Let me start off by saying this.
I've said this before, and it's a good rule. This is a good rule,
and you'd do well, and it'd be wise if you'd write this down. If you'd write this rule down,
it'll be of a help to you in days to come. That is, that no
man, no man, no woman, no member of the human race has any right
has any right, has any authority to lay claim to any promise in
the Word of God if the individual does not fit the character described
in the promise. Now, let me say that again. I'm saying that according to
Isaiah, writing by inspiration, moved by the determinate will
of God to say some things that comes from the heart of God,
says, but to this man will I look. What kind of a man will he look
to? A poor and of a contrite spirit
and that trembleth at my word. The rule is this, no man has
a right to lay claim to any promise in the Word of God unless this
man fits the character described in the promise. You cannot lay claim to this
promise here in the Word of God unless you and I are of a poor
and contrite spirit and tremble at the Word of God. Now that's
all there are to it. There's no other way that you
can interpret this. No other way. You cannot lay
claim to being the recipient of the look or the gaze of God
in mercy, in pardon, in righteousness, in comfort, Unless you be, or
I be, a man of a poor and contrite spirit, and one that trembleth
at the Word of God. There is just no way to get out
from underneath that. For instance, over here in Luke
chapter 22, Care to turn with me there? Luke chapter 22. Let
me show you something here and help you to see what I'm trying
to say here this morning, that it might be profitable for you
and certainly bring honor and glory to Him, our blessed Redeemer. Now this, what I'm going to say
this morning, it may rule you out. It just may flat out knock
you for a loop. It just may destroy you. It just may take all whatever
hope or confidence that you have in religion or in God, it just
may take it away. It may take it away. It may rule
us all out. I don't know. Before I'm through
here this morning, if we're attentive to the Word of God and the Spirit
of God is here, it may take all hope away from us. We may come
to the place and say, well, I have no hope. The hope that I have
is a false hope. The refuge that I've been hiding
behind is a false refuge. I don't know. But if that happens,
then it brings us to truth. It brings us to perfect rest.
It gives us a perfect conscience and a perfect sacrifice. and
perfect hope and perfect rest and perfect peace, it will be
well worth whatever pain that it has brought to our hearts.
But we'll have to be, sooner or later, I know this, and I'm
just not preaching now, I'm just not preaching. I know this, that
every man, every man who ever becomes a recipient of the gaze
and look of God in mercy and pardon, is a man that's going
to have a troubled heart. It's a man that's going to have
a broken heart. It's a man that's going to be
stripped of confidence, any confidence that he has in himself, any confidence
that he might have in religion, any confidence that he might
have in any ordinance of religion, or any confidence that he might
have in his own righteousness. He's going to be stripped of
this, and he's going to be brought low. He is going to find that
the dust is His headquarters. He is going to find that God
is going to bring Him down to the dust from which He sprang,
and He is going to see the nothingness of Himself. Every man, I believe,
with all fervor of my understanding, I believe that God, before He
gives peace to a man, He strips him. He strips him and breaks
him. Now over here in Luke chapter
22, let me give you this by way of example, what I'm trying to
say here. Down here in verse 29 of the
22nd chapter, listen to what it says. Our Lord speaking unto some people
here. Now keep in mind, I've already
said that the rule is this. We have no right to lay claim
to any promise in the Word of God unless we fit the character
described in the promise. No right. No right. Now, here
in verse 29, our Lord has said, and I, that's real authority
there, and I appoint unto you a kingdom. I appoint unto you
a kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me." Well, there's some
assurance there if we can find somehow our names engraved in
this, I appoint unto you. If we can take some hope and
some comfort Somehow out of that, it will be of a great help to
us. Listen, but I point unto you a kingdom as my Father hath
appointed unto me. My Father has given me all authority
and all power and I am able to do this. I am able to do this.
