Sin of Laodicea | Leonard Ravenhill

praise a lot for the privilege of being here revelation the book of the revelation I find the book of the revelation a book of majesty a book of mystery and a book of misery the misery part is because it showed me the final doom of the wicked it shows me what what God's dump heap is like where all the sewage of the world is going to gather moral and spiritual sewage in a place called hell it's certainly a very inspiring book it not only deals with the last days that's not just the ministry but all the last days it's not only the end of the book it's the end of time it's not only the end of time it reveals the beginning of eternity Revelation chapter 3 verse 14 unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write these things saith they are men the faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God I know thy works that thou art neither hot or cold I would thou wert either cold or hot so then because thou art lukewarm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth I can give you a very ugly caption for this when God gets sick and not is he not talking about the world he's talking about those who profess his name the church's pews out of his mouth I would think would be the culture it's not the culture it's not the hot church it's the one that's halfway up and halfway down it's always vacillating he never is in a state of what God wants constant victory they're 17 because thou sayest I am rich and increased with Goods now come on you folk that preach prosperity if prosperity is God God's order why does it rebuke this this in this country this church why doesn't it compliment them and saying you're living exactly where I want you to live there's not nothing wrong in being rich the fact is they were contented with it they were satisfied they I've told you so often for myself for you the dangerous going up hills struggling uphill reaching a plateau and camping on that plateau as though there's no other height to be gained keep this in mind from an old man there's no finality to the Christian life this side of eternity nobody knows it all we know in part and we prophesy in part but one day the veil will be taken away and you know what we will be to discover how stupid we've been all our lives to discover how little of God's possessions we've really reached out for we're so easily satisfied let me go on here that won't get any further because I'll say I am rich and increased in goods and have need of nothing a young man was in my office last Saturday bright young American man with his wife and nearly three children to another one coming I said are you American yes what are you living I've given my life to Germany he said the youngster started chatting in German I'm sure they were correct in what they said but anyhow it was interesting to see them he was so eager to get back he said in my country it's so different from America you can't get out of America without realizing how that you neither hot nor cold you're in the state of lukewarmness and indifferent in Germany he says you're going to church it's either sizzling hot freezing cold there's no middle class as soon as you get in that you sense the awesome presence of God arrives as a vacuum there in America he says that sense almost nothing I'll say stammered its increased in goods and don't need oh nothing I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire you know this is the last of the seven churches in the other six churches Jesus Christ as some word of commendation for each church in this church has no commendation it's all condemnation you may remember you've read in the Epistle to the Colossians where Paul says see that this epistle is read to the church at Laodicea so they had lights they had revelation they had knowledge and yet they were certainly indifferent I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire Oh so God has some things on sale yes he has gonna buy some read through the seventieth I counsel thee to buy of me white raiment so God said yea God opens his market every morning you live do you mean what Isaiah says come and buy wine and milk without money and without price I counsel thee to buy of me you know this city of Laodicea was one of the greatest cities in the world at that time I guess you've read some of the great classics you may remember Cicero I went on a vast journey halfway around the world and he said he cashed his credentials for money in the great banks of Laodicea there's irony here the cynicism here almost the scorn here holy s--t God which the most awful scorn ever from the lips of the holy son of God I counsel thee to buy you're naked buy some clothing well one of the main industries of Laodicea was they made the best clothing in the world and his essence he says it's rubbish she won't cover you it's konglish materialistic it's selfish they were rich in money and it is a Jew buy gold from me the gold is divine truth the garment of this is a garment of righteousness I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white raiment that thou bear'st to be clothed how do we buy from God how many times are we sang in our fellowship here particularly when we work grounds that lovely old house we wouldn't we used to sing the dying thief Cowper's him and English him of course the dying thief rejoice to see that fountain in his day and there have I not may I have either vile as he washed all my sins away there is a fountain the dying thief he got into heaven on the last gasp I expect to see him in heaven I do not expect to see him at them as part of the bride I don't believe for a minute everybody's part of the bride because they're saved if they were why didn't all the ten virgins get straightened to see the bridegroom the door was shut you know everybody thinks heaven is going to be an eternal picnic when he get in the door Peter's gonna be there and say would you try this on for size this is a special crown for you and you can try this one on this has rubies this has diamonds this amethyst this has something else forget it are you saying I have to work for my salvation no I'm saying you have to work for your reward you're not going to collect crowns in heaven of souvenirs the dying thief rejoice to see that fountain in his day one of the great heroes of America two books move me to God I think that's why God brought me here when I got to college a minister wrote and said he was giving his library away that's