the twelfth chapter of Hebrews
verse 25 Hebrews 12 25 see that you see that you refuse not him that
speaketh For if they escape not who refused
him that spake on earth, Moses and the prophets, Isaiah,
much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that
speaketh from heaven. Who's he talking about? The eunuch
said to Philip, of whom does the prophet speak, himself or
some other man? He's talking about Christ. The
Lord Jesus Christ is represented in this verse as him that speaketh
from heaven. He is of heavenly nature. It
says in Hebrews chapter 1, turn over there a moment, Hebrews
chapter 1 verse 1 through 3, listen to this. God who at sundry
times and in diverse manner spake in times past unto the fathers
by the prophets. They wouldn't hear the prophets.
They refused the prophets. Hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom also he made the worlds. He is of heavenly nature, listen,
who being the brightness of God's glory, and the exact image of
his person. Christ is the brightness of the
Father's glory and the exact image of his person. He that
has seen me, Christ said, has seen the Father. He is from heaven. He's of a heavenly nature. He
is from heaven. He's armed with heavenly power
and authority. He said, all authority is given
unto me. My Father hath given me authority
over all flesh. So when the Apostle says here
in Hebrews 12, 25, see that you refuse not him that speaketh. He speaketh from heaven. He is
of a heavenly nature. He came from heaven. He's armed
with heavenly authority and he's gone back to heaven and he speaks
from heaven. How does he speak to us? He speaks
to us through His Word. Turn to John chapter 12. Now
listen carefully to this. If I can possibly bring this
message tonight so that you leave here with a greater appreciation
for this book, a greater awareness of the importance of hearing
the Word of God, a greater love for the Word of God, a greater
desire to hear the Word of God, I will have accomplished something.
But what I'm saying is what Paul is saying over here. You be careful
that you don't refuse to hear Him who speaks from Heaven. This
is the Lord Jesus Christ. He came from Heaven. He's armed
with the authority of Heaven. He's gone back to Heaven and
He speaks now from Heaven. He speaks through His Word. Now
watch John 12, 44. Jesus cried and said, He that
believeth on me believeth not on me, but on him that sent me.
And he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me. I am come a light
into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide
in darkness. If any man hear my words, if
any man hear these words, and believe not, I judge him not.
I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that
rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth
him. The word that I have spoken,
the same shall judge him in the last day. And we ought to be
able to quit right there, and everybody just go out resolved to read the word more. Christ said, I won't have to
judge you. This book's going to judge you. The words that
I speak on, you could have heard. Barnard used to say, you'll be
held accountable for what you heard and what you could have
heard. What you could have heard. So my exhortation tonight is
plain and to the point, I hope brief and simple, is this. See that you refuse not him that
speaketh from heaven. If those people who refuse the
prophets who were but types and representatives If they didn't
escape, how are we going to escape if we turn away from Him that
speaketh from heaven? Now, here's the first question.
Why is it so important to hear this Word? Well, number one,
if you want to write these down, I think they're worthy of writing
down. Why is it so important that I
hear this Word? Well, first, because of the excellency
of the Word. This is not the Word of men,
this is the Word of the Lord. I wish I could stress that. Let's
check a few verses on that. First, let's turn to 2 Timothy. This is not the word of men.
This is the word of the Lord, the excellence of the word. We believe the word of God, this
Bible, is verbally inspired. That it's infallible, that it's
the holy word of the living God. In 2 Timothy 2 or 3 verse 16,
listen, all scripture is given by inspiration of God. A better
translation is all scripture is God-breathed. And it's profitable
for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction, and righteousness
that the believer, the man of God, the believer may be mature,
throughly furnished unto good works. It's God's Word. It's
given by the breath of God. This is the Word of the Lord.
