I recognize that when I am bold to speak as plainly on some subjects as I do, that
the question may come forth, well, who do you think you are? When men like Scofield and Gabeline
and Ironsides and Moody and all the ones today continually preach
and teach a sudden rapture of the church
and a seven years of tribulation on this earth, the rebuilding
of the temple and a reestablishment of a Jewish kingdom in Jerusalem
and a thousand years reign of Christ over that Jewish nation. Popular men have been wrong before. And I'll tell you this, this
is the basis of my contention. If I build again those things
which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. Christ is our Passover. I would
no more go back and get a lamb and bring it down here and sacrifice
it. I believe God had damned my soul the minute I did it.
I believe he would. I'd no more dress up as a Jewish
high priest and rebuild that temple and reinstitute those
offerings and sacrifices and go through those washings and
robes and things like that and go into a holy of holies and
build another ark and mercy seat than I'd try to charge the throne
of God today. Christ is our Passover. Christ is our High Priest. Christ is our Mercy Seat. Christ is our Rest. And God has
taken all those things away, and He will never, in His divine
purpose, ever bring back anything insinuating that Christ has failed. That's what you're insinuating
when you talk about such a thing, that Christ has failed. Whatever
these scriptures mean, all Israel shall be saved, all Israel will
be saved. But we are Israel. That's right. There's no Jew or Gentile in
Christ, and that's the reason I'm emphasizing these things.
You see, it's a satanic conspiracy against the kingdom of Christ
to divert your attention away from Christ. That's where the
salvation is. That's where the rest is in Him.
in Christ, in Christ alone. And when the apostle Paul came
down there, and Peter, the apostle, was sitting at the table with
those Gentiles, and when the Jews came down to Jerusalem,
he went over and sat with the Jews. And there was a contention
between two of Christ's apostles. Paul literally backed Peter against
the wall, and he said, You're building again that which we
destroyed. that petition between Jew and
Gentile. It does not exist. It does not
exist. There are no national social
distinctions between the people of God. Now, you can forget that.
It's just not so. And I'm trying to be faithful
to my God's glory and to my God's gospel and to my soul and your
soul. I'm trying to tell you what God
says. And the sacrifices and tithes
and national distinctions, temples are gone. Christ is our temple.
Christ is our Sabbath. Christ is our rule of life. Don't
go back and pick up Sinai's law and nail it over here on the
wall. Nothing. Don't get the uniforms of the
priest, or the censer, or the incense, or the candles, or the
blood, or anything. Don't dare do it. It's an abomination
to God. We can't return again to the
elements when Christ is all we find in Him. Full rest. You see
that? It must be seen. Now, Ephesians chapter 2. I'm going to say some things
this morning. I trust that God has been my
helper and my teacher and my inspiration in this matter of
life from the dead. I want to define as clearly as
I can what I believe the scriptures teach about the salvation of
sinners. The salvation of sinners, Jew
or Gentile, male or female, young or old, rich or poor. Now, I
pray for success in the ministry. I pray that God will make this
ministry here a success for His glory. But I don't wish to have
any success that God doesn't himself give. Now that's the
way I feel. I don't wish to enjoy any success
or any notoriety or any recognition that God himself does not give. I do not wish to win any convert
that he does not save. I do not wish to attract any
person to this place that God did not save. Don't wish to at
all. You see, we make compass, like
our Lord said to the religious people when he was on earth in
the flesh. He said to them, you compass
sea and land to make one proselyte to your religion. And after you've
made him, he's twofold more the child of hell than you are. And
if we compass sea and land to make proselytes to our doctrinal
position, or to our organization, or to our local church, they're
going to follow by the wayside as quickly as we make them. It looks like to me that modern
church people, the modern religionists, would just look at his records
and be discouraged. The constant turnover, the people
coming and the people going, the people coming and the people
going, all the time. There's just about a new church
every ten years. You see, my friends, salvation
is of the Lord. Turn to Romans chapter nine,
and let's read some verses over here. Salvation, this thing of
salvation, is of the Lord. It's of the Lord. It's of God
from Alpha to Omega, from beginning to end. It'll be by the power
and grace of God. Salvation is of the Lord. The translating of a sinner from
the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of God their Son is of
the Lord. The lifting of a slave from the dunghill to set him
among princes is of the Lord. In Romans 9, look at verse 15. For he said to Moses, I will
have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion
on whom I'll have compassion. So then, it's not of him that
will it, or of him that run it, it's of God that shows mercy.
