the minds of his fellow beings, that he created rebellion in heaven. b. Satan will do his utmost to create mistrust among the brethren; when that happens he will have weakened the church. c. Beware of the talebearer, he is an enemy of Christian unity. d. Be honest in your relationship to the brethren, and you will build up a wall against all who seek to destroy Christian unity. ## THE ANCHOR OF THE SOUL - HEBREWS 6:19, 20 A. "WHICH HOPE WE HAVE AS AN ANCHOR OF THE SOUL, BOTH SURE AND STEDFAST, AND WHICH ENTERETH INTO THAT WITHIN THE VEIL." 1. No other writer knew the value of the anchor better than did Paul: a. Think of his experience during his voyage to Rome - Acts 27:1-44 b. It is he who is so apt to use the anchor of a ship and apply it to the security of the soul, when anchored in Christ Jesus - Rom. 8:31-38 2. The anchor is indispensable to sea voyager: a. During a severe storm. b. When repair on the ship is needed. c. After entering a harbor. B. THE HOPE OF THE SOUL AND ITS ANCHORS 1. It is a strong anchor of the soul when it centers in Jesus Christ, our Lord: a. "Christ in you the hope of glory" - Col. 1:27 b. "The Lord Jesus Christ which is our hope" - 1 Tim. 1:1 c. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" - Tit. 2:13 d. "And having the hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead." Acts 24:15 2. This hope is, also, anchored: a. In God the Father, who is faithful to His promises given to His children - 1 Pet. 3:5; 1 Tim. 5:5; Num. 23:19 b. In God's word - Matt. 24:35; Heb. 6:19, 20 c. This hope is firm because it was confirmed by an oath made by God, who cannot lie - Heb. 6:17-19 d. It is made doubly sure by the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord - Heb. 9:17; 1 Cor. 15:14-18; John 6:57; 14:19 C. HERE, DEAR FELLOW BELIEVERS, IS A GLORIOUS LESSON FOR US 1. Those among us who study Bible prophecy in the light of the Spirit of Prophecy know: a. That a severe test will be brought to bear upon God's commandment-keeping people. b. This test will be so severe that it will strain every claim we are making to the light of Present Truth - Dan. 12:1; Rev. 12:17 c. We are facing perilous times which will affect God's people, no matter where they are - 2 Tim. 3:1-9 d. Our greatest danger will be that we shall become so engrossed with the cares of this world, that we shall neglect prayer and the study of the word of God - Luke 21:34, 35 2. It is then that we are in need of the hope that is a strong anchor to our soul: a. We need a steadfastness like that of Joseph - Gen. 39:8, 9 b. Like that of Daniel and his friends - Dan. 1:8; 3:17, 18; 6:10 c. Like our brother Job - Job 2:9, 10 d. Or like that mighty man of God, Paul - Acts 21:13 3. How different is the hope of those who know not God: a. They trust in the traditions of their fathers - Matt. 6:26-28; Mark 7:7-13 b. Others put their trust in the material things of this world - Isa. 59:4; Dan. 5:1-9; Luke 12:19, 20 4. My friends, can we affirm with Paul, that we have a living hope that is the anchor for our soul? a. If we cannot have this hope, why not? It is held out to every one of us in this service! b. God, who is no respecter of person, offers us the hope in the Bible, the word of God. c. All we need is to receive the word of God in our hearts, and nothing can shake us loose from our mooring in Christ our Lord - Rom. 8:1-3, 31-38 ## TO KNOW HIM - PHILIPPIANS 3:10 A. "THAT I MAY KNOW HIM, AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERING, BEING MADE CONFORMABLE UNTO HIS DEATH." 1. Paul, upon discovering Christ, was fascinated: a. By the suffering of our Lord - Phil. 2:6-11 b. And by the power of His resurrection - Rom. 1:4; 6:4 2. He made the resurrection of Christ the very pivot of our resurrection: 1 Cor. 15:12-18 3. What is more, he sought and found the signs of true happiness and life in the study of the life of Jesus Christ our Lord: B. LET US, VERY PRAYERFULLY, CONSIDER THE IMPLICATION OF PAUL'S WORDS IN OUR OPENING TEXT 1. The incentives that motivated Paul's attachment to Christ: a. It was the Person of our Lord - 1) His meekness - Matt. 11:28, 29; 21:5 2) His Might in counsel and His Prudence in judgment - Isa. 9:6 3) His power - Matt. 28:18 4) His majestic character - Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:3 b. His singular life - 1) One of total self-denial and service - Acts 10:38; Phil. 2:7 2) He was holy and separate from sinners - Heb. 7:26 c. His unmatched mastery in teaching the truth - Matt. 7:29; John 7:17 2. The price Paul was willing to pay for his attachment to Christ: a. He counted all else but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. b. He suffered the loss of all things. c. And he counted them but dung, that he might win Christ - Phil. 3:8 3. He gloried in the cross of Christ and was very proud to be able to say: a. "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus" - Gal. 6:17 b. "For God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" - verse 14. C. EFFECTS OF THIS ATTACHMENT TO CHRIST 1. Our counting will be different: a. "I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ" - Phil. 3:8 b. "I count not myself to have apprehended" - verse 13. c. Had the rich young ruler been minded like Paul, the end of his life story would have been different - Matt. 19:16-22 d. Had Orpah, the daughter-in-law of Naomi, been minded like Ruth, the end of her life story would have been different - Ruth 1:12-18 2. Resolve: a. Forgetting the things that are behind; that is not always too easy to accomplish - 1) "Remember Lot's wife" - Luke 17:32; Gen. 19:26 2) That was the great stumbling block of the young man who wanted to know the way to life - Matt. 19:16-22 b. Setting the face, like a flint, toward the mark that is set before us - Isa. 50:4-7 c. Ready and willing to die, if need be, for the name of the Lord Jesus - Acts 21:13; Gal. 5:17; 2 Cor. 4:10 3. The supreme and primary objective of every effort -- "That I may be like him": a. That is the central truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ -- Christlikeness! Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:1-3 b. Because, to be Christlike, means to be godlike, for He is the image and likeness of God the Father - Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:15; 2 Cor. 4:4 4. Friends in Christ: a. Do we have this vision of our relationship to Christ so vivid in our minds? b. Has Christ, his life, his death, and his resurrection become the science of our life, as was the case of Paul? c. Do we really stretch every nerve, put forth every effort to attain unto the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ? If not, then why not? ## "I HAVE FOUND DAVID" - ACTS 13:22, 23 A. A STARTLING AND A MOST ENLIGHTENING STATEMENT FOR GOD TO MAKE 1. David, the youngest of the sons of Jesse, had been in comparative obscurity: a. Caring for his father's sheep - 1 Sam. 16:11 b. He had no prominent place either in his father's house or in the community. c. When Samuel was looking for a king, Jesse brought all the other sons before Samuel, but not David. 2. God knows us and our whereabouts: a. Jesus saw Nathaniel without him knowing anything about the Messiah - John 1:48 b. God saw Hagar, fleeing from her mistress - Gen. 16:6-8 c. There is nothing hid from the eyes of the Lord - Ps. 139:1-9 B. "I HAVE FOUND DAVID, THE SON OF JESSE, A MAN AFTER MINE OWN HEART." 1. These words have been the target of the infidels and skeptics of the Bible for years: a. They judge David by the mistakes he made, but they overlook his virtues. b. They ignore God's method of recording the life story of persons; for God does not give a one-sided report of my life, He records the dark and the light side of my life alike. 2. They overlook that: a. God hates sin in the life of man - EXAMPLES - 1) He hated sin in the life of his servant Moses - Ex. 4:24 2) And David learned from experience that God did not approve of his sins. David's remorse over his sins is recorded in the Psalms. 3. God loved David, not because of his sins, but because of David's penitent and trusting attitude in God's mercy - Ps. 32:1-9 a. David's sorrows because of his sins are a constant reminder to all of us of what sin will do to the sinner. b. Thus we see that God loves sinners but not sin. C. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE MAN DAVID, AND WHY THE LORD LOVED HIM SO MUCH 1. He was a man of strong faith in God and His providence: a. He demonstrated that on many occasions - EXAMPLES - 1) In his combat with Goliath - 1 Sam. 17:45, 46 2) He ranks with our father Abraham. b. He was a man of prayer. I know of no other Bible character that exceeded David in the life of prayer. The Psalms confirm my personal conviction. 2. He was a man of the hour, a great leader and a great king: a. God and Israel could count on him in the hour of crisis and need. This fact is so well established that we need not cite examples. b. When the hearts of the soldiers in Israel were faint, David saved the day for the honor of God. 3. Most important of all is the fact that he was wholeheartedly for God: a. The Lord knew this attachment and that is why He expressed confidence in David - "He will do all my will." b. Such a compliment was rare in the experience of God's people; Abraham received a similar testimony - Gen. 18:17, 18 c. Enoch, too, received such a testimony from the Lord - Heb. 11:5 4. But our text reveals another gospel fact, overlooked by the critics, namely, that God looks at us, not what we are, but what God can make out of us: a. There is a vast difference between David the sinner and David the transformed son of God. b. Here, dear friends, is our hope: God does not look at us as what we are, but what He can make out of us. c. We become men and women after God's own heart when we allow the gospel of Christ to transform us into the image and likeness of His dear Son - Rom. 8:29 d. This is the very heart of our opening text -- let us keep it in mind! ## TRUTH AND FREEDOM - JOHN 8:32 A. "AND YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE." 1. In these words, by the embodiment of truth, we have the key to: a. True freedom. b. And its relationship to truth. 2. Our Saviour spoke these words to a people that boasted of liberty while they were in bondage to sin and the Roman government: a. They claimed to be free men, but by their deeds they showed that they were the bond servants of sin. b. There are ever so many professed Christians who boast of liberty, but by their works they show that they are slaves of sin - John 8:44; Rom. 3:9-22 B. TRUTH AND FREEDOM 1. The need for liberation makes our opening text timely: a. Both Jews and Gentiles are, by nature, under sin - Rom. 3:23; John 8:34 b. Since sin is enmity against God, all sinners are, by nature, enemies of God - Rom. 8:6, 7 c. They all are under condemnation because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God - Rom. 5:12-19 2. The Bible speaks of a threefold bondage: a. The bondage of the mind - Prov. 21:27; Gen. 8:21; Matt. 15:19 b. The bondage of the will - Rom. 7:15. The sooner we recognize this fact, the better it will be for us and others. c. The bondage of the conscience - 1 Tim. 4:2; Heb. 9:14 3. It is possible for a person to be unaware of this enslavement: a. It may be force of habit that controls us and we become accustomed to the bondage - Ezek. 8:10, 11 b. Sin blinds us to our true condition - 2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 3:14-15 c. Self-conceit is the very bottom of this blindness - Luke 18:9-12; John 8:33 4. The truth that liberates: a. This we know, that all truth brings liberty. b. There is a desire among men to be free - 1) Some use force to get freedom. 2) Others use legislative measures. c. Our Lord states plainly that only truth can set men free - John 8:32 1) Christ is the truth - John 14:6 2) It is He that sets men free - John 8:36 3) The Bible is truth - Dan. 10:21; John 17:17 4) God's law is truth - Ps. 119:142, 151 C. TRUTH, LIKE ALL OTHER BLESSINGS, IS EFFECTIVE WHEN APPLIED RIGHT 1. We must know the truth to be set free by it: a. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32 b. That was the one essential the self-conceited leaders of the Jews lacked - Matt. 22:29 c. Paul wrote to Timothy these words, "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus." 2 Tim. 3:15-17 2. The truth must become a part of our life before it can be truly effective in our behalf: a. It is the truth in our hearts which helps to resist temptation - Ps. 119:9, 11 b. Because not the hearer but the doer of the word can truly be free - Rom. 2:13; Jas. 1:22, 23 c. But before we can have the truth in our hearts we must free ourselves first of falsehood, the enemy of truth - Mark 7:7-13 d. Truth and freedom are heaven's immortal twins; where the one is, the other must be there also. 3. Price of the truth: "Buy the truth and sell it not": a. The price of the truth is high, and many are unwilling to pay for it - Matt. 19:16-19 b. Some bought at the sacrifice of their lives. Think of the price the many martyrs paid in the dark ages. ## CAUSE OF APOSTASY - LUKE 8:13, 14 A. THE ALARMING INCREASE OF APOSTASY AMONG GOD'S PEOPLE GIVES SERIOUS CAUSE FOR A RE-STUDY OF THE REASONS FOR THESE APOSTASIES 1. Statistics made up by the General Conference show too many apostasies for one reason or another: 2. This writer has made a prayerful study of some of the apostasies and offers a few reasons: B. CAUSE OF APOSTASY 1. It should be clear to us that we are living in a world torn by conflict -- mental, moral, and spiritual: a. The winds of restlessness are very much in evidence in our modern society - Matt. 8:24; Acts 27:17 b. To be on guard, steadfastness must ever be the watchword of the Christian - "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall" - 1 Cor. 10:12; Jas. 3:4; 1 Tim. 1:19 c. Said Jesus, "Watch and pray" - Matt. 26:41 2. Implication of apostasy: a. Departing from the living God. b. "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." Heb. 3:12 - EXAMPLES - 1) Cain departed from the living God - Gen. 4:16 2) Judas was guilty of the same sin - John 13:30 3) The seventy disciples left Christ - John 6:66 3. How people depart from the living God: a. By neglecting prayer, secret prayer - Jer. 10:25 b. By neglecting the study of the word of God - Matt. 22:29; 2 Tim. 4:1-6 c. By willfully absenting themselves from the assembly of the saints - Heb. 10:25 d. Worldliness is still another sign of apostasy. e. Worldly association will lead to apostasy - 2 Tim. 4:10; Prov. 12:12 f. Love of sinful pleasures - 1 John 2:15, 16; 2 Tim. 3:1-9 g. Breaking away from the standards of the church is indicative of apostasy. C. CAUSE AND REMEDY OF APOSTASY 1. Our chief concern is why do people leave the truth? Is the church to be blamed? 2. Among some of the reasons for apostasy are, I believe, the following factors: a. Hurt feelings among the brethren contribute a lot to the falling away from the church and the truth - EXAMPLES - 1) Hagar ran away from Sarah because of hurt feelings - Gen. 16:3-6 2) The sin of Joseph's brethren was hurt feelings - Gen. 37:3-6 3) Cain became a murderer because of hurt feelings - Gen. 4:1-8 b. Secret sins are also responsible to apostasy - Ps. 19:12; Josh. 7:21; Ps. 32:1-6. Allowing secret sins to continue in our life will lead to carelessness. c. The cares of this life lead to indifference and eventually to apostasy - Luke 21:34, 35 3. God's cure for apostasy: a. Heed Hos. 14:1-6 b. Also Jer. 3:12-14 4. I can think of seven specific means to stop the flood tide of apostasy: a. Through instruction in the fundamentals of the message is a must to keep that which has been claimed for the truth. b. Loving care for those who are new in the faith. Let them know that they are loved and appreciated. That works! c. Keep them active in the work of the church. That, too, will aid in keeping them. Persons occupied with the work of the Lord have less time for deviations. d. Continued study of the fundamentals of Present Truth will add greatly to their confidence in the movement. e. The family altar is a must for people to keep spiritually strong. f. Faithfulness to God in tithe and in offerings is a must not to fall prey to Satan. g. Fellowship with the brethren, not only in the public services but also in the home. ## CONSOLATION IN THE FURNACE A. "HE ANSWERED AND SAID, LO, I SEE FOUR MEN LOOSE, WALKING IN THE MIDST OF THE FIRE, AND THEY HAVE NO HURT; AND THE FORM OF THE FOURTH IS LIKE THE SON OF GOD." Dan. 3:25, 26 1. Our text is a part of the wonderful story of God delivering the Hebrews from the fiery furnace: a. Nebuchadnezzar had cast them into the furnace because they had refused to obey his call to worship the golden image he had made. b. He learned that the God of the Hebrews was able to deliver them out of his hands. 2. This story reveals that the three men were: a. Men of principle. b. Men of unshaken faith in the justice of their cause - Dan. 3:16-18 B. THE EXPERIENCE OF THE THREE HEBREW FAITHFULS HAS A NUMBER OF VERY HELPFUL LESSONS 1. Three young men in the furnace heated seven times: a. All because they believed in the freedom of conscience. b. Because they believed that their duty to God came first - Acts 4:29; 5:19 2. As we look back into the history of persecution, we note that Satan used: a. The furnace of affliction to frighten the people into submission to his will. b. What had those three Hebrews done to give them such cruel treatment? c. Why are god-fearing men the special object of persecution? Compare Luke 11:49 with Lam. 5:5; Matt. 23:34, 35 d. We think of the oppression many of them suffered because of their loyalty to God - Heb. 11:36-40 e. Some suffered fearful temptation, yet they remained loyal to God - Gen. 39:7-12 f. Not to be overlooked are the temptations the Son of man endured - Matt. 4:1-11 g. Then let us remember what the Son of God foretold in Rev. 3:10 h. That will be when Satan will declare open war against us - Rev. 12:17 C. CONSOLATION IN THE FURNACE 1. Of great moment is the outcome of that experience in the fiery furnace: a. What they lost - 1) Their physical bonds -- these had been put on them to make sure that they were helpless against the flames. 2) Such bonds were common in the days of our Lord and the apostles - Eph. 6:20; Col. 4:18; Acts 12:1 b. But they were not harmed; no, even their garments were unharmed - Acts 12:1-6; Ps. 34:19; 2 Cor. 4:17 2. Persecutions are allowed: a. To set us free from the bonds of sin and evil habit - Isa. 63:9 b. Think of what the Lord says in Mal. 3:3. We do not always see why the Lord permits us to pass through trials, but in the end we shall praise him for the experience he had us pass through. 3. What those worthies did in the furnace: a. They walked in the furnace showing that their walk with God had not been disrupted - Ps. 23:1-6 b. Their walk in that fiery furnace is a living testimony that if God is for us, who can be against us - Rom. 8:30-39 4. Some facts to note about that walk in the furnace: a. Christ was with them, and that made the difference. b. If Christ is with us, we have nothing to fear but fear itself. c. Their person was unharmed; that shows how completely God's care is for those who trust in Him - Matt. 10:30; Luke 12:7 d. A similar experience awaits the people of God during the last days, just before Christ will appear - Isa. 43:2 e. In fact, we shall live eternally with Him, who is a consuming fire - Deut. 4:24 f. But He is consuming fire only against sin, and not to them that have been set free from the power of sin. ## TEMPTED BUT TRIUMPHANT - LUKE 4:1-13 A. OF OUR LORD IT IS WRITTEN THAT HE "WAS TEMPTED IN ALL POINTS AS WE ARE, YET WITHOUT SIN" Heb. 4:15 1. He was tempted by Satan: a. When He had not eaten for forty days and forty nights - Matt. 4:1-13 b. When He was hungry - verse 2 2. He was tested by Satan: a. On altering the laws of nature to satisfy his hunger - "command that these stones be made bread" b. Had He yielded to this sinister temptation, He would have expressed unbelief in God caring for our bodily needs - Matt. 6:24-34 3. The sin of presumption was the next test Satan put to the Son of man: a. "Cast thyself down: for it is written He will give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." Matt. 4:5-7 b. This was designed to tempt the Son of man to assume on the goodness of His father and cause Him to sin presumptuously. 4. The third temptation: a. Was to trap the Son of man to sin against the first commandment -- "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" - Ex. 20:3 b. Had the Son of man yielded to this temptation Lucifer would have attained his original objective; he would have been like the most High - Isa. 14:12-17 B. TEMPTED BUT TRIUMPHANT 1. Here is the bright and morning star for all who are tempted: a. Our Lord was tempted but He was triumphant. b. Not once did He yield to temptation - John 14:30 2. The secret of His victory over temptation: a. He made the word of God His defence - Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4, 7, 10 b. His victory is our assurance that through Him we too can be victorious - Rom. 8:37 C. LET US CONSIDER, BRIEFLY, THE MAGNITUDE OF TEMPTATION 1. By tempting us, Satan seeks to cause us to mistrust God: a. That was the great sin of our first parents in the Garden of Eden - Gen. 3:1-6 b. That was what he sought to accomplish when he tempted the Son of man - Matt. 4:1-10 2. By tempting us, Satan seeks to led us to be presumptuous: Ps. 19:13 a. The man of God fell for that trap and lost his life - 1 Ki. 13:1-24 b. That is the sin of the last days - Matt. 7:21-26 3. Satan tempts us where we are the weakest: a. Judas is a vivid example - John 12:6; Matt. 26:14- 16; 27:1-5 b. That was the downfall of Achan and his family - Josh. 7:1-26 c. That is the ever present danger to all who are tempted to be dishonest with God in tithe and offering - Mal. 3:8-11 4. He tempts us with the lust of the flesh: a. The lust of the flesh is a trap into which many fall. b. David, that mighty king, is one of them. c. Solomon is another. d. Samson is still another example. 5. He tempts us with the lust of the eye: a. Eve fell into this trap - Gen. 3:1-6 b. So did Achan - Josh. 7 c. And so did Samson - Judg. 16 6. The pride of life is still another channel through which Satan works: a. Lucifer himself fell over this ambition - Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-17 b. Nebuchadnezzar is another example - Dan. 4:30 7. Our weapons against these temptations: a. The word of God - Heb. 4:12, 13 b. Prayer - Jer. 33:3 c. Abiding in Christ - John 15:1-11 ## OUR LORD'S COMPLIMENTS - MATTHEW 13:16, 17 A. SETTING OF OUR TEXT 1. Christ preached to the multitude who had come to Him with different motives: a. Some came out of sheer curiosity. b. Others came for the loaves and the fishes. c. And some came to hear the words of life to feed their hungry soul. 2. It is in this connection that He pronounces a blessing upon his disciples: a. "Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear" - Matt. 13:16 b. "For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them." B. "BLESSED ARE YOUR EYES, FOR THEY SEE" 1. Spiritual blindness is much worse than physical blindness: a. This truth is exemplified in the Pharisees; they had good physical eyesight, as far as we know, yet they were spiritually blind - Matt. 15:17; 23:19 b. Unbelief blinds the mind against the light of truth - 2 Cor. 4:4 2. Simple faith in Jesus Christ, based upon the word of God, illuminates the eyes of our understanding: a. That is the purpose of the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ - Acts 26:16-18 b. It opens the word to those who receive it by faith - Luke 24:32 c. Paul's statement - Eph. 1:17, 18 d. Christ is the Light that lighteth everyone that cometh into the world - John 1:4; 8:12 3. The words of our text apply, I believe, especially to the people in the Great Second Advent Movement: a. We are a people through the light of Bible prophecy. b. No other generation has been permitted to hear what we hear and see what we see. c. The great chain of Bible forecasts have illuminated the minds of our understanding. C. "AND YOUR EARS, FOR THEY HEAR" 1. Opportunities of hearing the word of God are unparalleled in the history of the church of God: a. We have the Radio that seems to reach the ears of the untold millions in all lands. b. The TV media is the marvel of all times, and most people have it in their homes. c. The Printing Press, too, is a mighty voice that reaches into most homes. 2. If the prophets of old, and the apostles could see what we see, and hear what we hear, they would be astonished by our seeming indifference to present day events in the light of Bible prophecy: 1 Pet. 1:10, 11; Heb. 11:13 3. Refusing to hear God's message for our day leaves the world without excuse: a. You have reason to be grateful and very happy that the Lord has made you willing to hear and to accept Present Truth - Matt. 11:25-30; 2 Pet. 1:12 b. You have found it in your heart to pay the price of learning and accepting the truth, including the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. c. Read these scriptures with prayer - Matt. 13:45, 46; Isa. 56:1-7; 58:1-14 4. But hearing and seeing the truth brings responsibility: a. Light from heaven makes the recipient responsible. b. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." Matt. 24:14 c. "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse." Rom. 1:20 d. "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified." Rom. 2:13 e. "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." Jas. 1:22 ## BIBLE BORDER MARKERS - ISAIAH 8:20 A. "TO THE LAW AND TO THE TESTIMONY: IF THEY SPEAK NOT ACCORDING TO THIS WORD, IT IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO LIGHT IN THEM." 1. Our text is God's clear warning sign on the highway of life: a. The nominal Christian world is in a state of confusion. b. We are warned against the multiplying deceptions of the last days - 1) "Believe not every spirit" - 1 John 4:1-3 2) "Take heed that no man deceive you" - Matt. 24:4, 24 2. Religious deception will multiply in the last days: a. The old landmarks of truth have been obscured by the traditions of men - 2 Tim. 4:1-6 b. The shouting of "here is the temple of the Lord" and many other platitudes keep people in a state of uncertainty - Jer. 7:4 B. SNARES OF LAST DAYS' DECEPTIONS TO AVOID 1. The so-called supernatural phenomena to prove connection with Christ: a. Neglect or indifference to the written word of the holy scriptures exposes large numbers of professed Christians to the so-called supernatural manifestation attributed to Christ - 2 Thess. 2:9-11 b. Our Lord foresaw this deception and warns us against it - Matt. 24:4, 24 c. Paul, too, warns us against this Satanic deception - 2 Thess. 2:9-11 d. John adds his voice of warning - Rev. 13:15-18 2. Theological explanation of the Bible which makes void the fourth commandment: a. A Bible test will protect us - Isa. 8:20; 30:8, 9; 1 John 2:4-7 b. Our security rests in our opening text - Isa. 8:20. The written word, our only defence - 2 Tim. 3:15-17 c. They who follow traditions make void the word of God - Mark 7:7-13 3. The theory that God is not so particular as to the keeping of a certain day of the week: a. God is very particular in what we do and how we relate ourselves to His law. b. James warns us against the assumption that God will wink at us even if we break one of the commandments of God - Jas. 1:22, 23; 2:8-11 c. The Lord makes this truth very plain - Matt. 5:17- 20; Luke 16:17 d. An infraction of the law of God will not be overlooked by the Lawgiver - Num. 23:19-21; Gen. 3:1-23 C. GOD'S BORDER MARKERS ARE REMINISCENT OF THE DAYS OF THE PIONEERS 1. They gave strong emphasis to following the Bible faithfully: a. Bible prophecy was the very light of their religious soul. b. They were dedicated students of prophecy, comparing current events with the prophecies in the books Daniel and Revelation. c. The two sanctuaries, the earthly and the heavenly, received much prayerful study by those God fearing men and women. 2. They compared the present day standards of morality with the standard set up by God in His holy word: a. Practices inconsistent with the Bible were abundant. b. The old landmarks of truth were restored to God's people. 3. The Sabbath Reform Message was put into practice: a. The believers forsook Sunday observance at the risk of great inconvenience and the displeasure of relatives and friends. b. "Back to the Bible Sabbath" became the burden of this great Gospel Movement. c. Christian temperance became the watchword in the homes of the believers. d. Modesty in dress and conduct was the guide for every member in the family. e. A sure foundation was laid for a conservative, yet happy, Movement that is now encompassing all men in all lands. ## A COVENANT BY SACRIFICE - PSALMS 50:1-6 A. THE GATHERING CALL: "GATHER MY SAINTS TOGETHER UNTO ME: THOSE THAT HAVE MADE A COVENANT WITH ME BY SACRIFICE." 1. How God gathers the saints: a. Through the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. b. Compare John 10:15, 16 with Eph. 4:11-16 c. That is why this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world - Matt. 24:14; 28:18-20 2. The final gathering of the saints will take place at the second coming of Christ: a. The resurrection of the just takes place - Luke 14:14; John 5:28, 29; 1 Cor. 15:22, 23 b. The righteous that are alive at the coming of the Lord will be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye - 1 Cor. 15:52 c. All will meet the Lord in the air - 1 Thess. 4:13-17 B. "MY SAINTS" 1. Who is a saint? a. Not necessarily those who are acclaimed to be saints by men. b. A saint is a person wholly dedicated to God, His word, and His cause - 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 14:12 c. A saint is one who has forsaken sin and has been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit - Rom. 13:11-14 d. He is one that has experienced the new birth - John 3:3-9; 2 Pet. 1:2-9 2. "Those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice": a. A covenant is a solemn agreement freely entered into with God. b. This agreement is ratified by our laying all on the altar of sacrifice - Rom. 12:1-3 c. Noah, Abraham, and other dedicated saints, entered into solemn agreements with God by sacrifice - Gen. 8:20-22; 12:1-11 d. Plan of redemption is based upon sacrifice - John 3:16; Rev. 13:8 C. HERE IS A CHALLENGE TO GOD'S PROFESSED PEOPLE 1. Does God mark us as "my saints"? a. Can we honestly before God qualify to be marked as saints? b. Let us think very earnestly and search our lives to find the truthful answer to our question. c. Does it mean that one has to be without fault to be a saint? Not necessarily! Noah, Abraham, and the other Patriarchs were men of like passions, as we are, yet they were God's saints. 2. What proof do we have that we have made a covenant with God by sacrifice? a. Can we say with Peter, "we have left all and have followed thee"? Mark 10:28 b. Have we met the conditions of discipleship as laid down by our Lord? Matt. 10:34-39 3. How does our covenant compare with that of some of the saints, as recorded in the Bible? a. Abraham - Gen. 12:1-9; 22:1-12 b. Joseph - Gen. 39:1-18 c. Daniel and his friends - Dan. 1:8; 3:1-22; 6:1-28 d. Read the story of the martyrs of Christ as recorded in the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews. 4. As we near the end of time and our work is drawing to a close, are we truly ready to qualify for the gathering call of God's saints? a. There is no reason why we should not be among the saints and answer the final gathering call. b. We have been blessed with light from the word as no other people in other ages has known. c. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ our Lord; He has all that we need to be free from all condemnation - Rom. 8:1-3; 8:31-39 d. God has promised to pour out His Spirit in the last days upon all His people and so make them ready for the final gathering of the saints. ## "WHO MAY ABIDE THE DAY OF HIS COMING?" - MALACHI 3:1-3 A. THE QUESTION OF OUR TEXT 1. Is all important: a. It makes the second coming of Christ very definite - John 14:1-3 b. Says the Psalmist, "For he cometh, for he cometh" - Ps. 50:1-4; 96:13; Joel 2:1 c. His second coming is as definite as His first coming - Acts 1:11 2. It is a timely question: a. "The day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand" - Joel 2:1 b. "The great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly" - Zeph. 1:14 c. The last movements shall be rapid ones - Rom. 9:28 3. It is a very personal question: a. It affects those who profess to believe in his soon coming. b. Will I be able to abide the day of his coming? c. This is the question each one of us must answer personally. B. "WHO MAY ABIDE THE DAY OF HIS COMING?" 1. Who shall not abide the day of his coming: a. Sinners in and out of Zion - Compare Isa. 13:9 with Zeph. 1:17; Isa. 33:14. b. Transgressors of God's law - Matt. 7:23; Isa. 30:8, 9; 1 John 2:4-7 c. All who are without a wedding garment - Matt. 22:12; Rev. 3:17 d. All who are entangled with the cares of this present world, and are neglecting oil for their lamps - Luke 21:34-36; Matt. 25:1-12 e. The wealthy and money hungry - Compare Acts 8:20 with Zeph. 1:18; Ezek. 7:19; Jas. 5:1-9 2. Who shall stand or abide? a. The Psalmist has the answer - Ps. 15:1-5; 24:4 b. Every one that has been washed, made clean in the blood of Jesus Christ - Rev. 1:5; 1 John 1:7-9; Isa. 1:18, 19; Rev. 7:14 C. OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST 1. The world at large: a. Scoffs at the idea of Christ coming again - 2 Pet. 3:1-4 b. Continues in the pursuit of material gains, as if there were no change to take place in this world - Luke 17:26-30; Jas. 5:1-9 c. It is preoccupied with its sinful pleasures - Gal. 5:19-23; 1 John 2:15, 16 d. They will be surprised and undone by the suddenness of His coming - 1 Thess. 