Alright, let's open our Bibles
to 1 Peter chapter 3. And I know that most of you remember
that's where we were last Wednesday. 1 Peter chapter 3. But I hurried
over these last verses. Verse 18 through 22. And they're very important verses. I hurried over them too quickly.
And when I began the study for tonight's message, I started
with chapter 4, and then I looked back at those verses that we
hurried over in chapter 3, the last several verses, and I thought,
now these are just too important. These verses are too full of
blessings for us not to stop and consider them carefully.
So, tonight we'll begin with verse 18, 1 Peter 3. And it says in verse 18, "...for
Christ also hath once suffered for sins." Now, Peter in verse
17, 16 and 17 exhorted us to patiently
endure suffering for the gospel's sake. He said people are going
to despise what you believe, the gospel you believe, the gospel
that's precious to your heart, and the grace of God and the
person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, they will despise it
and they will persecute you and say all manner of evil against
you, Christ said falsely for my sake. But he tells us to suffer
patiently. Look at verse 17. He says, it
is better if the will of God be so, that you suffer for well-doing
than for evil-doing. And Christ is our example in
this. He's our example of suffering
for the gospel and for well-doing. They took up stones to stone
him one time, and he said, well, many good works have I done among
you. Well, for which of these do you stone me? And they said,
we're not stoning you for good works, we're stoning you because
you're a man and you say you're God for what you say, what you
believe, what you preach. That's the reason we hate you.
And they'll hate you. He said, they'll hate me, they'll
hate you. Receive my words, they'll receive your words. And he's
our example in this. Let me show you back in chapter
2, verse 20. This is what Peter dealt with
back here. 1 Peter 2, verse 20. For what glory is it, if when
you be buffeted for your faults, you take it patiently? But when
you do well, stand for the truth, obey the truth, walk in truth,
and suffer for it, you take it patiently. This is acceptable
with God. For even here unto were you called,
because Christ also suffered, leaving us, for us, leaving us
an example that we should follow his steps. He did no sin, neither
was guile found in his mouth, who when he was reviled, he reviled
not again. When he suffered, he threatened
but committed himself to him that judges righteously. So see,
what he's saying here is that when you stand for the gospel
and love it and believe it, and when you walk in the ways of
God, the truth of God's word, you're going to be persecuted.
But our Lord was. He suffered. And when he was
reviled, he didn't revile back. When he was persecuted, he didn't
turn on these people. but he endured it patiently,
and he's our example. But verse 18, where we begin
here, he said, for Christ also, now that word's important, also
has once suffered for sin. He not only suffered as an example,
but our substitute. He said, not only our example in daily living, bearing under
the bearing up joyfully under the hatred of men. But he suffered
also for sins. He hath also, that's what he's
saying here, he hath also suffered for our sins. An example, yes. But his work is a substitute. He died. And there's so many
scriptures you could quote, he was wounded for our transgressions. He suffered far sins. He was
wounded far our transgression. The chastisement of our peace
was laid upon him. By his stripes we're healed.
Paul said, I preached the gospel to you and you received it. You
believe it wherein you're saved if you keep in memory what I
preached unto you. How that Christ died far our
sins according to the scriptures. He died in the stead of his people. So He hath also, not only as
an example, but a substitute, suffered for sin. Now there's
another word here. Like I say, these verses are
so rich. It says, For Christ hath also
once suffered for sin. One time. One time. He suffered and died for our
sins one time. Once He died for our sins. If you'll turn to Hebrews 9,
This clearly is declared here. Christ died once. The Old Testament
priest offered many sacrifices. He had many offerings and sacrifices
and bullocks and lambs slain. But Hebrews 9.28 says, For Christ
was once offered to bear the sin of many. One Savior, one
death, one sacrifice, one offering. He was once offered to bear the
sin of many. And unto them that look for him,
believe on him, trust in him, shall he appear the second time
without sin unto salvation. Alright, Hebrews 10, over one
page. Hebrews 10, verse 14. Back here in verse 11 it says,
Every priest standeth daily ministering, offering oftentimes the same
sacrifices, those Old Testament sacrifices which can never take
away sin, but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice,
sacrificed for what? For sins. Forever. sat down the right hand of God,
from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool,
for by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified."
