And I think we'll read the scripture first
of all.
And we're at 2nd Peter, and we're at
the 1st chapter.
2nd epistle of Peter, and we're at the
1st chapter.
And I would like you to watch the
reading as we go along, and it'll save
a great lot of time this evening.
We're at 2nd Peter, chapter 1, and we're
commencing to read at verse 16.
And Peter writing to these Jewish believers said,
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables.
And when he says, for we, who do
you think he's talking about?
Because I think you'd better get that settled.
He says, for we have not followed cunningly
devised fables, when we made known unto you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty, for
he received from God the Father honour and
glory, when there came such a voice to
him from the excellent glory.
This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased.
And this voice which came from heaven, we
heard when we were with him in the
holy mountain.
And you must get that now.
And he's talking about Peter and James and
John, upon the Mount of Transfiguration.
And it was there they saw the honour
and the glory that was given to the
Lord Jesus.
And when they talk about his deity, when
they talk about the power and coming of
our Lord Jesus, he says, we have not
followed cunningly devised fables.
It's not something we have dreamed up, you
know.
We were up on the Mount, and we
saw the honour and glory that he received
from God the Father.
And they heard the voice of God saying,
this is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased.
And then he goes on to talk, we
have also a more sure word of prophecy.
And one would wonder what could be more
sure, than actually seeing the glaze of glory
in the Transfiguration.
You see, when our Lord Jesus Christ, because
of his marvellous, matchless, boundless grace, left heaven,
he who was rich, he left the rituals
of the worship of millions of myriads of
angels.
And by grace he stepped down into this
planet and took upon him the form of
a serpent.
He who was in the form of God
made himself of no reputation.
But let's get this quite clear, that he
who was in the form of God, never
ceased for a moment, to be what he
always was.
He was God, and he was always God.
Now he was God, manifest in flesh now.
Yes, he has sort of covered over his
glory.
No one now is the carpenter's son, and
the lowly Nazarene.
And yet there came that moment when the
glory blazed through.
There are no arguments up there, you know,
about who he was.
Pity we couldn't take the Russellites for a
moment or two.
Maybe they would waken up.
Yes.
Yes, what glory and majesty and honour was
all his.
Yes, Peter says, we have also a more
sure word of prophecy.
Oh, that was pretty sure when you could
see the glory in the transfiguration.
When his face was brighter than the sun.
And his very garments shone with the glory
of God.
He says, there's something more sure than that,
you know.
As mighty, you know, great old preacher he
was.
He says, we have also a more sure
word of prophecy.
Glory, whereunto ye do well that ye take
heed.
As unto a light that shineth in a
dark place.
And before Lord Jesus was transfigured and this
glory came.
There's a light that cometh from this book.
It's really wonderful when you know it.
As unto a light that shineth in a
dark place until the day dawn.
And the day star arise in your hearts.
So he talks to the believers he's writing
to now.
He says, knowing this first.
Sort of wants the young believers to get
this in the forefront of their knowing.
That no prophecy of the scripture is of
any private interpretation.
That's a sort of mighty statement, you know.
And that's a statement that the Roman Church
has kept to fight with from the Reformation
till now.
And they will turn you to it at
all times.
And they will say that no prophecy of
the scripture is of any private interpretation.
And some of you young fellows shouldn't be
harmed in this book at all.
So they would say.
But this is what Peter really said.
Knowing this first that no prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time
by the will of man.
But holy men of God speak.
As they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
And this is our problem this evening to
face this honestly.
No scripture is of any private interpretation.
That's what's before us.
And that we must face and that we
must deal with.
With absolute honesty.
Let me say this to you.
When Martin Luther battled for the Reformation victory
in the 16th century.
There were three fundamental issues that he won
at that time.
He battled very wonderfully.
And remember he was battling against the Pope.
And against all the cardinals of Rome and
all the bishops.
And all the activity and energy and subtlety
of Rome was against this mad monk as
he was sometimes called.
And there were three fundamental issues that he
fought nobly for and won at the Reformation.
First one was he fought for the supremacy
and the sufficiency of the word of God
to settle everything concerning the believer's life.
He said the scripture must be the last
word and the total and final authority in
anything concerning the believer's life.
