I hope God will give me your
attention. I want to talk to you from my heart about the most
blessed prospect there is for anybody, and that is the resurrection. Oh, what a blessed prospect.
My subject this morning is we are saved in hope. Saved in hope of the resurrection. Soon you will die. I just caught the eye of my family
back yonder, those two grandchildren. Young as you are, I hope you
can't ever, ever, ever go to bed at night not thinking about
that. You're going to die soon. After this, the judgment. We're going to die. We're going
to meet God in judgment. And there will be a day of resurrection
when these bodies shall be raised from the grave, a resurrection
both of the just and of the unjust. For the unjust, a resurrection
to damnation for the just resurrection to
life. I've had the responsibility of preaching the funerals for a
lot of folks who will soon be raised to everlasting damnation, both my mother and my father.
with no hope, with no hope that they know God. I hope never to have that responsibility
again. I'd like to never preach the
funeral of a lost soul again. I've had the privilege of preaching
the funerals of some folks who know God. in the grave in hope of the resurrection. With sadness and joy. With sadness
for parting from their company, with joy for their great delight
upon entering into glory and joy of the hope of the resurrection. Thursday evening, Shelby and
I met with her family. I first met them nearly 50 years
ago. I've been praying for them as she has, and I have sought
means for 50 years every time God would just open a door to
minister to them. As far as I know, the family
we met with Thursday night have never darkened a church door
except a couple of times to come hear me preach or to go to funerals
or go to weddings. Her brother is 90 years old now,
will be in July. Stone cold death. I can holler
at him and he can't hear me. And he's one of the finest men
I've met in my life. I've never heard him cuss. I've never heard
him take God's name in vain. I've never seen him really get
upset with anything. I, uh, I've never known him to
be dishonest in his dealings with men. Fine man. And a wealthy
man. A wealthy man. And whatever he's
got, he's got it in the bank because he didn't spend it on
houses, clothes, or cars. He's bought land. He probably
owns more land than anybody in Floyd County, Virginia. And now
I can't minister to him unless God's pleased through
the written word to do so. And he'll soon leave here. And then Friday night, what a
contrast. Shelby mentioned this coming
home yesterday, and I've been thinking about it ever since
we walked in the park, walked, stepped out of the car and met
Brother Henry on the parking lot at Rocky Mount Church. What a contrast. He's 90 years
old and feeble and not likely to
be here very long. Maybe, but not likely. And preach the gospel of God's
grace since you're 29 years old. Living, being saved in hope,
in hope. I beg God to have mercy on you
and give you life and faith in our Redeemer. Oh God, be gracious. I call on you to seek the Lord
while you may be saved. Call upon him while he is near. Seek the Lord in the days of
your youth. Well, when should a child be
encouraged to believe? As soon as he can sin, he can
believe. If you're old enough to sin, you're old enough to
be saved. If you don't have to sin, you don't have to believe
God. And it's your responsibility to do so. And I'll tell you what
will happen if you don't. You'll live and grow up and get
things and get things and get things and get things and get
things and go to hell and leave them. And everything will just
be vanity, vanity, vanity, and the everlasting vexation and
torment of your souls. I have had the privilege of seeing
God save a lot of people. I've had the privilege of baptizing
a lot of people, various parts of the world. Some young, some
old, but not many old folks. Old folks seldom seek God. Old folks seldom seek God. Now, let me talk to you about
the resurrection. I know that there are many who
laugh at the doctrine of the resurrection. I call it doctrine
because it's a matter of teaching. They laugh at the blessed fact
of the resurrection and say it's not possible that these bodies
be raised from the dead. There are others who would not
openly assert that there's no such thing as the resurrection,
but they they deny the erection as well because they say the
resurrection is already passed. It's over with. It was done back
in 70 A.D. when the Lord destroyed Jerusalem
in God's judgment upon the nation of Israel. Both of them deny
the resurrection and both of them denying the resurrection,
deny the gospel of God. Look first at first Corinthians
15 again. Let's read a couple of verses. in the earlier part
of the chapter, verse 12. 1 Corinthians 15, 12. Now here
the apostle Paul dogmatically asserts that those who deny the
resurrection, who say that there is no resurrection, by their
denial, denial the gospel in its entirety. You see, the teaching
of God stands or falls together. Whenever you read the word doctrines
or teachings in this book, in the plural, it's always talking
about false doctrine. The doctrine of God is what?
