Sir Winston Churchill called a very close friend of his, who
happened to be a minister and asked if he could come and spend
some time with him and of course the minister agreed.
And so the leader of this state, went to the minister study and
he spent several hours of one afternoon talking about all of
the pressing problems that face the world at that time and
seeking advice from his trusted friend.
Well, later on in his Memoirs, this Minister wrote that in the
course of that conversation, he was impressed by the fact that
mr. Churchill repeatedly made the
statement that all the problems that the world has does and ever
will face, will not ultimately be solved until Jesus Christ
comes again. Well, it may seem that way and
while I agree that the world is certainly upside down and that
man will not enjoy the true Paradise, that God intended
until Christ comes back to claim his own, and take us to another
world. I don't believe that the vexing
problems that we face tonight. Are without a present solution.
In fact, when Jesus came to live among men and show us a better
way. He came for the purpose of
untangling, the web of sin in John, chapter 1 and verse 9.
The scripture says that Jesus was the True Light, which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world, and Jesus said,
in John 8 and verse 12, I am the light of the world and he that
followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of
life. And so there is no need to
stumble Through The Dark. - of sin and of ignorance.
When Jesus came to illuminate our path way, he not only came
to be the light of the world. He is considered the Good
Shepherd. Our wonderful counselor.
The mighty Prince of Peace, and I believe that Jesus is the
answer to every single problem of man in every Walk of Life and
every age in every culture, I don't believe that man can come
to a Crossroads or a decision in his life and I don't believe
that man can face an obstacle, or man can face A tragedy in his
life that man can face any kind of a problem in his life that
Jesus does not have the solution to, and that Jesus does not
provide him with the principles and the guidance in order to
safely and successfully navigate that, that course at that time.
Jeremiah reminded Us in Jeremiah 10 and verse 23.
Oh, Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself, it is not
in man that walketh to direct his steps and this simple and
Miliar verse really points to the Folly of modern man.
And really man throughout the ages man, tries to walk,
according to his own steps, he tries to solve his own problems,
he tries to come up with his own solution in his own approach to
the various problems that faced him.
But Jeremiah said, it is not within us to provide such
Solutions. In fact, we really only run in
circles in life and we only Vex ourselves and we find ourselves
in a state of endless frustration.
If we turn to within ourselves or we talked, Turn to the world.
Or we turn to papa popular or public opinion or if we turn to
the government or if we turned anything else for the answers
that we faced with in life, in fact, Isaiah, and Isaiah 57.
And verse 20 said, the wicked are like the troubled sea, when
it cannot rest, whose Waters cast up mire and dirt and there
is no peace. Saith, my God unto the wicked,
and it will always be that way. Man is really cleaning that he's
seeking the answers to all of the problems that face modern
society and that face his own individual life.
But I think that we can see tonight that man is refusing,
the one real solution to his problems, and that is the
counsel of God. And Isaiah says, they're like
the Sea and the sea is never completely tranquil.
The sea, never rests, the sea is all the time turbulent and
casting up its water in casting up the dirt from beneath and so
he says it will always be with the Wicked Man outside of
Christ. And apart from God, there will
be no peace to his soul, they'll be no solution onto his
problems. What I want to talk to you
tonight. About how Jesus is the answer to
all of our problems tonight. And I want to illustrate that to
you in a number of, I hope very timely ways.
And I want to begin by saying that Jesus is the answer to all
of our societal problems that seem so vexing.
So overwhelming tonight, in fact, in 1968, a long time ago
now at the Republican National Convention then candidate for
President Richard Nixon made the following statement as he
accepted his party's nomination for president.
He said quote when the strongest nation in the world world can be
tied down for years in a war in Vietnam with no hope in sight.
When the richest nation of the world cannot manage its own
economy. When a nation with the greatest
tradition of the rule of law is plagued with unprecedented
lawlessness. When a nation that has been
known for a century of equal opportunity is torn by racial
violence and when the president of the United States cannot
travel abroad or to any major city at home without fear of a
hostile and violent demonstration, then it is time
for new leadership in America in quotes.
I suppose it just about any candidate since that time could
stand and essentially make the same speech and regardless of
what your Radiology, or your own feelings or opinions might be
tonight, I think we could really all agree with what is contained
within that statement and I think that we can probably also
agree that what has happened over the last 40 years since mr.
Nixon made that statement has probably done very little to
solve the problems that face our society.
You think about it. If anything, we're worse off
today than we were then. Our land is still torn asunder
by hatred and crime and the morality and godlessness of
every kind. In fact, the general, climate of
society has only grown worse and I believe it will continue to
grow worse as man stays on his present course.
And I would Echo the sentiment that we do need a change in
leadership in America and we have needed it for a long time.
And, you know, we've been hearing that phrase a lot in the
last few months. If you watch the news and follow
politics, people say, it's time for change and we need change in
Washington. Well, I agree with that tonight
and I'm not Taking a political position because I'm not a
political person and I don't get involved in politics.
But I can tell you that we do need change within this nation
and we need change of leadership within this country but I can
guarantee you that neither political candidate running for
office or any candidate. No matter greater small running
for office, would agree with what I mean by that statement,
that we need to change of leadership in this country.