Christ, our example, Christ our substitute, who also suffered
once, one time, for the sins, all the sins of all of his people. Now then, look at that verse
a little further. For Christ also hath once suffered
for sin, the just for the unjust. You know, there's not a just
man on the earth. I know you're familiar with this scripture,
but turn to it. You might want to mark it in your Bible. In
Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes chapter 7. You know,
Christ is called the just one. And there's a reason for that.
He's the only just one. He's the only just one. Look
at Ecclesiastes 7, verse 20. Ecclesiastes 7, verse 20. For
there is not a just man upon the earth. Ecclesiastes 7, 20. That doeth good and sinneth not.
Go back. Start with Adam. And come to
this present day. To the last baby born this morning. There isn't a just man or woman
on this earth. But there was one. And he's called
throughout the Scripture the just one. You remember, and you'll
have to turn to this, this is such a blessing. Acts 22. You
remember when Ananias came to Paul? Paul had been smitten blind
on the road to Damascus. Acts 22 verse 13. Verse 12. Acts
22, 12. You remember he came to him there in Damascus, and he said to Saul
of Tarsus, Acts 22 verse 12, And one Ananias, a devout man
according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews
that dwelt there, came to me, and stood and said to me, Brother
Saul, receive thy sight. In the same hour I looked up
upon him, and he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee,
that thou shouldest know his will, the will of redemption,
and you should see the just one. There's just one. The just, just. Just is what? Righteous, perfect,
holy. The capital J-U-S-T, capital
O-N-E, that's Christ. The just one. And over in Isaiah
45, he calls himself a just God. and a Savior. A just God and
a Savior. You see, God is holy and just. And this is what Job asked. Job
and his friends are asked all the way through the book of Job,
how can man be just with God? How can he be, who is born of
a woman, be justified before God? How can this sinner and
these sinners and all sinners stand justified, sanctified,
accepted before a holy, just God. How can God have anything
to do with us? He says the stars are not pure
in His sight. The moon, the heavens are not
clean in His sight. How much more abominable and
filthy is man who drinks iniquity like water? How can we be just
with God? We can be just with God if we
can find a just one to take our place and stand in our room instead. and give us His just righteousness. He calls Himself in chapter 45
of Isaiah verse 21. Listen. Tell ye, bring them near. Yea, let them take counsel together.
Who hath declared this from ancient times? Who hath told it from
that time? Have not I the Lord? And there
is no God else beside me. There is no God beside me. I am a just God and a Savior. All in one. God and a Savior,
God and man? One, yes, I'm a just God and
a Savior, and there's none beside me, not a just man on this earth. So you look to me. Don't look anywhere else. Lou,
look to me. Ecclesiastes said, there's not
a just man on the earth, but one. And that's the just one.
the Lord Jesus Christ who has become our Savior. So he said,
look to me. Why would you look anywhere else?
If there's only one, look to me and be saved. It doesn't matter
who you are, where you are, where you came from, what your background
is, all the earth, white, black, rich, poor, old, young, short,
tall, male, female, wise, unwise, you look to me. I'm God. I'm
a just God and a Savior. There's none else. And that's
what he's saying here in our text. For Christ Jesus the Lord
also, whatever else He is to us, He hath once, one time, suffered
for our sins, the just for us who are unjust. Why did He do
that? Listen, that in order that He
might bring us to God. No other way to God. He said,
I am the way. I am the truth. I am the light.
No man comes to the Father. No man knows God or approaches
God or stands before God or comes to God except through me, by
me. And He did this as our substitute
that He might bring us to God. Look back here at Hebrews 9.