never happened since but anyhow he was giving away his library for three books and sent 15 cents for mailing so I sent for three books one unpress when unholiness and one on the second coming I got a beautiful book it's never been published like that since it's had a fantastic cover it was brilliant read and it had big gold letters on the back power through prayer by e/m bounds and I made up my mind in the lunch time and other boys were fooling around I don't read that book on my knees I read it through in a week I went through it no it went through me it changed my life about prayer when I was 17 my Sunday school teacher gave me in a bridge life of David Brainerd one of the greatest Saints ever brain had died at 28 Wesley died at 88 he's really going to have a bigger reward that no he's not why not because God doesn't reward us just for the size of our accomplishments he rewards us for faithfulness he was faithful in that which is least will be faithful or faithful also in much some people are going to rule over five cities some are going to rule over 10 cities there's going to be some very strange things in heaven I believe every day that you obey God and particularly in the simple simple things all are the inner things of your life you're weaving a garment that you're going to wear in eternity John Wesley was converted at 35 turn that round it makes 53 in that wonderful add them together it makes 88 the time he died when he died he left six English pound notes six silver spoons a handful of books a Geneva gown and what was the other thing Wilfredo oh I know the Methodist Church I knew there was something he made a lot of money he built a lot of institutions he built orphanages I preached you know in the hood until the British Admiralty won so gorgeous fantastic building in the town of Bath in England and as I walked up that aisle I said and John Wesley walked through this magnificent bit he paid for it he printed Bibles he printed him books he financed missionaries to go across the earth that's the way to use your money you think of the reward why in god's name do you think it says don't lay up treasure not their treasure in heaven you can tell how spiritual you are I'll tell you this will shatter some of you and you deserve it when you're more interested in your bankbook than you are in god's book when I get to heaven I'm sure I'll make it I'll be looking to see if Calvin made it but there you are that's another thing what a day in heaven will be like mercy won't it be wonderful John Wesley buried a man that he said was the holiest man since the days of the Apostle Paul I have a life on him John Fletcher the saint of Madeley the drunks at the side of the road would be standing there not able to stand up and they'd take their caps off and say here comes the man that loves our souls John Wesley said he was the holiest man that ever lived he said when method is when I die and leave Methodism I want to hand over my office for this amazing man he is the only man in the world that can take Methodism as it is now and rule it spiritually that's what he said of John Fletcher John Wesley buried John Fletcher and lived thirty years after he buried him Wesley invested his time invested his money I read David Brennan I lived at that time on the edge of Sherwood Forest in England so at night I went in the forest and took my mother's little dog and tied it to a tree and I pray we have some ferns in England that don't go out that way they grow like a bowl I used to get into one of them and pray in the night in the darkness yell my head off when old lady said God not death and a friend of mine said no he's not nervous either I don't care how you pray as long as you pray with the powder and hunting of wisdom of the spirit that's all that matters I got up early Sunday morning and walked across the golf course tied the dog up to a tree and had another session of prayer and gradually gradually gradually got to know something about the heart and passion and further have a young man who died a ripe old age of what 28 after the revival in Methodism just like most revives it began to different get colder and Wesley wrote to his brother Charles and said Charles see that every minister in the Methodist Church gets a complete copy of the Diary of David living a David Brainerd and they got an Edition specially made and send it to every Methodist preacher I counsel thee to buy of me gold he's writing to bankers and he never had a gold coin bless his heart he had to borrow a penny and he said one day who's is a superscription render to Caesar the things of the Caesars if half the Christians in America were as interested in the kingdom of God as they are in the Dow Jones averages with every battle we never talk about gold gluttons we talk about money we talk about gluttonous people will get too fat with eating what about the gold gluttons is it possible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of him yes but hardly Jesus says there's a little gate there in Jerusalem if you beam where they try and get a camel through they take everything off it and push the poor old beast without its burden and he said you'll get to heaven as easy as that with you wealth James says your wealth cries out against you listen dear friend I came to this conclusion this week there's no God you praying to God and expecting him to hear your voice if you walk this week and under-bed his voice he's not your Lackey he's not your servant he's not there to pull every mountain down he's there to give you a strength to get over the mountain not to ease your burden we play like infants lord give me strength for this burden know most of us lord give me burdens according to my my strength that's why I didn't do it break our backs in our hearts you switch from saying Lord give me a burden equal to my strength to st. God give me strength equal to the burden that's in front of me I am sure of this again as I pondered it this week you cannot live wrong and pray pray right you may get away with it in a pre-meeting but when it gets to the great auditor up there he says but you didn't do right this week you did the wrong business deal you did the wrong action you said the wrong word we think that prayer is the easiest thing in the world all you do is get down in your knees and gamble away something prayer is the most difficult ministry in the world I had three ministers in my office last Monday one of them almost in tears pastors