WEBVTT 00:00:14.853 --> 00:00:21.885 I want us to experience Christ more than anything. 00:00:21.885 --> 00:00:24.292 I want us to know His presence. 00:00:24.292 --> 00:00:26.205 I want us to know His power. 00:00:26.205 --> 00:00:29.003 I want us to be familiar with the workings of His Spirit. 00:00:29.003 --> 00:00:30.820 I want us to fall more deeply in love. 00:00:30.820 --> 00:00:32.546 I want us to know more of the cross. 00:00:32.546 --> 00:00:36.750 I want to be able to enter in more with His heart. 00:00:36.750 --> 00:00:39.460 That's why I wanted to set Christ before you yesterday. 00:00:39.460 --> 00:00:40.459 That pattern. 00:00:40.459 --> 00:00:41.676 I want you to see Him. 00:00:41.676 --> 00:00:43.206 I want there to be something of 00:00:43.206 --> 00:00:45.701 the Spirit of God working through what we see, 00:00:45.701 --> 00:00:49.144 burning in Him and have that etched upon us. 00:00:49.144 --> 00:00:50.390 I desire that. 00:00:50.390 --> 00:00:52.269 And one of the texts in the Scriptures 00:00:52.269 --> 00:00:54.210 that I keep coming back to in my mind 00:00:54.210 --> 00:00:55.549 over and over and over, 00:00:55.549 --> 00:00:57.241 Lord, no matter what You give us; 00:00:57.241 --> 00:00:58.808 no matter if we see conversions; 00:00:58.808 --> 00:01:00.372 no matter if we're allowed to have 00:01:00.372 --> 00:01:01.828 the privilege to be able to plant churches 00:01:01.828 --> 00:01:03.098 or go to the mission field 00:01:03.098 --> 00:01:04.267 or send guys out. 00:01:04.267 --> 00:01:06.833 If we see these young people, and they're coming to us 00:01:06.833 --> 00:01:07.814 and they're burning with a passion; 00:01:07.814 --> 00:01:09.196 I love those things! 00:01:09.196 --> 00:01:11.222 I don't want those things to go away, 00:01:11.222 --> 00:01:12.777 but I realize in the end of it, 00:01:12.777 --> 00:01:15.295 Lord, if You don't give us more than that, 00:01:15.295 --> 00:01:17.445 if You don't give us a sense of Yourself... 00:01:17.445 --> 00:01:20.444 and I come to the Scriptures and over and over and over again 00:01:20.444 --> 00:01:23.589 I find in John 14:21 00:01:23.589 --> 00:01:24.944 I find this promise: 00:01:24.944 --> 00:01:26.198 Christ saying, 00:01:26.198 --> 00:01:30.055 "I will manifest Myself to you." 00:01:30.055 --> 00:01:32.817 "I will manifest Myself." 00:01:32.817 --> 00:01:34.629 What does that speak of? 00:01:34.629 --> 00:01:40.928 It speaks of an experiential interaction with Christ. 00:01:40.928 --> 00:01:42.858 Manifestation. 00:01:42.858 --> 00:01:44.769 There's an appeal to the senses. 00:01:44.769 --> 00:01:46.955 Christ comes near in a way 00:01:46.955 --> 00:01:49.022 that we feel, we sense, 00:01:49.022 --> 00:01:51.679 there's something that we're able to lay hold of. 00:01:51.679 --> 00:01:53.002 And I guarantee you this, 00:01:53.002 --> 00:01:55.312 when Christ comes near 00:01:55.312 --> 00:01:59.684 in a manifest expression of glory and presence, 00:01:59.684 --> 00:02:03.173 it can't do anything but cause us to burn. 00:02:03.173 --> 00:02:06.397 It can't do anything but cause passion. 00:02:06.397 --> 00:02:08.285 You cannot have Christ come near 00:02:08.285 --> 00:02:10.898 except it does something in you. 00:02:10.898 --> 00:02:12.163 It stirs you. 00:02:12.163 --> 00:02:13.223 It creates heat. 00:02:13.223 --> 00:02:15.399 It creates fire. 00:02:15.399 --> 00:02:16.917 But I'll tell you this, 00:02:16.917 --> 00:02:18.912 Christian, I'm speaking to you 00:02:18.912 --> 00:02:22.744 that have a profession. 00:02:22.744 --> 00:02:26.023 It's conditional. 00:02:26.023 --> 00:02:28.540 He says if you have My commandments 00:02:28.540 --> 00:02:31.659 and you keep them. 00:02:31.659 --> 00:02:34.848 It's amazing how the church is today. 00:02:34.848 --> 00:02:36.975 Oh, we can see this shift. 00:02:36.975 --> 00:02:39.706 Are you guys going to be given up to the providence we heard about? 00:02:39.706 --> 00:02:41.619 Well, providentially, you know what's happening today. 00:02:41.619 --> 00:02:43.781 Everything's moving away from the U.S. 00:02:43.781 --> 00:02:45.921 It's going to China. It's going to Korea. 00:02:45.921 --> 00:02:49.360 Ok, are you just going to settle down 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:53.679 and settle for a nice, slow death? 00:02:53.679 --> 00:02:57.685 And accept that providence? 00:02:57.685 --> 00:03:00.413 Man, I can tell you, when we were taking off on that work, 00:03:00.413 --> 00:03:02.856 some brethren from the Sovereign Grace circles 00:03:02.856 --> 00:03:07.015 that I love, I love to hear them preach; 00:03:07.015 --> 00:03:09.558 they'd say things to me like, 00:03:09.558 --> 00:03:11.289 "The Lord's done." 00:03:11.289 --> 00:03:12.429 The Lord's done. 00:03:12.429 --> 00:03:14.457 The second coming has to be at hand. 00:03:14.457 --> 00:03:15.823 There's no more. 00:03:15.823 --> 00:03:18.574 We don't see anymore of the workings of God. 00:03:18.574 --> 00:03:21.286 We might as well throw in the towel. 00:03:21.286 --> 00:03:23.303 I mean, there's providence folks. 00:03:23.303 --> 00:03:26.647 They're all moving to Korea. 00:03:26.647 --> 00:03:30.517 Underground church in China. 00:03:30.517 --> 00:03:32.240 Ok, do that. 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:34.020 Just settle in. 00:03:34.020 --> 00:03:35.030 Allow that. 00:03:35.030 --> 00:03:37.448 Take that as providence. 00:03:37.448 --> 00:03:39.456 Or you can rise up and say, 00:03:39.456 --> 00:03:43.115 no, I'm going to bust through that ceiling. 00:03:43.115 --> 00:03:44.969 Because I'll tell you this, 00:03:44.969 --> 00:03:46.477 you say you have any desire 00:03:46.477 --> 00:03:47.635 for Christ to come near? 00:03:47.635 --> 00:03:50.151 You say you have any desire to experience more of Him 00:03:50.151 --> 00:03:52.261 than you've ever experienced in your life? 00:03:52.261 --> 00:03:54.103 You say that? 00:03:54.103 --> 00:03:56.070 Who was it? I think it was Lloyd-Jones 00:03:56.070 --> 00:03:57.442 that said, 00:03:57.442 --> 00:04:00.814 Your desire for Christ; your desire to know Him; 00:04:00.814 --> 00:04:03.071 your desire for Him to draw near, 00:04:03.071 --> 00:04:05.715 it's tested by your obedience. 00:04:05.715 --> 00:04:08.304 Based on texts just like that. 00:04:08.304 --> 00:04:11.945 In John 14:21 - just like that. 00:04:11.945 --> 00:04:14.845 We say, oh, we want Him to draw near. 00:04:14.845 --> 00:04:17.045 We say we want revival. 00:04:17.045 --> 00:04:20.753 We say we want these things. 00:04:20.753 --> 00:04:26.257 We're like these pathetic hyper-Calvinists. 00:04:26.257 --> 00:04:29.576 Well, these were pretty stirring meetings, 00:04:29.576 --> 00:04:30.914 and what we're going to do, 00:04:30.914 --> 00:04:32.114 we're going to sit back, 00:04:32.114 --> 00:04:36.133 and we're going to hope God does something. 00:04:36.133 --> 00:04:41.073 You know what the basis of hyper-Calvinism is? 00:04:41.073 --> 00:04:43.968 It's basically saying this, 00:04:43.968 --> 00:04:46.253 whether you're lost or whether you're saved, 00:04:46.253 --> 00:04:47.698 it's saying this, 00:04:47.698 --> 00:04:50.381 I can't do something. 00:04:50.381 --> 00:04:52.274 There's something that spiritually, 00:04:52.274 --> 00:04:53.462 in and of myself, 00:04:53.462 --> 00:04:55.269 I don't have the ability to carry out. 00:04:55.269 --> 00:04:56.847 And so, I'm going to sit back 00:04:56.847 --> 00:05:00.861 and I'm going to wait for God to do it. 00:05:00.861 --> 00:05:04.380 And then I'm going to jump on the bandwagon. 00:05:04.380 --> 00:05:05.904 Those weren't hyper-Calvinists 00:05:05.904 --> 00:05:11.203 that busted through that ceiling that day. 00:05:11.203 --> 00:05:13.449 They said be done with that. 00:05:13.449 --> 00:05:15.554 We want to get to Christ. 00:05:15.554 --> 00:05:17.292 We want to be in His presence. 00:05:17.292 --> 00:05:20.090 We're going to press in to the inner place. 00:05:20.090 --> 00:05:22.054 We don't care if we knock some dirt 00:05:22.054 --> 00:05:24.511 on the Pharisee's foreheads. 00:05:24.511 --> 00:05:25.752 Let it fall on them. 00:05:25.752 --> 00:05:30.342 We're getting in there. 00:05:30.342 --> 00:05:33.089 Folks, I'm going to start and I'm going to end this 00:05:33.089 --> 00:05:36.113 by hitting on some men that stayed at home 00:05:36.113 --> 00:05:38.073 and they were faithful. 00:05:38.073 --> 00:05:39.272 But I'll tell you what, 00:05:39.272 --> 00:05:41.273 there was fire that burned there, 00:05:41.273 --> 00:05:43.232 and they wanted this. 00:05:43.232 --> 00:05:44.390 They wanted it. 00:05:44.390 --> 00:05:46.987 I want the missionary endeavor for a number of reasons. 00:05:46.987 --> 00:05:50.273 But one of the things, folks, that we have to come to grips with. 00:05:50.273 --> 00:05:51.949 Matthew 28:18-20 00:05:51.949 --> 00:05:55.816 We have a divine imperative. 00:05:55.816 --> 00:05:58.802 And if we sit here in our nice little safe comfortable places 00:05:58.802 --> 00:06:02.505 and we wonder why; we sit back, we don't do anything, 00:06:02.505 --> 00:06:04.285 we wonder why? 00:06:04.285 --> 00:06:06.898 Why are people going to sleep? 00:06:06.898 --> 00:06:11.470 Why is this happening? 00:06:11.470 --> 00:06:18.090 This is a point of obedience, folks. 00:06:18.090 --> 00:06:20.270 We want to amass the resources. 00:06:20.270 --> 00:06:22.121 We don't love to send people away. 00:06:22.121 --> 00:06:24.022 We don't like to separate. 00:06:24.022 --> 00:06:25.903 Folks, if we really have a good 00:06:25.903 --> 00:06:30.265 estimation of the coming eternality of things, 00:06:30.265 --> 00:06:31.764 so be it. 00:06:31.764 --> 00:06:33.175 So what? 00:06:33.175 --> 00:06:34.856 Send them away. 00:06:34.856 --> 00:06:36.340 You know what? 00:06:36.340 --> 00:06:38.306 I don't expect that all these young guys 00:06:38.306 --> 00:06:40.021 coming in to our church right now 00:06:40.021 --> 00:06:41.495 are going to stay there. 