2 Corinthians 4:3-4 | Dr. Junior Hill

if you have a Bible today I want you to turn please to the book of 2nd Corinthians chapter number 4 and I want to read you a very interesting and sober thought that Paul gives 2nd Corinthians chapter 4 and verse number 3 and verse number 4 but if our gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ who is the image of God should shine unto them have you ever noticed how there are some words in the language that become associated with other words and you can never mention one of them without thinking of the other word and one of those words that Associates itself like that is the word blind when I say blind what is the first thing that comes to your mind somebody that cannot see and when you see somebody that cannot see what is the first thought that comes to your mind something's wrong with their eyes so blind and eyes and seeing are inseparably bound up in our thinking and I say that to point out the fact that that's not what Paul said if you and I had said that we probably would have said in whom the god of this world has blinded the eyes of them that see now but he didn't say that he said he has blinded the minds of them that see not you see ladies and gentlemen your eyes tell you what you can do but it is your mind that determines what you will do that's why you hear people all the time make a statement like this I have made up my mind you never heard anybody say I've made up my eyes have you unless you're a lady who loves a mascara or something like that no you don't make up your eyes you make up your mind now I say of all I've said all of that to say this the devil has a unique ability to take his thoughts and put them into minds of others so that they think it is their thoughts now think about that the devil can assault a person's mind with his cleverness and insert into their minds thoughts that are so real that they think that oh that there are folks and that's what he's talking about I'm going to preach a simple little gospel sermon today and when the invitation comes I'm gonna ask some of you in this building if you'd get a step into one of these aisles and make some kind of commitment is the Lord they called you to do that but already even before I do that there's some of you that are hearing a little fog pop in your mind I'm not gonna do that I'm not gonna walk down that aisle and you're going to give a thought that you think is your thought what in fact it may be the devil's dog so let me show you some of those thoughts that somebody's going to have when I ask somebody to come forward somebody's going to say I'm not going to walk down that aisle because I wouldn't know what to say well how would I say if I walk down that aisle I'd be afraid that I didn't know what to say now for those of us that go to church I'm sure some of you think that silly because you know I have to go to church for a while you develop a language that you understand and we think everybody else understands but the tragedy is that the church language is not the language of the world they don't understand our terminology I was in a meeting several years ago and a pastor got up exhorting people here's what he said he said I under how many of you here totally depraved would you like the vicarious atonement of Jesus propitiation applied to your depravity what I said huh I'm a Seminary graduate been preaching 60 years I'm not sure I know what that means and yet he thought people understood that now I say all of that to say this there may be somebody here today that would like to be saved or you'd like to come and be baptized of whatever decision God made called you to do but you're afraid that you don't know the language of the church I didn't realize that until several years ago I was preaching in a church and after the service was over this lady came down to talk to me and she said brother Hill I really in Georgia sermon today and I really felt like God talked to my heart and I said well ma'am why didn't you come forward like some other people did and I never will forget what she said it changed my thinking forever she said brother Hill I wanted to come but I didn't know what to say I was afraid I didn't know what to say and it occurred to me that we take it we take the assumption that people understand the language when in fact they don't and the devil is clever and he's a wise person that puts that into a mind of a person I don't know what to say let me set you heart ADIZ would you like to be saved do you'd like to come and follow Christ in baptism then when this invitation is given I want to ask you just to get out step in one of these aisles walk right down here to the front took the hand of one of these men and say these five words I want to be saved nobody's going to ask you to explain the books of the Bible or name the twelve disciples if you want to be saved just simply walk down this aisle and say to one of these men I want to be saying somebody else is gonna say I'm not gonna walk down that because I'm not a bad person the devil likes to get you to think that you're not a bad person when I started preaching 60 years ago you could ask anybody on a street corner in America I don't care what city or what state it was 60 years ago you could ask anybody on a street corner of America walk up to them and ask them this question are you saved and the chances are overwhelming that you would have add one or two enza's yes I am no I'm not that's basically what folks would have told you 60 years ago today if you were to stop a person on the street and say are you saved do you know what they would likely say to you well what business is that to you none of your blankety-blank business and we've grown up a generation of men and women that are not only not saved they don't want anybody to ask them if they're safe because we have a generation of hard-hearted men and women that don't think that they're guilty and in need of a savior I saw a survey the other day they did of cross section of American people and they asked them two questions number one do you believe you'll go to heaven when you die that's the first question they asked in the survey would you believe that an overwhelming majority of those that responded said I believe I'll go to heaven when I die I told my wife Carol I said honey if the Pope people of this generation all going to heaven it's not going to be as good a place as we thought he's gonna be but they thought they were going to heaven and then the second question they