And I appoint unto you a kingdom, a kingdom in which I am the king
and you are the subjects that ye may eat. and drink at my table. Just think of this. Think of
this. There is going to come a time when there is some people
who are members of this human race that are going to be guests
at the table of God Almighty. Can you visualize that? Oh, that
we understood the character somewhat of God Almighty. God overall
staggers me just to think of God in His awesome splendor and
majesty and power. God of power who speaks, who
just has to speak, who just has to will something and a world
would come into existence. And some of us can't even drive
a nail. Some of us can't even drive a nail straight. Isn't
that right? And God can just will something
and a whole world will come into being. Just will it. He willed
it and untold millions and billions of angels existed. He just willed it. One day there's some people,
there's some people that's going to be the recipients They're
going to be guests of the great host of heaven. It was set at
his table. It was set at his table. We were
down in North Carolina there while Carl and Daryl and their
wives were there and Danette. We drove about, I don't know,
seven or eight miles one morning to a, I believe it was Jarrett's
Hotel. And it was a, it was a, old-fashioned
hotel that, because of modernization and motels and things of that
nature, I suppose their business went bad, so they made a restaurant
out of it years ago. And they served, at this restaurant,
homestyle cooking. You'd go in and sit down at the
table and the breakfast was $3.75, I think, and you had You had biscuits and gravy, red-eyed
gravy, and you had ham, country ham, not ham like you buy in
the store, but old-fashioned cured country ham. You had sausage,
you had apples, cooked apples, I believe. I don't know what
all they had, but we were, we sat at that table, and we were
so impressed with what we said at that table. And as I thought
about that after that, as I thought about this, I thought that one
day there are some people, some members, some worms of this dust,
some beggars, some people that are not fit to live, are going
to be guests at the table of God Himself. Most sat down. Go sit down and eat and drink
at the table of God. That's something, isn't it? Isn't
that something? Go to sit down. You sit at my
table and it wouldn't be too much. I mean you could take it
or leave it. My wife's a good cook too. But
you could take it. We could have a picnic, a weenie
roast. We'd forget about it. have a good time, but just think,
sat down at the table of God Himself. God, God, I can't even,
we couldn't, by way of power and splendor and majesty and
the awesomeness of God, you and I are so far removed
from Him. in likeness and in character,
we ought not to even be permitted to mouth His name. To mouth His
name ought to be a law made. Ought to be a law made that no
man could mouth the name of God unless he was as good I point unto you a kingdom, as
my Father hath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink
at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the
twelve tribes of Israel." One day there's going to be some
people that's going to eat and drink at His table in His kingdom,
world without end. set on thrones, judging that,
well, listen to me now, if you're going to eat at this table, now
listen, if you're going to eat at this table, maybe you better
start eating at the one in verse 19. Look up there. You see the rule that I'm trying
to set forth here? I am saying that no man has a
right to lay claim to any promise of the Word of God or in the
Word of God unless we fit to some degree, not perfectly, but
unless we fit to some degree the character described in the
promise. Somebody is going to eat at this
table in verse number 30. Somebody. He said that I point
unto you. Now this you is representative
of somebody. I know he is primarily speaking
here to the eleven or twelve apostles, but they are representative
of the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, far and near,
past, present, and future. Somebody is going to sit at that
table. Now the somebodies that sit at that table, I believe,
better start thinking about sitting at the table in verse 19. You're
never going to sit at this table down here unless you sit at the
table up here. Now that's all there are to it.
And I'm not being mean, I'm not being smart. I'm just telling
the honest to God's truth about this matter. You mean to tell
me that We can go through this life and ignore God and ignore
His claims, ignore the Son of God and live as though God didn't
exist and then die and go yonder and sit at His table? No way. No way. God doesn't work that
way. When He saves people, when He saves people, He works a work
in their hearts. He gives them a nature to love
Him and be faithful to Him. You say, well, what do you think
about backsliders? I just don't think there are
such a thing as a backslider. We're all backsliders as we understand
backsliding. I understand that. But to say
that there's a person, a person that has been visited by God,
God has come in your tent and sucked with you, visited with
you, made Himself known to you, crossed your path, created an
interest in your heart for Him. He has come and you have seen
His glory. He has given you pardon and peace,
eternal life, forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and a hope
in glory. He has done that for you face
to face. And you become disinterested
in Him? No way. No way. You can't be disinterested. You can't be... What I'm saying
is, in the presence of God, there's no indifference. You can't be
indifferent in the presence of God. You say, well, I am indifferent.