And then 2 Peter 1.21. Listen to this. 2 Peter 1.21. The prophecy came not in old
time by the will of man. Men didn't just decide they would
write. A lot of men did, but it wasn't
preserved. It wasn't kept for us. It's not
part of the Word of God. But this prophecy, holy men of
God spake as they were moved by the Spirit of God. And then
1 Corinthians 14. These are just scriptures relating
to the excellence of the Word of God, the excellence of the
Scripture. In 1 Corinthians 14, verse 37,
listen to this, and you could get an age topical Bible and
do the same thing I'm doing here. In 1 Corinthians 14, verse 37,
if any man think himself to be a prophet or spiritual, or spiritual,
let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you
are the commandments of the Lord." Now that, if any man claims to
be a preacher or spiritual, let him back up that claim with this
statement right here, what I'm preaching is the Word of God.
I'm not preaching myself. Paul said we preach not ourselves,
we preach Christ. And then in 1 Thessalonians,
listen to this, 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. And an interesting
study for you, you who have the Naive Topical Bible, is just
turn to that section on the Word of God. Scriptures relating to
the Word of God, relating to the infallibility and inspiration
of the Word of God, and then the other third section, I forget
the title of it. But first, Thessalonians 2.13,
listen to this. For this cause also thank we
God without ceasing, because when you receive the Word of
God, which you heard of us, You received it not as the Word of
men, but as it is in truth the Word of God, which effectually
worketh also in you that believe." Stop listening to the voices
of men and start listening to men who preach the Word. I'm
not telling you not to hear men. I'd be telling you not to hear
us. But I'm saying hear them. who preach the Word of God, who
read the Word of God, who emphasize... One man came here to a service
one night and went away and said, all he preaches is Scripture,
Scripture, Scripture. Why doesn't he preach to the
issues of the day? These are the issues of the day.
The rest of it's gingerbread. That's all it is. The rest of
it's just flesh and materialism. I'm preaching to the issues of
the day. The Word of God. The issues haven't changed. We've
changed. Our customs have changed. Our
environment has changed. Our patterns and all have changed,
but we haven't changed. We're just like they were 6,000
years ago. Not a nickel's worth of difference
in us. Our needs are the same. The issues are the same. They
never change. This is a new day. No, it isn't.
Nothing new under the sun. Isn't that what it says? You're
thinking the same thing your daddy's thought and your great-granddaddy's
thought. You're doing the same things.
You got the same nature, heart, everything. We just got better
teeth. That's right. And better clothes. That's right.
That's all. There's no difference. Jeremiah
23. Let's listen over here. Jeremiah
chapter 23. This is the Word of God. Jeremiah
23, 28. The prophet that hath a dream,
let him tell his dream. But he that hath my word, let
him speak my word faithfully. That's the thing to do. Why should I hear the Word of
God? Because it is the Word of God. Because of the excellence
of it. And then, why should I hear the
Word of God, my friends? Because of the power of it. And
what I'm about to say, I believe emphatically, completely, I believe,
listen, it's the word of God that quickens dead sinners. I
don't mean logic. I don't mean our illustrations.
I don't mean our fine messages. Joe, I mean this word, right?
Of his own will, beget he us with the word of truth. We're
born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by
the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. Believe
just as many people would be saved if I stood here every Sunday
for 30 minutes and read nothing, but the Word of God Now I know
we have to somebody said that that the promises of God are
like an alabaster box of sweet smelling perfume But it doesn't
fill the air until the preacher breaks it. I See what I'm saying? So to teach God's people, Christ
went back to heaven. He left prophets, evangelists,
pastors, missionaries, teachers, that the man of God might grow
and mature. And so we take the Word and teach
it and apply it. But as far as quickening sinners,
it's the Word that does it. Not my Word about the Word, but
my Word. I hear people say, I hope Brother
Mahan will say something to turn my son's heart to God. God will
have to say it. Because I can't turn anybody's
heart to God. Our Lord said, My word shall not return unto
me void, it shall accomplish that whereunto I have sent it.