00:06:41.495 --> 00:06:42.962 And so be it. 00:06:42.962 --> 00:06:44.441 You say you don't love them? 00:06:44.441 --> 00:06:46.440 No, I do. 00:06:46.440 --> 00:06:47.913 There are some of these guys 00:06:47.913 --> 00:06:49.542 I would hate to see go away, 00:06:49.542 --> 00:06:51.928 but you know what, if they go off to the mission field; 00:06:51.928 --> 00:06:53.360 if they go off somewhere 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:55.622 even if they ended up like the Stam's. 00:06:55.622 --> 00:06:58.281 Just in a few short months after arriving out there, 00:06:58.281 --> 00:07:00.329 they lost their heads. 00:07:00.329 --> 00:07:01.882 Glory be to God. 00:07:01.882 --> 00:07:06.414 You know what happened when those two got their heads cut off? 00:07:06.414 --> 00:07:09.447 It moved among the young people in this country. 00:07:09.447 --> 00:07:11.986 I think they had like 700 people after that 00:07:11.986 --> 00:07:17.323 apply to the China Inland Mission. 00:07:17.323 --> 00:07:19.388 I'll tell you what, 00:07:19.388 --> 00:07:21.446 if Jonathan Diaz or one of these other guys 00:07:21.446 --> 00:07:22.779 put their head on the block 00:07:22.779 --> 00:07:24.167 and it costs them their head 00:07:24.167 --> 00:07:27.443 to have 700 more like him to come along behind, 00:07:27.443 --> 00:07:31.718 I'll take it. 00:07:31.718 --> 00:07:36.235 Where is Jonathan? 00:07:36.235 --> 00:07:42.938 That's not to say you're the expendable one, brother. 00:07:42.938 --> 00:07:44.801 Matthew 28:18 00:07:44.801 --> 00:07:47.264 "Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, 00:07:47.264 --> 00:07:50.338 'All power is given unto Me in heaven 00:07:50.338 --> 00:07:53.454 and in earth. 00:07:53.454 --> 00:07:56.697 Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, 00:07:56.697 --> 00:07:58.705 baptizing them in the name of the Father, 00:07:58.705 --> 00:08:01.784 and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost; 00:08:01.784 --> 00:08:03.514 teaching them to observe all things 00:08:03.514 --> 00:08:05.366 whatsoever I have commanded you, 00:08:05.366 --> 00:08:09.224 and lo, I am with you alway.'" 00:08:09.224 --> 00:08:11.475 Let that sink in. 00:08:11.475 --> 00:08:15.537 Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world. 00:08:15.537 --> 00:08:17.071 One of the greatest indications 00:08:17.071 --> 00:08:19.413 this is not for the first century apostles only 00:08:19.413 --> 00:08:21.068 is right there. 00:08:21.068 --> 00:08:22.984 I am with you to the end of the world. 00:08:22.984 --> 00:08:27.174 I am with you to the end of the ages. 00:08:27.174 --> 00:08:29.869 Amen. 00:08:29.869 --> 00:08:31.829 Now yesterday, I attempted to show you 00:08:31.829 --> 00:08:33.902 and convince you that the Lord Jesus Christ 00:08:33.902 --> 00:08:37.804 was sent from heaven by the Father 00:08:37.804 --> 00:08:38.867 to this earth. 00:08:38.867 --> 00:08:41.519 Not as some disinterested stoic. 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:43.124 He is that great missionary. 00:08:43.124 --> 00:08:45.991 The apostle. The sent one. 00:08:45.991 --> 00:08:47.457 Sent of His Father. 00:08:47.457 --> 00:08:48.669 Sent from heaven. 00:08:48.669 --> 00:08:51.950 Sent here full of passion for the Father's honor. 00:08:51.950 --> 00:08:54.282 Full of passion for the souls of men. 00:08:54.282 --> 00:08:56.551 He came from heaven. 00:08:56.551 --> 00:08:58.725 He didn't leave His passions there 00:08:58.725 --> 00:08:59.650 when He came. 00:08:59.650 --> 00:09:00.598 He came with them. 00:09:00.598 --> 00:09:02.085 He came with His tears. 00:09:02.085 --> 00:09:04.054 He came with His bowels of compassion. 00:09:04.054 --> 00:09:06.707 He came full of a zeal 00:09:06.707 --> 00:09:10.144 for His Father's honor and glory. 00:09:10.144 --> 00:09:12.032 He didn't leave those things behind. 00:09:12.032 --> 00:09:13.710 He didn't walk around like some 00:09:13.710 --> 00:09:15.764 monotone robot on this world. 00:09:15.764 --> 00:09:18.288 He brought those tears. He brought that zeal. 00:09:18.288 --> 00:09:19.945 He brought those bowels of love. 00:09:19.945 --> 00:09:22.624 And He went right to where sinners were. 00:09:22.624 --> 00:09:24.129 And the case I'm trying to make 00:09:24.129 --> 00:09:27.280 is that if we don't likewise possess something of 00:09:27.280 --> 00:09:31.620 the heart and the soul of Jesus Christ 00:09:31.620 --> 00:09:33.662 burning in our own souls, 00:09:33.662 --> 00:09:38.291 we can ever forget about missions. 00:09:38.291 --> 00:09:39.946 It's not going to happen. 00:09:39.946 --> 00:09:42.294 But the thing is we can't forget about it. 00:09:42.294 --> 00:09:43.918 Because we have what we have 00:09:43.918 --> 00:09:48.391 right there in Matthew 28. 00:09:48.391 --> 00:09:52.180 Folks, 00:09:52.180 --> 00:09:54.038 He said this: 00:09:54.038 --> 00:09:57.811 "As the Father hath sent Me, 00:09:57.811 --> 00:10:02.238 even so I am sending you." 00:10:02.238 --> 00:10:04.164 Here's the thing. 00:10:04.164 --> 00:10:07.767 Lo, I am with you always. 00:10:07.767 --> 00:10:09.863 And this is the thing I want you to see. 00:10:09.863 --> 00:10:11.297 He's promised to be with us 00:10:11.297 --> 00:10:12.854 even to the end of the world. 00:10:12.854 --> 00:10:16.660 He walks at our side. 00:10:16.660 --> 00:10:18.890 Though I can't see Him. 00:10:18.890 --> 00:10:22.152 Though I can't physically lay my fingers right now 00:10:22.152 --> 00:10:25.790 where Thomas laid his. 00:10:25.790 --> 00:10:28.171 He's promised. 00:10:28.171 --> 00:10:29.084 Think about it. 00:10:29.084 --> 00:10:30.698 He hasn't changed. 00:10:30.698 --> 00:10:32.913 Does Christ change? 00:10:32.913 --> 00:10:35.174 The very passions He came to this earth with 00:10:35.174 --> 00:10:37.976 burn in His heart now. 00:10:37.976 --> 00:10:41.673 And He's promised, "I'm with you." 00:10:41.673 --> 00:10:44.789 He's promised to walk at our side 00:10:44.789 --> 00:10:46.626 still with Him burning; 00:10:46.626 --> 00:10:48.596 all this intensity, all this fervor, 00:10:48.596 --> 00:10:51.113 bidding us onward in the missionary endeavor. 00:10:51.113 --> 00:10:53.373 Our Lord says go. 00:10:53.373 --> 00:10:54.539 Go to the nations. 00:10:54.539 --> 00:10:56.517 Go teach them. Go disciple them. 00:10:56.517 --> 00:10:57.858 Go baptize them. 00:10:57.858 --> 00:11:01.964 Give the nations My commandments. 00:11:01.964 --> 00:11:04.658 And I'm convinced, it's only those 00:11:04.658 --> 00:11:07.312 gripped by this heart, 00:11:07.312 --> 00:11:10.852 by this heat of Christ, 00:11:10.852 --> 00:11:16.443 who are going to pull this off. 00:11:16.443 --> 00:11:18.901 Here's Spurgeon. 00:11:18.901 --> 00:11:23.702 He stayed at home. 00:11:23.702 --> 00:11:26.448 But listen to the heart of this man that stayed at home. 00:11:26.448 --> 00:11:28.081 I don't even know what number, 00:11:28.081 --> 00:11:30.153 what percentage of men, 00:11:30.153 --> 00:11:34.062 would have been sent out of the Metropolitan Tabernacle. 00:11:34.062 --> 00:11:36.721 I didn't look into that. 00:11:36.721 --> 00:11:38.223 I'll tell you another man 00:11:38.223 --> 00:11:40.025 who sits at home. 00:11:40.025 --> 00:11:41.577 Not doing nothing sitting; 00:11:41.577 --> 00:11:43.386 Maybe I should say he stands at home. 00:11:43.386 --> 00:11:44.462 He runs at home. 00:11:44.462 --> 00:11:46.633 Look at a guy like John Piper. 00:11:46.633 --> 00:11:50.315 I can remember sitting in a meeting 00:11:50.315 --> 00:11:52.242 over in Owensboro, 00:11:52.242 --> 00:11:55.577 and having a man bring up this fact. 00:11:55.577 --> 00:11:59.082 That Bethlehem sent out 00:11:59.082 --> 00:12:01.641 80 missionaries in one summer. 00:12:01.641 --> 00:12:05.200 More than the collective group of churches 00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:08.081 being represented in that place at that time 00:12:08.081 --> 00:12:11.767 in their 35 year history. 00:12:11.767 --> 00:12:14.063 What is it that burns in a man like Piper? 00:12:14.063 --> 00:12:16.427 What is it that burns in a man like Spurgeon? 00:12:16.427 --> 00:12:17.878 I'm wondering that, because 00:12:17.878 --> 00:12:20.241 I'm seeking to pastor a church 00:12:20.241 --> 00:12:23.120 and keep that fire alive at home. 00:12:23.120 --> 00:12:25.489 Here's what he says, 00:12:25.489 --> 00:12:29.263 Spurgeon meditating on Matthew 28:18, 19 00:12:29.263 --> 00:12:32.682 He says, "While I was meditating in private 00:12:32.682 --> 00:12:35.959 upon this text, I felt myself 00:12:35.959 --> 00:12:42.014 carried away by its power. 00:12:42.014 --> 00:12:45.811 I was quite unable calmly to consider its terms, 00:12:45.811 --> 00:12:48.513 or to investigate its argument. 00:12:48.513 --> 00:12:52.516 The command with which the text concludes 00:12:52.516 --> 00:12:55.657 repeated itself again and again and again 00:12:55.657 --> 00:12:58.630 in my ears, till I found it impossible to study, 00:12:58.630 --> 00:13:00.961 for my thoughts were running hither and thither 00:13:00.961 --> 00:13:02.464 asking a thousand questions, 00:13:02.464 --> 00:13:04.030 all of them intended to help me 00:13:04.030 --> 00:13:10.270 in answering for myself the solemn inquiry. 00:13:10.270 --> 00:13:12.931 How am I to go and teach all nations, 00:13:12.931 --> 00:13:16.888 baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost? 00:13:16.888 --> 00:13:19.429 My ears seemed to hear it as if 00:13:19.429 --> 00:13:22.523 Christ were then speaking it to me. 00:13:22.523 --> 00:13:27.129 I could realize His presence by my side. 00:13:27.129 --> 00:13:30.086 I thought I could see Him lifted His peirced hand, 00:13:30.086 --> 00:13:32.799 and hear Him speak as He was wont to speak 00:13:32.799 --> 00:13:35.070 with authority blended with meekness. 00:13:35.070 --> 00:13:36.612 Go ye, and teach all nations, 00:13:36.612 --> 00:13:39.471 baptizing them in the name of the all glorious God. 00:13:39.471 --> 00:13:43.943 Oh, I would that the church could hear the Savior 00:13:43.943 --> 00:13:46.543 addressing these words to her now. 00:13:46.543 --> 00:13:48.732 For the words of Christ are living words. 