Well, I always like a good story,
and I'll tell you a story I got hold of this week. There was
a baseball team manager, had a young rookie that he wanted
to play this particular day in right field. So he announced
he was going to have this rookie to play right field, and the
fellow who usually played right field wasn't real pleased. He
expressed it pretty loudly. Rookie got out there and was
playing. First ball hit to him. Fly ball. He just missed it. Next ball went right between
his legs. Then he finally caught one and
threw it the wrong way. So the manager took him out.
And he put the regular right fielder in there. And the right
fielder went out there. First ball hit to him. He missed
it. And he made another error. As
the inning came to a close, everybody in the dugout got real quiet.
They wanted to see what he was going to say. He'd been so loud
before. And as he walked up to the dugout,
before the manager could get to him to say anything at all,
he threw down his glove in disgust and he said, Skipper, that kid's
got right field so messed up nobody can play it. That's a pretty good description. of the way many feel about God's
salvation. They're so mixed up with regard
to salvation and the things of God, they wonder if anybody can
get it straight. What confusion there is in this
day with regard to God's saving grace. Confusion regarding prophecy
is bearable and endurable. Confusion regarding church order
is bearable and endurable. Confusion regarding the many
things that go on in religion is bearable and endurable. The confusion regarding God's
salvation will take you to hell. Let there be no confusion. And
yet I understand the confusion. We are all naturally perverse. Every thought we have by nature
with regard to the things of God is wrong. That not one is
right, not one. The natural man understandeth
not the things of God, none of them, none of them. Added to
that, if you turn on the television and you go home tonight, flip
on one of those religious channels, Listen to a little bit of that
one, then flip to another one, listen to a little bit of that
one, flip to another one, listen to a little bit of that one,
you'll think, does anybody have any idea what they're talking
about? Because it's just all confusion. It's all confusion.
And added to that, Satan is a master deceiver. He's a master deceiver. He doesn't mind you being religious. He doesn't mind you being moral.
People have the idea that Satan only works in brothels and bars. Oh no. Oh no. His center of activity
is religion. Religion. And he doesn't mind
how religious you are as long as you don't know God. As long
as you never come to know Jesus Christ the Lord. And so he constantly
keeps folks in a massive cloud of confusion. And then this book. When you read it to the natural mind, it can be
confusing. It sure can. Without the teaching
of God the Holy Spirit, you'll never understand it. It won't
happen. And yet, with regard to this
matter of salvation, you must learn and be taught of God. And
the way he does that is through the simplicity of preaching. Now tonight, I want us to look
at three sensible questions about salvation. Three questions found
in this book, three questions raised by men in the days of
our Lord and his apostles, and three questions clearly and distinctly
answered in this book. The first is in Luke chapter
13. Luke chapter 13. And I'll spend the bulk of my
time here. The Lord Jesus is making his
way toward Jerusalem. He set his face like a flint
to go up to Jerusalem to suffer and die in the room instead of
his people. There he would take on himself
our sins, and take on himself the wrath of God Almighty, and
suffer the wrath of God as well as the ignominy and shame heaped
upon him by the hands of wicked men. And he did so because he
wanted to. He said in chapter 12, verse
50, I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straightened
till it be accomplished? I won't be turned aside from
this. I must be plunged into the sea of God's wrath. I must be buried and overwhelmed
with the justice of God, and I'm determined to do it for my
people. As he went along the way, as
he walked through the streets, he would teach. He gives us a
great example. And he didn't just stand in pulpits
and preach. He never stood in a pulpit like
this anywhere and preached. He did go in the synagogues and
open the Word and teach, but wherever he went, as he walked
along his way toward his end, he spoke to folks concerning
the things of God. Look here in Luke 13, verse 22. The Lord had just given the parable
concerning the kingdom of God being like mustard seed and like
leaven. And he went through the cities
and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And then somebody,
somebody caught on something he said. Maybe because they saw
just a few disciples following him, and he had said the kingdom
of heaven is like the mustard seed, like leaven, just a little
bit of leaven. Kind of a seed. caught on something he said,
or remembered something they had heard or read in the Word
of God about God's absolute purpose, about his absolute sovereignty,
about a chosen people, about God saving a specific people.