Not only did he fight for the supremacy
he fought for the sufficiency.
We don't need to add anything beside it.
And he won that and that would be
a mighty study for us to take up
on any occasion.
Because he won that very nobly.
And the arguments that he put before all
and sundry who came to argue with him
were very wonderful to this moment.
And the second fundamental issue that he fought
for and won was the right and duty
of private judgment for every believer.
That was the second thing he fought for.
That every single believer the world over, no
matter who they were, no matter what age
they were, so long as they were at
the years of responsibility or they would not
have been believers.
No matter what their caste or creed or
colour or where they came from.
He fought for the right and duty of
private judgment that they can come and read
and study the scriptures.
And he won this.
He won it very well and I shall
show you how he won it this evening.
You know one of the great theologians met
him face to face over the barrier table.
And this was the verse that the Roman
Catholic theologian brought.
That no prophecy of the scripture is of
any private interpretation.
And Martin Luther answered back and said so.
Why did our Lord Jesus Christ say to
the crowd around him, and remember the common
people were around him for the common people
heard him gladly.
Why did he say to the common people
search the scriptures, if they are not allowed
to search them.
It was just a clash of swords you
know, it was not the end of the
argument.
And we must remember that when Paul was
writing to Timothy, he said from a child.
Thou hast known the holy scriptures which are
able to make thee wise of the salvation
and let's get a hold of that.
Cause potpourri will have a better fun twisting
it.
Yes.
And you know that when Paul was writing
to the Thessalonians, he said to these young
believers and let's get a hold of it.
He is not very long left Thessalonica.
He is only down the country a piece
and he is sending a letter back to
very young believers who were just wonderfully saved.
And this is what he said to them.
He said prove all things and hold fast
that which is good.
Now we have got to go a bit
further with that because those sort of statements
while they sort of stir your emotions.
They are not the total answer to tonight's
question.
You would need to do it better than
that for Roman theologians they would just laugh
at you.
But let me go back to the three
fundamental issues.
The first one was the supremacy and sufficiency
of the holy scriptures.
And the second one was the right and
duty of private judgment for every believer in
things concerning the spiritual life.
And the third one was justification by faith
alone.
This is what he really won the day
on.
That believers are justified by faith in Christ
alone.
Without the deeds of the law.
That is where we stand you know.
And here we shall stand forever.
And God help the protestant church that gets
away from it.
Yes he was a good old bachelor.
Now as you can see it is the
second of these fundamental issues.
That is the issue with us tonight.
It is this phrase no scripture is of
any private interpretation.
Now I have a book here and I
want to read a portion from it.
This is what the Roman church demands of
all its followers.
The Roman church demands implicit faith.
And the words implicit faith are in italics
before me and on demand because they want
this to be emphasized.
Roman church demands implicit faith.
If that is every follower in Rome.
Child of Rome if you like.
They are asked to believe and obey what
the church says in any given matter.
Whether you yourselves understand why or not.
The authority of the church overrides your individual
reasoning powers.
That is appropriate.
That is worse.
That I am not to use anything that
God has given me.
That is what it says here.
Roman church demands implicit faith.
That is you are to believe and obey
what the church says in any given matter.
Whether you yourselves understand why or not.
The authority of the church overrides your individual
reasoning power.
And God help you when your reasoning powers
are taken away and somebody has power over
you.
That makes you a serf of the lowest
degree.
Now the Protestant church, can I say this?
On the other hand stands for explicit faith.
And you can see what implicit faith means.
That you just bow and you are not
going to reason anything anymore.
And if they say two and two makes
eight you have got to say amen.
You are not allowed to reason it out
at all.
But the Protestant church on the other hand
stands for explicit faith.
That is without coercion it asks every man
to make a free and intelligent choice.
Honouring his own conscience and responsibility with all
the facts before him.
And I think you have got explicit faith
and implicit faith before you just now.
Because all that is not a very great
help to a young believer you know.
So much old theological jargon.
You have got to come closer than that
and clearer than that.
Yes, Dr. Ironside who helped me tremendously.
When he would give me a paper to
do and I would do my best with
it and outline it as well as I
could.
Many a time he looked at it and
then he looked at me and put his
hand over it and said.
You know you would be much better if
you were clear instead of clever.
That was really getting some of you.