a charismatic church on the west coast he says my church is frustrated I'm frustrated what's wrong I said you don't pray you're not disciplined you don't pray you're not know a thing about worship come on shoot back what did he say nothing then he said you're right I'm not a disciplined man I'm not a praying man I don't know that much about worship do you know why we have so many pygmies in our pews because we've so many puppets in our pulpits if Jesus came back he wouldn't cleanse the temple eat cleanse the pulpit this week I'm reading for the third time David Wilkerson his new book and it's a scorcher I make you happy I'm gonna try and get you all a free copy as a Christmas gift won't that make you happy and maybe I'll mail it from myself so you'll think I send it but anyhow I'll tell you what you won't dare to get through it without brokenness if you do you'll beyond help does he Scotch the church does he Scotch the pulpit yes but he quotes all the time the scriptures and show how far we've drifted from the holiness of God and the authority of God they will cost a lot of us something to buy from God wouldn't the scripture that says redeem the time actually is from the Greek buy up the opportunities you set off every day saying Lord I want a new opportunity to prove your grace today improve your strength today improve your wisdom today I want to be so low that nobody can crush me I'm gonna get a rubber stamp made for my letters and you know it will say on I am a woman no man I don't have anything else for the world because a woman is the only creature that can go in at one side of a mountain and come out at the other side tell me another creature that can do that read the 41st chapter vici which is fantastic about the worm the context is fear not thou wrong Jacob but God called him a prince but you see God never flatters us it flattens us sometimes it flattens me for the orphan don't do that will you would carry your not in your head we must be on the same wavelength he rubs my nose in the dust sometimes and he doesn't have to go down too far if you're a worm to get your nose rubbed in the dust in that good fear not that were but Jacob was changed to have his name called Israel a prince with God but a nobody in the of the world oh boy how we want to be esteemed how we want to be respected how people should realize what precious gifts of the Spirit I've given do you know why they don't because you stink with pride that's why am i doing pretty good right now nobody uncomfortable I can't be doing dudes don't I count Ali huh I'm giving you advice buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayst be rich and white raiment that thou mayst be clothed and the shame of thy nakedness isn't amazing this church thought she was wearing the most gorgeous garments and God look right through them and said just stark naked you're trusting in your works in your positions in your possessions in your creature comforts in your spiritual stature I've said before let me say again which I often do of course we're in grave danger when we let our accomplishments become the ground of our confidence if you feel stronger in God if I feel stronger in God's and how because I've been preaching 60 years I'm a fool I push Jesus on one side my confidence is in the flesh the more longer I live the more I find I don't know but you know I'm so happy one day and a factory Jesus called me to preach remember the first call of Jesus wrought follow me wasn't it follow me I am meek and lowly of heart and ye shall find rest unto you the first call was follow me what was the second call well the third was abide in me and it's not easy but I remember when I stood on the crack of the ground in that off in that factory and told Jesus Lord here I go I want not only will I not go back I won't even look back you know some of your feed your kids on such a junk come on let me see how many of you read how many of you are married how many wish you were anyhow how many I married raise your hands okay let me see okay put them down thank you how many of you read to your children Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress one good brother where it was you have two three good for you dear what about reading the holy war that's a greater book than Bunyan's Pilgrim's processes second volume do you know I once sat in bunions chair and I thought boy when I get up I write like bunion and it didn't work I went to a place where the other adam clark the great expositor of the methodist church had a high back chair i sat in that and it didn't help my preaching a bit i sat in a chair where the king of england that satin do you know what nobody noticed can't life be discouraging what he says by by garments that you're naked no it doesn't say that he says buy of me garments that the shame of thy nakedness is it awesome to think that one day at the judgment seat of Christ many of us will be stark naked nothing to cover it by of me that thou mayst be rich and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed that the shame of thy nakedness not appear as many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent behold I stand at the door or not you know this scripture is so often applied in an evangelistic meeting Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart correct exegesis is not there he is not knocking at the door of the heart here is knocking the door of the church God Almighty how could it be the book of the revelation is not complete and before the cannon of scriptures we call it this seal Jesus is outside the church I sometimes wonder if he ever got back do you know one of the great things about the Christian life you better learn it quickly and you'll learn it painfully two years ago God gave me a word for the new year I don't go scattering through the book to find one and the Lord gave me a word rejection great I had an appointment next month I was looking talk for in the 17th of April today the Bible School found somehow they cross their eyes and they didn't throw the other guy out they threw me out good good I love less responsibility the judgment seat I would have delivered my soul I knew the message God wanted me to give but they rejected it Jesus was born and there's no room for him in the end he got a bit older there was no room in his family's family turned on him he went to the temple no room in the temple a temple turn on it and when he died there was no long to bury him he