Now, if you want to take your
Bibles and open them to John chapter 5 and just leave them there in
your hands while I make a few opening comments, as I said,
I entitled this message, I believe that Jesus is the Christ. I might
have called this message my personal creed, which is Christ. You've read the book, some of
you, The Confessions of St. Augustine, in which he reveals
his innermost feelings about his relationship with the living
God in Christ. I hesitated to call this The
Confessions of St. Henry. I thought I'd leave that
on. I don't know why they used those
terms back then, but they did. I think when they came out of
the grave of Catholicism, they just brought some of their grave
clothes with them. I admire them for what they did,
not what they held on to. But outwardly, to the human eye,
as men perceive and see, Jesus of Nazareth appeared to be an
ordinary man. Now, I know all the pictures
show him with a halo and a glow about his head, and I'm sure
on the Mount of Transfiguration when the disciples saw him and
the glory of God revealed about him and in him and through him
and upon him, his clothes took on a glow of whiteness. But every
day and in the ordinary way, and before the eyes of ordinary
men." Now you get this. Jesus Christ appeared to the
human eye outwardly as an ordinary man. Scripture says there was
no beauty about him that we should desire him. Now if you think
he walked around with a glow around his face and He walked
around with some special angels dancing about him, you know,
these little winged creatures, chubby winged creatures. You're
wrong. You're wrong now. He hath no form nor comeliness. There's no beauty about him that
we should desire him. He was a man of tears and sorrows
and acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces
from him, and he is despised and rejected of me. Now he was
born, just like your babies are born, without the aid of a human
father. But he was born of a mother who
travailed in birth till she delivered that little child. And he was
born to a poor, unknown family. In fact, when they knocked on
the inn door at Bethlehem, the innkeeper didn't say, well, we're
honored to have Mary and Joseph. They didn't put it on the marquee,
Mary and Joseph are here. He said, we don't have any place
for you. And the world has said that up
to that point and it's said it ever since. We don't have any
place for you. There's no place for my word
in them. We don't have any place for you.
But my wife's having a baby. That's too bad. That's your problem. So they sought refuge in a stable. And she brought forth her firstborn
son and laid him in a manger. The most humbling surroundings. And when he was just an infant,
Herod, afraid that this king of the Jews had been born, according
to some prophets, that they fled into Egypt. They took this king
of the Jews down into Egypt to hide him from from Herod, the
wrath of Herod. And he grew up. He grew up as
a lad. He grew up with brothers and
sisters in a home like you grew up. He was an ordinary, to the
eyes of natural men, ordinary man. Mary had other children. That's obvious from the Scripture.
Even his brethren did not believe in him. They said, we know who
this is. He's the carpenter. We know his
mother and father and his brothers and sisters, Josie and Judah
and so forth. He grew up in a small out-of-the-way
town called Nazareth, of which somebody said, can any good thing
come out of that hole? And he grew up working for years
at a carpenter's bench. And he began his ministry when
he was about 30 years of age. He came out into the public. And he began that ministry, attended
by and that ministry with a few poor, uneducated, unlettered
fishermen. And his claims and his teachings
were rejected. They were rejected and they were
denied by everybody in any position at all to approve of them and
to get anybody to follow him. All of the leading Pharisees
and lawyers and Sadducees and scribes said, no, he's an imposter. He's an imposter. His claims and his teachings
were denied and rejected by everybody in place of authority. Finally,
even popular opinion turned against him. At the first, when he was
going around performing great miracles, many people followed
him, 5,000 men at one time, not counting the women and children.