We don't need merely a new man in the white house or a new man
in Congress or a new man and the governor's office.
But rather we need a whole new approach to solving our problems
as mankind. It seems like over the last
century especially we have sought to improve the conditions
of our land and our problems by everything from education to
spending, massive amounts of money to all kinds, of Social,
and government programs. And at the same time we have
turned around as a society and have castigated, the one who can
be the real answer to our problems.
We have totally removed him from our public life and that is
Jesus. The Christ now.
I say it is a political campaign season, it's an election year
and I don't know about you but I'm just about tired of it by.
Now I'm tired of turning on the news and it just being a 24-hour
news cycle of endless campaign speeches, and people promising
that they're going to do this and they're going to do that and
they're going to do the other why they have the better plan
than the other person now. But you know, one thing for sure
that all of these candidates one side of the other, they're going
to make a list of promises so long.
You can hardly count them that will involve spending Billions
and now even trillions of dollars in order to implement
those programs and they all claim that they have the best
approach in the best solution, the best program that's going to
bring this country about around, and it's going to turn things
around and make it a better place to live in a more
successful and prosperous and peaceful Society.
Well, I'm going to tell you something.
You can make all the promises of the world.
You can enact all the programs you want to enact.
You can spend all of the billions of dollars that you
want to spend, but Society is not going to change.
And we're not going to really solve the core problems of our
society until we recognize and we respect the authority of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Now I understand tonight, civil
government is a distinct entity that is distinct from religion
and distinct from the church. And I understand that God
appoints. Men worldly men to serve in
those particular positions. In order that he might
providentially execute his will in the world.
And I believe that God sets up rulers, and he takes them down,
and I fully believe that tonight.
And I believe that civil government plays a role within
our lives. Civil Authority keeps peace and
order in our society and it serves a vital function in our
life as a group of people as a community and as a society.
But I'm going to tell you, our problems.
Go far beyond what? Any government on the face of
this Earth can solve in Revelation 11:15, the Bible says
of the seventh angel sounded and there were great voices in
heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world are become the
kingdoms of our Our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign
forever. And ever now here, John predicts
a time in the future from that vantage point that is when the
gospel message would be unfettered and extend its
powerful influences into the far ends of the Earth.
Now, this is not a premillennial prediction, it is not a
premillennial proposition but rather and in fact we should
remember that the kingdom of God or the Church of Jesus Christ is
not a political organization and citizens of that higher.
ER, and that better, and that distinct kingdom, do not
entangle themselves in the Affairs of state, but they do
this. They serve as a leavening agent
in the world, by spreading the gospel, by spreading and
disseminating the truth to the hearts of men.
Now, that's how we affect change in the world now, preachers.
Today have turned their pulpits and to political stumps and
Convention platforms. And some, of course, of you've
been tried in recent years to propel themselves into the
Affairs of state by running for elected office.
I don't believe that that's the commission of the church tonight
but rather the church is sole responsibility is to preach the
gospel. That's what we're here for and
by so doing to fill the Earth with the influence of Heavens
Kingdom. And I believe this is what the
prophecy related by John is really talking about if there
was coming a time when the gospel was going to have free
cores and go into the world. And in that, since Christ, was
going to have rain, or Dominion in the hearts of men and because
Christ would take up his Reign and men's hearts, The world was
going to be influenced through and by that and I'll tell you
that if men would listen to and he'd and obey the gospel tonight
the world will immediately change.
They would heed the principles of the Gospel then we would live
in a completely different Society.
Let me give you a few of a few examples of some things that
will immediately change. You know we could solve a lot of
the ramifications and consequences of Mall saying if
we would just simply stop them all saying but we're not living
in a society that's about to do that.
In fact people In every way possible to justify any kind of
a perverted and immoral and Godless lifestyle that you can
possibly imagine and it only gets worse as time goes on.
No one is standing up. And saying that homosexuality is
a sin that homosexuality is an Abomination against God, but
they are saying that we need to solve the AIDS crisis.
They're telling us that we need to stop the rampant spread of
disease. And they believe the answer to
that is to get into the schools across this country and teach
our young people about safe ways to commit fornication and the
committee evil in the sight of God and they like to get in any
kind of a venue or any kind of an educational Channel, they
possibly can to influence young people with this idea that two
men or two women can marry one another or can enjoy a
relationship. Just like a man or a woman can
and our society is being saturated with that tonight.
And if you don't believe that, that's what our modern culture
revolves around. If you don't believe that,
that's a big part of the impetus behind this entire liberal
movement that we see in the world today.
Well, you're sadly deceived, you have Head in the sand because
I'm going to tell you, that's exactly what they're trying to
get across there. Trying to take God and
absolutely rip him out of this world and they're trying to
destroy the whole concept of there.
Being a God who has Authority morally and religiously over our
lives. And that man can do whatever he
wants to do and whatever feels good.
And the way they do that is to advance these agendas of
humanism and, and godlessness and immorality.
And that's exactly what's happening in our society on
television, that's exactly what's happening in our
government and the courts. Across the land and that's
what's happening on your television every night.
