Old Time Religion

Q: What does the Bible say about Jesus Christ being the same yesterday, today, and forever?

Hebrews 13:8 teaches that Jesus Christ is unchanging across time, confirming His eternal nature and faithfulness. In Hebrews 13:8, it is declared that 'Jesus Christ the same, yesterday and today, and forever' emphasizes the unchanging nature of Christ. This verse signifies that the Savior's love, sacrifice, purpose, and Word are constant, providing believers with a firm foundation amid life's uncertainties. In a world of change, the assurance that Jesus remains the same offers comfort and stability to His followers.

Q: How do we know the Word of God is infallible?

The Bible is affirmed as infallible because it was inspired by God through holy men moved by the Holy Spirit, as stated in 2 Peter 1:21. The Scripture's infallibility stems from its divine inspiration. In 2 Peter 1:21, it is shown that 'holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.' This indicates that the authors of the Bible were under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, ensuring that the message conveyed was without error. The integrity of God's Word is further demonstrated through its consistency across centuries and its authoritative role in guiding Christian beliefs and practices.

Q: Why is following the faith of biblical figures important for Christians?

Following the faith of biblical figures helps Christians build a solid foundation of faith in God's promises and His unchanging character. Christians are encouraged to follow the faith of biblical figures like Abel, Abraham, and Moses as it exemplifies true belief in God and His promises, as highlighted in Hebrews 13:7. These figures offer a model of faith that resonates with the unchanging nature of Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Their lives demonstrate that genuine faith perseveres amidst trials and yields spiritual fruit, thus providing Christians with tangible examples of trusting God. This practice not only strengthens individual belief but also unites believers in a shared understanding of God's faithfulness across generations.

Q: What is the significance of preaching the Word of God?

Preaching the Word of God is crucial as it is the ordained means by which God saves sinners, according to Romans 10:17. The significance of preaching the Word lies in its divine authority and role in the salvation process. Romans 10:17 states, 'So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.' This emphasizes that through the proclamation of Scripture, God transforms hearts and brings people to faith. Preaching is not merely a tradition; it is the primary means by which the Gospel is communicated. In an age where many seek alternative paths to spirituality, the unchanging message of the Gospel remains effective and is vital for believers to comprehend and share as they fulfill the Great Commission.