Well, you're not in the presence of God. That's the reason you're
indifferent. See what I'm saying? You say, well, preacher, Aren't
there a verse in the Scripture that I hear often quoted from
people that says, if my people which call themselves by my name
will humble themselves and turn from their wicked ways, then
they'll hear from heaven and I'll heal their lands, and this
and that? He's talking to the nation Israel.
as a nation. And those blessings contained
there has to do with national prosperity. You mean to tell
me that God has people that are wicked? If my people, which call
themselves by my name, turn from their wicked ways, you mean God
has saved people and they are yet wicked people? No, you misunderstood
that verse of Scripture. Men do not continue in their
rebellion and in their sins after God saved them. They don't do
that. Why? Because God has placed Christ
in here, right in here, and occupies their hearts. And they have been
delivered from the penalty of sin, and they have been delivered
from the power or dominion, the rulership of sin. That is, sin
does not rule them anymore. They are ruled by another, even
the King, the Lord Jesus Christ. And they now desire to please
Him. They desire to walk worthy with
the vocation wherein they were called. We've been deceived in this matter,
most of us, thinking, well, a man can be saved, make a little old
five-cent profession of faith, and he's saved, and he can just
ignore the claims of God. And yet, everything will be all
right. It won't be all right. It won't be alright. It never
will. Listen to that verse 19. It says,
He took bread and gave banks. This is the supper. He took bread
and He gave banks and He break it and gave unto them saying,
This is my body. This is my body. He took that
bread like we do. He took that bread and He break
it. And He said, This is my body which is given for you. This do. This do if you have
time. This do if you feel like it.
This do if everything is in accordance with your particular feelings
at the time. You go ahead and do it. If you
don't have anything else to do, this do. Is that what he says? Well, I think that's what God
means. I think that's what God means.
Well, that's not what it says here. It says this do. In remembrance of me. This do. I give you an option. I give
you an option. Now, you can do it if you want
to. If you feel like it, you can do it. If you don't want
to, well, then just forget about it. There's no option here. There's no choice here. Look
at it. Look down at that verse of Scripture
there with me. This do. in remembrance of me. Now, in light of that, what makes
you think, or what makes me think, that I can, in any sense of the
word, lay claim to the promise of verse 29 and verse 30? That I'll be a recipient of the
privileges of the king's table in eternal glory if I have neglected, if I have rejected everything
in verse 19. No way. No way. This is due in remembrance of
me. Likewise, also the cup after the supper saying, this cup is
the is the New Testament in my blood which is shed for you. Well, I think you see the drift
of what I'm saying, don't you? All right. Let me show you something
else. Turn in John. Turn over there
with me to John chapter 8. I'm going to show you something
else. John chapter 8. Verse 29, he says, He that sent
me is with me. Who sent Him? God sent Him. Who is this testifier? Who is
this witness? The Lord Jesus Christ. Where
did He come from? Where did He come from? The God
who made the heavens and the earth said, He's my Son. I sent
Him. I sent Him. He didn't come on
His own. What he hath seen and what he
hath heard of me, he tells. He comes from my heart. He comes from my bosom. What
he says is true, because what he says is what I say. What he has seen, he has seen
here with me. He knows, listen to me, He knows
the mind of God and the will of God because He came from God,
because He is God. And He that sent me is with me. The Father hath not left me alone,
for I do always those things that please Him. these words, and many believed
on Him. Many said, I believe what the
Savior has to say. I believe that. I agree with
Him. Do you know what salvation is?
It's agreeing with God against yourself. It's agreeing with
God as to who you are. If you and I are ever saved,
It will come when we agree with God in what God has had to say
about us. And agreeing with God as to whose
son the Lord Jesus Christ is. Now listen, verse 31. Many believed
on him. Now listen to what Jesus said.
Now keep in mind, you have no right, you are me. your flesh or my flesh, till
they claimed any promise in the word of God, if we do not fit
the character described in the promise. Now, these that they
believed on him, all right, then Jesus said to those Jews which
believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed. And then ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free. If. If. What's that mean? Well, listen. Preacher, do you understand me? Do you understand my heart here
in this matter? I don't necessarily say that
I'm A Bible-believing Christian? I don't necessarily say, but
preacher, understand this, will you? I don't hurt anybody. I don't offend people. I don't
curse and take God's name in vain. I don't do anything like
that. And I honor the Bible. I believe the Bible is the Word
of God. I believe that. And I believe
that Jesus Christ is who the Bible says He is. I believe that. But I'm just not involved. I'm
not involved. I go to church once in a while.