died outside of the city well why in god's name do you expect to be accepted everywhere how is it the world couldn't get on with the holiest man that ever lived it can get on with you and me have you compromised are we no spiritual stature have we no righteousness that reflects on their corruption I stand at the door and knock who is this Gabriel no who is it Michael the Archangel no who is it well I'll tell you we read in the previous chapter there these things saith the Amen the faithful and true witness the beginning of the creation of God can you imagine it I stand at the door their Redeemer is standing at the door the Savior is standing at the door their Sanctifier is standing at the door they're coming King is standing at the door trying to get in you know the doors are very interesting in the Bible remember Noah build an ark and the God let him do everything except one thing leave it alone I'll shut the door and when God shuts a door no man can open it again what about the virgins that were left outside they knocked on the door saying up none to us and he said I never knew you in the seventh chapter you have all those men doing miracles and signs and wonders and when they get to the judgment seat God puts the torch to all their life and it's a pile of ash they've got nothing for it it's wood and hay and stubble your life can be wood hay stubble or silver gold and precious stone wood and hence doubler above the ground it's minister everybody sees your flashlight on TV to show how big and famous your poor old oral you know he's going to do now I got this just after one person that said it from his one of his greatest men up there told a friend of mine this week oral is launching into a two hundred million dollar complex it's got three rings I'm tempted to say it's a three-ring circus do you know the first one is it's an entertainment center for the poor weary Christians that got tired of laughing at night Johnny Carson he's going to have an entertainment section you know I think they're gonna call it the upper room not the supper room can you think of a man putting 200 million dollars of God's money in a thing like that but the second circle is Bible lands with what is it six Stations of the Cross I mean is it ten or twelve one 12 the 12 Stations of the Cross animated the third is oral Robert land join me at showing him as a boy and who do you think's gonna animate all the things now don't laugh it's true Disney I've drove it they animated Mickey Mouse and Minnie so why not do it for all I'm angry you sing your toys for that stupid thing you're agreeing with the condemnation you'll be condemned with it you're agreeing with the worldliness of it behold I stand at the door and knock in the world he's still outside the door go to town you see a church with a Family Center next to it you've got a hundred people crushing in there every night 150 and 20 in the prayer meeting if that do you think Jesus is standing in the midst of a show there's only one place for Jesus Christ and What did he say where two or three are gathered together there am i we're in the midst read the 21st of Revelation there are throngs there were four and twenty elders and he's in the midst and there's a lamb upon the throne and he's in the midst that's the only place where Jesus is comfortable where he's the center where he's the master of ceremonies I stand at the door and knockin If any man will hear my voice yea this people sold clothing through the world the historic record is they had a breed of sheep that were never known anywhere else and they produce black silky wool that made the most precious garments that people could buy Kings used to buy but the other great export was I south look at the irony I counsel need to buy of me I serve that stuff you have is no God they had a little block they bother little block and they crushed it and mixed it with water and put it in their sore eyes after all they had no sunshades and they went over burning deserts where the Sun would blow in their eyes when they had tremendous discomfort and he said IELTS I'll give you I saw as many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent I stand at the door and knock If any man hear my I like that phrase I like the defiance when the Apostle Paul says it I like it when Jesus stood in a crowded place with maybe five thousand people standing around and he stood there where the priesthood stood every day for six days and poured out water from a golden vessel on his shoulder brought up from the pool of siloam and the big orchestra singing and Jesus to make exactly in the same place and said if any man thirst that was a smack in the eye for the Jews they said we have a monopoly of God Jesus says if any man thirst Paul knows better than that but 1 Corinthians 5:17 I think he says that if any man be in Christ I love that any man anywhere at any time being Christ God doesn't plug you up where you're leaking he makes you a new creature if you didn't get a new heart and a new mind and a new hope and a new appetite for God's Word and a new appetite for prayer you may have changed your model standard that you're still dead in trespasses and in sin I don't believe that 5% of the Christians in America even born-again a man filled with the Holy Ghost and that goes for England goes for Australia the most radical thing in the world is the new birth he makes us a new creation the spirit who brooded over there over the chaos in the garden in the beginning the spirit that brooded over us over that in the beginning he's the same holy spirit that brooded over the holy men were moved by the Holy Ghost wherever the Holy Ghost goes there's movement he doesn't have to be visible he came across a man coming a sycamore tree herdsman of decor and made him a prophet he came over a little woman people passed they're going up the road and looked at them and said you know that woman's pregnant she isn't married what are we coming to passing the Virgin Mary within touching distance of the Son of God the eternal son of God the Holy Ghost did it a bunch of unlettered unnamed almost unusual men met in the upper room and what happened God turned them inside out then what happened they went and turn the world upside down he said if any man hear my voice when when the whole of Europe was as black as night one man heard God of course you know his name Martin Luther what happened he shook the whole of Europe he didn't invent justification by