Hebrews 9. This verse is just breathtaking. It's just so rich. Hebrews 9. Now, you know about the tabernacle. Look up here. Let me show you
something here. There was that tabernacle out
in the wilderness. It's unimposing, plain, covered with
the badger skin, but it's a holy tabernacle. And it's where God
met men. It's where the services of God
were carried on. It's where the priest represented
the people to God and God to the people. And there was the
holy place. And there was the veil. And within
the veil, there was the ark of the covenant with the broken
law and the mercy seat. And the Shekinah glory of God
was between the cherubims on the mercy seat. And verse 7 says,
Hebrews 9, in two, but in two, into that second compartment,
holy of holies, went the high priest, alone, once every year,
not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the heirs
of the people. The Holy Ghost, this signifying that the way
into the holiest of all, into the presence of God, was not
yet made manifest. While as yet that first tabernacle
was yet standing, And that first tabernacle was a picture, a figure,
for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts
and sacrifices, blood sacrifices, offerings, that could not make
him that did the service perfect, couldn't put away sin, the blood
of bulls and goats can't. And these things stood only in
meats and drinks and divers, washings and carnal ordinances
and ceremonies imposed on them on them until the time of reformation,
until the time that the just one came to earth. Now then,
but Christ, being come a high priest, like Melchizedek, after
the order of Melchizedek, of good things to come, by a greater
and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is
to say, not of this building. What was the tabernacle? His
body. The body thou hast prepared me. Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. He took us
with him. And back there in the Old Testament,
that tabernacle stood in the wilderness, awesome presence
of God, the holy place with the showbread, and the candlesticks,
and the altered incense, and the priests went about their
duties, and the veil, that awesome veil that reached from the top
to the bottom, side to side, and inside that veil, no man
dared to go. God's presence was there. He
said, I'll meet you, I'll dwell between the cherubims over the
mercy seat, over the broken law, As a picture of Christ's redemption,
that old high priest would slay the lamb, take the blood in a
basin, cross the courtyard, wash his hands and feet in pure water,
go into the holy place, pick up the incense and a censer,
then go under the veil by himself once a year on the day of atonement,
Passover, sprinkle that blood with hyssop on the mercy seat.
as an atonement to God for sin. Come out under that veil, back
out among the people. He represented the people to
God, God to the people. Picture Christ, and our Lord
came down here to this earth in flesh. He didn't go in a tabernacle
made with hands. In his own body, went to the
cross and died. Shed his own blood and went into
the holiest of all into the presence of God, into heaven itself with
His blood and made an atonement for us. And that's the end of
the ceremonies, the end of the blood shedding, and the end of
the priesthood, and the end of all representation. He's our
representative. He's our high priest. He's our
advocate. He's our mediator. He's our high
priest. We have a high priest who's at
the right hand of God who intercedes for us. He hath also once suffered
for sin, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. He took us to God. We're there. We're seated with Him in the
heaven. We're there. Alright, watch. He was put to
death in the flesh. See that? He was put to death
in the flesh. There are three words associated
with the flesh. It's flesh. In three words, mine,
yours, and everybody else's. Now come on, think with me. Three
words. Well, there's a lot of words. These three are the ones
with which we've got to do, have to do. One is sin. That which is born of the flesh
is flesh. Sin. All that's sin comes short
of the glory of God. I don't care where you find flesh,
you'll find sin. It came from Adam. By one man,
sin entered the world, and death by sin. That's to go on all men,
all sin. Second word is death. Sin and death. Sin when it's
finished, bring it forth death. Everybody here is going to die. Death. It's flesh. God, the Lord
said dust you are, dust you shall return. To dust you shall return.