It's of God. Salvation is of God. Mercy is
of God. You are what you are by the grace
of God. For the Scriptures say unto Pharaoh, even for this same
purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in
thee. that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore
hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will,
he'll harden. Salvations of the Lord. Charles
Spurgeon brought a great sermon years ago on this subject, Salvation
is of the Lord. He chose as his text, Jonah 2.9. And this is not the exact outline,
but it's very similar. He said, Salvation is of the
Lord, in that he planned it. He purposed it from all eternity,
chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. And
not only of the Lord in that he planned it, but salvation,
the redemption of a sinner, is of the Lord in that he purchased
it. He purchased it. Christ Jesus, by his own blood,
purchased it. He redeemed us through the blood
of his cross. He purchased it. It's not only
of the Lord in that he planned it and purchased it, but he applies
it. Paul said, God who separated me from my mother's womb was
pleased to reveal his Son in me. God revealed his Son in me.
Salvation is of the Lord in that he applies it. Salvation is of
the Lord in that he sustains it. We're kept by the power of
God. We're not kept by our own strength
and faith and courage and determination. We're kept by the power of God. And salvations of the Lord in
that he perfects it. Turn to Philippians, chapter
one. Philippians, let's look at chapter three. Philippians,
the third chapter, verse twenty. Salvations of the Lord. He planned
it, he purchased it, he applied it, he sustains it, and he perfects
it. In Philippians three, verse twenty,
our conversation is in heaven. Now a while ago we read that
our conversation was like the rest of the world in the course
of this world under the power of Satan. But now our conversation
is in heaven because of the grace of God. From whence also we look
for the Savior, the Lord Jesus, who shall change our vile body,
that it may be fashioned under his, like under his glorious
body, according to the working whereby he is able. I'm not able,
but he is, to subdue all things to himself. Salvation of the
Lord. All right, that being established,
let me present the second thing. Now listen to this. Salvation
is of the Lord. But this salvation comes to a
sinner. It comes to a sinner by means
ordained of God. By means ordained of God. Almighty
God plans salvation. He purchases salvation. He does
apply it. And he applies it by these means. Can you imagine the mighty forces
and the means at work right now, and that have been at work in
the salvation of a sinner? Now, let's think about that for
a moment. The mighty forces. Here's a sinner, maybe in this
congregation, whom God Almighty is pleased to save. And the average
person thinks, well, all in the world it takes to save that sinner
if a soul winner to sit down beside him in church and the
preacher preach and talk about going to heaven or going to hell
in the blood of Christ. The soul winner says, you don't understand
that yet. Will you accept Jesus? Yes. Down the aisle they come.
That's all the means required. Now, wait a minute. Hold on.
I want you to turn to some Scripture. First of all, Ephesians 1, verse
11. I'm saying, I'm saying that if
you stop and consider all the forces and the means that have
been at work, that are at work, and that will work to save your
soul, all the means and the forces, first of all, there's the will
of God in the matter. There's the will of God in the
matter. Now, Ephesians 1, verse 11, "...in whom also we have
obtained this inheritance," this salvation, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after
the counsel of his own will." The will of God's at work in
this matter. If that individual is saved, redeemed today, it's
not by his will, but by the will of God. Let me show you that
in John chapter one. John chapter one. We're not dealing
primarily with the sinner's will. We're dealing with God's will
in this matter, salvation. I'm telling you the truth. Look
at John 1, verse 11 through 13. Now listen to this. He came unto
his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received
him, to them gave he the privilege, the right to become sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name, which were born. Not
of blood, that is not of fleshly inheritance, not of natural genealogy,
but nor of the will of the flesh. nor of the will of man, but of
the will of God. If anybody is saved today in
this United States, his salvation began with the will of God. The
mighty, eternal will of God. God willed it. That's the first
force at work in his salvation. That's the first means in his
salvation. God willed it. Known unto God
are all his works from the beginning. I thank God for you, brethren,
that love of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen
you to salvation. All right? The second force at
work. It's a whole lot more than a soul winner going over here
and talking about the profession. God willed it. All right? What's
this? Secondly, there's the work of Christ in accomplishing it.
Look at Ephesians 1 again. Ephesians chapter 1. The first
few verses in chapter 1 in Ephesians talks about this will of God,
but verse 7 talks about, "...in whom we have redemption through
his blood." Through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according
to the riches of his grace. My friend, you know what it took
to redeem you and me? The will of God and the death
of God's Son. The Lord Jesus left heaven's
glories and came down here in the flesh, and was tempted and tried in
all points as we are yet without sin, and perfected for us a perfect
righteousness, and went to the cross and died under the wrath
of the Father for our salvation. That's a mighty force to redeem
us. God willed it, and Christ performed
it. thing, John 16, listen to this. John 16, there's the power of
the Holy Spirit. There's the power of the Holy
Spirit. No man's going to call Jesus Lord but by the Holy Spirit.