And to deny the resurrection is to deny the whole gospel.
It is to deny the whole word of God. It is to deny the whole
faith of Christ. Look at 1 Corinthians 15 verse
12. Now, if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, How
say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not
risen? And if Christ be not risen, then
our preaching is just a bunch of foolishness. Our preaching
is vain. And that's not all. Your faith
is vain. Your faith is a bunch of foolishness.
If Christ be not raised, Yea, verse 15, and we, the apostles,
God's preachers, God's prophets, all who speak in the name of
God and speak the gospel of God, we have found false witnesses
of God because we have testified that God raised up Christ, whom
he raised not up, if the dead rise not. For if the dead rise
not, then is not Christ raised. In other words, the denial of
the resurrection of the body is to deny that Christ was raised
from the dead, to deny that Christ is God, to deny that Christ has
accomplished redemption. And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain. You are yet in your sins. Then
they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in
this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most
miserable. That doesn't mean that the believer's
life in this world is such an austere, severe life because
he has to do without so much and so many things he can't enjoy.
He's given it all up for Jesus and if there's no eternal life,
then we're just of all being most miserable. Oh, no, no, no,
no, no. There's not a believer walking
topside of God's earth who would exchange what God's given him
for what he used to have. Oh, no. Oh no, I wouldn't go
back for anything, not for anything. Life has been infinitely, infinitely,
infinitely better, more joyous since the day God saved me than
it could possibly have been before. Well, how is it if the dead rise
not, we're of all men most miserable? Because we hope for everlasting
glory, for everlasting perfection. for
everlasting bliss, for everlasting righteousness in the day by day
eternal experience of life after the resurrection. Imagine, just
imagine what it will be to walk on a new created earth. On a
new created earth in the perfection of holiness, and righteousness
with God day by day. Oh, deny me that. And you've
taken away everything I hope for. You've taken away everything
for which I live. Some deny the resurrection outright. Others pretend to be religious
and pretend to believe the Bible and they Oh, they're deep thinking
theologians and they have lots of questions and they answer
those questions and they raise a thousand more questions. But
they said the resurrection is over. All this nonsense about
a physical bodily resurrection, that just doesn't make any sense.
That can't be. The resurrection is past. They
too, not only err from the truth, but overthrow the faith of those
who follow them. Look at 2 Timothy chapter 2.
2 Timothy 2. I want you to see this. And I stress these things because
we must make certain, we must make certain that we hear and
believe what God says. The faith of the gospel is one. The doctrine of the gospel is
one. You can't pick and choose what you want to, pick and choose
what makes sense to you, pick and choose what you like or dislike.
Look in 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 15. Study to show thyself approved
unto God. Paul's talking to preachers now.
He's talking to me. Study. Study. Study. Study. Study. Study. Study. Study. Study. Study. If I could get the ear of every
preacher I know. Study. Study. Pastoral work is
not done chasing ambulances. Pastoral work is not done visiting
folks and having tea with them and going fishing and going hunting
with your buddies. Pastoral work is done in your study. Study to show thyself approved
unto God. A workman that needeth not to
be ashamed. Rightly dividing the word of
truth. Rightly understanding the word
of God. But shun profane and vain babblings. Now you know what he's talking
about? Profane and vain babblings. That's 90% of the questions I
get from folks about the Bible. Profane and vain babblings. That's
90% of the opinions men offer about the Bible. Just think,
this is what I think. This is what I think. Who cares
what you think? Who cares what I think? What does God say? Everything
else men say about this book just vain babblers. That's what's
talked about in the context here For they will increase unto more
ungodliness Just more ungodliness and their word will eat as doth
a taker of whom is hymenaeus and Philetus and who concerning
the truth have urged, saying, that the resurrection is past
already, and thereby they overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless,
the foundation of God standeth sure." You see, to deny the resurrection
is to deny God's people the very hope of the gospel, the hope
of resurrection glory, the hope of eternal life in and with Christ
Jesus. Turn to Romans chapter 8 now.