5:1-6; Luke 21:34-36; Rev. 6:14-17 e. Even the so-called shepherds of the flock will be preoccupied by the pleasures of sin at the time of His coming - Matt. 24:48-51; Isa. 56:10-12 f. All, even if they profess to believe in the second coming of Christ, who are not prepared for His coming - Matt. 25:1-12 2. The attitude of God's children: a. They are actually looking for His second coming - Heb. 9:28 b. They are waiting for Him to come - Isa. 25:9 c. They are praying, "Amen, Even so, come, Lord Jesus" - Rev. 22:20 3. What is important for us is: a. To make sure that we are ready when He comes - Matt. 24:42-44; Luke 12:40 b. It means that we purify ourselves from every stain of sin and uncleanness - 1 John 3:1-3 c. The Laodiceans are woefully unprepared, as yet, but the merciful Saviour admonishes them to make ready - Rev. 3:14-17 d. It is a personal work that each of us must do for himself; we cannot look to the other man for guidance. e. We must make sure that every sin in our life has been confessed and forsaken. f. That we live up to the light we profess to have - Jas. 4:17 g. Put on the robe of Christ's righteousness and make no provision for the flesh - Compare Isa. 61:10 with Rev. 19:7, 8 ## GOD'S THREE REQUIREMENTS OF MAN - MICAH 6:8, 9 A. "HE HATH SHEWED THEE, O MAN, WHAT IS GOOD; AND WHAT THE LORD REQUIRES OF THEE, BUT TO DO JUSTLY, AND TO LOVE MERCY, AND TO WALK HUMBLY WITH THY GOD." 1. The Bible is singular in stating great truths in a few simple words: a. We think of the golden rule - Matt. 7:12 b. The wise man states in a few words the Bible concept of true morality - Eccl. 12:13, 14 c. Our text gives, in a few verses, Heaven's understanding of the very heart of all morality - Matt. 22:37-40 d. The summation of the gospel of Jesus Christ is stated in John 3:16 2. Micah, too, expresses the total requirement of man's duty to God and to his fellow men: B. GOD'S THREE REQUIREMENTS OF MAN 1. To do justly: a. This basic requirement of man is found in the Ten Commandments - Ex. 20:3-17 b. Detailed instructions about our attitude toward others can be found in Lev. 19:35, 36; Ezek. 45:10; Prov. 11:1 c. Justice is an act of faith, revealed in our daily life - Hab. 2:4 d. The first resurrection is named after the just - Luke 14:14. Bible characters called just - Noah - Gen. 6:9 Job - Job 1:1 John - Mark 6:20 Joseph - Luke 23:40 Simeon - Luke 2:25 2. To love mercy: The word "mercy" signifies pity for the undeserving and guilty. Mercy is the handmaiden to justice. a. By mercy and truth, iniquity is purged - Prov. 16:6 b. The merciful will receive mercy - Matt. 18:25-35 c. God desires mercy above sacrifice. d. This is illustrated in the parable of the good Samaritan - Luke 10:33-40 e. Mercy and truth are inseparable - Ps. 85:10; Luke 15:11-32 3. To walk humbly with thy God: a. Walking with God implies a personal relationship with God. EXAMPLES - 1) Noah - Gen. 6:9; Heb. 11:7 2) Enoch - Gen. 5:22-24; Heb. 11:5 b. Humility is the very essence of spiritual relationship with God - 1) Lucifer failed in this - Isa. 14:12-18 2) The Pharisees were marked by spiritual pride - Matt. 6:5-9; 23:20-36 C. THE LIFE OF GOD'S CHILDREN IS A WALK WITH GOD 1. They are honest: Rom. 13:13 2. They are the children of light: Eph. 5:2 3. They walk in the spirit: Gal. 5:16 4. They walk in love: Eph. 5:2 5. They walk even as he walked: 1 John 2:6 a. When we walk with God it means - 1) That we are in harmony with His holy will - Amos 3:3; Rom. 2:17-19; Heb. 10:15, 16 b. Walking with God will influence the course of our life - 1) We will become spiritually minded - 2 Cor. 3:18 2) We will be about our Father's business - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 3) We will strive for that which is most godlike - Phil. 4:8 4) We will love righteousness and hate iniquity. 5) Our walk will lead us into the Father's house - Ps. 23:1-6 6) Walking with God means that we commune with Him; that means a life of prayer. 2 Cor. 13:14 c. What a life -- to be walking with God! Thus we see that the three requirements of man are - 1) To do justly, 2) To love mercy, 3) And to humbly walk with God. # Section VIII: 50 Outlines on Prayer ## PRAYER A. "O THOU THAT HEAREST PRAYER, UNTO THEE SHALL ALL FLESH COME." - Ps. 65:2 1. David had many shortcomings, so do we but he was a man of prayer: a. His very life seems to have been an expression of prayer. b. Most of his Psalms are prayers - Ps. 4:1; 17:1; Ps. 5:3; 6:9; 35:13; 39:12; 42:8; 54:2; 55:1; 61:1; 64:1; 84:8; 86:6; 102:1; 143:1 2. He had a regular time for prayer: a. "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up." - Ps. 5:3 b. "Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice." - Ps. 55:17 3. Daniel, too, had a set time for his prayer seasons: Dan. 6:10 B. PRAYER -- WHAT IT IS 1. The word "prayer" comes from the Hebrew word "lachas", and the Greek word "proseuche", and signifies "a whisper, a prayer, a request, an expression of adoration": 2. There are, as we have seen, different shades of meaning of prayer: a. Meditation - Ps. 19:14; 77:12 b. Intercession - 1 Tim. 2:1 c. Supplication - Job 8:5; Ps. 6:9; 119:172 3. The human concept of prayer: a. "Prayer is the soul's sincere desire uttered or unexpressed. The motion of a hidden dire that trembles in the breast." (James Montgomery) b. "Prayer is the world in tune, the spirit-voice, a vocal joy, whose echo is heaven's bliss." (Moors) c. Prayer is the medium that connects the mind of man with that of God. d. Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a dear friend. e. Prayer is to the soul what breath is to the body, without either there can be no life. f. Prayer is the language all men have in common. C. GOD WANTS US TO PRAY 1. "Call on me, and I will answer thee": Jer. 33:3 a. "O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." - Ps. 65:2 b. "The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles." - Ps. 34:17 2. It is a sin not to pray: a. "Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? Who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord." - Ps. 53:4 b. "Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name." - Jer. 10:25 c. "I will cut off . . . them that are turned back from the Lord; and those that have not sought the Lord, not enquired for him." - Zeph. 1:4-6 3. The Lord Jesus uses a number of effective illustrations to show the importance of prayer: a. The importunate widow - Luke 18:1-8 b. The man that came to his friend and asked for three loaves of bread - Luke 11:1-8 c. The attitude of the father when his son asked for bread - Luke 11:11-13 4. He gives us an example of the prayer life He lived while on earth: a. "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." - Mark 1:35 b. "And when he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray." - Matt. 14:23 c. "And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God." - Luke 6:12 5. The Bible is full of statements showing that God wants us to pray: a. The patriarchs were men of much prayer. b. Their altars were markers of the prayer centers in their pilgrimage. c. Prophets and apostles were dedicated men of much prayer. Can we be less? ## WITH CHRIST IN THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER - LUKE 11:1-6 A. "AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT AS HE WAS PRAYING IN A CERTAIN PLACE, WHEN HE CEASED, ONE OF HIS DISCIPLES SAID UNTO HIM, LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY, AS JOHN ALSO TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES." 1. Whatever the shortcomings of the early disciples may have been, the petition of one of them is indicative of progress with Christ in the school of prayer: a. The prayer life of Christ made a definite impression upon them. b. It created a desire in their hearts to learn to pray. 2. The petition indicates further: a. That John was a man of prayer. b. And that he taught his disciples how to pray. 3. Best of all, our text shows: a. That prayer is an art that must be learned from Christ in the school of prayer. b. For we know not how to pray - Rom. 8:26 B. JESUS CHRIST, A MAN OF PRAYER 1. He, who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, was truly a man of prayer: a. To Him prayer was a channel through which a constant flow of divine power flowed into His life. b. So it is with those who follow in His steps; they, too, use the prayer life as the great arsenal of their spiritual strength. 2. Let us note, briefly, some of the high points of the prayer life of Christ: a. His habit and habitat of prayer - 1) He spent much time in solitude, in prayer to God - Matt. 14:23; Mark 1:35; 6:46; Luke 3:12 2) He blended thanksgiving and prayer - Matt. 11:25; Luke 10:21; John 11:41 3) He made prayers of intercession for his friends - Luke 22:32; for his enemies - Luke 23:34 4) His prayers indicated his complete submission to God - Matt. 26:39; Mark 15:34; Luke 22:42; John 12:27 b. Here is the study on the art of true prayer for all who want to walk in His steps. c. There is still another inspiring and thought provoking side to the prayer life of the man of prayer - 1) The Lord's prayer at his baptism and its effect - Luke 3:21 2) His prayer, preceding the ordination of the apostles; He prayed all night - Luke 14:22, 23 3) His prayer in the garden of Gethsemane before He made known His passion to His disciples - Luke 9:18-27 4) His prayer at his transfiguration - Matt. 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36 C. LESSON TO APPROPRIATE IN OUR DAILY LIFE 1. We, like the Master, must make prayer our first business of the day: a. "Early will I seek thee" - Ps. 63:1; 78:34 b. That is what the Master did. 2. In this He lived His own teaching: a. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God" - Matt. 6:33 b. There is a special blessing in making prayer our first business of the day - 1) Our body is rested; our mind is clear. 2) We are most susceptible to listening to God in prayer - "Lord, speak; for thy servant heareth" - 1 Sam. 3:10 3. Our prayers should always be mixed with prayer and thanksgiving to God: a. Too many prayers are mixed with too much selfishness; they have too little gratitude; that is why they are not heard from in heaven. b. There are so many things for which we have good reason to be thankful for, that our hearts should be full of praise and thanksgiving. c. The art of prayer begins with the impelling desire of reverent thanksgiving to God, the giver of all good gifts. 4. "Lord teach us to pray": a. Help us to better understand the meaning of prayer, what it includes, and what it should not include. b. Give us the grace to use every opportunity to make prayer our first business of the day. c. To not only make our petition to thee, but to live our prayers. ## "OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN" - MATTHEW 6:9, 10 A. FATHER 1. Indicates relationship: a. God is our Father by reason of our creation - Deut. 32:6 b. He has begotten us with the word of truth - Jas. 1:17, 18 c. We are sons and daughters through faith in Jesus Christ - 1 John 3:1-3; 5:1-5 d. We have been adopted into the family of God in the Beloved - Eph. 1:5, 6 2. The word FATHER: a. Indicates a heart relationship. b. We cry "Abba Father" - Rom. 8:15; Mark 14:36; Gal. 4:6 c. It indicates paternal care by God - Matt. 6:25-34 d. It shows that God is a pitying Father to His children - Ps. 106:46 B. "OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN" 1. With these opening words of the Lord's prayer we recognize: a. That God has a family of which we are a part - Eph. 3:15 b. Said the good Shepherd, "Other sheep I have" - John 10:15 c. He treats them all alike - Acts 10:34, 35 2. We are all members of the same family: a. Thus when I come to God in prayer I do not limit my petition to myself or my immediate family, but include all God's family, members of the church. b. I remember my fellowmen - 1 Tim. 2:1-5; Luke 10:24, 33, 37 c. Think of what the opening words of my petition mean - 1) They exclude all selfishness - Luke 18:10-13 2) We are made conscious of God's interest in others; and reminds us of the meaning of the golden rule, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." - Matt. 7:12 C. THE OPENING WORDS OF THE LORD'S PRAYER REVEAL GOD'S ATTITUDE TOWARD US 1. This paternal attitude was revealed in the life of the Son of God: a. "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" - John 14:9 b. "I speak that which I have seen with my Father" - John 8:39 2. He made known His thoughts toward us: a. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end." - Jer. 29:11 b. He cares for you -- "He careth for you" - Matt. 6:30 c. It reveals His great sympathy for us. "In all their affliction he was afflicted" - Isa. 63:9; "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him" - Ps. 103:13 3. Is this the picture you see on the opening words of the Lord's prayer? a. Do they unfold to you the deep and most significant relationship between us and God? b. Can you see the true meaning of God's family and His loving care? c. Does it make you hate selfishness as you can by God's grace? d. Do you include others in your daily prayer? 1 Tim. 2:1-5 ILLUSTRATIONS 1) A mother's love - Isa. 49:15; Jer. 31:20 2) Jonah and his attitude toward others - Jonah 4:5-11 3) The prodigal's brother - Luke 15:25-32 4) A real challenge to us - Matt. 25:34-40; 1 John 4:8, 20 5) The deeper meaning of "Our Father" - Mark 10:35-45; 2 Cor. 12:7-9 6) When it is really hard to say, "Our Father" - Mark 9:38; Luke 5:29, 30; 9:52-54; John 4:9 7) What Jesus prayed for - John 13:34-35; 17:20-23 ## "HALLOWED BE THY NAME" - MATTHEW 6:9 A. THE NAME OF GOD 1. Stands for His majestic Being: a. Angels recognize His majesty - Isa. 6:1-13 b. He is surrounded by a thick cloud, unapproachable by sinful beings - 1 Tim. 1:17; 6:15, 16 2. His Name stands for His character: a. He is holy, just, and good - Rom. 7:12 b. His Name reveals His nature - Ex. 34:6, 7 3. It stands, also, for His relationship and His attitude to men and toward men: a. He is our heavenly Father - Rom. 8:15; Isa. 63:16 b. We are His children - John 1:10, 11; Rom. 8:14-16; 1 John 3:1-3 c. He has begotten us in Christ Jesus our Lord unto a lively hope - 1 Pet. 1:3; 1 John 5:18 B. "HALLOWED BE THY NAME" 1. Since the Name of God stands for His majesty, His character, and His glorious works: a. We are to reverence or hallow it -- "holy and reverent is his name" - Ps. 111:9 b. Angels covered themselves when they mentioned His Name - Isa. 6:1-14 2. How we hallow the Name of the Lord: a. When we do not use His name in vain - Ex. 20:7; Deut. 5:11. How sad it is to hear persons use the name of the Lord carelessly and with disrespect. b. It is a great sin to use God's name in vain or disrespectfully. c. That brings reproach upon our claims to be His children - Isa. 29:23; 48:11; 52:5 d. We hallow the name of our heavenly Father when we obey His voice and do His holy will - Luke 6:46; Matt. 5:16 e. Said Jesus, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" Luke 6:46 f. Only the doer of the word is blessed, and not the hearers only - Jas. 1:22, 23 C. THIS PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER COVERS 1. Our attitude toward God our Father: a. One has reason to fear that we do not take the reverent approach to Him. b. Too many persons use that Holy Name thoughtlessly. Some use it so carelessly that it dishonors Him. 2. If angels cover their faces when the name of God is spoken of, and when they speak softly in His presence, how should we use it in holy reverence and fear! 3. The name of God is revered: a. By those who love and adore Him. b. By all who have become partakers of His nature - EXAMPLES - 1) "Thy name be magnified" - 2 Sam. 7:26 2) "We will sing praises to thy name" - Ps. 9:2; 18:49 3) "Blessed be thy glorious name" - Neh. 9:5 4) "How excellent is thy name" - Ps. 8:1, 9 4. If this is the attitude of God's people, we will truly say to our heavenly Father in heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name! 5. But the name of God is either magnified or reproached by our words and deeds: a. It is magnified or revered when we live such lives that all who know us will glorify God in heaven - Matt. 5:16 b. That was our Lord's deep desire, that His Father might be glorified in His life and through His ministry - John 17:1 c. The name of the Lord is dishonored or reproached when we misrepresent Him before men - Ps. 69:9; 74:18 EXAMPLES - 1) Moses and Aaron became guilty of the sin of disrespect by the people - Num. 20:12 2) Herod, too, was guilty of the same sin - Acts 12:23 3) Nebuchadnezzar fell into the same sin - Dan. 4:30, 31 Let us ever be on guard lest we become guilty of the sin of disrespect for the Holy Name of our Father which is in heaven. ## "THY KINGDOM COME" - MATTHEW 6:10 A THIS PART OF OUR LORD'S PRAYER INDICATES CLEARLY: 1. That there are two opposing kingdoms: a. The kingdom of Satan! He claims that the kingdoms of this world belong to him because they had been given to him - Luke 4:4-6. Our Lord recognized this usurpation by Lucifer. Said he, "And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?" Matt. 12:26. He speaks of Satan as "the prince of this world" - John 12:31; 16:11 b. The kingdom of God - "thy kingdom come". It is the realm where God is king, controlling the affairs of His kingdom - Isa. 52:7; Ps. 22:28. For God is still governor of the nations - Dan. 2:44; Ps. 22:28. Lucifer came in possession of this kingdom through lies and falsehood -- beguiling Eve and Adam to sin against their Maker, making them to believe a lie - Luke 4:1-6; Rom. 6:16; Gen. 3:1-6 B. NATURE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD 1. Presently it is the kingdom of grace: a. It functions within the heart - Luke 17:20, 21; Col. 1:27 b. This phase of the kingdom of God was set up before the foundation of the world, but became active after Adam and Eve fell - 1 Pet. 1:20; Rev. 13:8; Gen. 3:15 c. It is known, also, as the kingdom of grace -- grace reigning in the heart - Rom. 5:21 2. All believers are subjects of the kingdom of grace: a. Paul teaches this truth - Tit. 2:11; Eph. 2:7, 8; Rom. 5:17-19 b. The Bible is full of references about this part or phase of God's kingdom - Gen. 6:8; Jer. 31:2; Ex. 33:12, 16; Zech. 4:8 c. It is during this part of God's kingdom that we are made ready for the kingdom of glory - Matt. 1:21; Acts 4:12; John 3:16 3. The functions of the kingdom of grace are symbolized by: a. The seed cast into the ground - Mark 4:26 b. The grain of mustard seed - Mark 4:31 c. A leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal - Luke 13:21 C. "THY KINGDOM COME" 1. This has been the desire of all God's children in all ages: a. They were so raptured by God's promise of a kingdom that they freely confessed that they were pilgrims and strangers - Heb. 11:13 b. They looked for a city that has a foundation, whose Builder and Maker is God. c. People refused deliverance from suffering and pain because they looked forward to the kingdom of God - Heb. 11:36-40 2. Not only have God's children prayed for the kingdom of God to come: a. They proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom - 1) Enoch did - Jude 14, 15 2) Seth, too, proclaimed the message of the coming kingdom - Gen. 4:26 3) Noah was a preacher of the righteousness that will be the rule in God's kingdom - 2 Pet. 2:5 3. This gospel of the kingdom centers in the person of Jesus Christ: a. It is called the gospel of Jesus Christ - Rom. 1:16 b. He, and He alone, can bring about the consummation of the kingdom of God - Acts 4:12; Luke 23:42-44 c. It is He, who teaches us to pray, "thy kingdom come" - Matt. 6:9-11 d. When we receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour, He sets up His throne in our hearts; He reigns in our hearts through the Holy Spirit - Rom. 5:17 e. To sum it up, the kingdom of God, for which we are praying, is, actually, the restoration of the first dominion lost through sin - Mi. 4:8 ## "THY WILL BE DONE" - MATTHEW 6:10 A. "THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN" 1. This petition, in the Lord's prayer, is most inclusive: a. It governs the moral relationship of men to the Creator and His creatures. b. This will is expressed in the law of the Ten Commandments - Ex. 20:3-17; Rom. 2:17, 18 c. It encompasses the plan of redemption - Compare 1 Pet. 1:20 with Eph. 1:4-12 d. It reaches back into the eternity of God, "Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart." - Ps. 40:7, 8 2. If this petition is understood and offered in love and holy reverence, God will be pleased with our prayer: B. LET US CONSIDER BRIEFLY, THE IMPLICATION OF THIS PETITION 1. God's holy will: a. Is the supreme law of the universe. b. It is the very foundation of the government of God. 2. This divine law is based upon two eternal principles: a. Love to God -- that is the heart of the law of the Ten Commandments - Matt. 22:34-38 b. Love to our fellow man is like unto the first commandment - 1 John 4:7-11 3. These divine principles are summed up in the golden rule, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them": Matt. 7:12 4. The Ten Commandments are, as it were, ten streams having their source in the two great commandments stated by our Lord in Matt. 22:34-38: a. Love to God will lead to obeying God - 1 John 5:4, 5 b. Love to men will lead to a harmonious relationship with others. 5. The will of God is fully revealed in the Bible: a. 2 Tim. 3:15-17 b. John 5:39; Isa. 34:16 C. BUT THE HOLY WILL OF GOD IS MOST INCLUSIVE 1. It covers, as we have stated before, the moral relationship with God and our fellowmen: a. Expressed on the two tables given to Moses - Ex. 20:1-17; Matt. 19:16-21 b. Emphasized very strongly in the gospel of Jesus Christ - Compare Matt. 5:17-20 with Heb. 10:15, 16; Rom. 3:31 2. It includes our attitude toward God's plan to save us from sin: a. God will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth - 1 Tim. 2:4 b. Our sanctification is a part of this divine will - 1 Thess. 4:3, 18 c. That we shall believe on Him whom God has sent into this world to save us - John 6:28, 29 3. God's eternal will is expressed wonderfully in John 3:16: a. It reveals God's will toward a lost world - 1 John 2:1-3 b. It is in this will that we are sanctified - Heb. 10:10 4. This will, will be the final test as to who will be saved and who will perish: a. Note the words of the Son of God as recorded in Matt. 7:21, 22 b. The book of Revelation, too, states, in very striking words, the basis of entering into the holy city - Rev. 22:14 5. "Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven": a. Angels live by the will of God - Ps. 103:20 b. Lucifer was evicted from his heavenly home because he rebelled against God's will - Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18 c. But what about our own personal attitude toward God's will? 1) Do we delight in it? Rom. 7:22 2) Or are we rebelling against His will? 1 Sam. 15:22, 23 3) Is God's will the very source of our life and relationship with our God? Ps. 40:8 ## OUR DAILY BREAD A. "GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD" 1. Luke renders this fourth petition in these words, "Give us day by day our daily bread": Luke 11:3 2. It is significant that: a. Three petitions pertain to God's glory. b. Three for man's spiritual necessity. c. And this fourth petition pertains to man's bodily needs. B. "GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD" 1. This petition is full of special signification: a. In it we express our complete dependence upon our heavenly Father. b. "My God shall supply all your needs" - Phil. 4:19 c. "These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season." - Ps. 104:27 d. "For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." - Matt. 6:32 2. Those who offer this petition: a. Put their confidence in the paternal care of their heavenly Father. b. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." - Ps. 23:1 c. "I have been young, and now I am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread." - Ps. 37:25 3. The petition seems to indicate that this is a family prayer: a. Was offered at the family altar -- "Give us this day our daily bread." b. This petition is one of the strongest evidences for the importance of family worship. c. "Pour out thy fury . . . upon the families that call not upon thy name" - Jer. 10:25 4. How few in this fair land of ours never turn to the Giver of all good gifts, recognizing that what they think they have comes from him: a. Ingratitude is one of the sins of the last days. b. That was the sin that sent Sodom and Gomorrah to Hell - Ezek. 16:49, 50 C. "GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD" 1. Has a double application: a. It has reference, no doubt, to the bread or food to sustain our physical life. b. God created man by placing the necessity of food to sustain his life - Gen. 1:26-28 2. But man, so the Bible says, consists of body, soul, and spirit: 2 Thess. 4:23 a. This points to a dual nature of man, physical and moral or spiritual. b. If the physical nature of man needs nourishment, then it is equally true of the spiritual need. c. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." - Matt. 4:4 3. When we gather our loved ones around the family altar: a. We do, rightly so, place our temporal needs before our heavenly Father. b. But, as God's spiritual children, we include the bread of life in our petition. 1) Christ is that bread which came down from Heaven - John 6:33, 35 2) The written word of God is, too, the bread of life - Jer. 15:16; Heb. 4:12, 13 3) Paul calls it "meat" - Heb. 5:12 4) Our Saviour speaks of the word of God, using the same expressions - Matt. 24:45 4. Thus we gather from the fourth petition in the Lord's prayer: a. That we look to our heavenly Father for all those needs that sustain our physical and our spiritual nature. b. That the nature of the petition places the request at the family altar. c. That being true, the family altar becomes the storehouse or center for our temporal and our spiritual needs. d. Dear reader, is this true of your experience at your family altar? e. Have you ever given thought to the life-giving importance of the family altar? ## FORGIVING, A CONDITION OF RECEIVING FORGIVENESS A. "FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS" - Matt. 6:12 1. This petition to our heavenly Father touches upon man's basic difficulty: a. To forgive those who may have wronged us. b. It constitutes a real test to our claims to be born again. 2. Our blessed Lord recognizes this difficulty in human relationship: a. And He warns us against an unforgiving attitude toward those who offend against us - Matt. 6:15 b. "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses." - Mark 11:25 B. FORGIVENESS BY OUR HEAVENLY FATHER DEPENDS UPON OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD THOSE WHO OFFEND AGAINST US 1. Even Peter had difficulty to recognize this divine condition to us receiving forgiveness: a. "How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Till seven times?" "Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." - Matt. 18:21, 22 b. It will be helpful to the reader of this outline to note the following Bible passages which deal with this important subject - Matt. 6:15; 18:35; Mark 11:25, 26; Luke 6:37; 17:3, 4; 2 Cor. 2:7-10 2. This petition reveals a twofold guilt on our part: a. We have sinned against God; we are guilty of the sin of omission. b. We are guilty of the sin of commission because we have sinned against our fellowmen. 3. It teaches us to compare the wrong others have done toward us with the wrong we have done against our heavenly Father: a. This shows the serious nature of sin; it shows that sin works two ways -- against God, and against our fellowmen. b. How implicated one is in the midst of sinful men and women! Isa. 6:5 4. A double guilt requires a double forgiveness: a. It includes the forgiveness we seek from God. b. And the forgiveness we extend to those who have sinned against us. c. Meditate on Mi. 7:18, 19! d. Think over the story of the prodigal son, the attitude of his father, and that of his elder brother - Luke 15:11-32 e. Bring to mind the words of Isa. 38:17 C. THIS PETITION CONSTITUTES A REAL CHALLENGE TO US THIS MORNING 1. "Forgive us as we forgive": a. We ask our heavenly Father to forgive us because we have forgiven from the heart those who trespass against us. b. Unless and until we have settled our account with others, we are not prepared to come to God and seek forgiveness from Him. 2. What this petition leads us to: a. It teaches us to have a forgiving attitude toward others every moment of our life -- "seventy times seven." b. It makes it impossible for us to hold a grouch against others and yet be in the proper relationship to God. c. When such a relationship exists among the brethren, the world will know for sure that we are walking with Jesus. d. It all adds up to this, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." 1) He forgave to the end of his last breath - Luke 23:34 2) He pleads for sinners at the right hand of God, day in and day out, moment by moment. That is a part of his work in the heavenly sanctuary - 1 John 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 2:1-5 3. How weighty and how solemn is this petition, and how needy we are to be possessed with the forgiving attitude of our loving Saviour: a. "Lord teach me how to relate myself to others, so that I may know how to relate myself to thee." b. God will hear this prayer, if it is offered in sincerity and truth. ## TEMPTATION A. "AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION" 1. The original and true meaning of the word "temptation" is simply a "trial" or a "test": a. As in the case of Abraham - Gen. 22:1-12 b. Also in the experience of the children of Israel - Ex. 16:4; 20:20; Deut. 8:2 2. The planting of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil into the Garden of Eden was to test Adam and Eve: a. They had been created free moral agents. b. And God provided a means for them to assert their loyalty to their Maker. B. "AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION" 1. Why this petition? a. The Bible teaches, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." - Jas. 1:13 b. That little word "evil" explains the reason for our petition. "And lead us not into temptation by the evil one to lead us into disobedience." 2. God may permit his children to be tested: a. Permitted Satan to test Job to bring out in Job his unflinging loyalty to his God - Job 13:15; 1:1-3 b. This was true, also, of the Son of man - Matt. 4:1- 9; Luke 4:1-8 3. Our petition to our heavenly Father "And lead us not into temptation" stems from the fact that we realize our personal weakness: a. Had Peter realized his weakness, he would have prayed the petition of our text. b. Jesus knew what would happen with Peter, and he foretold him - Luke 22:31, 32 4. Our temptations to evil come from the corruption of our heart: a. "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." - Jas. 1:14 b. That was true in the experience of David - 2 Sam. 11:1-4 c. And that is true with all who are possessed with a carnal mind - Rom. 8:6-8 C. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER PROVIDED REFUGE AGAINST THE TEMPTATION OF THE EVIL ONE 1. Be on guard every waking moment of our life: a. "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." - Matt. 26:41 b. Said David, "I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top." - Ps. 102:7 c. It is when we are spiritually asleep that the enemy of our soul steals in on us, takes us captive unto his devices. 2. Stay close to the Lord of our life, Jesus Christ: a. Had Eve stayed close to Adam and not strayed away from him, the serpent would not have been able to beguile her as he did. b. Our Saviour gives us the terms of our safety in John 15:1-11 -- "Abide in me." c. He is the great secret of the saint's security against temptation - Prov. 18:10 3. This writer knows of four specific places of refuge against temptation to do evil: a. The word of God is our security against Satan. Jesus used it successfully - Matt. 4:1-9 b. Prayer, earnest and prevailing prayer, is still another must for the saints to be safe against temptation - Matt. 26:41 c. The family altar is a must for the family to be sheltered against evil. It is at the family altar when we lay all our plans, our needs and our weaknesses before the Lord, that we actually give them to him. d. The fellowship of the saints is a very blessed shelter against temptation. When we join the saints in the study of the word of God, and in prayer, we have neither time or desire to do the things that cause men to sin. 4. Finally, when we pray, "And lead us not into temptation", we declare that we rely altogether upon the Lord for safekeeping; when we do that we need not have any fear of being disappointed by the Lord. ## DELIVER US FROM EVIL - MATTHEW 6:13 A. THE SEVENTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER 1. Is an appeal to our heavenly Father to deliver us from evil: a. That is an acknowledgement, on our part, that evil plagues us. b. And that we are unable to free ourselves from this evil - Jer. 13:23; Rom. 7:14-24 2. Meaning of the word "evil": a. The Greek word from which the word evil comes is "poneros", and signifies "the wicked one", as Satan is called. Compare Matt. 13:19 with Mark 4:15; Luke 8:12 b. This epithet of the devil comes from ponos labour, sorrow, misery, because of grudgery which is found in the way of sin - Jas. 1:15 3. The Bible speaks of: Evil works - Jas. 3:16 Evil time - Ps. 37:19 Evil heart - Gen. 8:21 Evil ways - 2 Ki. 17:13 Evil doers - 1 Pet. 2:12 Evil men - 2 Tim. 3:13 B. THERE ARE THREE CATEGORIES OF EVIL 1. The evil of sin which has its fountainhead in a polluted heart: a. Said Jesus, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." - Matt. 15:19 b. Paul enumerates the same sinful pollutions - Gal. 5:19-21 c. A vivid example of the pollution is our Lord's description of the heart of a Pharisee - Matt. 23:27 2. The evil which results from sin: a. Why is our life beset with so many evils -- pain, sorrow, disappointment, and finally death? b. Why must people suffer so much and so long? c. Does God place these evils upon men? These are questions that plague many people. d. At times the righteous suffer more than the people who make no profession at all. Why? e. The answer is found in the fact that sin is the root cause of all trouble, deserved or not. 3. Not all is evil which men mark as evil: a. A mother may use the rod to discipline her child, but she does it because she loves the child. b. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." - Heb. 12:6-11 c. If such chastisement is received willingly, it will bear rich fruit unto life. d. At times God permits suffering to remove out of our lives the things that would keep us out of the kingdom of God. C. OUR PART IN BEING FREED FROM EVIL 1. Man was created a free moral agent: a. He had it in his power to make his choice between good and evil, but he chose the evil - Gen. 2:15- 17; 3:1-6 b. There are certain things which we must do ourselves - 1) Christ asked the bystanders at the tomb of Lazarus to roll away the stone. 2) He asked them to loose the one that had been brought back to life - John 11:39-44 c. We must want to be set free from the power of evil - "wilt thou be made whole?" - John 5:6 d. "If thou canst believe" - Mark 9:23 2. Christ is ever willing and able to set us completely free, thus answering our petition "deliver us from evil": a. But there are some things which we must do, as we have said before - Compare Gen. 35:2 with Jer. 4:1; Ezek. 43:9 b. We have the assurance that our Saviour is able - Matt. 1:21; Eph. 3:20; Phil. 2:12, 13; 4:13 3. There is great joy in full and final deliverance: a. Unspeakable joy will fill the hearts of the redeemed when full and final deliverance comes to them from all evil - Ps. 126:2 b. Sorrow, pain, and sighing shall flee away, and eternal joy shall take hold of all who endure to the end - Isa. 35:10 c. It is then that the seventh and last petition will receive its final and complete answer. ## THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN A. "THE EFFECTUAL FERVENT PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN AVAILETH MUCH" - Jas. 5:16 1. Prayer, in one form or another, is practiced by the largest number of people among all religions: a. The word "prayer" indicates that man feels his dependence upon a power outside of himself. b. Prayer is a means by which man seeks contact with God. 2. Prayer does three things for us: a. It helps us to make and keep connections with heaven. b. It is God's chosen channel to bless us according to the riches of his glory. c. It is the great secret of the divine power so mightily revealed in those who exercised themselves in the art of prayer. B. THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN 1. A righteous man: a. "He that doeth righteousness is righteous" - 1 John 3:7 b. "If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him" 1 John 2:29 c. "Whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God" - 1 John 3:10 2. How men become righteous: a. All our righteousness is as filthy rags - Isa. 64:6; Rom. 3:10 b. Christ is our righteousness - 1 Cor. 1:30; Jer. 23:6 c. It is imputed to him that believeth in Jesus Christ - Rom. 1:17 d. It is implanted into our lives - 2 Pet. 1:2-7 3. The prayer of a righteous man is: a. Fervent, earnest, and persevering! EXAMPLES - 1) Jacob prayed earnestly - Gen. 32:24-26 2) Our Lord prayed more earnestly - Luke 22:44 3) Elijah prayed very earnestly - Jas. 5:17 b. Effectual! Brings results! That was true in the experience of the aforementioned persons. c. That is true of all god-fearing people, who do God's will. C. FORCE OF THE PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN 1. Prayer will cleave to God's promises: a. It is significant to learn from the Bible one of the secrets of the effectual prayers of some Bible characters - 1) They were persistent - Mark 10:46-48; Matt. 15:22-28 2) They claimed God's promises -- David was one of them that reminded God of his promises, and he won out. b. Do we know the promises of God, and if so, do we bring them to the Lord's attention? 2. Prayer influences us: a. Some people have the idea that in prayer we influence God, but I personally believe that prayer influences us. b. How many lives have become transformed while they devoted much effort in earnest prayer! EXAMPLES - 1) Saul of Tarsus was called harmless by the Lord because he prayed - Acts 9:11 2) The thief on the cross became a changed person while offering a short prayer - Luke 22:42-44 3. Prayer changes things: a. This is the great incentive for fervent prayer - 1) Prayer affected the person of the Son of God - Luke 9:29 2) It affected Paul and Silas and even the prison keeper - Acts 16:25-34 3) It turned Israel back to the worship of the true God - 1 Ki. 18:36-39 b. More and greater things are wrought through prayer than through any other means known to men - "it availeth much" - 1) It sealed the lions' mouths in the lions' den, and so kept Daniel safe - Dan. 6:10-28 2) It saved the lives of the wise men of Babylon - Dan. 2:17 c. Volumes have been written to show how wonderfully prayer changes things. d. It has wrought many miracles for me and my family on many occasions. e. Said the Lord through Jeremiah, "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." - Jer. 33:3 ## SUCCESSFUL PRAYER - PART I A. "IN THE DAY WHEN I CRIED THOU ANSWEREDST ME, AND STRENGTHENEDST ME WITH STRENGTH IN MY SOUL." - Ps. 138:1-3 1. Our text reveals that David was a man of prayer: a. "O thou that hearest prayer" - Ps. 65:2 b. "He will regard the prayer of the destitute" - Ps. 102:17 c. "I give myself unto prayer" - Ps. 109:4 2. His testimony, in our opening text, must have come after God had delivered him from the hand of his son Solomon: a. His prayer is an expression of gratitude - Ps. 26:7; 50:14 b. It is noteworthy that most of the Psalms written by David are an expression of heartfelt gratitude to God - Ps. 107:22 B. LET US ATTEMPT TO ANALYZE OUR OPENING TEXT 1. "When I cried": a. Earnest prayer, as recorded in the Bible, is often expressed in words like these, "looking" (Mark 7:34); "waiting" (Ps. 59:9); "calling" (Jer. 33:3); "seeking" (Ps. 63:1). b. "When I cried" - 1) An expression of a sense of urgent and deep need. This is basically essential for prayer to be successful. 2) Sensing our utter dependence upon God is also expressed in such prayers - Matt. 14:30 2. Such a cry to God indicates complete confidence in the Lord, that He will hear our prayer: a. Experience shows that God does hear the prayer of His children. b. "Call unto me, and I will answer thee" - Jer. 33:3 c. "When I cried thou answeredst me" - Ps. 138:1-3 3. This is the unanimous testimony of all men of prayer in all ages: a. Volumes have been written in tribute to the prayer life of God's children. b. All this because God loves His people and He delights in hearing their prayers. 4. In the day I cried thou answeredst me: a. Instant answers to prayer are recorded in the Bible - EXAMPLES - 1) Daniel's prayer was answered very swiftly - Dan. 9:20-23 2) Peter's prayer was answered quickly - Matt. 14:30, 31 3) The prayer of the church, as recorded in Acts 4 was answered very quickly - Acts 4:31 b. But there are times when the answer to prayer is delayed. c. Such delays are caused by certain obstacles in the lives of the people; it may be a secret sin in the life of a person - Ps. 66:18 d. There are times when circumstances in the lives of other people cause delays to answers of our prayers. C. BLESSING OF ANSWERED PRAYER 1. Strength for the soul: a. Soul strength is the very life of God's children. b. The Lord does not always remove the pressure from life, but He gives soul strength to stand up under such pressure - EXAMPLES - 1) The Father of our Lord Jesus did not take away the cup from His Son, but He commissioned an angel to strengthen him - Luke 22:43 2) God did not remove the difficulty out of Paul's life, but he gave him soul strength to glory in weakness - 2 Cor. 12:9 2. Our manifold need for soul strength: a. We need strength to do the will of God at all times - 1 Pet. 5:10 b. Strength to endure afflictions for the cause of God - 2 Tim. 4:17 c. Strength to endure unto the end - Eph. 3:20; 1 Cor. 15:57, 58 d. Strength to love when we are hated; to bless when we are cursed - Matt. 5:44 e. Strength to live a victorious life in this present sinful world - Phil. 4:13 3. Does your prayer include all these needs? ## SUCCESSFUL PRAYER - PART II A. "IN THE DAY WHEN I CRIED THOU ANSWEREDST ME, AND STRENGTHENEDST ME." 1. By reading the context of our opening text, we note that this prayer is an expression of thanksgiving: a. Offered in humble gratitude for deliverance from his enemies. b. In fact, most of the Psalms were an acknowledgement by the Psalmist of the Lord's care for him against his deadly enemies, who were many. 2. Our text is, therefore, a joyful retrospect in which he writes of successful prayer: B. THERE ARE THREE HIGH POINTS IN OUR SUBJECT 1. The Psalmist's prayer: a. Earnest prayer is heard in heaven - 1) "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" - Jas. 5:16 2) "And I set my face unto the Lord my God, to seek by prayer and supplication, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes." - Dan. 9:3 b. It was a prayer offered in childlike simplicity and faith. This is the key to successful prayer -- offered in faith - 1) The woman that touched the Lord's garment and was healed instantly - Matt. 9:20-22 2) The centurion and his servant - Matt. 8:1-6 2. God's willingness to hear the prayers of His children: a. A study of the word of God shows that our heavenly Father wants us to pray; He loves it - 1) "Call unto me, and I will answer thee" - Jer. 33:3 2) "All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." - Matt. 21:22 3) "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint." - Luke 18:1 3. Answers to prayer is, as all other blessings, conditional: a. We must pray in accordance with God's holy will - 1 John 5:14 b. Our Saviour set us the example - Matt. 26:42; Luke 22:42 C. NOTE THE SUCCESSFUL ISSUE OF PRAYER 1. "Thou answeredst me." a. God does hear and answer prayer, when it is for our own good and to the glory of His wonderful name - Ps. 6:8; 18:6; 22:4 b. He may not answer our prayers in the form we expect - EXAMPLES - 1) God healed Naaman the leper, but not as he wanted to be healed - 2 Ki. 5:9-14 2) He told the ten lepers to go and show themselves to the priest; and it was when they went that they were cleansed - Luke 17:12-14 2. If our prayers are not answered: a. There may be things in our lives that prevent the Lord to hear us - EXAMPLES - 1) Note what the Lord says to us through the prophet Isaiah - Isa. 59:2 - "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." 2) "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." - Ps. 66:18 b. Satan may have put road blocks between God and us. Since men are free moral agents, and often determine the outcome of their lives, Satan can influence their lives to such an extent that God cannot reach them. c. But when the channels of our lives are open to the Lord, there will be instant answers. d. It is obvious that our own attitude has a large part in answers to our prayers. 3. Lesson for us: a. Learn the saints' remedy to their difficulties - "cry unto the Lord". b. Soul strength comes through earnest prayer - EXAMPLES - 1) Elijah - Jas. 5:17, 18 2) Daniel - Dan. 9:10 3) Peter - Acts 9:40 4) Blind Bartimaeus - Mark 10:46-52 ## CONDITIONS OF SUCCESSFUL PRAYER A. EXPERIENCE SHOWS 1. That some people's prayers are much more successful than others: 2. That raises the question - Why? a. God is not a respecter of person - Acts 10:34, 35 b. It must be because of that which is associated with prayer - "Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss" - Jas. 4:3 B. CONDITIONS TO SUCCESSFUL PRAYER 1. We must pray according to the will of God: a. That is what Jesus Christ did at all times - Matt. 26:42 b. That is why God hears us when we pray - "And we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask. We know that we have the petitions that we desired of him . . . if we ask any thing according to his will" - 1 John 5:14, 15 c. Even the Holy Spirit helps us in our prayer when we pray according to the will of God - Rom. 8:27 2. We are heard when we pray in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: a. There is no other name in which to pray - Acts 4:12 b. "Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you" - John 15:16 c. The name of Jesus Christ is the key to all the thoughts, words, and actions of the children of God - "And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." - Col. 3:17 3. We must forgive those who trespassed against us before God will hear our prayer: a. "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." - Mark 11:25, 26; Col. 3:13; Matt. 18:19, 22 b. "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother." - Matt. 5:23, 24 4. Confession of our sins, and also forsaking them is a must before our prayers are answered: a. Daniel did for himself and his people - Dan. 9:4, 8, 20, 23 b. That is a condition laid down in the Bible - 1 John 1:7-9; Prov. 28:13 5. Sincerity must mark our prayers: a. Compare the attitude of the two men that went up to the temple to pray - Luke 18:9-14 b. Think of the warning the Lord gives against hypocrisy - Matt. 6:1-9 c. Sincerity marked the prayer of the Psalmist - Ps. 66:18 6. Childlike faith is a must when we pray: a. Without faith it is impossible to please God - Heb. 11:6 b. "Therefore I say unto you, Whatsoever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall receive them." - Mark 11:24 7. Perseverance in prayer: a. Too many give up too soon, and that is why they are not heard. b. Think of blind Bartimaeus - Mark 10:46-48 c. Or recall the prayer of the mother for her plagued daughter - Matt. 15:22-28 8. Lean upon the aid of the Holy Spirit in your petition: a. For we know not how to pray, as we ought to. b. It is He who makes intercession for us - Rom. 8:26 C. THUS WE SEE SOME OF THE REASONS 1. Why some people are more successful in their prayer than others: 2. They meet the eight conditions, as indicated in this outline: 3. They are right with God and men, and that is why God hears their petitions: 4. They have a pure and acceptable motive in their petitions: 5. When selfishness is behind our prayers, God will not hear our prayers: 6. Such prayers become sin unto those who offer them: Ps. 109:7 ## THE POWER OF PRAYER - LUKE 11:1-13 A. PRAYER 1. Is not just a repetition of so many words: Matt. 6:5; 11:1; Eccl. 5:2 2. But a heart to heart communion with God: It is opening the heart to our heavenly Father, our best friend; also, listening to what He will say to us. 3. When we come to God in prayer in this spirit, we cannot help but be affected by this fellowship: a. As Moses was - Ex. 34:29, 30 b. As our blessed Lord was - Luke 9:28, 29 B. THE POWER OF PRAYER 1. Someone has said, and very truthfully, "More things are wrought through prayer than by any other means." a. Take a retrospective look into the history of prayer - 1) Israel was victorious so long as the hands of Moses were stretched upward in prayer - Ex. 17:11, 12 2) The scene before the servant of Elisha changed, new vistas were opened to him, when Elisha prayed. 2 Ki. 6:16, 17 3) The law of nature was superseded, and a nation was converted through the prayer of Elijah - 1 Ki. 18:36-39 b. The story of prayer is one of power far beyond our minds to comprehend. 2. The secret of this power is threefold: a. It comes because of our connection with the Lord Jesus Christ - John 6:44; 14:13 b. Prayer connects us with God, the true source of all power in heaven and in earth. c. Nothing is too hard for Him; all things are possible for Him. 3. Faith, childlike faith, is a third secret of the power of prayer: a. Note the words of Christ - Matt. 17:20, 21; 21:22 b. Faith is the victory that overcometh all obstacles - 1 John 5:4, 5 c. Prayer changes things - 1) It influenced the Son of God - Luke 9:29 2) It transformed Stephen - Acts 7:55 3) It will influence your life day by day - Deut. 33:25 4) A simple prayer by Elisha did what the army of Israel could not do - 2 Ki. 6:17, 18 5) It caused nature to react in the days of the apostolic church - Acts 4:31 d. Prayer has brought visible and instant results for some of God's people. 1) Daniel received a quick and revealing answer - Dan. 9:20 2) Blind Bartimaeus received his sight in answer to his persistent cry for help - Mark 10:47-52 C. THE LAW OF PRAYER 1. Prayer is, like all God's blessings, subject to the law of prayer: a. It is most effective when it is in accordance with the will of God - 1 John 5:14 b. That is why it is best to include these words in every request we bring to God, "not as I will, but as thou seest it is best for me." 2. None of us knows how to pray; our minds do not always comprehend the end results of our prayers: a. Could we see the end from the beginning, we would not make some of our requests to God because they will not be, if granted, for our own good. b. So we must trust the granting of our requests to the wisdom of our heavenly Father - Rom. 8:26 3. What is still more important, if that is possible, is: a. That we live our prayers; that we act our prayers. b. He, who knows all things, knows how we will use the power of prayer. c. Will the power of prayer magnify the Lord or will it be used for self-exaltation? d. Will it be used for the encouragement of others to seek God in prayer? or shall we neglect our duty to God and our fellowmen? ## PRAYER CHANGES THINGS A. "AND AS HE PRAYED, THE FASHION OF HIS COUNTENANCE WAS ALTERED, AND HIS RAIMENT WAS WHITE AND GLISTERING." - Luke 9:29 1. The Bible is, in a certain sense, comparable to a picture gallery where paintings or works of art are exhibited: a. This is true of our text which shows a portrait of our Lord in the act of prayer. b. The scene is on the mount of transfiguration. c. A few disciples and, doubtless, some angels, are the witnesses to the sublime and unearthly scene. 2. The scene itself: a. Revealed the power of prayer. b. It shows that prayer changes things -- "And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering." c. By that time he was already a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief - Isa. 53:3 d. But prayer brought a change in the body of the Son of man - "his countenance was altered." e. Prayer changes things; not only was that true in the experience of the Son of God, but we shall show that is true in the life of all God's children. B. PRAYER CHANGES THINGS 1. It did for the Son of God during His earthly ministry: a. That was true at our Lord's baptism - Matt. 3:16, 17; Mark 1:10, 11 b. And that was true on the mount of transfiguration - Luke 9:29; Matt. 17:5 c. It was true, also, in Gethsemane when He was in great agony - Luke 22:43 d. It was true after His prayer seasons every morning during His ministry to the needs of the people - Mark 5:30; Luke 6:19 2. Let us note, briefly, what prayer did for the Son of God: a. It did not take Him out of what was before Him, out of the shadow of the cross. b. But it strengthened Him to bear the cross. c. Here is a lesson for us; prayer may not take us away from trials and suffering, but it will strengthen us to bear all in faith. 3. Prayer changed things for people under different environments: a. Prayer brought deliverance to the daughter of a praying mother - Matt. 15:22-28 b. It brought redemption to the thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 c. It brought eyesight to blind Bartimaeus - Mark 10:46-52 d. It delivered Peter from a watery grave - Matt. 14:30, 31 e. It altered the relationship between Jacob and his brother Esau - Gen. 25:30-34; 27:41; 32:1-29; 33:4 C. SPECIAL BLESSINGS OF PRAYER 1. Prayer connects us with the supernatural: a. That was true in the experience of Elijah and the children of Israel - 1 Ki. 18 b. And that was true in Peter's experience when he caught the fish that had enough money in his belly to pay his tax and that of his Lord - Matt. 17:27 c. Moses' mother had a similar experience - Ex. 2:1-10 2. Childlike and simple faith in God's promises is the great secret of witnessing the changing or transforming power of prayer: a. By it the Red Sea was divided and Israel passed through it, walking on dry land - Ex. 14:21-31 b. By it Elisha brought back to life the son of the Shunammite - 2 Ki. 4:32-37 c. It opened the prison doors to Peter and set him free to preach the gospel of Christ - Acts 12:5-17 d. That was true in the experience of Paul and Silas - Acts 16:25-34 e. Prayer changes things in many different and unexpected ways - 1) The history of the church is witness to this fact. Think of the Reformation, and how Luther and others were delivered out of the very jaws of death. 2) Your humble servant is witness to many such undeserved and unexpected changes in his unworthy life. f. Prayer changes things for him that makes it the secret of his victorious life. ## "PRAY WITHOUT CEASING" A. "REJOICE EVERMORE. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING." - 1 Thess. 5:16, 17 1. Paul's admonition: a. To rejoice evermore is a real challenge to a Christian in a world that is filled with continuous perplexities and hardships. b. "In the world ye shall have tribulation" - John 16:33 2. How can a person be engaged in prayer: a. When you must have your mind upon your work? b. Does it seem feasible to pray without ceasing? B. THE INSPIRED INJUNCTION "PRAY WITHOUT CEASING" STANDS; EVEN WE ARE UNABLE TO RATIONALIZE HOW THIS CAN BE DONE WHEN SO MANY OTHER THINGS PRESS UPON OUR MINDS AND HEARTS 1. There are, as you understand, many different ways of praying: a. Praying in the Spirit -- these prayers are inaudible, as in the case of Hannah - 1 Sam. 1:10-15 b. Vocal prayer, as in the case of Paul - Acts 20:36 c. Community prayer, as in the case of the church in the days when the apostles suffered much persecution - Acts 4:24-31 2. It is true that we are admonished to pray without ceasing: a. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." - Eph. 6:18 b. "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you." - Col. 1:3 c. "Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face." - 1 Thess. 3:10 3. The life of a child of God is, rightly called, a life of prayer: a. There are great and compelling reasons for this prayer life - Col. 4:2 b. Satan is constantly after us to trap us in one way or another - 1 Pet. 5:8 c. Had the disciples been engaged in prayer on that terrible night in the garden, their story might have been different. C. WHAT MUST WE UNDERSTAND BY "PRAY WITHOUT CEASING"? 1. Prayer keeps us in constant connection with God: a. That is a must every moment of our life. b. For when our connections with God are disrupted or broken, we are in a lost condition. c. Prayer is the God provided channel through which He supplies us with strength to walk in the straight and narrow way. d. Prayer is God's counsel chamber, and if it is disrupted we lose contact with that counsel. e. Prayer is the great outlet of divine power, and if we neglect it for one moment we cut ourselves off from this source of power. 2. This brings us to the final and most important point of our subject: a. To pray without ceasing simply means for us to be in the attitude of prayer. b. It means that we keep in tune with heaven; God is able to speak to us at any moment. c. When our mind is stayed upon God, we are in a state of prayer. 3. But to pray without ceasing implies: a. That we live very close to God every waking moment of our life. b. The life of Enoch was, without doubt, a life of constant prayer because he walked with God - Gen. 5:23-25 c. But how can one walk with God and not commune with Him? d. To walk with God means to fellowship with Him; and that means that we live in the very atmosphere of prayer. 4. Blessings of a life of constant prayer: a. It will keep us on the straight and narrow way - Matt. 7:13 b. It will shield us against the wiles of the devil - Luke 22:32 c. It will keep worldliness out of our life; he who is filled with the Spirit of prayer is secure against the spirit of the world. d. It will keep us in constant touch with our heavenly Father, which is life in itself. e. That is what I understand by praying without ceasing. ## THE PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING A. "OFFER UNTO GOD THANKSGIVING; AND PAY THY VOWS UNTO THE MOST HIGH." - Ps. 107:14 1. The prayer of thanksgiving: a. What incense was to the sacrifice of thanksgiving, thanksgiving is to prayer. b. "And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand." - Rev. 8:4 2. There is a promise to all who mix their prayer with praise and thanksgiving: a. "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me" - Ps. 50:23 b. That is the major part of the prayers of the angels - Luke 2:13, 14; Isa. 6 B. THE PRAYER OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING 1. Comes from grateful hearts: a. Heartfelt gratitude to God for His mercies is the very foundation of the prayer of thanksgiving. b. One is awed with the spirit of praise and thanksgiving of the Psalmist - Ps. 145; 146; 147; 148; 149 c. Could God have made a memorial of our inner urge to praise Him for all His mercies to us? 2. Must be spontaneous to be accepted by the Lord: a. When the heart is filled with gratitude, praise to God will be as easy as breathing for those who love the Lord. b. Ingratitude is a mark of the ungodly, and God is very displeased with them. 3. Our prayers should always begin with praise and thanksgiving: a. "Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Zion." - Ps. 65:1 b. "Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honor of his name: make his praise glorious. O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise heard." - Ps. 66:1 c. "Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honor all day long." - Ps. 71:8 C. PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING TO GOD ARE 1. An expression of love and adoration of the children of God: a. "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy loving kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night." - Ps. 92:1 b. "O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with Psalms. O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand." - Ps. 95:1-7 2. When our prayers are motivated with praise and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father: a. They will be a pleasure for us, and not a recurring burden. b. "Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." - Ps. 16:11 c. Let us, therefore, count our many, many blessings before we bow our knees before the Lord our God. d. If we do that, praise and thanksgiving will flow freely from our hearts and over our lips. e. This writer is convinced that true Bible Christianity is marked by the spirit of inner gratitude. f. When that is true, our experience will be one of renewed vitality and spiritual vigor. g. To me, personally, that is the very foundation of prayer. h. How sad the picture, when we look into the prayer life of the church! i. How few among us show evidence of the spirit of thanksgiving! j. Let us heed the admonition of our opening text and let the praises of our God ring forth hearts and lips. ## PRAYER FOR LIGHT AND TRUTH A. "O SEND OUT THY LIGHT AND THY TRUTH: LET THEM LEAD ME; LET THEM BRING ME UNTO THY HOLY HILL, AND TO THY TABERNACLES." 1. This prayer is most revealing of the attitude of the suppliant: a. He knew that his knowledge of light and truth was limited - Prov. 4:18; 1 Cor. 13:9-12; John 16:12, 13 b. That God has more light for him - Prov. 4:18; John 16:12, 13 2. How different is the attitude of so many professed and nominal Christians: a. Say they, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing" - Rev. 3:17 b. "And the vision of all is become . . . as the words of a book that is sealed" - Isa. 29:11 c. They are too engrossed with the cares of this world, that they have neither interest or time to pray for more light. - Mi. 2:12 B. OUR OPENING TEXT BRINGS TO LIGHT THREE GREAT FACTS ABOUT LIGHT AND TRUTH 1. Light and truth do not come to us all at once: a. God knows our limitations, and treats us accordingly - John 16:12 b. We are not capable, nor are we ready and open, to receive all light God may have for us - 1 Cor. 13:9-12 c. Environment and habits slow down our ability and our willingness to receive new light. d. Prejudice is still another factor we cannot ignore - Matt. 13:54-58 2. Light and truth are carried by God's chosen human instruments: a. Angels could do a wonderful job; but they cannot do it as effectively as dedicated men can. b. Paul's experience on his way to Damascus illustrates this point - Acts 9:6 c. The experience of Cornelius gives added light on this point - Acts 10:5, 28 d. The Ethiopian has the same experience - Acts 8:26-39 e. It is God's plan to send light and truth through consecrated human beings - Acts 1:8 3. The grand purpose of light and truth: a. "That they may lead me." b. This petition is in direct opposition to the ways of many professed Christians - 1) They look to wise and able men to guide them - Hos. 10:12, 13; Isa. 29:13 2) Paul predicted that such would be the attitude of many in the last days - 2 Tim. 4:1-6 c. Said the Lord of them, "O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths" - Isa. 3:12 d. We are warned not to place our trust in the wisdom of men - Jer. 17:5 e. The grand and soul-saving purpose of light and truth is, as our opening text says - 1) "Let them bring me to thy holy hill." That is the goal of all who profess Christianity. 2) The kingdom of heaven should be our first and greatest concern - Matt. 6:33 3) "And unto thy tabernacles." Said Jesus to the disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me . . . I go to prepare a place for you" - John 14:1-3. The tabernacles of the Lord are the goal of every child of God and properly so - Ps. 15:1- 6; 23:1-6 C. WHY THIS PRAYER APPEALS TO MY OWN HEART 1. I want to be in the kingdom of God: a. To be in the coming kingdom is my greatest ambition, and I pray that nothing in this world will keep me out of it. b. I realize that the only way for me to get to the kingdom are light and truth. c. Light and more light is what this sinful world needs today - Isa. 60:1-3 d. The Bible, all of it, is the great light which will, if accepted, dispel gloom and darkness - Ps. 119:105; 2 Pet. 1:16-20 2. But it is not enough for me to pray for light and truth: a. I must appropriate them to get any blessing out of them - Jas. 1:22 b. I must walk in them to be accepted - 1 John 1:7-9 ## THE PRAYER OF THE AGED A. "CAST ME NOT OFF IN THE TIME OF OLD AGE; FORSAKE ME NOT WHEN MY STRENGTH FAILETH." - Ps. 71:9 1. This beautiful prayer was written by David in his old age, and it may be called the aged disciple portion: 2. In verses 1, 2, and 3, he expresses a deep desire for deliverance from his enemies and for close fellowship with God: 3. In verse 9 he is cognizant of old age, and the loss of some of his physical strength: 4. He is very anxious for God to continue to be with him: B. OLD AGE 1. A survey of the span of human existence shows that not too many people reach what we call old age: 2. Old age is, in most instances, a period of weakness: a. The eyesight begins to fail. b. Other members of the body show decline in many ways - Eccl. 12:1-7 3. A beautiful description of old age is found in Ps. 90:9, 10: a. "For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told." b. "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." 4. We see old age, not only in the rest homes or hospitals, but in nature itself: a. The oak, of which it is said that three centuries ago came to maturity, has often been seen in a heap of decaying wood. b. When the arms and the hands tremble, the knees and the legs totter, when food can scarcely be masticated because the teeth fail and people have to turn to baby food, that is a sign of old age. c. For many people that means pain and suffering, a time of solitude and desertion; they are strangers in a world they used to be a part of. 5. Old age is a period of great and peculiar solemnity: a. Such are the evenings of life when life becomes more uncertain and the light is dimmer. b. It is the result of the inevitable law of balances - Eccl. 12:1-7 C. BUT LET US MEDITATE UPON THE PRAYER ITSELF 1. "Cast me not off, forsake me not." a. That indicates that if we ever need the loving care and affections of the Lord, it is when we are old. b. That is the period when we are less attractive to men. c. In loneliness we need God's companionship. d. In sickness and in pain we need His ever present help to ease the pain and relieve our suffering. e. In sorrow we need His comfort - Hab. 3:17 2. What a blessed assurance is found in God's wonderful promises: a. The Lord admonishes the younger to honor and respect the aged, "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear God: I am the Lord." - Lev. 19:32 b. "The beauty of old men is the gray head." - Prov. 19:29 3. The Lord promises us that He will care for us when we are old: Ps. 71:18; Isa. 46:4; 66:12 4. The fact that Jesus has promised to be with us, even unto the end of the ages, is great assurance that he will be with us when we grow old and insecure in body and mind: 5. How wonderful it is to turn to a loving heavenly Father, who knows our frame, and commit our lives into His hand, even in the days when old age is marked upon every member of our body! 6. For He who was with us in the days of our youth, who has supplied us with vigor and strength is still the same even when we are old, let us trust him. ## ANSWERS TO OUR PRAYERS A. ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ALL WHO SEEK THE LORD IN PRAYER 1. Heavenly assurance: a. "Call unto me, and I will answer thee" - Jer. 33:3 b. "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways; then will I hear from heaven" - 2 Chron. 7:14 c. "Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." - Ps. 50:15 2. Humble acknowledgement by the saints: a. "In thee, O Lord, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God." - Ps. 38:15 b. "O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." - Ps. 65:2 B. EXAMPLES OF ANSWERS TO PRAYER 1. Old Testament witnesses: a. Abraham - Gen. 15 b. Lot - Gen. 19:20, 21 c. Abraham's servant - Gen. 24:12-21 d. Isaac - Gen. 25:21 e. Jacob - Gen. 32 f. Moses - Ex. 14:15, 16; 15:25; 17:4-6; Num. 11:11-17 g. Israel - Ex. 2:23-25; 14:10 h. And a host of others, too many to enumerate. 2. New Testament witnesses: a. Blind Bartimaeus - Mark 10:46-48 b. The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 c. A heartbroken mother - Matt. 15:22-28 d. The centurion - Matt. 8 e. Cornelius - Acts 10:31 f. The church - Acts 4:24-31 g. And a host of other god-fearing persons, too many to mention. 3. Characteristics of the prayers that are answered: a. Individual prayers - Jas. 5:13 b. United prayers - Jas. 5:14; Acts 4:24-26 c. Believing prayers - Jas. 5:15 d. Intercessory prayers - Jas. 5:16 e. Definite prayer - Jas. 5:17 f. Fervent prayer - Jas. 5:17 C. SEVEN BASIC THINGS ABOUT PRAYER WHICH ARE A MUST FOR GOD TO ANSWER THEM 1. They must be in season and punctual: a. Have regularity in our prayer seasons -- Daniel had, and so did David - Dan. 6:19; Ps. 55:17 b. The hour of prayer, whether in the early morning, at noon, or in the evening, should be guarded - Acts 3:1; 10:1-9 2. They must be sincere and wholehearted: a. Halfhearted prayer has no promise. But when we call on the name of the Lord with all our heart, God will hear us. - Eph. 6:18, 19 3. Our supplications: a. Must include all the saints - Eph. 6:18, 19 b. Rulers and all men of authority - 1 Tim. 2:1-5 4. We must persevere in our supplication: a. Abraham did - Gen. 18 b. Jacob did - Gen. 32:24-28 c. A mother, praying for her daughter, did - Matt. 15:22-28 d. Blind Bartimaeus did - Mark 10:46-48 5. Do it all in childlike faith: 6. When we consider these facts, there comes to our minds the petition of the disciples, "Lord, teach us how to pray": a. Even the most experienced among us has much to learn about the art of successful prayer. b. Even Paul, who was a man of prayer, included himself when he wrote, "for we know not what we should pray for as we ought" - Rom. 8:26 c. The school of prayer never ends so long as we are in this present world. 7. But this is certain, that we shall gain practical knowledge about prayer as we exercise our prerogative of prayer. ## IS PRAYER PROFITABLE? A. "WHAT IS THE ALMIGHTY, THAT WE SHOULD SERVE HIM? AND WHAT PROFIT SHOULD WE HAVE, IF WE PRAY UNTO HIM? - Job 21:15 1. Questions are raised for several reasons: a. To attract attention. b. To cause one to consider. c. And questions seek answers. 2. Two important questions are a part of our text: a. "What is the Almighty, that we should serve him?" b. "And what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?" B. WE ARE LIVING IN AN AGE OF THE PROFIT SYSTEM 1. Our very life is geared to the profit system: a. The value of the dollar dictates our ability to be frugal and enjoy prosperity. b. Wages and the profit system go hand in hand today. 2. Is prayer profitable? a. They who raised this question to begin with, as indicated in our text, say, "no, prayer does not profit him that exercises in it." b. They have that attitude because they are totally ignorant of the blessings of prayer. 3. I can think of seven specific blessings by which men of prayer profit: a. Prayer connects them with the very Source of all life. b. Says the Psalmist, "For with thee is the fountain of life" - Ps. 36:9 c. "For in him we live, and move, and have our being" - Acts 17:28 d. Prayer changes things, as nothing else can: It saved Peter from drowning - Matt. 14:30, 31; it brought eyesight to the blind man - Mark 10:46-48; it brought back a boy from the dead - 2 Ki. 4:35; it gave the thief on the cross the hope of eternal life - Luke 23:42-44 e. It brought the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples - Acts 2 f. God has promised to answer prayer - Jer. 33:3 g. It has been proven over and over to be profitable. C. WHY PRAY? 1. Because God wants us to pray: a. "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that man ought always to pray, and not faint." - Luke 18:1 b. "Pray without ceasing" - 1 Thess. 5:17 c. "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." - Phil. 4:6 d. "I exhort therefore, that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men." - 1 Tim. 2:1 2. Because prayer is the best way out of all our troubles, the best cure for all our worries and anxious cares: a. Who has not experienced the blessing of prayer when a load of burdens fell off from the one engaged in earnest prayer - 1 Pet. 5:7 b. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matt. 11:28 3. Because answered prayers are the irrefutable argument for Bible Christianity: a. "One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see" - John 9:25 b. That was Elijah's great argument that brought Israel back to God - 1 Ki. 18:36-39 c. That convinced Pharaoh that the God of the Israelites was the true God. 4. Because prayer is the reasonable thing to do: a. It is a sin not to pray. b. They who partake of food without saying grace sin against God - Job 9:14; 15:4; 21:14 c. Think of what God says about the prayerless - Ps. 53:4; Isa. 64:7 d. I would not know how to live without prayer. e. Those who neglect prayer sin against God and against themselves - Jer. 10:25 ## THE CRY OF THE PERISHING A. "LORD SAVE US: WE PERISH" - Matt. 8:25 1. Our Lord's many engagements during the day made Him tired and sleepy. He had gone down into the lower part of a small ship and slept: 2. A storm came and threatened the ship as well as the lives of the disciples: a. At least they were fearful of losing their lives. b. They became impatient with the Master, sleeping amidst danger. 3. They cried unto him, "Lord save us: we perish": B. MAN IS, BY NATURE, IN A PERISHING CONDITION 1. This is evident from the express declaration of the word of God: a. "All we like sheep have gone astray" - Isa. 53:6 b. The scriptures have concluded all under sin - Gal. 3:22; Rom. 3:19, 23 2. This is evident from his true condition: a. "The whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment." - Isa. 1:5, 6 b. Paul states the same truth in slightly different words - Rom. 3:9-22 c. The end of such a state is death - Rom. 6:23; Jas. 1:15 3. A sinner is not able either to change his condition, or to blot out his transgression: a. That is what the Lord says through the prophet Jeremiah - Jer. 13:23 b. Paul affirms this by stating his own experience, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Rom 7:24 c. He saw how the victorious Romans would tie the dead bodies of their fallen comrades to their prisoners and, according to ancient customs in war, the prisoners had to carry these bodies until they were completely decomposed. d. He saw in their cruel treatment of the prisoners a simile of the condition of a sinner and the contagion of sin. 4. The cry of the perishing: "Lord save us": a. That cry is the gateway unto salvation. b. It reveals to the perishing their true condition - 1) That is the first step for sinners to take to be saved - Luke 15:17 2) It reveals their heart's desire to be saved - Matt. 14:30 c. It indicates that they look to Christ to be saved - Ps. 121:1-6 1) He and He alone can save the perishing - Acts 4:12; John 8:36 2) He is always ready to save sinners - Jer. 33:3 C. OUR TEXT BRINGS TO OUR MIND A THREEFOLD LESSON 1. That by nature we all are lost and perishing sinners, without any exception: a. There is absolutely no difference between one sinner and the other - Rom. 3:9 b. It is sin in the heart that makes all of us wretched, blind unfit for heaven, even if our names are on the books of the church - Rev. 3:14-17 2. That the hope of the perishing is found: a. In realizing his lost condition; the sooner the better for him - Luke 18:13 3. But that is not enough! It is a good beginning, but he must go beyond this step. "I must come to the Saviour and confess my lost condition": EXAMPLES - a. The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-45 b. The prodigal son - Luke 15:11-32 c. Mary Magdalene - a great sinner - Mark 16:9 1) Our Saviour is ever ready, yea, waiting for the perishing to make their condition known to Him. 2) He is able to save to the uttermost all that come to Him for help - Heb. 7:25 3) He invites us to come to Him in these words, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matt. 11:28 4) He will never turn any sincere person away from Himself - Jer. 33:3 5) Prayer is the key to the entrance to the kingdom of heaven; let us use it to the fullest. ## "THOU GOD SEEST ME" A. "AND SHE CALLED THE NAME OF THE LORD THAT SPAKE UNTO HER, THOU GOD SEEST ME: FOR SHE SAID, HAVE I ALSO LOOKED AFTER HIM THAT SEETH ME?" Gen. 16:1-6 1. The story of the flight of Hagar is full of pathos: a. Trouble in the home of Abraham. b. Sarah's severity caused Hagar to flee Abraham's home. 2. The Lord knew that the difficulties were not one-sided: a. Sarah's original suggestion backfired; it was not according to God's plan; it was unwise. b. The marriage of Abraham to Hagar did not have the Lord's approval. c. So, in pity for all concerned, He persuaded Hagar to return to her mistress and be in submission - Gen. 16:9-16 B. "THOU GOD SEEST ME" 1. This is an acknowledgement on our part that we are not hidden from God: a. "Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou?" - John 1:48 b. "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth" - 2 Chron. 16:9 2. This knowledge by us is: a. Reassuring to the godly - Gen. 22:12 b. Awe-inspiring to the ungodly - Gen. 6:1-19; 19:1- 22; Rev. 6:14-17 3. He will make a careful record of what He sees in us, good or bad; and He will deal with us accordingly: a. Remember Sodom and Gomorrah - Gen. 19:1-25 b. Do not forget the fall of ancient Babylon - Dan. 5:1-28 c. Let us not forget what the Lord sees and records of our own lives - 2 Cor. 5:10 d. Here is food for prayerful meditation, and for a full realization that God sees us. C. OUR KNOWLEDGE THAT GOD SEES US AND WHAT WE DO OUGHT TO BE MOST INSTRUCTIVE 1. It ought to cause us to resist the temptation to sin against God: a. That was the secret of Joseph when he refused the temptation of Potiphar's wife - Gen. 39:9 b. That is what David forgot when he committed a crime against one of his soldiers - 2 Sam. 11:2-5 c. That is what Ananias and his wife forgot when they attempted to lie to Peter - Acts 5:1-11 2. The words of our text are most encouraging: a. In the time of adversity - Rev. 2:8-11 b. In the time of sorrow - Isa. 63:9 c. When we bow our knees in prayer, God sees us and hears our humble prayer. 3. Such knowledge gives us boldness to come to the throne of grace with hope and courage: Heb. 4:16 4. It gives us courage to stand for the right in the face of seeming overwhelming opposition: EXAMPLES - a. The three Hebrew men - Dan. 3:15-30 b. The apostles - Acts 4:19; 5:29 5. It reassures us that we are not alone in the battle with Satan and his agents: Matt. 28:18-20 6. The knowledge that God sees us shows: a. That He is interested in us. b. We have many life examples of God's interest in His children - 1) He saw David when he took care of his father's sheep - Acts 13:22 2) He saw Saul on the way to Damascus - Acts 9:1-11 c. It is the loving Saviour who has His eyes upon His children to guide them, to shield them, and to save them. ## THE PRAYER OF PRAISE A. "PRAISE WAITETH FOR THEE, O GOD, IN ZION" - Ps. 65:1 1. Our prayer life is not complete until and unless it includes the prayer of praise: a. All prayers border on human selfishness unless they include the prayer of thanksgiving and praise. b. This becomes very clear to the thoughtful student of the Bible when one analyzes the substance of most prayers. 2. The Bible is full of instances when praise was the very life of the prayers of God's servants: a. Of the Son of God it is written, "I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee . . . My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation." - Ps. 22:22, 23 b. "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye saints of his: for praise is comely for the upright." - Ps. 33:1 c. "My tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all day long." - Ps. 35:28 d. "I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with the multitude that kept holy day." - Ps. 42:4 B. THE PRAYER OF PRAISE 1. What it is: a. It is not an outburst of human emotions, as some would have us believe, although there are sanctified emotions connected with praise. b. Praise is the sincere expression of our recognition of the benevolence of God. c. It is the outflow of heartfelt gratitude to God for His goodness to us. d. Praise is the result of our intelligent appraisal of what is manifest of the goodness of our God. 2. When we consider the prayer of praise in the light of these facts: a. We will recognize the reasonableness of the prayer of praise. b. We will make it a part of our prayers all day long, regardless of our environment or circumstances that lead to prayer. C. SOUND MOTIVES FOR THE PRAYER OF PRAISE 1. The goodness of the Lord is a wonderful motive for filling our heart with praise: a. "Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live" - Ps. 63:3, 4 b. "My tongue shall speak of the righteousness and of thy praise all the day long." - Ps. 35:28 c. "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me." - Ps. 50:23 2. Our appreciation of all the benefits received from God is still another good motive for the prayer of praise: a. "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies." - Ps. 103:1-4 b. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." - Eph. 1:3 3. Praise and thanksgiving is one of the very elements of our spiritual nature: a. Angels and all heavenly beings live and move in the atmosphere of praise - 1) Think of the vision of Isaiah - Isa. 6:1-9 2) Think of the scene near Bethlehem when the Son of God was born - Luke 2:13, 14 b. The Psalmist urges all creation to praise the Lord - Ps. 148:3-9 c. The chorus of praise is heard from the redeemed standing on Mount Zion - Compare Rev. 4:8 with chapters 5:9, 10-14; 7:10; 11:16; 14:2; 15:3; 19:1, 3-7 4. The prayer of praise is indicative of: a. Our love and affections for God. b. Our ability to rationalize the benefits we receive daily from the Lord. c. The spirit of gratitude controlling our lives. 5. When praise is absent, discontent takes over and darkness rules. ## "THOU RESTRAINEST PRAYER" A. "YES, THOU CASTEST OFF FEAR, AND RESTRAINEST PRAYER BEFORE GOD." - Job 15:4 1. This was the charge made by Eliphaz against Job: a. It was based upon Job's misfortune and their applied reasons for his misfortune. b. They blamed Job for his trials. 2. Job, on the other hand, sought to deny Eliphaz's charges: a. He pointed out to him that he had lived uprightly - Job 1:1-3 b. He blamed his trials to other causes beyond his knowledge. B. "YES, THOU CASTEST OFF FEAR, AND RESTRAINEST PRAYER BEFORE GOD" 1. Meaning of the word "restrainest": a. This word comes from the Hebrew word "gara" and signifies "to diminish", "to reduce", "to hold back", "to draw back". b. Albert Barns, the noted commentator, defines the word "restrainest" to signify "to shave off, like a beard; to cut off, to take away, to detract." 2. How prayer is restrained: a. We know so little about prayer that this may be the root of our restraining prayer - Rom. 8:26 b. We restrain prayer by preventing its efficacy. If prayer had its heaven designed way, it would be very effective - Jas. 5:17, 18 c. To restrain prayer means to be remiss in using this heavenly privilege to make and keep connections with heaven. d. David and Daniel had their devotions morning, noon, and night - Ps. 55:17; Dan. 6:10 e. It means that we relegate prayer to the things that are of less importance to us - Matt. 6:33 f. We restrain prayer by being unprepared when we do pray. g. We restrain prayer by an unbelieving heart. h. Our inconsistent life is still another means by which we restrain our prayer - Ps. 66:18 i. Finally, we restrain prayer when we expect too little through prayer - Matt. 15:28 C. SOME REASONS FOR RESTRAINING PRAYER 1. Presence of secret sins: a. Sin is, in itself, a barrier to the efficacy of prayer - Josh. 7:6-12 b. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." - Ps. 66:18 2. A broken relation is another barrier to answered prayer: a. "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that he cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." - Isa. 59:1 b. That was the case of King Saul - 1 Sam. 28:6 3. Removal of grounds for supplication in prayer is still another reason for unanswered prayers: a. "I am rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing." - Rev. 3:17 b. "And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry." - Luke 12:19 4. Effect of restraining prayer: a. It is impossible to evaluate the effects of restraining prayer. A prayerless life is beyond my comprehension. b. I can think of five specific effects of restraining prayer - 1) Losing out on the blessings prayer brings to all who have free access to God in prayer. The measure of these blessings is stated by Paul in Eph. 3:18-21 2) Indifference or coldness is a sad effect of neglect of prayer. When we fail to use prayer as we ought to, we grow cold and indifferent to God, His word, His people, and His cause. 3) Worldliness is another effect of restraining prayer. Think, if you please, of the charges Paul makes against professed religionists - 2 Tim. 3:1-9 4) Blindness is another effect - 2 Pet. 1:9 5) Spiritual death is the final effect, too serious to contemplate. ## PRIVATE DEVOTIONS A. "BUT THOU, WHEN THOU PRAYEST, ENTER INTO THY CLOSET, AND WHEN THOU HAST SHUT THY DOOR, PRAY TO THY FATHER WHICH IS IN SECRET" - Matt. 6:6 1. It is impossible to state with exactness what the Lord means by "thy closet": a. It may be any place of privacy, such as your bedroom, your pantry, or even your storage room. b. Any place that is conducive to a measure of privacy is acceptable. 2. It simply refers to a place: a. Where you are alone with God, undisturbed, unseen, unmolested, in a secluded place, away from the ears and cares of others. b. Our Saviour withdrew from the busy thoroughfares of the cities to a quiet and lonely, well secluded place in a mountain to commune with God - Matt. 14:23; Mark 6:46; Luke 6:12 B. WHY THE PRAYER CLOSET? 1. There are a number of good reasons for the prayer closet: a. Privacy is one good reason. A place where we feel free to open our heart and life to our heavenly father with childlike frankness, crying Abba Father! - Mark 14:36; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6 b. Things confidential. There are burdens, problems, which no other mortal, not even our loved ones, could understand; these we must bring to our heavenly Father, who can and will keep them secret. 2. Our Lord understands this need and He suggests a means for it -- the prayer closet: a. When He says, "enter into thy closet" b. It implies, of course, that you are not there. c. But that you habitually go there for the purpose of secret prayer. d. You shut the door behind you; that means that all else is shut out, and you are shut in with the Lord; you with Him, and He with you. e. What a wonderful condescension on the part of God, to seclude Himself with a poor mortal, like I am, and commune with me! C. PREPARATION FOR OUR PRIVATE DEVOTIONS 1. One does not enter such a private prayer closet without some preparation; a consideration of that private audience with the King of kings, and Lord of lords: a. But we must keep in mind that we are not meeting with the Sovereign of the universe, but with our heavenly Father, who loves us! b. Let it be a prayer, not of a subject to a great King, though that be true, but to our heavenly Father, who loves to commune with His children. 2. Make sure that you unburden your heart, bringing to your Father things that you feel He and He alone should know and solve for you: a. Keep in mind that you are not alone; the Holy Spirit is there too, to aid you in your petition - Rom. 8:26 b. Also, that you have an advocate with your heavenly Father, Jesus Christ our Lord, who will plead His own righteousness when you appear before God. 3. There are, as we all know, two sides to prayer: a. Man's part. We are invited to come to God in prayer, tell Him what is upon our hearts, and He will listen to every word we say. b. But there is another part to prayer which we too often forget -- GOD'S PART. 1) When you see your physician, you do not do all the talking, you expect to listen to your physician too. So when you have opened your heart to God, it is only right that you open your ear to what the Lord has to say to you. 2) "Open thou mine ear" is a good part of an acceptable prayer. 3) Listening to God in prayer is as important as to speak to God, and it may be more important. 4) Have you ever heard the Lord speak to you in the quiet of the night, or in the prayer closet? 5) Did you do what He wanted you to do? 6) Oh how we need to have grace to listen to God even more than speak to Him! ## SECRET PRAYER A. "BUT WHEN THOU PRAYEST, ENTER INTO THY CLOSET, AND WHEN THOU HAST SHUT THY DOOR, PRAY TO THY FATHER WHICH IS IN SECRET; AND THY FATHER WHICH SEETH IN SECRET SHALL REWARD THEE OPENLY." - Matt. 6:6 1. The words of our Lord are full of divine signification: a. They indicate, plainly, that there are some things in life which no one but God understands. b. That such things should be revealed to God alone. 2. That brings to our attention the place of secret prayer in our prayer life: a. I fear that this truth is emphasized too little, and understood less. b. It should receive prayerful consideration by God's people. B. SECRET PRAYER 1. Was practiced by our Lord during His earthly ministry: a. "And when he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray; and when the evening was come, he was there alone." - Matt. 14:23 b. "When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take him by force, to make him a king, he departed again into a mountain himself alone." - John 6:15 2. Secret prayer has its place in our prayer life: a. There are problems or burdens in our life which God alone understands. b. To Him and to him alone should some things in our life be made known. c. He understands us and He can be trusted that He will not reveal our secrets to men. 3. On the other hand, human beings, even some of our closest friends, do not understand us and our problems: a. If we would make known things that are secret, they would misunderstand and misjudge us. b. They would associate wrong motives and that would be harmful to them and to us. c. It is wise, therefore, that God has made provision so that we can confide some things to Him alone. C. SECRET PRAYER 1. It is significant that the Jewish homes were so constructed: a. They provided, what was known as the upper room, a place where they could be in secret prayer. b. Many of the pious Jews would spend much time in such prayer seasons. 2. Secret prayer and its benefits: a. It must be noted that only godly people will frequent the prayer closet. b. The Pharisees preferred prayer in the open because they used such occasions to advertise their piety. c. I can see seven specific blessings in the practice of secret prayer - 1) God loves it! That is why the Son of God admonishes us to practice it. Matt. 6:6 2) It is a means of personal communion with God, and that is most desirable. How wonderful it is to commune with God in a personal way -- God and I! 3) Think of what it did for Moses, who was with God alone for forty days! 4) Such personal and secret communion with God indicates a close relationship, which will not allow anything to come between God and us. 5) It affords us the privilege to unburden our hearts to one who understands us best. 6) It is the greatest honor that God could bestow upon our prayer life -- granting us a private audience in the humble prayer chamber. 7) It not only has God's approval, but a promise; "thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly" - Matt. 6:6 3. Friends of mine: a. Does your house plan provide a secret chamber for an audience with the King of kings and Lord of lords? b. Do you meet your appointments with the Highest one? c. Or must we cover our face in shame and confess that secret prayer is not in our program! d. Can that be the reason for our spiritual lethargy? e. What would Jesus say to us in secret, or what would we unburden before Him? ## INTERCESSORY PRAYER A. "AS FOR ME, GOD FORBID THAT I SHOULD SIN AGAINST THE LORD IN CEASING TO PRAY FOR YOU." - 1 Sam. 12:23 1. The words of Samuel are most revealing on the duty to offer intercessory prayers: a. He considered it sin not to pray for his people. b. That our prayer should include others is taught in the Lord's prayer, "Our Father". 2. Our text offers very helpful information on: a. The prayer of intercession. b. And how one close to God looks upon our neglecting to pray for others. B. INTERCESSORY PRAYER 1. Is enjoined in the word of God: a. No public service should close without the God directed benediction in Num. 6:22-26 b. Note the instruction given to Job to make intercession for his friends - Job 42:8-10 c. "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee." - Ps. 122:6 d. God's watchmen are dedicated to intercessory prayer - Isa. 62:6 e. Note, carefully, the instructions to the ministers - Joel 2:17 2. The same instructions are found in what is commonly called The New Testament: a. "Pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." - Matt. 5:44 b. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." - Eph. 6:18 c. Timothy received specific instructions to have intercessory prayer made for kings and for all men - 1 Tim. 2:1 3. Vivid examples of intercessory prayer: Jacob - Gen. 47:7; 49 Moses - Num. 16:20-22 Abraham - Gen. 17:13-18; 18:23-32 Moses for Pharaoh - Ex. 8:12, 13, 30, 31 Solomon - 1 Ki. 8; 2 Chron. 6 Our blessed Saviour - John 17 The church - Acts 12:5-12 4. Intercessory prayers solicited: Pharaoh besought Moses to pray for him - Ex. 8:8, 28; 9:28; 10:17 By the children of Israel - Num. 21:7 By Israel of Samuel - 1 Sam. 12:19 Of the prophet by Jeroboam - 1 Ki. 13:6 Of Jeremiah by Zedekiah - Jer. 37:3 Of Peter by Simon Magus - Acts 8:24 Of the churches by Paul - Rom. 15:30-32; 2 Cor. 1:11; Eph. 6:19, 20; Col. 4:3 C. GOD HONORS THE PRAYER OF INTERCESSION BY GOD'S PEOPLE 1. It is heartening to learn from the Bible that God honors the prayers of His people in behalf of others: a. Note how a condescending God allowed His friend Abraham to plead for Sodom and Gomorrah - Gen. 18:23-32 b. How quickly God accepted Moses in his plea for rebellious Israel - Ex. 32:30-34 c. How God, in mercy, heard the prayer of the man of God and restored the hand of wicked Jeroboam - 1 Ki. 13:6 d. How He heard Elijah and gave rain to his people - 1 Ki. 18:41-46 2. The New Testament is full of life examples showing how God hears intercessory prayers: a. The plea of the centurion for his servant - Matt. 8:1-13 b. The plea of a mother for her plagued daughter - Matt. 15:22-28 c. The prayer of a heartbroken father for his son - Matt. 17:14-18 d. The efforts of four who never stopped until they had their burden at the feet of Jesus - Mark 2:1-12 e. Peter's plea for the Lord to raise Dorcas - Acts 9:36-41 f. The churches' prayer for God's messengers - Acts 4:24-31 g. But what does God know about our intercessory prayers? How many has He been pleased to answer? ## THE LORD'S REMEMBRANCERS - ISAIAH 62:1, 6, 7 A. THE LORD'S REMEMBRANCERS 1. Custom of ancient nations: a. Build a watchtower upon the city wall - Compare Isa. 21:11 with Ps. 127:1; Matt. 21:33 b. Station watchmen on the tower to guard the city against a surprise attack by an enemy - Isa. 21:11, 12 2. But our text speaks of the walls of Zion: a. God's messengers standing on the watchtower, guarding the people of God against the enemy of the soul - Ezek. 3:17, 18 b. That is what Paul meant when he spoke to the Elder of Ephesus - Acts 20:28 c. All who, in prayer, remind God of His promises, are His remembrancers - 1 Cor. 16:13 3. Typical examples of the Lord's remembrancers: a. Abraham - Gen. 18:23-33 b. Moses - Ex. 33:12 c. David - 2 Sam. 7:18-21 The Apostolic Church - Acts 4:24-30 B. BURDEN OF THE LORD'S REMEMBRANCERS 1. The safety of Jerusalem: a. The center of the affections of God's people - Ps. 137:5, 6; Dan. 6:10 b. The glory of the city of our God is the burden of God's watchmen upon the walls of Zion - Isa. 6 and 7 2. Zion, the church of the living God is still another great incentive for constant vigilance upon the walls of Zion: a. Prayer will continue until its righteousness go forth as the brightness - Ps. 50:1-6; Rev. 19:7, 8 b. Until Zion is clothed with the beautiful garment of salvation. c. That means that it is clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ - Isa. 52:1; 63:10 d. This is the great objective of the gospel of Jesus Christ - Eph. 5:26, 27; Matt. 25:1-12 C. WHAT A CHALLENGE TO CONSTANCY IN PRAYER 1. A major responsibility of the minister, the watchmen upon the walls of Zion: a. Their affections and burdens center in Zion, the church of the living God - 2 Cor. 11:1, 2, 28 b. Unless that is true, we are unfaithful stewards of the mystery of the gospel - Matt. 24:45-51 c. The Lord will hold them accountable for the security of His people - Ezek. 3:17, 18; Acts 20:28 2. But the challenge comes to all who profess to love the church of God, and who are members of the church: a. They are deeply concerned that no reproach comes upon the church by reason of their unfaithfulness or negligence. b. They will be very eager to build the church by doing their part in the program of the church. c. They may not all be in the front line fighting the battle of the Lord. d. But they can keep praying, reminding the Lord of His promises to His people. 3. What God's church needs today is: a. Men and women who know how to pray! b. Men and women who have a burden for the progress of the work of the church of God. c. We are in need of people who have it in their heart to spend more time on their knees, pleading with the Lord for victory for His church, and less time in the cares of this world. 4. But how sad is the picture we see in the testimony of the true witness to the church of Laodicea - Rev. 3:14-17 a. Think of it, dear ones! b. Pray over it! c. It belongs to you and me! 5. Are we among God's remembrancers, who will give Him no rest day or night until Jerusalem, Zion, the city of our God is shining in the beauty of salvation? a. Here is cause for pause and prayer. b. It is not too late, as yet; let us take our place at the post God has assigned to us. ## IMPORTUNITY OF PRAYER A. "AND HE SPAKE A PARABLE UNTO THEM TO THIS END, THAT MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY, AND NOT FAINT." - Luke 18:1 1. Our blessed Lord gave strong emphasis to prayer: a. He himself was a man of prayer. b. He taught the disciples how and what to pray. c. He made special and great promises to those who lead a life of prayer. 2. In the parable of our opening text, our Lord gives strong emphasis to our persistence in prayer, "that men ought always to pray, and not faint." B. IMPORTUNITY OF PRAYER 1. Importunity defined: a. To be, to plead, to urge. b. To persist, to hand on, and to overcome by persistence. 2. Instances of importunity as exercised by men: a. Blind Bartimaeus asking for his eyesight - Mark 10:46-52 b. A mother pleads for the deliverance of her daughter from evil spirits - Matt. 15:22-28 3. Our Lord knows human tendency, which gives up too easily, becomes discouraged and loses the blessing: a. That is why he uses several illustrations to encourage us to hang on in prayer. b. What would have happened to many of us had we given up in despair when things went against us? 4. Why does God delay to grant our petitions? a. At times the petitions would, if granted, do us more harm than good - EXAMPLES - 1) God added fifteen years to the life span of Hezekiah, but we know the results - Isa. 38:39 2) At other times there are certain barriers in the way which prevent the Lord to grant our requests. 