Some of the preachers that I know just
now would be much better.
If they were clear instead of clever.
Because their wisdom of words covers up the
cross all the time.
You are getting more there.
I had to learn there, maybe you will
too one day.
So we have got to make this thing
clear, that's all that I can see about
it.
Now I want you to get this very
definitely in your mind this evening.
That as we come to this problem, which
is in verse 20.
You see, Sidney Baxter said, and he was
a great old expositor and is still.
And he said, this is one of those
places in scripture where careful reading of the
words in the passage will help you.
Because I don't know any place in scripture
where careful reading will not help you.
I think we need to learn to read
all over again.
You see, you could read the first phrase
of the 23rd Psalm and any one of
you can quote it right now.
The Lord is my shepherd.
But you know there are so many ways
of reading it.
That you can miss the meaning of it
all together.
You can say, the Lord is my shepherd
and you are taken up with the Lord.
The uniqueness of the Lord.
And I am sure that is a very
wonderful subject.
Or you can say, the Lord is, and
you are taken up with a tense now.
You have to be careful how you do
this thing.
Because you must get what David said.
And what David said was, the Lord is
my shepherd.
That's what he was saying.
And you can just put the emphasis somewhere
else and you have to carefully watch every
word.
Or you'll be saying something he didn't intend
to say.
I'm sure everything will be alright.
The tense is worth looking at.
At this present moment he is my shepherd.
I'm sure the Lord is my shepherd is
alright if you get the emphasis right.
Because the whole Psalm is mine.
He restoreth my soul.
He anointeth my head with oil.
My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all
the days of my life.
If you don't get it right you'll never
have it right.
So we must pay attention to the wording
of this passage.
That's the first thing and we'll look at
the words very carefully in a moment.
And we must pay attention to the context
of this passage.
This is what I try to say to
the young preachers here.
You know it's a great thing to be
able to preach from a text, to take
a text out.
But if you take a text out of
its context you can make it a pretext
to say anything you like.
Because you have it away from the context
altogether.
And you're not allowed to do that.
If you're going to get the truth of
this thing you'll have to watch the words
very carefully tonight.
And then you'll have to study the context.
What comes after this?
What is before it?
The context of the text.
And then there's just something more.
You know you'll have to get the scope
of the passage.
That's why I was trying to say to
you that when he was up on the
mount he was saying certain things you know.
That's where the apostolic ministry came from.
It wasn't just cunningly devised tables you know.
Not at all.
It had a better foundation than that.
And the prophecy of the prophets, the apostolic
ministry had a mighty foundation.
And the prophetical ministry had a mighty foundation
because men just didn't say what they liked.
Men were moved by the Holy Ghost.
And so you see we need to watch
the words and we need to watch the
context and we need to watch the scope.
Of the whole passage if we're going to
get this right.
Now let's come to the text that's bothering
us.
We'll read it very carefully.
He's talking to believers and he's saying know
this first, knowing this first.
That no prophecy of the scripture is of
any private interpretation.
And of course it's this word private that
bothers us isn't it.
And this is where the Roman theologians think
they have us cornered.
Now suppose if we take this word private
out.
It's a Greek word.
Idios it is.
That's the way it was pronounced.
Idios.
I-D-I-O-S.
Now if I tell you this I'm sure
you'll believe me.
You can easily prove if you want to
go to a lexicon.
It's 114 times in the New Testament.
And I assure you that I have looked
at every one of them.
You know that I couldn't sort the 114
out tonight or you wouldn't be out of
here I don't know what time.
Now out of the 114 times in the
New Testament.
Only once did our translators translate it private.
That's strange and yet you'll find it's not
so strange.
All the other times it's translated by these
words or something very near to them.
On his own.
That's the meaning of the word.
Cause you see if you live in a
house this evening and you own it.
It's private isn't it.
You can see where they were getting to.
Cause if something belongs rightly to you it's
privately yours.
When our Lord Jesus Christ talked about his
own sheep.
He put his forth his own sheep.
You can see all the different flocks on
the hills of Judea.
I can tell you this, this was a
private one.
His own.
Talks about his own sheep.
Talks about his own country.
That's the word idios when he was coming
to his own country.
He came on to his own, his own
people.
Having loved his own which were in the
world.