Realizing the seriousness of this matter and cherishing the
hope of everlasting glory, let's read here what God the Holy Spirit
says by the Apostle Paul concerning this matter of the resurrection.
My text will be verses 24 and 25, but let's begin reading at
verse 16. The Spirit itself beareth witness
with our spirit that we're the children of God. When God the
Holy Spirit comes, in saving grace, reveals Christ in you,
gives you faith in Christ. When he causes you to believe,
he bears witness with your spirit that you're the children of God.
He bears witness with your divinely created spirit, the gift of life
in Christ, that you're the child of God. And if children, if we're
God's children, then we're his heirs, heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ. If so be that we suffer with
him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest
expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the
sons of God. God's creation. God's creation
is sitting already waiting for God to make manifest the sons
of God in the resurrection. For the creature, the whole creation,
was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him
who had subjected the same in hope. Because the creature itself
also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into
the glorious liberty of the children of God. Now he's talking about
this glorious liberty of the children of God in the resurrection.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain
together into now. And not only so, not only they,
but we ourselves also, which had the first fruits of the spirit,
even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption,
that is waiting for the redemption of the body, the final consummate
work of God in redeeming our souls in the resurrection, the
redemption, the deliverance of the body. Now watch our text.
For we are saved by hope. But hope that is seen is not
hope. For what a man seeth, why doth
he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see
not, then do we with patience wait for it. Those words in verse
24, we are saved by hope. Might be better translated, we
are saved in hope. Or we have been saved in hope. Or best translated, I think,
we are being saved in hope. They can be translated by hope,
but the better translation, we are being saved in hope. Paul's talking to us now about
the second coming of Christ. Our Lord Jesus is coming again,
and when he does, these bodies shall be redeemed from the grave,
delivered from the bondage of corruption, and raised up like
in his glorious body when Christ makes all things new. This is
Paul's message in our text. We who believe God, we who are
born of God, we who live by faith in Christ, we are being saved
in hope. We're not saved by hope, we're
saved by faith. We're not saved by hope, we're
saved by grace. We're not saved by hope, we're
saved by the blood of Christ. We're not saved by hope, we're
saved by God's righteousness in Christ Jesus. We're saved
by the gift and work of God, but we are saved in hope. I have been living now for 50
years in hope. In hope. In hope of something
far better than I have yet imagined. in hope of something far better,
even than what I've yet experienced. Saved in hope. That's our subject. And the scriptures are very plain
and very clear. Hope is the expectation. The desire of God's people for
that which is to come. This word hope, as it's used
in our text and used in the scripture, is not the kind of word that
we use when we say hope. We have hope of better things. We have one sick where we hope
he'll get better. We hope his health will improve. We hope that the economy is going
to stabilize. We hope that things are going
to go better. We hope the world gets better. We hope. We hope for a lot of
stuff that we never expect. Hope for the natural man is just
an emotion of distress. No more. Not for the believer.
For the believer, hope is the confident expectation of that
which God has promised to perform. Hope is the confident expectation
of that which God has promised to perform. Did you get that? living on the tiptoe of faith,
expecting God to do what he said he'd do. Expecting God to do what he said
he'd do. That's not arrogance. That's
not presumption. That's hope. We all hope to escape
the wrath of God. We hope to die in peace. We hope
to enter into heaven when we die. We hope to be forgiven of
all sin, accepted with God, and at last attain eternal happiness
in heaven. Is that what you hope for? If
you have such a hope, let me ask you a question. Why? What is your hope? What's the
basis of your hope when all else is gold? What is your hope? Let
me make three statements. I'll be brief, and I hope God,
the Holy Spirit, will shoot these three arrows directly into your
heart. Number one, there is a hope that
is no hope. There is a hope that is no hope. I know very few people, religious
or irreligious, who do not have hope after death. for life after death, hope that
everything's going to be all right when they come to die.
But they don't have any hope at all. There are others who
are religious who have a profession of faith in Christ and they have
a hope, but it's no hope. Job speaks about the hope of
the hypocrite. A hypocrite is a person who professes
to be what he knows deep in his soul he's not. He professes what
he doesn't possess. He has a name and a claim, but
no more. He has no real spiritual life.