3) At best, God has good reasons why our petitions are not answered. C. BLESSINGS OF IMPORTUNATE PRAYERS 1. Two parables of the Lord point to the rich reward of persistence in prayer: a. The begging friend got the three loaves to feed his visiting friend - Luke 11:5-8 b. The importunate widow prevailed upon the unjust judge to set her free from her tormentors - Luke 18:1-8 2. Ingredients of persistence in prayer: a. Faith in God! "He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him" - Heb. 11:6 1) Faith in God's compassion gave strength to blind Bartimaeus to persist in crying, "have mercy on me." 2) That was true, especially, of the woman from Canaan - Matt. 15:22-28 b. Cause of seeking help from God! Do we have a real, life and death, burden to cause us to persist in prayer? Are our motives unselfish to a point when God recognizes the importance of our plea! c. Our utter helplessness and our total dependence upon the Lord are good reasons to persist in our prayer. 3. Once we know that our petition is in harmony with the will of God, and that a favorable answer will be to God's glory, we have just reason to hang on in prayer: a. We then will have the Lord on our side; "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." - Jer. 29:13 b. "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." - Jer. 33:3 c. "And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily." - Luke 18:7, 8 d. I know of some people who prayed continually for twenty years for the conversion of their loved ones, but the answer came even though it was delayed. e. There are instances when parents pray for years for their children, and yet they die without seeing the answer to their prayers. ## POSTURE IN PRAYER A. "GOD IS GREATLY TO BE FEARED IN THE ASSEMBLY OF THE SAINTS, AND TO BE HAD IN REVERENCE OF ALL THEM THAT ARE ABOUT HIM." 1. How to appear before the great King of the universe should be of deep concern to all who come to God in prayer: a. We do well to consider the attitude of holy angels, who live in His presence - Isa. 6:1-4 b. Too often we approach prayer with a rather careless and irreverent attitude. 2. This brief Bible study is intended for us to give prayerful consideration to the teaching of the Bible on: a. The proper approach to God when in prayer. b. What we must avoid while in prayer. B. POSTURE IN PRAYER 1. The Bible speaks of: a. Kneeling in prayer - 1) Of Solomon it is written, "he rose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven" - 1 Ki. 8:54 2) Said the apostle Paul, "I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" - Eph. 3:14 3) And of the Lord Jesus, Luke writes, "And he was withdrawn about a stone's cast, and kneeling down, and prayed." - Luke 22:41 b. Bowing, and falling on the face - 1) Abraham's servant bowed down, and worshipped the Lord - Gen. 24:26, 52 2) The Israelites in Egypt bowed down and worshipped the Lord when they heard the message of deliverance - Ex. 4:31 3) Our blessed Lord fell on His face and agonized in His prayer - Luke 22:44; Matt. 26:39 c. Standing while praying - 1 Sam. 1:26; 1 Ki. 8:14, 55; Luke 18: 11, 13 d. Spreading out the hands before God - Isa. 1:15; 1 Tim. 2:8; Ps. 134:2 2. Any one of these postures are proper, the use of these approaches to God depending upon our mental attitude at the time: C. SUGGESTIONS ON THE POSTURE IN PRAYER 1. Personally, I like to kneel when I pray: a. For to me the kneeling posture suggests awe and holy reverence before God. b. "My heart standeth in awe of thy word" - Ps. 119:161 c. "Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him." - Ps. 33:8 d. The kneeling posture seems to have been used more frequently than any other. 2. Bowing and falling down is evidence of great humility and a deep concern about our approach to God: a. Our blessed Saviour, with the approach of his crucifixion, was so deeply concerned about the cup he was about to drink that he literally fell down and cried to God - Compare Matt. 26:39 with 14:35; Heb. 5:7 b. Daniel was so overpowered by the glory of and power of Gabriel that he fell on his face like a dead person - Dan. 10:8-11 3. The spreading out the hands toward heaven: a. This posture indicates our reaching out to God for help - Ps. 121:1-6 b. It is an expression of deep longing to be accepted by the Lord. 4. Standing in prayer: a. There is no wrong in praying in a standing posture because even our blessed Lord used this posture on certain occasions. That seems to be indicated in John 11:33-44 b. He said to his disciples, "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any" - Mark 11:25 5. What is important: a. Our personal attitude when we pray. If our heart is not right before God, then the posture of prayer will not change the effect of prayer. b. It pays to be very sincere when we approach the Lord, whether we kneel, bow down, or stand before God, let us do it with awe and reverence before God. ## "SPEAK, LORD; FOR THY SERVANT HEARETH" - 1 Samuel 3:1-9 A. SETTING OF OUR TEXT 1. When God had to by-pass his minister: a. Eli had been informed of the misconduct of his sons. b. They were sinning against the Lord in a way which affected the office of their father. c. Visions and revelations ceased in Israel. 2. God chose to use the son of Hannah to bring the message of God to Eli and his house: B. SAMUEL, AN EXAMPLE OF TRUE PIETY 1. Had an open ear for the call of duty: a. Let our young people take notice - "Here am I" - 1 Sam. 3:4 "Here am I" - verse 6 "Here am I; for thou didst call me" - verse 8 b. Never once did he become disobedient to what he believed to be his duty, night or day. 2. He was ever ready to perform the duty given to him, which at times was very difficult, as in the case of Eli and his family: a. That is ever a mark of true piety - Gen. 18:17; 22:1-12; 26:5 b. Not to obey the voice of the Lord kept Moses and Aaron out of the promised land. c. This testimony of the piety of Samuel should challenge every one of our young people: "And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground . . . And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord." - 1 Sam. 3:19, 20 Let this truth sink deeply into all our hearts. 3. The word of the Lord was precious (rare) in those days; there was no open vision: 1 Sam. 3:1 a. This shows that the sin of a member of the church affects the family and the church - Josh. 7:1-22 b. That when the ministers of God fail to perform their paternal duties in the home, it reflects upon the cause of God in general. c. It shows further that obedience to God's law and revelation go hand in hand; that when we disobey the law of God, He will withhold His revelation. d. Also, that even that which may be in harmony with God's will, will become a dead and useless form when we fail to do the will of God - 2 Tim. 3:5; 1 Sam. 4:4, 10; Isa. 59:1-4; 29:13 C. "SPEAK, LORD; FOR THY SERVANT HEARETH" 1. Today this prayer is spoken in the reverse: "Hear, Lord, for thy servant speaketh": EXAMPLES - a. Luke 18:11, 12 b. Matt. 6:5 c. Isa. 5:20, 21 2. The prayer of Samuel reveals: a. An open mind for light and truth - Acts 17:11, 12; 16:30, 31 b. Willingness to abandon our own ways and accept God's ways - Acts 9:6; 26:19 c. Obeying the voice of the Lord at any cost - Gen. 22:1-12; Acts 21:13 3. Is this our daily prayer? a. Do we begin the day that way? b. And what does the Lord know about the truthfulness of our prayers? ## "WATCH AND PRAY" A. "WATCH AND PRAY, LEST YE ENTER INTO TEMPTATION. THE SPIRIT TRULY IS READY, BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK." - Mark 14:38 1. These words of admonition by our Lord can be understood best: a. When we understand the background to them; they were spoken in the garden of Gethsemane, in the darkest hour of our Lord's earthly ministry. b. They were associated with the great agony of Christ, before he suffered on the cross. 2. Only Christ understood how imperative it was for the disciples to watch and pray: a. He knew how fear and confusion would scatter his followers. b. And how Peter would deny his relationship to Christ. B. "WATCH AND PRAY, LEST YE ENTER INTO TEMPTATION." 1. Temptation: a. The word "temptation" has come to be associated exclusively with that which is evil. We seldom speak of tempting a person to do good. b. The Greek word for temptation is "peirasmos", and signifies "to try to subject to enticement by foul means". 2. Satan tempts us: a. Where we are weakest. b. Some people fall for riches or money, as in the case of Judas - John 12:6 c. Others are weak, as far as women are concerned, as in the case of Solomon and David - Neh. 13:26; 2 Sam. 11:1-4 3. He tempts us when we are off guard: a. That was Peter's difficulty - Mark 14:64-72 b. And that is where most of us suffer defeat at the hands of the evil one. c. He uses evil minded persons to mislead us. 4. Watchfulness: a. There is no other commandment by Christ which received greater emphasis by him - Compare Luke 21:34-36 with Mark 13:33-37; Luke 12:35-40; 21:8; Matt. 24:42; 26:40, 41 b. To watch is to be alert, to guard ourselves against danger. C. "WATCH AND PRAY" 1. Implication of the admonition -- Watch: a. It is to learn! Get to know ourselves; to find out our natural tendencies; learn our weaknesses. b. Strengthen our weak points against the assaults of the enemy - Rev. 3:2 c. To watch is to avoid. If we know our weakness in certain points, we must avoid them being subjected to attack by the enemy. d. To watch is to resist - Jas. 4:7. Paul's admonition is to the point - Eph. 4:27; Luke 4:1-6; Matt. 4:1-9 2. Conditions to success in watching: a. Live habitually in the presence of the Lord - John 15:1-11 b. Occupy yourselves in His service. People that are busy for God are least tempted to serve the devil - Neh. 6:3 3. Prayer, a twin of Watching -- "Watch and pray": a. Experience shows that when men pray the enemy is least successful. Satan fears the prayers of God's people more than any other weapon. b. Prayer does four things for us - 1) It keeps our mind stayed upon God; so long as our mind is stayed upon God, Satan has no access to our thoughts - Ps. 50:10; Isa. 26:3 2) It joins us to the Captain of our soul, who has never lost a battle - 1 Sam. 17:45-50; Phil. 4:13; Rom. 8:31 3) It influences our lives so there can be no room to sin. Note the contrast between Moses in the mount with God, and Aaron in the valley with the people - Ex. 34:29-35 4) Prayer is a weapon Satan fears most. The weakest saints are mighty when they are on their knees. 4. "Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The Spirit truly is willing, but the flesh is weak." a. So long as we are encompassed with so many infirmities, we need to heed the words of our Lord, put up our guards against Satan; prayer is one of them. b. Watching in prayer is a must, if we are to be victorious in our conflict with Satan. c. Not to pray is to expose ourselves to temptation and eternal ruin. ## LIMITING GOD A. "AND LIMITED THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL" - Ps. 73:41 1. Our text refers to the return of the spies, who brought an evil report of their findings in Canaan: 2. They caused the people to revolt against Moses and his aids: a. That brought swift judgment from the Lord. b. All over twenty years old were to die in the wilderness - Num. 14:1-30 c. Their experience has an important lesson for Modern Israel - 1 Cor. 10:9-11; Rom. 15:4 B. LIMITING GOD 1. The words of the Psalmist sound like a great paradox: a. How can poor, frail, mortal beings limit Almighty God? b. How can poor sinners set bounds to the operation of the Infinite One? 2. But words of inspiration say, "And limited the Holy One of Israel": a. That shows that man is a free moral agent; that God does not force him against his will. b. "If ye be willing and obedient": "Whosoever will" - Isa. 1:19; Rev. 22:17 c. That we are, to a certain extent, masters of our own destiny; we have it in our power to receive or to reject God's will and way. 3. The fact remains, and history shows that men do limit God, set bounds for him, make it impossible for Him to help them: 4. This is a most serious point to consider because if God is unable to save us if we die in our sins, it is because we are unwilling to let the Holy One in Israel do for us what He is so eager to do, what we cannot do for ourselves: 5. This subject is full of divine signification: a. We are, by our very nature, sinners, and we need help from God, which He is willing and able to provide - Heb. 7:25-27 b. We limit Him, we cut Him off, we deny Him the opportunity to help us; that is too sad to contemplate! C. LIMITING THE HOLY ONE IN ISRAEL 1. To limit God is to set bounds to His operations: 2. To circumvent or confine Him in His ability to effect certain purposes and works: 3. How can these things be? a. Men limit God when they prescribe their own ways, and reject God's way - Jer. 6:16; Isa. 53:6 b. Men limit God through unbelief - EXAMPLES - 1) Numbers 14 is a vivid illustration. 2) The ministry of Jesus Christ in his own country is another illustration - Matt. 13:58 c. "Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." - Isa. 59:2 d. How often do God's own children limit the Lord with phrases, "If thou hadst been here" - John 11:32; "If thou wilt" - Mark 1:40 4. I can think of four specific ways in which God is limited: a. By disobedience! God had set out to take Israel into the promised land, but the majority of these people disobeyed the Lord, rejected His promise, rebelled against Him, and they perished - Heb. 4:1-11 b. He sent His only Son to save them, but they rejected Him; they crucified Him, thus made it impossible for God to save them - John 1:10-12; 5:40. He sent his prophets and apostles to lead them to God, but they turned against them, and made it impossible to save them - Matt. 23:34 c. And modern Israel, to a large extent, limits God by sheer negligence, "Ye have not, because ye ask not" - Jas. 4:2, 3 d. Unbelief is the one roadblock to the blessings of heaven which troubles modern Israel; if that were not so, then why does the true witness give such a painful description of the Laodiceans? - Rev. 3:14-17 ## WHEN PRAYER BECOMES SIN A. "WHEN HE SHALL BE JUDGED, LET HIM BE CONDEMNED; AND LET HIS PRAYER BECOME SIN." - Ps. 109:7 1. The context shows: a. That the "he" of our text has reference to Judas, who betrayed his Lord with a kiss - Matt. 26:29 b. In this crime against the life of the Son of God, he used the symbol of love for the act that led to murder. 2. But the implication is more inclusive: a. Many prayers are an abomination before God for similar reasons. b. There is much in this text that serves as a warning to all who are tempted to use the privilege of prayer with a sinful motive. B. WHEN PRAYER BECOMES SIN 1. When it is insincere: a. Hypocrisy is an abomination unto the Lord - Isa. 32:6 b. "For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate" - Prov. 15:34 EXAMPLES - 1) The Pharisees - Matt. 6:5 2) Members of the church who put on a pretense - Isa. 1:10-15; Ps. 50:16-21 2. When it is based upon selfishness: a. As in the case of Balaam, who sought to bend God his own selfish way - Num. 22:12-20 b. James seems to have this type of prayer in mind when he wrote, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." - Jas. 4:3 3. When we set ourselves in opposition to the word of God: a. "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." - Ps. 66:18 b. "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination" - Prov. 28:9 c. "Your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear" - Isa. 59:2 C. A MOST IMPORTANT PRAYER LESSON 1. We should pray like the Psalmist did: a. "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts." - Ps. 139:23 b. "And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." - Ps. 139:24 2. We must ever keep in mind that we all are like an open book before God: a. "O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thoughts afar off." - Ps. 139:1-3 b. "For all my ways are before thee." - Ps. 119:168 3. Our prayer should include words like these, "cleanse thou me from secret faults": Ps. 19:12 a. It is good for us to make a humble confession of our sin a part of our daily prayer. b. Even that man Daniel, greatly loved, included the confession of sin in his prayer - Dan. 9:1-8 4. It is a terrible thing to contemplate that prayer can become sin in the sight of the Lord: a. The Pharisees devoted much time to prayer, yet they had murder in their hearts - Matt. 23:14-35 b. It is said that a special prayer of praise was offered at the Vatican when word came to the Pope of the wholesale massacre of the Protestants in France. c. But let us not forget that if we cherish hatred in our hearts, we commit murder and our prayer becomes sin - Matt. 5:21, 22; 1 John 3:15 d. Prayer becomes sin when we know the will of God and seek to by-pass it - 1 Ki. 13:1-24 e. God is no respecter of person; if we sin wilfully, God will not and cannot hear our prayer. f. How earnestly we should be when we do some searching of our own sinful and unclean hearts, when we come before the Lord! g. May God use these thoughts to cause us to make a clean break with every defiling thing in our lives. ## SHORT PRAYERS A. "LORD SAVE ME" - Matt. 14:29, 30 1. This, I believe, is one of the shortest prayers recorded in the Bible: a. Peter offered it at the moment of mortal danger to himself, for he was sinking and there was no time for a lengthy prayer. b. The prayer of the penitent thief on the cross was short too, "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." - Luke 23:42 c. The Father of a demon possessed child offered a very short prayer, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." - Mark 9:24 2. Our Lord favored short prayers: a. He found fault with the long prayers of the Pharisees - Matt. 23:14; Mark 12:40; Luke 20:47 b. He, himself, offered short prayers in public - John 11:41, 42; John 6:11 B. THERE IS A PLACE FOR SHORT PRAYERS 1. Public prayers should always be brief and to the point: a. They should confine themselves to that which is of interest to the public or the congregation present. b. There are, of course, exceptions such as special occasions, as in the case of the dedication of the house of worship and similar circumstances, when prayers may be longer than is normal. 2. Short prayers in a congregation are very proper for a number of good reasons: a. Lengthy prayers are tiresome, and there may be people in the congregations that are not able to remain in a certain position for long without losing the blessing of the prayer. b. Lengthy prayers may scatter the thoughts of the listener and so be unbeneficial to him, and for that reason useless. c. Short prayers are much easier to assimilate by the audience; they can be retained more readily. d. The multitude of words are no sign of the worthiness of our prayers; it is the spirit in which they are offered that counts. e. This writer has always admired short and sincere prayers which have edified him greatly. C. BLESSING OF A SHORT PRAYER 1. Let us take a brief look into the history of the prayer life to discover the place and the blessings of short prayers: a. For Peter, his short prayer meant the saving of his life from instant death by drowning - Matt. 14:30 b. For the penitent tax collector, it meant acceptance by a merciful God - Luke 18:13 c. For the penitent thief on the cross, it meant instant acceptance by the Lord - Luke 23:42, 43 d. For David, it meant the forgiveness of his great sin - 2 Sam. 12:13 2. God knows our thoughts and aims when we come to Him in prayer, before we utter them: a. He hears us, not because of a multitude of words, but rather because He loves us and has compassion upon us. b. "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear." - Isa. 65:24 3. Long prayers are, in many instances, indicative of: a. Poor organization of our thoughts. If our thoughts were well organized before we utter them before the public, they would be shorter and more to the point. b. Long prayers often have ulterior motives when they are offered, more to impress the audience, rather than the Lord; in that case they are useless. c. Long public prayers are in danger of including subject matter that does not belong to the public, and should be avoided. 4. Short prayers are, in most instances, indicative of: a. Clear thinking by the suppliant. He has his thoughts organized to a point where he can express them in a few well chosen words. b. The Spirit of God, our Helper in prayer, does not move us to make long and wearisome prayers in public - Rom. 8:26 c. Short prayers have a place in time of danger, in time of public stress, and when they can be offered to the glory of God and for the benefit of all who hear them. ## THE OPEN WINDOW - DANIEL 6:10 A. DANIEL HAD AN OPEN WINDOW IN HIS CHAMBER 1. To admit light and fresh air into the chamber: 2. This window was open toward Jerusalem: a. The center of his affections - Ps. 122; 137:5-9 b. A constant reminder to him that he was a pilgrim and a stranger in a strange country - Heb. 11:13; 1 Pet. 2:11 3. He knew Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple: a. "If they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent." - 1 Ki. 8:47 b. "Then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause." - verse 49 B. LET US NOTE THREE WONDERFUL TRUTHS ABOUT THE OPEN WINDOW 1. Courage of the open window: a. Daniel was a man of faith, dedicated to principles, which were tested on a number of special occasions. 1) While attending school - Dan. 1:5-20 2) Under a law of the Medes and Persians, which prohibited all subjects of the kingdom to ask anything of their god for the space of thirty days - Dan. 6:4-28 b. He continued his daily devotions before the open window with persistent regularity - 1) His enemies knew that and sought to use it to destroy him - Dan. 6:4, 5 2) They freely acknowledged that that was the only fault they could find in him - Dan. 6:5, 10 2. Important impression: a. It takes character to keep the window of our chamber open toward the city of God. b. It takes extra courage to keep it open in the face of adverse circumstances. c. If the Bible wanted to give the story of the open window, would our prayer life qualify? d. Here is a good reason for sincere self-examination by all of us, who profess to be praying Christians. 3. The Piety of the open window and its imagination: a. The Piety - 1) Daniel was a man of prayer; his many official duties could not prevent him from having his regular devotions - Dan. 6:10 2) That was true of David; he was a very busy man, yet he had his regular devotions morning, noon, and evening - Ps. 55:17 3) Peter had his prayer seasons - Acts 10:9 b. He made the kingdom of God first, regardless of his environment - Matt. 6:33. Do we? c. The piety of the open window teaches four things - 1) It finds its highest expression in a life of prayer. That is the highest concept of piety. 2) It has respect to minute precepts. The open window was an inspiration to his main aspiration - Jerusalem! 3) It is self-consistent - He lived his religion, practiced his faith. 4) It is without regard to the judgment of man - Acts 4:29; 5:19 d. Imagination of the open window - 1) He knew God's promises to his captive people. 2) He was a student of Bible prophecy - Dan. 9:1-3 3) He anticipated the return of his people out of captivity. 4) He became enchanted by the hope of the homeland - Heb. 10:13-16 e. What a prayer lesson for God's people today - 1) The secret of great and useful lives is found in a consistent life of prayer. 2) He who knows his God will do exploits for Him and the church of God. 3) He that honoreth God will, in turn, be honored by God. 4) We shall do well to keep the window of our life open toward the New Jerusalem, toward the promised land. 5) The open window should be the center of our affections for the kingdom of our God. ## "ASK - SEEK - KNOCK" - PART I A. "ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU; SEEK, AND YE SHALL FIND; KNOCK, AND IT SHALL BE OPENED UNTO YOU: FOR EVERY ONE THAT ASKETH RECEIVETH; AND HE THAT SEEKETH FINDETH; AND TO HIM THAT KNOCKETH IT SHALL BE OPENED." - Matt. 7:7, 8 1. These words of our Lord are a wonderful revelation: a. Of God's attitude toward prayer. b. He wants us to pray. 2. They are a constant challenge to us to pray: a. He takes cognizance to our ignorance and our indifference to the privileges of prayer. b. The carnal mind does not readily perceive the things of the spirit - 1 Cor. 2:14 c. But our Lord recognizes, also, how indispensable prayer is in the life of a Christian. B. LET US NOTE, BRIEFLY, A FEW THOUGHTS BASED UPON OUR OPENING TEXT 1. We may have for the asking: a. "Ask and ye shall receive . . . for every one that asketh receiveth." 1) To ask is to inquire. Compare Gen. 32:29 with Mark 9:32 2) To require - Gen. 34:12; Dan. 2:10 3) To seek counsel - Isa. 30:2; Hag. 2:11 4) To expect - Luke 12:49 b. Asking implies want. They who are not in want, need not ask. c. Can this be the reason why so many among us have ceased to ask? Rev. 3:14-17 d. God makes asking the medium of all our blessings. e. Asking implies that God is willing and able to supply all our needs - Phil. 4:19 f. Finally, asking reveals the reasonableness of prayer. Could our heavenly Father be more gracious to us than open His heart and His storehouse to us to supply our needs? 2. "Seek and Find": a. "seek, and ye shall find . . . he that seeketh findeth." b. Seeking implies special interest, and putting forth special effort on our part. c. It implies that special treasures of the kingdom may be found by all who put forth effort. d. Seeking implies that the treasures of the kingdom are hidden from the world. Our Lord had a lot to say about the blindness of the world - Matt. 11:25; 13:11 e. Finally, seeking implies that the blessings of the kingdom of God, if sought earnestly can be found. 3. Knocking implies importunity in prayer: a. Our needs are urgent and the time is very short. b. Peter knew the meaning of urgency - Matt. 14:30 c. This same truth receives special emphasis in the parable of the importunate widow before the unjust judge - Luke 18:7, 8 4. Knocking suggests perseverance in our prayer: a. We think of Jacob's experience at Jabbok - Gen. 32:26 b. Knocking suggests further the admission by God to the storehouse of blessing. c. The kingdom of God suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force - Matt. 11:12 C. BEST OF ALL IN RELATION TO OUR SUBJECT 1. The Lord does not measure His mercies to us according to our narrow requests: a. He does infinitely more for us than our finite minds are able to comprehend. b. "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us." - Eph. 3:20 c. It is the humble opinion of this writer that we do not enjoy the blessings of God as much as it is our prerogative to enjoy them because we do not obey the admonition of the Lord as recorded in our opening text - Jas. 4:1-3 2. Could God do more to encourage us to pray more often and more earnestly? a. "Ask and ye shall receive." b. "Seek and ye shall find." c. "Knock and it shall be opened unto you." 3. This is God's pledge to all who make their lives prayer lives: Daniel did! Paul did! Abraham did! Do we? ## "ASK - SEEK - KNOCK" - PART II A. "ASK, AND IT SHALL BE GIVEN YOU; SEEK, AND YE SHALL FIND; KNOCK, AND IT SHALL BE OPENED UNTO YOU." - Matt. 7:7 1. This is a most wonderful text for God's praying people; it reveals: a. Our heavenly Father's magnanimity - 1) He wants us to feel free to come to Him and ask for blessings. 2) And He gives freely for the asking - Jas. 1:5 b. Such an invitation leaves us without any excuse - Luke 14:14-28 2. But there is another side to our opening text: a. It indicates our absolute dependence upon our heavenly Father for our very being. b. "For without me ye can do nothing" - John 15:5 c. "For in him we live, and move, and have our being" - Acts 17:28 3. A study of the Bible reveals that our opening text is a standing rule for all: a. Jesus had to ask - John 5:19, 30; 17:20 b. Some of us have not because we ask not - Jas. 4:1-3 B. THERE ARE THREE SPECIAL POINTS IN OUR OPENING TEXT TO BE NOTED 1. Ask: a. The blessings of heaven cannot be bought for any price; they come to us just for the asking - Mark 10:51, 52 b. All benefits from God are without any partiality - Jas. 3:17 c. Ask how? 1) In the blessed name of Jesus Christ our Lord - John 14:13 2) In simple and childlike faith - Mark 11:24; Jas. 1:6; Heb. 12:6. "If faith then new birth; if new birth then sonship; if sonship then an heir of God, a joint heir with Christ." "Faith does not ask what bread is made of, but eats it; does not analyze components of stream, but drinks out of the wells of salvation." 2. Seek: a. God places great emphasis upon the word SEEK. Compare Matt. 6:33 with Jer. 29:13; Luke 11:10 b. Seeking implies putting forth effort - EXAMPLES - 1) The lost sheep; 2) The lost coin are vivid illustrations of our text - Luke 15:4-10; Matt. 15:22-28 3. Knock: a. That indicates still greater effort on our part. Too many of us give up too easily and they have not. Vivid examples of persistence are to be found in the experience of Jacob - Gen. 32:26; the mother, pleading for her daughter - Matt. 15:22-28 b. The Lord of glory uses the knocking approach - Rev. 3:20; if He does, then it follows that we should do the same. C. FOR WHAT ARE WE TO ASK? 1. Here is one of our great weaknesses because we do not know what we should pray for as we ought to: Rom. 8:26 EXAMPLES - a. Balaam asked permission to cure Israel. b. The mother of two sons asked for position of honor in the kingdom. 2. We are to ask for all the things that we stand in need of: a. It includes our daily bread - Matt. 6:11 b. Bodily health - Isa. 53:1-6; John 5:5-9 c. Spiritual eyesight - Rev. 3:14-17 d. The salvation of our children - Isa. 49:25 e. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit - Luke 11:13 3. God is more than able to supply all our needs: a. He may not grant us all our wishes; b. But he will supply our needs - Phil. 4:19; Eph. 3:20 ## TRUE AND NOT TRUE A. "NOW WE KNOW THAT GOD HEARETH NOT SINNERS: BUT IF ANY MAN BE A WORSHIPPER OF GOD, AND DOETH HIS WILL, HIM HE HEARETH." - John 9:31 1. Background to our text: a. The healing of the blind man on the Sabbath by Christ. b. The interrogation of this blind man by the Jewish leaders. 2. The firm testimony of the man that was healed: a. No bias by the Pharisees could persuade him to deny what had been done for him. b. His steadfastness for the truth caused the Jews to cast him out of the synagogue. B. TRUE AND NOT TRUE: "NOW WE KNOW THAT GOD HEARETH NOT SINNERS" 1. True: It is true that God does not hear sinners - a. Said the Psalmist, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." - Ps. 66:18 b. Iniquity separates men from God so that He cannot hear - Isa. 59:1, 2 c. If one refuses to hear God's law, even his prayer is an abomination - Prov. 28:9 d. "They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the Lord, but he answered them not." - Ps. 18:41 e. That was true of King Saul in the day of his great calamity - 1 Sam. 28:6 2. Not true: a. God heard the prayer of the thief on the cross, yet he was a criminal at the time of this prayer - Luke 23:26-44 b. If the Lord refused to hear sinners, then no prayer from men could be heard because we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. c. Read these scriptures prayerfully - Rom. 3:23; Gal. 3:22; Rom. 3:19; 5:12-19 d. Since sin is, in fact, enmity against God, He cannot accept the prayers of His enemies, as such, yet Christ died for us while we were enemies of God - Rom. 5:10 C. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE? 1. It is true that God does not hear the prayer of sinners for seven good reasons: a. They are His enemies at heart, and so long as the heart rebels against God, He will not and cannot hear their prayer - Jer. 17:9; Matt. 15:19 b. They rebel against God's law, He therefore cannot hear their prayer - Prov. 28:9 c. They are not truly penitent and God cannot hear their prayer - Matt. 6:3-6 d. They do not even call upon the Lord and have no desire to do so, as Esau did - Heb. 12:16 e. They reject God's counsel, and for that reason God cannot hear them. f. They refuse the plan of salvation, and they are for that reason without hope. g. Sinners, as such, are by their very nature without God and without hope - Eph. 2:11, 12 2. The answer of the prayers of sinners, as all God's promises, is conditional: a. God does hear the cry of a penitent sinner - EXAMPLES - 1) David had sinned grievously against God, yet all his Psalms are open testimonies to God hearing and answering his prayers - Ps. 32; 50; 55 2) Saul of Tarsus had been party to the murder of Stephen and many other Christians, yet God heard his prayer - Acts 9 b. God invites sinners to call upon Him, and He promises to hear their prayer - Isa. 1:17-20 3. God has made provisions to clear the way for sinners to come to Him: a. He has set up a mercy seat for sinners - Heb. 4:15, 16 b. He has provided an advocate for them - 1 John 2:1- 3; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:25-27 c. The Lord has made an atonement for our sins - Christ died for us, who are sinners by nature. d. John assures sinners that they will not be refused if they come to the throne of grace - 1 John 1:7-9 e. How wonderful it is to know that God hears sinners; and how wonderful it is to know that He has made provisions to save us from our sins - Matt. 1:21 ## PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD A. HISTORIC BACKGROUND TO OUR TEXT 1. Ancient Israel was in a state of continued backsliding: Hos. 11:7; Jer. 14:7 2. God used corrective methods to turn His people toward Himself again: Jer. 7:28 B. "PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD, O ISRAEL" 1. This is a message for God's people, and not for the world: a. "Cry aloud, spare not, show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." - Isa. 58:1 b. "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." - Matt. 15:24 2. This message indicates a state of unpreparedness among God's people: a. The message to the Laodiceans supports my position - Rev. 3:14-17 b. Too many of our prayers are unfit and indicate a state of unpreparedness to approach the King of kings and the Lord of lords. 