00:13:48.732 --> 00:13:51.035 Not having power in them yesterday alone, 00:13:51.035 --> 00:13:53.575 but today also. 00:13:53.575 --> 00:13:54.997 The injunctions of the Savior 00:13:54.997 --> 00:13:57.870 are perpetual in their obligation. 00:13:57.870 --> 00:14:00.204 They were not binding on apostles merely, 00:14:00.204 --> 00:14:01.975 but upon us also. 00:14:01.975 --> 00:14:04.673 And upon every Christian does this yoke fall. 00:14:04.673 --> 00:14:06.755 We're not exempt today from the 00:14:06.755 --> 00:14:08.984 service of the first followers of the Lamb. 00:14:08.984 --> 00:14:12.100 Our marching orders are the same as theirs. 00:14:12.100 --> 00:14:14.945 And our Captain requires from us obedience, 00:14:14.945 --> 00:14:17.141 as prompt and perfect 00:14:17.141 --> 00:14:18.964 as from them. 00:14:18.964 --> 00:14:22.610 Oh, that His message may not fall upon..." 00:14:22.610 --> 00:14:23.892 now listen to this! 00:14:23.892 --> 00:14:26.705 "Oh, that His message 00:14:26.705 --> 00:14:30.102 may not fall upon deaf ears, 00:14:30.102 --> 00:14:35.686 or be heard by stolid souls." 00:14:35.686 --> 00:14:37.294 Do you know what that word is? 00:14:37.294 --> 00:14:41.451 Indifferent, stupid, dense, dry, dull. 00:14:41.451 --> 00:14:43.253 Spurgeon continuing, 00:14:43.253 --> 00:14:45.164 "Brethren, the heathen are perishing. 00:14:45.164 --> 00:14:47.485 Shall we let them perish? 00:14:47.485 --> 00:14:48.916 His name is blasphemed. 00:14:48.916 --> 00:14:50.593 Shall we be quiet and still? 00:14:50.593 --> 00:14:52.694 The honor of Christ is cast into the dust. 00:14:52.694 --> 00:14:56.513 His foes revile His person and resist His throne. 00:14:56.513 --> 00:14:59.016 Shall we, His soldiers, suffer this 00:14:59.016 --> 00:15:02.070 and not find our hands feeling for the hilt of our sword? 00:15:02.070 --> 00:15:03.840 The Sword of the Spirit, 00:15:03.840 --> 00:15:06.512 which is the Word of God. 00:15:06.512 --> 00:15:08.227 Our Lord delayeth His coming. 00:15:08.227 --> 00:15:10.363 Shall we begin to sleep? 00:15:10.363 --> 00:15:11.532 To eat? 00:15:11.532 --> 00:15:12.977 To be drunken? 00:15:12.977 --> 00:15:15.289 Shall we not rather gird up the loins of our mind 00:15:15.289 --> 00:15:16.567 and cry unto Him, 00:15:16.567 --> 00:15:19.053 'Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!' 00:15:19.053 --> 00:15:23.178 The scoffing skeptics of these last days 00:15:23.178 --> 00:15:25.617 have said that the anticipated conquest 00:15:25.617 --> 00:15:29.100 of the world for Christ is but a dream. 00:15:29.100 --> 00:15:30.625 It is asserted by some 00:15:30.625 --> 00:15:32.841 that the superstitions of the heathens 00:15:32.841 --> 00:15:35.445 are too strong to be battered down 00:15:35.445 --> 00:15:36.780 by our teachings. 00:15:36.780 --> 00:15:38.568 And that the strongholds of Satan 00:15:38.568 --> 00:15:43.944 are utterly impregnable against our attacks. 00:15:43.944 --> 00:15:46.640 Shall it be so? 00:15:46.640 --> 00:15:51.827 Shall we be content foolishly to sit still?" 00:15:51.827 --> 00:15:53.360 And he continues, 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:56.646 "Oh, that there were might 00:15:56.646 --> 00:15:59.360 in some human lip 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:02.041 to move the thousands of our Isreal 00:16:02.041 --> 00:16:04.170 to advance at once, 00:16:04.170 --> 00:16:06.941 unanimously and irresistably 00:16:06.941 --> 00:16:09.146 to the world's conquest. 00:16:09.146 --> 00:16:11.626 Like one tremendous tide rising 00:16:11.626 --> 00:16:13.325 from the depths of the ocean 00:16:13.325 --> 00:16:16.340 to sweep over the sands, the barren sands, 00:16:16.340 --> 00:16:19.553 which are now given up to desolation and death. 00:16:19.553 --> 00:16:24.291 Oh that once again the voice of thunder could be heard." 00:16:24.291 --> 00:16:27.376 And right here - this is the point I'm driving at. 00:16:27.376 --> 00:16:33.645 "And that the lightning spirit could penetrate each heart. 00:16:33.645 --> 00:16:35.415 And as one man the entire church 00:16:35.415 --> 00:16:37.085 might take the marching orders 00:16:37.085 --> 00:16:39.438 of her Lord and go teach all nations, 00:16:39.438 --> 00:16:42.823 baptizing them in the name of Israel's God. 00:16:42.823 --> 00:16:46.095 Oh, Lord, if we fail to speak, 00:16:46.095 --> 00:16:48.581 fail not Thou to speak. 00:16:48.581 --> 00:16:50.644 And if we know not how to bear Thy burden, 00:16:50.644 --> 00:16:53.348 or express Thine awful thoughts, 00:16:53.348 --> 00:16:57.574 yet speak that with Thou all-constraining silent voice 00:16:57.574 --> 00:16:59.811 which well trained ears can hear. 00:16:59.811 --> 00:17:02.899 And make Thy servants obedient 00:17:02.899 --> 00:17:06.551 to Thee now for Christ's sake. 00:17:06.551 --> 00:17:09.682 Folks, that's it. 00:17:09.682 --> 00:17:14.640 It's the lightning spirit penetrating each heart. 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:15.991 And my point is this, 00:17:15.991 --> 00:17:19.441 you can try to evade this if you want. 00:17:19.441 --> 00:17:21.040 But you show me an individual, 00:17:21.040 --> 00:17:23.591 you show me a church, a collective group of churches 00:17:23.591 --> 00:17:26.597 that is raising up men and women 00:17:26.597 --> 00:17:27.878 for far away places, 00:17:27.878 --> 00:17:30.321 sending them forth, planting churches, 00:17:30.321 --> 00:17:32.388 experiencing the saving power of God, 00:17:32.388 --> 00:17:33.506 and I'll tell you what, 00:17:33.506 --> 00:17:36.547 somebody there has lightning spirit. 00:17:36.547 --> 00:17:39.376 Someone's excited. Someone's impassioned. 00:17:39.376 --> 00:17:43.185 You show me your great resources. 00:17:43.185 --> 00:17:45.114 Show me all your money. 00:17:45.114 --> 00:17:47.955 Show me your brilliant scholars with their high IQ's. 00:17:47.955 --> 00:17:49.937 And you know what? 00:17:49.937 --> 00:17:51.552 I'll in turn show you the guy 00:17:51.552 --> 00:17:55.816 who has the gut level, unstoppable lightning and desire. 00:17:55.816 --> 00:17:57.933 I remember some years ago, 00:17:57.933 --> 00:18:00.168 I think it was right after I was first saved. 00:18:00.168 --> 00:18:03.056 I listened to a lot of John MacArthur in those days. 00:18:03.056 --> 00:18:06.050 I can remember a message that he did in 2 Thessalonians. 00:18:06.050 --> 00:18:07.423 And I looked that up because 00:18:07.423 --> 00:18:09.514 I thought it had something particularly 00:18:09.514 --> 00:18:13.396 applicable to what I wanted to say today. 00:18:13.396 --> 00:18:15.965 Here's MacArthur speaking, and I quote to you, 00:18:15.965 --> 00:18:20.201 "I remember standing with Russ Hodge 00:18:20.201 --> 00:18:22.761 on the infield at the University of Oregon 00:18:22.761 --> 00:18:25.072 watching the triangular decathlon meet 00:18:25.072 --> 00:18:28.739 between the USSR, Poland, and The United States. 00:18:28.739 --> 00:18:31.244 Russ was the coach of the American team. 00:18:31.244 --> 00:18:33.167 He was the former world record holder 00:18:33.167 --> 00:18:34.164 in the decathlon. 00:18:34.164 --> 00:18:35.745 And I was standing there with him 00:18:35.745 --> 00:18:38.036 watching the greatest athletes in the world 00:18:38.036 --> 00:18:39.962 preparing to begin the meet." 00:18:39.962 --> 00:18:43.008 MacArthur says, "there were some great Russian athletes. 00:18:43.008 --> 00:18:45.601 There was one who was a massive giant of a man. 00:18:45.601 --> 00:18:47.846 Just an awesome human specimen. 00:18:47.846 --> 00:18:50.057 There was a great Polish athlete. 00:18:50.057 --> 00:18:52.016 There were some tremendous Americans. 00:18:52.016 --> 00:18:55.631 I said to Russ, 00:18:55.631 --> 00:19:00.322 'Who is the greatest athlete here?' 00:19:00.322 --> 00:19:04.582 He pointed to a rather slender live young man. 00:19:04.582 --> 00:19:07.062 He said, 'he's the greatest athlete here.' 00:19:07.062 --> 00:19:09.214 He, by the way, is an outstanding Christian. 00:19:09.214 --> 00:19:12.727 I said, 'that's wonderful to know. Will he win?' 00:19:12.727 --> 00:19:15.097 He said, 'No, he won't win.' 00:19:15.097 --> 00:19:16.930 I said, 'What do you mean he won't win? 00:19:16.930 --> 00:19:18.563 If he's the greatest athlete here, 00:19:18.563 --> 00:19:19.854 who will win?' 00:19:19.854 --> 00:19:22.344 He said, 'See that guy running around the track? 00:19:22.344 --> 00:19:25.244 That rather short guy over there with the blonde wife? 00:19:25.244 --> 00:19:27.056 You've never heard of him. 00:19:27.056 --> 00:19:29.119 His name is Bruce Jenner. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:30.955 He'll win.' 00:19:30.955 --> 00:19:34.151 I said, 'Well, why will he win it if he's not the greatest athlete?' 00:19:34.151 --> 00:19:39.140 He says, 'Because though he doesn't have the greatest sheer talent, 00:19:39.140 --> 00:19:41.355 he's the most mentally tough competitor 00:19:41.355 --> 00:19:43.034 I've ever seen in my life.' 00:19:43.034 --> 00:19:45.057 Sure enough, the second day in the twilight 00:19:45.057 --> 00:19:46.841 as he finished the distance event, 00:19:46.841 --> 00:19:48.492 number 10 event in the decathlon, 00:19:48.492 --> 00:19:49.986 he came through the winner. 00:19:49.986 --> 00:19:52.211 And two years later, the whole world 00:19:52.211 --> 00:19:55.727 knew who he was as he circled the track in Montreal 00:19:55.727 --> 00:19:57.265 with a flag in his hand. 00:19:57.265 --> 00:20:00.097 He had won the gold medal in the Olympics. 00:20:00.097 --> 00:20:02.541 He was named the greatest athlete in the world." 00:20:02.541 --> 00:20:04.520 I'll tell you what - here's the thing. 00:20:04.520 --> 00:20:09.519 It wasn't the greatest sheer talent that took the day. 00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:13.160 It was the greatest passion. 