A man's not going to come to Christ without the Holy Spirit.
The Lord Jesus said in John 16, talking to his disciples, He
said in verse eight, and when he has come, the Holy Spirit,
he will convince, reprove the world of sin, of righteousness,
and judgment. Of sin, because they believe
not on thee. That's the source and fountain
of all sin, unbelief. Of righteousness, because I go
to my Father. Christ obeyed the law and worked
out a perfect righteousness, and the Father accepted him and
sat him down on his right hand. You'll see me no more. because
the prince of this world is judged. I have many things to say to
you, but you cannot bear them. Now, howe'er be it, when he,
the Spirit of truth, is come, he'll guide you into all truth.
For he shall not speak of himself." The ministry of the Holy Spirit
is not to glorify the Holy Spirit, nor do these things originate
with him. but whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak, and
he'll show you things to come, he'll glorify me, for he shall
receive of mine, and show it to you." In the salvation of
a sinner, there's the quickening of the Holy Spirit, there's the
regeneration of the Holy Spirit, there's the revelation of Christ
to the heart by the Holy Spirit. That's why we preach. And then
fourthly, look back at Ephesians 1, There is the witness of the
Word of God in Ephesians chapter 1. Listen to this. In Ephesians
1, it talks about the first few verses, the Father choosing and
electing and decreeing the salvation of His people, the Lord Jesus
Christ performing and perfecting and purchasing their salvation.
And then it talks about the Holy Spirit coming and revealing that
salvation. Verse 13, it talks about the
witness of the Word. Listen. Verse 13, Ephesians 1,
"...in whom you trusted, after that you heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation, in whom, after you believed,
you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, who is the
token, or earnest, or pledge of our inheritance unto the redemption
of the purchased possession." Do you see that? Salvations of
the Lord. Salvation is more than just a
a decision, or a profession of religion, or catechizing of a
young person, or teaching of a doctrine. Salvation is new
life, a creation, a regeneration. It involves the will of God. It involves the very person and
work of His Divine Son. It involves the power, the quickening
power of His Spirit. It involves the preaching of
the truth of his word, faith cometh by hearing, and hearing
by the word of God. Whosoever shall call on the name
of the Lord shall be saved. But how they going to call on
him in whom they have not believed? And how they going to believe
in him of whom they have not heard? And how they going to hear without
a preacher? But do you know there is more than that? There is the
presence of life. Now look to 1 Thessalonians.
I tell you, look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. You know, I hear people so flippantly talking
about, I got saved. I got saved. They made a profession of religion
when they were in the junior department and walked down an
aisle with all the other boys and girls and said they wanted
to go to heaven. They didn't want to go to hell because they
believed in Jesus. Or somebody got sick and died and we got
to think about religion and the preacher came and talked to us
You believe your sinner? Yeah. You believe Christ died
for sinners? Yeah. Will you accept him? Yeah.
He shook his hands. I got saved. Junior saved. Everybody rejoiced.
He saved. But my friends, in salvation,
this salvation of a sinner, this new life, it involves the will
of God. The will of God. The will of
God. A deliberate determination on
the part of God. To single out that sinner, like
Abraham of old, and Isaiah, and David, and Solitarsis, and Zacchaeus,
God himself from all eternity sent his affections on that sinner,
in your case, on you. And he emptied heaven of its
chief glory, its great pearl of great price. literally shook heaven from one
end to the other and sent his son down here in the flesh to
be mocked and mauled and hated and spit upon and die with the
end in view of saving that sinner, in this case, me. Gave his son to justify his righteousness
and his holiness to bring me to himself. And that wasn't enough. He sent his Holy Spirit on a
mission, on an errand, to give light to that old blind sinner,
and ears to that old deaf sinner, and life to that old dead sinner, and stand before an open—a grave
and cry, the power of the Spirit of God,
that's what I'm saying, and to seed the Word of God in the cold,
dead, lifeless womb of my soul. There was no knowledge of God,
or light of God, or truth of God, or love for God, or life
of God, and He took the Word, the seed, and the Spirit of God,
put it there, and made it there. Can you talk about your decision?