3. God is greatly concerned over the state of his people: a. Jesus wept over the condition of His ancient people - Luke 19:41-44 b. What would He do over our present spiritual unpreparedness? 4. The admonition of our opening text shows that there are certain things we can and must do for ourselves: a. We must purify ourselves even as He is pure. That means our personal life - 1 John 3:1-4; 1 Pet. 1:22 b. Be cleansed or washed in the blood of the Lamb of God - Isa. 1:19; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 c. Put on the robe of Christ's righteousness - Isa. 61:10; 64:6 d. It is the wedding garment - Matt. 22:1-22 e. It is, in fact, a preparation of the heart - 2 Chron. 19:3; Ezra 7:10; Ezek. 36:25, 26 f. How we need this message at this time! God's people are in an alarming state of lukewarmness - Rev. 3:16 C. GOD'S MEETING PLACE WITH HIS PEOPLE 1. In the prayer closet: a. Here the suppliant may open his heart to His heavenly Father, who understands his every need best - Matt. 6:6 b. Here he may make known to God what God alone should know. c. There are things in life which not even those close to us would understand if we would disclose them to them. 2. At the family altar: a. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." - Matt. 18:20 b. This is a meeting place that God treasures, and we ought to. He considers it a sin not to have family prayer. Compare Josh. 24:15 with Job 1:1-3; Jer. 10:25 3. In the church which is properly called "the house of prayer": a. It is the place where the Lord desires to meet with all His people - Isa. 56:7; Acts 3:1-3 b. God gave special instruction for such a meeting - Joel 2:15-17 4. But most and best of all, the Lord wants to meet us at the throne of mercy, the mercy seat: a. "Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." - Heb. 4:16 b. How it must disappoint the Lord when we fail Him at the mercy seat! c. We do stand in great need to meet the Lord every day; I, personally, do not know what I would do if I were denied that privilege. d. Those, who refuse to frequent the throne of mercy, will cry to the rocks and the mountains to come hide them from the face of him who has left the throne of mercy, and sits on the judgment throne - 2 Cor. 5:10 5. The message is to us: "Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel": a. Let us heed it and make the needed preparations to meet the Lord. b. If we do, we shall not be afraid to meet Him when He comes the second time to receive us. ## ACQUAINTANCE WITH GOD A. "ACQUAINT NOW THYSELF WITH HIM, AND BE AT PEACE: THEREBY GOOD SHALL COME UNTO THEE." - Job 22:21 1. This counsel came from Eliphaz the Temanite: a. It was directed to Job, under the allusion that Job did not know God. b. But Eliphaz was mistaken because Job knew the Lord far better than Eliphaz did - Job 19:25 2. But the suggestion of Eliphaz is timely just the same: a. Because it is a great honor to get to know the King of kings and Lord of lords - Ps. 95:3; 1 Tim. 6:15, 16 b. He is our Creator and our wonderful Redeemer - Ps. 111:1-9; Isa. 40:28; 43:15 B. "ACQUAINT NOW THYSELF WITH HIM" 1. Meaning of the word ACQUAINT: a. To take personal knowledge of God by communing with Him. b. To learn to know His ways, His likes, and His dislikes. 2. Some of the God provided channels or means whereby we may get to know God: a. We may learn to know Him through observation, "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father." - John 14:9 b. His wisdom and majesty can be seen in His works -- creation and redemption - Ps. 19:1-6; Rom. 1:20; John 3:16 c. Every book in the Bible gives us some information about our God - John 5:39 d. Every sacred scripture leads us to Jesus Christ, who is the express image of His person - Heb. 1:3 e. Prayer is still another channel through which we may get to know our heavenly Father. f. That is what Jesus taught us - Luke 11:1; Matt. 6:9-11 g. Those who frequent the prayer room often become very well acquainted with God. h. To me, personally, prayer is the gateway to the knowledge of God which is in itself life everlasting - John 17:3 C. TIME TO GET ACQUAINTED WITH GOD AND THE BLESSING THAT FOLLOWS SUCH ACQUAINTANCE 1. The time: a. Is now - 2 Cor. 6:1-3; Heb. 3:7-9 b. He who procrastinates, struggles with ruin; he kills them. 2. Before mercy ends: a. Prov. 1:24; Amos 8:11 b. Rev. 6:15; Phil. 2:10 3. The blessing of becoming acquainted with God: a. "And be at peace" 1) Peace is one of the sweetest words in our vocabulary. 2) It is the peace bought for us through the great sacrifice of our Lord - Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:11-16 3) It is said that Gladstone had on his wall this motto: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon thee." b. True and heavenly peace comes to those who keep God's law. That is what the prophets said. Ps. 119:165; Isa. 48:18, 19 c. "Thereby good shall come unto thee" - 1) For to know God is, according to Jesus, life everlasting - John 17:3 2) Enoch was translated after he had walked with God three hundred years - Gen. 5:22-24 4. Perhaps the best way to get to know God is to accept the wonderful invitation of Jesus Christ: a. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matt. 11:28-30 b. The saddest words the Lord ever spoke were when he said, "And ye will not come to me that ye may have life." - John 5:40 c. The Psalmist sums up the result of being acquainted with the Lord, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." - Ps. 23:6 ## "HAVE FAITH IN GOD" A. "AND IN THE MORNING, AS THEY PASSED BY, THEY SAW A FIG TREE DRIED UP FROM THE ROOTS. AND PETER CALLING TO REMEMBRANCE SAITH UNTO HIM, MASTER, BEHOLD, THE FIG TREE WHICH THOU CURSEDST IS WITHERED AWAY. AND JESUS ANSWERING SAITH UNTO THEM, HAVE FAITH IN GOD." - Mark 11:20-22 1. Associating with Jesus was a period of training for the disciples in the great essentials of Christian living: a. The fruitless and withered fig tree is a high point in that training. b. It revealed the Lord's attitude and power toward things that are unfruitful. 2. Special lesson for all believers is the power of God centered faith: a. This lesson was continuously emphasized by our Lord - Matt. 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8 b. It is the key to blessed results in our relationship to Christ and the gospel. B. "HAVE FAITH IN GOD" 1. Faith defined: a. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Heb. 11:1 b. Faith in God is a living, dominant conviction concerning God, His being, His character, and government. c. It is that act and habit of the mind by which the truth concerning God is drawn in from the study of the word of God - Rom. 10:17; and, also from personal experience. 2. Foundation of saving faith: a. "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." - Rom. 10:17 b. The written word of God is the great arsenal of living faith; when one breaks away from the source of Bible base faith, his faith suffers shipwreck - 1 Tim. 1:19 c. Christ is the word made flesh, and for faith to be sound it must center in Him - Acts 16:30-36 d. It must find nourishment in the word of God and in fervent prayer - Jer. 15:16; 1 Thess. 5:17 C. THE PRAYER OF FAITH 1. Is the key to: a. Victor over Satan, "Whom resist stedfast in faith." - 1 Pet. 5:9 b. Our Lord reminds Peter of the potentials of prayer in our conflict with Satan - Luke 22:31, 32 c. The watchword the Lord left us in Matt. 26:41 is "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." d. Said Jesus Christ our Lord, "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." - Mark 11:24 2. Examples of that prayer of faith which wrought the impossible: a. The prayer of the faith of Elisha changed the vision of his servant in a moment - 2 Ki. 6:17 b. The prayer of faith brought instant help to the daughter of a pleading mother - Matt. 15:22-28 c. The prayer of faith gave a son of a widow back to his mother - 2 Ki. 4:32-35 d. The prayer of faith made the iron swim. 3. When you kneel in prayer, have faith in God, who has promised to answer your prayer: a. Many of our difficulties arise from our inexperience in the great potentials of earnest prayer. b. Elias demonstrated the power of effectual prayer - Jas. 5:17, 18 c. Our blessed Lord showed how willing God is to answer our humble prayer - Mark 10:46-52 d. When you pray, thank God that he has heard your prayer in accordance to His will, and that if it is for your best, He will answer your petition speedily. e. If the answer to your prayer does not come at the time you make your petition, wait patiently upon the Lord; because He will bring to pass His promise to you in due time. f. Pray, make earnest prayer the business of your life; it will not be in vain. ## FAITH AND DOUBT A. "AND STRAIGHTWAY THE FATHER OF THE CHILD CRIED, AND SAID WITH TEARS, LORD, I BELIEVE; HELP THOU MINE UNBELIEF." - Mark 9:24 1. Background to this prayer: a. A heavenly or unearthly scene on the mount of transfiguration - Matt. 17:1-5 b. A different sight at the foot of the mountain - 1) A distressed father and his devil possessed son. 2) Some of the disciples in deep trouble, and a mixed multitude. 2. Jesus brings help and explains why the disciples were unable to help that father: B. FAITH AND DOUBT 1. "Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief": a. Here is a most unusual situation - 1) A distressed father believed that Christ could help his son. 2) Yet, on the other hand, that faith was mixed with a measure of unbelief. b. Is this not, more or less, our own situation? Do we not discover that our faith is, at times, mixed with doubt? 2. Contrast of faith and doubt: a. Faith is the God given faculty which accepts and appropriates God's promises - EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham - Rom. 4:16-19 2) Noah - Heb. 11:7 b. Doubt, on the other hand, is to waver in opinion, to hesitate to believe. It is, in fact, an unsettled state of mind. 3. This was the difficulty of the distressed father: a. He brought his troubled child to the disciples because he believed that they could help him. b. The condition of the disciples, however, brought confusion to him; it caused his faith to waver. c. Thus it becomes clear that our own unfitness may create unbelief or doubt in the minds of people who seek for light and truth. C. FAITH AND DOUBT NEVER MIX 1. Doubt paralyzes faith: a. When we pray to God asking mercy of Him, and at the same time cherish doubt in our heart, we cannot be helped by the Lord - Jas. 1:6, 7 b. A double minded person is too unstable to have his prayer heard in heaven - Jas. 1:8 c. I greatly fear that there are many double minded souls in the church of God - Jas. 4:8 2. God has a remedy for double minded souls: a. Cry unto the Lord, as that father did, "Lord, I believe, help mine unbelief." b. "Lord increase our faith" - Luke 17:5 c. Accepting the word of God without any other condition attached unto it - Heb. 11:1-6 3. If doubt plagues us when we seek the Lord in prayer, let us do some examination of our own life in the light of our petition: a. Is the motive of our petition pure and unselfish? b. Do we want God to answer our prayer to help us to do His will? c. Are there secret sins in our lives which prevent the Lord to grant our petition? Ps. 66:18 d. "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." - Jas. 4:3 4. I greatly fear that our prayer seasons do not bring us the blessings we are in need of: a. Because we are ill prepared to ask God to hear and answer our petitions. b. If the Lord does not grant our petition, at times, it is a blessing in disguise because if God would give us what we ask for, it might hurt us more than it would help us. c. We would, as James says, use it for our own selfish purposes, and that would hurt us and God's cause. d. I am confident that the disciples left that scene convinced to pray, as that father did, "Lord we believe, help thou our unbelief." ## GOD'S OWN CAUSE A. "ARISE, O GOD, PLEAD THINE OWN CAUSE" - Ps. 74:22 1. A wise and timely prayer: a. Too many prayers are self-centered - Luke 18:10-12 b. But this prayer makes God's own cause the burden of its petition. 2. It reveals a deep concern for God's own cause: a. David was the anointed of the Lord - 1 Sam. 16:12, 13 b. Saul sought to prevent David from being king of Israel. c. So David reminded the Lord that his persecution under Saul was God's own cause. B. GOD'S OWN CAUSE IS MANIFOLD 1. Truth, justice, and equity, are God's own cause: a. He is a God of truth - Deut. 32:4 b. He is a just God - Acts 22:14 c. He loves and upholds equity - Ps. 99:4; Isa. 11:4 2. The spreading of light and truth are God's own cause: a. That is why we have the Bible - 2 Tim. 3:15-17; John 5:39; Isa. 34:16 b. That is why we have the church of the living God - Matt. 28:18-20 3. The saving of souls is God's own cause: a. John says so - John 3:16 b. Paul affirms this truth - Rom. 8:31-33; 2 Cor. 5:18-21 c. Our own Saviour witnesses to this fact - John 1:14, 18 4. To save me, personally, is God's own cause: a. That is what Paul believed - Gal. 2:20; 1 Tim. 1:15 b. The story of the one lost sheep confirms this hope - Luke 15:1-7 c. Christ would have died for one sinner that is willing to accept him as his Saviour - 1 Tim. 2:1- 5; 1 John 2:1-3 5. To prepare me for glory is God's own cause: a. This is a glorious truth to keep in mind - Phil. 2:12, 13 b. He is able to save to the uttermost - Heb. 7:25, 26 C. GOD DOES PLEAD HIS OWN CAUSE 1. David's prayer for God to plead his own cause is an acknowledgement by men that the prosperity of the cause of God depends upon God's intervention: a. He intervened for His cause in Egypt - Exodus chapters 8 to 14 b. He intervened for the Jews in the days of queen Esther - Esth. 7:5-10 c. Yes, He calmed the raging seas when the lives of the disciples seemed in danger - Luke 8:22-24 2. God's cause is benevolent: a. He says so - Ex. 34:6, 7 b. The plan of redemption is an expression of His benevolence - John 3:16 3. To pray for God to plead His own cause is indicative: a. That God's cause has enemies who seek to hinder or prevent it. b. Lucifer is at the head of the bitter opposition - Isa. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-18 c. This opposition will be intensified as we near the end of the great controversy between Christ and Satan - Rev. 12:12; 1 Pet. 5:8 4. Our part in pleading God's own cause: a. We are but trophies of His grace. b. A brand plucked out of the fire - Zech. 3:2 c. We can devote our time, our energy, and our prayers for the advancement of God's cause - EXAMPLES - 1) John the Baptist was a burning and shining light - John 5:35 2) Paul has a soul passion unequaled - Rom. 9:1-3 3) Stephen gave his life for God's own cause - Acts 7:59, 60 d. The least I can do for God's own cause is to pray for it - John 9:4 EXAMPLES - 1) The apostolic church prayed for it - Acts 4:30, 31 2) The Jews did in the days of their greatest danger. 3) Let us follow their example! ## SECRET FAULTS A. "WHO CAN UNDERSTAND HIS ERRORS? CLEANSE THOU ME FROM SECRET FAULTS." - Ps. 19:12 1. David was a keen observer of human nature and he constantly made personal application of what he felt was of importance to his relationship with God: a. "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts." - Ps. 139:23 b. Solomon took after his father in seeking out the hidden things of life, "I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things." - Eccl. 1:13 c. David was very much afraid of secret faults, "cleanse thou me from secret faults" was one of his petitions as indicated in our opening text. 2. That, dear friends, is the way it must be with us: a. For none of us knows the hidden dangers as we ought to. b. To make sure that such hidden sin will not break into the open and destroy our relationship with God, we must have the aid of the Holy Spirit to search and uncover secret sins. B. THERE IS A GREAT AND POSITIVE MESSAGE IN THE PRAYER OF DAVID 1. Secret faults: "Who can understand his error?" a. The word "error" is derived from the verb which means "to wander, to go astray". b. "All we like sheep have gone stray." - Isa. 53:6 c. "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray like a lost sheep." - Ps. 119:176 d. "For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls." - 1 Pet. 2:25 2. What are secret faults? a. They are faults hidden from the public, and in many instances from our own selves. b. They are very hard to discover in our own lives, but are not so difficult to expose in the lives of other people - Matt. 7:1-5 c. David knew from experience how dangerous it is to keep things in secret - Read Ps. 32:1-8 C. THE CAUSE OF SECRET FAULTS 1. I can think of four possible basic reasons for secret faults: a. They may be hereditary, inherited. None of us knows what hereditary pre-dispositions are flowing in his veins. Peculiar appetites and sensibilities are transmitted from generation to generation. Here is an explanation of the strange behavior of some people. The taint is in the blood. Some people are veritable powder magazines of violent passions stored within them from their forgotten progenitors. b. A blunted conscience is another cause for our inability to recognize certain sins in our lives - 2 Cor. 4:4 c. Self-love too often conceals from us the sins that will destroy us unless uncovered and expelled - Luke 18:11-13 d. Sin is often hidden from us because of the restraints of society -- anger, pride, malice, selfishness, deceit, are all kept under cover because of our desire to appear more acceptable to others. D. THE DANGER OF HIDDEN FAULTS 1. It is here where the prayer of David comes out in its brightest colors: a. Because hidden faults are deadly unless uncovered in time. Had Judas realized that his love for money made a thief out of him and led him to betray his best friend, he would have had a different ending. b. Had David foreseen the end results of his sin against the tenth commandment, he would have allowed the Lord to forewarn him. 2. What makes hidden faults so deadly is the fact they do their deadly work before they can be uncovered and removed: E. GOD'S REMEDY FOR SECRET SINS 1. We need a cleansing: Ps. 51:2 2. That is God's counsel: Isa. 1:16 3. Realize that there is nothing hidden from God: Ps. 139:1-6 4. Welcome the light that exposes our secret sins: 5. We must practice eternal vigilance. ## THE PRAYER GOD CANNOT ANSWER A. "YE LUST AND HAVE NOT; YE KILL AND DESIRE TO HAVE, AND CANNOT OBTAIN; YE FIGHT AND WAR, YET YE HAVE NOT, BECAUSE YE ASK NOT. YE ASK AND RECEIVE NOT, BECAUSE YE ASK AMISS, THAT YE MAY CONSUME IT UPON YOUR LUSTS." - Jas. 4:2, 3 1. The words of our text are a strong indictment against some of God's professed people: a. It seems incredible that such strong words would have to be directed to church members. b. But He, who knows our hearts, would not point out our sins unless they were in our lives. 2. Here is food for serious thought by ministers and members: a. There are times when the minister is under obligation to God and His people to give the word of reproof without hesitancy - Ezek. 3:17-21 b. We who profess Christianity need strong reproof at times. B. THE PRAYER GOD CANNOT ANSWER 1. We know from experience that we worship a prayer answering God: a. "Call on me and I will answer thee" - Jer. 33:3 b. "O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come." - Ps. 65:2 2. But our text makes it very clear that there are prayers which God cannot answer: a. Prayers motivated by selfishness - "Ye ask and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your own lusts." EXAMPLES - 1) Balaam was guilty of that sin - Num. 22:1-41 2) There are many Balaams in the church today. b. Prayer for the sake of appearance - EXAMPLES - 1) The Pharisees were guilty of that sin - Matt. 6:5 2) There are many such characters in the church today - Rev. 3:14-17; Luke 18:11-14 3) The idea is some offer a prayer to make an impression upon others without the true motive of prayer; that is sin! c. Prayer that seeks to cover iniquity - "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear my prayer." - Ps. 66:18. Please read carefully - Ps. 18:41; 34:15; Prov. 15:29; 28:9; Isa. 1:15; Jer. 9:11; 14:12 d. Four types of these sins - 1) Secret purposes of sin - 1 Ki. 22:6-14 2) Acts of sin in the individual - Acts 5:1-10 3) Public acts of sin - Isa. 58:1-9 4) Holding unto certain sins, in spite of our own convictions - Ps. 66:18 e. Prayer with a sinful attitude toward others - "Ye lust and have not; ye kill and desire to have, and cannot obtain; ye fight and war, yet ye have not." f. Our Saviour gave strong emphasis to our need for reconciliation before we pray - Matt. 6:12; 18:21, 22; Luke 15:11-32; 7:41-43 g. Neglected prayer - "Ye have not, because ye ask not." God looks upon a prayerless life as spiritual bankruptcy. C. THUS WE SEE THAT 1. Even though God loves to hear and answer our prayers, there are some prayers He cannot answer: a. Prayers motivated by human selfishness, God will not and cannot answer. b. Prayers with ulterior motives He will not hear. There are many among us who offer such prayers, which will not be heard in heaven. c. God cannot answer prayers that are never spoken. How it pains my heart to think of ever so many professed followers of Christ, who lead a prayerless life - Jer. 10:25 2. Let us search our hearts daily before we enter into prayer: a. Are the motives expressed in our prayers pure, or are they the echoes of selfishness? b. Is our attitude toward others free and peaceable, or are we at war with our fellow man? c. Do we make prayer our first business of the day? or are we guilty of regression in the most important privilege that comes to us? d. Let us search our own hearts and profit by this message of the hour. e. Let us be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving our own selves. ## THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD OF THE BELIEVERS - 1 PETER 2:9-11 A. HISTORY OF THE PRIESTHOOD 1. Dates back to the time before the flood: a. The worship of Cain and Abel shows that Adam and Eve must have taught them how to worship God - Gen. 4:3, 4 b. The bringing of sacrifice indicates further that the Lord must have given Adam and Eve direction in how to approach the Lord. 2. The promise of the Redeemer was a part of the sentence pronounced upon the guilty. God mixed mercy with justice: Gen. 3:15 3. The priesthood was carried: a. By the head of the family - EXAMPLES - 1) Noah - Gen. 8:20 2) Abraham - Gen. 13:18 3) Isaac and Jacob - Gen. 35:1 b. With Israel's move to the promised land, the priesthood was given to Aaron and his family - Heb. 7:8, 9 B. THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD 1. The priesthood is now called, "The Royal priesthood": a. Because Christ, a priest after the order of Melchisedec, is a Priest King. b. Our relationship to Him makes us a part of the royal priesthood, "a royal priesthood" - 1 Pet. 2:9-11 c. The priesthood is no longer confined to a tribe or a family, but belongs to all the believers in the church of God. 2. Office of the priesthood: a. Mediation between God and men. b. Christ is, in a larger sense, the only mediator between God and men - 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 John 2:1-3 c. But the believers are co-workers with Christ, pleading with men to be reconciled to God - 2 Cor. 5:20 d. We have many vivid examples of this work of mediation, of which we shall speak a little later in our subject. 3. Office of the Christian believers more fully defined: a. They are, in the fullest sense go-betweens between God and men - EXAMPLES - 1) Abraham made intercession for the people in Sodom - Gen. 18:17-32 2) Job made intercession for his miserable comforters - Job 42:7-9 3) Elijah made intercession for the whole congregation in Israel - 1 Ki. 18:30-39 b. This work has been carried by true believers ever since God established the priesthood in this world. C. OFFICE AND ESSENTIALS OF THE PRIESTHOOD 1. Office of the priesthood: a. God's people are Christ's ambassadors of good will to this world - 2 Cor. 5:20 b. They are connecting links between heaven and this world - EXAMPLES - 1) Moses and Israel - Ex. 32:30-32 2) Paul and his natural relation - Rom. 10:1-3 3) Abraham and Lot - Gen. 18:19-26 2. Essentials of the priesthood of the believers: a. A God accepted sacrifice - Rom. 12:1; Mal. 1:7-10; Rom. 8:3 b. It is most significant that our approach to God is possible only through sacrifice. All this is because of our transgressions. 3. An altar: The altar is a symbol of surrender and dedication; it is an emblem of our dedication and sacrifice to God and His cause - Gen. 8:20; 12:7; 13:4 a. The altar has very significantly been connected with all the services of God's people. b. Abraham built an altar wherever he pitched his tent. 4. Consecration: Consecration of the priest and the vessels used in connection with the priesthood was one of the high points in the services of God. Thus it is clear that our consecration to the Lord and His service is a must before we can do acceptable service. ## THE THRONE OF GRACE A. "LET US THEREFORE COME BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY, AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED." - Heb. 4:16 1. The words of our text are found embedded in one of Paul's richest and most enlightening treaties on the work of our great high priest: a. It shows how interested heaven is in prayer. b. God provided us with what we could call a prayer center -- THE THRONE OF GRACE. 2. This center has been established so that we: a. Make prayer a communication center between us and our heavenly Father. b. It is a positive encouragement for all who seek the Lord in prayer. B. THE THRONE OF GRACE: "LET US COME BOLDLY UNTO THE THRONE OF GRACE." 1. What a beautiful and transcendent expression, "the throne of grace." The Bible speaks of: a. God's ruling throne - "The Lord hath His throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all" - Ps. 103:19; "For the Lord Most High is terrible; he is a great king over all the earth." - Ps. 47:2; "For the kingdom is the Lord's; and he is the governor of the nations." - Ps. 22:28 b. God's throne of judgment, "great white throne" - Rev. 20:11. Thus is the throne where all will have to appear to give an account of the life they have lived in the body - 2 Cor. 5:10 c. The throne of grace. This is the throne that we are concerned about at this time. 2. Let us note these wonderful truths about the throne of grace: a. A throne indicates that a reigning sovereign rules on that throne. There would be no need to call it the throne of grace unless a sovereign reigneth on the throne of grace. b. In the earthly sanctuary. God had his throne in the most holy; it was called "the mercy seat" - Ex. 25:17; Heb. 9:5 c. The mercy seat is in the most holy in the heavenly sanctuary - Dan. 7:8-11 C. MEANING AND BLESSING OF THE THRONE OF GRACE 1. Meaning of the throne of grace: a. It is the place where sinners can find mercy, "that we may obtain mercy" - 1) That was the place where sinners among God's ancient people fled to remain alive in time of danger - 1 Ki. 2:28 2) That is the only place where sinners may find refuge against the judgment to come. b. It is God's arsenal of His abundant grace, "and find grace to help in time of need" - 1) Paul writes freely of God's abundant grace - Acts 20:32; Rom. 3:24; 5:17, 21; 2 Cor. 9:8 2) "Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound" - Rom. 5:20 c. It is a way of escape from sin and its eternal consequences - 1) Paul speaks of "a way of escape" - 1 Cor. 10:13 2) In Heb. 2:3 he raises this question, "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" 2. Blessings of the throne of grace: a. We all have sinned and are worthy of damnation; but God has provided a way of escape and that way leads to the throne of grace. Compare Rev. 20:11, 12 with 2 Cor. 5:10; Dan. 7:8-11 b. Jesus Christ, who is the very essence of grace, is the only way of escape - John 14:6; Acts 4:12 c. Our appearance at the throne of grace is the most solemn transaction -- the disposal of sin. 3. What should be our attitude? a. "Let us come boldly to the throne of grace." b. That word "come" is most prominent in the New Testament - 1) "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Mat 11:28 2) "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink" - John 7:37 3) "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and let him that heareth, say come, and let him that is athirst come" - Rev. 22:17 4. Let us come boldly, reverently, sincerely, and in simple faith. # Section IX: 25 Outlines for Funerals ## IN THE MORNING A. "FOR HIS ANGER ENDURETH BUT A MOMENT; IN HIS FAVOUR IS LIFE: WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT, BUT JOY COMETH IN THE MORNING." - Ps. 30:5 1. David was a realist: a. Experience had taught him that life and death are close together. "There is but a step between me and death" - 1 Sam. 20:3 b. He knew that sickness and sorrow are the constant reminders of death. 2. But, what is important at this moment is the proper perspective of life and death: a. God loves us; He does not design to place us in pain, suffering, and death, "his anger endureth but a moment." b. "In his favour is life." c. Death is the result of sin, and not God's design - Rom. 5:12-19; 6:23 B. IN THE MORNING 1. The morning has its glories: a. It proclaims the dawn of a new day. b. It brings to a close the night of uncertainty and weeping. c. It admits men and beasts to enjoy the bright light of the sun. 2. At this time, when deep sorrow fills our hearts over the loss of a loved one: a. Tears fill our eyes and it seems that eternal darkness has enveloped us completely. b. We feel that we have been forsaken and left without consolation. c. We are tempted to ask the question, "Does God care how deeply our sorrows have entered our hearts, our family, and our lives?" d. We may justly turn to our minister with the cry, "Watchman on the walls of Zion, is the morning coming?" - Isa. 21:11, 12 e. It is to be admitted that the night of weeping is painful, and no minister knows how to comfort those who sorrow. Death has broken into the family; it has silenced the voice of a loved one, and what is more, it has taken her away from us, never to return to us while this present life continues. C. IN THE MORNING 1. We think, at this time, of the resurrection morning: a. The passing of the night of sin, sorrow, and death. b. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." - Rev. 21:4 2. Let us note seven specific blessings that the glorious resurrection morning will bring to the redeemed: a. It will bring eternal liberty to the saints -- liberty from all our enemies - Rom. 8:18-23; liberty from all the uncertainties that make this present life difficult. b. It will bring joy unspeakable to the redeemed. "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing." - Ps. 126:1, 2 c. It will reunite loved ones that had been separated by death. Compare Jer. 31:15-17 with 2 Thess. 2:1-3 d. It will give us the privilege to see face to face our heavenly Father, our blessed Saviour, who loved us and gave Himself for us, and we will see the angels that ministered to us. Compare Matt. 5:8 with Rev. 21:3 e. We will meet Adam and Eve and all the saints of all ages! f. We shall see the tree of life and eat of its fruit - Rev. 22:2 g. We shall see the glories of a new heaven and a new earth, the promises we longed to see fulfilled. We shall see that all the nights of sin, sickness, suffering and death are passed forever. Yes, dear friends, all these things we see in the morning. ## ASLEEP IN JESUS - 1 THESSALONIANS 4:14, 15 A. DEATH AS SEEN AND UNDERSTOOD BY MEN 1. To some death is a transition from the physical world to that of "the spirit world": 2. Others think of death as the gateway to heaven or hell, depending on the life one lives now: 3. Webster defines death as "the suspension of consciousness." 4. Paul speaks of death as "the last enemy": 1 Cor. 15:26 B. CHRIST AND THE BIBLE GIVE TO DEATH AN ADDED MEANING 1. Our Lord speaks of death as a sleep: "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth" - John 11:11, 14 2. Paul follows the Lord, by speaking of death as a sleep: 1 Thess. 