faith he came to a cemetery the church was a cemetery full of dead men's bones and he was made alive he said it came one moment when I was browsing over my sins and Satan came in with an inkwell and a pen and he wrote on the wall of my cell the sins of my youth the sins of my manhood the sins of the flesh the sins of the Spirit the sins I remember the sins I forgotten and then he laughed in my face and said there you are all your sins that you ever committed Martin Luther says write one more there isn't one to write well then if there's not one to write right across the moral the blood of Jesus Christ God's Son cleanseth me from all sin I'm a free man I don't need the priest I don't need the sacraments the doctrine of justification was restored through Martin Luther at a quarter to nine on the twenty five and a quarter to nine on the 20th of May seventeen hundred and thirty eight John Wester says in his diary I went somewhat unwillingly to a place in Aldersgate Street and a man was reading the preface to the Epistle to the Romans listen the preface not not the Epistle he was reading the preface to the Epistle to the Romans by Martin Luther and it was just about quarter to 9:00 on the clock and I did feel my heart strangely warmed and I said I believe that Jesus died for my sins even mine a Roman Catholic theologian said it wasn't anything supernatural he had epilepsy well a hope a half of you have ever electric fit tonight he went a step further than Martin Luther because he raised from the dust the doctrine of sanctification that not only can our sins be forgiven but sin can be removed and the Holy Ghost become purifiers through the blood and coming in dwellers by the Spirit of God and Jesus can be made unto us more than a saviour he can be made wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption there's nothing so majestic there's nothing this nation or any nation on earth needs more than a series of messages on the new birth I said so some preacher in my office the other day you're always talking about the gifts of the Spirit and sometimes the fruits of the spirit there's one thing you miss out tell me the last time you preached on this that when he is coming convicts of sin you're asking God to fill you without a bitter emptied of all your corruption you're asking him to close you before you let him take off the garments that you have of your own righteousness and selfishness the new birth is a majestic experience it takes the blood of the Sun it takes the pardon of God it takes the work of the Holy Ghost to read generators I need more than pardon I need more than justification with God I need a spirit in me that I do not have and that is a blessed Holy Spirit of God to come and take full control of my personality If any man hear my voice and open the door there's a classic picture the first time I went to London I witness in Paul's Cathedral there's a fantastic picture nearly as large of this wall and it shows a door and the lamp that seems to be going out it's dark outside and there's a line growing all over the door and there's an owl sitting up there in the bush and underneath it says Jesus the light of the world Jesus is there with a permit with a lamp I forgot that I think Holman painted it after he had painted it the critics came and one said I have seen a mistake on this picture that nobody is found yet what is that there's no latch on the door he said there is it's on inside the Holy Ghost would never kick down the door he'll never demolish your will he'll never make you a slave to come into a state of grace and make you a slave after in fact he won't take you any less terms and you give him your spirit not your lousy sins maybe indeed but your spirit and your soul and body after he's pardoned you he wants your body you want your mind you want your will he wants your reflections I think it was bonded I'm not sure that the wrote him filled out my life Oh Lord my God in every part with praise that my whole being may proclaim thy being in thy ways not for the lip of praise alone nor even a praising art I ask hard I asked but for a life made up of praise in every part praise in the common things of life it's goings out and then praising each Duty and each deed however small and me mean so shall no part of day or night from sacredness be free but all my life in every step be fellowship with thee I guess it's true to say here we have a lot of Sunday Christians here a very pious on Sunday you carry the Bible with you a nice addition that you haven't used for years maybe what about the rest of the week are you a Sunday Christian the measure of your yielded nurse to God is the measure of God Jade leanness to you he won't drive you into submission he won't drive you to the place where you have to take a lot bigger than the other person he offers you the opportunity I've got through that bit I want to say this I mentioned a few minutes ago there where the Lord says of those men that had fabulous ministries although young TV Sunday you know many miracles were in hand a guy there his daddy's a famous preacher saw a daddy lets him wear his mantle and he stand there the other son and watched him for three months he said oh I'm so full of the love of God I'm so full of the love of God I thought well why didn't you go see your wife and the two kids you deserted he hasn't seen them but more than once a year and he's telling young people he says we will pray for your marriage don't pray for your own where are we living when adulteress can have the front place on TV my boss has come so I better preach a bit better right here now those two nice people are from Bethany fellowship you know Bethany fellowship and they're two of the cofounders so it's good to have them we've got all the celebrities here tonight but he says I stand at the door isn't sitting the person that stands at your door is waiting for a response and then he's going you know what stupid evangelists say well why don't you settle it with the Lord tonight don't leave it till next week listen friend I got past that God isn't your errand boy he doesn't know your thing he could give you the witness that used to be saved then cast you into hell and it'd still be a loving God don't put it off till tomorrow the scripture says today if he will hear his voice the scripture says now is the accepted time there's an old proverb that says what procrastination is the thief of time I believe that procrastination is the