But finally, even this popular opinion turned against him, and
the same people who cried, Hosanna to the King that cometh in the
name of the Lord, Hosanna, and laid palm branches before him
as he rode into Jerusalem, that same crowd was crying, Crucify
Him! crucified. And even his disciples
took flight and ran. So that when he stood in the
soldier's hall and when he stood before Pilate on that day outside
the judgment hall, he stood alone. An ordinary man, he stood alone. Finally they nailed him to a
cross. Finally, they nailed him to a
cross and laughed at him while he died. They didn't stand there. I see most of the pictures and
a hush falls over all the people. That's not what the Scripture
said. They were dancing around that cross saying, hey, he trusted
in God, let's see if God will have him. The soldiers were so
reverent at that time, they were down here casting dice to see
who got that only possession. He owned a robe without seam
from top to bottom. real reverence in having a game
of craps down at the foot of the cross. And they were laughing at him
and they were saying, hey, he's calling on Elijah, let's see
if Elijah will come help him. Finally, our Lord, in his awful
agony, that burning sun, he'd been beaten half to death by
the cat of nine tails, he'd been scurred, he'd been spit upon,
his beard had been plucked out, his visage was marred, he didn't
even look like a human being, he had a crown of thorns pressed
into his brow, you could tell all his bones as he was stretched
on that cruel tree, and he said, I thirst! His lips were parched
and broken open, had no moisture, no food, no water for hours in
a burning oriental sun, I thirst!" Let's see what that reverent
crowd will do. They ran and got a sponge and
dipped it in vinegar and gall and stuck it up to his mouth. Maybe, as somebody said, they
were trying to kill his pain, but I don't believe it. Trying
to add to his agony. The man says, I thirst. You don't
give him vinegar and gall. And he died. He bowed his head
and died, and they took him down from that cross and wrapped him
in burial clothes and stuck him in a tomb and rolled a stone
in front of it, and as far as the world was concerned, the
natural man, the natural eye, that's the last they saw of him. And the natural man hasn't seen
the real Christ since. You put that down. He's made
no revelation of himself to this world since. And I don't care
who the person is, preacher or otherwise, that talks about seeing
Jesus anywhere, he sees an image of Satan, a deceptive vision
of trickery, because that's the last this world saw of him. I'm
going to tell you what I believe about him. I've seen him Not
with these eyes. I have never in all my life,
I've had dreams, some good and some bad. I've had nightmares. But I've never seen the Lord
Jesus Christ in a vision, in a dream, or with these eyes.
And I don't want to. I don't want to. We have a more
sure word of prophecy, Peter said, right here in front of
us. And our Lord through Abraham said this, if they don't believe
the word, they won't believe the old one rose from the dead.
People who do not believe Moses and the prophets do not believe
visions, not in true faith. But I'll tell you what I believe
about him, starting with verse 17 of John 5. He said, My father,
I'll tell you what I believe about this ordinary man they
talked about. My Father worketh hitherto, and
I work. Therefore the Jews sought the
more to kill him, because he not only had broken the Sabbath,
but he said that God was his Father, making himself equal
with God." You know what I'm saying? This is what I'm saying,
that Jesus Christ, all that I've reiterated to you, that Jesus
of Nazareth, is the second person of the Blessed Trinity. Now,
the Lord our God is one God, and yet he's revealed himself
in the Scriptures as being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I don't
expect on this earth to ever understand that. I expect in
glory to understand it. I know in part, I prophesy in
part, I see through a glass dimly. I don't understand how one person
can be three. But I don't understand how God
could make a world out of nothing. There are a lot of things I don't
understand. I don't understand how a tiny microscopic seed can
become a baby. I don't understand how you can
stick a swivel, withered grain of corn in the ground and get
a half a dozen ears of luscious, beautiful corn. That's all in
God's business, the secret things that belong to God. But Jesus
Christ is equal with the Father. He thought it not robbery to
be equal with God. And he said, when you've seen
me, you've seen God. I and my Father are one. The
Father said, Thy throne, O God, to the Son is forever. Jesus
of Nazareth, I'm not saying he represents God, I'm not saying
he's an ambassador of God, I'm not saying he's a messenger of
God, I'm saying in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God, and the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the very glory of
God. That's exactly what I'm saying.