When you turn it on, they're bombarding, people with this
subconscious messages at homosexuality, fornication,
adultery divorce, and remarriage living together outside of
marriage. Promiscuity, that's all a part
of it. And that's just as acceptable as
a normal relationship. Between one, man, and one woman
for life. Well, I'm going to tell you it's
not as normal and over Romans the first chapter of the Apostle
Paul, in fact indicted the Gentile world for some of those
very sins and he pointed to the fact These people had become
completely Godless and they're thinking, they have known God at
one time, but they had completely remove God, from
their thinking, they refuse to acknowledge Him and to give him,
praise and glory. And they were not thankful unto
him. And the result according to Paul
was they became vain in their own imaginations and the result
according to verse 26 was for this cause God gave them up unto
vile affections for. Even their women did change the
natural use into that which is against nature and likewise also
the men Men leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their
lust, one toward another men, with men working that, which is
unseemly. Listen now, and receiving in
themselves that recompence of their error, which was meet.
Now, you know what that means? If you boil that down the common
modern language, that means they got what was coming to them.
They receive the recompense of their reward.
Now that may sound cruel and harsh and that may sound not
compassionate and Ring. But, you know, you just have to
face the fact of the matter that when science proves that
whenever history proves whenever man's experience has, proven
that a particular kind of lifestyle or a particular type
of behavior leads to a certain consequence and people go ahead
and engage in that behavior or make that choice and they face
that consequence. There's really only one person
they can blame and that's when they look in the mirror, they
can't blame the government for that.
They can't blame their next door neighbor for that.
They can't even blame what they watch on television for that.
They can't blame anybody in the world for the mess that they
make out of their life. But themselves, because they
chose something other than the will of God.
And Paul says, they received in themselves, the recompense of
their reward, they got what they deserve.
You know, what? The answer to our societal
problems of immorality are tonight, it's one word, but it's
a word, nobody wants to hear and that's the word repentance it.
A word that many pulpits across this land have fallen as silent
as the tomb, where it's concerned.
And that is the word repentance. Religion.
Today, is all about feeling good Religion.
Today is all about getting a crowd and telling people they
don't have to give up or change or stop doing anything they can
be what they are and come as they are and be what they are.
But I'm going to tell you God's will God's word and God's
message is still just as loud and clear and Powerful As It
Ever Was repent. And that's the answer to the
world's problems tonight but no one wants to Do that and Jesus
Remember indicted, the people of his age by saying they will not
come to the light because they love Darkness rather than light,
their deeds are evil, and they don't want the light to reprove
their lives. And so, they stopped their ears
and they try to destroy the messenger.
They try to remove any influence of God's word away from them.
As a result, they continue to dwell in darkness and that's the
pitiful state of our land tonight.
You know, many of the economic problems that we face in our
society. Jesus has an answer from them
and I'm not preaching. Politics tonight and I don't
believe tonight that America is as people sometimes.
Say a Christian Nation because I believe that word is a very
exclusive word that doesn't envelop the governments of this
land. I believe it's a nation like any
other Nation, but I will say that this nation was originally
founded in some regards upon principles that you can read
about and that you can learn from the word of God.
And as a result, our society prospered.
Because when people follow the Principles of God's word that
only leads to good things within their life.
God's word contains wisdom. God's word is of course, it's
author is one who created, man and knows what is best for man.
And so why would God's ways and God's plans?
Not be what's, why would they not work?
We're drowning in a sea of debt today because there's a society
of people out there who don't want to work, and they think the
world owes them a living and God says something.
Other than that, in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 19, when God
cursed, man after he fell by transgression, he cursed the man
he cursed, the woman, he cursed, The Serpent, and he said unto
the man that in the sweat of thy face, shalt, thou eat bread till
thou return unto the ground as long as man lives.
There's a principle at work here.
He has to work for what he eats, he Work for what he gets.
And God didn't forget that principle because Paul over and
second Thessalonians, the third chapter and verse 6 reminded the
Brethren there that the apostles had set an example, before them
of being willing to work with their own hands, lest there, be
those who were lazy and became busy bodies and thought they
could merely rely on everyone else to provide for them and to
provide their living. Paul says, we command you
brethren in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ that ye
withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly.
What does it mean? They're what is this sin of
walking disorderly? He says not after the tradition,
which he received of us. What tradition he says, for
yourselves, know how ye ought to follow us for.
We behaved not ourselves disorderly among you.
Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought, but rot with
Labour and travail night and day.
That we might not be chargeable to any of you not because we
have not power, but to make ourselves an example, unto you
to follow us for, even when we were with you, this, we
commanded you that, if any would not work, neither, should he
eat? Paul said there were times that
we rolled up our sleeves and we work with our hands and we did.
So to prove to you that we were not eating your bread for
nought. We prove to you that we would
work and we set an example before you and I'm going to tell
you something, any preacher, this too lazy to get out of he
needs to and get a job. And work is not a good example
for the church and he's not worth the salt that goes in his
bread. Now I believe that a preacher
has every right, if he meets the mall qualifications and the
spiritual qualifications, to be supported a full-time way, but
the church to preach the gospel, I believe that's perfectly fine.
But there are times when a preacher said was going to have
to go out and find another way to provide for his family.
And if he does that, he's to be commended.
The world owes, nobody a living And listen, when you've got
somebody in the church that will not go out and do an honest
day's work for an honest day's pay.