I believe that. I believe it's the Word of God that saves the
soul. It's the Word of God that quickens sinners. It's the Word
of God that reveals Christ. Not what I say about Him, but
the Word that He said about Himself reveals Christ. I believe it's
the Word of God that gives life. I believe it's the Word of God
that begets faith. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God. Now, I believe we can pass out
tracts and these other things to get a man's attention, or
even maybe to create some interest, but he's going to have to hear
the promise of God, they say. He's going to have to have faith
in what God said, not faith in what I said God said. Your faith
ain't worth a nickel if it's in what I said what God said.
It's not worth a nickel. You've got to believe. Abraham
believed G-O-D, God Almighty, and it was counted to him for
righteousness. He didn't believe the angel that spoke to him or
the messenger. He believed God. You see what
I'm saying, Ron? You're going to have to personally,
individually believe God. This is the reason I think a
lot of preachers are detrimental to the cause of Christ. People
are listening to them. They're bragging on them. They're
following them. They're hearing their words.
They're saying, well, he said this and he said that. It's the Word
of God that gives life, and it's believing God that saves. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God. And I'll tell you, if God speaks
to you and you believe God, there's nobody who can take it away from
you. And nobody can take you away from Him. Nobody can take
it away from you or you away from Him, if you believe God. That's right. Faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the Word. It's the Word of God that sets
men free. It's not our creeds or catechisms
or lessons or commentaries. It's the Word of God that sets
men free. Listen to this. I want you to
turn to John 8, 31. Now listen to it, John 8, 31.
There's nobody who has the keys of hell and death but Christ.
There's nobody who has the keys of our cell but Christ. And nobody
can set us free but Christ. Free from our tradition, or custom,
or bondage, or profession, or false religion, or whatever.
John chapter 8, verse 31. Listen to it. Then said Jesus
to those Jews which believe on Him, If you continue in My word,
then are you My disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall set you free. That's the only way you're going
to be set free. His truth. It's the Word that sets men free.
It's the Word that enables men to grow. Desire the sincere milk
of the what? The Word that you may grow thereby.
You're not going to grow reading the Upper Room. That's right
now. I know these things are good.
You're going to grow by reading the Word of God. You're not going
to grow by reading all of your little emotional, sentimental,
religious magazines. You're going to grow by reading
the Word of God. It's exactly right. This is what Scripture
says. You say, well, so-and-so, I don't
care. The Scripture says that faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God, that we're begotten by His will through
the Word of truth. It says, desire the sincere milk
of the Word, that you may grow thereby. Error springs from ignorance
of the Word of God. Did you know that? Turn to Mark
chapter 12. Let me show you. Error, I didn't
say all error, I say error, most error springs from ignorance
of the Word of God. The reason we're tossed about
with every wind of doctrine is you're ignorant of the Scriptures.
The reason folks can come along and whisper something and you
just fall over like a little old black corn did in that wind
yesterday. It was all standing straight
up and that wind started blowing it all laid down just as beautifully.
Mark 12, listen to Mark 12, 24. Jesus answering said to them,
do you not therefore err because you know not the scriptures nor
the power of God? I tell you, when a man's built
on the Word and has the engrafted Word in his soul and heart, the
wind can blow, the trials can come, the whispers can come,
and he stands because he's grounded in the Word, the Word of God. Not what Baptists believe or
what Calvinists believe or somebody else, but what God said. Somebody
comes whispering something, you say, that ain't so. God said
this. That's right. If you want a firm
foundation and freedom from error and being blown about by every
wind of doctrine that comes along and everybody that wants to win
proselytes for themselves, you get grounded in the Word of God.