He masquerades as a child of God and deceives himself with
a hope that's no hope. Turn to Matthew 7, Matthew chapter
7. Listen to what the book says.
Now this is what Job says about the hope of the hypocrite. What
is the hope of the hypocrite? Though he hath gained when God
taketh away his soul. Matthew 7 verse 21. Not everyone
that sayeth unto me, Lord, Lord shall enter into the kingdom
of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father, which
is in heaven. This is the father's will that you believe on him
whom he has sent. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have done
cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful works. Then
will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye
that work iniquity. Read the first chapter of Isaiah
and you'll find out that God's talking to folks here. And he
says, when you spread your hands to heaven, I won't hear you.
When you offer your sacrifices, I won't accept them. When you
fall on your knees, I won't pay any attention to you. Your religion
is iniquity, for your religion is only the work of your flesh.
Depart from me, ye that work iniquity. The hope of the hypocrite
is a hope that's built upon a foundation of sand. It's a hope built upon
a righteousness he knows he doesn't have. Well, I've lived a pretty good
life. I haven't never done anybody
any harm. I've always tried to treat folks
right. I've lived a good life. But you
deceive yourself because you know what goes on inside you.
And you're lying through your teeth when you think about your
goodness and talk about it. The hope of a hypocrite is a
hope based upon a profession. that he knows has no foundation.
No foundation. Just made a profession of faith.
Had a little dose of religion. Got stirred up one time because
I was scared of going to hell. And I made a profession of faith
and got that emotional decision out of the way. And it never
has much affected my life and never will. The hope of a hypocrite
is a hope built upon religion. that he knows is utterly void
of life. Now, I know I've described some
of you. You've been in church so long that you would be embarrassed
for anyone to know what you know, that you're just a hypocrite.
So you keep holding your profession. You won't let it go. You know
nothing of prayer. You don't have any spiritual
thoughts, no spiritual appetite. The things of God just don't
really interest you. You talk about almost anything
and talk about it with delight, but the things of God just don't
interest you. There's no struggle in your soul,
no conflict in your heart, and yet you hold on to the hope that
all is well when nothing is well. Would you turn with me one more
time to Isaiah chapter 28 and see how God describes your hope?
Unless God awakens you, you'll go to hell in a refuge of lies. Isaiah 28, 14. Wherefore hear
the word of the Lord, ye scornful men, that rule this people Jerusalem,
which is in Jerusalem, because you have said, we have made a
covenant with death. I've made my peace with God.
Everything's all right. I'm ready to die. I'm ready to
die. And with hell, we're in agreement. When the overflowing
scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us. Judgment's
not going to bother me any. Death's not going to bother me
any. Hell's not going to bother me any. For we've made lies our
refuge. Under falsehood have we hid ourselves.
Therefore, thus saith the Lord God, behold, I lay in Zion for
a foundation, a stone. I lay in Zion, that one foundation,
Jesus Christ, the Lord, His blood, His righteousness, His person,
His accomplishments. And you can't build on any other.
A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. He that believeth,
that is, he who believes on the Son of God, shall not make haste. God says, now I'm going to measure
this thing. Judgment also will I lay to the line. and righteousness
to the plummet. Let's measure your foundation.
Let's measure your refuge. Let's see how the plummet looks
on that thing. Well, man, that thing, it's completely
out of kilter. Let's see how it measures. There's
nothing straight about that. Your building's fixing to fall.
Read what it says. And the hail shall sweep away
the refuge of lies. And the water shall overflow
the hiding place. And your covenant with death
shall be disannulled. And your agreement with hell
shall not stand when the overflowing scourge shall pass through. Then
you shall be trodden down by it. God. Oh, God. Sweep away every refuge of lies
under which these souls hide themselves in your mercy today. Oh, may God tear it down in grace
so that you may find refuge in Christ. If he doesn't tear it
down now, he'll tear it down in judgment. One of the two.
Verse 20, for the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself
on it, and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself
in it. Did you ever try to sleep on
a bed too small for you? Obviously, I have a lot of times.
A lot of beds are just too small for me. And covers, you wonder
where folks get them. I turn over my side and part
of my body's exposed. Turn over the other side and
another part's exposed. But cover up, you can't wrap yourself in
it. And you just can't sleep. You just can't rest. Now let
me suggest something to you. Are you listening to me now?