You talk about the fellow last night on television was going
to win four billion, seven hundred million people to the Lord because
he's going to win the world. That's how many there are, five
billion people. He ain't going to win nobody.
He may be around when God saves somebody, but you never saved
anybody. How many souls do you want in Jesus? None. None. We're not in a political campaign
out here trying to persuade people to join our party. It takes heaven
itself to save a center. It takes the powers of heaven
to save a center. And I'll tell you this, when
the powers of heaven, by a decree and a declaration and a covenant,
descend on a center, He'll come. He'll come. God will bring Him.
Because He said in 1 Thessalonians, listen, verse 4, 1 Thessalonians
4, Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God But our
gospel didn't come to you in word only. That's all right. Words, words, words, words, words. Here are these different denominations. Folks come to your house with
their words. Preachers on television with
their words. In the pulpit with their words.
Sunday school teacher with their words. Witnessing with their
words, words, words, words. Words. It would be better to
speak five words in the power of God than five million words
in our fleshly, carnal logic and reason. Our gospel didn't
come to you that way. It came to you in power in the
Holy Ghost and in what you're showing. That's just a matter
of salvation. So I did. I want you to go to
James 1.18. You see, that's what I'm doing.
I'm standing up here preaching. I'm standing around waiting on
God to save somebody. That's just beyond, that's just,
I'm being frank. I'm preaching on television.
We just started a new program down in St. Lucia. Danny Parsons
is going to preach down there. Waiting on God to save some.
God's saving some folks. Look at James 1.18. You talk
about the forces at work and saving a sinner, here they are,
verse 18, of his own will. That's where it started. Beget! You know what a begetting is? Your daughter-in-law, you pick
up the phone with your daughter-in-law on the phone. Hi, Mom. Hi. Good
news. What? I'm pregnant. I'm expecting. You're going to be a grandmother.
Oh, she throws the phone. Daddy comes in for dinner. That's
just a begetting. But what a marvelous thing. And
I'll tell you this, when God's Holy Spirit sings of that one
of His own, there's a marvelous thing that He begets life. That's
right. Begets from heaven. Life from heaven. See, it's not
any swapping of logic. It's not any arguing your religion
against mine. I believe you're right and I'm
wrong. I believe I'm right and you're wrong. Both wrong. God's right.
It's life from heaven. of his own will, begat he us
with the word of truth, as you're preaching the word of truth.
That's the seed, the seed, the incorruptible seed. That we should
be kind of the first fruits of his preachers, that we should
be his sons, his children, his people. Not just Baptists, not
just Christians, I was riding along the other day and saw a
Christian motel. Did you ever see a Christian motel? They're
winning motels to Christ up there in West Virginia. Of course,
they don't have stalled Christian motels. Everything today is Christian. But I'll tell you this, He will,
by the power of His Spirit, and the blood of His Son, and the
awakening of His Word, make you His child. Not just one of these
little two-bit Christians. That's right. Now watch this
third thing I'm going to say to you, and this is, you should
grab hold of your seat and hang on now, because this is true.
But the ultimate end of all that God has willed and purposed and
Christ has purchased and the Holy Spirit applies, the ultimate
end of this business of redemption and salvation of you, me, or
anybody else, the ultimate end is not just my salvation. The
ultimate end of it all is the glory of God. Now, I'm telling
you the truth. And we need to get a hold of this now. The end
is greater than the means. Wouldn't you say that? The end
is greater than the means. And I want you to turn back to
Ephesians 1 again. Now, let's go over that, Ephesians
1. The end is greater than the means. Now, it tells in the first
five verses how God chose us, predestinated us in love, predestinated
us to adoption of children. Verse 6, to the praise of the
glory of His grace. What was the end of His choosing
us? That He might be glorified. All right, in the next few verses,
He talks about the redemption of the Son, how He redeemed us
and enriched us and blessed us and gave us an inheritance. Verse
12, that we should be to the praise of His glory. That's the object of it all.