Talks about his own servants.
So let's translate the word private now the
way it's translated everywhere else.
His own.
Let's get it like that for a moment.
Now I want you to get this word.
Interpretation.
Cause this is where the trouble really begins.
It's a Greek word too.
It's ephilosis.
Ephilosis is the word.
And it's a great many times in the
New Testament.
And it always means to expand.
Let's go back to Mark's Gospel for a
moment.
And we're at Mark's Gospel.
And we're at chapter 4.
And it's talking about our Lord with the
parables here.
Way down at verse 33.
And with many such parables speaking the word
unto them as they were able to bear
it.
But without a parable speak he not unto
them.
Always used parables.
And when they went along he expounded.
See that word.
Well that's the word ephilosis.
It's the word that is translated interpretation.
It's his own exposition if you like.
See the word expand.
Many times it's the word unfold.
You know as I try to expand this
difficult passage this evening.
I'm trying to unfold to you something.
And to unfold the truth.
Now I want you to get the hold
of this.
Let's have a look at it again now.
You know to expound is to unfold.
So that you could read it like this.
No prophecy of scripture comes from its own
unfolding.
Did you get that bit?
Because that's the truth of this passage.
It doesn't come of its own unfolding you
know.
Private interpretation is just its own unfolding.
You see where I shall quench it for
you.
Is the word that comes behind it.
Now watch me reading it now.
I'm in verse 20.
That no prophecy of the scripture comes of
its own unfolding.
For the prophecy came not in all time
by the will of man.
But holy men of God speak as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost.
You see the great fact here is this.
That the word interpretation is knocking us out.
What he's really talking about is the origination
of the thing.
Actually what he's talking about is inspiration.
And you know inspiration is not of any
private doing of man.
No.
Of course not.
Because the prophets were moved by the Holy
Ghost.
Yes I think we're getting near to it
now.
But let's go a bit further with this
you see.
You see it's not of its own unfolding
for the prophecy came not in all time
by the will of man.
But holy men of God speak as they
were moved.
You know holy men of God just didn't
make up the thing.
Oh no the Holy Ghost came upon them.
It wasn't their own unfolding.
They didn't originate the thing.
Oh no it was inspiration.
It wasn't interpretation it's a wrong word.
In fact he wasn't talking like that right
down the passage.
You see let's get into the context of
the passage.
Go way back to where we started reading.
Verse 16.
He says for we have not followed cunningly
devised fables.
We didn't unfold them ourselves.
It's not something we've done.
We didn't make it up you know.
Oh no it's not private unfolding at all.
He says for we have not followed cunningly
devised fables when we made known unto you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
But we were eyewitnesses.
We were there you know.
We saw his majesty.
We saw the glory in the mount of
transfiguration.
For he received from God the father honor
and glory when there came such a voice
to him from the excellent glory.
This is my beloved son in whom I
am well pleased.
And this voice which came from heaven we
heard.
We didn't only see his glory we heard
the voice.
When we were with him in the holy
mountain.
You know we're not making the thing up.
It is not our own devised fables.
Oh no you see what he's doing.
He's saying you know.
You know this is something that originated way
back there.
And it was the voice of God and
the glory of Christ.
And we saw the honor and the glory
that belonged to him.
Now he comes from that argument into prophecy.
Did you see how quickly he did that.
For we have also a more sure word
of prophecy.
Prophecy is even more sure than that.
You would think that the transfiguration of Christ
was the most wonderful thing.
Oh no prophecy is more wonderful.
Because it's the holy ghost taking men and
moving through them.
And it's his own unfolding.
He originates the thing.
It's not private at all.
You see their argument is all wrong.
Now I want you to get the hold
of this.
He's not talking about what it means.
He's talking about whence it comes.
Oh that we could see that.
That's what he's talking about.
Comes from the holy ghost.
Now I want you to get the hold
of that.
Because that's very important to understanding the text.
You see this is what Peter is saying.
No prophecy of scripture is of his own
unfolding.
For the prophecy came not in old time
by the will of man.
He wasn't in it at all.
But holy men of God speak as they
were moved by the holy ghost.
Now I know it's all right to go
into the words.
And to see the context.
And then go through the scope of the
passage.
But I'm afraid we must come nearer than
that.