recruiting sergeant of Hell you say but I don't understand Jesus says to these miracle workers who raised the dead and done many I never knew that's what he says notice what he didn't say he didn't say I never saw you of course he saw them the eyes of the road Lord run to and through thought they all but I never knew you you did all all your works in my name to build up your name to build up your institution to bleed people for money of course he saw that they were doing I thought was the world famous preachers on years ago he had heard me preach he says well you were pretty strong I said whoa why should I join the weak gang anyhow well you were pretty strong you came on yes I don't know anything else to preach but what strong well he said I did something that was pretty bad recently and God hasn't sent judgment to me I said I've got news for you but he's not gonna do either what I keep thinking disaster will come up in front of me some calamity will no forget it you've gone your way to Eternity don't worry about it why I'll tell you why because God doesn't judgment like he used to immediately Cain slew Abel God put a mark on him lest any finding him or the any his daddy and mommy wouldn't kill him there must have been a world population anyhow lest any finding him should slay him nerium gossiped about her brother if God sends us rites of snow with leprosy tonight for gossip half of the congregation that we'd have to turn this into a healing meeting but you see he doesn't do that why as God changed this time no he is appointed a day I don't remember many things they don't Keith said to me said some things that possibly one day we were talking and I said well Keith you know all roads lead and the interrupted me said to the judgment seat of Christ right I'd like to make a map of that all the creation of men every nation they're going right up there to the judgment see there's matter how lousy and rotten this world is it doesn't matter how corrupt the religion is it's still God's world he still is going to bring it to account in that great day nothing will escape Kennedy we wish you didn't get pardoned from the port for drowning that young woman I think mister and Nixon will be a bit embarrassed when they played the eighteen tapes over in eternity but they're gonna do it and sure I'd be listening I guess you will what a day it's gonna be shall not the judge of all the earth do right but then he says to him that overcometh to him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me on my throat well you don't have a king in America I wonder God blesses you don't have a king don't get angry now doesn't the scripture say won't you have to do one do something in another king that shows His mercy that he honors America another King but apart from that so him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me who sits on the throne on the side of the king the queen who is the queen the bride I believe the only people that make up the bride of Jesus Christ are the overcomers overcome the world overcome the flesh overcome the devil overcome discouragement overcome every crazy thing that pulls other people down and the cost of the indwelling irresistible power of the Holy Ghost we can be more than conquerors not just conquered I'm going to preach on that one Sunday money I won't tell you it's only money but I'll preach on it one selling one I've got a preach to Sunday after Easter then David's preaching next week we're going to alternate so you can always stay away when I'm preaching you know keep keep a good record but if you do I'll be at your house or next day I'll tell you that even if have to get a chauffeur to drive me around no only those were overcome and gonna sit with him on his throne I'm gonna condense it this one thing I waitin we this morning about prayer prayer is the most difficult task in the world the condition is laid down in Psalm 15 who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord either hath clean hands and a clean hands is our business relationship with the world if you've got dirty hands you've no chance of your prayer being answered you sabotage don't blame the devil don't blame somebody blame yourself you sabotage it by disobedience you sabotage it by shady business deals you sabotage it by wrong attitudes to other people God is demanding clean hands my relationship and a pure heart my relationship to God the thing that came to me Dale this morning early was this Oh God Almighty runs the universe I don't know what the world looks like to him I won't but remember flying up from Australia once it was the clearest day I'd ever flown and I could actually see the circle of the earth I'm sure of that I looked at that and I thought there's God he sits on the circle of the earth he's the high end laughs - and inhabiting eternity what must the world be like to him how small is it and yet he looks down from heaven on the world about as big as my thumbnail so to speak and yet he sees a man praying this fire-breathing Pharisee he'd torn families up he admits that he driven people to prison he was blazing mad with holy anger and you think God doesn't make a man a new creature how do you get that man was setting himself on his own confession I was a blasphemer I was a murderer I did every evil thing to erect the Church of Jesus Christ and then he writes I may speak with the tongues of men and of angels but if I have no love and God tent injuring for a man whose fiery with hatred to love which is stronger than earth to fire which is a gret to love which is a fire and is the strongest fire in the world but there he is he's crumbled up on the Damascus Road and God in eternity stops creation as he only says look there is a man praying I don't find him saying after that there's a man doing miracles there's a man raising the dead there's a man in prison singing his praises to me he says there is a man and he got my ear because he's praying I'll tell you who pray poor people pray now socially poor the poor in spirit the psalmist says this poor man how could it be a poor man he has a standing army he's at the top of the charts with his songs writing the greatest hymns ever written the Psalms and any vows before God and says this poor man cried or II says bow down thine ear and him II I'm poor and needy only the poor have access to the throne of God you can stink even in your riches if you like and I'm not talking about material riches I'm talking about the