1 00:00:02,100 --> 00:00:06,900 Wild beloved, we've come to the last service in this series of 2 00:00:06,900 --> 00:00:11,100 gospel meetings. And it certainly has been my 3 00:00:11,100 --> 00:00:14,900 pleasure to be with you. These few days and to speak 4 00:00:14,900 --> 00:00:19,700 concerning the word of God. Well, lady asked me one time. 5 00:00:19,700 --> 00:00:24,700 She said, well, when the preachers come and preach for 6 00:00:24,700 --> 00:00:30,100 us, that it is so encouraging. But she said, I often wondered 7 00:00:30,100 --> 00:00:35,200 who encourages the preachers? Well, I don't know about others, 8 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:40,300 but I can say from my own experience that when I see 9 00:00:40,300 --> 00:00:45,400 people consistently attending the services and doing the 10 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:49,600 things that we believe the new, It teaches them to do. 11 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:55,300 That's the thing that encourages me and encourages me to go on. 12 00:00:56,800 --> 00:01:01,200 I want to read from the passages that we have on the board here. 13 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:05,200 I'd like to read first, Exodus, 9 and verse 16. 14 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:14,000 And in this place we hear the Lord saying to Moses And in very 15 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:19,500 deed for this cause have I raised the up for to show Envy 16 00:01:19,500 --> 00:01:25,500 my power and that my name may be declared throughout all the 17 00:01:25,500 --> 00:01:30,700 Earth? And then the passage in the 14th 18 00:01:30,700 --> 00:01:36,700 chapter of Exodus and verse 30 which says thus the Lord saved 19 00:01:36,700 --> 00:01:41,500 Israel that day out of the hand of Egypt of the Egyptians and 20 00:01:41,500 --> 00:01:46,600 Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore. 21 00:01:48,700 --> 00:01:53,800 That will be the introduction for our reading tonight for our 22 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:58,700 study. We've had a marvelous day today 23 00:01:58,700 --> 00:02:03,600 and it's just been also thrilling and so wonderful. 24 00:02:03,700 --> 00:02:08,400 I don't know how the meeting today could have turned out any 25 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,300 better unless we had seen numerous people obeying, the 26 00:02:12,300 --> 00:02:15,900 gospel that would probably been the only thing that could have 27 00:02:15,900 --> 00:02:20,500 made it better, but it's wonderful to see the house 28 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:25,100 almost feel this afternoon and people waiting expectantly to 29 00:02:25,100 --> 00:02:26,800 hear the word. God. 30 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:32,400 So many times, I could only wish that I were capable of supplying 31 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,100 that need better. But nonetheless, we are met this 32 00:02:36,100 --> 00:02:40,600 evening to worship, God to study his word and to call upon his 33 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:42,800 name. So, at this time, let us go to 34 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:49,200 God In Prayer. In Exodus 14 and 19. 35 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:56,000 We read these words and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the 36 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:58,800 seashore. I believe that probably is verse 37 00:02:59,300 --> 00:03:03,400 30. This is a rather ghastly and 38 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:09,000 gruesome sight. And the soldiers of the once 39 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:15,800 proud, Army of Egypt are lying dead upon the seashore. 40 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:21,900 There are all sorts of positions these dead men, some have their 41 00:03:21,900 --> 00:03:24,400 heads pillared peacefully upon their arms. 42 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:30,200 As if asleep others have their faces half buried in the sand. 43 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:35,100 Others still lie, prone upon their backs with bits of seaweed 44 00:03:35,100 --> 00:03:38,700 in their hair and their sightless errors, staring and 45 00:03:38,700 --> 00:03:42,200 Terror at nothing. They're very much alike, these 46 00:03:42,200 --> 00:03:46,100 corpses but there's one corpse that is different. 47 00:03:46,700 --> 00:03:50,600 And when we look at his Rich costume in which he is dressed, 48 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:53,300 were able to discern the difference. 49 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:58,100 Look at the jewel fingers. There's no Crown now upon its 50 00:03:58,100 --> 00:04:01,800 brow, there's no scepter in that nerveless hand. 51 00:04:02,500 --> 00:04:07,000 Yes, it's easy to Guess that this corpse, this pocket that 52 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:11,400 death has turned outside and emptied was once a king. 53 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:16,100 Yes, this is the body of pharaoh, the one-time ruler. 54 00:04:16,500 --> 00:04:20,700 Of all the land of Egypt. But here he lies today among the 55 00:04:20,700 --> 00:04:25,500 meanest of his soldiers, he spoiled and on kingly fashion 56 00:04:25,500 --> 00:04:29,900 upon his face, as if the Sea of just spit him out and sure knows 57 00:04:29,900 --> 00:04:33,800 you and discuss. And now comes the big question 58 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,900 that we want to answer this afternoon. 59 00:04:36,500 --> 00:04:41,400 How came this famous Egyptian here he was once the king, you 60 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:45,300 know, he was ruler over the proudest and the greatest nation 61 00:04:45,300 --> 00:04:49,400 in the world at that time. And here, we find him dead. 62 00:04:49,700 --> 00:04:53,500 He died away from whom he died, a violent death. 