asked was the kicker to them all if you believe that you're going to heaven why do you believe you are here's what they said because I am a good person see that's what the general population thinks I'm a good person and they don't realize that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God you see ladies and gentlemen there's none good no not one the only way in the world that a person can ever be saved is to come to the point where you realize you need to be saved and you're not good listen what Jesus had to say about it this is such a wonderful statement when the master spoke these words he said for the Son of man came to save the Lost and he said he that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he's not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God you see ladies and gentlemen the Lord just has two categories of people there are those that have believed and are not condemned and those that have not believed and are condemned already just two categories that's all God sees God don't look at who's good and who's bad he looks at those who have received Jesus and those who have rejected Jesus and so let me ask you a question today has there been a time in your life or by simple faith you've said Jesus I believe you're the son of God and I put my trust in you and I believe that you will save me has there been a time in your life where that is happening was there an occasion in your life somewhere where you said I'm a sinner and I know Jesus loved me and he died for me on the cross and I trust him to save me from my sin has there been a time in your life like that if there has then you are saved and you're not condemned but if it has never happened then the Bible says you are condemned already right now under the condemnation of a holy God so the devil puts in people mine's that they're not bad I'm not a bad person somebody else is gonna say I'm not going to walk down that aisle because I'm too old you know sometimes people think they've waited too long to give their heart to Christ I was in a meeting several months ago and a lady came forward you could tell by looking at her that she was a rather elderly woman and the pastor dealt with her and after he'd finished talking to you he turned to the church and he said we're so happy to have mrs. so-and-so who's come this morning to give her heart to Christ and he said ma'am if you don't mind telling us that's a terrible thing to ask a woman but he didn't know any better he said ma'am if you don't mind would you tell us how old are you and that little lady stood before the church and she said I am 98 years old 98 can you believe that I think that's the oldest person I've ever seen respond in a sermon where I preached nine eight years old aren't you grateful to God you don't ever get too old to be saved and there may be a man or woman sitting right here in this auditorium today and you're thinking in your heart I'm too old to be saved no you're just in the prime of life if you'll come to Jesus today somebody else is going to say I'm not going to walk down that aisle I'm too young now I know we don't have a lot of children and young people in this service I think they tend to congregate in the second service but there may be some boys and girls here today at teenagers and I want you to listen to me very carefully I want to talk to you just a minute did you know the best time in your life ever to be saved is while you're young now I did not say that God said that God said remember thy creator in the days of thy youth before the evil days draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them the best time in your life ever to be saved is while you're young and open to the gospel of Christ I had a person asked me the other day they said brother how old do you think a child should be before they get saying well sadly there's no answer to that question because the Bible doesn't give you any answer to that but it does give us some insights into what might be some answers to it how does a child have to be to be saved well I believe there are several factors that you can tell whether or not a child is old enough to be saved number one you can think about their intelligence you see the tragic truth is that not everybody develops intellectually at the same pace there are some people that are 10 and 12 years old that don't understand simple things and there are other little boys and girls five and six and seven that have a remarkable understanding because their development was early in their lives I've met many boys and girls who tell me that I was saved when I was five where I was saved when I was six that is not a general rule obviously but it is a determining factor to look at people how old are you in your intellectual development second of all there is not only their intelligence but their instruction you see little boys and little girls that have been taught the Word of God from the day they were young and little babies are naturally going to understand the gospel earlier than those that haven't had any instruction I grew up in a home that never went to church my mom and daddy were not saved people I never saw my daddy pray I never heard my mama read the Bible I grew up a teenager never heard the name of God mentioned in my home till I started to church I never had an instruction but there boys and girls sitting in this building today that were taught the Word of God from the day you were born your mom daddy whispered into your little innocent ears Jesus loves you and you read the Bible to them and you prayed for them and you talk to them and you gave them instruction and they grew up understanding God at an early age and that's a good determining factor if a child is old enough their instruction but there's a third thing and this is the most important of all not only is there the intelligence and the instruction but there is the interest you see when a little child says to you mama or daddy I want to join the church or I want to be baptized don't take that as a fact that they don't know what they're talking about and they're not old enough it simply may mean that that's the only language they know to understand what you're trying what they try to tell you see one little boy comes to you mom and said I won't join the church mama don't say you don't know what's talking about just walk through the faith and understand if they understand you say they don't understand the language of the church and sometimes little boys and girls are kept from