I think, fellow, I ought to go to church and you ought to have
a little religion and all. I do that. But I'm not involved. You're not saved. You see, you
believe, alright. You believe, but your belief
is just anchored in your brain. Your belief is right here on
the top of your head. What you believe has got to get
you by the heart. And if it ever gets you by the
heart, then you become involved. And then you'll say, His cause
is my cause. You remember when David fought
that giant over there? He was there defying the children
of Israel. And they was all bowed down and
scared to death. Scared to death. And he'd just
stand on one side of the hill and he'd taunt them and curse
them and curse God. And they just bowed down. They didn't know what to do.
Looked like they was going to get killed. Well, here come old David,
this little old shepherd boy, 17, 18, 19 years old. And here
he come. And he heard what was going on and he told Saul, he
said, let me at that fella. Let me at him! And they said,
no. No, he said, you're just a lad. You're a shepherd. And these
brothers said, you're just trying to show off. That's all. You're
just trying to show off. Now you get back. You know what
old David said? David said, is there not a cause? That's what he said. Is there
not a cause? The cause was God's honor was
at stake. He said, you let me at this fella. He said, God has protected me
and helped me. I've killed the lions and I've
killed Byron. And he said, this uncircumcised
Philistine, he said, I'll kill him. There's a cause. Is there not a cause? That's
what I'm talking about. They say, well, I'm a believer.
But you're not involved. You're not in it. Well, you're
not a believer. There's got to be a cause! And this cause will
consume you! Will consume you and eat you
up! Everything you do and all that you think about will be
the cause of God and His Son. You get the drift of what I'm
talking about. That's what it means when it
says, if you continue in my Word, every day, 24 hours a day, it's
a thing that consumes you. I know, but if I went all the
way here, if I went all the way, other things would be in jeopardy.
Well, that has to be in jeopardy. His cause is greater than your
cause. Your continuing in the Word doesn't
save you. Your continuing in the Word,
your being committed, becoming involved, dedicated, consecrated,
Denying yourself, picking up your cross, Bible reading, Bible
study, church going, hymn singing, saint of God, is the evidence
that you are His child. You see? Your continuing in the
Word of God doesn't save you. It's the evidence that you are saved. That's the
evidence. It doesn't save you. It's the
evidence. What's the rule? No man has a
right to lay claim to the promise of
God unless he, to some degree, fits the character described
in the promise. If you continue in My Word, then
are you My disciples indeed. If you continue in My Word. If
you don't, if you're disinterested, hop, skip, and jump on again,
off again, Finnegan. Well, if things so arrange themselves
that it's I have the opportunity, why then,
okay, I'll maybe fall in and all, but if they don't, why then,
there's other things I've got to do and things have to be done
and all. That's not it. If you continue
in my Word. If you continue in my Word. I can't change it. I can't change
it. This is God. It's not what I'm
saying. It's not what the politician's saying. It's not what the media
or the television... It's what God's saying. It's
what He's saying right here. Our Lord Jesus Christ, these
Jews said, We believe. He told them. He said, The Father
sent me. They said, We believe that. We
believe it. Many, many believed on Him. If... He looked to them. They
said, Well, we believe on you. We held our hand up. Alright,
He said, If you continue in My Word, then are you My disciples
indeed. If you continue my word. Turn the page. Turn the page,
John chapter 8, verse 39. They answered and said unto him,
Abraham is our father. They said, Abraham is our father.