Till God in human flesh I see. I'll never find any rest for
this soul, because the only one who can redeem a sinner is God
in human flesh, the God-man. The same one who was born of
Mary, I don't understand this, but he who made woman was actually
born of a woman. And he who made this earth actually
walked on this earth. He who walked upon the clouds
He whom the heavens cannot contain was one time contained in a human
body. You explain that, I can't, but
that's what the Word says. And I'm telling you this, if
you can't believe that, you can't be saved. Because the only one
who can redeem a sinner is the God-man. Is the God-man. God to satisfy man to suffer. And I'm telling you, when you
reject the deity of Christ, you reject your only hope of redemption. He can't be a great man. He can't
be a great prophet. He can't be a great healer. He's
got to be God, or he's got to be a devil. Take your choice. Is that right, Jim? Jesus Christ
is either who he said he is, or he's the biggest liar that
ever walked on this earth. Jesus Christ is not God Almighty
in human flesh. His bones are in Jerusalem just
like Mohammed's bones are in his grave. And his soul is in
hell. And he's an imposter, and we're
of all men most miserable, and ain't a saved man on earth, and
won't be one in glory. And that's how serious it is.
It's not a point of argument. It's not a point of argument.
It's either-or. He's either God in human flesh, Or he's an impostor,
a phony, and we're a bunch of phonies for preaching him. And he ought to have been crucified,
and we ought to be crucified too, if he's not God. That's what this outfit got mad
at him about. They wanted to kill him. Why?
He said he was God. They understood what he said.
He said, I and my father won, and it took us stones to stone
him. He said, many good works have I done, for which of these
do you stone me? They said, we're not stoning
you for good works. The religious world's got no objection to good
works. It's not good works that divide
us. It's who is Christ. That's the division. It's not
good works that divide me from the preachers of this town. Not
good works that divide Oral Roberts in this preacher, or Jimmy Swaggart
in this preacher. We're divided over the supreme
issue. Is Jesus Christ who he said he
is? Can he do what he said he did?
That's the issue. Secondly, what I believe about
him, look at verse 21. He said, as the Father raiseth
up the dead, as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them,
even so the Son quickeneth whom he will." Verse 25. I say unto
you, truly, truly, the hour is coming, and it's right now, it's
here, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God,
and they that hear shall live. Now we're not talking about raising
from a physical grave. We're talking about spiritual
resurrection. We're talking about we died in Adam, and Adam all
died. By one man's sin entered this
world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men. Sinners
are dead while they're living. They're dead spiritually. They're
dead to God. You hath he quickened who were
dead in trespasses and sins? We were dead, and God had quickened
us. And he says there in verse 21, the Father raises up the
dead and quickeneth, awakeneth, giving life to whom he will,
even so the Son quickens whom he will. Verse 26. For as the
Father hath life, spiritual life, eternal life, in himself, so
hath he given to the Son to have life in himself." What are you
saying, Preacher? I'm saying this. Now hold on
to your pew there. Brother Shelton said we're going
to jump a creek. I believe he quickens to spiritual life whom
he will. Whom he will. Not everybody.
Not everybody, but whom he will. Verse 21. raiseth up the dead,
and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will."
You're Calvinist. Yes, sir, that's exactly what
I am. That's exactly. You're Reformed. No, I'm not
Reformed. You see, people who believe the
truth don't have to Reform. They didn't come out of some
dead something. They're God's people. Well, you're a predestinarian. Well, yes, I am. I believe God
ordains all things. I believe he quickens whom he
will. He said to Moses, I will be merciful to whom I will be
merciful. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious. In
Ephesians 2, he said, you hath he quickened who were dead in
trespasses and sin? And this is what our Lord is
saying, and I believe this. that he quickens whom he will.
That's the new birth. That's regeneration. He quickens
whom he will. This quickening is spiritual
life, life that will never die. And whom does he quicken? Whom
he will. The wind bloweth where it listeth.
And you can hear the sound. You cannot tell whence it cometh
or whether it goeth. Even so are they that are born
of God. He'll quicken whom he will. And I want to be as emphatic
about this as I can. Salvation is not of the blood
of the family heritage. It's not of the will of the man,
not of the will of the flesh. It's of God. What I believe about
Jesus Christ, I believe He's God. And I believe all men are
dead in trespasses and sin this whole world. And He'll quicken
whom He will, when He will. That's what he's saying here.