Now, my text this morning is
found in the 13th chapter of Hebrews, verse 8. Jesus Christ the same, yesterday
and today and forever. But if we select a verse of Scripture
to study, if we select a verse of Scripture to use as a text
for a sermon, It's always wise to read and study the verses
preceding the text and those which follow the text. Now, that's
the way to find out what the Holy Spirit is teaching. It's
not fair to the Word of God to pick out a verse of Scripture
like a crow picks out a grain of corn from a cornfield and
ignores the rest of it. When we read a verse like this,
verse 8, look at it alone, Jesus Christ the same yesterday and
today and forever. That's not right to just take
that verse out of the Bible because the Bible was not written in
verses when it was written originally. It was not written in chapters.
It was written in paragraphs and books. And it's not right
to take a verse out and put it on the wall and build a doctrine
around it build a hope upon it unless you read the verse preceding
it and the verse which follows it. Now let's look at the verse
preceding verse 8, verse 7. There are three words here that
are very important, the word remember, the word follow, and
the word considering. First of all, it says, Remember
them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you
the word of God. Now this may be applied to faithful
pastors, not all pastors, not all preachers, not all missionaries.
I'm talking about faithful pastors, faithful missionaries and faithful
preachers who preach the word to us right now. This can be
applied to them. Remember them which have the
rule over you and who have spoken unto you the word of God. How
do we remember them? Well, to remember faithful preachers,
and I say this may be applied. I'm not saying that this is demeaning
here, I'm saying it may be applied. To remember them is to know them,
to acknowledge them, to respect them, to listen to them, the
faithful preachers of God's Word. To remember them is to be mindful
of them when we go before the throne of grace, to pray for
them, to remember them when you pray. Remember me in prayer. To remember them is to take heed
to their words, to listen to them, to allow ourselves to be
instructed by them that we may grow in grace. To remember them
is to support them and take care of their needs. So this may apply
to faithful ministers of the gospel who now speak to you the
word of God. But I think this remember goes
back farther than that. I believe this, remember, goes
back to the inspired prophets and the apostles of our Lord
Jesus Christ. They gave us the Word of God.
They gave us the message. They gave us God's Word, which
is our rule of faith and practice. I teach what they said. I teach
what they wrote. Now look at 2 Peter 1, 2 Peter
1, verse 21. I'm saying this. that we are to remember those
back younger, the apostles, the prophets, who taught us God's
message, God's word. Here in 2 Peter 1, verse 21,
for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man,
2 Peter 1, verse 21, but holy men of God spake as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit. God gave us prophets, God gave
us apostles to write this word. It's inerrant, it's unbroken,
it's infallible, it is the word of the living God. And we are
to remember these who wrote this word, who have the rule over
us, who spoke to us the message of God, which is unquestionable,
which is infallible, which is unbroken, which is without error,
it's God's word. Now, my words are not infallible,
theirs are. And we're to remember them, because
the words of Jesus Christ are the same yesterday, today, and
forever. You see that? Now look at the
second word. It says in verse 7, We remember
them which have the rule over us, who spoke to us the word
of God, because the word of God doesn't change. It doesn't change. The word of God is the same in
the 20th century as it was in the 3rd century, as it was in
the 1st century, as it was when Job wrote, or when Moses wrote,
or Isaiah wrote. It's the same yesterday, today,
and forever. God's word does not change. Heaven
and earth shall pass away, he said, but not one jot or one
tittle shall pass from this word till it all is fulfilled." Now
look at the next line, it says, "...whose faith follow." Follow
their faith. Now, we are never told in this
Bible anywhere, and I thought about this before I wrote it
down to say it. We are never told in this Bible
anywhere to follow any man's acts or deeds or actions. We're not told to follow David's
actions or Peter's actions or Paul's actions. We're told to
follow what? Their faith. Their faith. We have but one example, and
that's Christ. We have but one person to follow
in his deeds and in his actions And that's Christ our Lord. Never
follow any man's deeds or actions. Follow their faith. Follow their
faith. That's what it says here. The
Word of God is always, and this is the difference between God's
Word and biographies. I like biographies a little bit,
but not a great deal, because biographies are not honest. The
Word of God does not cover up the infirmities of his prophets
and of his apostles and of his servants. The Word of God plainly
reveals everything that they did. Biographies present only
the good side, but God's Word is faithful to point out the
infirmities of even his greatest servants, and he doesn't tell
us to follow their deeds, he says, follow their faith. By
faith, Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than King. You can
certainly follow that. By faith, Enoch walked with God. You can certainly follow that