We have gone to defeat a whole lot
of people who would come to us with
questions.
And this I think we would have to
do better than that.
And I would think we have done not
so bad up to now.
You know I think we've got to see
this.
Who is Peter writing to?
Let's get this settled.
This is where I begin to knock the
Roman Catholics so called theologians for six.
This is Peter isn't it?
Well this is 2nd Peter and this is
the 1st chapter.
Let's see who he is writing to now.
It begins in chapter 1, Simon Peter.
In case you would miss him.
And it doesn't say the holy reverend father
Simon Peter either.
It just happens to say Simon Peter.
And let me tell you it was Simon
Peter that was signing it.
No bother with his name at all.
Wish we could learn.
We have to be this and that and
the other.
Now he just says Simon Peter.
A servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ.
That's what he was, that was his gift,
an apostle.
To them that have obtained like precious faith.
That's who he's writing to.
Isn't that easy for you?
I'll tell you this.
If he's writing to them he wants them
to have a look at the letter you
know.
Oh the Roman church says no.
Peter who penned it said yes.
Surely if I penned a letter to you
I would like you to read it.
Somebody comes in the back door and says
you're not allowed to read it.
They're doing something that I never intended.
If the letter is written.
Have a look at first Peter.
See first Peter.
And it just begins with Peter this time.
You know these great men of God they
really thrill me.
To the toes.
Yes let's get it just as simple as
that you know.
These mighty servants of God.
The Roman Catholics try to tell me that
he was the first pope if he was.
He didn't know a thing about it.
Just signing his name Peter here.
That's all.
I wish to God the Protestant theologians could
learn.
If you didn't bow and scrape before some
of them you wouldn't be in their class.
He just says Peter.
An apostle of Jesus Christ.
To the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia and Bithynia.
Elect according to the full knowledge of God
the Father through sanctification of the Spirit.
Unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of
Jesus.
Grace unto you and peace be multiplied.
He's writing to saved Jews.
Strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia.
You can get them up, down and go.
They were elect according to the full knowledge
of God.
Does he want them to read it?
Roman Church says no.
Peter says yes.
Have a look at James.
Do you see James?
It's just backwards.
Here's how he begins.
James a servant of God and of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
That's how he describes himself.
You see how these fellows sign their name.
They should put us to shame.
You know our Lord Jesus made himself of
no reputation.
And we fiddle about with old titles.
This James he is.
Servant of God and of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad.
That's a pity British Israelism didn't read it.
They're all lost tribes there.
Twelve are there now.
All right.
If I take up the twelve tribes for
that week and have a night out of
it can't we?
They're not lost.
When Paul was before the king he said.
Are twelve tribes which instantly serve God day
and night.
Oh in his day they were there.
When James is writing they're there.
In the second verse he says.
My brethren.
Surely he wants them to read it.
I would think it's easy.
Have a look at Hebrews.
If we go back to Hebrews.
It's a great old letter.
I would love to take more time with
it.
You know in the first two chapters.
There's a whole introduction.
Of the glories of Christ.
How great he was.
It's not until he comes to the third
chapter.
That he really begins to talk to the
people he's writing to.
Chapter three verse one.
He says wherefore holy brethren.
Partakers of the heavenly calling.
Consider the apostle and high priest of our
profession.
Who's he writing to?
These holy brethren who were born again at
this heavenly calling.
Don't you think he wants them to read
it?
Surely when Paul was writing to Timothy it
was for Timothy.
Would the Roman church have dared to say
to Timothy.
You're not allowed to read it.
Surely Titus was for Titus.
Surely when Paul says from a child.
Thou hast known the holy scriptures.
Which are able to make me wise unto
salvation.
Have a look at this one.
We're at Ephesians.
This is something I want you to get
the hold of.
I know I'm sort of stretching the elastic
here.
But for young people I think I need
to do it.
Chapter one verse one.
Paul, see the same old stump again.
Oh it's Simon Peter and then it's Peter.
And then it's James.
I'll tell you this.
These men just kept it humble all the
time.
He just says Paul.
An apostle of Jesus Christ by the will
of God.
To the saints which are at Ephesus.
Surely he wants the saints to hear the
thing.
Oh the Roman church comes out loud doesn't
it.