And I'm not talking about people that are honestly disabled.
I'm not talking about people who are not able to go out and work
as they once did. But when you have people who
could but will not go out and do an honest day's work for an
honest day's pay, not only does the church not have an
obligation to support them and to Aid them.
The church is wrong and is guilty of sin.
If it does, Paul said that this person needs Should be withdrawn
from you, withdraw yourself, from that brother.
That walketh disorderly, you don't support him, you don't
help him you withdraw from him and you let him know that that
attitude and that behavior is unacceptable in the sight of
God. Now you think that some
politicians are unpopular with the American people and with the
Congress because of the position that they take on things like
welfare, you let the Apostle Paul get ahold of them.
Paul said in first, Timothy Chapter 5 and verse 8, if any
provide not for his own and specially for those of his own
house, he hath denied Tied, the faith and is worse than an
Infidel. Jesus has the answer to our
problems if we would just listen to what Jesus says and live by
his word, but people don't want to do that today.
And no wonder we find ourselves in problems.
That seem impossible to solve number two, I'm going to switch
gears here and say that Jesus is the answer to the problems that
we face in the church tonight. He is the answer to problems
that we face congregationally. Now, some people live under the
illusion that the church will never have problems They have
this notion that the church is some sort of a Utopia where no
one will ever have any kind of conflict or disagreement and
that if that ever does happen, that something is really out of
kilter and and they get all discouraged and they throw up
their hands in some cases and even quit or remove themselves
from the church or grow weak because they witness problems in
the Lord's body. Well, I've got news for you
tonight since the church was established on the day of
Pentecost till today, there has never been an age of time that
the church is not had trouble. There has never been a period of
time where the church has never had problems.
You just go right all the way back to the beginning and the
church had problems over what to do with Gentiles.
The church had great problems over that.
That were very divisive problems and that's not to say that
problems are to be desired, that's not to say that we're to
try to create problems. But the fact of the matter is,
when you're dealing with fallible men, and when you're
dealing with something, as weighty as the human soul, and
an eternal Soul, you're going to have, you're going to have
disagreements and conflicts and emotions are going to run high
and there are going to be problems within the church.
So let us not be so naive tonight as for I think that we
will not encounter rough spots along the way, but I am going to
tell you this, the Lord has the answer to work them out.
And the problem that I see in the church today is not that we
have problems but that we try to do everything in the world.
Besides what the Lord says to solve those problems and instead
of solving those problems, we make them worse.
We compound them. We frustrate ourselves in trying
to work out those problems, we try to apply our psychological
approaches to working out differences, and problems
between Brethren and sometimes we just outright ignore what the
Bible says, to do about it. Now, I believe that there are at
least two ingredients that are essential for the church to grow
and remain in the will of God. One of them is sound leadership
in every church and if we have a dearth of anything in the
Brotherhood today, it is a dearth of good solid
knowledgeable leadership in the church.
I go to too many places today where there is absolutely a
vacuum. There are no reliable leaders in
that congregation some Brethren's idea of being a
leader of the Church is lining up services before they start
making sure there's a summer meeting book and make sure to
make making sure the light bill gets paid on time every month.
Well, that's all important and that's a part of it.
But leadership is a lot more than that and you can have all
of the business meetings in the world, and you can take all the
votes in the world, on every issue that you want to take.
And you have all the meetings, you want to have.
I'm going to tell you, it boils down to the fact that there have
got to be some men and every congregation who know the Bible
and who have the backbone to stand up for the Bible.
There has to be men who care about the souls of those who are
in that congregation and who watch for The Souls of people in
that congregation who are aware of problems that confront the
church and face the church and who are guarding the souls of
those who may need protection, and who may need to be
strengthened in the faith. And we're lacking that in so
many places. Let me tell you, I've not been
preaching that long. I'm not that old of a person, of
course. But I can tell you, I've seen a
difference in just 10 or 15 years when I first rated
preaching, the gospel. And I went to some of those old
churches, for example, down in the Deep South where I live now,
you would go to some of those old churches.
And I'm going to tell you, there were some old men who were
leaders in those congregations and they planted themselves
right on the front row of those Church buildings.
And when you got up to preach, believe me, it was intimidating
because you were preaching to some men who knew the Bible.
And whenever you got in their homes, after services or
throughout that meeting, you knew that you were going to have
some Bible conversations you knew We're going to ask you
about what you preach and you knew that if you dared step out
of line and preach something that was questionable or wrong,
there were going to be some brethren who are going to line
up with the back and they were going to call you on the carpet
about it and they were going to straighten you out.
And I'm convinced we have a lot of churches today, where you
could nearly get up and say, the sky is green, and the grass is
purple, and say anything in the world.
You want to say and people come by and shake your hand and say,
wonderful, message. We need sound leadership in the
church tonight, we need men. Who study the Bible and Who care
about the church? Who have the backbone to
confront problems? That arise within the church?
We need leaders and we need teachers.
Who offer the church, a well-balanced diet of
edification who addressed the needs of the congregation and
what they teach, and many places, just aren't getting that
tonight. They're not getting the kind of
teaching. They need to hear.
They're not getting any substance in their teaching,
because sometimes, sadly the men who get up in the Pulpit.
Don't know any more about the Bible than the people.