00:20:13.160 --> 00:20:17.412 The greatest gut-level intensity. 00:20:17.412 --> 00:20:20.939 That's where the drive; that's where the determination; 00:20:20.939 --> 00:20:24.349 that's where the obsession grabs hold of a man. 00:20:24.349 --> 00:20:26.301 That's what takes the day. 00:20:26.301 --> 00:20:28.875 That's how it is in the Christian missionary endeavor. 00:20:28.875 --> 00:20:36.723 It's the raw passion that tends to take the day. 00:20:36.723 --> 00:20:39.701 It's not always the greatest gifts, the greatest talents, 00:20:39.701 --> 00:20:41.827 the greatest wealth, the greatest intellect 00:20:41.827 --> 00:20:44.563 that comes through in the end. 00:20:44.563 --> 00:20:46.499 You know what? 00:20:46.499 --> 00:20:50.495 I thought as I was preparing this 00:20:50.495 --> 00:20:52.877 about Peter. 00:20:52.877 --> 00:20:54.206 I can imagine this. 00:20:54.206 --> 00:20:55.861 The Lord sends away the disciples. 00:20:55.861 --> 00:20:56.959 They jump in the boat. 00:20:56.959 --> 00:21:00.154 You know, we find them on various occasions in the Gospels. 00:21:00.154 --> 00:21:02.255 They're out there on the waters; 00:21:02.255 --> 00:21:04.825 Sea of Galilee. 00:21:04.825 --> 00:21:06.907 And was wont to happen, 00:21:06.907 --> 00:21:11.040 the wind whips up, the waves get big. 00:21:11.040 --> 00:21:12.690 They get out there in the middle. 00:21:12.690 --> 00:21:14.554 Sometimes they had the Lord with them; 00:21:14.554 --> 00:21:15.724 sometimes they didn't. 00:21:15.724 --> 00:21:18.279 On this one occasion, they're out there. 00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:20.520 The Lord had stayed behind. 00:21:20.520 --> 00:21:25.450 And you know they're out there on the water. 00:21:25.450 --> 00:21:30.325 And they saw something you typically don't see. 00:21:30.325 --> 00:21:33.162 There's a guy walking across the water. 00:21:33.162 --> 00:21:35.796 And they were terrified. 00:21:35.796 --> 00:21:41.981 They thought they saw a ghost. 00:21:41.981 --> 00:21:43.972 But here's the thing. 00:21:43.972 --> 00:21:47.577 Think with me about Peter. 00:21:47.577 --> 00:21:49.749 Because I think what happened right there, 00:21:49.749 --> 00:21:52.264 it's the perfect picture 00:21:52.264 --> 00:21:54.344 of the missionary endeavor. 00:21:54.344 --> 00:21:57.629 It's the perfect picture of what I want to see 00:21:57.629 --> 00:21:59.865 in our church. 00:21:59.865 --> 00:22:02.096 And I think would probably want to be seen 00:22:02.096 --> 00:22:03.269 here as well. 00:22:03.269 --> 00:22:06.658 And in the other churches. 00:22:06.658 --> 00:22:09.600 You know, the thing about people with passion, 00:22:09.600 --> 00:22:13.347 all you've got to do is give it an opportunity to run loose, 00:22:13.347 --> 00:22:15.887 and it goes. 00:22:15.887 --> 00:22:17.997 And the one thing you can't say about Peter 00:22:17.997 --> 00:22:20.501 is that he lacked passion. 00:22:20.501 --> 00:22:24.618 He's in the boat. 00:22:24.618 --> 00:22:27.704 They're out there, terrified at first. 00:22:27.704 --> 00:22:32.445 The Lord identifies Himself. 00:22:32.445 --> 00:22:36.798 The King James says it was a ship. 00:22:36.798 --> 00:22:40.040 It was probably not so much what we think of as a ship. 00:22:40.040 --> 00:22:42.056 You've probably seen some of the pictures 00:22:42.056 --> 00:22:47.027 of some of the fishing crafts 00:22:47.027 --> 00:22:49.241 that they had over there in the Sea of Galilee. 00:22:49.241 --> 00:22:50.936 I don't know what it would take 00:22:50.936 --> 00:22:52.263 to have gotten out of that. 00:22:52.263 --> 00:22:53.921 I don't know if a hand on the side 00:22:53.921 --> 00:22:55.307 and a jump over the side? 00:22:55.307 --> 00:22:58.928 But here's the Lord. 00:22:58.928 --> 00:23:00.870 "Come." 00:23:00.870 --> 00:23:04.481 I'll tell you what, Peter's out of there! 00:23:04.481 --> 00:23:06.446 That's what passion does. 00:23:06.446 --> 00:23:08.466 It's looking for opportunity. 00:23:08.466 --> 00:23:10.525 And somebody's going to come along and say, 00:23:10.525 --> 00:23:11.808 yeah, but Peter sunk. 00:23:11.808 --> 00:23:14.498 Hey, Peter also walked on the water. 00:23:14.498 --> 00:23:16.471 The people who jump out of the boat, 00:23:16.471 --> 00:23:18.429 typically do sink at times. 00:23:18.429 --> 00:23:21.061 But they're the ones that jump out of the boat. 00:23:21.061 --> 00:23:22.882 And that's what passion does. 00:23:22.882 --> 00:23:24.135 His affection. 00:23:24.135 --> 00:23:26.067 Why do you think he was out of the boat? 00:23:26.067 --> 00:23:28.260 Not because it was such a neat thing to walk on the water. 00:23:28.260 --> 00:23:30.180 He had his eyes set on Christ - at first. 00:23:30.180 --> 00:23:32.225 Yeah, he got sidetracked a little bit there, 00:23:32.225 --> 00:23:33.587 but there's passion. 00:23:33.587 --> 00:23:35.003 There's passion for Christ. 00:23:35.003 --> 00:23:36.083 "Come!" 00:23:36.083 --> 00:23:38.279 He's out of there! 00:23:38.279 --> 00:23:41.992 Isn't that "come" a whole lot like "go?" 00:23:41.992 --> 00:23:42.883 He's out of there! 00:23:42.883 --> 00:23:44.912 Give him a chance - he's out of there. 00:23:44.912 --> 00:23:46.723 What've you got the other guys doing? 00:23:46.723 --> 00:23:49.179 They're sitting tight where it's safe. 00:23:49.179 --> 00:23:51.800 You know, we've got to analyze this thing. 00:23:51.800 --> 00:23:53.289 We might step out of that boat, 00:23:53.289 --> 00:23:54.947 and we may not have the resources. 00:23:54.947 --> 00:23:57.363 We may go to the bottom. 00:23:57.363 --> 00:23:59.372 That's what the overanalyzers are doing. 00:23:59.372 --> 00:24:00.422 They're over there. 00:24:00.422 --> 00:24:02.047 They're trying to figure this out. 00:24:02.047 --> 00:24:04.857 Hm... we're not really certain if this is going to work out. 00:24:04.857 --> 00:24:09.832 People with passion, they're out there. 00:24:09.832 --> 00:24:14.689 They at times will definitely sink. 00:24:14.689 --> 00:24:17.746 But it's people with the passion, 00:24:17.746 --> 00:24:19.291 it's people with the daring, 00:24:19.291 --> 00:24:21.488 it's people with the believing. 00:24:21.488 --> 00:24:24.039 Yes, they do tend to fail at times. 00:24:24.039 --> 00:24:28.732 But they're the ones doing something. 00:24:28.732 --> 00:24:30.549 We need that. 00:24:30.549 --> 00:24:34.213 The ones with passion; the ones that run; 00:24:34.213 --> 00:24:36.646 The ones that step out on faith; 00:24:36.646 --> 00:24:41.179 they're the ones typically that see the miracles. 00:24:41.179 --> 00:24:43.560 We have come to the point in this country 00:24:43.560 --> 00:24:47.576 especially among the Calvinistic brethren, 00:24:47.576 --> 00:24:50.450 where even the sound of miracles 00:24:50.450 --> 00:24:53.820 just grates in the ears of people. 00:24:53.820 --> 00:24:55.463 But I guarantee you people like 00:24:55.463 --> 00:24:56.921 Lloyd-Jones saw them; 00:24:56.921 --> 00:24:58.466 people like Tozer saw them; 00:24:58.466 --> 00:25:01.864 people like Duncan Campbell saw them. 00:25:01.864 --> 00:25:03.199 Why? 00:25:03.199 --> 00:25:05.669 It may have a lot more to do with faith 00:25:05.669 --> 00:25:09.502 than the fact that they were wild-eyed charismatics who didn't know their Bibles. 00:25:09.502 --> 00:25:10.633 And I'll tell you what, 00:25:10.633 --> 00:25:12.555 it's typically the people with passion; 00:25:12.555 --> 00:25:14.727 it's people that are willing to jump out of the boat; 00:25:14.727 --> 00:25:16.596 it's people willing to trust the Lord; 00:25:16.596 --> 00:25:20.422 it's people that are willing to go when they're beckoned. 00:25:20.422 --> 00:25:21.616 You know what? 00:25:21.616 --> 00:25:23.328 Every one of them could have jumped 00:25:23.328 --> 00:25:24.578 out of that boat in faith, 00:25:24.578 --> 00:25:27.567 and they would have walked on that water. 00:25:27.567 --> 00:25:29.302 It takes just a little faith. 00:25:29.302 --> 00:25:32.414 Folks, you can cast a whole mountain into the ocean. 00:25:32.414 --> 00:25:39.249 That goes for everybody. 00:25:39.249 --> 00:25:41.823 We have this problem today. 00:25:41.823 --> 00:25:44.800 Everybody's so worried about being presumptuous. 00:25:44.800 --> 00:25:47.746 Everybody wants to be cautious. 00:25:47.746 --> 00:25:49.618 Overanalyzing. 00:25:49.618 --> 00:25:50.765 But I'll tell you what, 00:25:50.765 --> 00:25:54.813 the overly cautious, the overly analyzing; 00:25:54.813 --> 00:25:57.697 they're back in the boat. 00:25:57.697 --> 00:25:59.466 In fact, a whole lot of those folks 00:25:59.466 --> 00:26:01.285 are back on the shore. 00:26:01.285 --> 00:26:02.893 They're not even in the boat. 00:26:02.893 --> 00:26:05.581 They didn't even come that far. 00:26:05.581 --> 00:26:06.848 There's old William Carey. 00:26:06.848 --> 00:26:08.726 We've heard about him; talked about him. 00:26:08.726 --> 00:26:11.367 Some of his contemporaries told him, sit down! 00:26:11.367 --> 00:26:14.342 They told him he was an enthusiast. 00:26:14.342 --> 00:26:16.025 Those nice high Calvinists; 00:26:16.025 --> 00:26:17.945 they told him he was certain to fail. 00:26:17.945 --> 00:26:21.234 Those are the guys sitting back in the boat. 00:26:21.234 --> 00:26:23.973 And you don't even know most of their names. 00:26:23.973 --> 00:26:25.644 And you won't find them unless you 00:26:25.644 --> 00:26:27.064 go read about Carey 00:26:27.064 --> 00:26:29.753 and find about the guys who resisted him. 00:26:29.753 --> 00:26:31.170 They're forgotten. 00:26:31.170 --> 00:26:33.984 The boat sitters are forgotten. 00:26:33.984 --> 00:26:37.645 I'm not saying this to make yourself popular. 00:26:37.645 --> 00:26:39.573 I'm saying it because it's reality. 00:26:39.573 --> 00:26:41.072 History forgets those guys. 00:26:41.072 --> 00:26:43.198 They don't have anything to offer us. 00:26:43.198 --> 00:26:44.179 Carey does. 00:26:44.179 --> 00:26:45.477 There was some faith there. 00:26:45.477 --> 00:26:46.760 There was some fire there. 