You came from, you're going back. The third word is what? Judgment. It's appointed unto me and wants
to die after that judgment. Now those three things are certain. Satan, death, and judgment. And our Lord Jesus Christ was
put to death in the flesh. He bore our sins. And was put
to death in the flesh. And thank God He didn't stay
there. Look at the next line, quickened by the Spirit, he was
raised. And there is therefore now no
judgment to them who are in Christ, because He has no judgment upon
them. He paid for sin, put them away,
they're not there, they're gone. And God doesn't even remember
them. Look back at Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews chapter 10. It says this, Hebrews chapter
10, I read that verse 14, by one offering he hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is
a witness to us. For after that he had said before,
he had said before, this is the covenant that I will make with
them after those days, saith the Lord. I'll put my law in
their hearts, in their minds will I write them, and their
sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. No sin, no
death, no judgment. Not in Christ. No sin, no death,
no judgment. So He, that's what it says here,
that He was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit. What is this Spirit by which
He's quickened? It's the Holy Spirit. His Spirit,
the Spirit of Christ, quickened by the Holy Spirit. And verse
19, now watch this. He was raised from the dead,
quickened by the Spirit, raised from the dead. You know, there
are two things His resurrection declares. Turn to Romans 1 for
the first one. Let me show you this. We've got
time to do that. Turn to Romans 1. There are two things that the
resurrection of Christ, two main things that they declare. In
Romans 1, verse 3. You know these scriptures. The
gospel, verse 3, is concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,
which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh,
took a body upon Himself, He was the house and lineage of
David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of
God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection
from the dead. You know when the angel said
to the women, why are you seeking the living among the dead? He's
not here, he's risen. His resurrection declares that
he is who he said he is. He is who he said he is, the
son of God. He said destroy this temple,
three days I'll raise it. He did it and declared himself
to be the son of God. But the resurrection also declares
something else. Acts 17. This is vital. Acts 17, verse
31. His resurrection from the dead
declares He's the Son of God. He's the Son of God. You know,
when that centurion stood at the foot of the cross, after
our Lord Jesus had died, he spoke some words. I don't know where
he got them. I don't know whether he understood
what he was saying. I don't know whether His heart
really believed it. I do not know, I just know what
scripture says. It says, and the centurion which
stood at the foot of the cross after he died said, sure, this
man was the son of God. Remember that's what it is? And
that's what his death and resurrection declared. He's the son of God.
But it declares something else. Acts 17 verse 31. Acts 17 31, because God hath
appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness
by that man, that one man, that just man, whom he hath ordained,
whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath
raised him from the dead. God is saying, this is my son,
and God is saying also, I accept what He did on behalf of His
people. He's the Savior, the only one.
God declared that by His resurrection. If God had not accepted Him and
His person and work, He'd have left Him in the grave. That is
the significant difference, listen to me just a minute, between
all between true Christianity and all other religions and all
other messiahs. Mohammed, you can visit his grave. His bones are still there. Confucius,
you can visit his grave. He's still there. Buddha, if
such a person ever lived, you can visit his grave. Every so-called
religious leader, Mary Baker Eddy, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young,
name all your messiahs, all the popes, all the religious so-called
vicars, they're in the grave. They're bonsai. Not him. He's risen. He's risen. That's what the angels said.
Why do you seek the living among the dead? He's the living. They're
dead. He lives. Our Lord lives. And he's the
only religious leader Messiah, Prophet, that was ever raised
from the dead. And when God raised him, he declared
two things. This is my son, and he's your
Savior, and your only Savior. And his work is finished, and
I accept it. That's right. And he said he
was raised by the Spirit. And I want to clear this up,
help you with this right here. By which also he went and preached
to the spirits in prison, which sometimes were disobedient. at one time disobedience when
once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while
the ark was a preparing wherein few, that is eight souls, were
saved by water. Some people have invented a doctrine
which says when Christ died that he went into Hades where these
people were that lived in the days of Noah and preached the
gospel to them. to see if they would accept it
then, give them a second opportunity. People teach that. That Jesus
Christ, after He died, went down into Hades, and He preached to
people. But this is what this is saying.
That this Spirit of Christ, which is His nature, which is His divine
nature, and His eternal Spirit. You know, the Bible talks about
the Spirit of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ.
Spirit of God. Spirit of Christ. And Christ
was in His holy nature and His Holy Spirit before all things,
before creation. His Holy Spirit was with Him.
It was the Spirit of Christ before creation. Before the garden,
before man, in the days of Noah, the Spirit of Christ was the
Spirit of Christ. And by His Spirit, through His
servants, His prophets, He preached to those people who lived in
that day. This is what this is saying. The Spirit of Christ
by which He was raised, the Spirit of Christ, He went in the person of Noah. The Holy Spirit dwelt in Noah. And Noah preached to them. Turn
with me to 2 Peter chapter 2. 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 5. Who was Noah? 2 Peter 2 verse
5. Verse 4 says, If God spared not
the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered
them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment,
and spared not the old world, but saved Noah and seven other
people, he was the eighth person, but he saved Noah and seven others,
Noah a preacher of righteousness. bringing in the flood upon the
world of the ungodly. Noah was of what? A preacher
of righteousness. He preached Christ. He preached
righteousness. He preached redemption. And he
preached it by the Spirit of Christ. Without His Spirit, a
man can't preach. So when Noah preached to those
people, it was the Spirit of Christ preaching to them. It
was Christ preaching to them. One day our Lord said to his
disciples, now you go into all the world and preach the gospel.