63 00:04:54,100 --> 00:05:00,200 So I proposed this afternoon to hold an inquest and concern 64 00:05:00,300 --> 00:05:03,400 ourselves with how he came to die. 65 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,500 He didn't leave Egypt and Mark in a March into the Red Sea for 66 00:05:08,500 --> 00:05:12,300 no purpose at all. He never intended that life 67 00:05:12,300 --> 00:05:16,300 should end thus nor is he here because his enemy Israel? 68 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:18,900 Oil has proven stronger than himself. 69 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:22,800 What's the cause? The question is answered by the 70 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:28,400 voice of God and we read it from Exodus 9 and 16 for this. 71 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:33,200 Cause have I raised the up that I might Shew forth my power in 72 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:35,000 thee? Have you noticed, what? 73 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:39,900 This strange text says and implies without the least 74 00:05:39,900 --> 00:05:44,600 equivocation it says that God raised this man Pharaoh up that 75 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:49,000 he might show his power. In him and that purpose, he 76 00:05:49,000 --> 00:05:52,400 accomplished. This piece of rottenness has not 77 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:57,600 been thrown upon the seashore by the hand of man as we look at 78 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:02,500 him, we see in him a monument of the power of God and strange to 79 00:06:02,500 --> 00:06:07,000 say, he's not the power, the Monument of God's power to save. 80 00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:12,500 But rather the power of God to utterly wreck and Destroy and in 81 00:06:12,500 --> 00:06:17,300 his destruction, God tells us that he has sir Served his 82 00:06:17,300 --> 00:06:19,700 purpose. Now, believe that you will agree 83 00:06:19,700 --> 00:06:22,800 with me that this is an amazing statement. 84 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:27,300 The teaching seems to be that God raised this man up that he 85 00:06:27,300 --> 00:06:32,400 might glorify himself by making a complete and utter wreck of 86 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,200 him. And I wonder if that could be 87 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,500 the truth, we agree. I suppose, all of us who believe 88 00:06:39,500 --> 00:06:44,100 in the Bible that God has a plan for every life. 89 00:06:44,300 --> 00:06:47,500 In fact, all nature tells Silver planning. 90 00:06:47,700 --> 00:06:52,800 God all Revelation teaches that God is the kind of a God, who 91 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:57,200 plans and we have the message direct from the lips of the Lord 92 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:02,700 as well, when he said as my father, hath sent me even so I 93 00:07:02,700 --> 00:07:06,200 send you. But in admitting that, God, has 94 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:10,500 plans for every life, can we believe that he plans for some 95 00:07:10,500 --> 00:07:13,300 to go wrong and some to go, right? 96 00:07:13,600 --> 00:07:17,700 Can we believe that he plans for one to become a Judas and the 97 00:07:17,700 --> 00:07:21,700 other to become a John, is it the purpose of God, that one 98 00:07:21,700 --> 00:07:26,600 shall develop into a Moses while another develops into that 99 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:29,500 miserable distorted. Wreck that we call pharaoh. 100 00:07:30,800 --> 00:07:36,200 Well in other words is Judas as much a part of the plan as John 101 00:07:36,700 --> 00:07:41,800 if so let me tell you folks we are of all men most miserable 102 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:47,600 because we have a wicked God who consigns one man to one end and 103 00:07:47,600 --> 00:07:52,600 another man to a different end at his choosing and Disposal, 104 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:57,800 but we know that's not the case. Listen, God never planned that. 105 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:02,600 Any man should go wrong. The About tells us over in the 106 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:06,900 letter of the Apostle Peter that God is not willing that any 107 00:08:06,900 --> 00:08:10,900 should perish, but that all should come to repentance God's. 108 00:08:10,900 --> 00:08:14,600 The eternal lover he loved Moses, but he loved Pharaoh, no 109 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,800 less. And Judas was his dear to God's 110 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:22,300 heart, I believe as was the Apostle John and whatever 111 00:08:22,300 --> 00:08:25,700 failure they made of their lives, whatever failure you and 112 00:08:25,700 --> 00:08:29,800 I make of Our Lives. We do not make because God 113 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:33,799 forces us Us to do. So we do it because of our own 114 00:08:33,799 --> 00:08:38,500 willfulness because of our Wicked Rebellion against God. 115 00:08:38,900 --> 00:08:44,100 In other words though, God plans, your life and mine God, 116 00:08:44,100 --> 00:08:48,100 of course, cannot in the very nature of things, Force us to 117 00:08:48,100 --> 00:08:52,400 enter into his plan. You who are fathers and mothers 118 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:56,200 this afternoon, realized that many parents have beautiful 119 00:08:56,200 --> 00:09:00,200 plans for their children. Only to realize that those 120 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:04,800 children are going to despise those plans because our children 121 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:07,900 are not ourselves, they have independent Wheels. 