Ah this is what I wanted to do
for you.
Just go over to the sixth chapter here.
See this chapter six.
You know.
He's writing to this whole assembly at Ephesus.
It was an assembly of saints.
And like our assembly there were children in
the assembly who were saved.
Thank God we've got saved children you know.
The last came to me on Sunday morning.
Two Sunday mornings ago.
Just nine.
Says I want to be baptized sir.
He says when will you say it?
Tell me the date.
Knows all about it.
Oh yes thank God they can get saved
you know.
Praise the Lord.
Now don't be limited in the Lord.
That's what we were talking about on Sunday
morning.
Thank God for every one of them.
Now Paul recognized this.
He's not only writing to the saints.
He's writing to the children in the assembly.
He wants even the children to listen in.
Oh Rome would say no wouldn't they.
Goes down the chapter a little bit.
He says in verse 4 he says and
ye fathers.
Talking to the fathers of the children.
Provoke not your children to run.
Verse 5 he's talking to servants.
Actually the old word is slaves.
Because in those days some of the slaves
in the big houses were gloriously saved.
He said to the slaves be obedient to
them that are your masters according to the
flesh.
With fear and trembling in singleness of your
heart as unto Christ.
That's the way you work you know.
That's the way I used to go to
work in the mornings.
Oh I go back and I was thrilled.
Going down with a big pair of military
boots on 7 o'clock in the morning.
You stamped your time.
But I learned I wasn't working for old
Dixon.
I was working for Christ.
So I was there at 10 to 7
every morning.
Stamped the clock 10 to 7.
I was the only man there.
I wasn't mad or anything.
Working for Christ.
Are you?
Are you running for the bus yet?
Some of you couldn't get your mark.
Can't get yours out of bed.
I saved alright.
I have no doubts about you being saved.
You don't want anybody to believe you are.
Not in the morning at 7 o'clock
anyway.
See down the chapter verse 9.
And ye masters.
As he talks to the boys who are
the bosses.
Do the same things unto them for bearing
threatening.
Knowing that your master also is in heaven.
See the whole thing he says.
Finally my brethren.
Surely he wanted them all to read the
thing.
I don't think there's any bother with it
at all.
You know.
We are living in a day and hour.
And we have enemies all around us.
You know the totalitarian state of Russia.
Who detests this book.
Would love to take this book off the
whole world.
Trying to take the book off even the
believers in Russia.
And you see.
The power of Rome would take this book
away too.
Beginning to ease up a little bit because.
People are not just as soft as they
used to be.
Not just as soft.
And things are changing.
You see.
These folks like Russia and Rome.
Don't like the democratic system.
Well you are allowed to do this and
that and the other.
They would love to take over and hold
your mind.
Oh this whole thing you know of brainwashing.
This is it.
This is this Babylonish thing that has come
down to us.
And it's present in Rome.
And it's present in Russia.
Not only communism and Romanism.
But modernism.
Yeah they would love to take the book
off us too.
I shall say this to you now and
you can try me out on this.
Have a look at the countries.
Where they have taken that book off of.
Have a look at them.
And you only need to go to South
America.
And you only need to go to Spain.
And you only need to go to Italy.
And you only need to go over the
border to the south of Ireland.
See where they are.
See what they are.
And you'll see the search that's in this
world.
I'll tell you this.
Have a look at this now.
Take your time and have a look at
this.
See the ordinary common five feet man and
woman who love this book and are allowed
to read it.
They are the best men and women in
this world.
They didn't need a police force.
And sometimes Protestantism has a name.
And don't use it when you are cutting
throats up the shankle.
That's not Protestantism.
Or use the word.
I'll tell you.
You only need to look don't you.
You can see this.
No wonder Rome wanted to take the book
off them.
No wonder the communist wants to take the
book.
No wonder the modernist wants to take the
book.
Look there's two wonderful reasons why we must
have this book.
And you know we are free to open
this at six in the morning or five
in the morning.
And you know there is a phrase in
this book that says study.
Rome says don't.
But there is a word in this book
that says study to show yourself approved.
And you are to give attention on to
reading and all the rest of it.
You see there are two things I want
you to get the hold of this.
You see if you could only know the
way we are built up here.