You go to bed tonight and close your eyes. And when your wife or your husband
or your children Quieten down. You lay there for a while and
contemplate. I'm about to die. I'm going to meet God in judgment.
And he's going to judge me by the strict standard of his righteousness. And sleep in peace. stretch yourself
out on that bed, wrap yourself up in that covering of Christ's
blood and righteousness, of faith in Christ alone, and rest. But if what you've got's a refuge
of lies, that bed's just too short, that cover's just too
narrow, and you can't bear to think about judgment. You can't
bear to think about meeting God cause you still trust in yourself. All right. Turn to second Thessalonians
chapter two. There is a hope, which is no hope, but second,
there is a hope that the Bible calls a good hope. Second Thessalonians
two verse 13. Oh, children of God. Listen,
we're bound to give thanks all way to God for you. Brethren
beloved of the Lord because God has from the beginning chosen
you to salvation He chose to save you through sanctification
of the Spirit that is through the regenerating work of the
Holy Spirit giving you a new nature making you partakers of
the divine nature giving you the new birth and belief of the
truth God chose to save you By the work of his Holy Spirit through
the preaching of the gospel Where unto he called you by our gospel
called you to what? Called you to what what what
did he call us to? Oh, he called us to be saved
from going to hell Yes, he did that he called us to to get our
lives straightened out. Yes, he did that He called us
to give us a better life in this world. Yes, he did that and indescribably
more He called you to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Wow! Call you to the obtaining
of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Read on. Therefore, brethren,
stand fast and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether
by word or our epistle. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself
and God, even the Father which hath loved us, and have given
us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. Good hope through grace. What is that good hope through
grace? That good hope through grace is a hope. Lively, living hope. A hope that
is found upon the promises of God. The promises of God given
in Christ, the promises of God given before the world was, the
promises reiterated to Adam in the garden, the promises God
gave to Abraham, God will provide himself a lamb, a ram for a burnt
offering, a lamb for sacrifice. The Lord God has made promise
of eternal life, the obtaining of the glory of Christ by his
obedience and his blood, a promise that God's saints had been saved
in since the beginning. Let me show you what. Turn back
to Job 19. Job 19. You remember, Jude tells us that
Enoch prophesied of the coming of Christ with 10,000 of his
saints. Enoch, who died before the flood. Here is Job. Job is among the earliest of
believers The book of Job probably was the first book written by
divine inspiration Probably the very first of the inspired books.
Now, this is what Job says. This is what he says Job 1925.
I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the
latter day upon the earth and Though after my skin worms destroy
this body Get in my flesh, shall I see God? In my flesh, shall I see God? This is a man who lived back
before the days of Noah. This man who lived a long time
ago. In my flesh, shall I see God? Read on. Whom I shall see for
myself and mine eyes shall behold. and not another. Though my reigns
be consumed within me. What a blessed hope. He says
the root of the matter is in me. It's in me. I know my Redeemer's
alive and I know I'm going to die and I know this body will
rot in the grave and I know I'll rise from the dead and in my
flesh Looking at you with my eyes. I'm gonna see God with
these eyes See God face to face with these
eyes in resurrection glory Our Resurrection is that thing
for which we hope now listen to this familiar portion of Scripture
This I recall to my mind Therefore have I hoped It is of the Lord's
mercies that we're not consumed because his compassions fail
not. They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. The
Lord is my portion, saith my soul. Therefore will I hope in
him. The Lord is good to them that
wait for him. To the soul that seeketh him.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for
the salvation of the Lord. We're saved in hope. Mark, I
am waiting for the salvation of God. Just waiting. I pray for grace to wait quietly. I'm waiting for the salvation
of the Lord, the redemption of the body, the manifestation of
the sons of God. This hope supports our souls
and troubles, sustains us. It gives us expectation in the
hour of death and fills our souls with joy in the midst of sorrow. Living as we do in hope, we have
joy anticipating the complete redemption. We talk about the
redemption of our souls and salvation of our soul, the complete redemption,
the complete salvation. of our entire being, body, soul,
and spirit delivered into the glorious liberty of the sons
of God. Redemption from all evil and
all the influence of evil and all the evil consequences of
wickedness performed by us delivered at last from the very being of