You do error because you don't know the Scriptures. That's what
Christ said. You don't know the Scriptures. All right, here's
the third reason why I need to hear the Word of God. Number
one, the excellence of it. It is the Word of God. Secondly,
because of the power of this Word. Do you know what you're
holding? You're holding the Word. It's quick. It's alive. It is
powerful. It is the sword of God, two-edged
sword, sharper. We're holding in our hands power,
dynamite, light, truth, the key of life. You can't separate Christ
incarnate from Christ inspired. He is the Word of God. And the
third reason is because it's Satan's intention to keep you
from the Word of God. And he'll give you some good
things to read, some pleasing things to read, some good things
to hear, some pleasing things to hear. He doesn't care. Let
me ask you a question. Now think about this real strongly. Think about this. If you would
keep a man from true repentance, you personally, say you were
in league against God, you wanted to destroy the name of Christ
on this earth, you wanted to keep men from faith, keep men
from repentance. If you wanted to keep a person
from true repentance and faith, what would you do? Keep him out
of church? I'd send him to church. Some
churches. Why, sure. Would you keep him? No, I wouldn't keep him out of
church. Well, would you keep him from preachers? Oh, no. I'd
put him right under some of these outstanding preachers of our
day. I'd have him move in the house with them. Well, what would
you do? Keep him from religious practices,
from praying and from tithing and from living a moral life?
Oh, no. No, I'd get him wrapped up in
that. Self-righteousness is the most secure place you can hide
from God. You can hide from God in a church
better than anywhere else. Ordain him, make him a preacher,
that'll keep him from Christ. If you want to keep a man from
true repentance and true faith, what would you do? Keep him from
the Word of God. Just keep him, Charlie, from
this book. And I guarantee you he'll never repent, he'll never
know Christ, he'll never believe if you keep this book from him.
That's so. Keep him away from the Word of
God. Satan came to Eve and asked her a question. And she said,
God said, God said, you shall not eat of the tree. That's what
God said. He said, that's not so. And that's
when she ate it. When once you put a question
mark on this, you don't have a leg to stand on. And then fourthly,
listen to me. We should hear the Word of God
because of the excellence of it, the power of it, because
it's Satan's intention to keep you from it, and fourthly, because
of our natural indifference to the Word of God. Now let's be,
let's come clean. Let's be, let's everybody here
be totally honest. I have to encourage myself, I
didn't say force myself. encourage myself to hear the
word and to read the word because by nature other noises and voices
and readings appeal to me more than this book. That's so. And I can prove it. I can prove it. Which is easier? Now be honest, which is easier?
Now tell me which is easier for you. I don't know what you like
best. I'll use several things. Some
of you men, like myself, are sports enthusiasts. You could
sit and watch a Kentucky basketball for three hours, basketball game,
and not flinch a muscle, not even get up and go get a drink
of water, unless they had an intermission. That's a fact.
I know it. I'm that way, too. And some of you, there's some
of you that say, I wouldn't give you a nickel for that. I know you wouldn't.
But I'll get on yours in a minute. General Hospital or as the world
as the stomach turns Or something like that. That's easy to watch
you watch one of those soap operas sit there wiping the tears never
move a muscle Never move a muscle That's the truth. We can get
on something else now or maybe it may be a Just a lot of things
or a magazine Reader's Digest. I've seen my wife sit with a
Reader's Digest on a trip. We'd be down on the highway,
and she'd sit with that thing for three or four hours. That's
right, isn't it, Doris? Three or four, isn't that the
truth? Don't point at me. Three or four hours, and read
all those, tell me different things that it says, you know.
But if you read this, you see this, just excited about it and
all, those things are, we, the things of this nature in a gossip
magazine. Oh, you say, I wouldn't read
one of those things. Don't tell me. You read Dear Abby every
night. What I'm saying is, and let's
be honest, now tell the truth, those things are easier to read
than this book. Now they really are. They're
easier to read. They're just the human nature.
They're easier to, if a preacher preaches over 45 minutes, we
are, our bodies are worn out. Just worn out because we're struggling.
We're trying to keep our attention, trying to keep them dozing off.