Whatever the case was, this is the question they raised. Then
said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? Are there just a few that will
be saved? You see, Satan commonly perverts
the most precious truths of the gospel, and turns that which
ought to inspire a poor, needy sinner with hope into a stumbling
block by which he would carry him to hell. What could be more
precious? What could be more precious?
Brother Bob Duff, back in the office, read a couple of the
Psalms of Decrees, and those Psalms of Decrees express praise
to God for his sovereignty, and praise to God because he chose
Jacob for his heritage. Praise to God for his election,
for his love, for his redemption. What could be more comforting?
And yet, somebody hears that and says, well, God's chosen
can be saved. I'll be saved. God's chosen who's going to be
saved. If I'm going to be saved, he'll do it. I don't have to
be concerned about it. If I'm not among the elect, I can't
be saved. And Satan thereby takes the things of God, twists them,
and would ruin your soul forever. Now, it's very likely that this
question was raised by one of the Jews, who often tried to
trip up the Lord. make him say something against
what they believed to be the teaching of Moses and the law.
You see, the Jews had a very bigoted, racist notion concerning
God's salvation. They fully believed that no one
would be partaker of eternal glory except the physical seed
of Abraham. And so this fellow asked the
Lord, are we right? Is God's grace just for us? Tell us now. Are we right? Is God's grace limited just to
the Jews? Much like Nicodemus, this fellow
was perverse in his thinking, if indeed that's the case. Whatever
the man's motive was in asking this question, our Lord answered
him specifically, clearly, and directly. He don't. Then said
unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And Jesus said
unto them, verse 24, Strive to enter in at the straight gates. For many, I say unto you, will
seek to enter in, and shall not be able. What a way to answer the question. What marvelous wisdom. Our Lord said as much as this,
what does it matter whether few be saved if you're missed? What difference does it make
to you, whether God's elect or a great multitude that no man
can number, or as folks say, just a little handful, if you're
not in the handful? Why should you be concerned about
this rather than about yourself entering into the kingdom of
heaven? He answers the man's question directly, and by doing
so, he urges him to make sure that he's in the number. He says,
strive to enter in. That's your business. Who's going
to enter in is not your concern. How they enter in is not your
concern. Whether this fellow enters in
or another enters in, that's not your concern. Strive to enter
in. Lever to enter in, because multitudes
will try, and they'll miss it. Make sure, however large or however
small the number of the saved are, you're among them. You see,
Satan does not care if you discuss and debate and argue and defend
the things of God 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. I get a little testy, not angry
testy, testy because of what I observe men doing. You go to
the garage, walk in, folks start discussing and debating religion.
Go sit down at dinner and you'll hear a fellow behind me discussing
and debating religion. I'll guarantee you, and I haven't
tried it, but I'll guarantee you, if you go over to Lexington
and find you a bar somewhere where folks are falling down
drunk, and just mention the Bible, you'd get 25 folks around you
wanting to discuss and debate religion. Satan doesn't care
how interested a man is in religion. He's only concerned that you
miss the gate. That's all he's concerned with.
Multitudes go to hell talking about religion. I had a young man in my office
here sometime back, his first year in college, over here at
the center, one of the professors was trying to convince him and
his other classmates, you know, things contrary to the revelation
of God, convincing God didn't create the world, convincing
that the Bible is not really the word of God and all this
stuff. And then he really jumped on the matter of election. And
this fellow asked me about it. I said, don't be concerned about
that. Don't you try to stand up and defend what I believe
or what you've been taught to believe by your parents. Make
sure you believe it. And if you believe the gospel,
you can defend it. And even if you can't defend
it, it won't matter. The matter is, do you believe the Son of
God? But people like to poke fun at
those of us who believe and preach the gospel of God's grace. Frequently,
folks will say, well, you believe that there's just a select few
that are going to be saved. How many times have you heard
folks say, well, you folks believe only a handful are going to be
saved. Well, don't argue with them. Just say, yeah, that's
right. But it's a big hand. They're in our God's hand. The fact is, our Lord said this
plainly. Our Lord said this plainly. Matthew
22, verse 14. Many are called. Many are called. Not called by His Spirit, but
called by the preaching of the gospel. We send our missionaries
around the world. I travel and do everything I
can to preach the gospel to as many as I possibly can in this
generation. I write, I preach. We send out
tapes and literature. We send it everywhere, calling
centers to repent. I stand here and preach to you
three times a week, calling you to repentance. But few are chosen. Few are chosen. of all the multitudes
around the world I've preached to in the last 35 years, few are chosen. Few are chosen. Those are the words of God himself. Now you can argue with it, or
you can bow to it, but that's what he says. I know that in
the end, in the end, The scriptures tell us plainly, God's elect
will be a multitude which no man can number, ten thousand
times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. Who can tell how
God has accomplished his purpose? I sometimes think what mercy
it is when God sends judgment upon a nation. And infants are
taken by the score from their pagan, unbelieving parents in
God's mercy. This I know, when he gets done,
his elect shall be a multitude which no man can number. A great,
great host of redeemed, chosen sinners. And yet, in this world,
and I want you to hear this and hear it well, in this world,
in this world, at all times, In all societies, God's elect
are but few. They're just few. Danny, when
you sit around other teachers and school principals, and most
of them are religious, and you feel like the odd man out, you
are. You are. That's just the way
it is. That's just the way it is. And everybody looks at you
as an oddball. All you've got to do is open
your mouth about what you believe concerning God's grace. Who ever heard of such a thing?