Now listen to me. I'll tell you the truth. And then he talks
about the Holy Spirit in verse 13 and 14, the Holy Spirit quickened
us, and the Holy Spirit brought us the truth, and we believed
it, and we were sealed with the Holy Spirit, and He's our pledge,
verse 14, unto the praise of His glory. I want you to turn
to 1 Corinthians 1. Now, I'd like very much for you
to look at this, because I'm saying something that's bucking
the tide, the popular tide in religion today. And my friends,
truth is more important than results. Truth is more important
than results. Let God be true, and ever man
a liar. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 26. You see your calling, brethren? How that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God
hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the
wise, God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound
the things which are mighty, and base things of the world
and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things
that are not, to bring to naught the things that are. And all
of this, that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of
him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom
and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, that, according
as it is written, he that glorieth Let him glory in the Lord. Now
let me make what I'm saying as plain as I can, as plain as I
can. In God's willing to have a people,
in Christ's work to purchase a people, in the Holy Spirit's
ministry to call a people, in the preaching of the gospel to
enlighten a people, in the salvation of sinners, the ultimate end
and goal of all this purpose in redemption and design in redemption
is not just the comfort and well-being of the center, it's the glory
of God. It's the glory of God. Now this
attitude today, now listen to me, I'm telling you the truth,
and some of you are going to miss this, but some of you are
going to get a hold of it. And the truth of God and the character
of God is more important than results. And you wonder why that I'm holding
to these things so strongly. You wonder why we hold down the
natural tendency towards flesh and towards entertainment and
towards doing things like, well, let's do them like others. Let's
have Easter egg hunts for our children. Let's have a Christmas
tree. Let's pass out presents. Let's draw names. Let's have
all the instruments up here, the band, and let's dress in
gowns and robes, and it ain't going to hurt anything for you.
I see dangers. I see red flags in these things. Truth is more important than
results. Well, we've got to reach our
young people. Let's get some ball teams around here. It ain't
going to hurt anything. Just settle down on your doctrine
and all a little bit. Just preach Jesus. Don't preach
doctrine. I'll tell you something. Truth
is more important than results. the character of God's more important
result. I'm telling you, this attitude
that we must get men converted and cleaned up and straightened
out, we've got to put the drug business out of business and
the alcohol out of business and abortion out of business. We've
got, this is the ultimate end, to convert people and and to
clean up their lives, and to straighten up their families,
and to stop divorce, and let's get them converted, let's get
them to Jesus at any cost, usually winds up costing us to their
character of God. And what a terrible cost! The
church today has it in their attitude of getting men converted
and cleaned up at any cost. They paid a whale of a cost and
price. They've lost the character of
God and the truth of God. And all of this results in man
being clean on the outside and going to hell on the inside.
That's what it means. It's resulted not in our salvation,
but in our damnation. Did you know that? Our damnation. My friends, listen to me, now
listen. Man's comfort, men and women's comfort and well-being
is not the supreme goal of the gospel. The supreme goal of the
gospel is the glory of God. I'm telling you the truth. The
supreme goal of the gospel is four or five things. The supreme
goal of the gospel is the glory of His kingdom, the establishment
of His absolute rule and power and reign, the exaltation of
his character and the preeminence of his beloved Son. And my conversion
only serves that purpose. That's right. It only serves that purpose. What I'm saying to you is this.
Now listen to this. Everything in God's covenant
mercies Everything in God's redemptive purpose, everything in salvation,
everything in God's kingdom, in the kingdom of heaven or the
kingdom of his dear son, everything in that salvation, redemption,
and kingdom, past, present, and future, turns on the will of
God and the glory of God. On the will of God and the glory
of God. Now, if, like today's religion, what we have today,
What we have today is salvation, redemption, heaven's population,
and God's purpose resting on the will of the creature, the
free will of man. Isn't that where it rests? It
rests on the free will of man. And I'll tell you this, therefore,
man has become the principal figure in religion. Man has become
the principal figure on the landscape, and this has led to a compromise
of divine truth. When we preach the gospel as
it ought to be preached, God himself, Christ Jesus the Lord,
is the principal purpose, person, the principal person in our gospel,
in our worship, in our goals, and in our glory. Christ is the
supreme principal person. Is he? See what I'm saying? Christ
is, in his glory, his exaltation, his preeminence. But what we've
got today is man has become the principal figure. We try to get
man to do this for God. What needs to be done is God
to do something for man, not man do something for God. Paul was so strong on this. Look
at Galatians 1. In Galatians 1, listen to Paul.
Verse 9. Galatians 1, 9. As we said before,
so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto
you, then you have received, let him be accursed. Do I now
persuade men? That's what we're trying to do.
