The results of hard faith in God's elected
grace.
Tonight, I want to speak a little bit
on God's call in electing grace.
And I take my text from the book
of Galatians, chapter one, and then ask you
to turn in your Bible while you're turning
there, back to the left, keep your finger
there on Galatians one, and then turn to
Acts chapter twenty-two.
And I just read one verse from Galatians
chapter one.
I want to read these verses and announce
what I'm going to try to bring before
you tonight.
Now I want you to help me, I
want you to help me tonight.
I'm going to ask you to do a
little thinking tonight.
That's a little hard, isn't it?
Put the damper on the meat, right?
Right.
Down our way, we had an old man,
he used to sit on the steps of
a country general's store and pickle and chew
tobacco.
A fellow came up to him and said,
What you doing?
I see you out here every day, what
do you do?
Well, he said, Some of the time I
sit here and think, and most of the
time I just sit.
And that's a whole lot easier than just
to think.
You're looking at a public preacher who believes
that it's high time in the hour in
which we are called to be the people
of God to do some real thinking.
I believe our whole program's got to be
revamped, I believe it with all of my
heart.
I may say some things tonight that you'll
have to chew on a while, but as
I say them, let me help you if
I may.
You cannot walk in light that I say
I have.
You can only walk in what light you
have.
But you're responsible to walk in all the
light from God you have and all you
could have if you'd avail yourself of every
opportunity.
Isn't that right?
There are several ways to test a person's
spirituality.
One way is your reaction when you say
something that crosses the grain of a tradition
of yours or a custom or a conviction.
Now, I had a dear preacher friend.
He's gone to glory now, I believe.
I used to sit at his feet.
He was older than myself, held many meetings
for him.
And I would rejoice just to sit and
hear him talk to me out of the
accumulated wisdom and knowledge that God had vouchsafed
him through the years.
And he used to preach with great vehemence
that God didn't save people to serve him,
that he saved people to the praise of
the glory of his grace.
And I rejoiced in this brother's ministry, but
he was dead wrong.
One of the greatest injuries that's been done,
the people of God in our day who
at least are trying to understand a little
bit of what God teaches so that they
can put it in practice, has been the
preaching of what they call the truth, that
God elects us unto salvation, and then he
elects us unto service, and they're two different
things, but they are not two different things.
They are not two different things.
Election is unto salvation, but a man isn't
saved because salvation is a call to be
engaged in the redemptive program of Jesus Christ.
And now, if you wonder why organized churches
have become the greatest enemy of souls between
hell and heaven now, reflects upon the fact
that we've made salvation to be coming to
a peace instead of becoming a member of
an army.
And there isn't an army or a home
or a government on top side of the
earth that could keep going if it is
made up of men and women like our
church people who constantly sit and listen and
never are instructed as to how to pass
on what they've experienced to somebody else.
The only religious people this side of God's
earth, on God's earth, that are paying much
attention to the scripture are the communists, the
fastest growing religion this side of hell.
And they are not doing like we church
people who have been taught to do all
the days of our lives.
Just sit and come together and meet and
rejoice in our salvation.
We've got to revamp our program.
And I'm going to talk to you pretty
frankly tonight about the fact that in elect
degrees God calls men and women to be
members of an army and gives them a
commission.
And I believe that the situation is desperate
now that God is definitely shutting every door
north, south, east and west.
I know just a little bit of what
I'm talking about.
I've been giving my life to evangelism for
37 years since I left my last passion.
And the doors are about to close.
There's not one church out of 50 of
anybody's denomination now that would dare to have
what's called a revival campaign.
Fundamental Baptist preachers have long since given up
the goals and they'll look you in the
face and tell you that maybe God blessed
them back yonder, but he's quit.
And they're telling the truth.
Now, brother, you can get blue about that
or you can face the fact that if
God shuts one door he may be trying
to get us to see another one he's
opening.
If we don't get some acumen, spiritual acumen
and begin to grow characters full of men
and women who are engaged in propagating the
gospel outside the church houses we're going to
be out of business as sure as I'm
speaking to you now.
Paul said in Galatians chapter 1 verse 6
I marvel that ye are so soon removed
from him that what?
Called you into the grace of Christ.
In God's elective program he calls men to
mission.
He calls men to mission.
I want us to turn to the book
of Acts chapter 22 and look at the
apostle Paul again.
Here in this chapter he does the talking.