They're trying to teach And that's a problem.
And we could solve a lot of the problems that we have.
If men, instead of just being concerned about getting their
way and men being concerned about having the preeminence in
the church, had a real love and care about the church, and men
had a knowledge of the Bible and know how to apply that
knowledge. We could solve a lot of our
difficulties. Now, the same vein.
I want to say that every church needs discipline.
Now, we don't like to talk about discipline and discipline.
Really sounds kind of like an ugly and a harsh word to us.
And when we think about discipline we Think about
immediately disfellowshipping someone well that's not
necessarily what I'm talking about.
When I talk about discipline. In fact really there are two
kinds of discipline and both of them, the church desperately
needs. One of them is instructive
discipline and discipline does not necessarily have to be.
It doesn't have to be what we think of as negative.
It doesn't have to be harsh. And certainly our preaching
should never be rude or hateful or condescending but you know
every time a faithful man gets in the pulpit and preaches, a
gospel sermon and tells me something that is needful for my
soul. I am receiving discipline.
When a brother tells me that I am doing something that is wrong
or that poses a danger to my soul.
I'm receiving discipline. And every person in the church
every child of God needs discipline in their life just as
much as every child in your any other Home needs discipline and
just as you see the results in the life of a child that goes
without discipline and is allowed to run, amok and do
simply whatever they want to do and they're never told not to do
anything. They're never Oakland or
chastised for doing what is wrong.
Just as we see the result of that and too many homes.
We see the result of that in too many churches.
There are places where leaders don't want a lot of things talk
about because they're afraid is going to make somebody mad and
is going to run somebody off and it's going to diminish the size
of the crowd. And it's going to Quench and
throw a bucket of cold water on the excitement.
They think they have in the congregation.
Well, listen, now the Lord's, not concerned about having a
building full of people. The Lord's concerned about
having a building full of converted people, the Lord is
concerned about saving people's souls, and taking them to
heaven. And that involves telling people
what they need to know. And sometimes that's not
popular. Sometimes that doesn't sit very
well with them, but it's needful and we desperately need
instructive discipline. I know some congregations.
If they refuse the kind of preaching they need to hear,
they won't call a preacher that's going to get up and
preach on things. They're not going to call the
preacher. Who's going to get up and lay it
on, lay it on the line. They're not going to call the
preacher as some of the old timers, you saved this going to
Shell it down and show the cob because that kind of preaching
is not popular today and you know, they end up paying the
price for that. Because in some places that I'm
aware of, they allow things to run amok and they allow things
to grow weak and it gets to the point.
That even the leaders of that church realize that it's getting
out of hand and it's going too far and all of a sudden they try
to put the brakes on it and they don't know what to do about it.
Well, you know what? They should have done something
a long time ago, they should have been disappointing.
The church all along by teaching what the church needed to hear
and informing and educating the membership of their
congregation. Now sometimes unfortunately, it
precedes to the point that we Corrective discipline,
corrective, discipline, and this is a misunderstood thing,
because many times people think of corrective discipline as a
weapon that's used in retaliation or that corrective
discipline is some form of punishment for people.
And because we have that kind of mindset about discipline.
We tend to try to avoid it and we tend to fail to execute it
when sometimes it's necessary. But I believe that's the Lord's
will for every Church to deal with problems.
Some problems that arise by using corrected discipline.
You know, they're in First Corinthians 5.
We're aware of that situation, that Paul addressed at Corinth.
He said there was a man and that congregation that had his
father's wife and he said that this was a sin that was so dark
and so heinous and it was not even named among the Gentiles.
And Paul says, you ought to be ashamed of it, Paul says, you
ought to mourn over it. But instead, your puffed up over
it, I don't think this means that the Corinthians were going
around bragging about the fact that they had a man living in an
incestuous relationship, Well, what I do think it means is that
these people were looking the other way and they were acting
as though all was well, and they were proud of themselves as a
congregation and of their spiritual progress of their
spiritual condition when really that wasn't the case in the eyes
of God. Paul says, they should have been
morning, they should have been deeply grieved, and concerned
about the sin of this land and so grieved about it that they do
something to try to save his soul.
And Paul says, in order to save his soul.
If this man won't repent, Paul said, you don't need women.
You withdraw from him. That doesn't mean you just don't
call on Adelita song. Paul says, you don't eat with
such a wand and Paul gives two reasons.
Paul says, you don't eat with such a one, first of all.
So, that perchance they might be saved, that is deliver them over
to Satan. So, that perchance in the end,
their soul might be saved. Now, I've known the situations
where someone went astray and became guilty of some terrible
sin and where Brethren scripturally and in the right
motive in love and concern for that brother, they enacted the
kind of discipline that the Bible teaches needed to be
enacted. They followed the Bible's
instructions and it may have taken a while.
But I've known of cases where those Brethren finally came back
to the Lord. And they straightened up their
life because seeing that they were not in fellowship with
God's people. Finally got the message across
to them. They were not in fellowship with
God. But I can't exactly recall a
situation where someone was living.
In an immoral life. And just suddenly said, well,
you know, everybody down. There's just been so tolerant
and so accepting of me. I think I need to give up this
lifestyle. I think I need to quit doing
what I've been doing. It doesn't work that way.