faith. By faith, Noah, being warned of things not seen, prepared
an ark to the salvation of his house. You can certainly follow
that faith. By faith, Abraham offered Isaac
as a sacrifice. You can follow that faith. By
faith, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
suffering rather to suffer the afflictions of God's people than
to receive all of the luxuries of Egypt. You can follow that
faith. These men believed God. These men believed in the Redeemer. Job said, I know my Redeemer
lives. Isaiah said he was wounded for
our transgressions by his stripes. You can follow that faith. These
men rested in the blood of the Lamb. Follow their faith, because
the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today,
and forever. Now, what's the next word? The next word is considering. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
today, and forever. Now remember those who spoke
to you the word of God, because if Christ is the same, his word
is the same. The word which Moses gave is
the word to me. The word which Isaiah wrote to
his generation is the word of God to me. The word which Paul
wrote to that generation, they are the words of God to me. If
Christ doesn't change, his word doesn't change. Follow the faith
of these men. If that faith pleased God, then
I want the same thing. Now, consider the end of their
conversation. Now, what does this mean? It
means to consider the issues of their ministry, consider the
goal of their ministry, and consider the goal of their lives. Turn
to 2 Timothy 2.10, and Paul gives us the issue of his ministry. 2 Timothy 2.10. He gives us the
goal of his ministry, the end of his conversation. 2 Timothy
2.10. And we know what Paul suffered.
We know he suffered shipwreck. We know he suffered persecution. We know he suffered scourging. We know he was cast into prison. We know he said, All men have
forsaken me, only Luke is with me. In chapter 2 of 2 Timothy,
verse 10, Paul said, Therefore I endure all things, the suffering,
the privation, the affliction, the scars, imprisonment, I suffer
all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain The
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory, he
said, that's what it's all about. I'm not trying to make a name
for myself. I'm trying to find God's sheep and tell them the
good news of how Christ loved sinners and died for them. I'm
not trying to get followers and disciples to come after me. I'm
trying to find God's elect, trying to find God's sheep, so I can
tell them that even in their sins, Christ died for them. Even
in their sins, Christ loved them. Even in their sins, Christ interceded
for them. I'm not trying to build monuments
to my name and leave such a name that all men will remember and
praise me. I'm looking for God's sheep.
I endure all these things, all of this suffering and persecution
and heartache and desertion of friends and loss of reputation,
I'm doing it for the elect's sake, that they may obtain the
salvation which is in Jesus Christ. That's what it's all about. That's
what it's all about. In Romans 10, verse 1, listen
to him here. This is the reason we say, remember
these men. Remember their words. Follow
their faith. Considering the goal of their
ministry, the issue of their ministry, is me and you. That's
what it is. They want us to come to know
God, come to know Christ. In Romans 10.1, Paul said, Brethren,
my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they
might be saved. That's what it's all about. Look
over across the page at chapter 9, verse 1 through 3. I wish
I could say that. I don't have this much grace.
Paul says in chapter 9, verse 1, I say the truth in Christ,
I law not, my conscience beareth me witness in the Holy Ghost.
I have such heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart that I could
wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren,
my kinsmen according to the flesh. That's the desperation of his
ministry. That's the cry, the heart cry
of the Apostle Paul. That's the reason we need to
remember the words of Paul and Peter and James and John. That's
the reason we need to follow the faith of these men. Considering
the end of their ministry, the issues of their ministry, the
goal of their lives, is that we might be saved. They're not
dealing deceitfully with us. I've heard people read the Apostle
Paul when he said, wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands.
Let your women keep silence in the church. I suffer not a woman
to teach, nor the use of propriety over the man. Somebody says,
well, Paul was an old fogey. I wish some of you were old fogeys.
Can you say this? Can you cry this way? I wish
some of these liberal modern preachers who criticize Paul
and feel that they have a better ministry and a better message
and a more liberal view and a more understanding ministry, I wish
some of them could say this, I could wish myself a curse from
Christ for my brethren, according to the flesh. Or maybe like Moses who stood
before God and said, The people have sinned a great sin in making
this golden calf and falling down before it and worshiping
it. But Lord, blot out their sins, and Lord, if you can't
blot out their sins, you blot my name out of your book. You blot my name out of your
book. Remember these men. We'd better listen to them, their
words. Remember the words which they
spoke to you. These are the words we're talking
about. These words. Follow their faith. Don't you
pick you out a modern liberal preacher and follow his faith.
You follow the faith of Abel and the faith of Abraham and