122 00:09:07,900 --> 00:09:12,100 God has given them free moral agency and so they have the 123 00:09:12,100 --> 00:09:16,400 capacity for entering into our purposes for them and thus, 124 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:21,100 bringing us joy unspeakable, and they also have the Today for 125 00:09:21,100 --> 00:09:24,500 despising those purposes and breaking our hearts. 126 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:29,600 But then how do we explain this strange passage of scripture for 127 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:34,900 this cause have I raised the up that I might Shew forth my power 128 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:41,400 in thee, because it is a fact that this death in the Red Sea 129 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:47,400 was not an accidental death. In fact, this corpse Europe on 130 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:50,800 the beach is not here by Lucky chance. 131 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:55,500 The King was flung here by the power of a disappointed and 132 00:09:55,500 --> 00:10:01,200 grieved and rejected God. And he lies here dead upon the 133 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:04,700 shore according to the deliberate plan and purpose of 134 00:10:04,700 --> 00:10:07,700 God. But while this is true, we need 135 00:10:07,700 --> 00:10:11,800 to keep this big fact in mind, even though Pharaoh lies here, 136 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:16,200 according to the purpose and the plan of God, this was not God's 137 00:10:16,200 --> 00:10:21,500 highest purpose for him, but Pharaoh resisted and rejected 138 00:10:21,500 --> 00:10:26,700 every noble and worthy purpose that God had in his life and by 139 00:10:26,700 --> 00:10:29,200 his own Rebellion, he made it impossible. 140 00:10:29,500 --> 00:10:34,400 But for God to realize any purpose in him, save the last 141 00:10:34,700 --> 00:10:38,700 and the worst. Do you remember that story over 142 00:10:38,700 --> 00:10:44,000 in the book of Jeremiah? Who one day went down to The 143 00:10:44,300 --> 00:10:50,000 Potter's House and the Prophet Jeremiah said to him, arise and 144 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:54,300 go down to The Potter's House. And there I will cause thee to 145 00:10:54,300 --> 00:10:58,400 hear my word. So Jeremiah went down and he 146 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:02,100 heard the Message, he arrived within The Potter's House and 147 00:11:02,100 --> 00:11:05,700 there were three objects that immediately drew his attention. 148 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:09,700 There was a man working, there was the Potter, and there was 149 00:11:09,700 --> 00:11:12,800 the instrument with which he worked, which was the potter's 150 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,400 wheel. And there was a substance upon 151 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,800 which he worked, which was the clay. 152 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:22,300 And in The Potters hand, we're told the clay was misshapen and 153 00:11:22,300 --> 00:11:25,200 unsightly. The cup was not yet finished in 154 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:29,300 The Potters hand but there was a place where it was finished. 155 00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:31,400 And that was in the mind of the Potter. 156 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:35,900 The Potter could already see the finished product in his mind, 157 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:39,600 and he was trying to make the cup according to the plan that 158 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:43,800 he had in his mind. But we read that the cup was 159 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:48,100 marred in the making. That is there was something in 160 00:11:48,100 --> 00:11:52,400 the clay that resisted the hand of the Potter now. 161 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:54,700 What did he do with that marred cup? 162 00:11:54,800 --> 00:11:58,600 That was made, we would have expected him to throw it away. 163 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,100 But he did not, he made it again. 164 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:07,300 What a gospel that is for failing in sinful men like 165 00:12:07,300 --> 00:12:11,300 ourselves, how glorious it is that when we resist God's 166 00:12:11,300 --> 00:12:15,300 purpose and we all but wreck ourselves, God doesn't throw us 167 00:12:15,300 --> 00:12:19,100 away, he will make us again. And truly, we would be a 168 00:12:19,100 --> 00:12:24,100 hopeless race, but for the fact that we have a mighty God, who 169 00:12:24,100 --> 00:12:27,800 is able to remake us, even when we have rebelled against him, 170 00:12:28,500 --> 00:12:30,800 Yes. And have thwarted his blessed 171 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:34,700 plans for us. He made it again, but notice 172 00:12:34,700 --> 00:12:40,100 this, he made it again. Another vessel a different 173 00:12:40,100 --> 00:12:42,600 vessel. He changed his plan for this 174 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,700 latter vessel, and he realized that he couldn't make it 175 00:12:45,700 --> 00:12:49,600 according, to that fine ideal that he originally had in his 176 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:54,700 mind that one refuse to realize the best, therefore, he made it 177 00:12:54,700 --> 00:12:58,200 into another vessel, he sought to make it real. 178 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:01,900 How's the second-best? And there's a truth of 179 00:13:01,900 --> 00:13:05,100 tremendous importance here, friends that we're prone to 180 00:13:05,100 --> 00:13:07,900 forget. And the truth is that after we 181 00:13:07,900 --> 00:13:13,900 have rejected and resisted God for days, for months or years, 182 00:13:13,900 --> 00:13:19,000 listen, God cannot make of us what he could have made. 183 00:13:19,200 --> 00:13:23,400 If we had entered into his plans from the beginning, and if you 184 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:28,100 reject God's best for you, then he tries to get you to realize 185 00:13:28,300 --> 00:13:32,600 Why's the second best and of course if you reject that, then 186 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,300 he tries to bring you to the next best. 187 00:13:35,300 --> 00:13:39,800 But remember this, God cannot in the very nature of things. 