evil. Turn to 1 John chapter 3. I'll
wrap this up in just a minute. This hope, this hope is a purifying
hope. I believe the Lord gave me some
help with this for the first time. Gave me some real help
with this. In 1 John chapter 3. Behold what manner of love
the Father hath bestowed on us, that we should be called the
sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not because it knew him not. Beloved now are we the sons of
God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know
that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is. And every man that hath this
hope, this hope of resurrection glory, every man that hath this
hope, this blessed, blessed hope in him, purify himself, even
as he is pure. What? What? Well, a man who he has this hope,
he he he lives a pure life. Lindsay, I strive for it, but
I've never come close. That can't be what it's talking
about. One of two things, Mark, either that can't be what it's
talking about. Are you and I don't know God because your life ain't
that pure. Anybody here, anybody, anybody
here who got a pure life? I'm in a pure life. I'll sit
down, please. You stand up here and preach. That can't be what
it's talking about. What's it talking about? God,
the Holy ghost purifies our hearts by faith in Christ. when he sprinkles
the heart with the blood of Christ and purges our consciences from
dead works so that God declares we're his sons by his grace. And now the believer living by
faith in Christ reckons himself pure before God rightly, rightly,
rightly. Rightly, you reckon yourself
the way God reckons you. What Paul said, pure before God,
pure before the law I stand. His blood has cleansed me from
every corruption and every sin. Jesus Christ is the Lord, my
righteousness. His name is Jehovah Shekinu and
he gives me his name for he has made me the righteousness of
God in him. Now, let's see what this hope
is. Turn to 1st Thessalonians, 1st
Thessalonians 4. Exactly what is the believer's
hope? This blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great
God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. Here, the apostle describes it
for us. I would not have you, verse 13,
I would not have you ignorant brethren, Concerning them which
are asleep We take our brother and our sister
we lay them in the grave and we walk away Avoid in our hearts
because they're gone but walk away with hope for them Because
we have hope for ourselves Don't be ignorant concerning them who
are asleep. Their bodies are asleep. Not their soul First
Corinthians, our second Corinthians five, tells us that plainly.
Their bodies are sleeping. That you sorrow not, even as
others which have no hope. He didn't say don't sorrow. I
think that'd almost be impossible. But you don't sorrow with despair.
You don't sorrow without hope. For we believe, if we believe
that Jesus died and rose again, even them also which sleep in
Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord. That we which are alive and remain
when Christ gets here when he when he finally arrives when
he when he comes in his glory Under the coming of the lord
shall not prevent we shall not go ahead of them which are asleep
For the lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout With
the voice of an archangel with the trump of god and the dead
in christ shall rise first Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
lord in the air And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore,
comfort one another with these words. When I was 21 years old, God
put me in Lookout West Virginia as a pastor there. And one of
the first experiences I had as a pastor, one of the deacons,
Brother Harold Martin, Asked if I'd go visit his brother.
He was in the hospital in Montgomery, West Virginia, and he was dying. And I said, I'll be happy to
if you don't mind me telling him you sent me. He said, no,
that'd be fine. So I went down to visit with
his brother. And I don't think I will ever forget the look in
that man's eyes. I don't know anything else about
him. Can't remember another thing
about him but the look in his eyes. I walked in and introduced myself.
I said, I'm Don Fortner. I'm your brother Harold's pastor.
And he looked at me with such coldness and malice as I've never seen
in a man's eyes before. And he said, if you come here
to talk to me about God and religion, you can leave. I've lived like
hell and I'll die like hell. And I was shocked. I was shocked. And he died like hell. A few years later, his brother
Harold was dying with cancer. And I had the great privilege
of flying out to Washington where he was in the hospital and spent
the day with him. And I'd read scripture to him.
We'd talk and try to pray some when he'd be in and out of consciousness
and had his mind vivid and clear. These are the last words he spoke,
the very last words. He said, Preacher, it's good
to come here and know that everything is under the blood. His brother died with no hope. Harold died. That's a bad way of putting it,
isn't it? Our Lord said he that believeth on me shall never die.
He went home with a good hope. Being saved in hope. What is your hope? Would you
be saved in hope? Believe on the Son of God and
walk out of here in hope. Blessed, blessed expectation. everlasting life with Christ
in his glory. Amen.