the faith of Enoch and the faith of Moses and the faith of Noah
and the faith of Paul. You follow their faith. Not their
deeds, but their faith. And you consider that they were
chosen men, they were selected men, they were anointed, ordained
men, and they spoke infallible words. This is God's word. Holy men of God's faith as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit. This is not an ordinary book.
This is not just a religious manual. This is not just the
history of the Jewish race. This is God's word. Moses wrote
things that he didn't even understand. Isaiah wrote things that he didn't
even personally enter into. How could he know what he was
writing when he vividly and perfectly described the death of Christ
on the cross? David wrote things in Psalm 22
that he had no depth No possible way of entering into what he
was writing in reference to Christ, when he described the very words
that the Lord used on the cross. They cast lots for my garments.
They plucked out my beard. Father, forgive them. They know
not what to do. My God, why hast thou forsaken me? They shoot
out their lip. They walk around me. Dogs encompass
me. They say, he trusted in God.
Let's see if God will have him now. Those are the words that
they used at Calvary. David wrote them hundreds of
years before Christ died. Read verse 9. Now let's
skip over our text and read verse 9. And be not cared about with
different and strange doctrines. Well, this is a new day. Sure
it's a new day, but the gospel is the same. God is the same. His word is the same. His laws
are the same. His scripture is the same. Sin
is the same. Salvation is the same. Christ
is the same. And don't you accept anything
that's not in this world, any doctrine. Do not care about what's
different and strange and new doctrine. Let your heart Be established
with grace, for the doctrines of our Lord Jesus Christ are
the same, yesterday, today, and forever." My friends, when I
talk about old-time religion, I'm not talking about putting
on a pair of overalls and a bonnet and an apron and coming to church
and looking silly. I'm not talking about even the
religion of our country's founding fathers. That's too new. That's
a new religion. I'm not talking about the religion
of men like Spurgeon and Whitefield and Wesley. That's too new. That's not old-time religion.
I'm not talking about going back to the days of the Great Reformation,
of Zwingli and Calvin and Luther. I'm not talking about even the
men back in the first century. Ignatius and Polycarp and these
men. I'm talking about going back
to the old-time religion, Genesis to Revelation, the Word of God. Here's the old-time religion.
This is our foundation. This is our rule of faith. This
is our rule of practice. Isaiah said, turn to Isaiah 8. I want you to look at this with
your own eyes. Isaiah 8. If this doesn't describe our
day, and this was written hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of
years before Christ, in Isaiah 8, verse 19, it's amazing to
me that people, when they go to a doctor, they want to go
to a qualified doctor. They want one that's finished
high school and college and pre-med and internship and got his license
and maybe got a little gray hair in his head. If they go to a
lawyer, they want to go to a lawyer who has completed his education,
who has had his intern work in law, and who has been around
a while and maybe is up in years and has wisdom. But I heard a
fellow on the radio yesterday afternoon bragging, he was preaching,
and he was bragging about the fact he didn't even have a 5th
grade education. People will entrust their souls,
their bodies, no. That's got to be in the hands
of a qualified physician. Their estates, their homes, their
cars have got to be in the hands of a reliable, capable, studious
individual who knows what he's talking about. But their souls,
my God, they'll put them in the hands of anybody that can say, Isn't that terrible? Why don't
you listen to this verse here, Isaiah 8, verse 19. And when
they shall say to you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits.
Oh, here's a fellow that claims a woman that claims she can talk
to the dead. Here's a person that claims that they can commune
with those that are gone. They can thump on a table and
fool a thousand. Here's a fellow that claims he's
got a direct hotline to heaven, and God talks to him, and God
tells him things, and he can lay hands on the sick, and he
can make them well. Unto wizards that peep and mutter,
should not a people seek unto their God? Why stop at some place
between you and God? Bypass this charlatan and go
to God. For the living to the dead, You're
going to the dead to commune with the living? Watch this next
verse now. To the law and to the testimony,
if they speak not according to this word, it's because there's
no light in them. Now, you put that stamp on any
preacher or any healer or anyone in this world today who does
not stand up and preach this book, there's no light in him.
If he claims from God a special revelation, he's a liar and the
truth not in him. If he claims any knowledge beyond
this word, any ability beyond this word, any revelation beyond
this word, any knowledge beyond this word, any doctrine beyond
this word, any change in this word, he's a liar and the truth
not in him. There's no light in him. Even Paul told young Timothy,
preach the word, not what you think, not what your generation
wants to hear, not what you consider sane, sensible religion. Preach the word. Turn to Ephesians 2. I want you
to look at this too, Ephesians 2. If they speak not according