Persuade men. Or God. Do I seek to please men? Isn't that what we're trying
to do? Entertain them and please them and get on their good side
and bring them in? Offend them? Don't make them
unhappy? But he said, if I do that, I'm not the servant of
God. Your conversion and my conversion
and the conversion of your husband and son is never more important
than divine truth and the divine glory of God. Never. Never. And that's what we see here in
Ephesians 1. If you'll turn over there a minute and I'll bring
this message to a close. I pray that you'll give some
thought, if you'd like to, get one of the tapes. of this message
this morning, and listen to it again. Salvation is of the Lord,
and salvation comes to a sinner by the means and forces of God. All the mighty heavenly forces
at work in the conversion of a sinner. But the conversion
of that sinner is not just to get him off drugs and make his
mama happy. The conversion of that sinner
is not just to give his children a better atmosphere in which
to be raised. The conversion of that sinner is not just to
give him a better job and a better home life and financial sense.
The conversion of that sinner is the ultimate glory of God,
the preeminence of Jesus Christ. That sinner, that individual,
he may be blessed financially, he may not. He may live in America
and he may live on the Yucatan. He may die of cancer. He may
live to be 90 years old. He may be killed like my son
when he's 21. He may live to be 85. He may have a happy marriage.
He may not. His children may be saved like
Job's, and they may be lost like David's. But you see, God's ultimate purpose
And this is what the religious world is flat-missing. They're
missing it, Ronnie. It's not being free. That man's conversion
and salvation is not to serve his comfort and well-being and
make him happy. It's to glorify God. And if God
can get the glory, like David Brainerd in killing him with
tuberculosis when he's twenty-nine years old, and he served the
purpose of God. Or if he lived to be an old man
like John Gill writing a 6,000 word commentary, then God glorified. But you know, God glorified. Preachers today got you thinking
if you get sick, you ought to will to God. If something happens
in your home, God mad at you. If you don't have a big revival,
God ain't blessing the work. Our ultimate goal is our own
comfort and happiness and success. And it is when man's the principal
figure on the landscape and the principal person in your story. But in this story, man's not
the principal person and figure. Christ is. And whatever God's
pleased to do with that man, He'll do it. And whatever God's pleased to
use him for, he'll use it. He may make a total failure out
of him for his glory. He may put him through the deepest
waters a man's ever waded through, but he'll do it for his glory
and the accomplishment of his purpose. You didn't join the
army in World War II to be happy. You joined the army to win a
victory. Some of you men served in some dirty places. Some of
you had some easy places. But we all serve one purpose,
victory. Uh-huh. Did you choose your place? Did your mother write to the
office in Washington saying, I don't want my boy to serve
over there in no bad place? Give him an office in Rhode Island? No. The commander-in-chief sent
you where he pleased. That's where you served. And
I'm telling you this, If the Commander-in-Chief chooses you
for his own, if the Commander-in-Chief sends his son down here to purchase
your salvation, your redemption, if the Commander-in-Chief recruits
you into his army, you as a bond slave will serve where he puts
you. And you may die in battle, but that's all right, isn't it?
Isn't that all right? You may live to celebrate the
victory, you may be alive when he comes back to establish It's
beachhead. But if you ain't, that's all
right. Because you're not the one that's concerned in this
thing. He is. You see what I'm trying to say? That's what I'm
trying to say. But not in today's. That's silly
stuff over Channel 5. Man's the principal figure and
the chief person. And we're going to make you happy
now. We're going to give you this and give you that. And you
send in the money and you'll prosper. No, you won't either.
You come to know my Lord. He may put you in a trench. But
he's going to win his battle. He's going to glorify His Son.
He's going to exalt the banner of Christ Jesus. I'm telling
you the truth. You say, I don't want any part
of that. I know most people don't. They'd rather go down there to
these silly folks that are offering them pie in the sky and the sweet
by and by and a heavenly happy way on the way. But I'm not promising
you nothing. You're going to hurt them. They
that will live godly in Christ Jesus are going to suffer with
Him. But they that suffer with Him
are going to reign with Him. But the ultimate, here's what I'm
saying, the goal in this whole thing, don't come down there
and accept Jesus to make yourself happy. It's to glorify His Son. That's exactly right. Our Father, how dumb we are. Going our own way. We got a way. There's a way that's seen right
to us. This is not right. It's our way. We know what we
think. God to help us. Blind leading
the blind. Falling into the ditch all around.
Playing the game. Joining organizations. God to
help our generation. Like Israel of old. Unbelieved.
Plagued with unbelief. Can't see God. Can't see the
glory of God. Can't see the purpose of the
living God. Concerned about our own creature
comforts. Having our own way and will,
God help us deliver somebody. Set your affections on somebody
here. Don't let all of us go to hell.
Save somebody for your glory. Use somebody for the glory of
Christ and accomplish your purpose. Do almighty work, O Lord God,
for Christ's sake. Amen.