Why, nobody believes that. Nobody but God's elect. Nobody
but God's elect. Let me show you. Listen to this.
There was a day on the sons of God and the daughters
of men, that is, those who professed to be believers and those who
didn't, those who claimed to be of the godly seed and those
who weren't, were so mixed in their relationships in life and
in religion that the knowledge and worship of God degenerated
so horribly that the thoughts of the heart of every man in
the universe was only evil continually. Not one man. One man. Oh, but Pritchard, they're just
a few hundred people on the earth. You better go back and do some
calculating. One man in the whole world, one
man, one man in the whole world found grace in the eyes of the
Lord. His name was Noah. You mean everybody else was wrong?
No, they were all dead. You mean everybody else was mistaken? No, they were all dead. You mean
everybody else was lost? That's it. They didn't know the
grace of God. There were millions, millions
who came out of Egypt with Moses. Millions who came out. Millions
who came out. Barbaestos, every last one of
them, from 20 years old and upwards, who came out of Egypt with Moses,
died in unbelief in the wilderness except Caleb and Joshua. There were, in 1 Kings 18, 851
prophets gathered on one mountain. 851 prophets. 450 prophets of
Baal and 400 more in the ministerial society. 851 prophets. There
was one prophet on that mountain who knew God. His name was Elijah, just one. When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem,
this is what he said, I and some few men with me have come to
do the work of God. Isaiah said that when the judgment
of God came upon the earth, there would be few men left. A great
multitude was carried away by God into Babylon, but when they
returned and came to Jeremiah in repentance, they said, We
are left but a few of many. And our Lord Jesus said concerning
the way of faith and life, Few there be that find it. If it
bothers you to be the odd man out, If it bothers you to swim
against the tide, if it bothers you to have everybody look at
you and all your thoughts with regard to the things of God and
religion and salvation, if it bothers you, have everybody look
at you, and so you're nuts. You're nuts. If it bothers you
to have the tide of world opinion against you, if it bothers you
to have the tide of religious opinion against you, if it bothers
you to have preachers look at you and just, you need help. If that bothers you, and you
believe the gospel of God's grace, you're in for a lot of bother.
A lot of bother. The gospel of God's grace has
never... I know you hear preachers say,
well boy, back yonder. Man, 50 years ago things were
sure different. They were, we didn't have television.
Now everybody had a car so they could run and go wherever they
wanted to. Things were different because God kept folks caged
up like lions in a cage. That's all. Oh boy, back when
the country was first founded. Everybody was godly and folks
just sat around and read the Bibles and sang hymns and kept
the Sabbath day and looked pious and walked pious. There has never
been a time, topside of God's earth, not since he created the
world, there has never been a time in the race of humanity when
the majority of folks believe the gospel of God's grace. Not
in this country, not in any other. Never. And I've got news for
you. It's not going to happen to the
world's over. Our Lord says here, few there be that find it. In
his parable he clearly indicated, indeed there are few that be
saved. At the last time, in that age,
I think, I think, I don't, sometimes I don't speak as confidently
as others do, but I think, Larry, we're living in it. We're living
in that time represented by the Church of Sardis in Revelation
3. And this is what the Lord says concerning his church in
that day. There are only a few names found
among the faithful, just a few. Among the multitudes who wear
the name of Christ. Among the multitudes who profess
to be his followers, there are only few who know him, few who
are saved by his grace. And the rest, I hope you know and I hope anybody
who hears these words know, and my heart breaks for the fact
of it, the rest are lost and perishing and groping about in
darkness. A preacher, you mean everybody
except you and your few friends is lost and you're right and
they're wrong? No, no, no. God's right and they're wrong.