188 00:13:39,900 --> 00:13:44,700 Make as much out of a fraction of a life as he can out of a 189 00:13:44,700 --> 00:13:49,000 hole of a life. Now suppose the clay upon which 190 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,400 the Potter had been working was marred again. 191 00:13:52,700 --> 00:13:56,100 Well again he would have undertaken to have made it into 192 00:13:56,100 --> 00:14:00,200 another vessel but all While he's working with that clay, 193 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:03,000 don't you see? It becomes less and less 194 00:14:03,100 --> 00:14:08,800 plastic, less and less of Verve subservient to his purposes and 195 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,100 all the while it's going to be more and more difficult for the 196 00:14:12,100 --> 00:14:16,100 Potter to shape it, according to his purpose and then the time 197 00:14:16,100 --> 00:14:20,200 would inevitably come when it would no longer being shaped at 198 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:22,500 all. And then what would be the 199 00:14:22,500 --> 00:14:26,800 result all you have to do to determine that is to step out in 200 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:30,100 The Potters backyard. Hard and they're in Potter's 201 00:14:30,100 --> 00:14:34,100 field around you lies broken, pottery and shattered 202 00:14:34,100 --> 00:14:36,500 earthenware. Why is it there? 203 00:14:36,900 --> 00:14:40,700 Not, because the Potter made Vessels for the stupid purpose 204 00:14:40,700 --> 00:14:44,100 of just breaking them to pieces. They're there because there was 205 00:14:44,100 --> 00:14:48,200 something in the clay that so resisted the hand of the Potter 206 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,400 that he was able to make nothing of them, but be shattered and 207 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,800 misshapen and broken pieces of pottery. 208 00:14:55,400 --> 00:15:01,600 Now, that's the story of Roll the king of Egypt, God had a 209 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:06,400 noble purpose in this man's life to begin with and he gave him 210 00:15:06,500 --> 00:15:10,800 every opportunity. He brought the bear upon Pharaoh 211 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:14,800 all that infinite love and mercy could bring to bear to get 212 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:20,000 pharaoh to be a good man. The reason Farrell Ended as he 213 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:24,500 did is not because God didn't love him not because God didn't 214 00:15:24,500 --> 00:15:26,900 do his infinite best to save him. 215 00:15:27,500 --> 00:15:31,200 It was because cuz Pharaoh resisted and resisted and 216 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:37,000 rebelled and rebel till at last he threw himself, a corpse upon 217 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:41,200 a sea shore in a distant land and the message we hear from his 218 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:46,200 clammy lips, is this look at me and see what a terrible thing. 219 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:50,700 It is to rebel against God, behold me and see the tragic 220 00:15:50,700 --> 00:15:54,800 failure of the man that persistently throws himself in 221 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:58,100 Wicked Madness against the plans and the purpose. 222 00:15:58,300 --> 00:16:03,600 Is of the Lord God Almighty. Look now, how hard God tried to 223 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:07,800 make something of pharaoh in the first place? 224 00:16:08,100 --> 00:16:13,200 He gave him a great and a faithful Minister Pharaoh had 225 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:18,600 the privilege of knowing Moses, one of the greatest men and one 226 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:22,500 of the greatest leaders that is ever grace, the face of the 227 00:16:22,500 --> 00:16:25,900 Earth, he had an opportunity of hearing about the greatest 228 00:16:25,900 --> 00:16:29,200 individual. The world has ever seen Seen he 229 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:33,900 threw himself away, did Pharaoh? He chose God's worst instead of 230 00:16:33,900 --> 00:16:37,800 God's best, but he didn't do it because he didn't know better. 231 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:42,400 No, he chose God's worst instead of God's best. 232 00:16:43,100 --> 00:16:45,200 Neither are you wasting your life? 233 00:16:45,700 --> 00:16:48,200 Because you don't know better if you are. 234 00:16:48,900 --> 00:16:53,500 If you've not had a teacher as great, as Moses still, you've 235 00:16:53,500 --> 00:16:57,300 been warned, haven't you? And in your sin, you are without 236 00:16:57,300 --> 00:17:01,000 excuse. Well, God gave Pharaoh a chance 237 00:17:01,300 --> 00:17:07,300 to cooperate with him to help him in Saving Israel, in making 238 00:17:07,300 --> 00:17:12,000 Israel of a great nation. Moses first word to Pharaoh, was 239 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,800 this the god of Israel? Saith. 240 00:17:15,300 --> 00:17:19,000 Let my people go. Now, pharaohs answer to this. 241 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,599 Demand was Hardy enough. He answers. 