Jesus said unto them, ye were Abraham's children, ye do the
works of Abraham." If you're Abraham's children,
then it's only fair for me to say, you do the works of Abraham's
children. And if you do not do the works
of Abraham's children, it's only fair for me to say, you're not
Abraham's children. You say, well, preacher, what
is the works of Abraham? It says if you were Abraham's
children, you'd do the works. What is the significant thing
about the character of Abraham? Is this? He believed God and
obeyed Him. That's what's significant about
the life of Abraham. He believed God and obeyed God. He didn't say, I go and then
run away. He said, I believe God and I
go. I don't only just have an intent
and resolve and purpose in my heart to do something, but he
said, I resolve to do it and I do it. The Bible says that
Abraham had a son in his old age. He was a hundred years old. Think of a hundred years old. And his wife was 90-some and
they had a child. Had a child! And he was the treasure
of their hearts. They loved that boy. They loved
that boy. And when he got up about 18 years
old, one time God just spoke to Abraham and He said, Abraham,
I want you to get up early in the morning and I want you to
take a couple of servants and saddle their mules and I want
you to take Isaac your son, and the Bible says thine only son,
and take Isaac, and I want you to go to a place that I'll show
you, I'll show you where to go, and I want you to build an altar,
and I want you to make a fire, and I want you to kill that boy
and put him on that altar. That's what I want you to do. Is that what Abraham did? He
carried it out in every detail. He'd done exactly what He did
and say, well, wait a minute. Wait a minute! If I'd have known
what I was getting involved in! No, He didn't say a word. He
did exactly as God told Him. And He got up early in the morning,
and He saddled the horses, and He got the servants, and He got
the wood, and He got Abraham, It took him three days. Three
days to go from where God spoke to him to Mount Moriah. Three
days and two nights. What do you suppose went through
Abraham's mind? Day and night, as they were plodding
along. They were plodding along there,
servants behind the boy, that 18-year-old boy. Big, strong,
good-looking boy. Abraham, a hundred and some years
old at the time. His only child. He loved him. Walking along and I suppose something
jumped up and that boy grabbed a rock and threw it at a jackrabbit
or something. Abraham looked at him and his
eyes just glistened. And he got heavy. That heaviness
seemed to rush over his soul. I've got to kill that boy. Just
a few more miles up the road here and I've got to build that
altar. And God said, I've got to kill that boy and offer him
up as a sacrifice. If you were of Abraham's children,
you'd do the works of Abraham. What did Abraham do? He believed
God and obeyed God. He obeyed God. I know, but you
don't know, preacher, the circumstances of my life. I know it. I know
I don't know it. You don't know what I live under
or what my wife says or my husband says or my father. You don't
know. I know it. I know this. I know this. If you're Abraham's children, come hell or high water difficulties,
foreseen and unforeseen, be overcome. I know it. I said, may rule us
all out. I don't know. May rule us all
out. I'm just telling you what the Bible says. Well, you know the story. Abraham
got the boy up there, and the boy built the altar, and the
boy And the boy said to his father, he said, well, here's the wood,
here's the wood and the fire. And I see that you've got the
knife there in your hand, Father Abraham. Here's the wood and
here's the fire. But he said, where's the lamb?
Where's the lamb? Where's the lamb? He didn't know.
He didn't know. Where's the lamb? And in passing,
let me say, If the Lamb is not present, you've got no worship,
you've got no service, or you've got no sermon. If the Lamb is
not present, see what I'm talking about? You haven't got any sermon
unless the Lamb is there. And you know what God said? God
said He would provide him And Abraham looked over, and there
was a ram whose horns had got caught in the thing. Do you believe in substitution?
Ask Isaac if he believes in substitution. Ask Isaac if he believes in the
substitutionary work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ask Isaac if you
believe that one cent from heaven whose origin predates December
the 25th, must die in a man's stead in order to get him to
heaven. Now, I guarantee you, he'll tell you, yes. He'll say,
I believe in substitution. I believe in substitution. All
right? That's what it says, doesn't
it? The works of Abraham. Well, I haven't got time. We
could go over there in the fourth chapter of the book of Romans
where it says that Abraham staggered not at the promises of God. He hadn't staggered. But he believed
what God had said. It wasn't too much for him. All right. What about this promise? Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Who does he give
rest to? He gives rest to those that labor
and are heavy laden. Who is he speaking to here in
our text? He says, but to this man will
I look. Somebody is going to be the recipient
of my gaze, my look of mercy and pardon. To this man. What man? To him that is poor
and of a contrite spirit, who trembles at my word, who labors
and is heavy laden, who is guilty, who mourns who has trouble in
his heart, who is hopeless. There is hope only for the hopeless. That doesn't sound right, but
that's the truth. That hope is for the hopeless. If you ever
come to the place that you're hopeless, there's hope for you.
See? As long as you've got hope, in
your religion, hope in yourself, hope in your promises, hope in
your intents, hope in your resolutions, hope in your daddy, hope in your
mother, hope in your church, hope in any area of religion. As long as you've got hope in
that, you're not hopeless. When you have been destroyed
of every semblance of hope, and have no hope and are hopeless,
you are then a candidate for God's hope. That's what I'm talking
about. That's what the Bible is talking
about. You're a candidate then for God's hope. You're hopeless this morning?
Anybody here this morning, you're hopeless? You're guilty? You're guilty? You know you're
guilty. You're a sinner, you know it.