What else did he say? Talking about them preaching.
He said, he that heareth you, what? Heareth me. He that heareth you, heareth
me. And he that heareth not you,
heareth not him that sent me. So we go forth, and that's the
reason John tells us to try the spirits. When people preach,
everybody preaches by some kind of spirit. An evil spirit or
a holy spirit. A selfish spirit or the spirit
of Christ. The spirit of error or the spirit,
holy spirit of truth. And so, the spirit of Christ
is preaching to you right now. It's a vessel of clay. Paul said
we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the power might
be of God, not of us. The powers of God, not of us.
This is what is wrong in a lot of places where they're having
all these sharing things. The idea today is just everybody
get around a circle, everybody give his opinion about spiritual
matters. Let's share, let's discuss, let's
argue, let's debate. That's not God's way. God's way
is for an appointed servant, elder, preacher, pastor. He sat in the church. Apostles,
prophets, missionaries, pastors, teachers. That you might be taught,
that the people might be taught. And these men teach and preach
by the Spirit of Christ. By the Spirit of Christ. That's
right. And that's where this Holy Spirit
that came upon our Lord at His baptism, without measure. This Holy Spirit by which He
was raised is the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. It's
the same Spirit by which He preached. Abraham preached, Noah preached,
Moses preached by the Spirit of Christ. That's right. And that's what He's saying here.
And those people that are now in chains of darkness, they heard
the Gospel. Let me show you that. Hebrews
4, verse 2. That's true of everybody. In Israel, they all heard the
gospel. Hebrews 4, listen. Hebrews 4 verse 2, and here's
a warning. Hebrews 4 verse 2, unto us was
the gospel preached, as well as to them. Israel. But the word preached didn't
profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard
it. They heard the gospel. They saw it in thick picture
and type. What do you think that they were
thinking when the priest slew the lamb? Everybody was standing
around and there the priest slays a lamb. A lamb without spot or
blemish. A lamb of the first year. A lamb,
a submissive animal that does not offer any resistance. Sheds
its blood, roasts its body with fire, and they eat the body,
the flesh, and then takes the blood. And a tabernacle that
God had them erect according to His own dimensions and plans.
He takes this blood and goes into the Holy of Holies, and
the cloud of God's presence is over that mercy seat. And He
offers the blood. They saw the gospel. They heard
the gospel. Picture Christ's death, blood
shedding, sacrifice, atonement, God appeased, men accepted. And when our Lord died on that
cross, it was fulfilled. And they heard the gospel, but
it didn't profit them. Not being mixed in faith, so
it was faith in them that heard it. Alright, verse 21 and 22. Now Noah himself is a type, a
picture of Christ the preacher. When Noah preached to the people
of his day, they were marrying and giving in marriage and going
on about their business until the flood came and swept them
all away. And that's present day. As it was in the days of
Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man.
People taking up with everything but what's important. And Noah
preached to them. His sons heard him, and his sons'
wives heard him. And God took them into the ark,
but nobody else heard him. But he preached to them. And it says here in verse 21, "...and Noah was the type of
Christ the preacher, and Noah was the type of Christ our salvation."
Verse 21 says, "...the like figure, whereunto even baptism doth also
now save us." Deliver us, the word saved is deliver. Now this
is not the putting away the filth of the flesh. This is not actually
being put into water. That's not the water itself,
the ingredients that cleanses your heart and soul, no. But
it's the answer of a good conscience toward God by the resurrection
of Jesus Christ. Now here's how Noah's Ark is
a type of Christ our Savior. Noah preaching by God's Spirit. is the type of Christ the prophet
who brought us the message. God who spake to our fathers
by the prophets, by His Holy Spirit, has spoken to us in these
last days by His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's hear Him. Hear Him. He said, this is my
Son. Hear Him. Hear Him. Hear Him. And Noah's Ark is the
type of Christ. So here's that Ark. And Noah
finishes preparing it. And God calls Noah, his family,
and all these animals said, go into the ark. He didn't pick
them up or shove them in. They went willingly. People stayed
out willingly. He went willingly. He believed
God. He went into the ark. God shut
the door. One by one door. That's Christ.