242 00:17:22,900 --> 00:17:26,900 Who is the god of Israel? I do not know him. 243 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:31,500 And he didn't know God even though he might have known him 244 00:17:32,100 --> 00:17:34,100 but you don't God didn't throw him away. 245 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:39,200 After this one chance on the contrary, he cave payroll and 246 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:43,100 ample opportunity to know him and when they sinned and view 247 00:17:43,100 --> 00:17:48,200 God brought his infinite energies into play Wonder after 248 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:50,700 wonder, he worked in the presence of pharaoh. 249 00:17:50,700 --> 00:17:55,500 By the hand of Moses that first, these wonders were imitated by 250 00:17:55,500 --> 00:17:59,200 The Magician's. These fakes with their cunning 251 00:17:59,200 --> 00:18:04,900 ways, made it easy for pharaoh to resist God for a while. 252 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:07,400 You see, they help the king to close. 253 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:11,700 His Royal eyes to the truth. They helped him start on his 254 00:18:11,900 --> 00:18:17,200 decision of rebellion, but the magician's were soon outdone 255 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:21,300 because Moses began to perform Wonders that they couldn't 256 00:18:21,300 --> 00:18:24,100 imitate. And they themselves were forced 257 00:18:24,100 --> 00:18:28,300 to believe in the presence and the might and the Do you have 258 00:18:28,300 --> 00:18:32,600 god Jehovah and they who had helped their King to go wrong? 259 00:18:33,100 --> 00:18:37,700 Tried to turn him to the right way by their acknowledgement of 260 00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:41,400 the truth. They said it's the Finger of God 261 00:18:41,900 --> 00:18:45,400 you know it's easier to lead a man to stray though than it is 262 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:50,000 to lead him back and it's easier for you by your Godless and 263 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:54,000 worldly life to lead your children to despise Christ in 264 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,400 the church than it is to lead them back after they've gone 265 00:18:57,400 --> 00:18:58,200 astray. Ray. 266 00:18:58,600 --> 00:19:01,000 Hey we'll listen to The Magician's when they counseled 267 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:05,000 him to do wrong but he turned a deaf ear to them. 268 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:08,800 When they counseled him to do right then followed that series 269 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:12,600 of plagues upon Egypt that were always preceded by the demand of 270 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:16,900 God, through the lips of Moses. Let my people go. 271 00:19:16,900 --> 00:19:20,800 That they may serve me. You see what God was demanding 272 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:24,000 of pharaoh. Listen, it's the same demand 273 00:19:24,000 --> 00:19:27,600 that he makes of you and me, and that is complete. 274 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:32,800 And utter obedience to his will, that's all he's commanding us to 275 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:37,000 surrender ourselves to him, to enter into his plan and purpose, 276 00:19:37,100 --> 00:19:39,600 for our lives. And the one thing that God 277 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:44,300 wanted was, the one thing that Pharaoh did not want, but he was 278 00:19:44,300 --> 00:19:46,800 becoming afraid. And so he proposed to 279 00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:52,500 compromise, finally, Pharaoh, in his fright tells Moses that he 280 00:19:52,500 --> 00:19:55,700 will obey. He will let the people go. 281 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:59,800 That is, he said, I will that part of them go. 282 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:05,200 I'll let the men go. But you leave the children here? 283 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:09,100 Pharaoh new so long as he kept the children in Egypt. 284 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:12,800 That's how long he would keep Israel in Egypt. 285 00:20:13,200 --> 00:20:17,000 And the devil knows today, that just as long as our homes remain 286 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,000 unchristian, just that long, will the world remain 287 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,100 unchristian. Now, what to tell you something? 288 00:20:23,100 --> 00:20:27,600 Folks will never evangelize the World by simply seeking to save 289 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:31,300 And adults generation. We must give a god, a chance 290 00:20:31,300 --> 00:20:34,900 that our children are the cause of righteousness, is going to be 291 00:20:34,900 --> 00:20:36,500 defeated. We know that. 292 00:20:36,700 --> 00:20:39,900 So, if we'd kept all of our children, the church would be 293 00:20:39,900 --> 00:20:43,400 three or four times as large as it is today. 294 00:20:43,600 --> 00:20:47,600 But you know, if we will save the child will save the world 295 00:20:47,900 --> 00:20:50,900 then Pharaoh offered a second compromise after that was 296 00:20:50,900 --> 00:20:53,500 rejected. He said I'll let you and the 297 00:20:53,500 --> 00:20:56,800 children go. But you must leave your cattle 298 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:58,100 and your sheep. Eep. 299 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:03,300 You must leave all your flocks and your herds all yes, you can 300 00:21:03,308 --> 00:21:09,500 go into Canaan if you will, but leave your business in Egypt and 301 00:21:09,500 --> 00:21:13,700 you know the devil today is like that he's perfectly willing that 302 00:21:13,700 --> 00:21:18,500 you and I be just as Pious as we want to be on Sunday provided, 303 00:21:18,500 --> 00:21:20,900 we get a forget all about it on Monday. 304 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:22,900 You see. He's willing for you to be 305 00:21:22,900 --> 00:21:25,700 religious. If you can find your religion to 306 00:21:25,700 --> 00:21:29,900 the church, Don't tell you something, a religion that 307 00:21:29,900 --> 00:21:34,900 doesn't permeate and purify and uplift, and sanctify business. 