You never dozed off at a basketball game in your life. Bob never
has dozed off holding that rod and reel over that lake. He can
go out there at five o'clock in the morning and come in when
the sun sets. Driven home by a windstorm, that's
the only. But he'll stand there and hold
that thing all day long. I'm not, I can do it too. I went
out with Paul Williams and went fishing out there in that boat
and he said, it's starting to rain. And he said, shouldn't we go
in? I said, not yet, let's wait. It may not rain too hard. over
four inches an hour, you know. And that's the reason our disposition
is to carnality. Ain't that right? That's our
disposition. Don't look pious. It's so of
you too, and me too. You needn't try to look pious.
God looks on the heart, not on the outward flesh. He's not deceived. He knows our frame. He remembers
that we're dust. He knows it better than you do.
And I have to encourage myself to read the Word of God. I have
to encourage myself to hear the Scriptures preached. And I'm
going to do it. And you're going to do it too.
We must do it. Because man does not live by bread alone, but
by the Word of God. And I've got to have this bread.
I never did usually like what's best for me. Do you? I don't
like what's best for me. If you put a cup of coffee and
a glass of Pepsi-Cola or something, I'd probably take the coffee.
Or milk. Or water. Which one? Milk? Milk's
better for you. But milk don't taste nearly as
good as coffee, does it? My disposition... Listen to Paul
in Romans chapter 7. This is just so... And you needn't
be... You needn't... You needn't just
refrain from being honest. I just believe if we'd be honest
in dealing with God, that we'd get a lot better avenue of communication. Don't you, Bill? I just believe
we would. I think the reason God doesn't
hear us a lot of times is we're phony as a $3 bill. We need just
to tell him, Lord, I tell you, it's a struggle for me to read,
it's a struggle for me to study, I'm so dumb, I'd rather be out
fishing or hunting, and going to church this morning, Lord,
you're going to have to give me an appetite, because by nature
I hadn't got one. And I sure wish you'd bless me,
and help me, and deliver me, and give me a... This is what
Paul says in verse 18 of Romans 7, listen to it. Romans 7, 14,
listen. I know that the law is spiritual, the Word of God is
spiritual, but I'm carnal. Listen to verse 23. I see another
law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, bringing
me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
O wretched man that I am, not was, am, who shall deliver me
from the body of this death? Verse 22 says, I delight in the
Word of God, I delight in it. But verse 21 says, I find then
a law when I would do good evils present with me. So this is what
I'm saying. Why is it important for me to
make much of this book? Because it is the word of God. Because secondly, of the power
of it. What this word can do for me,
reveal Christ, convict of sin, give me faith. Because Satan
is going to do everything in his power to keep me from this
Word. He's going to do it subtly, craftily. He'll do it in a vicious,
deceitful way to keep me from the Word. He'll give me anything
but this. And this is the only thing that
will bless me. And because of my carnality, because it's just
not in me to desire spiritual things above fleshly things.
It's just not in me. It's not my nature. God will
have put it there. It's contrary to my nature. And
I must battle that old man. I must mortify that flesh and
crucify that old man and put him down and press him down.
Don't deny his existence. He'll sneak up behind you. But
just face the fact he's there and ask God to strengthen the
new man. All right, here's the second
question. What are some of the ways of refusing him that speaks
from heaven? It says, Refuse not him that
speaks from heaven. What are some of the ways of
refusing Him? Well, here's the first way, just not hearing it.
Just not hearing the Word. Just not reading it. You know,
over in Acts chapter 16, turn over there a minute. Acts chapter
16. And you know, I'm not preaching
the routine of going to church. That won't help you. I'm not
saying that at all. I'm not talking about a religious
routine of duty, but I'm talking about this. If you absent yourself
from the place where the Word is preached, you're not going
to hear it. Now, if I was attending a church
where the Word was not preached, I'd change my residence. I'd
find a place where the Word is read and where the Word is preached,
where the Word of God is taught. Because if I don't go and hear
the Word of God, I'm not going to be blessed by the Word of
God. And here in Acts 16, 13, listen. And on the Sabbath day,
we went out of the city by the riverside where prayer was wont
to be made. What's he saying there? I found
out there was some folks down by the river who were praying,
and I went down there to be with them. And what I'm saying is
this. If you can find some place where
this book is read, where this book is taught, where prayers
want to be made, go join them. Go get with them. Go sit on the
sidelines and listen. Maybe God will speak to you.