being saved simply because they don't have the language to describe there may be a little boy or girl sitting right here today in this auditorium and you've never been saying but you'd like to be saying and I'm going to ask you when this invitation is given in a few minutes if you're not saved you'd like to be saved I'm gonna ask you just to walk down one of these aisles and maybe just say to your daddy or mama mama I'd like to go daddy I'd like to go and they'll bring you down this aisle and if you come to Jesus so don't say I'm too young you may be the very age God wants you to be to be saying somebody else is going to say I'm not going to walk down that I'm saved I just haven't been now I want you to hear me very carefully so you won't misunderstand what I'm about to say I certainly don't think you have to be baptized to be saved I'm thankful that it is a blood of Jesus it saves you from your sin not water baptism but having said that the Bible is emphatically clear that saved people need to be baptized I meet people all the time who say well I'm saved I just never have been baptized and I ask these people well why haven't you been baptized well I don't think it matters Blaze's number let me tell you three things about baptism and I hope you listen very carefully if you don't remember anything else I say in this sermon today I want you to remember these three simple things about baptism number one its purpose what is the purpose of baptism it is not to save you it is not to wash away your sins the purpose of baptism is to identify with the body of Christ and to be identified as a follower of Christ if you've been to baptismal services you know that most preachers when they baptize somebody they take that body under and they say buried with Christ in Baptism raised to walk with Christ it's a symbol of what has happened in you heard and if that has happened in your heart you ought to be unashamed to confess it so baptism is something that is very very purposeful it tells people that you're a child of God but second of all baptism not only has a purpose but it also has a place you say when you get saved you need to be baptized as a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ I want you to hear me very carefully you see a lot of people say well it don't matter when you get baptized whether you're baptized before you save but after you save as long as you get back no that's not true baptism is for save people I was in a church up in the one of the New England states some time ago and I preached a sermon similar to this one I'm preaching today and the guy who was playing the guitar in the praise band came to me after I'd spoken and he said brother Hill I was really touched by your sermon today you talked about being baptized after you got saved he said I want to ask you a question he said I grew up in another denomination and my mom and daddy tell me that I was baptized when I was a baby and he said obviously I don't remember anything about that but he said since I've been coming to this church and hearing the gospel I feel like I've been saved and he said I'd the question I want to ask you is do I need to be baptized I've already been baptized I said well sudden let me ask you two questions were you saved when you were sprinkled as a little baby he said well brother Jinyan no I don't even remember that I said well are you saved now he said yes I am I said well you just need to get baptized you see baptism is something that follows salvation there's a place for it now here's the trouble listen very carefully I very rarely ever preach this sermon but what somebody will say to me brother he'll that's exactly what happened to me so I believe that there's somebody in this building that this has happened to you or you need for it to happen to you so I want you to listen very carefully you see when you're saved you are to be baptized after you get saved now what happens to a lot of people is that they get baptized before they're ever saved that happens to children quite often quite often little boys and girls will get baptized because others get baptized and they grow up and when they're saved they say well I was baptized back there's a child see there's no biblical baptism until first of all you've been saying and so there's somebody probably right here today and this is what happened to you somewhere back there in the past you as a little boy a little girl and all your friends maybe in Bible School decided they wanted to go forward and get baptized and you want to be one of them and you got in that line and walked down to the front and told the preacher I want to get baptized like Mary and Sue and Joe and you got baptized but it meant nothing to you I mean you can't even remember it meant nothing but you grew up and you heard the gospel and you were saying genuinely say and you know what you're saying now well I was already baptized back there in the past but folks you can't be biblically baptized until you're saved baptism follows salvation it doesn't proceed salvation you see when you're saved you are baptized and if you got baptized before you ever got saved I got some sad news for you you never have been baptized I had a pellet fella tell me other days say well brother he'll I don't think it matters whether you're baptized before you save a few save as long as you're baptized well let me give you this illustration you see if you think it matters we have a lot of pretty teenage girls sitting here in this audience today I look out across all these lovely young girls sitting out here all of these young girls have in the back of their mind this mental illusion of mr. wonderful who's one day coming he's going to ride up on a white horse he's going to be tall and handsome he'll sweep me up into his own and we'll ride off into the sunset live happily ever after all these young girls got that fence in their mind why are you old ladies got that fencing here now let's suppose I call what are those little girls up here to the blackboard young lady I drove over from Alabama last night and I stopped to get me a coke and a box of Cracker Jacks and in the bottom of that crackerjack box was a little play wedding ring and I want to give it to you and I won't just say this is a little wedding ring from brother Hill and I'll give her that little wedding ring out of a box of Cracker Jacks and she's gonna grow up mister mr. Wonderful's coming girls I promise you he's coming he's not gonna look like what you thought he looked