Yeah, that's what he's saying. He'll quicken whom he will. The
Father hath life in himself, the Son hath life in himself,
and he'll quicken whom he will. If you're sitting out there this
morning and I'm standing up here, and I do know Christ and love
Christ and believe his Word, enjoy being with his people,
enjoy worshiping, can understand these Psalms, can understand
this Scripture, I'll tell you why. It's because he quickened
me. It's not because I sought Him, He sought me. I sought Him
because He sought me. I love Him because He loved me.
I came to Him because He came to me. That's what I'm saying
to you. When He went out into the cemetery and Lazarus had
been laying in the grave four days, there were hundreds of
dead people in that cemetery, but He quickened whom He will.
He called the name. He said, Lazarus, come forth.
And I'm telling you, I say it with all the strength within
me. I believe the Lord Jesus Christ will quicken whom He will.
Now let's, I'll tell you something else I believe about this man
Jesus of Nazareth. Look at verse, if you will, verse
22. For the Father judges no man. The Father judges no man. He
hath committed all judgment, all judgment to the Son. all decisions regarding all human
beings, all judgment. You know, you can have a jury
trial or you can have a trial by judge, and when they all present
all these cases, who makes a decision? The judge makes a decision. It's
totally in his hands. He weighs it, he determines it,
and he makes it. And here's what I'm saying. Now
listen to me. I believe the fate of every human being. Me, my
wife Doris, my daughter Becky, her husband, children, my son
Paul, his family, my friend Jim Eccles, Juanita, Janie, Jim,
Carla. I believe the fate of every human
being in this world rests totally, solely, completely, and only
in the hands of Jesus Christ. Now, Ron, that's what I believe
about Jesus Christ. I don't believe it rests on the
free will of any human being. He says in verse 20, look at
it, verse 22 again, listen to it. For the Father judges no
man, but he hath committed, he hath given all judgment, all
decisions, all authority to the Son. The eternal destiny of every
human being, to heaven or hell, is in the hands of Jesus Christ.
Is that too much? Well, it's so. He prayed in the
Garden of Gethsemane, Father, thou hast given me all judgment,
all authority over all flesh, that I should give eternal life
to as many as thou hast given me. He died that he might be
Lord of the dead and the living. Is that right? Look at verse 27 of the same
chapter, verse 5. Verse 26 says, As the Father
hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life
in himself. And he hath given him, the Son,
authority to execute judgment, to execute it. No changing his
verdict either. To execute judgment. Why? Because he is the Son of Man. It's his right by decree, it's
right by design, it's his right by death. And it's his right
by exaltation. I'm telling you the truth. I
know this generation, and I'm going to keep, as long as God
will give me a voice, I'm going to keep saying it, this generation
got the wrong Jesus. They got them a little baby in
a manger. Every Christmas they put these little old silly things
up, a bunch of shepherds standing around, and a little baby in
a manger. And a bunch of men from Armco
or somewhere dress up like a bunch of shepherds, put these silly
things on their heads, you know, and make them a staff crooked,
you know, put on a bathrobe and tights, you know, and walk around
like this in a Christmas play. Because they got, there's their
God right there, that little helpless infant, that's their
God. You know why men like a God that's a baby, they can do with
Him what they will. Or they got some little poor
little sweet Jesus up yonder that wants to save and can't.
Died for everybody's sins, but can't put anybody's sins away.
And he's up there, he's done all he can do, and now he's gone
back home. He's sitting there waiting for
you to come, if you're disposed to do so. Well, they like that kind of
God too. But I'm telling you who Jesus Christ is. He's God. And Almighty God has given him
power to make alive, to regenerate, to restore, to save whom he will. And he quickens whom he will.
Authority over the redeemed and over the unredeemed. Authority
over Jew and Gentile and what he says goes and where he says
you go. There's no changing. Let me show
you something in John chapter 9. Turn over there just a moment.
John the 9th chapter. I sound harsh, but I don't mean
to be. But it's just I'm flooded with
a bunch of folks got the wrong God. And they're using the same
name I'm using. And it tears me up. People say,
well, Oral Robertson, you're preaching the same thing. Oh,
no, we're not either. We're not preaching the same
God. Well, the preacher down the street here is preaching
the same thing you're preaching. He uses the same terminology.