Go tune your ear in that direction. It may be God will say something
to you. Maybe not, but maybe He will. He's not going to speak
to you unless you do go where it's preached. He said, Forsake
not the assembling of yourselves together. So this is one way
that men refuse Him that speaketh from heaven, and that is they
just don't hear it. They don't avail themselves of
the opportunity to hear the Word of God. Secondly, or they hear
indifferently. Look at Acts 17, 11. They hear
indifferently. Listen to these people here.
These were more noble, talking about the Bereans, these men
were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received
the Word of God with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures
daily. They searched the Scriptures.
Now, my friend, let me tell you something. Don't you wish...
You know, a lot, what I receive, depends a lot on the spirit in
which I hear it. In other words, Herman Pruitt's
been blackberry picking. I guarantee you, the bigger bucket
he takes, the more he's going to bring home. If he goes out
there with a little tin bucket, about so big, that's how much
he's going to get. But if he goes out there with
one this size, that's how much he's going to get. And when I
come to hear the Word of God in an indifferent fashion, you
know, Scripture said, blessed are they that hunger and thirst.
They'll be filled. There are some things that we
do with full attention and full consecration and full devotion,
and usually those things are profitable to us. Some of you
are good at something. You're good at painting. Mike's
good on that piano, but it didn't just happen. Somebody said, I
wish I could play the piano like him. One fellow said, I'd give
anything to play the piano like that. Somebody said, would you
give six hours a day? He said, uh-uh. That didn't just
happen. He concentrated. He gave his
attention. And I'll tell you this, the knowledge
of the Word of God doesn't just happen. You don't sit and listen
to the Word of God sleepily, carelessly, indifferently. You
come with a desire. I'll tell you, if we could approach
the table of the Lord like we approach a table of food at the
end of the day when we work and we're hungry. Boy, we can't wait.
Somebody say the blessings so we can dive in. Just can't wait
to eat. Just can't wait. You're looking
at those sliced tomatoes and boiled corn and beans and potatoes
and the roast beef and the hot rolls and butter and the glass
of iced tea and you're just trembling. I wish I could preach to some
trembling folks. You see what I'm talking about?
Just can't wait. Come on, preacher, give us what
God gave you. Come on, tell us something good. I guarantee you if a fellow could
approach the Word of God like that, believe he'd get something
good. I know he would. And I'll tell
you another way that people refuse Him that speak, raising quibbles. You say, what's raising quibbles?
We refuse the true message of the Word by becoming involved
in raising quibbles over mysteries, secret things, and minor matters. That's exactly right. We get
sidetracked. We want to get over here and discuss the subject
of alien immersion, or closed communion, or church authority,
or the plurality of the elders, or passing the place. Or Christmas
or Easter? Or prophecy? Or where did King
get his wife? Or why didn't God prevent the
fall? Or why did God harden Pharaoh's heart? Or like one fellow wrote
a whole book on was Christ crucified on Wednesday or Friday? What
difference does it make? Now if you want to spend a few
hundred years in eternity studying that, that's fine. But you ain't
got the time right now. You've got more important things
to study. Was Job saved at the beginning
of the book or the end of the book? Well, I don't know. God
knows. And if God had meant for me to
know, He'd have said so. The secret thing belonged to
God to reveal things to us. Listen to some Scriptures right
quick. And this is, I tell you, this is a terrible, terrible
pit to fall into, raising quibbles and misdirecting your attention. And this is another one of Satan's
tricks. Turn to 1 Timothy 1 forward. Paul warns three times here in
writings to Timothy. He says, verse 4, 1 Timothy 1,
don't give heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister
questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith. You know, I think these things
that are not answered, like Cain's wife who went into the land of
Nod and got a wife, you know the reason? I think one of the
reasons God leaves them like that is to test a man's faith
and to give the goat a tin can to chew on. Give them strong
delusions. Let them get over there in the
corner and play with their little issues and these things, debate
their little problems. 1 Timothy 6, listen to this.