Sunday night, last night or Sunday morning, whenever
it was we talked from the ninth chapter
of Acts where Luke is the man who
does the writing.
But here Paul is making his defense.
He tells about his experience.
And I hope that you are acquainted with
it.
We'll begin reading with verse 10 After Paul
meets the risen Lord Paul is at his
feet.
In verse 10 he said, What shall I
do, Lord?
And the Lord said, Unto me arise and
go into Damascus and there shall be told
thee of all things which are appointed for
thee to do.
And when I could not see for the
glory of that life being led by the
hand of them that were with me I
came into Damascus and one Ananias, a devout
man according to the law having a good
report of all the Jews which dwelt there
this man came to me and stood and
said unto me, Brother Saul, receive thy servant.
And the same hour I looked upon him.
And then Ananias used to God tells Paul
what God called him to experience and to
do in electing grace.
Here it is.
This is not Baptist doctrine or what I
thought of.
This is God's call in election.
And Ananias said to Saul, The God of
our fathers hath done what?
Chosen thee.
That's election.
This is not what for.
That thou shouldst three things.
First, do what?
Huh?
Know his will.
Second, see that just one.
Third, what?
Hear the voice of his mouth.
What you want these things to take place
for?
Well, when I called you, blessed God, I
called you and equipped you this faithful way
because here is what it's all about.
Thou shalt be whose witness?
Unto how many people?
All men of what thou hast what?
Seen and heard.
You can't separate salvation and service here, brother.
You can't preach a salvation that doesn't make
men servants of the Most High God.
Yeah, brother.
You can't preach this damnable stuff about me.
God saves our souls and our lives can
be lived for the devil.
The Bible warns about that.
Oh, what's all this about, brother Ananias?
Well, I'll tell you why God set his
hand on you, Saul.
I'll tell you why God in his Son
met you on the road to Damascus and
laid hold on you and apprehended you and
brought you to his feet.
So you'd know the will of God.
So you'd experience the person.
So you'd see that just one.
It means exactly what it says.
For salvation is not by believing some facts,
it's by seeing the person with eyes of
faith and that you might listen when he
speaks.
Hear the voice of his mouth.
For only people whom death can beset can
be his witness.
God calls in elective grace men and women
to be his witnesses.
Amen.
You see right here on the street what
I'm trying to talk about.
I was in a church in North Carolina
and one night the dear pastor got up
and said, I said, tonight we're having this
so-and-so with us.
He's a missionary.
Said he's going to sing us a song
and give us a word of testimony.
And he got up and gave a nice
little testimony and sang a nice little song.
And when it came my time, folks were
all about to sleep and I thought I'd
wake them up and I said, it's so
good to have a Christian here tonight.
But you can tell me what's the difference
between being a Christian and being a missionary.
I appreciate it.
There isn't any difference.
We just invented the difference.
We invented this foolish stuff about now won't
you surrender your life to Jesus to be
a missionary.
Well, that was settled when you got saved.
Somebody says, well, I feel like God calling
me to China.
I know.
But He called you to be a missionary
when He saved you.
That's what salvation is.
Now, if the commander in chief wants to
transfer you, that's his business.
But all this foolishness about calling out the
call, that's just our invention.
Why, it's got to wear now if a
fellow acts like he might be a half
-way Christian.
Some fool will say, I believe God called
him the preacher.
Sure, He did the day He saved you.
All this talk about, I'm saved!
I feel like God called me a preacher.
That's a bunch of sassy crap.
That's not a word.
Not a word.
I'm talking about the inventions we've invented to
keep from paying attention to the word of
God.
Now, it's just the way we actually don't
expect anybody to act like they are saved,
except what we call foreign missionaries.
And how'd we get that way?
Why, we got that way by using the
tactics of an army recruiting sergeant who invites
some young men to come down to Fifth
Avenue and 42nd Street, forget the street, the
Waldorf Astoria Hotel, said, come down there.
I think you may greatly interest it in.
They've got manpower and they've got everything else.
And they get the fool to go down
there and he thinks he's going to a
banquet or a feast and they sign him
up.
And when he gets signed up to find
out, he's going to run it.
And he didn't aim to do it.
And we've filled our churches and church energy
now.
And Christians did two different things with men
and women that think being a Christian is
having a banquet instead of fighting a war.
And so our churches are hospitals instead of
armies.
And God bless your heart, the hospitals are
going out of business, brother.
There's going to be no place for this
mild stuff that's a substitute for the real
thing.