He doesn't define it like I do. To him, substitution is one thing.
To me, it's another. To him, sanctification is one
thing. To me, it's another. It's all how you define your
terms. It's not the terms you use, it's the definition of them.
In John 9, listen to verse 39. And Jesus said, "...for judgment
I have come into this world, Guilty or not guilty, heaven
or hell, saved or lost, eternal glory, eternal damnation, judgment. That's why I've come, judgment.
I've come for judgment. The Heavenly Father has put judgment
in my hands, an authority to execute judgment. Depart from
me in the everlasting damnation. Enter ye chosen into the kingdom
prepared for you before the foundation of the world." His law, His Word
is law. His Word is the dividing sword. His Word is sure and certain
and unchangeable. For judgment I have come into
this world. Listen, "...that they which see
might not see, and that they they which see not might see.
I have confidence that they that see not might see, and that they
which see might be made blind." What's he saying, Preacher? Here's
what he's saying. Those sinners who see not, they
have no claim on God. They do not lay any claim to
any knowledge of God. They're the blind that he healed
when he said, Oh, that I might see, Bartimaeus. Huh? Helpless, hopeless, defiled. Like the leper who said, Lord,
if you will, you can make me whole. You can make me see. You
can make me whole. They didn't have anything. Didn't
claim anything. Didn't know anything. They were helpless, defiled,
wretched sinners. He had the power. He had the
will. He had the grace. He had the
mercy. They that see not, walk not,
live not, but they might see. And those
that see, the Pharisee said, why does he eat with those publicans
and sinners? He said, the will. The well, those that see not,
they need the physician. The sick need the physician.
The well don't need a physician. Those that see don't need any
mercy. See what I'm saying? Those that see, they don't need
help. Those that walk, they don't need healing. Those that live,
they don't need resurrection. And Christ said, that's why I've
come. I've come to set the prisoner free. I've come that the blind
might see. I've come that the dead might
live. He has authority to do all that. Now back to John 5.
His authority, sovereignty, I believe the fate of all men, the eternal
destiny of all men, to heaven or to hell, is in the hands of
Jesus Christ. We shall all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ. All right, look at the fourth
thing, verse 23. that all men should honor the
Son even as they honor the Father. He that honored not the Son honored
not the Father that sent him. I believe this, that all preeminence
and all honor and all glory have been given to the Lord Jesus
Christ, and I mean all of it, all of it. I don't buy this thing
of rewards in heaven for us personally, individually. I don't buy this
thing at all of us having little family circles. Will a circle
be unbroken? And us standing around greeting
Mother. Did John make it? I don't believe
John made it. Oh, boo-hoo. I dreamed I searched
Heaven for you. What are you doing looking for
somebody when Christ is back? I thought all honor was His.
You mean you'd turn your back on Christ and start looking for
Charlie? Charlie wouldn't want you to. We got a humanistic religion
that's wrapped up in our own selfish little can. That's exactly
what it is. Exactly what it is. We care for
ourselves. We care for our making it to
the other side. We care for our little family
circle. I'm telling you, this is what
I'm saying, verse 23, that all That word means in italics, it's
supplied by the translators, that all the angels, the redeemed,
that all should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.
I believe this. Let all the angels of God worship
Him. God hath given Him a name above
every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.
in heaven, earth, and under the earth, and every tongue shall
confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father, that
he hath all the preeminence, all the glory, and there is not
room for anybody even to share a part of it." You say, well,
where does our glory come in? Our glory is His glory. Our glory is His glory. In glorifying
Him, the Father glorifies us. We are in Christ. If we could just learn what Paul
says in Colossians 1, turn over there just a moment, and I'll
wind this down. Colossians chapter 1, turn over there for a moment.
He says here in verse 16 of Colossians 1, for by Him were all things
created. Verse 16, Colossians 1, by Him
were all things created, come at the Son. That is, those that
are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether
they're thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.