Jesus has the answer and if we would listen to Jesus
prescription for the disease, we could heal the disease.
It really boils down to the fact that we need a real Revival.
Not only in plain Old Time, Gospel preaching, but it times
we need to have the courage and we need to have.
Yes, the love for those Souls who stand in Jeopardy of being
lost to do what the Bible says. That's not only true of the
immoral man is true of the false teacher.
Paul said, in Titus 1 and 10, there are many unruly and vain
talkers and deceivers specially, they of the circumcision whose
mouths must be stopped. Now, how do you stop their
mouths? You certainly don't call them to
preach. You don't give them a platform
to teach other people. He says they subvert whole
houses teaching things which they ought not.
In other words, they go from family to family and from house
to house and from person to person spreading their Doctrine,
Paul said their mouths must be stopped.
They must be Mark there. Must be avoided.
People must know to avoid them and the danger that their
Doctrine poses. Wherefore rebuke them sharply.
Paul says that they may be sound in the faith, Titus 3 and 10.
Mm. And it isn't heretic after the
first and second admonition, reject knowing that he, that is
such subverted and sinneth being condemned of himself, Romans 16
and 17. I beseech you Brethren mark
them, which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctor,
which you have learned and avoid them for they, that are such
serve, not our Lord, Jesus Christ, but their own belly.
And by good words, and fair speeches deceive, the hearts of
the simple. 1st Corinthians 5 and verse 11.
Listen now Paul says, but now I have written unto you not to
keep Company If any man that is called a brother, be a
fornicator, or Covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a
drunkard, or an extortioner with such an one.
No, not to eat. You know, it's wrong to rail
against your brethren. It is so wrong.
That the Apostle Paul says, when one is guilty of it, you
withdraw from him and you don't eat with him.
Now I want I'm worked in an area and there was a congregation
that was afflicted by a railer. There was a man and that
congregation that had ruled that church by his temper for years.
He would have outbursts in the services of the church even He
would often times, be raped, the Brethren, the man, who taught
the man who waited on the table. The man that led a song at the
back door of the church building.
And this man had divided congregations in his area, where
he lived, because of the fact that he would often go about and
make false accusations and rail against his own brother.
Well, you know, it finally came to a head in one of these
congregations and some of the Brethren left that church and
they went down the road to another church because they were
tired of putting up with him. Well, the next thing I knew
these people were calling the other churches in the area and
they were saying. Now, we hope you're not on, call
on that man because we won't come to your meeting if you're
going to call on him. And that just didn't sit exactly
right with me. And I told one of those Brethren
that called me, one day until you're willing to do what the
Bible says to do about that. Because after all this man was
under your jurisdiction, he was a member of your congregation
and until you're willing to do what the Bible says, to deal
with him, you have no right to call up to this other
congregation and tell them what to do about him.
And you see it took a problem. That should have been reserved,
one, local congregation and it spread it to multiple
congregations in an area and it became and still is a big mess.
That's because we don't listen to Christ.
And we make a bigger mess instead of solving our problems.
I got to hurry. I believe that Jesus is well as
the answer to confusion in religion, many people think that
Christ instituted, the thousands of churches that exist in the
world and they'll even thank God and their prayers for all of the
denomination's, it exists. The problem with that is
according to First Corinthians 14 and verse 33, God is not the
author of confusion, but of peace.
Now, you know, if you're confused tonight, you're not
alone. If you're confused as you look
out, The landscape of religion and you're searching for the
truth and you don't know hard to wear to began and you don't know
who's telling who's saying, what is opposed to somebody else, and
who's right? As opposed to who's wrong,
you're not alone. You're in the same boat with
Millions upon millions of people who have turned away tonight
from Christianity because of the fact that there are so many
churches and denominations at all claim to be the Lord's.
But you know, Jesus has the answer.
To that confusion. Jesus said in Luke 18, verse 10
unto you, it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of
God, but to others in Parables that seeing, they might not see
and hearing, they might not understand the parable, is this,
the seed is the word of God. You know, that's the answer
right there. The seed is the word of God.
Now, there are a lot of things in life morally and spiritually.
Otherwise it revolve around this little thing that we call the
seed principle. And we all understand the seed
principle that is that you can take a seat of a particular
variety, and you can plant it in the Earth.
And that in time when that seed, germinates and springs up and it
brings forth fruit, that, that kind of fruit is going to be
according to the seed that you're so.
In other words, you're not going to go out and plant a seed of
corn and go out later in the year and fine wheat.
You're not going to set out a tomato Vine and then go out a
few months later and pick watermelons off of that vine or
squash or something else and you're certainly not going to
see some sort of a strange plant that has a tomato on one Vine.
A watermelon on another squash on another and something else on
another. We know that when you plant one
kind of seed, One plan is going to come from that and that plan
is going to very specific type of fruit.
Nothing more, nothing less, nothing different.
Jesus said, the seed of the kingdom is the word of God.
Now, all things were created miraculously but they are
sustained sustained through that natural principle when God,
created all living things of the time of the creation.
He did so by Miracle. He did not put a seed in the
barren Earth but rather Jesus are rather God planted a
full-grown tree. When he made man he did not
begin with an embryo but rather God had a full-blown full-grown
man fashioned Out of the Dust of the earth.