I Timothy 6 verse 3, If any man teach otherwise, and consent
not to hold some words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, he's
proud, he knows nothing, he's doting, about questions and strife
of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railing, and evil surmising,
perverse disputings of men, of corrupt minds, destitute of the
truth." That's what the results of that stuff is. And then 2
Timothy 2. Here's one I want you to look
at, verse 23. 2 Timothy 2, 23. But foolish and unlearned questions
avoid, knowing that they do gender strife. You can start a fuss. You can get the angels to fight
if you try very hard. Just pull out some strange question,
some strange unlearned questions. And then watch this. We refuse
him that speaketh forcefully when we are offended by the truth
that he speaks. I'm going to give you two examples,
Romans chapter 9. We refuse him when what he says
offends us. What he says offends us. Listen
to Romans 9. Paul said this, Romans 9, 11.
The children being not yet born, neither having done any good
or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might
stand, not of works, but of him that call it. It was said to
her, the elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob
have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What do you got to say to that?
That's what he's saying, isn't it? What you got to say. Well,
I don't think that's fair. You say, you're refusing him.
You're refusing him. I don't think that's fair. Down
here in verse 18, Therefore hath he mercy, upon whom he will have
mercy, whom he will he hardeneth. What do you got to say to that?
What do you say to me? Why does he yet find fault? Who
can resist his way? See, you're replying against
God. Just take the Word by faith. Receive it by faith. And then
watch this. I'll give you this quickly. Fifthly,
we refuse Him that speaketh when we pervert His Word and add to
it. Add to it. Now, my friend, watch
what you attribute to the Word of God. This is one of the greatest
errors of our day. Watch what you attribute to the
Word of God. Somebody says, well, you know
what the Bible says? Be careful. Make sure the Bible
says it. You know what the Bible says? Cleanliness is next to godliness.
No, it don't say that either. Well, you know what the Bible
says? God helps them that help themselves. No, it doesn't say
that. Well, you know what the Bible says? God's not willing
that any should perish. No, it doesn't say that. I picked up a catechism one time. This is the truth. I picked up
a catechism. It was a catechism put out by
the Reformed Presbyterians. I know what they are out in Chateau,
Montana. I said, send me a children's
catechism. So they sent it over here, and
I looked it over and read it. Got down to the subject of baptism.
And the catechism, you know what a catechism is, it asks questions
and it has A, answer, and then Q, question, and A, answer. And
it asks Q, question, who should be baptized? Answer, believers
and their children. It doesn't say that in the Bible.
Where does it say in the Bible the Baptist church is the bride
of Christ? Where does it say in the Bible
that no one but a member of a local congregation can come to the
Lord's table? Would you show me that in God's Word? Well,
we surmise that. We better quit surmising and start submitting. That's exactly right. I tell
you, we refuse him that speaketh when we accuse him of saying
what he doesn't say. We twist the Scripture and rest
the Scripture, it says, to our own destruction. There's enough
in the Bible that we can quote without quoting things that aren't
in the Bible, and holding to principles and practices that
are not in God's Word. I want to read you something.