I don't care what it is. All things were created by Him
and for Him. He's before all things. By Him
all things consist. He's the head of the body, the
Church, who is the beginning, the firstborn of the dead, that
in all, that in all, He might have the preeminence. The preeminence. We're going
to have to learn. I wish we could get a hold of
this because we're going to have to learn. It's got to be taught
us by the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God, Christ said,
shall glorify me. He shall take the things of mine
and show them to you. He'll not even speak. The glorious
Spirit of God, the third person of the Trinity, shall not speak
of himself. The Holy Spirit of God is not
a competitor for Christ's glory. He shall glorify me. And I'll tell you, if we ever
become utterly consumed with the person of Christ, with the
glory of Christ, with the redemption of Christ, I think we'll be loving
husbands and loving fathers and good friends and good neighbors
and witnesses and concerned for the lost like Paul. But when
all of it's said and done, and our journey's over, and our work
is done, and our service complete, our hearts zero in on and are
still obsessed with Christ. And the rest of it, for the glory of God that meets
His justice, can perish. That's where it is. We'd better get a hold of this.
Because this is the message that angered the religious crowd,
that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son,
he that cannot glorify the Son, honoreth not the Father. All right, here's the fifth thing
quickly, verse 25. It says here, verse 24, "'Barely,
barely, I say unto you, He that heareth my word," my word, the
one we're talking about, and the things he said, my word. He that heareth my word, my word
about myself, my word about him, my word about my glory, my word
about my judgment, my word about my authority, my word, these
are his words, but whoever can hear this, oh, he said, does
this offend you? Wait till you see the Son of
Man up lit where he was before. If you can hear my word and believe,
and believe on Him, His purpose, His plan, His glory, His scheme,
the old Puritan used to say of redemption in Christ, you can
believe it, you can have everlasting life. And you'll never come into
condemnation if you pass from death unto life. I believe that
every person, Jew or Gentile, male or female, young or old,
who can hear His voice, His voice, speaking through His Word about
Himself and His glory, His truth, His gospel, His preeminence,
His accomplishments, His righteousness, His shed blood, His sacrifice,
His atonement, His high priestly work, His mediatorial reign,
His intercession. Can you hear it? Him. Him. And you believe it? you have everlasting life, you'll
never be judged. No Satan can judge you, a demon
can judge you, books can judge you because you've already died
in Christ. And you can talk all you want
to about backsliding, once in grace, eternal security. You
can spend all the time you want to dedicating and rededicating.
You can spend all the time you want to making rules and laws
for folks to live by. You can spend all the time you
want to arguing about who's saved and who's not saved, but I'm
telling you, the person who has been quickened by God's Spirit,
the person who has been made to see the glory of God in the
face of Christ, that person whom the Lord hath loved and hath
raised from a spiritual grave, and shed abroad his love in that
person's heart, the one who believes that Jesus Christ is none other
than the Son of God, the Prophet, Priest, and King, the Holy Messiah,
the Only Mediator, that person who has savingly and lovingly
and continually looked to Christ and believed on Him, is saved
and is passed from death unto life, and is saved eternally. I am not skilled to understand
what God hath willed, what God hath planned. I only know that
God's right hand is one who is my Savior. I believe Him. I take Him at His word indeed. Christ died for sinners. This
I read, for in my heart I find a need. A need can be met by
none. of Him to be my Savior, for Him
to leave His place on high and come down here for this sinful
man to die. You count it strange. So did
I before I met my Savior. But He did it. He did it. And the last thing, and I close,
do you marvel at all this? Verse 28, marvel not at this. They wouldn't have been offended
if he'd have come down here like the average person preaches Jesus
Christ. I just come down here, you know,
to see what I could do. I just come down here to offer
myself. I just come down here to be your
doormat, your fire escape. I just came down here to inspire
you and to tell you God has a wonderful plan for your life if you'll
make it work. That's all I came to do. They'd
have never crucified Him. But our Lord came down here and
said, I'm God. Bow down. Bow down. He came down here and said, I'll
quicken whom I will. I'll quicken whom I will. The
Father has life in Himself, and He's given me life, and the Son
will quicken whom He will. And God the Father has given
me power to execute all judgment. Every person's life is in my
hands. Your eternal destiny is in my hands. And my hands have
accomplished all my Father sent me to perform. And I have all
preeminence. There's no room for any sharing
the glory. There's no room for anybody to
come in without a wedding garment on. There's no room for any diversity,
any oddity. There's no room for anything
to distract or to take away from His supremacy, His preeminence,
His eternal glory. Merge in him, find your place
in him, or get out, he said. He that's not with me is against
me. But all who believe, the only
reason, Christ said, if you believe not that I am He, you'll die
in your sin. That's the reason. Israel didn't,
God didn't keep them out of the Promised Land because they murmured.