Anybody here like that? You say, Preacher, I'm guilty. I know I'm guilty. I know and
I feel that the burden of weight of sin is on my heart that hoped
for you. Look to the Lamb of God. He died for the hopeless. Can
you believe Him? Can you look to Him? Can you
trust Him? You say, I can't believe. Go
to him anyhow and tell him you can't believe but you want to
believe. Tell him that. Go to him. That's your only hope,
you see. There's hope for the hopeless.
You know that old proverbial adage that says God only helps
them that help themselves? Ain't no truth to that. Ain't
no truth to that. God only helps them that help
themselves. Oh no. God only helps them that
can't help themselves. Hopeless people. Hopeless people. What kind of people? Those that
are poor in spirit. Those of a contrite heart. Those are the people. Those who are destitute of all
righteousness, of all merit, who have no good works, who have
nothing to rely on, nothing to depend in, who are empty, empty
and clean, who are devoid of all strength. They don't have
anything. Weak. They are weak. They are
just so weak inwardly, spiritually, as a man who is weak physically,
His muscles are so relaxed and so, well, I don't know the word
for it, but he just can't even lift anything! He's just void
of all strength. They feel, I'll tell you these
people, they have no merit. They have no merit and have no
righteousness. They don't have anything. They feel, I can't
do in the future any more than I did in the past! They don't
need asking me to dedicate myself or rededicate myself. I can't
do any better in the future than what I did in the past. I'm a
failure from start to finish. I'm nothing. I'm nothing. Oh, when you come to that place,
there's hope for you. I thank God there's hope for
the hopeless. Hope for the hopeless. Hope for
he that has no hope. Hope for him. They feel that
if they repent, It must be God's gift. And faith must come from
Him. They lie like a dead man at God's
feet. A dead man. They can't even move. Like Daryl was some months ago,
a few years ago, as I looked at Daryl, wouldn't give a nickel. Wouldn't I give a nickel for
the fellow? Lay him there! And I said, well,
how is he, George? Can he move at all? No. I said, Darrell, can't you move
your feet? Can you move your toe? His trembling toes was up
there, and he couldn't even tremble! His toe wouldn't even tremble! Hopeless! Hopeless and helpless! That's the way he was. That's
the way every sinner is in the presence of God. God Almighty. that spoke to him and crossed
his path, reached down and touched him, laid his hand on him. Brother, he's hopeless. He's
hopeless. And he knows he's hopeless. And
he lays at the feet of God at the court of mercy like a dead
man. And he says, if I'm saved, it
must be by the grace of God. God must come here and save me. He must come here and deliver
me. He must come here and quicken me and give me life. He must
do it. If He don't do it, I'll perish.
That's what I'm talking about. It's not written that God will
dwell with persons of any special education, although He does. But it's not written that that's
a qualification for the dwelling of God Almighty. That a man must
have certain intelligence. He must have that. Oh, no. It is well to be educated. Well. I'm for it. It's well. But a knowledge of
Latin A knowledge of Greek, a knowledge of Hebrew will not put a man's
name in the book of life. A man may be most illiterate
and yet come under the description found in verse number 2. He may
not be able to read his name. He may not be able to write his
name, but he may fit the description. He may be hopeless. He may be
poor. He may be of a contrite spirit. He may tremble at the Word of
God. Oh, it says of the poor, poor
in spirit. Blessed are the poor in spirit. It is not written here where
it says, I'll dwell with the man who attends worship twice
on Sunday, who was baptized, who goes to the Lord's supper.
It doesn't say that, but it's included! The poor will. You'll see the poor. They'll
be making an effort. You know, I sat down there, a
few fellows, remember, I said, well, I'm not looking. I'm not
looking for an excuse to stay away from church. Are you? Lots
of people do. That's a bad sign. Examine yourself. You ever look for an excuse and
say, well, I just couldn't go to church tonight. Well, I want
to, but my wife's sick, and so I don't think I can go. I know
she'd be all right. She'll be all right here by herself,
but I'll stay. I'll stay with you. You know
what? You're looking for an excuse to stay at home. You're looking
for an excuse. You ought not to be looking for
excuses to stay at home. You ought to be looking for a
way to get there. That's what I'm talking about,
the poor in spirit. Those who are emptied of all
wisdom. Those who are willing to go to
God's school. Those who are willing to be the
last in class. Oh, what mercy it is to feel
oneself a fool. Weak and feeble and dead and
helpless and hopeless and lost. Oh, what mercy it is to feel
that. Why does He come to the poor?