00:26:46.760 --> 00:26:48.132 There's something to learn. 00:26:48.132 --> 00:26:50.114 Carey jumped out of that boat. 00:26:50.114 --> 00:26:51.710 Or rather, down into the well, 00:26:51.710 --> 00:26:53.201 as we would say. 00:26:53.201 --> 00:26:54.552 Did he make mistakes? 00:26:54.552 --> 00:26:56.614 Certainly he did. 00:26:56.614 --> 00:26:58.818 Did he receive criticism from others? 00:26:58.818 --> 00:27:00.225 You better believe it. 00:27:00.225 --> 00:27:02.602 Even Calvinistic Baptists, absolutely. 00:27:02.602 --> 00:27:06.300 But who is it that turned the world upside down? 00:27:06.300 --> 00:27:07.891 It was the enthusiast! 00:27:07.891 --> 00:27:10.510 That's exactly who it was. 00:27:10.510 --> 00:27:14.791 And his enthusiastic friends who stayed at home. 00:27:14.791 --> 00:27:18.727 The critics are forgotten. 00:27:18.727 --> 00:27:21.013 Peter's such an excellent example of all this. 00:27:21.013 --> 00:27:23.192 It's passion, brethren. 00:27:23.192 --> 00:27:24.983 It really is that. 00:27:24.983 --> 00:27:29.397 It's just that raw power of God 00:27:29.397 --> 00:27:33.232 let loose in people's lives. 00:27:33.232 --> 00:27:36.391 And you can read about it. 00:27:36.391 --> 00:27:38.440 It burned in the men like 00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:40.650 the Hudson Taylors and the Adoniram Judson's, 00:27:40.650 --> 00:27:42.426 the William Carey's. 00:27:42.426 --> 00:27:45.903 We need that, brethren, we need that. 00:27:45.903 --> 00:27:47.844 As I thought about this, 00:27:47.844 --> 00:27:50.131 I thought about, ok, let's come around at this 00:27:50.131 --> 00:27:53.390 from the other end. 00:27:53.390 --> 00:27:55.271 Let's supposed you're out there, 00:27:55.271 --> 00:28:00.109 and you don't like passion. 00:28:00.109 --> 00:28:03.195 In fact, my message has just been grating on you. 00:28:03.195 --> 00:28:06.947 Ok, what I'm going to do is I'm going to help you now. 00:28:06.947 --> 00:28:08.364 I'd like to show you how to 00:28:08.364 --> 00:28:10.661 kill passion in your people, in your churches, 00:28:10.661 --> 00:28:13.158 and in yourself. 00:28:13.158 --> 00:28:14.363 If you don't like it; 00:28:14.363 --> 00:28:15.822 if you see it to be dangerous, 00:28:15.822 --> 00:28:17.417 upsetting, unhealthy. 00:28:17.417 --> 00:28:20.248 I'm going to give you a four-step remedy 00:28:20.248 --> 00:28:21.976 to the infectious disease of 00:28:21.976 --> 00:28:24.842 passionate radicals in your church. 00:28:24.842 --> 00:28:28.276 And this will take care of all the enthusiasts. 00:28:28.276 --> 00:28:29.662 Here it is. 00:28:29.662 --> 00:28:31.653 First, 00:28:31.653 --> 00:28:36.029 just hate passion. 00:28:36.029 --> 00:28:37.057 In other words, 00:28:37.057 --> 00:28:40.654 whenever anybody in the church gets excited; 00:28:40.654 --> 00:28:43.813 any unusual fervor, any extraordinary weeping, 00:28:43.813 --> 00:28:48.063 and indication of some Spirit-blown, God-endued intensity, 00:28:48.063 --> 00:28:51.090 make certain that you always 00:28:51.090 --> 00:28:53.750 and forever question the sincerity of it. 00:28:53.750 --> 00:28:54.869 Always. 00:28:54.869 --> 00:28:57.214 I mean they've got to be hypocrites, right? 00:28:57.214 --> 00:29:02.443 Nobody can be like that. 00:29:02.443 --> 00:29:04.130 If somebody raises a hand, 00:29:04.130 --> 00:29:06.140 somebody shouts a hallelujah, 00:29:06.140 --> 00:29:08.361 be sure to stare at them 00:29:08.361 --> 00:29:13.680 with that dooming glare of disapproval. 00:29:13.680 --> 00:29:15.688 A pastor friend of mine, 00:29:15.688 --> 00:29:17.414 Bob Jennings. 00:29:17.414 --> 00:29:20.545 The guy gets worked up. 00:29:20.545 --> 00:29:25.486 He was at a Banner of Truth conference. 00:29:25.486 --> 00:29:29.285 Halfway through it, he shouted out a hallelujah. 00:29:29.285 --> 00:29:31.943 They called him down on that! 00:29:31.943 --> 00:29:33.764 They told him, enough. 00:29:33.764 --> 00:29:34.996 You close your mouth. 00:29:34.996 --> 00:29:37.419 You're going to be here, we don't want any of that. 00:29:37.419 --> 00:29:39.403 Yeah, make sure you do that. 00:29:39.403 --> 00:29:43.097 Anytime that kind of thing breaks out, you better shut it down. 00:29:43.097 --> 00:29:45.383 Anytime some uncontrolled weeping breaks out, 00:29:45.383 --> 00:29:48.375 you better have somebody stand up in the church and say enough! 00:29:48.375 --> 00:29:50.525 We don't want anymore of that. 00:29:50.525 --> 00:29:52.787 We need to shut this thing down. 00:29:52.787 --> 00:29:53.859 Second, 00:29:53.859 --> 00:29:55.602 you want to get the passion out? 00:29:55.602 --> 00:29:59.711 Just regulate the worship so tightly, 00:29:59.711 --> 00:30:01.985 be so ordered, so mechanical 00:30:01.985 --> 00:30:04.705 in the church that any spontaneous 00:30:04.705 --> 00:30:06.805 outworking of the Spirit of God 00:30:06.805 --> 00:30:08.806 can never be entertained. 00:30:08.806 --> 00:30:10.708 Avoid at all costs any opportunity 00:30:10.708 --> 00:30:13.085 for something supernatural or unusual. 00:30:13.085 --> 00:30:16.545 Try every imaginable way to quench the Spirit. 00:30:16.545 --> 00:30:19.075 You certainly don't want the living, 00:30:19.075 --> 00:30:22.226 fiery influences of the Spirit of God blowing through the place. 00:30:22.226 --> 00:30:25.917 He and passion live together. 00:30:25.917 --> 00:30:27.978 If you want the zealots and fanatics gone, 00:30:27.978 --> 00:30:29.818 you better really grieve the Spirit. 00:30:29.818 --> 00:30:32.250 Third, 00:30:32.250 --> 00:30:36.066 overanalyze everything. 00:30:36.066 --> 00:30:38.003 Make certain that whenever some 00:30:38.003 --> 00:30:39.949 opportunity for outreach or missions 00:30:39.949 --> 00:30:42.584 or radical, sacrificial giving comes along. 00:30:42.584 --> 00:30:44.725 Make certain you examine it, 00:30:44.725 --> 00:30:46.076 re-examine it, 00:30:46.076 --> 00:30:47.176 and when you've done, 00:30:47.176 --> 00:30:49.160 you've got to start that all over again. 00:30:49.160 --> 00:30:51.319 Make certain to delay, draw out, 00:30:51.319 --> 00:30:53.907 pray for things indefinitely. 00:30:53.907 --> 00:30:57.894 Just disregard the command that says, "Go." 00:30:57.894 --> 00:30:59.381 That's not enough. 00:30:59.381 --> 00:31:00.927 You've got to look for at least 00:31:00.927 --> 00:31:02.816 30 or 40 other reasons first. 00:31:02.816 --> 00:31:04.840 Make sure you do that. 00:31:04.840 --> 00:31:07.747 That's where the guys are left back in the boat. 00:31:07.747 --> 00:31:10.162 Where Peter walked on the water. 00:31:10.162 --> 00:31:11.349 Christ said, "Come!" 00:31:11.349 --> 00:31:12.333 He was out of there. 00:31:12.333 --> 00:31:13.714 But you've got to do that. 00:31:13.714 --> 00:31:14.954 You've got to overanalyze everything. 00:31:14.954 --> 00:31:17.506 You've got to look at it; you've got to question it. 00:31:17.506 --> 00:31:19.363 Till everybody in the church 00:31:19.363 --> 00:31:23.520 that had any passion are asleep. 00:31:23.520 --> 00:31:26.645 See, if we do that, we're likely to make some mistakes. 00:31:26.645 --> 00:31:28.415 Some bad mistakes. 00:31:28.415 --> 00:31:29.962 You know what? You're going to. 00:31:29.962 --> 00:31:30.932 Get over that. 00:31:30.932 --> 00:31:32.799 People with passion do make mistakes. 00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:33.612 So what? 00:31:33.612 --> 00:31:36.309 They also walk on water. 00:31:36.309 --> 00:31:37.878 Fourth, 00:31:37.878 --> 00:31:39.664 You want to kill it? 00:31:39.664 --> 00:31:44.605 Just keep on laying a good soil 00:31:44.605 --> 00:31:46.497 for hyper-Calvinism. 00:31:46.497 --> 00:31:48.802 Oh, we would never admit to it. 00:31:48.802 --> 00:31:50.489 But, I'll tell you what, 00:31:50.489 --> 00:31:52.643 all you've got to do is look at Matthew 25. 00:31:52.643 --> 00:31:53.498 What is it? 00:31:53.498 --> 00:31:55.062 Faith working through love. 00:31:55.062 --> 00:31:58.167 I expressed to you out of Galatians 5. 00:31:58.167 --> 00:32:01.669 And you see it worked out in Matthew 25. 00:32:01.669 --> 00:32:02.630 You know what? 00:32:02.630 --> 00:32:04.143 There you have people who are 00:32:04.143 --> 00:32:07.267 giving themselves to the needs of others. 00:32:07.267 --> 00:32:09.497 Just be content in your church 00:32:09.497 --> 00:32:11.564 to have people be on time on Sundays, 00:32:11.564 --> 00:32:13.060 be on time on Wednesdays; 00:32:13.060 --> 00:32:14.674 get to where the prayer meetings 00:32:14.674 --> 00:32:16.080 are about Aunt Tilda's toe, 00:32:16.080 --> 00:32:20.757 and everything is about all of our 00:32:20.757 --> 00:32:24.787 physical needs and breakdowns and sicknesses and illness. 00:32:24.787 --> 00:32:26.704 Nobody ever prays for souls anymore. 00:32:26.704 --> 00:32:27.932 Just be content. 00:32:27.932 --> 00:32:29.937 Yeah, they're at church twice a week. 00:32:29.937 --> 00:32:31.328 They're faithful to do that. 00:32:31.328 --> 00:32:32.203 They're on time. 00:32:32.203 --> 00:32:34.367 They have their little daily devotional deal. 00:32:34.367 --> 00:32:35.641 Just be content with that. 00:32:35.641 --> 00:32:36.706 They never reach out. 00:32:36.706 --> 00:32:38.275 They never really touch sinners. 00:32:38.275 --> 00:32:39.586 They never do any of that. 00:32:39.586 --> 00:32:41.905 Be content with that. 00:32:41.905 --> 00:32:43.434 You may call it what you want. 00:32:43.434 --> 00:32:45.917 But there's practical hyper-Calvinism there. 00:32:45.917 --> 00:32:48.331 Just let that breed; let that live; 00:32:48.331 --> 00:32:49.596 be content with that. 00:32:49.596 --> 00:32:51.658 Never get in somebody's face and 00:32:51.658 --> 00:32:54.438 really expect them, encourage them, 00:32:54.438 --> 00:32:57.334 stir them up to faith, to good works, 00:32:57.334 --> 00:32:58.954 to zeal, to love. 00:32:58.954 --> 00:33:00.438 Just leave them alone. 