like you thought he'd be tall slim and handsome they'll be short fat and ugly but you're going to love him more than you ever loved anybody in your lifetime you go to stand at an altar somewhere and that old boys are going to look you right in the face and say I love you so much and the preacher says now son do you have a ring for this girl's finger yes sir I made the final payment on it at Walmart last night alright son put it on her finger and repeat after me this about and he'll put that ring over to on your finger and you'll draw back your hand and say no thank you I've already got a ring well where did you get it well there's old ugly fat preacher from Alabama gave me one out of a box of Cracker Jacks you don't want to wear mine no I've already got a wedding ring now folks listen to me I'm not trying to be a smart aleck I'm not trying to be harsh or judgmental but I won't tell you what happened to some of you in this building you had a crackerjack baptism you got baptized because Mom and daddy did son and daughter boys and girls for it who ever was whoever it was that you followed you got baptized because somebody else did but it meant nothing to you if just like a Cracker Jack ring to a girl but you've been saved you have since been saved and now you know what you should do you should come and say I have come to follow Christ in the proper order I want to be baptized as a believer its purpose and it's priority and its place now let me ask you a question have you had some uncertainty about your baptism one of the things I find is I preached this sermon folks tell me over and over and over again and brother Hill that's bothered me for a long time I've been troubled about that for a long time and you answered those questions today I need to be baptized and I believe out of this big old audience today there may be several people who got put under the water before you ever got saved but you're saved now and you need a believers baptism once you just step out when the invitation is given just walk down here and say I got a crackerjack baptism I want a real baptism and the next time they have a baptismal service here you can be one of those that go down into that pool now there's one other person somebody's going to say when God talks to you hard today I will do it some other time you thought that was your thought did you you thought that's what you were thinking and you never stopped to realize that that thought was very cleverly placed into your mind by the prince and power of the air that is blinding your eyes to tell you that you got lots of time do you remember that story of the rich farmer the Bible says that his crops were so big he couldn't put him in his little barns and he stole him in bigger barns and here's what he said he said thou has much Goods laid up for many years I will eat and I will drink and I will make merry and here's what God said thou food thou food tonight thy soul is required of you then whose will these things be that that was provided ladies and gentlemen God said that a man who thinks he can get saved later is a food and there may be somebody sit in this audience right here today and you think I'm gonna get saved one of these days but I got plenty of time that's what the foreigner said and Jesus says you're a fool I saw that Illustrated in my life in such a sad sad occasion I never preached this sermon that I don't think about this it grieves me to even say this when I started preaching as a 17 year old boy the first sermon I ever preached my mama and my daddy were both saved my sister got saved later but I had a brother who was the oldest member of our families name was Leon I'm the baby of the family Leon was the oldest and I looked up to my brother because as younger brothers look up to older brothers and I began to pray that Leon would get saved he came to hear me preach one night and I watched him when the invitation was given and I could see him crying and I knew that God had spoken to his and I pray Lord happily uncomf or word today please have him Lord saving tonight but he wouldn't come after the service was over we sat down to talk and I said Leon I saw you crying tonight during the invitation did God speak to you hard he sure did son and I felt like I needed to be saved I said well Leon you can be saved right now why don't you tie just bow down on her knees and you can ask Jesus to save you and you can be saved right now I never will forget what he said he said son I can't do that right now my wife and I having some marital problems when I get them worked out I'll be saved but what he didn't know and I didn't know was it less than two months later he'll be standing one warm November morning with a fishing pole in his hand and just like that he just topples over in the water dad I don't like to say what I'm about to say I hope I'm wrong but I fear that my brother is in hell you know why is there because the devil put into his mind you can get saved later he thought it was his thought there was the devil's dog now there's somebody like that here today God's telling you I want you to be saved I want you to be baptized you need to do it right now don't say you'll do it next month next year you don't know you'll be here you need to do it right now I'm gonna ask you to do it would you bow your head just our heads about and her eyes are closed I believe across this great crowd of people there's some of you that need to be saved I believe there's some of you that have been saved but you've never been baptized some of you need a real baptism you need to kind there's some little boys and little girls that need to come while you young and tender and open to the gospel I'm going to ask you that you'll get up if you up in the balcony just get up and there be those in the aisles up there in the balcony to talk to you these men will be here at the front and just slip down the aisle take one of them by the hand and say I want to be saved or I want to be baptized whatever God is telling you to do you come on this morning father to the best of my knowledge I've tried to tell these people what I believe you wanted me to tell them Lord I've spoken to their ears only you can speak to their hearts and Lord as we sing this song would you give them grace to walk down this aisle and to do your will in Jesus they

Channel: Bellevue Baptist Church

Views: 4,311

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords:

Id: -qjmBgn4ugA

Length: 34min 12sec (2052 seconds)

Published: Wed Jul 11 2018