There's a difference. There's a difference. God's right
and they're wrong. I had a Campbellite preacher
came out here one day. His church in town got a preacher school
and they used to have a Of course it was called Rose Fortner 101
and every year when they start school, I'd get a call. One of
these little kids still went behind the ears, didn't know
how to wipe his own nose, come back and want to debate. And
I wouldn't debate with him. This fellow came out and he said,
would you mind, he called and said, would you mind if I came
down so you could explain to me more clearly what you meant
by this article. I knew he was lying, but I thought,
well, maybe he's interested, so he came out. When he got out
of his car, he had a stack of books. He was armed to the teeth,
he thought. They were all blanks, but he
had a stack of books, and he was going to debate them. He
sat down. He introduced himself, talked
a little bit, and he said, He said, well, I guess that you
and I could agree on one thing. Well, at first he said, you wouldn't
mind if I called you a Calvinist, would you? I said, not if you
don't mind me calling you a Campbellite. That didn't sit well. But he
said, well, we can at least agree on one thing. And I said, what's
that? He said, either both of us are
lost, or at least one of us is. And I said, you're dead sure
right about that. Because we worship a different
God. We worship a different God. Well,
preacher, how can you know that you're one of God's elect? I
call on you, my friends, right now. I call on you, everyone.
Make your calling and election sure. Strive to enter in at the
straight gate. That gate is Jesus Christ the
Lord. Strive to enter in by that tight,
constricted gate which requires that you enter in with nothing
of your own buck-native, with nothing except His righteousness,
and washed in His blood, strive to enter in at that tight, narrow,
singular, constricted gate which is so hard for anybody to enter. So a preacher, how can I know
that I'm one of God's elect? Turn to 1 Thessalonians, chapter
1, let me show you. Has Christ been revealed in you? Do you know the Son of God? Do
you trust Christ alone as your Savior? Is Jesus Christ your
Lord and Master? You say, well, I don't know. Oh, yes, you do. Oh, yes, you
do. If you're honest, you know. If
you're honest. You see, it is possible to know
your election. Give diligence to make your calling
and election sure. That doesn't mean give diligence
to make sure God chooses you. That means make sure that you
know it. Make sure that you have an interest
in the things of God. Here in 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul
says, or chapter 1 rather, verse 4, Paul says, knowing rather
than be loved your election of God. Paul said, I know God chose
you. I know God chose you. I know
He did. And David, he wasn't just saying
this, hoping to make them feel good. He was writing by inspiration.
He said, I know God chose you. I know He did. Well, how do you
know? Watch this. For our gospel came not to you
in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much
assurance. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. I'm among those few who are saved.
And I know I am, because the gospel of God's grace still comes
to me in the Holy Ghost, in power and in much assurance. I hear
God speak by His Word, and I know I've heard God speak. I hear
God speak by His Word, and I know God spoke to me. We don't. Not only that, He says in verse 6, you became
followers of us and of the Lord. Believers follow Christ. Just
that simple. Just that simple. They follow
him as servants follow their master. They follow him as sons
walk in the steps of their parents. They follow him willingly. They follow him because they
want to. They follow him. They follow him. Oh, that preacher,
I stumble and fall so much, me too, but I'm still following
him. I'm still following him. He became followers of the Lord.
Now watch this. Having received the Word. God sends his Word, and it doesn't matter how much
it grates on our flesh. It doesn't matter how contrary
it is to what we want. It doesn't matter how contrary
it is to what we've been taught. God sends his word. God said
that, that's it. That's it. We receive the word,
and receive it in much affliction, but we receive it in joy in the
Holy Ghost. Oh, that's God's truth. So that
you were in samples, examples, to all that believe in Macedonian
Achaia." Now, what's this? When a man is chosen of God,
when a man has the gospel of God's grace brought to him and
the power of the Holy Ghost so that he receives the word of
God and begins to follow Christ, he is utterly sold out to the
cause of Christ, committed to it. For from you, from you Thessalonians,
you insignificant nobodies and nothings, The word of the Lord
was sounded out, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in
every place. Your faith to God is spread abroad. Look at verse 9. For they themselves
show of us what manner of entering in we had among you, and how
you turned to God from idols. how you turned to God from idols. What happened? God saved you.