I debated for a long time whether I'd read this letter or not,
but I'm going to read it anyway. This is a letter I got this morning. Dear, not dear, Mr. Mahan. I was adding two, wasn't I? I
heard you say over the TV that a man had sent money to a television
preacher that was wearing a big diamond ring. I assumed it was
Jim Baker. Why shouldn't he wear a diamond
ring? I saw the program where a jewelry store manager gave
him that diamond ring and gave him a watch to wear around his
neck on a chain. Now, I'm not reading this to
be funny. I want you to see how pathetic this is. Our Lord Jesus
Christ said I come in my father's name and you won't receive me
let another come in his own name and You'll receive it. I want
you to see how pathetic this is a cross-section of this nation
what I'm about to read That's just starting it now. You wait
till I hear the rest notice the blood Christ the gospel none
of these things are mentioned in this letter and notice how
this man comes to the defense of a man and and defends that
man's flesh. Now watch this, listen to it.
He also gave Tammy a string of pearls. What's wrong with that? I also heard youths make remarks
about that song of Jimmy Swaggart, Build Me a Mansion. Jimmy really
deserves a mansion. Jimmy's traveled around this
world and took his money and helped build schools to help
little dying boys and girls. I've seen them hold them in their
arms. Little children covered with leeches and mosquitos and
help pass the food out and brought medical units. No gospel now.
And my friends, this is sad. There's no gospel. This is what
I'm saying. These men and I are preaching the gospel. I'm not
saying they're not taking medical units and food, but no gospel.
And this man as much admits there's no gospel. I've seen them send
medical units, and Jim Baker sent two medical units to Honduras. I never saw you do anything but
just be on TV. But that's not all, and all your
old dead church members. That's what the next sentence
says. You should get out and tell people
how great Jim Baker and Tammy are. You should tell people how
great Jimmy Swigert is. People should keep Jimmy Swigert
and Jim Baker on the television. They're doing great work for
the Lord. It takes all they can make on
crusades and TV to pay their keep and pay their security guards.
I'm reading from a letter, my friends, this honestly. The man knows it takes all they
can get to pay their keep and pay their security guards. I
may have you wrong, but if you've seen a sick child, if he was
black, you'd kick him off the street. You sure are going against
the Bible. Jimmy was called, God picked
him. Have you followed his life? He's
never told anything, only what later comes as truth. He said
his cousin was in dope with Elvis, and when they found the doctor
that was giving Elvis dope, he's also giving dope to Jerry Lee
Lewis. And all the many dangerous prisoners like Tammy, you take
all your money and put it in the bank and draw interest. You'd
be scared to death if someone in the church went around to
the theaters on Sunday night and see how many of your members
are watching filthy pictures. God hates a proud look. I think
you should be put in jail. I knew I shouldn't have read
this Jim sent 1 million boxes of powdered
milk to Jimmy No gospel stale, you know Why don't you preach
on the Holy Ghost? There's a key right there They
don't want to hear about Christ. You see, this is so sad. And we've got to speak candidly
and truthfully about these things. Men need to hear the Word of
God. They need to hear the Word of God. They must hear the Word
of God. Well, like I said, I don't know whether I ought to have
read that or not, but I felt like I needed to give you some
insight. Now, here's the last point, and
I'll quit, into how people are thinking. This is how folks are
thinking. Why do men refuse to hear him
speak who speaks from heaven? Number one, I give two main reasons. Number one is self-righteousness.
Self-righteousness is the number one cause of opposition against
grace. Secondly is pride. Someone said
needy men are humble men and humble men are hearing men. Needy
men are humble men. and humble men are hearing men.
They'll hear God speak. And here's another thing that
interferes, and this is sad, and that's the fear of men. We're conformist by nature. We fear to stand. We fear disapproval. We fear rejection. It's hard to be different. And
the fear of man bringeth a snare. It really does. It bringeth a
snare. And then the last reason I say why men do not hear the
Word of God is just plain unbelief. Oh, for a heart of faith, a heart
to believe God. Have I given you a little more
concern, far, and interest in this book tonight? I hope so.
I believe in studying for the message, preparing this message,
It helped me a great deal along this line. Lord, open the Word
to me. Make me a diligent student of
the Word. We are commanded to study, to show thyself approved
unto God, a workman, and need it not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the Word of truth. Read other books, hear men, but
make this the very foundation of your faith.