00:33:00.438 --> 00:33:01.886 Tell them it's ok. 00:33:01.886 --> 00:33:03.354 I'm happy you're on time. 00:33:03.354 --> 00:33:04.260 That's good. 00:33:04.260 --> 00:33:06.245 I'm happy your life is all well-ordered, 00:33:06.245 --> 00:33:08.780 and you don't run around in the brothels anymore. 00:33:08.780 --> 00:33:10.103 Just be content with that. 00:33:10.103 --> 00:33:11.540 You've missed the heart. 00:33:11.540 --> 00:33:12.367 Get out there. 00:33:12.367 --> 00:33:13.992 Visit the widow. Visit the orphan. 00:33:13.992 --> 00:33:15.167 Do some things. 00:33:15.167 --> 00:33:16.234 Radically give. 00:33:16.234 --> 00:33:17.518 What is this? 00:33:17.518 --> 00:33:19.515 We've got too many today in the churches 00:33:19.515 --> 00:33:22.598 that are all about this legalistic tithing. 00:33:22.598 --> 00:33:25.285 You guys, we're one of the richest nations 00:33:25.285 --> 00:33:27.750 ever lived in the history of mankind. 00:33:27.750 --> 00:33:30.790 And you know what makes me sick? 00:33:30.790 --> 00:33:33.173 And I don't know if I've ever even seen this, 00:33:33.173 --> 00:33:36.699 but the thought of it is sick to me. 00:33:36.699 --> 00:33:38.344 That someone would even write out 00:33:38.344 --> 00:33:40.517 a check in an off dollar amount 00:33:40.517 --> 00:33:42.739 just to get the percentage right. 00:33:42.739 --> 00:33:44.221 What are you doing? 00:33:44.221 --> 00:33:45.819 Is your heart really for people? 00:33:45.819 --> 00:33:47.653 It is for zeal for God? 00:33:47.653 --> 00:33:49.321 What are you living your life for? 00:33:49.321 --> 00:33:50.942 To give the minimal amount? 00:33:50.942 --> 00:33:53.216 You guys have more than you know what to do with. 00:33:53.216 --> 00:33:55.037 You say, well, it's an economic hard time. 00:33:55.037 --> 00:33:56.151 Oh yeah, how many cars do you have? 00:33:56.151 --> 00:33:57.177 Look at your house. 00:33:57.177 --> 00:33:58.428 Look at what you're doing with your money. 00:33:58.428 --> 00:33:59.929 Look at your savings accounts. 00:33:59.929 --> 00:34:01.850 Look at the things you're saving up for. 00:34:01.850 --> 00:34:03.487 When Christ said not to lay up 00:34:03.487 --> 00:34:05.248 treasure on this earth. 00:34:05.248 --> 00:34:07.724 Just plant that good seed for hyper-Calvinism. 00:34:07.724 --> 00:34:09.473 Be content with it. 00:34:09.473 --> 00:34:11.168 We need to get in people's faces 00:34:11.168 --> 00:34:12.540 and say live the real thing! 00:34:12.540 --> 00:34:13.967 Live the heart of the matter. 00:34:13.967 --> 00:34:15.406 Go out and visit the widow. 00:34:15.406 --> 00:34:16.918 Live your life this way. 00:34:16.918 --> 00:34:18.199 Visit the stranger. 00:34:18.199 --> 00:34:19.839 Give yourself radically. 00:34:19.839 --> 00:34:21.712 If it's to stay here in this country, 00:34:21.712 --> 00:34:22.956 then work your life away, 00:34:22.956 --> 00:34:24.992 to give the most that you possibly can. 00:34:24.992 --> 00:34:27.477 Live not equal with your means, 00:34:27.477 --> 00:34:28.896 above your means, 00:34:28.896 --> 00:34:31.306 if you've got neck-deep in credit card debt, 00:34:31.306 --> 00:34:32.944 what are you doing? 00:34:32.944 --> 00:34:34.250 What are you living for? 00:34:34.250 --> 00:34:38.734 You're living for this world. 00:34:38.734 --> 00:34:42.397 Just allow that to go on unstopped, unchecked in the church. 00:34:42.397 --> 00:34:47.820 We'll all be dead. 00:34:47.820 --> 00:34:50.036 Hyper-Calvinism 00:34:50.036 --> 00:34:58.328 Let me tell you this. 00:34:58.328 --> 00:35:01.554 I'm aware, 00:35:01.554 --> 00:35:04.789 most of us are going to be at home. 00:35:04.789 --> 00:35:07.595 I think, ok, what is it to really 00:35:07.595 --> 00:35:11.080 pull through at home? 00:35:11.080 --> 00:35:15.181 Keep that missionary cause before our churches. 00:35:15.181 --> 00:35:20.639 Not just our own church, but others. 00:35:20.639 --> 00:35:24.298 Keep our people with some intensity. 00:35:24.298 --> 00:35:26.879 We want our people praying for the right things. 00:35:26.879 --> 00:35:30.255 Broken over souls. 00:35:30.255 --> 00:35:32.843 You know how it is. 00:35:32.843 --> 00:35:35.278 Brother Joe's got the sniffles. 00:35:35.278 --> 00:35:36.872 Wasn't able to be here tonight. 00:35:36.872 --> 00:35:41.415 Got to pray for him. 00:35:41.415 --> 00:35:43.221 I'm not out there in left field. 00:35:43.221 --> 00:35:47.462 Aunt Tilda's sore toe folks. 00:35:47.462 --> 00:35:49.801 Are we praying for the things that really matter? 00:35:49.801 --> 00:35:51.381 And praying with some intensity 00:35:51.381 --> 00:35:59.883 like they really matter to us? 00:35:59.883 --> 00:36:03.131 If we had any aliveness to us, 00:36:03.131 --> 00:36:13.477 it would just make us shout and scream. 00:36:13.477 --> 00:36:15.424 Are we fasting? 00:36:15.424 --> 00:36:20.107 You guys find it even within your lifestyle, 00:36:20.107 --> 00:36:23.724 even within your willingness 00:36:23.724 --> 00:36:27.466 to set aside times to fast? 00:36:27.466 --> 00:36:30.246 And give yourself to particular prayer 00:36:30.246 --> 00:36:34.760 towards the needs of those in other places? 00:36:34.760 --> 00:36:36.509 What is it that's going to fuel 00:36:36.509 --> 00:36:42.599 an atmosphere like this at home? 00:36:42.599 --> 00:36:45.455 I ask myself that. 00:36:45.455 --> 00:36:48.150 I look at who has sent missionaries forth 00:36:48.150 --> 00:36:49.740 and done it well. 00:36:49.740 --> 00:36:51.749 Who's been faithful on the home front 00:36:51.749 --> 00:36:53.594 all the way to the end? 00:36:53.594 --> 00:36:55.763 What men, what churches, stand out as having 00:36:55.763 --> 00:36:57.372 that sort of reputation? 00:36:57.372 --> 00:36:59.584 Because whoever they are, wherever they are, 00:36:59.584 --> 00:37:04.566 I want to see what it is that makes people like that tick. 00:37:04.566 --> 00:37:06.460 As I thought about this, 00:37:06.460 --> 00:37:08.100 it occurred to me that 00:37:08.100 --> 00:37:10.158 I don't know that there are any more famous - 00:37:10.158 --> 00:37:12.968 there may have been some that have done it better, 00:37:12.968 --> 00:37:14.546 but I don't know that there are 00:37:14.546 --> 00:37:16.733 any more famous rope holders. 00:37:16.733 --> 00:37:18.040 Men who stayed at home, 00:37:18.040 --> 00:37:19.632 serving the missionary cause, 00:37:19.632 --> 00:37:25.511 than those men who did support Carey. 00:37:25.511 --> 00:37:28.078 Now, let me tell you about these guys. 00:37:28.078 --> 00:37:30.552 You may know the names of some of these. 00:37:30.552 --> 00:37:33.023 Andrew Fuller. 00:37:33.023 --> 00:37:36.201 John Sutcliffe. 00:37:36.201 --> 00:37:38.660 Samuel Pierce. 00:37:38.660 --> 00:37:41.407 John Ryland, Jr. 00:37:41.407 --> 00:37:43.388 These are some of the guys. 00:37:43.388 --> 00:37:45.618 Let me tell you about these guys. 00:37:45.618 --> 00:37:49.271 They were a whole lot like us. 00:37:49.271 --> 00:37:54.081 They pastored little Baptist churches. 00:37:54.081 --> 00:37:56.927 It doesn't take a big church to be faithful. 00:37:56.927 --> 00:38:02.885 It doesn't take enormous resources to be faithful. 00:38:02.885 --> 00:38:06.348 I started thinking about these guys. 00:38:06.348 --> 00:38:08.108 They were faithful. 00:38:08.108 --> 00:38:10.441 Listen to Fuller's quote, 00:38:10.441 --> 00:38:16.678 "Our undertaking to India 00:38:16.678 --> 00:38:20.226 really appeared to me on its commencement, 00:38:20.226 --> 00:38:23.133 to be somewhat like a few men 00:38:23.133 --> 00:38:25.292 who were deliberating about the importance 00:38:25.292 --> 00:38:28.552 of penetrating into a deep mine, 00:38:28.552 --> 00:38:31.816 which had never before been explored. 00:38:31.816 --> 00:38:33.875 We had no one to guide us, 00:38:33.875 --> 00:38:36.284 and while we were thus deliberating, 00:38:36.284 --> 00:38:39.028 Carey, as it were, said, 00:38:39.028 --> 00:38:45.352 'Well, I will go down, if you will hold the rope.' 00:38:45.352 --> 00:38:46.704 But before we went down, 00:38:46.704 --> 00:38:48.014 continued Fuller, 00:38:48.014 --> 00:38:50.274 he as it seemed to me 00:38:50.274 --> 00:38:53.156 took an oath from each of us 00:38:53.156 --> 00:38:56.708 at the mouth of the pit to this effect, 00:38:56.708 --> 00:38:58.453 that we, while we lived, 00:38:58.453 --> 00:39:01.173 should never let go of the rope. 00:39:01.173 --> 00:39:02.590 You understand me? 00:39:02.590 --> 00:39:04.831 There was great responsibility 00:39:04.831 --> 00:39:09.655 attached to us who began the business." 00:39:09.655 --> 00:39:11.584 And as one has said, 00:39:11.584 --> 00:39:13.726 whether we stay at home or whether we go, 00:39:13.726 --> 00:39:15.461 we should all have our hands burned 00:39:15.461 --> 00:39:16.301 by that rope. 00:39:16.301 --> 00:39:18.970 And folks, these men had the burn marks 00:39:18.970 --> 00:39:19.835 and the scars. 00:39:19.835 --> 00:39:21.511 I'm talking the guys that stayed at home. 00:39:21.511 --> 00:39:23.739 Not the Marshman's, not the Carey's, not the Ward's. 00:39:23.739 --> 00:39:26.148 I'm talking these guys: the Pierce, 00:39:26.148 --> 00:39:28.197 the Ryland, the Sutcliffe, the Fuller; 00:39:28.197 --> 00:39:29.919 the men that stayed at home. 00:39:29.919 --> 00:39:33.886 They had the burn marks on their hand. 00:39:33.886 --> 00:39:36.953 And I'm thinking, ok, what is it about these guys? 00:39:36.953 --> 00:39:38.486 I began to dig. 00:39:38.486 --> 00:39:40.525 I began to look through some of my books, 00:39:40.525 --> 00:39:42.218 and look on the Internet for some things. 00:39:42.218 --> 00:39:44.272 I discovered something very interesting. 00:39:44.272 --> 00:39:46.492 Before Carey went to India, 00:39:46.492 --> 00:39:47.445 listen to this, 00:39:47.445 --> 00:39:50.997 on Wednesday, April 27, 1791 00:39:50.997 --> 00:39:52.285 a special meeting was held 00:39:52.285 --> 00:39:56.305 by the ministers of the Northamptonshire Baptist Association. 00:39:56.305 --> 00:39:57.446 Hear this, 00:39:57.446 --> 00:40:00.646 in which both Sutcliffe and Fuller 00:40:00.646 --> 00:40:03.577 preached back-to-back. 00:40:03.577 --> 00:40:04.838 Now listen. 