Why does He come to the poor? Do you ever think about that?
I'll tell you why. Because there is room for Him
there. There is room for Him in the
heart of the poor in spirit. The helpless and the hopeless.
You see, other hearts are so full. They're full of self, Fred. They're full of self. They're full of their religion.
They're full of their pride. I don't need to fall down and
beg God to do anything for me. I stand on my two hind feet. I've got this and I've got that. I've got a heritage. It is an
education! And I don't need to bow down
and beg God for anything. If God cannot deal with me as
an equal, I will not be dealt with. There is no room for Him in full
hearts of the proud, those that are wise in themselves. Not many
wise men are called. Mark it down. Mark it down. A fellow told me one time, he
said, put it in your pipe and smoke it. Put it in your pipe and smoke
it. There's not many wise men after the flesh that are called. Not many noble are called. But the main thing things that
are as nothing. Poor, the poor, the trembling. Ain't got anything to brag about.
Ain't got anything. Just poor spirit. Oh, their hearts are full. Hearts
are full. Full of themselves. He'll never come to a heart that's
full of self-righteousness. If he does, he'll only come to
empty that heart and make that heart poor in spirit. I must hurry on now if I'm going
to finish. Of a contrite spirit, that is,
the man that feels this sin, we've covered that, and hates
it and mourns that he would have rebelled against such a kind
and loving and gentle God. Oh, he says, like Job, I hate
myself. I hate myself. Listen to these
three or four little verses here. We all have sinned against our
God. Exception none can boast, but
he that feels the heaviest load will prize forgiveness most. Trembling, he says, not dancing,
but yet have more reason, these people that he is the subject
of his gaze, they don't come before him dancing, they come
trembling, but these people who tremble have more reason to dance
than anybody in the world. They can dance before the Lord
like old David did. David danced before the Lord.
He and his wife, was it Abigail, was that her name? Something
like that. She made light of it. She said,
look at you! He said, I've danced before. Tremble! Tremble! Well, listen. They don't walk in sin, these
people. They tremble. I'll close with this. George
Fox, who was the founder of Quakerism. Founder of the Quakers. They
about died out. But George Fox was the founder
of the Quakers. You know what they said of you? They called
him a Quaker. His name was Fox. His name wasn't
George Fox Quaker or George Quaker Fox. His name was George Fox
in Philadelphia. A wise man. He is the founder of this Quaker
society. And he was called a Quaker for no other reason than this. When he spoke the Word of God,
he would tremble from his head to his feet. He'd tremble. When he read the Bible at open
meetings like this, he'd tremble! He'd tremble! Like that! And the world said he trembles,
and they called him a Quaker! Ah, in the presence of God, a
man may well tremble. Devils believe and devils tremble. Why do they tremble? Why do they
tremble? Because of His exceeding glory
and majesty. I believe if you and I ever came
into the presence of God, oh, if God ever brought us to the
place where we were poor and brokenhearted and of a contrite
spirit and trembled, if He ever brought us into His awesome display
of glory and majesty. I believe we'd tremble, too.
I believe we'd be committed. I believe we'd be consecrated. And I believe we'd say like the
Apostle Paul, God forbid that I should go save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, dear ones this morning. Is
somebody here? You've heard the message. God gave me this. This is from
God. Don't you criticize this. I'm
serious. If you criticize me about anything
you want to, but don't you criticize me about my preaching. Don't
do that. No, I take that serious. I really
do. I take this serious. I spend
some time at it. And I believe it came from God.
I believe it came from God. And I want you to hear it. I
want you to hear it. It may be life and death. Listen
to me. It may be life and death. You've
got any pride about to swallow your pride? Oh, don't go to hell
with your pride. Don't hang on to your pride and
go to hell. Don't do that. Don't go to hell holding to some
particular teaching or doctrine that you got from your mother
and your father or some church. Don't do that. Don't hang on
to it. Release it all and say, Lord, He's talking to me this
morning. Lord, You're talking to me. I'm poor. broken in the
contrite spirit. Lord, help me, I'm hopeless. I've got no hope. I've got no
hope. Lord, I've been lying to you. I've been lying to you.
I haven't got no hope. If I've got any hope, Lord, You're
my hope. Would You do that? Somebody. I believe somebody
has been affected by what they do. God help you to make the
response.