4:13-17; 1 Cor. 15:51 3. This added meaning of death is full of divine signification: a. It shows that the state of dissolution or suspension of consciousness is temporary. b. The dead will be raised again - Isa. 26:19; John 11:23 4. But note, please, that Paul's statement about the dead is qualified: a. "Fallen asleep in Christ Jesus" - 1 Cor. 15:18 b. To sleep in Jesus presupposes that we live in Jesus. c. But to live in Jesus presupposes that we have broken with the world and its sinful pleasures. d. No man can serve two masters - Matt. 6:24 e. They are Christ's to begin with - Gal. 3:26-29 f. "To me to live is Christ" - Phil. 1:21 g. Asleep in Jesus is eternal security for all who live in Jesus; who have made Christ their hope of both life and the resurrection of life. h. They have set their hope in God, who raises the dead. C. ASLEEP IN JESUS 1. Asleep in Jesus Christ: a. Brings quiet repose to God's weary pilgrims - Rev. 14:13, 14 b. Just as the hireling longs for the end of his toil and seeks rest in sleep - Job 7:1, 2 c. So God's children seek rest in their bed-chambers - Isa. 26:20 2. But this sleep means more than repose: a. It indicates that they have finished their course - 2 Tim. 4:6, 7 b. It means that they lay down to sleep in full assurance that their labor has not been in vain, "their works do follow them" - Rev. 14:13 c. They await the call of the lifegiver - Job 13:22; 14:15; John 5:28, 29 d. They are free from the constant assault of Satan against them and their lives - Rom. 8:21-23 3. What a blessed future for them that have fallen asleep in Jesus Christ: a. They are precious to the Lord - Ps. 116:15 b. "Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing" - Ps. 126:2 c. "Sorrow and sighing shall flee away" - Isa. 35:10 d. The shout of eternal victory shall fill the air - 1 Thess. 4:16; Zeph. 3:14 4. But, dear ones, to look forward with that hope: a. We must make sure that this hope lives in us while we are in this body, while we are yet living in this world. b. We must make sure - 1) That our sins are washed away. 2) That our names are written in the book of life. 3) That our lives are under the full control of the Holy Spirit. 4) That nothing shall come between us and the resurrection hope. ## "IS THERE NOT AN APPOINTED TIME?" - JOB 7:1 A. "IS THERE NOT AN APPOINTED TIME TO MAN UPON EARTH? ARE NOT HIS DAYS ALSO LIKE THE DAYS OF AN HIRELING?" 1. Job, in pain and perplexity, speaks of life as: a. A limited time. b. A time of service, comparable to that of an hireling, who works for wages. 2. He sees life: a. As made up of hard toil. b. Filled with bitter disappointments. c. And measured in days. B. "IS THERE NOT AN APPOINTED TIME TO MAN UPON THE EARTH?" 1. Since the Bible teaches that, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven", it seems reasonable to conclude that God has a reason for my being in this world: a. That would indicate that life is not an accident, it was planned before I was born. b. Man was, in the beginning, created to the glory of God. c. That purpose is clearly stated in Genesis chapters one and two. d. Service is God's design for man - Rom. 14:7 e. That was the great reason for the coming into this world by the Son of God; He became a servant of servants. 2. A time limited service: a. Man's time is measured in days. "So teach us to number our days." - Ps. 90:12 b. "For all our days are passed away . . . we spent our years as a tale that is told." - Ps. 90:9, 10 c. "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle." - Job 7:6 d. "For we are but of yesterday . . . because our days upon the earth are a shadow." - Job 8:9 e. "Now my days are swifter than a post: they flee away." - Job 9:25 C. WE MAY DRAW FROM OUR OPENING TEXT THE FOLLOWING LESSON 1. There is, and rightly so, a constant sense of infirmity in human nature: a. We are born to die - "it is appointed unto man once to die." - Heb. 9:27 b. The human mind has difficulty to submit patiently to this doom. c. Earthly affections cry out against it; that is especially true when so many things seem to have attached themselves to us. d. The thought of utter dissolution seems incredible. 2. But there is a blessing in this realization: a. The knowledge of our brevity in this present life leads us to focus our attention upon the promise of a life to come. b. It will endear the promises of God in Christ -- of a better world, a better life, in the world to come. c. It shows God's plan of salvation in all its bright colors. 3. So, dear friends, when life's sorrows and disappointments make our outlook in this life painful and hopeless, let us set our sights upon the heavenly things: a. That is what Abraham did - Heb. 11:8-10 b. That is what God's pilgrims and strangers in all ages did - Heb. 11:13-39 c. Says Paul, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." - 1 Cor. 15:19 d. "We, according to his promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." - 2 Pet. 3:13 4. Summary: a. Life is service because no man liveth unto himself, and no man dieth to himself - Rom. 14:7 b. Life is a time limited service -- "That thou doest, do quickly." - John 13:27 c. And remember that the wages for your hire will be given to you when Christ comes in the clouds of heaven - Rev. 22:12 ## "SET THINE HOUSE IN ORDER" - ISAIAH 38:1, 2 A. "THUS SAITH THE LORD, SET THINE HOUSE IN ORDER: FOR THOU SHALT DIE AND NOT LIVE" 1. The divine summons: a. Came unexpectedly. King Hezekiah was in his middle age and had a lot to look forward to. b. That summons came to Belshazzar, too, unexpectedly - Dan. 5:5 c. And none of us knows when it might come to us. 2. It is the summons of death: a. "For thou shalt die, and not live" b. "This night thy soul shall be required of thee" - Luke 12:20 B. "THUS SAITH THE LORD, SET THINE HOUSE IN ORDER" 1. This divine summons is full of signification for all who face the inevitable: a. There are responsibilities that must be taken care of before we enter the shadows; before we leave this world. b. These solemn responsibilities may differ in each case, but they are here just the same. c. Hezekiah was the king of a nation and for that reason had kingly responsibilities to take care of. d. Our responsibilities may be limited to our immediate family - 1) Some things may have to be made right in the family relation. 2) A long neglected duty as a father or a mother may have to be performed before we depart out of this life. 2. The divine summons comes to us: a. Because God loves us. b. He desires for us to have no regrets on the day of judgment. c. Such a summons is a preparation, not only for death, but also for the life to come. d. When we leave this world we should have the hope to awake in the world to come with a clear conscience - "I am now ready . . . I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." - 2 Tim. 4:6-8 C. HOW TO RELATE OURSELVES TO THE SUMMONS OF DEATH 1. It is the one summons we all dread: a. "Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me" - Isa. 21:3 b. "For the arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit: the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me." - Job 6:4 2. But we know, too, that the summons is inevitable: a. For it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment - Heb. 9:27 b. Death is a part of our present nature. Someone has said that death is a process of life in the human body. 3. When the summons of death comes to us, we should remember: a. That our Creator and Redeemer forewarns us for our own good. b. He knows the unfinished business of our life and urges us on to take care of whatever is unfinished - 1) It may be that we are unprepared for death to overtake us. 2) We may have to correct some action in our life, if neglected, would keep us out of the kingdom of God. 3) There may have to be some humble confessions made to our loved ones. 4) Or it may be that some business transactions need correction. c. Whatever reason the counsel of our heavenly Father may include, we must heed it with the utmost speed. 4. Friends of mine: a. What if this service this afternoon is God's summons to us -- "set thine house in order, for thou shalt die, and not live." b. Shall we heed the summons? c. Shall we, at this very moment, search our hearts and life to find the unfinished business? d. Surely we do not want to enter the shadows of death without the needed preparation for this most solemn fate of our life. ## "ENTER THOU INTO THY CHAMBERS" - ISAIAH 26:19, 20 A. "COME, MY PEOPLE, ENTER THOU INTO THY CHAMBERS, AND SHUT THE DOORS ABOUT THEE: HIDE THYSELF AS IT WERE FOR A LITTLE MOMENT, UNTIL THE INDIGNATION BE OVERPAST." 1. The words of our text are another expression of God's loving care for his own: a. He cares for them in life - "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." - 1 Pet. 5:7 b. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." - Ps. 103:13 c. "For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." - Matt. 6:32 d. "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." - Phil. 4:19 2. He recognizes the inevitable in life and in death: a. "In all their affliction he was afflicted." - Isa. 63:9 b. "Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows." - Isa. 53:4 3. Thus we see anew that God's children are cared for by one who is able and who will never forsake us: a. "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them." - Isa. 41:17 b. Hagar and her son are witnesses to this promise - Gen. 16:7-13 c. Israel, too, experienced this blessing - Num. 20:8-12 B. "ENTER THOU INTO THY CHAMBERS, AND SHUT THE DOORS ABOUT THEE." 1. These chambers are, doubtless, the graves into which the children are laid: a. "If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness." - Job 17:13 b. "But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days." - Dan. 12:13 c. The grave will be the resting place of God's people - Rev. 14:13 C. WHY THE LORD CALLS HIS SAINTS TO ENTER INTO THEIR CHAMBERS 1. It will be for them a hiding place: a. "O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past." - Job 14:13 b. The grave is a blessing in disguise for the saints; it is the bed-chamber of God's people for a short season only. 2. Isaiah and Job must have looked down through the stream of time to the time of trouble, and saw how the Lord would lay many of the saints into the graves: a. Not to destroy them. b. But to hide them until the day of God's wrath is passed. 3. That indicates that before the Son of God comes the second time to deliver the saints: a. Great tribulation will fall upon the inhabitants of the earth - Isa. 24:1-23 b. There will be, at that time, a time of trouble upon the earth, as has not been since the flood - Dan. 12:1, 2, 3 c. The time of indignation has reference to the outpouring of the seven last plagues: for in them is poured out the wrath of God - Rev. 15:1 d. All, who would not be able to go through the seven last plagues, will God, in mercy, lay into their bed-chambers until the indignation is past. 4. Such is the consolation of our test to all who are laid to rest, and also to those who have to lay loved ones to rest: a. God, who knows the end from the beginning, seeks to spare His people from the terrible judgment that will be visited upon the wicked just shortly before Christ comes. b. He, who cares for His own life will care for them in death also - EXAMPLES - 1) He cared for his servant Moses; He buried him and He raised him from the dead - Deut. 34:6; Jude 9: Matt. 17:5 c. Such is the lot of all who live for God and die for Him; He will care for them in life and in death. ## LIKE AS A SHOCK OF CORN - JOB 5:25, 26 A. "THOU SHALT COME TO THY GRAVE IN A FULL AGE" 1. Good Old Age: a. Was looked upon by God's people as a special favor from the Lord - Prov. 3:2 b. Long life was conditional, based upon obedience to God's commandments - Ex. 20:12; Deut. 4:40; Eph. 6:1-3 2. Bible characters who lived a full and useful life: a. Abraham -- the father of many nations - Gen. 25:8 b. Isaac -- One of the heirs of God's promises - Gen. 35:29 c. Anna -- a devout widow had a long and useful life - Luke 2:36, 37 B. BLESSINGS OF GOOD OLD AGE 1. Life is the gift of God: Acts 17:25-28; Dan. 5:23 2. Life is opportunity: The longer one lives, the greater the opportunities - a. Opportunity for usefulness to God and humanity. b. Opportunity to develop character. This is one of the main reasons for long life -- to develop character that will endure. c. Long life is long fellowship with God - Gen. 5:22 3. Life is responsibility: 2 Cor. 5:10; Gal. 6:7-9; Responsible to our Maker as to how we use this heavenly gift; and also to our fellowmen how we apply our talents to bring blessings to others. C. "THOU SHALT COME TO THY GRAVE IN FULL AGE, LIKE AS A SHOCK OF CORN COMETH IN HIS SEASON." 1. Old age is compared to a shock of corn: a. We have first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear - Mark 4:28 2. Then comes the harvest of the golden grain: Mark 4:29 3. Thus is good old age so often misunderstood by so many: a. Old age is looked upon as the time when life has lost its usefulness. b. That should never be so, but good old age should be the time when years of service and development of character should bring a rich harvest of fruitfulness to God, His cause and to humanity. 4. Examples of such ripened lives: a. John the Beloved wrote the Gospel of John and the book of Revelation in his old days. b. Paul wrote most of his Epistles in his old age. 5. Hear the voice of God from heaven as to those who have long labored in the heat of the day: "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." - Rev. 14:13 a. Abraham died a long time ago, yet in his works he continues to live. This is true of many other Bible characters. b. Ellen G. White died in 1915, yet she lives a very useful life through her literature. ## "I AM NOW READY" - 2 TIMOTHY 4:6-8 A. PAUL'S EXECUTION BY THE ROMANS WAS ABOUT TO END HIS GOD BLESSED MINISTRY; AND HE GIVES SOME FINAL INSTRUCTIONS TO HIS SON TIMOTHY 1. He evidently had been informed of the Emperor's final verdict -- to have Paul beheaded: 2. That man of God was ready to die for the Lord Jesus Christ and the gospel: a. Said he to the weeping believers, some years before, "I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." - Acts 21:13 b. At the close of his ministry he informed Timothy of his readiness in these memorable words, "I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand." - 2 Tim. 4:6 B. "I AM NOW READY" -- HE MENTIONS THREE SPECIFIC REASONS FOR HIS READINESS 1. "I have fought a good fight." a. That shows that life is a fight, a conflict, a battle, a struggle, a wrestling match in which everything is at stake. b. Paul identifies our shrewd and bitter antagonists - Eph. 6:10-13 c. A good fight must follow rules laid down in the word of God - 1 Cor. 9:26 2. "I have finished my course": a. He was a faithful witness to Christ and the gospel. b. He compared his ministry to a foot race and he felt that he had reason to believe that he had fulfilled his duty to God and men. c. Our course may differ from that of Paul, but we, too, ought to aim to finish our assignment as faithfully as Paul did his. 3. "I have kept the faith": a. Faith is a most precious deposit entrusted to us. b. Errorists are continuously striving to wrest it from us. c. That believer is safest who cleaves unto the truth as taught in the Bible. C. THE BLESSED PROSPECTS IN STORE FOR A FAITHFUL SOLDIER OF CHRIST 1. "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord shall give me at that day": a. It was a symbol of excellence and glory - Matt. 25:21, 23 b. It was also a recognition of the right to honor and glory by the wearer -- that right came from the just judge. 2. Note, please, the time when this crown of righteousness is to be bestowed: a. Not right away. It was laid up. Some people think that the crown of glory is given at death, but that is not true. b. It is to be given on that day, the day when Christ will bring with Him a reward to all, at His second coming - Rev. 22:12 c. Paul looked for the crown of life when it will be given to all God's children. d. How unselfish that mighty warrior for Christ was! He did not think, of himself alone when looking for a crown of righteousness; no, he knew that other faithful ones would receive that crown also. e. Dear ones, as we face the inevitable, can we speak with the assurance of Paul? Are we fighting a good fight for God? Are we dutifully aiming to finish the race that is set before us? And are we keeping faith with God and man? ## "PRECIOUS IS THE DEATH OF THE SAINTS" A. "PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS." - Ps. 116:15 1. Meaning of the word "precious": a. Luther's translation in the German Bible renders this word "wert gehalten". b. The Hebrew word for precious is "yakar" and means "costly", as precious stones - 1 Ki. 10:2; 10, 11; "dear", "beloved", as relatives and friends - Ps. 45:9; honoured, respected - Eccl. 10:1; rare - 1 Sam. 3:1 2. The idea here is that the death of the saints is of value to the Lord: a. This was true when Paul became an oblation for the Lord Jesus Christ - 2 Tim. 4:6-8 b. The same was true of the death of Stephen - Acts 7:59, 60 B. "PRECIOUS IS THE DEATH OF THE SAINTS" 1. The particular thought of the Psalmist seems to be: a. That the Lord saved him from death because the life of David was of great value to the Lord - Acts 13:22 b. The story of David's flight before Saul shows very eloquently the special care of the Lord for the life of David. c. The death of his servant David must have been of such gravity to the Lord; that his death meant much to Him and to Israel. 2. Still, there is a general truth implied here, to wit: a. That the act of removing a good man from the world is, so to speak, an act of deep deliberation on the part of God. b. That good, and at times great, ends are to be accomplished by it. 1) We think of the death of the martyrs which became the ground swell of the gospel of Christ. 2) The death of Polycarp, and of Latimer, and of Ridley, and Huss, and Jerome of Prague, are shining examples, promoters of the cause of truth. c. The death of the saints is evidence of their love and attachment to the Lord and His cause. C. BIBLE REASONS FOR THE LORD'S DEEP AND ABIDING INTEREST IN THE SAINTS 1. They are precious to the Lord because they are costly: a. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son" - John 3:16 b. "Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." - 1 Cor. 6:20 c. "Feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood" - Acts 20:28 2. They are dear to the Lord because He has partaken of the same flesh and blood that the children have: Heb. 2:14-16 a. "And the word was made flesh" - John 1:14 b. "For verily he took not on him the nature of the angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham." - Heb. 2:16 3. They are beautiful and splendid to Him because: a. They have been clothed with the garment of salvation - Isa. 61:10 b. They are credited with Christ's own righteousness - 1 Cor. 1:30; Isa. 52:1-3 4. They are honored and highly respected because they now are the sons and daughters of God: a. "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name" - John 1:12 b. "Beloved now are we the sons of God" - 1 John 3:1 5. They are "the apple of his eye, because he hath set his love upon them": Deut. 32:10 a. "Since thou was precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee" - Isa. 43:4 b. "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee." - Jer. 31:3 6. These glorious facts point out the great difference between sinners and saints: a. The death of sinners is the reward of wickedness. b. The death of the saints is precious in the sight of the Lord. ## "BLESSED ARE THE DEAD" - REVELATION 14:13 A. "AND I HEARD A VOICE FROM HEAVEN SAYING UNTO ME, WRITE, BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHICH DIE IN THE LORD FROM HENCEFORTH: YEA, SAITH THE SPIRIT, THAT THEY MAY REST FROM THEIR LABOURS; AND THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM." 1. This is one of those Bible passages that are extra and out of the ordinary, if that is possible: a. It pronounces a blessing upon the dead. b. This is unusual because death is the last enemy that shall be destroyed - 1 Cor. 15:26 1) Death cut men off from life and life's opportunities. 2) Death separates loved ones and friends. 3) Death is the wages of sin - Rom. 6:23 2. In what way can we think of the dead to be blessed? a. They are no longer of service to God and men - Eccl. 9:5, 10 b. Even their memory is soon forgotten. Is there a Bible answer? B. "BLESSED ARE THE DEAD THAT DIE IN THE LORD" 1. Death, in itself, is no blessing; it is a loss to God and men and the cause of God: a. The soldiers that fall on the battlefield are a loss to their country, to their loved ones. b. The Christian soldiers, too, are a great loss to God, to the church of God, and to the cause of truth. 2. Dying in the Lord makes the difference: a. Christ has given a new meaning to death. b. He calls it "a sleep" -- "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth" - John 11:11 3. Sleep has in itself the element of life: a. "I go, that I may awake him out of sleep" - verse 11. b. "The dead in Christ shall rise" - 1 Thess. 4:16 c. "Thy dead men shall live" - Isa. 26:19 d. Christ turns night into day, death into life - John 11:25 C. WHAT MAKES THE DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS BLESSED? 1. They die in the Lord: a. They have accepted Him as their personal Saviour. b. Their sins are forgiven, that in itself is an unspeakable blessing. c. That makes them secure against the day of judgment - Ps. 32:1-3; Rom. 8:1-3; 31-33 d. Their names are in the book of life - Phil. 4:3; Rev. 13:8; Luke 10:20 2. To them: a. Death is a repose, a rest from their toil in the Master's vineyard. b. They have faithfully finished their course - 2 Tim. 4:6-8 c. They have endured hardship and trials all the day; night came at last and gave them rest. 3. For them death does not end all: "their works do follow them" Rev. 14:13 a. Abraham died thousands of years ago, but his works live on in the lives of the believers - Gen. 12:1-6 b. Paul died a long time ago, but his works multiply fruitage for the kingdom every day. c. Dorcas died again, but her works live on in the noble work of the Dorcas Federation - Acts 9:39-41 d. The Pioneers of this Movement have fallen asleep some time ago, but their works today gain new momentum in the onward march of the cause of truth. 4. "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth": a. Our opening text attaches a time element to the blessedness of the dead - "from henceforth." b. That indicates that our text has reference to a specific time in the history of the church - 1) We believe that it refers to the end of 1844 - the beginning of the investigative judgment. 2) That it describes the people that die in the great second advent movement. ## A VOICE FROM HEAVEN - PART I A. "AND I HEARD A VOICE FROM HEAVEN SAYING UNTO ME, WRITE, BLESSED ARE THE DEAD WHICH DIE IN THE LORD FROM HENCEFORTH: YEA, SAITH THE SPIRIT, THAT THEY MAY REST FROM THEIR LABOURS; AND THEIR WORKS DO FOLLOW THEM." - Rev. 14:13 1. A voice from heaven: a. A rare event. b. Only on special occasions was a voice heard from heaven - 1) At the baptism of Christ - Matt. 3:17 2) At his transfiguration - Matt. 17:5 c. Each event, significantly, has some connection with the death of our Lord. 2. The context shows that the occasion is extraordinary: a. It comes at a time when God's remnant people will face a declaration of war against them by Satan - Rev. 12:17 b. At a time when our only hope is in the upward look - Luke 21:28 c. That means that God's people have been abandoned by the nations to their fate as the world sees it - Luke 18:7 B. THIS VOICE FROM HEAVEN IS INDICATIVE 1. That God is interested in the death of the saints: a. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." - Ps. 116:15 b. He showed this at the tomb of His good friend Lazarus - "Jesus wept" - John 11:35 2. It is a message of reassurance: a. "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord" - Rev. 14:13 b. "Thy brother shall live again" - John 11:23 3. The Bible makes a difference between the death of the righteous and the wicked: a. "The righteous hath hope in his death" - Prov. 14:32 b. But of the wicked it is written, "The wicked is driven away in his wickedness" - Prov. 14:32 c. For them there is no hope - 1 Thess. 4:13 C. WHY ARE THE DEAD IN CHRIST BLESSED? 1. They have forgiveness of their sins: a. All their sins are covered with the blood of Jesus Christ - Ps. 32:1-3; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7-9; Rev. 1:5 b. They have the promise of the first resurrection - Rev. 20:6; Luke 14:14; John 5:28, 29 c. They can take the fruit of their labors with them, "their works do follow them" d. "Say unto the righteous that it shall be well with them" - Isa. 3:10 2. Not so with the wicked: a. "Woe unto the wicked it shall be ill with them: for the reward of his hands shall be given him." - Isa. 3:11 b. "For the wages of sin is death" - Rom. 6:23 3. The final pronouncement to the righteous and to the wicked will be: a. To the righteous the Lord will say, "Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." - Matt. 25:34 b. But to them that are wicked, He will say, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire" - Matt. 25:41 4. We believe that this loved one not only knew and understood our opening text but: a. Believed it and that he fell asleep with the assurance given to the saints by the voice that was heard from heaven. b. That the words of our opening text find a true application in the life of our brother. c. He lived in the Lord and he died in the Lord, and these two conditions give him the right to believe that he will hear this voice from heaven in the first resurrection - 1 Thess. 4:13-17 d. We must now see to it that those of us who knew the brother, will so live that it shall be well with us when Jesus comes. e. What more could be said to reassure loved ones that we need not sorrow as those who have no hope. ## A VOICE FROM HEAVEN - PART II - REVELATION 14:13 A. THE WORDS OF OUR TEXT ARE FULL OF DIVINE SIGNIFICATION, ESPECIALLY ON THIS OCCASION WHEN DEEP SORROW FILLS THE HEARTS OF THE BEREAVED, BUT LET'S NOTE, PLEASE 1. It is the voice of a friend: a. We sing of Him, "What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear." b. Of Him it is written, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows" - Isa. 53:4; Heb. 2:14-17 c. The prophet Isaiah writes of Him, "In all their affliction he was afflicted" - Isa. 63:9 2. It is the voice of assurance: a. "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise" - Isa. 26:19 b. It is the voice of Him who said to Martha, "Thy brother shall rise again" - John 11:23 c. He assured her with these words, "I am the resurrection, and the life" - John 11:25 d. He has full authority to make these wonderful promises - Matt. 28:18 1) He has the keys to death and the grave - Rev. 1:18 2) All His promises are Yea and Amen - 2 Cor. 1:20 B. THE MESSAGE OF HOPE AND COMFORT 1. "Write": This is a most wonderful and enchanting word. a. It is for all God's sorrowing people in all ages, even unto the end of time - Rom. 15:4 b. It shows our Lord's deep concern about our grief, that it may not overcome us. 2. "Blessed": This word "Blessed" means that the dead in Christ are secure; death and the grave cannot hold them. "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord" a. They are well cared for; for of them it is written, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." - Ps. 116:15 b. "Say ye unto the righteous, that it shall be well with them." - Isa. 3:10 C. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE THAT DIE IN THE LORD AND THOSE WHO ARE DYING IN THEIR SIN 1. The righteous have forgiveness of their sin: a. That is what the Psalmist says - Ps. 32:1-6; 85:2 b. But the wicked shall perish in their sin - Ezek. 18:4; 33:8 2. Death is a period of rest for God's children, "that they may rest from their labours": 3. "Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut the door about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpassed."- Isa. 26:20 4. Rest from our labors: a. How consoling this message is to all who are weary and worn by their earthly toil, to be called to rest for a while! b. Our works shall surely follow us. Works of love, patience, and long-suffering; works for the sick and for the hungry; works wrought by the Holy Spirit - Matt. 25:34-46 5. "From henceforth": a. This indicates that the Lord has a specific time in mind; for we must connect verse 13 with verse 14. b. The context shows that the time the Lord speaks of is the time of the end; the time preceding the second coming of Jesus Christ. c. It must have reference to a prophetic time. d. Personally, I believe that He speaks of the end of the 2300 prophetic days which came in 1844. e. It was when the Son of God entered upon the final phase of His ministry in the Most Holy, the time of the end had come. f. This present world, including ourselves, lives on borrowed time; when it will end no one knows. g. It has reference to the time which precedes the time of great persecution - Dan. 12:1; Rev. 12:12, 17 h. Loved ones, God knows what His children are able to endure, and if He sees that the time of trouble would be too much for them, He will lay them to rest for a short time. ## "HE CARETH FOR YOU" A. "CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM: FOR HE CARETH FOR YOU." - 1 Pet. 5:7 1. There are several such statements in the word of God: a. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." - Matt. 11:28 b. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." - Ps. 103:13, 14 2. What a condescension by God: a. That He, who fills the universe, should take notice of us, who are but dust! b. But He does, and He manifests His love in a thousand ways. B. "CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM: FOR HE CARETH FOR YOU." 1. Our cares, they are many: a. We think of the burdensome sense of our parental responsibility. b. And there is, at times, mental suffering and grief. c. There is much anxiety lest we should run in vain. 2. Implication of the word CARE: a. It implies anxious thought, often caused by interest or concern. EXAMPLES - 1) There are the ever present cares of this life which rest upon us - Matt. 13:22; Luke 21:34 2) Failing health and other infirmities are among the cares that burden the human race. b. Our Lord realizes the possible harm that cares will cause to body and soul, that is why He invites us to cast all our cares upon Him. 3. What makes "Care" so dangerous is: a. That in many instances it borders on worry. b. And worry is a manifestation of a lack of faith in God's providence. c. Children who trust their parents do not worry, they leave that to their parents. C. "CASTING ALL YOUR CARES UPON HIM; FOR HE CARETH FOR YOU." 1. What a unique privilege belongs to all for whom Christ died! "Casting all your cares upon him": a. That means that we are invited to free our mind, our soul, from the many worries, anxieties, that plague this mortal life. b. That we can cast all of them upon the Lord! c. That means that there is no need for any one of us to allow the cares of this life to wear us out, to break us down, and to send us to an untimely death. 2. Loved ones: a. Can you in the hour of great sorrow trust a loving Saviour, and leave your burden with Him, "for He careth for you." b. Listen to the prophet Isaiah, "In all their affliction he was afflicted" - Isa. 63:9 c. "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows" - Isa. 53:4 d. Of Him John writes, that when he stood at the tomb of His friend Lazarus, "Jesus wept." - John 11:35 3. The care of our loving Saviour is not limited to circumstances, but is ever ready and obtainable by all who accept Him: a. He who cares for us with all the necessities of life - Matt. 6:24-34 b. Cares for us in sickness, in sorrow, and even when we pass through the shadow of death. 4. But there is still another meaning to the word CARE: a. It means that our loving Father loves us; He is interested in us; and He is concerned about our well-being - Luke 15:11-32 b. It means that neither life or death, present or future, can separate us from the love of God - Rom. 8:31-39 c. He has already made provisions of assurance that ought to comfort the sorrowing - 1) The second coming of Jesus Christ. 2) The resurrection of the dead. 3) The reunion of loved ones - Jer. 31:17-19 What more can He do for us! ## EVERLASTING LOVE A. "THE LORD APPEARED OF OLD UNTO ME, SAYING, YEA, I HAVE LOVED THEE WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE: THEREFORE WITH LOVING KINDNESS HAVE I DRAWN THEE." - Jer. 31:3 1. This tender and gracious assurance appears here in a somewhat unexpected connection: a. The book of Jeremiah, taken as a whole, is a sad book. b. It consists, in the main, of warnings, expostulations, and prophecies of doom for a wicked nation. c. The chosen people had apostatized to a point when God was ready to deliver them into the hands of their enemies, which did take place. 2. Yet, our text offers to them God's tender and abiding love; God's judgments were mixed with his loving kindness: B. THERE ARE THREE STRANDS IN THE PROPHETS THOUGHT 1. The love of God lies behind the darkest experience of life: a. This is seen in the light of the cross of Jesus Christ on Calvary - 1) It is here where the unspeakable love of God shines in its brightest color. 2) It is here where John 3:16 is unfolded and explained. 3) It is here where Rom. 8:31-33; 2 Cor. 5:18-21 find the fulfillment. b. Dear ones, when we are able to see God's everlasting love behind the shadows, sorrows of life, we see God's attachment to us, in life and in death. EXAMPLES - 1) Job saw a loving God behind his darkest experience, but his wife did not - Job 2:9, 10; 13:15, 16 2) David saw the silver lining in the darkest cloud in his life - Ps. 23:1-6 2. This love is everlasting and changeless: a. How different is the love of others - 1) With their mouth they show much love - Ezek. 33:31 2) Their love is as the morning cloud - Hos. 6:4 b. But God's love is the same - John 13:1; God is love - 1 John 4:8; and he is changeless - Jas. 1:17 3. It may be difficult to see God's abiding love when sorrows break our hearts, when the sun seems to have gone down for us for the last time, when our hopes are dashed to pieces, but it is there just the same: What we need is grace to read it, to see it, to cleave unto it. C. GOD'S LOVING KINDNESS 1. Here we have a description of the nature of God's love, how it operates, works: a. God's love is a burning fire, a compassionate eagerness to possess the souls of those whom He loves. b. That is why God's love is changeless; that is why God's love is endless! 