arrogance many people have about their gifts in the spirit you gon come to a banquet or breakfast to supper or something there's a man with a word of knowledge Koza the poor guy only has the Word of God is hardly worth listening to but he has a word of knowledge oh this man did this when God found him he was broke and he's prospered and look weary I've never found a man and I went to a full gospel businessman in Minneapolis for years every Saturday morning that they had it you talk about praying didn't you prayed in our group in a little house there David do please say hope the other fellow huddled Bredesen a man that's done very much in this country it was name escapes me for the moment about six of us I'm not against tongues but you know what I only remember one Saturday when anybody prayed in tongues but I'll tell you what they prayed in the Holy Ghost they prayed until it seemed to me the whole ground was moving I Lord let me make a leap into eternity get all of the homes of the altar the one hand on the horns of the altar and on this poor stinking world in which I live in bankrupt Church God listens to praying men I'm glad you pray well free during your dear wife he could tell you some ancestor prayer when we get to heaven we're gonna be embarrassed without little we have us a pro we've received of our inheritance in Jesus Christ God gave us Jesus Christ and if this doesn't blow your mind what will and with him he has freely given us all things there's no reason why we should ever doubt there's no reason why we should ever fail there's no reason why we should step back from some supertastic God puts in front of us he delights in our success in the spirit this man was the greatest preacher that ever lived I think the Apostle Paul after Jesus but God never said behold he preached earth he never said behold he prophesied he never said behold he raised the dead again behold there's pandemonium in Hell why because he cast demons out of the woman I said it before let me say it again because some of you haven't been here before I think the greatest honor ever paid to any human being outside of Jesus were paid to the Apostle Paul when one day some men tried to drive drive a demon out of a man and the demon in the man said listen Jesus we know and Paul we know in God's name do you know anything greater than that I will be like I'd rather be on the devil's list of most wanted men in America than any other the world could give me you couldn't you could give me all the banks in the world they wouldn't satisfy me whisper in my ear that Satanist moved you up he says you're getting to be dangerous to his kingdom he says you're spoiling his plans you're thwarting his purposes you're pulling down his stronghold we're not pulling things out we're building pretty little churches and little rooms for people who sit around people say well if you praying the Holy Ghost we pray in tongues you couldn't prove that with all the religions you haven't in the world all the Greek praying in the Holy Ghost is praying God's mind with God's strength with God's wisdom with God's love if you tell me how to pray in tongues tell me how did Wesley shake the world and never spoke in tongues how did the Finnish shake the world how did Judson go to Burma one of the hardest Coons and see revival how did he sound his faith for seven years and never see a convert and not that discouraged because she was looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher there Wilfried on his wife this precious brother what God has begun in the nice way Lee is gonna finish I don't care how big it's been it's on the beginning I don't probably sound like Dave dough so I tell you this your whole outfit down there is still in water to the ankles you're gonna go to waters to the knees then water to swimming then to to Holy Ghost abandonment we want you to send us reports that will make us weep make us search our hearts look what God's doing down there David has a statement in his book that'll cause him some trouble but God Almighty is not dependent on the money in the churches in America to shake the world he's done it all through history without many men I know we've got to leave we've got to eat got to pay our taxes but people think if we can launch out here the little boy on PTL says this is God's method you know what do you mean God Almighty's methods have saved the world people that listen up the Amazon can't afford a shirt never mind the TV go around the Philippine Islands and see people there they've no shoes to their feet there's a hymn that was written I forgotten 30 40 years ago about a woman that came I think it was through Korea they told her about a man who was pre about the Living God who had a son and his son ones came to this earth and he lived like us and got sleepy and tired and hungry and yet people kicked him around where is that man and she was told she walked 15 miles at 70 years of age he walked 15 miles to the meeting she couldn't hear too well and just before she left she said to the preacher I think quite get the name of the man you said died for my sins I would like to say thank you to him did he take all my sins yes I have been very bad he took all yours there's not one of them the devil can bring up again sure in that great day what was his name Jesus Jesus she walked home 15 miles through the forest feet were blistered and soul and breathing when she got home she slept soundly sure she didn't woke up in the next morning and forgotten his name and she walked back to the missionary 15 miles she asked for the mission they said he lives in that she hammered on the door and she said tell me his name again I forgot it and he spelled it out again somebody wrote a chorus were used to saying Oh tell me his name again I'll sing me that glad refrain how Jesus in love came down from though to die for our sin and shame tell me his name again you know that name has lost its charm for many of us you know we'll never get things to be wertham god's way some people never get out of the first five chapters of the Acts of the Apostles well the Acts of the Apostles is the Acts of the Holy Ghost it's the Acts of the church but read it carefully and get out of your doldrum and find out the name of Jesus is mentioned far more often than the Holy Ghost in those name did he do this thing there's one name that makes hell tremble its name high over all in Hell or earth or sky angels and men before it fallen Devils fear