He didn't keep them out of the promised land because they made
a calf. He didn't keep them out of the
promised land because they did this, that, and the other. They
could not enter in because of unbelief. Isn't that what it
says? Unbelief. And God won't tolerate
it. You see, there can't be two wills
in heaven, and His will is going to be there. So yours will have
to go to hell. See what I'm saying, Gary? There
can't be two wills. Two supreme beings. It can't
be two preeminent ones. It can't be two wills. And Christ
got first claim. So we're going to have to get
out. That's all. Abraham, let God be God. Believe
God. Believe in Christ is God. You
believe in God? He said, believe in me. You marvel at this? Look at verse
28. You marvel at this? You know, marvel at this, the
hour is coming in which all that are in the graves are going to
hear His voice. You marvel at the fact that He
quickens the dead sinner whom He will, gives him life, forgiveness
of sins, and mercy? Don't be marveling at that. He
has control over all dead men. One of these days He's going
to stand like He stood at Lazarus too. And every dead human being
that's ever lived, ever been born a woman, every person who's
ever stood on this earth is going to live again. That's what he
said. Every person that's in the grave
been dead for 6,000 years. You couldn't find a microscopic
trace of one speck of dust that came from that person. He knows
where it is. That's his omnipotence and omniscience. And he's going
to call them out. Death and hell delivered up the
dead, which one them? The sea gave up the dead, which
one them? Somebody went and cast into the sea. Fish ate his body. Fish died. Or some fish ate that
fish. And that's been forgotten for
4,000 years. He's going to bring them out. That's what the Word
says. And they're going to stand before
him. All judgment is given to the Son. And the books are going
to be opened. And the name is not written in
His book of life, the Lamb's book of life. That's what it's
called, isn't it? The book of the Lamb slain before the foundation
of the world. All of poverty. The Lord Jesus Christ is not
going to be standing over there watching the judgment. He's going
to be on the throne. The Lamb slain, as it were, on the throne. as a lamb on a throne as it was
slain. You say, what's this mean? Verse
29, some shall come forth that have done good. No scripture
stands alone, no one verse. The Bible says there's none good,
no, not one. The Bible says there's none good
but God. The Bible says there's none righteous.
Then who are these good? They are those that have their
righteousness in Christ. They did good. Those that have
done good in the person of a substitute when He walked on this earth.
That's who they are. Their goodness is His goodness,
and those that have done evil, they are those that are without
Christ, and all their evil stands against them. And they're all
going to hear His voice, and they're all coming out. He has
all preempted. What I believe, and we'll continue
this tonight about Jesus Christ, I tell you this, I feel more
strongly, I feel more obsessed with him after 58, nearly 59
years than I ever have, than I even was a year ago. I get
smaller, more insignificant, he gets greater in my thinking,
in my mind. What think ye of Christ? No pressure
will be applied to you in this matter. But in the congregation
of the righteous, before God, I lift up my voice, as I have
written with my own hand, and I declare my faith, the faith
of my heart, in the Lord Jesus Christ. In all that he said,
in all that he claimed, in all that the Father declared of him,
I am not worthy to unlace his shoes. Lest and the least of
all the saints, the chief of sinners, not worthy to open my
mouth and repeat his name, but to him be the glory both now
and forever. And I pray in his name that he'll
be pleased to have mercy on my soul. And let me be among those
in glory that'll sing his praise throughout endless eons of time.
Wouldn't you like to be there? I'm not looking for anything
but mercy. Mercy. Let's turn to 226. I do pray that my message is
not too harsh for you. I don't mean it to be at all,
but I mean it to be decided and definite and give you a place
for your feet, a rock to stand on.