308 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:39,300 And business relations Is Not the religion of Jesus Christ. 309 00:21:39,500 --> 00:21:40,900 Now, I'll tell you something else. 310 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:45,800 If I had a kind of a business that I couldn't mix the teaching 311 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:47,800 of the Lord, Jesus Christ with it. 312 00:21:47,800 --> 00:21:51,600 I've changed my business. If I had the kind of pleasure 313 00:21:51,900 --> 00:21:55,500 that I couldn't mix the religion of the Lord, Jesus Christ with 314 00:21:55,500 --> 00:21:58,800 it. I'd change my Recreation habits. 315 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:06,000 Yes, sir. Then Pharaoh said, well, I'll 316 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:10,600 let the people go but they must not go far. 317 00:22:11,900 --> 00:22:15,900 Why was that for the very human reason that he wanted the 318 00:22:15,900 --> 00:22:17,900 opportunity of getting them back? 319 00:22:18,900 --> 00:22:23,600 He said I'll obey God but I don't want to make too. 320 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,700 I don't want to promise to make that obedience permanent. 321 00:22:28,300 --> 00:22:32,200 You see, I want to be where I can be within easy reach of 322 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:33,800 them. And you've seen plenty of 323 00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,000 instances of that. Here's a man who decides that he 324 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,500 wants to be a Christian. But he doesn't want to be a 325 00:22:40,500 --> 00:22:44,200 member of the church. He wants to see how he gets 326 00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:46,200 along. First, you know, that kind of a 327 00:22:46,208 --> 00:22:49,200 man is already making provision for going back. 328 00:22:50,700 --> 00:22:54,600 Take up thy bed, Jesus said to that paralyzed man over there 329 00:22:54,600 --> 00:23:00,000 that the for brought to him take up thy bed and walk, he wants us 330 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,500 to make a complete break with the past and the last we do, 331 00:23:03,500 --> 00:23:06,600 we're not going to make a success of living the Christian 332 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,400 life. But then the plagues grow worse, 333 00:23:10,100 --> 00:23:12,800 Pharaoh is becoming more and more frightened. 334 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,300 And while the scare is on, he promises to be good. 335 00:23:17,000 --> 00:23:19,600 And the obey the Lord unconditionally. 336 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:23,200 There was a terrible storm. You remember, the hailstones 337 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:27,100 fail like shrapnel the lightning dropped from the clouds and 338 00:23:27,100 --> 00:23:31,900 played along the Earth and Terror ripped Pharaoh's, heart. 339 00:23:32,100 --> 00:23:37,100 He sent for Moses and when Moses comes, he tells him, I've seen 340 00:23:37,100 --> 00:23:42,000 this time, I will let the people go but all, when the, when the 341 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:46,600 storm ceases and the sun shines through, then he's quite a show. 342 00:23:46,800 --> 00:23:50,000 Ashamed of his weakness and he's so ashamed that he forgets all 343 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:53,700 together, the promise that he's made, when the fear of death was 344 00:23:53,700 --> 00:23:56,700 upon him, this is a side of human nature. 345 00:23:56,700 --> 00:24:00,200 That's a little bit disgusting to any gospel preacher and to 346 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:04,300 any right-thinking person yet we dare not shut our eyes to it. 347 00:24:04,700 --> 00:24:07,600 There are many people who have acted for all the world as 348 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:10,500 Pharaoh acted. And they've done it with all of 349 00:24:10,500 --> 00:24:12,900 the light that he had an even more. 350 00:24:13,500 --> 00:24:18,100 You know, I don't know of a man Who is more in danger of being 351 00:24:18,100 --> 00:24:22,100 ultimately lost than that man who never cares for religion, 352 00:24:22,900 --> 00:24:27,000 except when he's badly scared. Because the truth of the matter, 353 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,000 is that a man of that kind doesn't care anything about the 354 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:34,700 goodness of God at all, not even in his moments of most abject 355 00:24:34,700 --> 00:24:37,100 Terror. Does he truly want to be saved? 356 00:24:37,300 --> 00:24:40,200 He just simply wants to escape the results of sin. 357 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:44,000 That's all he doesn't want to pay the penalty for doing wrong. 358 00:24:44,300 --> 00:24:48,000 He wants to defeat the Ends of Justice why he's not interested 359 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:52,400 in being good and pure and true. He's just interested in keeping 360 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:55,800 out of hell. That's all how patient God was 361 00:24:55,800 --> 00:24:58,100 with. Pharaoh, we're amazed at it 362 00:24:58,100 --> 00:25:02,400 until we think how infinitely patient he's been with us by 363 00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:06,200 storm by Black Knight by adversity. 364 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:10,900 After adversity, God is doing his best to bring Pharaoh back 365 00:25:10,900 --> 00:25:14,000 from the Red Sea. He's doing all he can to turn 366 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:15,600 him away from committing suicide. 367 00:25:15,700 --> 00:25:20,200 Aside and Body and Soul but pharaohs like some of us. 368 00:25:20,900 --> 00:25:24,400 Hey Rose seemed absolutely greedy for damnation. 