Turned to God from idols. But Richard, he was in a Baptist
church all his life. Baptists got their idols just
like Catholics do. They worship and serve the same
little peanut good luck charm God who is worthless as spit,
can't do anything without your help. Can't save you except you
do something for Him. Can't redeem you except you do
something for Him. Can't bring you to glory except you do something
for Him. That God is like that God, those Gods that Elijah mocked
on Mount Carmel. Go ahead and cry and scream and
cut yourself and dance and have your parades and your parties
and do everything you can to get his attention. He ain't going
to hear you. He doesn't have any ears. He's
worthless. Turn to God. To God. Our God is in the heavens. He's God indeed. How do you know
he's done whatsoever he pleases in heaven, in earth, in the sea,
and in all deep places? You turn to God from idols. And
not only that, serving the living and true God, you turn to him
to wait for his son from heaven. Are you among God's elect? Has
God called you by His grace? This I know. If you are, if you
have any reason to be confident of your election, it's because
God called you by the power of His Spirit. Because God called
you to turn to Him and follow Christ. Because God sets your
heart upon Him and He keeps your heart on Him. I gladly ascribe
the whole of my salvation To God alone who loved me with everlasting
love. To Christ alone who redeemed
me with his precious blood. To the Holy Spirit alone who
called me by his invincible grace. By the grace of God I am what
I am. I believe James because he gave
me faith to believe. I continue to believe because
he keeps feeding the faith. I persevere in the faith because
he holds me by his grace. And I'll enter into glory because
he carries me in. That's all. That's all. Well, isn't it possible for a
man to believe God? and still go to hell? Not until
God Almighty abdicates His throne and tears up His Word and says,
I lied to you. How do you know that you are
a God's elect? How are you confident of that? I believe the Son of God. That's all. That's all. I believe it. I believe it. Oh, but I don't have very strong
faith. I don't either. The more I experience it, the
weaker I recognize what it is. Oh, I would like to believe it.
My key ought to be believed. But He's all my hope. That's it. That's it. Oh, to
grace, how great a debtor the daily I'm constrained to be. All right, let's look at another
question. Matthew 19. Matthew 19. We won't read the
whole passage. You can read it at your leisure.
Beginning at verse 16, going down through verse 26. You're
familiar with the story. The Lord Jesus was preaching,
and there was a rich young ruler who came to him. This fellow
had a lot of money, and he had a lot of power, and he had a
lot of position, and he was as religious as all get out. He
had been raised in a fundamental conservative Baptist church. His name was inscribed in the
cradle roll before he was ever born, been there all his life.
He was a good, good fellow. Good man, good man. His daddy was rich and he was
rich. His mama was good and he was good. Good man. But he heard
the Lord Jesus preaching the gospel. And it came to him and
he said, good master, what good thing shall I do that I may inherit
eternal life? Man, we'd make a deacon out of
him today and a preacher tomorrow. What I do, I can inherit eternal
life. And the Lord Jesus looked at
him and said, why did you call me good? No one's good but God. Are you
calling me God? Well, you know, I didn't mean to say that. I
didn't mean to say that! But if you want to inherit eternal
life by what you do, all you've got to do is keep the commandments.
Shoot, I've got that in the bag. Which ones? Love God with all your heart
and your neighbor as yourself. And the fellow said, well I've
done this since I was a little boy. I never had broke on the
commandments. I was christened and sprinkled
with water and dedicated to God by my mama and daddy when I was
eight days old. I've always been a Christian.
Always been a Christian. I've always done this. Oh, you
have. You love your neighbor just like
you do yourself, huh? You love God with all your heart,
and you call me God? Is that good? I'll tell you what
you do. Since I'm God, your riches are
all mine. And you love God with all your
heart, take everything you've got, sell it, and give it to
the poor. You love your neighbor as yourself?