He created Eve out of rib that you took out of the sight of man
that was a miracle but within every living thing and every
species, he placed the seed of reproduction and that seed
forever sustains and propagates that particular species Well
when the church was established, it was established by Miracle on
the day of Pentecost, the holy spirit, filled the apostles and
they began by inspiration, as we talked about last night to
Herald the gospel and to reveal unto the Saints.
The faith that would once. And for all be delivered and
therefore, the seed was placed within that new and that
miraculously created organism that seed of reproduction, being
the word of God, that was inspired when it is taken that
it is sown in other Hearts, we did is take any even across or
All this world across the sea and went even spans generations
of time, and ages, and cultures. And that seed is planted in the
sea in the heart of men in the fertile heart of man.
If it grows, it's going to produce one thing.
And that is that which it came from.
And that tells me that if a person simply takes the Bible
and simply reads and understands and obeys what the Bible teaches
him to do, then he's going to be one thing and one thing only and
that is a new testament. Christian he's not going to be a
Christian of one kind of a variety or another.
He's simply going to be a Christian.
He's going to be what they were back there.
Now, why you have so many churches in the world tonight is
because people do something besides what the Bible says,
because they're Guided by their Creed's, by their catechisms, by
their confessions of Faith, by their traditions.
By their prejudices and not by the simple teaching of the word
of God. And so, again, I say Jesus is
the answer to confusion and division that exists in
religion, tonight, number 4, Jesus is the answer to Broken
homes? And do we ever need an answer to
this real problem in our world tonight?
Half of all marriages, fact more statistics.
Now, show us in this country that more than half of all
marriages, end in divorce. It's hard.
It's hard to go a day without meeting somebody.
Who hasn't been divorced and remarried and often multiple
times and it's hard to go to a congregation anymore.
Where there are not people who have been divorced and
remarried. I hear of marriages in the
church that are on the rocks or ended in divorce and sometimes
those divorces are Justified, unfortunately and sometimes
they're not. But I can tell you that
regardless of the circumstances that precipitated, those
divorces whatever, the reason behind them.
The fact that he came to that point is a blight on this
country and it is a blight on the people of God.
I feel sorry for children that grow up in homes today that they
don't even know who their moms and dads are and they talk about
their stepmothers and their stepfathers and sometimes it's
so mixed up and so convoluted you can't unravel it, neither
can they? But when you set aside God's
Arrangements trouble ends up being the result.
Now, over in Ephesians 5 and 6, you have a very simple an
ancient pattern for the home that God designed.
And when God created the home, which he did in the Garden of
Eden, had a design for it. The problem is society is a very
Trusted in that design. And unfortunately, some of the
church are very interested in that plan, or that design Paul
States and Ephesians chapter 5, that the relationship that a man
has to his wife is the same as Christ has to the church and it
just as Christ is the head of the church.
So is the husband be the head of his wife and the head of his
home. And at the wife, is to submit
under her husband, just as Christ are just as the church
does unto Christ, this hearkens to the principle that the
Apostle Paul set forth and First Corinthians chapter 11 and verse
3 when he told, Told us that the head of every man is Christ and
the head of Christ is God, and that the head of woman is the
man. Now, I don't know if anything I
could get on television tonight and say that would be more
unpopular, or get any more hate mail.
Than that? Right there.
You could read 1st Corinthians 11, and verse 3 on, the average
Street Corner in this country, and somebody's going to Bob you,
because that's completely out of date.
That's sexist, you know, but the fact of the matter is, God says
that the husband is to be the head of his hole and the wife is
to submit herself unto the husband And I don't have time
tonight to go into all of what that means and and to qualify
that by saying that that does not give the husband, the right
to rule over his wife in a way. Unlike Christ does over his
church and treat her in a way that is not right.
That's not what I'm talking about tonight.
And that's not what the Bible is talking about tonight.
The Bible is talking about the fact that the man is in a
position of spiritual leadership within his house, and the woman
is subordinate to that and Ephesians chapter 6.
The Paul taught that children are to obey their parents in the
lord and there to honor their father and their mother.
You certainly don't see much of that today because children are
allowed to do whatever the world they want to do.
And if they don't like what their parents do or how their
parents raise them, why in some cases, they can just go down to
court and sue their parents. Some children just take a gun
and they shoot their parents. They don't have respect for
their parents. They don't love their parents.
They're not taught to love their parents.
There's something left to themselves from the earliest of
Ages. And a simple Bible home.
After the Bible pattern is a rare sight today, we need homes,
where fathers of the God-fearing leaders?
They're supposed to be, we need homes where wives and mothers
placed their responsibilities, to the home above everything
else we need homes, where children are made to love their
parents and respect authority, because that lesson that they
learn early in life will carry them all through life.
When they must respect the authority of others, we need
homes. Where children are taught the
Bible and they're taught how to pray.
That's the kind of home Timothy was raised in because Paul said
in second with a 1 in 5 When I call to remembrance the
unfeigned faith, it is in the which dwelt first in my
grandmother, Lois, and I mother Eunice and I am persuaded that
in the also, that's a wonderful thing.