and flight I say this I don't get it who listens I'm embarrassed to be part of the Church of Jesus Christ tonight which is so totally radically different from the New Testament so impoverished so blind so powerless I talked with David now yesterday we had a wonderful talk I've come to this conclusion there is a move of God in America today but not amongst the unsaved it's amongst the redeemed or determined by the grace of God to be part of the bride and to be part of the bride you to be divorced from everything in the world you can't be holy on Sundays and count on Mondays you can't delight in some little scripture the preacher gives you in your turn each other and then Monday say oh I just saw the Dow Jones boys knit wonderful oh brother that money stinks when it's become your Idol anything you like more than prayer and worshipping God is an idol you better get rid of it I shall have no other God before me God is a jealous God I wouldn't share my dear wife if I'd said to my wife well darling I love you you're beautiful and but you know I remember a girl I used to know called Alice I'll just need one night a week to go tour with Alice I mean I'll be back you know by nine o'clock and she says yes yeah doesn't matter if you never come back which will be right come on why don't you you've got an idol come on some of you can't wait for baseball to start you know every player you'll know is the average is you know how many times he gets knocked out or washed out or beaten up whatever it is you've got no joy or winter because you don't like oh boy just a week or two and we'll have the TV showing us a wonderful game anything that you love more than you love Jesus Christ is an idol I don't care what it is David was that well in Cyprus my dear wife now been reading that book it's very stirring and in one place he says Rebekah remember Rebekah was barren God told her to take all the idols out of a tent and when she did she became fruitful and he Labor's on that on the on the Baroness in the church is due to the idols in our homes I counsel thee to buy will cost something buy gold from a banking system buy gold from a city that made more garments in any nation in the world by I sob there was one of the greatest hospitals in early history in that very church that had me not very City and yet is saying to the church you can make that I saw but I have a nice aisle wonderful to have wonderful eyes wonderful when we can see the things that God is doing we can see into the creation of God well my time is gone I'm gonna ask you to pray for these precious brothers as they go back dear wife Tiffany Zarrella pray for Paul I'll Paul down in one of the most difficult all these other countries in the South America I think every one of them one time or another had revival all except Paraguay is never in its history had revival anthropologists say the people in that country the most savage people of all the people in South America I'm not asking you to pray because it's my son I'm asking to pray that the devil will be overthrown that souls will be liberated they're not trying to build a judge remember when they arrived in was here and she said we are not in South America to get converts we're in South America to get worshipers that's wonderful David Wilkerson's boy Gary he's working in one of the darkest spots in America right downtown Detroit vicious do you know there are more young people killed in Detroit in a month than are killed in New York City in a year the murder rate in the schools the devastation amongst young people is utterly wild and yet there's people all over town they've been lifting their arms up for months and years and god almighty they've never done a thing I'm tired of writing and reading about revival I want to see God do it the last thing here somebody caught it tonight I think Romans 12:1 and 2 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your body a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is only a reasonable service and be not conformed to this world what it Philip says don't let this will shape you in its mold I read a statement by dr. Cristo a while ago he said I'm amazed at the worldliness of the people of God in these days how lonely we are how caught up in materialism I'll fascinated with the things we can say the perishing things of Claybourne but for one brief day I've told you before I say now sit down I do not want God to say to me in that day my son had many things to tell you but you couldn't bear them I'm gonna stand by myself my darling wife won't be with me my boys won't be with me my friends were I'll be standing there with billions of eyes looking on me the Apostle Paul and Jeremiah and Isaiah and all the saints of all the ages watching Paul Leonard Ravenhill give an account of his life and God said you you didn't go far enough into the checkbook that's what mr. Spurgeon coal is that this is God's checkbook it's signed in the blood of Jesus and all those everything you need for life for time and eternity is in that book I'm tired of working with Dwarfs I want to see God raised some Samson's spiritual Samson's who can pull down strongholds so next Friday night God willing I want to bring a message on Easter part of the Easter message as I say David will be preaching on the Sunday morning we want to pray pray for something that's on your heart tonight really pray that matter if you cry forget it pray for your own church maybe it's bankrupt pray to your own pasta maybe is no power pray for your family maybe they have no vision behold he prayeth I wanted God to look down and say that and it turns it look they're there praying there it's the most important thing we'll ever don't have to worship okay John in a little while pray

Channel: The Narrow Gate

Views: 62,974

Rating: 4.9033403 out of 5

Keywords: Jesus, Satan, Sin, God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, Bible, Christian, The Gospel, Truth, Lord, Salvation, The Word, Preaching, Study, Sermon, The Father, Faith, Hope, Love, Apostle, Disciples, Heaven, Hell, Demons, Angels, Prophets, Saints, The Cross, Calvary, Crucified, Born Again, Scripture, Prophecy, Holy, Justification, Sanctification, Regeneration, Soul, Church, The Blood, Prayer, New Covenant, Grace, Christianity, Martyr, Pastor, Messiah, Savior, Atonement, PRAYER, repent, Leonard Ravenhill, Laodicea

Id: DHREAPW6g9M

Length: 65min 25sec (3925 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 28 2014