You'd rather him have it than you have it, wouldn't you? Huh? Love your neighbor as yourself? You got two cars, don't give
them one of them, give them both of them. You love your neighbors
as yourself? Sell them, give it to the poor. Come and follow
me, and you'll have eternal life. Wait a minute. Yeah, my bank statement says
I'm still pretty rich. No. I'll go on to hell without
you. And he turned and walked away.
And the disciples were astonished. The Lord said, it's easier for
a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Now I know what
the commentators and what the folks who like to explain the
way the scriptures say about that. There was a little place
in the wall in the city of Jerusalem called the Camel's Eye. A camel
to get there had to get down on his knees and unload and crawl
through. That's not what he's saying. Any of you ladies know
what a needle is? You ever try to get a piece of
thread through a needle? Shelby can still do it. I never could. I couldn't get it twisted up
enough to get through that little needle's eye. Our Lord said it's
easier for a camel to walk through that little needle eye than for
a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. A morally rich
man, a spiritually rich man, or a materially rich man. If
there's anything on this earth that can keep you from trusting
Christ, it's your goodness and your wealth. If there's anything
on this earth that will keep you from coming to Christ, bowing
to Him as your Lord and Savior, it is your personal self-righteousness
or your personal possessions holding on to what you've got.
And the disciples said, well, Lord, if this man can't be saved,
if this fellow, if this fellow can't be saved, look at it now,
verse 25, who then can be saved? That's the question. Who's sitting
here? I tried preparing this message
to look at your faces. In my mind, who's sitting here? Who's sitting here right now?
Right now. For just a moment, forget everybody
else. Son and daughter, mother and father, brother. Forget everybody
else. Who's sitting right here? Can be seen. If in any way it depends on you
or me, nobody. Not one of us. Not one of us. It's what the
Lord said next, with men it's impossible. But bless God, the
saving of your soul doesn't depend on you or me. But with God, all
things are possible. Who can be saved? Anybody. Anybody.
Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody.
Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody.
Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody.
Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody.
Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody.
Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody.
Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody.
Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody.
Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody.
Anybody. Anybody. Anybody. Anybody Anybody. My daughter. My daughter been
possessed of a devil. Anybody. Anybody. My wife. My husband. My father. My mother.
My neighbor. Anybody! Anybody. With God, all things are possible. And Jesus Christ, our Savior,
is God Almighty, who is able to save unto the uttermost all
them that come to God by Him. That means, that means that even
though there are few, there are saved. And I'm as worthless as hell
itself. God can save me? You got it.
You got it. Now look at Acts 6.8. One more
question. Again, you're familiar with the
story. Paul and Silas come in to this old crusty Philippian
jailer. You know those fellows they've
been looking for over in Iraq? That's what he was. He was too old to go out to battle
any more, so they put him in ward to take care of the prisons.
He wasn't a nice fellow. He wasn't a nice fellow. And
in desperation when he saw the power of God break the prison
doors open, And he realized that Paul and Silas were there, and
Paul offered up to him and said, Don't kill yourself, we're all
here, nobody's after you. And that man came in trembling,
and he brought Paul and Silas out, and in verse 30, he says,
Sirs, what must I do to be saved? In humility, he says, I need
saving. And he says, this saving is something
that must be done to be informed. He says, what must I do to be
saved? Now, I hear fellows, I understand,
they say, well, this fellow, he tried to come to God on the
grounds of works. Maybe, maybe. And Paul and Silas,
we don't know everything they said to him. I'm sure they must
have said to him. No, they took this poor desperate
sinner and gave him the answer of God. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. And by the way, bud, the same
thing is true for all your family and thy house. If your daughters
and your wife Your sons and your nephews and nieces and your grandbabies,
if they believe on Him, they'll be saved too. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. Tell me, my friend, isn't it
time you quit asking questions and quit arguing with God and
quit putting up excuses for not trusting Christ, and believed
on the Son of God. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and thou shalt be saved. This is what it says. Look unto
me, look unto me, and be ye saved. Well, who's he talking to? All ye ends of the earth. All
ye ends of the earth. For I'm God. And beside me, there
is none else. Amen. I've asked David to come
and sing a very, very good hymn. I want you to listen to every
word. And after he's finished, Merle, you may come and serve
the Lord's table, please.