When I had the boys out at the
school I gave them lectures.
On their mind and how to apply their
mind to the book.
You see there's a bit up here it's
called your imagination.
Some of us have great imaginations.
I think that some of them have so
much imagination they have nothing else.
Yes it has taken up the whole space.
Oh but there are other faculties up here.
You see we have not only imagination up
here.
We have memory.
Maybe that's my best bit.
I have a great memory and I can
remember so much it's so easy for me.
Quite simple for me.
Just a good memory that's all.
I just thank God for it every day.
But you haven't only imagination up there and
memory.
You have understanding up there you know.
There's a faculty called understanding.
Now that's the way God built us.
Just try to get those just in the
focus just now.
But then when you get saved you see.
God sends the Holy Ghost into your heart.
I want you to get this.
Because he's called the spirit of truth.
And I want you to know that he'll
take this book if you give him a
chance.
And he'll show you things to come.
You know what he's doing he's using your
imagination.
Because I can see the great tribulation of
the Antichrist.
I can see so much things to come.
And I'll tell you this.
You see he shall bring to your remembrance.
Jesus said when he has come he shall
bring to your remembrance.
Things that I said unto me.
Do you remember that bit?
Because that's very important you know.
Yes he will bring to your remembrance things
that I said.
He's taken your memory now.
When the cock crowed Peter remembered.
When they walked into the tomb.
And the grave clothes were there and they're
not disturbed and he's gone.
They remembered didn't they?
That he had said he would rise again.
Because the Holy Ghost takes your imagination and
shows you things to come.
Takes your memory.
You remember when Jesus came into the upper
room it says he opened their understanding.
Ah yes you know that's why a boy
like me gets on.
Just the Holy Ghost helps me.
Not that I'm cleverer than you or anything
like that.
Thank you for coming and all that.
Maybe the biggest dope in this place at
this moment is the old man on the
platform.
While I keep knowing that I'm alright.
God helps some of you who think you
are something.
God sees you.
Yes but what Luther did.
When he met the Roman Catholic theologians dead
on and they said you can't do this.
You're not allowed to read.
This is private.
He said you're taking away the ministry of
the Spirit of God and you're not allowing
him to minister.
That was the argument.
And this is what he said to the
Pope of Rome.
He said you are taking away the right
of the ministry that belongs to the Spirit
of God.
You're not allowing him to illuminate the imagination
or the memory or open up the understanding
with the truth.
And sir this is nearer to the unpardonable
sin than anything else I know.
He was no softie that fellow.
No softie.
He got the hold of it.
You're licking your lips over this.
Let me ask you how much of this
book you read today.
You see the old television tonight.
And the football.
All the rest of it.
The horse race and the derby.
A whole lot more things than you know.
Let me ask you so called Protestants.
Did you read God's word today?
Did you read it yesterday and the day
before?
Or are you here bluffing me?
A backslider are you?
You know somebody said to me when I
was in Canada.
What we need is a forward movement.
Not at all I said.
It's a backward movement we need.
We need to get back to the book.
Make up your mind before you leave this
place this evening.
That you'll get back to the book.
Not just on Tuesday with the old man.
Every morning.
Or every dinner time.
Whatever way it suits you now.
Or every night somewhere.
I'll be alone with you Lord.
And I'll sit at your feet and I'll
hear your word.
And the Holy Ghost within you.
Will have a chance of illuminating your imagination.
And helping your memory.
And making your understanding to tell for Christ.
I'm sure the answer is there alright.
This is the work of the Holy Ghost.
Let's bow together before the Lord.
Not singing anymore this evening.
Lord we bow at thy feet.
We lift our hearts to thee.
We thank thee for this holy, inspired, infallible,
unchangeable, impregnable, eternal, word of thy.
Oh God thou hast given it to us
in our mother tongue.
Sometimes we throw it on the shelf.
And throw the telegraph on the top of
it.
Forgive us.
Lord, help us to bow before thee and
make up our minds tonight.
That you'll have time with us.
We'll open the book.
We'll not only read, we'll listen.
May the Holy Ghost show us things to
come.
May he fill our memories with things that
will be profitable in days to come.
Lord open our understanding.
May he glorify thee before us.
Part us in thy fear and with thy
blessing for thy namesake.
Amen.