to the word, there is no light in them. I'm not an old fogey, but if
Paul said, Let your women keep silence, it's still so today. If Paul said, I suffer not a
woman the use of authority, it's still so today. Now, therefore, you are no more
strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints
and of the household of God. And you are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets." That's our foundation, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief cornerstone. If Peter wrote,
Christ is coming again, it's still so today. It's still so
today. If the early church met together
to break bread and drink the wine and remember their Lord's
death, it's still required today. If our Lord said, repent and
be baptized on Pentecost, it's still so today. It's still so
today, it has not changed. This is our foundation, the apostles
and prophets, and Jesus Christ himself, the chief cornerstone. And David wrote in Psalms 11,
verse 3, if the foundations be removed, if the foundations be
destroyed, what can the people do? We need to go back to our foundations
right here. What's wrong with the religious
building today? The foundation's been destroyed.
What's wrong with the religious organizations today? The foundation's
been destroyed. They're doing what they think
they ought to do, not what God says. They're preaching what
they think they ought to say, and not what God says. It is
my responsibility to preach to you the Word, the Word of God. One old hymn writer put it this
way, how precious is this book divine, by inspiration given. Bright as a lamp, its doctrines
shine to guide our souls to heaven. This lamp, through all the tedious
night of life, shall guide my way, till I behold the clear
bright light of that eternal day. Oh, for a strong a lasting
faith, to believe the gospel of God's Son, to believe all
that God has said, and call his word my own. Science may change,
and it does, and it has, and it will, and great progress will
be made. Nations and governments may change.
I thank God for our freedom. I wouldn't want to live in the
Dark Ages or the Middle Ages. I thank God for men like Thomas
Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John Adams,
all these men. I thank God for them. Nations
and governments change. Knowledge and philosophy changes.
I'm glad that somebody discovered the circulation of the blood.
I'm glad somebody finally discovered and inoculations against polio
and smallpox and things of that nature, wonderful, great. The
knowledge of man is increasing. Philosophy may change, but Jesus
Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. His word
is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. His faith is the
same. Let me point out several things
in closing. First of all, our Lord is the
same in his person. He's the same in his love toward
us. He said, I've loved you with an everlasting love. Do you know
how long the Lord Jesus has loved his own? Always. That's what he says. I've loved
you with an everlasting love. Having loved his own, he loved
them to the end. How long will he love them? We'll
turn to Romans 8, verses 38 and 39, and look at this. How long
will he love us? It says in verse 38, I'm persuaded
in either death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor
powers, nor things present, nor things to come. heart, no death,
nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the
love of God which is in Christ Jesus." He's the same. Does he
love you now? He always did. And thank God he always will.
He always will. Don't you wish we could say that
about ourselves and about our friends and even about our loved We hear people, when they get
married, they say, I love you always. They're lying, some of
them. They're lying. Our Lord doesn't
lie. He said, I'll never leave you,
never forsake you. He never changes. His love is
the same. His love is the same. And then
he's the same in his sacrifice. If you go to the Word of God,
you'll find this, that He was the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. He was our surety, he was our
representative, he was our substitute, he was our sin offering, he was
our sacrifice back in the council halls of eternity. That's what
it says. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world,
Revelation 13.8. And then, yea, before he even came to Calvary
in Isaiah 53.7, Isaiah talked about him being led as a lamb
to the slaughter. a sacrificial lamb. And then
in John 1, 29, when John the Baptist saw him, he says, There
is the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. And
then when Paul wrote of him in 1 Corinthians 5, he said, Christ
is our Passover lamb. And then in Revelation 5, verse
6, John wrote, I beheld a lamb as it was slain sitting on the
throne. So Christ in his relationship
to his people as their lover has never changed, and as their
lamb has never changed, as their sacrifice has never changed.
The average person thinks that Jesus Christ was an afterthought,
that God created Adam and put him in the Garden of Eden and
hoped that he would survive the test, that he would not fall.
But he fell, so God hastily decreed to save men by conscience. And
that didn't work. So then he sent judges into the
camp to judge the people in hopes that they would do what the judges
said, but that didn't work. And so he sent a law. He brought
them to Sinai and he said, now here's my law. Thou shalt not,
thou shalt not, thou shalt, thou shalt. And that didn't work,
so 2,000 years ago they searched through heaven and they found
a Savior. And they sent him down to this