00:40:04.838 --> 00:40:09.700 25 years later, the pastor of the church, 00:40:09.700 --> 00:40:12.903 there in Clipston, where the special meeting was held, 00:40:12.903 --> 00:40:17.058 he recalled the deep solemnity that covered the place 00:40:17.058 --> 00:40:19.433 and how the entire congregation was overwhelmed 00:40:19.433 --> 00:40:21.153 by what it had heard. 00:40:21.153 --> 00:40:22.311 Now listen to this. 00:40:22.311 --> 00:40:24.775 John Ryland - he wasn't one of the guys that preached, 00:40:24.775 --> 00:40:27.822 but he was one of the rope holders as well. 00:40:27.822 --> 00:40:30.821 Being there that day 00:40:30.821 --> 00:40:34.706 having listened to these two moving sermons, 00:40:34.706 --> 00:40:39.624 said that he and all with whom he talked afterwards 00:40:39.624 --> 00:40:50.125 felt a profound conviction of their great need for zeal. 00:40:50.125 --> 00:40:52.327 That's what they were impacted by. 00:40:52.327 --> 00:40:56.379 They realized that's what they needed. 00:40:56.379 --> 00:40:58.297 Zeal. 00:40:58.297 --> 00:40:59.971 And they were persuaded of the evil 00:40:59.971 --> 00:41:02.710 of negligence and procrastination. 00:41:02.710 --> 00:41:04.850 I read that. I began thinking to myself, 00:41:04.850 --> 00:41:07.018 ok, wait, I've got to find these two sermons. 00:41:07.018 --> 00:41:08.815 They met together back-to-back that day. 00:41:08.815 --> 00:41:10.446 I began to look. Is it even possible 00:41:10.446 --> 00:41:12.948 to find that message by Sutcliffe; that message by Fuller? 00:41:12.948 --> 00:41:16.249 I found out that that indeed is the only 00:41:16.249 --> 00:41:21.476 full surviving sermon of Sutcliffe available. 00:41:21.476 --> 00:41:24.101 I had it in the appendix of one of my books. 00:41:24.101 --> 00:41:27.901 I was able to find Fuller's sermon online. 00:41:27.901 --> 00:41:29.886 Let me tell you a little bit about these. 00:41:29.886 --> 00:41:31.544 Fuller's sermon is called, 00:41:31.544 --> 00:41:36.879 "The Pernicious Influence of Delay in Religious Concerns." 00:41:36.879 --> 00:41:40.381 Fuller took his text that day from Haggai 1:2. 00:41:40.381 --> 00:41:42.219 The Jews, you remember this, 00:41:42.219 --> 00:41:45.007 had returned from Babylonian exile 00:41:45.007 --> 00:41:47.524 and they refused to get to work 00:41:47.524 --> 00:41:49.683 on the rebuilding of the temple. 00:41:49.683 --> 00:41:53.462 The Lord accused His people of saying 00:41:53.462 --> 00:41:55.377 the time is not come. 00:41:55.377 --> 00:41:59.227 The time that the Lord's house should be built. 00:41:59.227 --> 00:42:00.595 And here's the thing. 00:42:00.595 --> 00:42:04.646 Fuller, seeing the procrastination of the Jews 00:42:04.646 --> 00:42:07.007 in delaying to rebuild the temple, 00:42:07.007 --> 00:42:08.781 thinking the time has not come, 00:42:08.781 --> 00:42:10.413 makes this point. 00:42:10.413 --> 00:42:13.224 Now hear this well. 00:42:13.224 --> 00:42:17.166 "To put off things to another time, 00:42:17.166 --> 00:42:19.736 like the task of missions, 00:42:19.736 --> 00:42:27.480 implies a lurking dislike to the things themselves. 00:42:27.480 --> 00:42:30.600 We do not ordinarily do so, 00:42:30.600 --> 00:42:35.554 except in things wherein we have no delight. 00:42:35.554 --> 00:42:39.203 Whatever our hearts are set upon, 00:42:39.203 --> 00:42:43.130 we're for losing no time till it is accomplished." 00:42:43.130 --> 00:42:45.335 Do you guys hear what he's saying? 00:42:45.335 --> 00:42:48.623 You don't procrastinate about what you love. 00:42:48.623 --> 00:42:51.000 You only put off and are slow to accomplish 00:42:51.000 --> 00:42:56.127 the things you have no passion for. 00:42:56.127 --> 00:42:58.229 You know why the guys didn't put off 00:42:58.229 --> 00:42:59.415 getting to Christ? 00:42:59.415 --> 00:43:00.901 When they had the palsied man? 00:43:00.901 --> 00:43:02.722 Because there was a passion there. 00:43:02.722 --> 00:43:09.070 We've got to get to Christ! 00:43:09.070 --> 00:43:11.139 Then, there's Sutcliffe's sermon. 00:43:11.139 --> 00:43:12.591 His was actually first. 00:43:12.591 --> 00:43:13.872 I hold it to last here 00:43:13.872 --> 00:43:18.767 because boy, he hit this thing on the mark. 00:43:18.767 --> 00:43:20.287 Now remember, folks, 00:43:20.287 --> 00:43:24.461 these are the guys who stayed faithful. 00:43:24.461 --> 00:43:27.189 And they're aware of their need of zeal. 00:43:27.189 --> 00:43:29.806 And they're aware that you don't 00:43:29.806 --> 00:43:31.892 procrastinate about what you 00:43:31.892 --> 00:43:35.621 have a zeal for. 00:43:35.621 --> 00:43:44.410 Sutcliffe 00:43:44.410 --> 00:43:48.066 His message was called, 00:43:48.066 --> 00:43:53.419 "Jealousy for the Lord of Hosts." 00:43:53.419 --> 00:43:57.369 As Sutcliffe closed out his sermon, 00:43:57.369 --> 00:44:02.344 he sees each Christian as a light 00:44:02.344 --> 00:44:05.121 in this world. 00:44:05.121 --> 00:44:08.322 He sees each of these individual lights, 00:44:08.322 --> 00:44:10.578 though somewhat small in themselves, 00:44:10.578 --> 00:44:13.686 all put together collectively 00:44:13.686 --> 00:44:16.850 and scattered in the missionary cause 00:44:16.850 --> 00:44:18.145 around the world 00:44:18.145 --> 00:44:20.815 so that like the sun, 00:44:20.815 --> 00:44:22.555 they might endeavor to enlighten 00:44:22.555 --> 00:44:24.259 the whole earth. 00:44:24.259 --> 00:44:25.533 Let them be disbursed 00:44:25.533 --> 00:44:29.784 so that the whole globe might be illuminated. 00:44:29.784 --> 00:44:32.089 And then he says this 00:44:32.089 --> 00:44:39.123 "Nothing. Nothing will prompt you 00:44:39.123 --> 00:44:43.457 on in this way, so to act, 00:44:43.457 --> 00:44:47.494 like the divine passion; the celestial fire 00:44:47.494 --> 00:44:51.815 that burned in the bosom and blazed in the life of Elijah. 00:44:51.815 --> 00:44:54.641 What love! What zeal! 00:44:54.641 --> 00:44:57.240 What activity become you when 00:44:57.240 --> 00:44:58.919 thus employed. 00:44:58.919 --> 00:45:01.875 Animated with jealousy for the Lord God of Hosts, 00:45:01.875 --> 00:45:05.245 you will be like the Son when He goeth forth in His strength, 00:45:05.245 --> 00:45:08.009 or like an army terrible with banners. 00:45:08.009 --> 00:45:10.555 Under the divine smile, Satan will fall before you 00:45:10.555 --> 00:45:12.071 like lightning from heaven. 00:45:12.071 --> 00:45:13.349 His power be broken. 00:45:13.349 --> 00:45:14.949 His policy confounded. 00:45:14.949 --> 00:45:17.208 While the empire of Jesus shall advance. 00:45:17.208 --> 00:45:20.863 His Kingdom arise and the crown flourish upon His head." 00:45:20.863 --> 00:45:23.016 Brethren, I'm telling you, 00:45:23.016 --> 00:45:25.174 these men rose up out of the 00:45:25.174 --> 00:45:27.950 dead hyper-Calvinism of their day 00:45:27.950 --> 00:45:30.446 They sent men into the mine. 00:45:30.446 --> 00:45:32.471 They held the rope and they knew, 00:45:32.471 --> 00:45:35.618 nothing short of God-given desire, 00:45:35.618 --> 00:45:38.525 heart, divine passion, celestial fire, 00:45:38.525 --> 00:45:41.413 love, zeal, jealousy for the Lord God of Hosts. 00:45:41.413 --> 00:45:43.512 That's it, brethren. 00:45:43.512 --> 00:45:46.230 That's what I've been trying to say, to prove, to show. 00:45:46.230 --> 00:45:47.977 May God help us. 00:45:47.977 --> 00:45:49.872 Our time is short. 00:45:49.872 --> 00:45:52.030 As I wanted to stress. 00:45:52.030 --> 00:45:54.052 Look, where do you get this? 00:45:54.052 --> 00:45:57.045 You've got to go up on the holy mountain. 00:45:57.045 --> 00:45:59.007 That's where the fire comes from. 00:45:59.007 --> 00:46:01.273 You've got to go there. 00:46:01.273 --> 00:46:04.245 If you're going to be content to spend the rest of your life 00:46:04.245 --> 00:46:06.469 in front of the television, and waste it away, 00:46:06.469 --> 00:46:07.678 and chasing money, 00:46:07.678 --> 00:46:09.874 it's not happening. 00:46:09.874 --> 00:46:12.299 Look. 00:46:12.299 --> 00:46:14.479 You want to get away from the hyper-Calvinism? 00:46:14.479 --> 00:46:16.574 You don't say, well, what we really need here 00:46:16.574 --> 00:46:18.248 is for God to move. 00:46:18.248 --> 00:46:20.406 You know what we find through the Scriptures? 00:46:20.406 --> 00:46:22.338 Through history? 00:46:22.338 --> 00:46:24.421 It's like Tozer said. 00:46:24.421 --> 00:46:27.455 God moved when and where His people moved. 00:46:27.455 --> 00:46:29.848 Move! 00:46:29.848 --> 00:46:31.846 That's what faith does. 00:46:31.846 --> 00:46:33.462 Faith moves. 00:46:33.462 --> 00:46:35.056 And it trusts, as I move, 00:46:35.056 --> 00:46:37.459 the resources are coming. 00:46:37.459 --> 00:46:38.794 I'm going to step out. 00:46:38.794 --> 00:46:41.161 Brethren, I can tell you in these seven years, 00:46:41.161 --> 00:46:43.157 the folks in our church can tell you, 00:46:43.157 --> 00:46:45.530 how many times we haven't been able to see. 00:46:45.530 --> 00:46:47.277 It's been black out there. 00:46:47.277 --> 00:46:48.716 And we've felt like certainly 00:46:48.716 --> 00:46:51.004 this is in line with the Great Commission. 00:46:51.004 --> 00:46:52.485 Let's step. 00:46:52.485 --> 00:46:54.178 We don't see where we're stepping. 00:46:54.178 --> 00:46:56.625 We can't see anything. 00:46:56.625 --> 00:46:58.572 And sometimes I've wondered. 00:46:58.572 --> 00:46:59.766 And I've always thought, 00:46:59.766 --> 00:47:01.564 Lord, if You let us fall on our face, 00:47:01.564 --> 00:47:03.494 it's going to come back to You. 00:47:03.494 --> 00:47:05.686 But every time, you know what? 00:47:05.686 --> 00:47:08.718 Not once. Not once! 00:47:08.718 --> 00:47:12.060 We have stepped out there. 00:47:12.060 --> 00:47:16.115 He's held us up. 00:47:16.115 --> 00:47:18.209 We've got to have these passions of Christ 00:47:18.209 --> 00:47:19.478 etched upon us. 00:47:19.478 --> 00:47:21.972 We've got to have faith. 