369 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:28,500 He seemed completely banned on working out his own destruction 370 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:33,400 and after the king had broken one vow after another and it 371 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:38,500 lied and lied and lied again, God brought the last dark 372 00:25:38,500 --> 00:25:43,500 Providence into each life. He made one final effort to save 373 00:25:43,500 --> 00:25:47,500 him from his ruin. Robots called to kneel by the 374 00:25:47,500 --> 00:25:52,900 coffin of his firstborn son and his hard heart seemed soften At 375 00:25:52,900 --> 00:25:56,200 Last by the grave of the Crown Prince. 376 00:25:56,200 --> 00:26:00,600 He made a solemn vow that he would obey God and he said about 377 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:03,100 putting the vowel into execution at once. 378 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:06,500 The children of Israel were not only allowed to go, but they 379 00:26:06,500 --> 00:26:11,000 were hurried out of the land of Egypt At Last At Last. 380 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:14,400 We say with what Infinite Experience, the man is brought 381 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:16,100 to obey, God. God. 382 00:26:16,900 --> 00:26:20,200 But would you believe it? The grass hasn't even grown 383 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:24,300 green on the grave of his boy until he forgets his vow and 384 00:26:24,300 --> 00:26:26,700 turns back to the old life again. 385 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:33,700 Oh what a grip sin gets on us, how blind we become if we 386 00:26:33,700 --> 00:26:40,400 persistently and and continually refused to follow the light. 387 00:26:40,700 --> 00:26:44,300 So if a little brush, the tears out of his eyes gathered his 388 00:26:44,300 --> 00:26:49,600 army and set out after the Already host of Israel and I see 389 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,000 the hustle and the hurry of setting out. 390 00:26:52,300 --> 00:26:56,400 I see the look of hate on the Kings face as he comes with 391 00:26:56,400 --> 00:27:00,800 inside of his one-time slaves. Probably he laughs a mirthless 392 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:03,000 laugh as he sees their predicament. 393 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:06,800 Oh, I have them now they're shot in on either side. 394 00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,300 On either side, there's a trackless Wilderness before the 395 00:27:10,300 --> 00:27:15,400 is the Red Sea and behind them is me and my Army, what? 396 00:27:15,400 --> 00:27:18,700 Sweet Revenge. He's going to have, but look, 397 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,700 something has happened. There's a path through the Red 398 00:27:22,700 --> 00:27:24,600 Sea. These hundred slaves are 399 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:28,700 Marching In all, but it doesn't matter because wherever Israel 400 00:27:28,700 --> 00:27:33,000 can go, the Egyptians can go. So he and his army and March in 401 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:37,600 behind, they keep the Israelites inside and now the distance, 402 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:42,200 they see that the last Israelite has reached dry land, but look, 403 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:48,300 There's a great shriek and the Seas collapse. 404 00:27:48,700 --> 00:27:50,800 The Waters of come together again. 405 00:27:51,300 --> 00:27:54,700 The waves or about these struggling soldiers, like liquid 406 00:27:54,700 --> 00:27:59,200 hate, the King has forgotten, his men are madly trying to save 407 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:02,500 themselves, a jeweled hand flashes in the light for a 408 00:28:02,508 --> 00:28:06,300 moment. There's an oath cry, go and then 409 00:28:06,300 --> 00:28:12,700 silence, and the hungry sea has its its prey Payroll, why are 410 00:28:12,700 --> 00:28:16,300 you here? And if those dead lips could 411 00:28:16,300 --> 00:28:21,800 speak, he would say this. I'm here because I persistently 412 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:27,400 refused to obey, God, he offered me the best and I spurned it and 413 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:30,900 spurned it again. Until last, he had no option, 414 00:28:30,900 --> 00:28:34,900 but to throw me here, he did it because I made it impossible for 415 00:28:34,900 --> 00:28:38,400 him to do anything else. And as I look at this, wreak 416 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:43,000 upon the Sands of the seashore. I think how different the story 417 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:46,500 might have ended all listen, this man could have had a part 418 00:28:46,500 --> 00:28:50,800 in the making of Israel of A great nation, he might have been 419 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:55,800 associated with Moses in giving this new nation to the world, he 420 00:28:55,800 --> 00:29:00,400 might even now be in the in the fellowship of Moses among the 421 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:04,600 tall sons of the morning, or the difference between this man. 422 00:29:04,700 --> 00:29:10,600 And the great man, Moses is the fact that God purposed is not in 423 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:14,300 the fact that God purposed evil for one and good for the other. 424 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:18,500 But it's rather in this that one was obedient to the heavenly 425 00:29:18,500 --> 00:29:20,600 vision. Vision as the Apostle Paul would 426 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:23,800 say and the other was not obedient. 