world, and that didn't work either. So God's going to have a millennial
kingdom on this earth someday, and he's going to send Christ
down here again and see if he can get folks to come back to
Jerusalem and ride ox carts and offer sacrifices and be saved
that way, but that won't work either. Jesus Christ is the Savior. Is
he the Savior today? He was the Savior yesterday.
He's the Savior tomorrow. Does he love his people? He loved
them from eternity. And yesterday is not talking
about October 9th, it's talking about in eternity. He was the
Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth. He was Abel's Savior.
He was Moses' Savior. He was Abraham's Savior. Our
Lord said, if you had believed Moses, you would have believed
me. Moses wrote of me. Abraham, your father Abraham,
rejoiced to see my day. He saw it and was glad. The Ethiopian
eunuch said to Philip, of whom is this man Isaiah writing? Himself
or some other man? And Philip began at the same
scripture and preached unto him, Jesus. I've drawn you with an
eternal love. I'll never leave you. Nothing
can separate us from the love of Christ. He always has been
our surety. He always will be. He is now.
He always has been the Lamb slain for sinners. He is now and always
will be. The people of the Old Testament
who were saved were saved expecting Calvary, looking to Calvary,
anticipating Calvary. The people who are saved today
are saved looking back to Calvary, rejoicing in Calvary. He's the
same in his offices. He always has been the prophet.
He always has been the priest. He always has been the king.
And what he was to Moses, he is to me. And what he was to
Abraham, he is to me. And what he was to Peter, he
is to me. And what he was to Mary Magdalene,
he is to me. And what he was to John, he is
to me. What the hand is to the lute,
what the breath is to the flute, what is fragrant to the smell,
what is the spring to the well, what is the flower to the bee,
that's Jesus Christ to me. What is the mother to the child?
What is the God in pathless wiles? What is all the troubled ways?
What is ransom to the slave? What is water to the sea? That's
Jesus Christ to me. He's the same. Here's what I'm
saying, and oh, I hope you can learn it. Be not carried away
with different, strange doctrines. Don't succumb to these false
prophets that come to you as wolves in sheep's clothing, bringing
some new doctrine, new revelation, new teaching, new direction.
Go back to the book. Remember them, remember them
that have the rule over you, who spoke to you the word of
God, not the words of men, not the Baptist handbook or the Methodist
handbook or the Catholic handbook, God's book. Those names were
never heard of in New Testament days, they're new. That's not
old-time religion. Follow their faith. You want
to pick out someone to follow, don't pick out a human being,
but you can follow their faith. And you can consider the end
of their ministry, the goal of their ministry, the issues of
their ministry, that you might know God. That's why they wrote
it. These weren't selfish, self-styled, self-righteous men. These were
hand-picked by God. And they spoke as the Holy Spirit
gave them utterance. gave us the word of God. I call
you back to the word of God, for Christ is the same. He's
the same in his love, he's the same in his sacrifice, he's the
same in his person, he's the same in his doctrine. Now, let
me close in saying this. He's the same in his purpose
and in his way of saving sinners. How did our Lord save sinners
in the days of the Well, men today are weary of the divine
plan. They're going to be saved by
every means known to man. They're going to be saved by
the water, they're going to be saved by the law, they're going to
be saved by praying, they're going to be saved by music, they're
going to be saved by the priest, they're going to be saved by
decision, they're going to be saved by entertainment. Let's
see how they're saved, sinners, in the Word of God. Turn to 1
Corinthians 1, verse 20 and 21. First Corinthians 1, 20 and 21. Where is the wise? Where is the
scribe? Where is the disputer, the debater
of this world? Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? And it doesn't matter whether
it's first century wisdom or twentieth century wisdom, it's
foolishness with God. For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to say them that believe." Preaching
what? Preaching the Word of God. Brethren,
faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. That's
how faith comes. Turn back to Romans 10, verse
17, and look at it. Faith cometh how? Faith cometh
by Paul wrote in Romans 10, my heart's desire and prayer to
God for Israel is that they might be saved. Whosoever shall call
upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If thou shalt confess
with thy mouth Jesus to be Lord, and believe in thine heart God
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. But how are they
going to call on him in whom they've not believed? And how
are they going to believe in him whom they've not heard? And
how are they going to hear it? Without a preacher. So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing with the word of God. This may seem like foolishness
to you, but over here in 1 Corinthians, Paul said the preaching of the
cross is to them that perish foolishness. It may seem like
foolishness to you to talk about one who died on the cross 2,000
years ago, to talk about his blood-shedding, his burial, his
resurrection, but to them that are saved, it's the power of
God. For the preaching of the cross, the preaching of the cross,