And he's the ark. God shut the door. It started
raining. The rain came. Waters came up,
waters came down, water was all around. That ark was completely
submerged in judgment. It was totally submerged in judgment. Water, you couldn't have stuck
your finger outside without getting water on it. Water was the judgment
of God. It was all over that ark. Completely submerged in judgment. And God's wrath fell upon it.
At the end of the designated time, the water stopped. The judgment stopped. That ark
came down on the mountain. And the sun was out. And the
door opened. And Noah and the people walked
out. Saved. Everybody else was gone. They
were delivered. When our Lord Jesus Christ died,
He took us into Himself. He went to that cross. And he
was submerged in judgment. His soul was made an offering
for sin. There wasn't a spot on his body
that wasn't bruised and abused, lacerated. He cried out. He said, Dogs, compass me about.
My God, why have you forsaken me? Your sins have separated
you and your God. That's talking about Christ.
Submerged in judgment. And we're in Him. We're in Him. paid that debt, and then the
judgment stopped. And the Son came out. He was
put in the grave. And that Sunday morning, He walked
out. And we walked out with Him. Delivered
from sin, delivered from judgment, delivered from death. We walked
out. Free. Curse of the law gone, judgment
gone, hell, death, everything gone. Free in Christ. We go into this water. You're
picturing that. Just like that art was a picture
of Christ. Noah wasn't saved by that art, he was saved by
Christ, but he got in the art. That art was a type of picture.
I'm not saved by the baptism, but it's a picture of how he's
saved. See that? So we go into the water, and
I put you beneath the water. You're submerged in judgment. Crucified with Christ buried.
And you come up saying, I'm risen with Him. I step out of the ark
into the sunshine. See that? Our Lord came out of
the grave that morning. Freed from the sin that He had
borne. And that's the picture. That's what He's saying here.
The like figure. A figure is a picture of something
else. You see? A figure, a statue is a picture
of something else. And so baptism is not the Savior,
it's a picture of the Savior. See that? The Ark's not the Savior,
it's a picture of the Savior. Baptism, where unto even baptism
that now deliver us, not the putting away of the filth of
the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God.
I believe Christ. I believe God. You see, you can't picture that
sprinkling water. You can't picture that pouring
water. The word baptized itself means immersion. That's what
it is. It's immersion. And it's death's burial. You
don't sprinkle dirt on a dead person, you bury them out of
sight. And somebody that's alive, they come out of the grave. Out
of the grave. So, it says, by the resurrection
of Christ, verse 22, and I'll quit, "...who is gone into heaven,
who is at the right hand of God, angels and poplars being subject
unto him. He said, Father thou has given
me authority over all flesh that I should give this life to as
many as you've given me. That's a beautiful picture of
our redemption by our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, and I hope you were
blessed by coming out tonight. I thought several times I should
have canceled the service and then D.R. said no. Everybody
said no. Maybe a few of us, but I remember
some services where there were just a few of us that God really
was pleased to bless. People came and put forth a special
effort and a special sacrifice and they came and he was there
and they were blessed and we're glad we came. Glad we came. And I'm glad I went back over
those verses, because, Ronnie, I went through them too fast
last Wednesday night, and I thought I need to get back over there.
And you came all the way from Florida to hear that, and I hope
it was a blessing. You know, that ought to be a
lesson to every one of us elders, men who preach. People come from
a long ways, and you don't have any place to go down there to
hear this, and it means special to you, and it's special to everybody
here. And they're here because they
want to be, and we just must. I wrote these young preachers
from India that I'm writing. I said, above all things, it's
true of all preachers, old preachers, but especially young preachers,
study, study, study, to show thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth. I slipped in on Tom Harding Sunday night. I asked John to
preach here, and Dan and John to read and preach, and let me
I was coming here and I told Doris, I said, let's go down
and slip in on Tom and worship with them. I tell you, that was
such a blessing. He was, there's a studier too,
and he had a message that just blessed our hearts and God's
true preachers will, they'll have a message for you, won't
they? They'll have a message.