2. "Therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee." a. Said Jesus, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" - John 12:32 b. If we can but see that God does not want to hurt, wound, any one of His children at any time, but He may have to allow difficulties to come into our lives to reveal His love to us! c. Job became the symbol of true piety when he was tested and tried in the oven of affliction; He revealed God's abiding love. d. Could we see the end from the beginning, we would never complain; we would never murmur when things go hard with us. 3. "The Lord appeared of old unto me": a. As I look back over the brief span of my life, I can see how God loved me all the way; from the days of my childhood, in the days of my youth, and in the days when the shadows are lengthening! b. If we are able to see God's love in our lives, our experiences, we can say that our life has been a walk with God. c. God loved me, not because I am so loveable, but rather in spite of all my imperfections. He loves me because He is love, that is His nature. d. Best of all, He demonstrated His love in that Jesus died for me - Gal. 2:20 e. He manifests His love to me in that He pleads my case before God's throne day by day. f. Also He is preparing a mansion for me. ## "IF A MAN DIE, SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN?" - JOB 14:14, 15 A. PAUL TEACHES THAT, "THE LAST ENEMY THAT SHALL BE DESTROYED IS DEATH" - 1 Cor. 15:26 1. Death is an enemy: a. It gives no consideration to our state of readiness - Luke 12:20 b. Has no pity on those who are affected by it. c. Respects no environment. d. Lays all into the dust, kings and great men, poor and needy. e. Cuts man off from all opportunities of life. 2. Does death end all? Is there no hope beyond the grave? a. As to this present life, yes, death ends all - Eccl. 9:1-10; There can be no return - Job 7:7-10 b. But death and the grave do not end it all for their victims -- Job's answer - Job 14:15 B. THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT THE DEAD WILL BE RAISED 1. "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise": Isa. 26:19 a. No, death does not end it all; there will be a resurrection of the dead - 1 Cor. 15:12-18 b. The voice of the Son of God will call the dead out of their dusty beds - John 5:28, 29 c. God's promise is sure - Hos. 13:14 2. There will be two resurrections, however: a. The dead in Christ will be raised first, at the second coming of Christ - John 5:28, 29; 1 Cor. 15:22, 23 b. The wicked dead will be raised a thousand years following the first resurrection - Rev. 20:4-6 3. But there will be a different reason for the resurrection of the righteous and the wicked: a. Some to everlasting life, b. Others to everlasting shame and damnation - Dan. 12:2 c. All will rise to receive their reward for the things done in their bodies - 2 Cor. 5:10 C. YES, FRIENDS, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE WAY PEOPLE LIVE AND THE WAY THEY DIE 1. They who sow to the flesh shall reap of the flesh damnation: Gal. 6:7-9 2. They who sow upon the spirit shall reap eternal life: 3. Tell me how you live and I know how you are apt to die and how you will be raised: 4. Let us ever keep in mind that death does not end it all; there will be a resurrection for all good or bad, saints or sinners: 5. How will eternity affect you? ## "REFRAIN THY VOICE FROM WEEPING" - JEREMIAH 31:16 A. IT IS SAID THAT IF ALL THE TEARS WHICH ARE SHED BY SORROWING ONES OVER THE DEATH OF A LOVED ONE SINCE DEATH CAME INTO THE WORLD WOULD BE COLLECTED INTO ONE STREAM, THAT SUCH A STREAM WOULD BE BIGGER THAN THE MISSISSIPPI 1. Our text shows that God takes knowledge of our tears of sorrow: a. Even our Lord and Saviour wept at the tomb of His friend - "Jesus wept" - John 11:35 b. Job says, "mine eye poureth out tears unto my God" - Job 16:20 2. Here is what He says about tears of sorrow: a. "Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears" - Jer. 31:16 b. "Thou shalt weep no more" - Isa. 30:19 c. "And they that weep, as though they wept not" - 1 Cor. 7:30 d. "And God shall wipe all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor pain" - Rev. 21:4 B. BIBLE REASONS FOR REFRAINING FROM TEARS 1. "For thy work shall be rewarded": a. The Lord must have weeping mothers in mind, who sacrifice all they have for their loved ones. b. They bestow much labor upon their loved ones. 2. "And they shall come again from the land of the enemy": 1 Cor. 15:26; Jer. 31:16; What a consolation in the hour of grief! Good and blessed reason for restraint by the sorrowing ones! 3. "There is hope in thine end": a. What a consolation for this heavenly assurance -- hope in the end! b. How different is the case of the wicked -- "which have no hope" - 1 Thess. 4:13; "the hope of the hypocrite shall perish" - Job 8:13 4. "Thy children shall come again into their own border": Mothers, here is a promise that ought to wipe away all tears from your eyes. a. Your children upon whom you bestowed much labor and sacrifice will come into your own environment again. b. Angels will carry them upon their arms to you! O what a day that will be when God will bring about a family reunion! 2 Thess. 2:1-3; Matt. 24:31 C. BELOVED, MORTAL TONGUE CANNOT UTTER WORDS TO COMFORT YOU IN A MOMENT LIKE THIS; BUT GOD CAN AND DOES 1. He who tasted death for all men - Heb. 2:9 - understands your sorrows; He knows your grief: Heb. 2:14-16 2. It is He who assures you that your love bestowed upon the sleeping one will not have been in vain: 3. It is He Who assures you that your dead shall live again: 4. It is He Who says, that they shall come again into their own borders. I take that to mean that they will return into their own family again: 5. May these heavenly words bring balm for broken hearts and hope for the fainting soul: ## THE MOMENTOUS EVENT A. "BUT MAN DIETH AND WASTETH AWAY; YEA, MAN GIVETH UP THE GHOST, AND WHERE IS HE?" - Job 14:10 1. The Bible teaches and experience shows that death is inevitable to all men: a. "It is appointed unto man once to die" - Heb. 9:27 b. In Adam all die, because all have sinned - Rom. 5:12 2. Some people seem to be totally indifferent to this heaven appointed event: a. Such indifference is very dangerous and can be fatal. b. We all will do well to pray, "So teach us to number our days" - Ps. 90:12 B. DEATH IS A SOLEMN AND MOMENTOUS EVENT TO CONTEMPLATE 1. "Man dieth and giveth up the ghost": a. It is an event which affects our present life and that of the world to come. b. It breaks all ties with loved ones, regardless of the pain associated with this experience - Job 7:10-14 2. Death cuts us off from all opportunities in life -- no more plans, no more changes of mind, all is over: Eccl. 5:10 3. It is an event which makes no exception: a. It comes to the rich and the poor, the high and the lowly, the old and the young, those that are ready and those who are unprepared. b. This is because that all have sinned and are subject to die - Rom. 5:12-19 c. The very seed of death is born with man; it is a part of human nature. d. It is an event to which we all are liable every moment of our short life - 1) Boasting of tomorrow is foolish - Prov. 27:1; Eccl. 8:7; Luke 12:19, 20 2) Planning for tomorrow is foolish - Jas. 4:13, 14 3) Death may overtake us on the highway, on the street, in the backyard, or in the house. One just does not know! e. Job believed that there is an appointed time for man to die - Job 14:5 f. We shall do well to recognize this inevitable event as one of our appointments, sooner or later. C. "BUT MAN DIETH AND WASTETH AWAY; YEA, MAN GIVETH UP THE GHOST, AND WHERE IS HE?" 1. Mankind has many different answers to Job's question: a. Some think that death is the gateway to Paradise. b. Others think that death separates body and soul, the body being laid into the grave, and the soul entering the spirit world. 2. But the Bible says: a. That when man dies, he goes into the grave - Job 14:13; said Job, "O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me in secret, until thy wrath is past." b. In chapter 17:13, he says, "If I wait, the grave is mine house." c. The dead all sleep in the dust of the earth - Dan. 12:2; 1 Thess. 4:13-17 1) The infidel is there. 2) The profane is there too. 3) The worldling dies and is laid in the grave. 4) The saints are there too - Dan. 12:3 3. It is a momentous event: a. "It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment." - Heb. 9:27 b. No, death is not the end of man, he has another appointment with God after death - 2 Cor. 5:10 c. The life he lived here in the flesh will determine the outcome of that appointment - Rev. 20:11, 12 d. Yes, the life we now live will make the difference on how we die - 1) In Christ. 2) Outside of Christ. 3) Prepared - Luke 2:25-29 4) Unprepared - Dan. 5:5-9 e. What an event! Eternal Salvation or Eternal Damnation! Go to the right or be told to go to the left. Enter the kingdom of God, or meet damnation in eternal hell fire - Matt. 25:30-36 ## MAN'S TWO INEVITABLES - HEBREWS 9:27 A. THERE ARE THINGS IN THIS LIFE WHICH MAN SEEKS TO AVOID 1. Sickness and sorrows: It is perfectly normal for a rational being to attempt to avoid sickness and sorrows, even though these are common to most persons. 2. Poverty and dependency upon others are still other undesirables: Prov. 30:8 3. Some are, so it seems, successful to evade these undesirables: B. BUT OUR TEXT POINTS TO TWO INEVITABLES WHICH WE ALL FACE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE MAY THINK OF THE FUTURE 1. "It is appointed unto men once to die": a. That is one appointment which is as certain as life itself. b. Medical Science tells us that we carry the elements of death and decay in our very bodies. 2. Our bodies are so constituted that we are in constant danger of death: Jas. 4:13-17 3. Our natural life seems to hang on a very thin and undependable thread; ready to break at any moment: Isa. 40:6; 1 Pet. 1:24 4. It is the most precious and yet the most uncertain thing man possesses: a. If our breath stops, life ceases. b. If the heart stops, life has come to an end. 5. Our service today is just another grim reminder of the appointment we all face sooner or later; let us face it! C. "AFTER THAT THE JUDGMENT" 1. That is the other inevitable appointment we all have to meet: Heb. 9:27; 2 Cor. 5:10 2. That signifies two things for us to take to heart: a. That death is not the end of us or our lives. Some people commit suicide, thinking that by doing so they can escape it all. But our text shows that is not true. b. That we are going to be held accountable for the deeds done in this body, whether they be good or bad - 2 Cor. 5:17; Luke 17:1-8 3. The knowledge of this unavoidable appointment has shaken some noted characters like nothing else could: a. Belshazzar and his lords - Dan. 5:1-7 b. Felix the Roman governor - Acts 24:25 4. It will cause the greatest prayer meeting ever experienced by sinners: Rev. 6:15, 16 D. FRIENDS, HOW DOES OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE TWO INEVITABLES AFFECT US TODAY? 1. We know that they are certain! 2. We also know that while we live we have it in our power to make the needed preparation for both events: a. Christ in our lives will make the difference -- It did for Paul - 2 Tim. 4:6, 7; it did for Simeon - Luke 2:29; it can for us! b. What will be your answer? ## "SO MOSES, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, DIED" - DEUTERONOMY 34:1-6 A. THE BIBLE IS NOT THE BOOK OF THE DEAD, BUT OF THE LIVING 1. It is, in general, a history of the living: 2. But there are, as always, some exceptions, and the record of the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, is one of them: Deut. 34:1-7 3. The brief obituary of Moses is full of significance for God's people: B. "SO MOSES, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, DIED" 1. The result of sin: a. It can be forgiven and even be blotted out - 2 Sam. 12:13, 14 b. But some of the consequences follow our wrong doing - Gal. 6:7, 8 c. Moses' sin prevented God's original plan to lead Israel into the promised land by the hand of Moses. d. God was forced to deny Moses his desire to lead God's people into the promised land. 2. The loneliness of death: a. Moses was always in the company of some of his people or fellow officers. b. But on his way to his grave he was alone. c. This shows the loneliness of death. It matters not how many friends or loved ones we may have, we must die alone! 3. The Lord buried him: a. That takes much of the sting of dying away from the dying. b. He who is with His people in life will not utterly forsake them in death. c. He who cares for His children in life will even care for them in death. C. "SO MOSES, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, DIED" 1. I am fascinated by that little word "SO" as it is used in the Bible. It is very thought provoking: a. "For God so loved the world" - John 3:16 b. "And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man." - Luke 17:26 2. God, in His pity for His servant, did not allow him to enter the dark portals of death before: a. He had looked beyond the grave - Luke 2:29, 30 b. He permitted Moses to see the promised land - Acts 7:55; Deut. 34:1-7 c. How consoling it is to be able to break the bitterness of death with the eye of faith that looks beyond the portals of death! Ps. 23:1-6 d. Even the Son of God encouraged His heart with the assurance that death and the grave could not hold Him - Acts 2:26-28 3. The death of Moses offers some very helpful thoughts for us at this moment of great sorrow: a. It shows how God hates sin and how He has to deal with sin even in the lives of His children. b. There comes a moment when we will have to face eternity all alone, as Moses did. c. But what is so assuring is that even though we will be alone in the agony of death, we are not alone; God will not forsake either us or the burial of our remains. d. Best of all, the sting of death is broken by a look beyond the grave. ## "FEAR NOT FOR I AM WITH THEE" A. "FEAR THOU NOT: FOR I AM WITH THEE: BE NOT DISMAYED: FOR I AM THY GOD: I WILL STRENGTHEN THEE; YEA, I WILL HELP THEE; YEA I WILL UPHOLD THEE WITH THE RIGHT HAND OF MY RIGHTEOUSNESS." - Isa. 41:10 1. Beloved, these words must stand out as an expression of God's unspeakable love to men: a. This love was demonstrated in the life and the infinite sacrifice made for us on Calvary - Rom. 8:31-36 b. They reveal that our God knows the fears that beset us while we are in the flesh - John 16:33 2. What are some of life's experiences that send or bring fear into our hearts? a. We live constantly in the fear of death; no one is exempted - Matt. 4:16 b. Said the Psalmist, "When the waves of death compassed me" - 2 Sam. 22:5 c. Even the Son of God experienced this fear. Of Him it is written, "The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow." - Ps. 116:3 d. The fear of never meeting our loved ones again. Who can deny that this fear plagues the soul when we stand beside the graveside of a loved one! e. The fear of leaving this world unprepared. It is awesome to contemplate eternity unprepared! B. GOD'S CONSOLATION AND ASSURANCES 1. "I am with thee": a. This knowledge ought to remove all fear out of our wounded hearts. b. For if God is with and for us, we have the greatest security we can have - Rom. 8:31-36 EXAMPLES - 1) Daniel and his friends - Dan. 3:17; 6:22 2) Joseph in Egypt - Gen. 39:21 2. "I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness": a. That means that the Lord will not allow us to be harmed by any experience that may come to us. The trials of Job did no harm to him. b. What a wonderful consolation such promises are to the bereaved! c. They bind up the wounded heart - Lam. 3:31-33 C. LET US TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE WONDERFUL PROMISES OF OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, AS REVEALED IN OUR OPENING TEXT 1. "Fear not" -- These are familiar words, heard by God's children from our blessed Saviour: a. "Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows" - Matt. 10:31 b. "Fear not, from henceforth thou shalt catch men" - Luke 5:10 c. "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" - Luke 12:32 d. "Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt." - John 13:15 e. "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid." - Matt. 14:27 2. "For I am with thee": a. "They shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us" - Matt. 1:23 b. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." - Ps. 23:4 3. "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God." - Isa. 40:1 a. This comfort will come to fruition when the dead in Christ shall come forth out of their dusty graves - 1 Thess. 4:13-17 b. When this mortal shall put on immortality - 1 Cor. 15:51-55 c. When God shall wipe away all tears from the faces of His saints - Rev. 21:4 d. When the family, broken up through death, will be reunited on the resurrection morning. Compare Jer. 31:15-17 with 2 Thess. 2:1-3 4. What more can a compassionate God say to heal the wounded and broken hearts? a. He knows our sorrows and grief because He experienced them - Isa. 63:9 b. He himself died of a broken heart to bind up the brokenhearted. c. Let us take His word and rest assured in His eternal love. ## "THERE IS BUT ONE STEP BETWEEN ME AND DEATH" - 1 SAMUEL 20:1-6 A. PROPHETIC STATEMENT FOR THIS OCCASION 1. David the object of king Saul's wrath: a. Saul resolved to kill David because he was fully aware that David would take the kingdom. b. David lived constantly in danger of being killed by Saul. 2. But he had a close friend in Saul's family: a. Jonathan loved David - 1 Sam. 18:1 b. It was to him that David made known his fear of being killed by Saul. B. "THERE IS BUT ONE STEP BETWEEN ME AND DEATH" 1. This service today is vivid evidence of the truth spoken by David: a. The words of David find special application in our day - 1) A step out of the car. 2) Another step away from the house. 3) A short walk across the street. b. One never knows when that step will be our last one in this world - Prov. 27:1 2. It is the one step we all must take, sooner or later: a. "It is appointed unto man once to die" - Heb. 9:27 b. "Death passed upon all men, for all have sinned" - Rom. 5:12 3. It is the most important step in this life: a. Because it takes us out of this world. b. Away from our loved ones. We must leave behind those whose love and care we shared. c. It is a step away from life's opportunities. What a step that takes us away from family worship, away from doing good to others, away from preparing to meet our Maker! d. It is that one step that takes us into eternity. There will be no return to the life we now live. e. This step, dear friends, comes to all sinners and saints, rich and poor, young and old, willing and unwilling, prepared and unprepared. f. Are we ready for that step? Paul was - 2 Tim. 4:6- 8; Simeon was - Luke 2:25-30 C. THERE IS A GREAT DIFFERENCE IN HOW WE WILL TAKE THIS STEP 1. With Christ: a. "I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" - Matt. 28:20 b. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me" - Ps. 23:4 c. "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." - Phil. 1:21 2. Without Christ: a. It is a step away from light unto utter darkness. b. "He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night." - John 13:30 c. It is a step of utter hopelessness - 1 Thess. 4:13 d. It is a step that leaves the dying in their sins, unchanged and facing eternal damnation. 3. What we must make sure of before we take this last step: a. That our sins are forgiven and covered with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. b. To die in sin is the greatest calamity that can overtake the dying. c. What makes such an experience so terrible is the fact that there is no need for anyone to have to take this terrible step. d. That is why we read in the Bible these thought provoking scriptures - 1) "Why will ye die?" Ezek. 18:31; 33:11 2) "Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith) Today if ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts" - Heb. 3:7, 8 4. Dear, sorrowing friends, I have chosen our opening text: a. Because it reminds us of the uncertainty of our life, demonstrated in this service. b. It warns us to be ready at all times to take this final step out of this present life prepared -- "Prepare to meet thy God" - Amos 4:12 c. It gives assurance that if we are prepared, we have nothing to fear, for God is with us. ## ONLY A STEP - 1 SAMUEL 20:3 A. "AS THE LORD LIVETH THERE IS BUT ONE STEP BETWEEN ME AND DEATH" 1. Brave men have their moments in life when they feel depressed, and believing men have moments of discouragement: a. Job complained in the bitterness of his soul - Job 3:1-6 b. Elijah begged God to let him die - 1 Ki. 19:4 2. To be alive is to be in the shadow of death: a. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" - Ps. 23:4 b. "It is hard to feel the hand of death arrest one's steps, throw a chill blight over one's budding hopes, and hurl one's life untimely into the shades." B. OUR TEXT AND THIS SERVICE BRING TO OUR MINDS THREE GREAT TRUTHS 1. The uncertainty of life: a. The frailty of the body and the enumerable dangers to which our frail lives are exposed constantly give added strength to our text. b. What occurs to others so often, so suddenly and so unexpectedly, may occur to us; we have no assurance that it will not. c. The Word of God speaks plainly - Eccl. 11:12; Jas. 4:14; Luke 12:20; Prov. 27:1-3 2. The solemnity of death: a. It breaks our earthly connections - Job 7:7, 8; Luke 12:20. We shall never return to the life we are enjoying now. b. Death terminates our probationary time - Heb. 9:27, 28; Eccl. 11:3. This fact alone should enable us to use this present life to prepare for the life to come. 3. The necessity of watchful preparation: a. What the Lord told a sick king - Isa. 38:1-3 b. Be ready always - Luke 2:29, 30; 2 Tim. 4:6 c. Be diligent and perform your duty faithfully while you have time - Eccl. 9:10 C. WHAT IS HEAVEN'S ANSWER TO OUR SORROWS? 1. You will miss hearing that familiar voice of your loved one: 2. But when an earthly voice can no longer comfort us, a voice from heaven will be heard: a. That means that so long as death reigns in our mortal bodies, sorrowing ones will need the consolation from heaven. b. "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord" - Rev. 14:14, 15. That word "blessed" signifies that the dead in Christ are secure, they have nothing to fear, they will rise again. "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him" - Isa. 3:10 c. But not so with the wicked - "Woe unto the wicked! It shall be ill with him" - Isa. 3:11 3. A change will come: Rev. 21:1-3; Hos. 13:14; Job 14:14 ## WHEN A SON IS HANDED BACK TO HIS MOTHER - LUKE 7:11-16 A. "AND HE SAID, YOUNG MAN, I SAY UNTO THEE, ARISE. AND HE THAT WAS DEAD SAT UP, AND BEGAN TO SPEAK. AND HE DELIVERED HIM TO HIS MOTHER." 1. An opportune meeting: a. It brought the bereaved face to face with the only one who could bring relief. b. It was He who said, "I am the resurrection, and the life" - John 11:25 2. The event was very unusual, but blessed: a. It gave a son back to his sorrowing mother. b. And it drew the attention of a multitude to the One who raises the dead. B. WHEN A SON IS HANDED BACK TO HIS MOTHER 1. A compassionate Saviour: a. "He had compassion on her". b. That was one of His virtues - Matt. 9:36; 14:14; Mark 1:41 2. The state of the woman: a. She was a widow - Ex. 22:22; Deut. 10:18 b. The dead man was her only son - 1) He may have been the breadwinner of the family. 2) He was deemed worthy by the Master to be brought back to life again. 3. The miracle of the resurrection: a. "Weep not." b. The Saviour is cognizant of weeping mothers - Jer. 31:15-17 c. He was a man of sorrows and fully acquainted with grief - Isa. 53:3 d. "He touched the bier." There is life-giving power in the touch of the Master - Matt. 8:3; Mark 1:41; Luke 5:13; Matt. 9:29; 14:36; Mark 6:56 e. He spoke -- "Young man, I say unto thee, arise." There is resurrection power in His word - John 5:28, 29; 11:34-44 f. This fact is comforting assurance to all who face the inevitable -- pain, sorrow, and death. g. It is a glorious hope that shines from the tomb of the risen Saviour into the graves of all who await His call in the resurrection. 4. The resurrection scene: a. "And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak." b. The dead man responded to the call of the Life- giver -- "he sat up." c. "He began to speak." We have no way of knowing what he said; but one would assume that he turned to the Life-giver and said: "Thank you, dear Lord, for bringing me back to life again, and to let me take care of my mother." 5. "And he delivered him to his mother": a. What a revelation to sorrowing mothers! b. They labor, they pray, and they hope, they weep, and in the end they are honored by the Life-giver; they are given back their loved ones. C. A TIMELY LESSON FOR ALL WHO SORROW 1. The scene portrayed in our text has been recorded: a. For the consolation of all the bereaved and sorrowing ones - Rom. 15:4 b. We know of no other point in this life when heavenly consolation is more needed -- death is a heart breaker. c. Even the Son of God wept when He stood at the grave of His friend Lazarus - John 11:35 2. Blessed consolation: a. "Thy dead men shall live again." - Isa. 26:19 b. "Thy brother shall rise again." - John 11:23 c. "The dead in Christ shall rise again." - 1 Thess. 4:16 3. Loved ones: a. Look beyond the tomb. b. Fix your sight on the promise of the resurrection. c. Look for that blessed event at the second coming of Jesus Christ - Rev. 14:13-17 d. Sorrow not as those that have no hope, "there is hope in thine end" - Jer. 31:17 e. "I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness." - Ps. 17:15 ## CALAMITY VERSUS HOPE - PROVERBS 14:32, 33 A. WHY THIS TEXT? 1. A very sad occasion to all present at this service: a. A youthful and promising life cut off by the hand of death. b. A question seems to force itself upon our grief- stricken minds, "Why did this happen?" 2. Does the word of God hold the answer? a. Why was a god-fearing and useful life cut off so suddenly and so unexpectantly? b. Why do careless and sinful people live on in seeming security to good old age? 3. Eternity alone will give the answer for some of the unexplained happenings: a. Job complained about the imminent death - Job 3:25 b. The Psalmist, too, feels the pain of unexplainable sorrows - Ps. 55:5 B. FOR THE WICKED OR UNGODLY DEATH IS A CALAMITY 1. Death voids all his plans: Luke 12:20; Prov. 27:1-3. How many laid plans for tomorrow and never saw them materialize? 2. Death seals his destiny: a. Paul's strong testimony in Heb. 9:28 b. The story of the rich man in our Lord's parable - Luke 16:23-25 3. Death paves the way for the coming judgment: Heb. 9:27; 10:27 4. God's message to the wicked: "Woe unto the wicked! It shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him." - Isa. 3:11 C. BUT ABOUT THE DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS THE STORY IS DIFFERENT 1. "Say unto the righteous that it shall be well with him": Isa. 3:10 2. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." - Ps. 116:15 3. "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied when I awake in thy likeness." - Ps. 17:15 4. Hear the testimonies of some of the saints: Job - Job 1:21; 19:25 Hezekiah - Isa. 38:17 Paul - Phil. 1:21; 2 Tim. 4:6, 7 5. Why? What gives them such confidence? a. No reproaches from their conscience - Job 27:6; Acts 24:16 b. Have the forgiveness of their sins - 1) The thief on the cross - Luke 23:42-44 2) The Psalmist - Ps. 32:1-5 3) The Prophet Isaiah - Isa. 33:24 6. What a contrast! a. "Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." - Matt. 25:34 b. But to the wicked he will say, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." - Matt. 25:41 ## THE RESURRECTION A. "IF A MAN DIE, SHALL HE LIVE AGAIN? ALL THE DAYS OF MY APPOINTED TIME WILL I WAIT, TILL MY CHANGE COME." - Job 14:14 1. There are certain facts about this life with which we are partly familiar: a. That to be born into this world means that we will die -- some sooner, and others later - Heb. 9:27 b. We live, as it were, constantly in the shadow of death. Only God's grace prolongs our life in this present world. 2. The question of our text is a natural one: a. Does death end it all for man? b. Is there no hope beyond the grave? B. THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD 1. The doctrine of the resurrection is the very heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ: a. The Son of God, who died and rose again, assures all who sorrow that the dead will rise again -- "Thy brother shall rise again" John 11:23 b. "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." - John 5:28, 29 2. Paul made the resurrection of the dead the center of his preaching: a. "And have the hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust." - Acts 24:15 b. "If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain." - 1 Cor. 15:14 c. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." - Verse 22 d. The second coming of Christ will be identical with the resurrection of the just. Compare John 5:28, 29 with Luke 14:14; 1 Cor. 15:22, 23 e. Paul explains the first resurrection more fully in 1 Thess. 4:13-17 C. "BLESSED AND HOLY IS HE THAT HATH PART IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION: ON SUCH THE SECOND DEATH HATH NO POWER" - Rev. 20:6 1. These indicate that there will be two resurrections: a. The resurrection of the just - Luke 14:14 b. The resurrection of the unjust - Acts 24:15 2. The two resurrections are one thousand years apart: a. The resurrection of the just takes place at the second coming of Christ - 1 Cor. 15:22, 23 b. The resurrection of the unjust takes place one thousand years after that - Rev. 20:5; John 5:29 3. Both resurrections will bring with them: a. The reward of the just, which is eternal life, is given to them when they rise from the dead - John 5:29; Luke 14:14 b. The wages of sin, which is the second death, will be met out to them at the end of the thousand years - Rom. 6:23; John 5:29; Matt. 25:41 4. This is crystal clear: a. Death is not the end of man; he will be brought back to life again. b. To meet the results of the life he lived in this present world - 2 Cor. 5:10 c. "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." - Heb. 9:27 d. John saw this judgment scene - Rev. 20:11-15 5. It does make a difference how I live in this present world and how I die: a. To live unto the flesh is to die in sin - Gal. 6:7,8 b. To live in the Spirit is to reap life everlasting - Gal. 6:8, 9 c. They who die in Christ have nothing to fear in the resurrection - Rev. 14:13; Ps. 116:15 ## "PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS" - PSALMS 116:15 A. DEATH OF THE SAINTS AS GOD SEES IT 1. It is precious in the sight of the Lord: a. That is why He buried His servant Moses - Deut. 34:5, 6 b. That is why He wept at the graveside of His friend Lazarus - John 11:35 2. Signification of the word - "precious" - as used in the Bible: a. This word comes from the Hebrew word "yakar", and means costly, as precious stones - 1 Ki. 10:2, 10, 11 b. It means dear, beloved, as relatives and friends - Ps. 45:9 c. It signifies to be honored and respected - Eccl. 10:1 d. It means splendid, beautiful - Job 31:26 e. It means something that is very rare - 1 Sam. 3:1 B. THAT IS HOW GOD LOOKS UPON THE DEATH OF THE SAINTS 1. To Him it is costly: a. Their usefulness to the cause of God and humanity makes their death precious. b. He will not allow their life to be taken until and unless death will enhance their usefulness. 2. The death of the saints is dear and beloved to Him: a. They lived and died for the glory of His name. b. Think of Stephen - Acts 7:60 3. They accomplished more in their death than they could accomplish in their life: a. It is said, truthfully, that the blood of martyrs of Christ is the seed of the church. b. We honor the memory of the deaths of Ignatius, and Polycarp, and Latimer, and Ridley, and Huss, and Jerome of Prague, and the host of others whose blood still speaks for freedom of conscience. c. Then let us not forget the Saint of all saints, who said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." - John 12:32 C. WHO ARE THE SAINTS? 1. Note, please, the word "precious", as used by the word of God, applies not to the wicked, but to the saints only: 2. A Bible saint: a. One who lives wholly for God and His cause is spoken of in the Bible as a saint - Deut. 33:3. Enoch was one of these saints - Gen. 5:22, 23; Heb. 11:5 b. They who are born of the Spirit and the word of God are true saints - John 3:3-6; 1 Pet. 1:22; Jas. 1:18 c. All who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb of God are saints - 1 John 1:7-9; Rev. 1:5 d. They who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus are true saints - Rev. 12:17; 14:12 3. What a challenge to all who claim to be God's children: a. Are we Bible saints? b. Can we claim the wonderful words of our text as applying to our own lives? c. If we do, we have reason to be glad even though death may silence us for a time.