00:47:21.972 --> 00:47:24.365 We've got to take this step. 00:47:24.365 --> 00:47:26.913 Don't wait. 00:47:26.913 --> 00:47:30.331 If you folks here at Community realized, 00:47:30.331 --> 00:47:32.826 yes, it's true. 00:47:32.826 --> 00:47:35.440 There's been a slide off in a direction 00:47:35.440 --> 00:47:37.668 we don't like. 00:47:37.668 --> 00:47:39.980 We want to see something. 00:47:39.980 --> 00:47:42.654 You can not live on the past. 00:47:42.654 --> 00:47:44.917 You've got to live today. 00:47:44.917 --> 00:47:47.565 You've got a responsibility today. 00:47:47.565 --> 00:47:48.988 What are you going to do? 00:47:48.988 --> 00:47:52.166 I'm going to sit here an wait until God does something. 00:47:52.166 --> 00:47:54.363 Then you're going to wait a long time. 00:47:54.363 --> 00:47:55.916 No, what you've got to do is 00:47:55.916 --> 00:47:57.113 you've got to step out. 00:47:57.113 --> 00:47:59.026 You say, ok, if you come to the place, 00:47:59.026 --> 00:48:00.657 you say something's wrong. 00:48:00.657 --> 00:48:02.299 Something's wrong in my own life. 00:48:02.299 --> 00:48:04.175 Yes, there's a coldness. 00:48:04.175 --> 00:48:06.488 Then go get on the holy mount. 00:48:06.488 --> 00:48:08.173 And go there and keep going there. 00:48:08.173 --> 00:48:09.490 And stay there. 00:48:09.490 --> 00:48:15.636 And give yourself some time. 00:48:15.636 --> 00:48:17.605 I heard Paul Washer say before 00:48:17.605 --> 00:48:19.318 that you know he has churches 00:48:19.318 --> 00:48:21.385 that come to him and they've got problems 00:48:21.385 --> 00:48:23.808 or there's weaknesses or something's lacking, 00:48:23.808 --> 00:48:25.265 and he tells them, 00:48:25.265 --> 00:48:26.827 what you need to do is you need to 00:48:26.827 --> 00:48:28.491 gather the whole church together 00:48:28.491 --> 00:48:29.912 and you guys need to go to fasting 00:48:29.912 --> 00:48:31.371 until God breaks through. 00:48:31.371 --> 00:48:33.331 And he says they don't listen to him. 00:48:33.331 --> 00:48:37.227 And then they wonder why it doesn't work out. 00:48:37.227 --> 00:48:40.509 What's our lives taken up with? 00:48:40.509 --> 00:48:42.491 We have a battle to fight here. 00:48:42.491 --> 00:48:44.816 And the power we need. 00:48:44.816 --> 00:48:47.614 This passion isn't something derived in ourselves. 00:48:47.614 --> 00:48:50.219 It comes from the Spirit of God. 00:48:50.219 --> 00:48:51.651 Till you have that image 00:48:51.651 --> 00:48:55.324 etched upon us, we need that fire from the altar. 00:48:55.324 --> 00:48:57.122 We need this coming together. 00:48:57.122 --> 00:48:58.513 We've got a mission. 00:48:58.513 --> 00:49:00.063 But we've got to have passion 00:49:00.063 --> 00:49:01.711 to bring together with this thing. 00:49:01.711 --> 00:49:03.013 They knew it. 00:49:03.013 --> 00:49:05.042 25 years later, they knew it. 00:49:05.042 --> 00:49:06.537 After they heard these sermons. 00:49:06.537 --> 00:49:07.936 We've got to have zeal. 00:49:07.936 --> 00:49:08.901 And I'll tell you what, 00:49:08.901 --> 00:49:09.961 they were faithful. 00:49:09.961 --> 00:49:11.736 Sutcliffe was faithful to the end. 00:49:11.736 --> 00:49:13.947 Fuller. He was faithful to the end. 00:49:13.947 --> 00:49:16.833 These guys went the whole distance. 00:49:16.833 --> 00:49:18.171 What are we doing? 00:49:18.171 --> 00:49:23.229 Are we falling out of the ranks? 00:49:23.229 --> 00:49:26.479 It's not time to fall out yet. 00:49:26.479 --> 00:49:29.675 Our journey's not done. 00:49:29.675 --> 00:49:32.464 For some of us, we're just at the beginning. 00:49:32.464 --> 00:49:36.525 We don't know how much time we've left. 00:49:36.525 --> 00:49:41.803 Eternity hastens. 00:49:41.803 --> 00:49:47.237 Look, it's not how I say this. 00:49:47.237 --> 00:49:51.380 It's not how our brother earlier says this. 00:49:51.380 --> 00:49:53.049 You've got to have something 00:49:53.049 --> 00:49:55.278 that only comes from God. 00:49:55.278 --> 00:49:57.294 And unless you're determined to have it 00:49:57.294 --> 00:49:58.592 at all costs, 00:49:58.592 --> 00:50:02.190 or die trying to get it, 00:50:02.190 --> 00:50:03.204 I'll tell you what, 00:50:03.204 --> 00:50:04.534 there's got to be a resignation. 00:50:04.534 --> 00:50:07.287 If you want to experience the manifest presence of Christ, 00:50:07.287 --> 00:50:09.180 you want to experience that power, 00:50:09.180 --> 00:50:11.098 you want to ungrieve the Spirit of God, 00:50:11.098 --> 00:50:12.677 if that's what's happened; 00:50:12.677 --> 00:50:14.133 there's got to be obedience, 00:50:14.133 --> 00:50:15.611 there's got to be resignation in your life. 00:50:15.611 --> 00:50:17.065 You've got to lay it all down. 00:50:17.065 --> 00:50:19.784 You've got to lay it out there on the altar. 00:50:19.784 --> 00:50:21.959 We heard Matt say last week, 00:50:21.959 --> 00:50:23.677 what things did you give up early on 00:50:23.677 --> 00:50:25.184 in your Christian life that now 00:50:25.184 --> 00:50:26.829 you're kind of drifting back to. 00:50:26.829 --> 00:50:28.365 What idols did you put away, 00:50:28.365 --> 00:50:30.028 that now, you're just kind of comfortably 00:50:30.028 --> 00:50:32.034 crawling in there with? 00:50:32.034 --> 00:50:35.040 What are the things in your life that are eating up your time? 00:50:35.040 --> 00:50:37.042 What are your excuses for not 00:50:37.042 --> 00:50:40.345 spending the time that you ought to be spending? 00:50:40.345 --> 00:50:42.768 You cannot just pray these little, 00:50:42.768 --> 00:50:44.990 flippant prayers and read Psalm 117 00:50:44.990 --> 00:50:46.757 and think, yeah, we're going to find 00:50:46.757 --> 00:50:47.968 the fire that way. 00:50:47.968 --> 00:50:49.335 We're going to do our little thing. 00:50:49.335 --> 00:50:50.921 And then we're just going to get on with our life. 00:50:50.921 --> 00:50:52.081 We're going to tag it on there. 00:50:52.081 --> 00:50:53.747 It's going to be this nice little thing. 00:50:53.747 --> 00:50:56.036 Somehow, it's all going to work out in the end. 00:50:56.036 --> 00:50:57.529 Look. 00:50:57.529 --> 00:50:59.045 I'm not satisfied with that. 00:50:59.045 --> 00:51:01.690 I don't want to be in a church that's dead like that. 00:51:01.690 --> 00:51:04.365 If our church dies, if that happens sometime, 00:51:04.365 --> 00:51:05.421 I want to go. 00:51:05.421 --> 00:51:06.574 Or have God kill me. 00:51:06.574 --> 00:51:08.356 I don't want to be there. 00:51:08.356 --> 00:51:10.205 I don't want to walk through this life 00:51:10.205 --> 00:51:12.264 useless and burned out. 00:51:12.264 --> 00:51:14.166 We want to be the bright and shining 00:51:14.166 --> 00:51:17.280 and burning lights like John the Baptist. 00:51:17.280 --> 00:51:20.141 I realize problems come. 00:51:20.141 --> 00:51:22.062 Some of you may have fallen out of ranks 00:51:22.062 --> 00:51:24.268 because life got too hard. 00:51:24.268 --> 00:51:26.456 Let me tell you about Fuller. 00:51:26.456 --> 00:51:28.327 He lost 8 of his 11 children, 00:51:28.327 --> 00:51:30.705 and then his wife. 00:51:30.705 --> 00:51:35.926 You think that's harder than what you've gone through? 00:51:35.926 --> 00:51:38.644 And he stayed true to the end. 00:51:38.644 --> 00:51:41.314 In fact, maybe that's what we need. 00:51:41.314 --> 00:51:43.428 I don't want to call down suffering on us, 00:51:43.428 --> 00:51:45.882 but maybe that is what we need. 00:51:45.882 --> 00:51:48.025 Our lives have just been too soft, 00:51:48.025 --> 00:51:50.221 too cushy. 00:51:50.221 --> 00:51:52.318 We've had too much. 00:51:52.318 --> 00:51:54.140 May God bring us whatever we need, 00:51:54.140 --> 00:51:56.541 whether it's poverty, whether it's persecution. 00:51:56.541 --> 00:51:59.817 Just to light us on fire. 00:51:59.817 --> 00:52:03.956 Don't. Don't be content 00:52:03.956 --> 00:52:07.210 to let the missionary fires move away. 00:52:07.210 --> 00:52:09.810 Yes, let them go to China. 00:52:09.810 --> 00:52:11.768 But don't let them depart here. 00:52:11.768 --> 00:52:13.283 And even if good brethren come along 00:52:13.283 --> 00:52:15.306 and say to you, I think it's all over. 00:52:15.306 --> 00:52:17.032 I think we're done in this country. 00:52:17.032 --> 00:52:18.217 Don't buy it. 00:52:18.217 --> 00:52:19.645 Don't accept it. 00:52:19.645 --> 00:52:21.186 If you're ok with that, 00:52:21.186 --> 00:52:22.704 well then go into your monastery, 00:52:22.704 --> 00:52:24.363 lay down in your nice, sterile 00:52:24.363 --> 00:52:25.728 reformed environment, 00:52:25.728 --> 00:52:27.891 and just let the world go on its way to hell. 00:52:27.891 --> 00:52:29.406 But you're not going to be the 00:52:29.406 --> 00:52:31.597 people that will be used. 00:52:31.597 --> 00:52:34.245 It's going to be the ones that burn 00:52:34.245 --> 00:52:36.465 with Christlikeness; 00:52:36.465 --> 00:52:38.442 that take it off the altar of God 00:52:38.442 --> 00:52:40.713 and go forth in obedience 00:52:40.713 --> 00:52:43.246 to what we've been told to do. 00:52:43.246 --> 00:52:44.612 We've got a responsibility. 00:52:44.612 --> 00:52:46.396 If you're not going in the mine, 00:52:46.396 --> 00:52:48.506 you've got a responsibility to hold it. 00:52:48.506 --> 00:52:50.467 That commission is to the church. 00:52:50.467 --> 00:52:52.460 It's to us. 00:52:52.460 --> 00:52:56.298 And it's to the end of this age. 00:52:56.298 --> 00:52:58.388 We cannot go to sleep. 00:52:58.388 --> 00:53:02.463 We cannot slumber. 00:53:02.463 --> 00:53:06.527 Brethren, God forbid 00:53:06.527 --> 00:53:10.217 that we drop the baton. 00:53:10.217 --> 00:53:12.500 Spurgeon's dead. 00:53:12.500 --> 00:53:14.234 Carey's dead. 00:53:14.234 --> 00:53:19.116 Sutcliffe, Fuller, Pierce, Ryland. 00:53:19.116 --> 00:53:21.172 Folks, they're gone. 00:53:21.172 --> 00:53:22.980 This is our day. 00:53:22.980 --> 00:53:27.706 This is our generation. 00:53:27.706 --> 00:53:29.715 May God help us to be faithful. 00:53:29.715 --> 00:53:30.462 Amen.