It's going to be all out for antichrist
or all out for Christ and it'll be
that way in your day and mine.
God calls men and women, boys and girls,
to mission, to mission.
He'd say to me, you believe God calls
women to preach?
If he saves them, he does.
Now there's a difference between preaching and having
a ministry and an apostle and evangelist and
pastor and so forth.
Well, if you ain't preaching, you don't know
about salvation.
That's what it means to be a Christian.
A witness, a herald, a proclaimer of the
gospel.
And I'm trying to say to you that
the days are closing in on us when
we're going to have to face the fact
that instead of churches being training grounds to
go out and get into war, we're going
to have to come to that.
We've been training for church membership all the
days of our lives.
That time I got the shotgun When God
calls in elective grace, He calls men and
women to three things.
First, He calls men and women to hear
His voice.
I'll not take the time.
I've got a business meeting.
I don't want to take too much time.
But read the Old Testament again.
Hear the word of the Lord.
Mercy!
Come to the New Testament.
My sheep, hear my voice.
Let the Apostle Paul say, knowing therefore, brethren,
your election of God, how you know it
Paul?
For our gospel came not unto you in
word only, but in great power and of
the Spirit and in the church.
Or turn over to the next chap and
say, I thank God upon every member cease
not to thank God upon every member should
you give people over the empire praising it.
He said, when you receive the word of
God from us, you receive it not from
men, but from one hundred and sixty-seven
times in the New Testament, people are said
to be saved by being able to respond
to Him.
That's called that many times.
This is one rather important.
Oh, hear me tonight if you claim to
be a child of God, think of the
responsibility of being amongst a group of people
who are members of the only kind of
folks this side of eternity that have ever
heard a word from God.
For nobody but God's sheep ever hear Him
speak.
And brethren, that don't bring responsibility.
There's no hope for you.
You mean tell me you've heard from God?
Don't you refuse the voice of Him that
speaketh.
My Lord, we share in the days of
this flesh, the Father will say there in
a thousand back to them, this is the
Son of Man.
But nobody will except to show.
Oh, I sometimes say, put your faces and
not evade it and not believe it and
let it go in one ear and out
the other.
We might change our churches from folks who
are listening to something except Him and never
are hearing from Him.
Ladies and gentlemen, there's no hope in time
that He turns to anybody except as He
hears God talking to us.
You stand up and say, I believe I've
found the will of God.
You're a devil if you say it unless
deep down in your heart you really believe
God has spoken to you.
Huh?
That's right.
Hear me.
My sheep will.
But you tell me to hear from God
don't put burdens on a man's shoulders.
Listen to me, I say, look at me
and I've heard from God.
That's what I pray.
God call me by His grace.
That's what I pray.
There's a bunch of little babies running around
bellyaching half the time the pastor has to
have his little soothing soot to give most
of us with full aches and pains.
Why?
Because I don't have any spiritual exercise.
Yes, but not producing.
Oh, the responsibility, the awesomeness of being a
person whom God calls to listen to me.
To listen to me.
Election calls men and women to reflect the
holy character of God.
Read again and again the Old Testament.
One thing is just on nearly every page
of the dealings of God with that elect
nation who lost their election.
One reason they did is they didn't pay
any attention to Him when He said Be
ye holy even as I am holy.
I'm not going to get into what it
means to be holy.
It'll take an hour and a half I
guess.
It don't mean some things we don't do.
It don't mean a few of the little
rules we're passed.
But holiness is utter conformity to the will
of God.
Holiness is to be whole solely dedicated to
one truth that God shall be done in
my life if He kills me.
Holiness is the cry of my Lord in
the Garden of Gethsemane when He said It
would be possible let this cup pass from
me.
Nevertheless nevertheless thy will be done if it
kills me.
Holy man is the man who's devoted to
the will of God.
Israel Be holy Church of God He
has chosen you in Him that you should
be holy.
Holy I truly hear.
What a response.
God calls in His elective grace men and
women to hear His voice to reflect His
character and to yield themselves as instruments of
God to reveal Christ to me.
Israel lost her election for she rejoiced in
privilege and refused responsibility.
I was up in Pennsylvania last fall and
they took me out to the New Tribes
training camp where they train missionaries to go
where nobody else has been where the gospel
has never been since.
I got my eyes open.