427 00:29:24,400 --> 00:29:28,000 The Apostle Paul, could say the grace that was bestowed upon me 428 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:33,400 was not in vain, but this man resisted, and resisted and kept 429 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:38,000 resisting till he ran by every blockade that God had put in his 430 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,800 path and he plunged headlong into destruction. 431 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:45,000 Now this afternoon, let me tell you this. 432 00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,900 That God. Has put some blockades in your 433 00:29:48,900 --> 00:29:53,800 path to keep you from the pit of Hell to keep you from making a 434 00:29:53,808 --> 00:29:58,200 terrible mistake with your lives, God's given us the Bible, 435 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:03,600 he's given us the church. He's given us gospel preaching, 436 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:08,300 he's given us sweet. Encouraging songs that encourage 437 00:30:08,300 --> 00:30:12,500 us to obey the Lord, and to do his will, he's given us Brethren 438 00:30:12,500 --> 00:30:14,900 and Sisters in Christ who pray for us. 439 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:19,600 In many cases he's given us a devout mother and father who 440 00:30:19,600 --> 00:30:21,700 encouraged us to live the Christian Life. 441 00:30:21,700 --> 00:30:27,200 And at last when the Christians reward, This afternoon, I may 442 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:29,500 speak to someone who's never yet obeyed. 443 00:30:29,500 --> 00:30:34,400 The gospel who has resisted God's purpose and God's plan for 444 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:37,100 you. Wouldn't you resist, no longer, 445 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:40,700 wouldn't you yield yourself to the tender pleadings of the Son 446 00:30:40,700 --> 00:30:44,600 of God who stood over there? And even though he was rejected 447 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:48,100 and rebuffed still with outstretched arms and tender 448 00:30:48,100 --> 00:30:51,700 voice and beckoning hand. He said come unto me all ye that 449 00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:54,500 labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. 450 00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,000 Take my yoke. Upon you and learn of me for. 451 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,600 I am meek and lowly in heart and you shall find rest for your 452 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,000 souls. For my yoke is easy. 453 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:06,100 My burden is light. That's what Jesus wants for you 454 00:31:06,100 --> 00:31:09,600 this afternoon, he wants you to be a part of that great company 455 00:31:09,600 --> 00:31:13,600 of the redeemed who have washed their robes and made them white 456 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:16,600 in the blood of the Lamb. He wants you to have a part in 457 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:21,800 that in that City. That hath foundations, that old 458 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:23,800 Abraham was looking for a back Yonder. 459 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:27,500 When he said he searched for a city, which hath foundations, 460 00:31:27,500 --> 00:31:31,600 whose Builder and maker is God. I don't know how you stand with 461 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:35,700 God this afternoon. The Apostle Paul said no man 462 00:31:35,700 --> 00:31:38,600 knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man which is in 463 00:31:38,600 --> 00:31:39,800 him. So I don't know what's in your 464 00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:43,400 mind. I don't know what your spiritual 465 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:48,700 stance with God is But there are two people that do know that's 466 00:31:48,700 --> 00:31:51,500 God. And you, you know, whether or 467 00:31:51,500 --> 00:31:56,100 not believing on the Lord you have ever repented of your sins. 468 00:31:56,500 --> 00:31:59,900 That means you changed your mind and set your face toward heaven 469 00:31:59,900 --> 00:32:02,300 and home. You know, whether or not you've 470 00:32:02,300 --> 00:32:06,300 ever stood before me and confess that Jesus is the Christ, the 471 00:32:06,300 --> 00:32:08,700 son of God. And you know, whether you've 472 00:32:08,700 --> 00:32:12,300 ever been baptized for the remission or the Forgiveness of 473 00:32:12,300 --> 00:32:14,500 sins. If you haven't done those 474 00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:18,700 things, then when you stand at a guilty distance from God and you 475 00:32:18,700 --> 00:32:21,600 need to obey him while time and opportunity affords. 476 00:32:21,900 --> 00:32:25,900 Maybe I speak to those who have heard in some respect, who need 477 00:32:25,900 --> 00:32:29,500 very much to make wrongs, right? There's a guilty distance 478 00:32:29,500 --> 00:32:32,600 between you and God, and that won't be resolved. 479 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:36,700 Until that matter is cleared up, repent of those wrong, confess 480 00:32:36,700 --> 00:32:40,800 them and seek God's forgiveness. We thank you for listening to 481 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:45,600 our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. 482 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:49,200 Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional 483 00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:52,500 information, or you would like to receive a free Bible 484 00:32:52,500 --> 00:32:57,900 correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her 485 00:32:57,900 --> 00:33:00,400 Church of Christ Bakersfield.com. 486 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:06,300 Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 487 00:33:06,300 --> 00:33:10,700 Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us. 488 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:13,400 We would love for you to be our honored guest.