the foolishness of preaching, God Almighty has chosen to save
sinners. So that means. Turn to Mark 16,
and I'll close. Mark 16. Let's close with this
passage of scripture, Mark 16. Our Lord had died on the cross,
he had been buried, he had risen again, and he was speaking to
his disciples before he went back to the Father, and he said
in Mark 16, he said to them, you go into all the world and
preach the gospel. Now, brethren, I love good music. And I think we have as much talent
here as any place I've ever been. Thank God for these who play
the instruments, for Aaron, for Mike, for the trio, for all who
sing. But me and Art are going to be
brought to Christ by music. And I thank God for this lovely
building, and it's going to be even more lovely. And I think
we ought to, I think we ought to, for glory of God as a tribute
to our Redeemer, If we're going to have nice homes, God's house
ought to be a nice place. If our homes aren't going to
be comfortable, God's house ought to be comfortable. Now, if we
have a depression and we have to go living in grass huts, okay,
we'll worship in a grass hut. But men aren't saved because
they come to lovely buildings and burn candles and utter catechisms
and march around and go through all of this religious ceremony.
Men are saved by the preaching of the word of God. go into all the world and preach,
preach. And I know, I love Sunday school,
we're going to have Bible classes here, taught by able, capable
people. But I'll tell you one of the
tragedies of this day is churches have replaced that which God
commanded us to do with something else. The preaching of the Word
of God today is secondary. We have all kinds of organizations
for entertaining young people, we have organizations for music,
we have organizations for social, we have organizations for social
work, we have organizations for everything under heaven. But
how many preachers like Peter and James and John can say to
the church, you deacons take care of this thing and social
work and these things, we're going to get in our studies and
spend hours and hours and hours studying the Word of God and
praying." Somebody said to a friend of
mine, what does Henry Mahan do besides preach? And the person said, well, that's
all he does. I said, you mean he doesn't have
a business on the side? No, he just preaches. Well, she said he didn't preach
it. Well, I mean, he doesn't preach but three hours a week.
What does he do the rest of the hours during the week? Nothing!
That's the reason our churches are in the shape they are in
right now. That's what the preachers are doing the rest of the hours
during the week. Nothing. Nothing. That's the reason they're
saying nothing. You cannot replace the preaching of the word with
music, with Sunday school, with entertainment, with youth groups,
with anything else. Those things are sidelines. This
is the main line, the preaching of God's word. Go ye into all
the world, listen, and preach the gospel to every creature.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. He that believes
what? This word. This way. This book will judge
you, Christ said. Now, I ask you this morning,
how many of you can quote some of this book? Come on now, you
think. You can talk about, you believe
this, and you're a Baptist, or you're a Methodist, or you're
something else, and you've always believed this, believed that,
but quote some of this book. Give me your favorite verse of
scripture. Well, John 3, 16. You know anything else besides
that? Have you become acquainted with the Word of God? Do you
read it? I'm for reading books written by men, but you read
God's Word more than you read their books about God's Word. It'll throw a lot of light on
those books. It'll amaze you. Read the Word of God. Saturate
yourself in the Word of God. These are the words that will
judge you right here. This book. Back to the old time
religion. Here it is right here. Our Father in Heaven, bless the
word that has been spoken. Thy word shall not return unto
thee void. It shall accomplish that whereunto
thou hast sent it, that which pleases thee. Thy word, my words,
are empty and vain, and they fall in the floor in front of
this pulpit. But thy word, O Lord, is sharper
than a two-edged sword. a flame of love in our hearts
for this book, turn our interest and attention to this word. How
subtle and crafty is our enemy Satan, who turns our attentions
to things that appeal to the flesh, away from the word of
God. To follow Pied Pipers and men whistling their own tune,
instead of following that man that's preaching God's word.
Lord, create an interest in the heart of every person here to
know what this book says. May they become like the noble
Bereans who search the Scriptures to see if these things be so. We pray this in the name of Christ
our Lord and for his glory. Amen.

Old Time Religion

What does the Bible say about Jesus Christ being the same yesterday, today, and forever?

How do we know the Word of God is infallible?

Why is following the faith of biblical figures important for Christians?

What is the significance of preaching the Word of God?

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Old Time Religion

What does the Bible say about Jesus Christ being the same yesterday, today, and forever?

How do we know the Word of God is infallible?

Why is following the faith of biblical figures important for Christians?

What is the significance of preaching the Word of God?

Sermon Transcript

About Henry Mahan

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