That's a wonderful blessing my friend if you were raised in a
home like that and some of us may take it for granted but if
you grew up in a Christian home where you had a mother and a
father who took you to church and you had a mother and father
who taught you the Bible and taught you how to live the right
kind of life and put Christ first and made him preeminent
and all things you are a very rare and a very blessed
individual tonight. And a lot of people don't know
that, a lot of people have never experienced that Henry Grady.
Was the prolific author and historian and newspaper
journalist in Atlanta Georgia. He wrote for the Atlanta
Constitution Journal. And he became a very famous and
prominent wealthy man. And as he began to enjoy the
success that life brought to him, he finally found himself
moving away from his early childhood roots, and getting
caught up in all of the lights and the Glamour and the glitter
of the world. One day, he told his staff at
the newspaper that he was going to take a trip out into the
country to see his mother and he would return in just a couple of
days. He packed his bag and he made
his way way out into the country to a humble little home.
We're his elderly, mother still lived. he told his mother he
said mother, I have come home because I want to spend the
night here with you. And I want you mother to do what
you used to do. I want you before we go to bed
tonight, to take down the Bible and I want you to read it to me.
And I want you to pray for me. And that night, that happened.
His mother pulled down the tattered old Family Bible that
he had been read from or read to from as a child and she read
several verses and chapters in fact from God's word they knelt
down and she led a very heartfelt and sincere prayer for
her son. She took him up to the little
room where he grew up and she tucked him in that little bed
just like he were still a little boy.
And he went home that next day. And claimed that he had
experienced an Awakening of his faith in a real Revival of his
faith and his life was changed by that night.
On another occasion. He happened upon a little
Mountain Home as he was traveling back from Washington
DC. And this family invited you to
come in and spend the night with them.
And he was impressed because before the family went to bed,
after they had enjoyed a wonderful supper, the family
gathered in front of the Hearth of the living room of the
father, pulled down the Family Bible and they read, they
studied the scriptures together and they prayed and they went to
bed. And the next morning they got up
and they did the same thing before they went about their
activities for the day and Henry.
Grady Grady continued his journey on home from the
nation's capital and when he got back, he wrote his column about
his trip. And he said, I have now
determined that the capital of the United States of America is
not in Washington, DC. It's in every home that is
spread across the length and breadth and width of this great
nation. And so it is tonight, the
unfortunate thing is, there are millions of children in this
world that don't know anything about a home like that.
All they know is a home where the only time the name of God is
used as in an oath. The only time they ever hear
Jesus is when somebody Is mad angry.
They've never had anybody read the Bible to them.
They never been taken to church. They don't know anything about
that tonight. And if you're denying your
children that kind of upbringing though, you may say were a
Christian home, we're a Christian family.
Were members of the church, that's not what I'm talking
about tonight. If you're denying your children,
the kind of raising where Christ comes first in their life,
you're cheating them. You're cheating the church.
And you're cheating the world. I grew up in a home and it
wasn't a perfect home. But it was a Christian home. and
one of the things that I will always remember, as long as I
live about my childhood and specifically About my mother.
I don't guess there was a single morning of my childhood that I
didn't get up and get ready to go to school.
But the during that time, she would not be sitting in the
living room in her chair. With a Bible open across her
lap. And a notebook out taking notes.
As she studied for herself, the word of God.
That made an impression on me. It taught me that the Bible is
important, and when I was growing up, I can tell you that
there wasn't a service of the Lord's Church, unless we were
sick and we didn't attend. Well, there was a gospel
meeting. We were going to be there.
We're going to be there every night.
A Wednesday night, dad would get home from a hard day at work and
he would be as tired. Having worked himself to a
standstill. But we loaded up in the car.
And we drove to church. And that made a profound
influence on me as it didn't any of you because you grew up in a
home like that. And the world needs more homes,
like that. Jesus is the answer to the
broken homes that we have in our land tonight.
If we would go back to Bible principles for the home, The
lessons yours tonight and appreciate a little long but
maybe there's someone here who's outside of Christ?
Maybe your life is in disarray, maybe you have a lot of problems
and a lot of questions tonight that you're just having a hard
time finding the answers to and you're facing some crises and
your face facing some problems, maybe of your very own device of
your very own design. That you don't know how to get
out of. You just don't know which way to
turn, you know over there in Jeremiah believe it's the 18th
chapter, there's a beautiful passage where God talks about
the nation of Israel in their broken state.
And he tells the prophet to go down to The Potter's House and
God was going to show him something there.
And he said that there in that house he saw the Potter take a
vessel a broken vessel and mold it and put it up on the wheel
and as the wheel turned and so forth The Vessel was flawed, it
was marred and so God put it back on the wheel and he made it
again. You know, that's what the Lord
could do with your life tonight. And that's what the Lord wants
to do with your life. Just like he did Israel, back
long ago. No matter how many pieces it may
be shattered into, he wants to take those broken pieces and he
can put them on the transforming wheel of his Spirit of his word
and he can mold and shape them into a beautiful vessel that you
never thought possible. So why don't you turn it over to
him tonight? Repent of your sinful living.
Put your faith in your trust in him.
Confess his name before this audience and will baptize.
You this hour for the remission of sins and you'll be a new
creature in Christ in a new page on which to write The land of
beginning again, as we sometimes call it.
We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the
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