I went out there three times during the
meeting tried to investigate a little bit it
shocked me missionaries are trained to live on
berries or bark missionaries are trained right there
to learn how to sleep outdoors they find
their food in the forest they put them
through the rigors of the way the folks
they're going to preach to have to live
and the way they'll have to live if
they go out there.
And I thought about our nice little comfortable
stuff we call Christendom America myself included my
soul we don't know what discipline means.
I used to go over to Camp Wheeler
down in Bennett, Georgia and watch them I
was in another field and watched them train
infantry infantrymen in the army foot soldiers you
been in it?
You know what I'm going to tell you
I stand there in horror as the boys
on their bellies hands and knees and bellies
crawl through and under the barbed wire hundreds
of yards and on foot down yonder and
here there are men with rifles and they're
aiming and they got real bullets and boys
ought to get killed in training and I
questioned one of the officers and said looks
to me like it's awful cruel to use
real bullets and kill boys he said it
sounds that way but he said it's better
to kill a few of them in training
than all of them have to get where
the fighting is said if we put blanks
in those guns we'll never get those boys
learning how to crawl right down on the
ground he said if they don't learn in
training to crawl like a lizard on the
ground as they're going from this place over
yonder by damn it we'll all get killed
and I reflected upon the fact that the
Apostle Paul he must have been talking about
what we're facing today we rest on nothing
not ever since the days have crept upon
us when nothing short of learning to endure
hardness is good I'm going to quit and
I'm never going to quit maybe I'll talk
a little more about it tomorrow listen to
me I have a personal friend who was
an arch-chaplain in the Second World War
he's a Baptist preacher he got in as
a chaplain had his heart broken there's any
chaplain that didn't smell like a Christian did
if he served in the armed forces he
found out one thing ladies and gentlemen that
whatever else our churches that we call them
are doing they ain't making Christians two weeks
after your boy got in the army all
his little religion was gone brother unless he
had the real thing and not many of
them did and I was chaplain one field
with 30,000 soldiers I count on these
two hands the boys who had a testimony
for Christ I'm telling you the truth there's
all Baptist this Baptist this Catholic this Presbyterian
something brother when the influence of mothering home
and congregation is gone and you're in that
Barber's atmosphere nothing but the real thing will
stand and this young fellow had his heart
broken when he got out of the army
he didn't take a church he got him
a job and for three years he studied
the Bible trying to find out what it
meant to claim to be a Christian and
what it meant to have a group of
people meeting together claiming to be a church
of the Lord Jesus Christ finally five young
couples in the subdivision where he and his
wife had a little home they got acquainted
with him and they got to meeting they
met together twice a week just studying and
then the six families organized what they called
a church it takes three years to become
a member you have to go to school
to that church three years before you can
be a member they're trying to do what
I sense you want to do here I
didn't say you've done it I think you're
shooting in that direction find out what it
means to be a member of the church
of God evident though it may mean evident
that there's no room for any spectator no
room for anybody that just want to study
about war and not go to it and
I'm going to close I believe that one
of the cardinal doctrines of the Bible that
we give lip service to I was going
to speak on it tonight but the fool
around my time is gone I think I'll
speak on it maybe tomorrow night or Wednesday
night change up the sermon make a difference
what we claim to believe but we don't
the priesthood of the believer I
believe God's calling us back to the New
Testament and I believe the biggest task we
face is to find out how the membership
of our churches can exercise their ministry as
priests I'm going to close with this passage
Thank you my brother challenging message and I
hope we shall not soon be forgetful hearers
Amen I thought as he preached what Jesus
said in Luke 6 46 Why callest thou
me Lord, Lord and doest not the things
which I say professing Christianity and being a
Christian are poles apart I'm as sold as
I can be on the proposition that if
a man's in Christ Christ becomes his total
master He'll either be the Lord of all
or he won't be your Lord at all
Seems a shame we have to have a
business station but that's part of divine service
too isn't it I'll have you stand relax
yourself and have a word of prayer if
you please Our
Father, we thank Thee tonight for the Lord
Jesus Christ We ask that You'll help us
to really become a people of God involved
in doing the will of God We pray
that Thou shalt jar us if it's necessary
lest we become compassionate and filled with a
God-forgiving self-sufficiency God forbid that we
should congratulate ourselves boast of our piety boast
of our soundness while the world around us
rushes madly on its way to a Christless
eternity May we more and more become involved
in doing justly in loving mercy and in
walking humbly with our God We ask in
Christ's name Amen You may be seated