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Welcome to From the Pulpit in Classic Sermons.

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Each week we bring you a different message

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from some of history's greatest speakers in the

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Christian faith, and powerful sermons from modern preachers

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too.

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This week we have Leonard Ravenhill with his

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message, Who is Touching the Ark?

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Through Samuel 6 we read from verse 1,

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Again David gathered together all the chosen men

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of Israel, thirty thousand.

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And David arose and went with all the

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people that were with him from the valley

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of Judah to bring up from thence the

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ark of God, whose name is called by

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the name of the Lord of hosts that

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dwelleth between the cherubim.

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And they set the ark of God upon

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a new cart, and brought it out of

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the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah,

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and Uther and Ahio.

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Ahio, that's not a state, that's the name

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of a man.

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The sons of Abinadab drove the new cart,

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and they brought it out of the house

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of Abinadab, which was at Gibeah, accompanying the

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ark of God.

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And Ahio went before the ark.

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And David and all the house of Israel

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played before the Lord, and all instruments, men

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of instruments, made of firwood, even on harps

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and psalteries, on timbrels, on connets and cymbals.

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And when they came to Nacon's threshing floor,

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Uther put forth his hand to the ark

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of God, and took hold of it, for

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the oxen shook it.

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And the anger of the Lord was kindled

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against Uther, and God smote him there for

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his error, and there he died by the

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ark of God.

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Let's look a minute here in the 25th

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chapter of Exodus.

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Exodus chapter 25.

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Remember, the beginning of this chapter is where

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the Lord is selecting.

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He's going to do what I think must

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have been very strange to Israel.

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They had never had any covering in the

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sense of a tabernacle.

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They'd been nomads.

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They'd had no priests.

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They'd had the heavens for the ceiling of

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their church, if you like.

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And now suddenly, instead of being enlarged, they're

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contracted to a small space that's called, has

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been called again, the tabernacle in the wilderness.

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And God gives specific instructions to this amazing

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man Moses, about the building.

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It's very interesting that he had no choice

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in this.

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He obeyed every commandment God gave to him.

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He had no more choice in the colors

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of the thing, any more than Noah had

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a choice of what kind of a rainbow

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he wanted.

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He never wondered what kind of a rainbow

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he might have chosen.

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If the Lord said, you choose the colors,

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it would have been a mess.

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If he'd asked me, I wouldn't know the

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colors.

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But he just did as he was commanded.

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And it says in verse 8 of the

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25th chapter of Exodus, let them make me

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a sanctuary that I may dwell among them,

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according to all that I show thee, after

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the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern

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of all the instruments thereof, even so shall

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ye make it.

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Okay, come down to verse 17.

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Thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure

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gold, two cubits and a half shall be

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the length thereof, and a cubit and a

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half the breadth thereof.

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And thou shalt make two cherubins of gold,

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a beaten work shalt thou make them in

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the two ends of the mercy seat, and

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make one cherub on one end and the

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other cherub on the other, even of the

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mercy seat shall ye make the cherubins on

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the two ends thereof.

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And the cherubins shall stretch forth their wings

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on high, covering the mercy seat with their

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wings, and their faces shall look one to

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another.

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Towards the mercy seat shall the faces of

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the cherubins be.

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And thou shalt put the mercy seat above

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upon the ark, and in the ark thou

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shalt put the testimony that I shall give

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thee, and there will I meet with thee.

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Now that's the first piece of furniture mentioned

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as regards the tabernacle.

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It was roughly 54 inches long, this ark.

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It was a three feet high and three

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feet wide, and it was a visible presence

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of an invisible power.

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It was a kind of a earthly resting

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place where God put his power between those

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awesome cherubins.

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Remember how often the psalmist cries, O thou

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that dwellest between the cherubins, shine forth.

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Psalm 80 particularly, before Ephraim and Manasseh, stir

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up thy strength and come and save us.

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If you talk about the ark, usually people

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think you mean the ark where, you know,

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the children play with at home, they were

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little animals, and they go into Noah's ark.

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Well that was an ark all right.

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Now do you remember another ark beside that?

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Well it was a little thing a woman

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made to put a baby in.

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She made an ark of bulrushes.

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And thirdly you have this ark.

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Now the ark, actually the word really means,

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if you get right to the bottom of

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it, it means a place to preserve something

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intact.

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It has complete coverage.

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You know I've said so often that faith

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does three things.

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It reckons, it risks, and it rests.

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I think the mother of Moses must have

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been, well she sure was a wonderful woman,

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and she put that baby in that little

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ark and pushed it out onto the waters

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of the Nile.

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I think it's a horrible risk.

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Now did she know a crocodile wouldn't eat

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it before she had hardly turned her back?

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Or the lid could have blown off and

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the sun might have scorched the baby crisp,

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or it could have been carried away on

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the on the flood, or somebody could have

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stole it.

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But you see when you get a word

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from God, you're not going to be shaken

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by the Philistines or anybody else outside.

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God had told her what to do and

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she obeyed.

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And again that's the key, that's the anchorage

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of spiritual success, spiritual maturity, is obedience.

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To obey is better than sacrifice.

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Remember King Saul filled a hole of that

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that valley with beasts, and yet he retained

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a few of the price stock.

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And when Samuel came up to him and

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spoke to him, he said, well I've done

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as you said, and the little sheep gave

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the story away enough.

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Wonderful what little animals have taken important parts

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in the Bible isn't it?

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And Samuel says, if you've done what you

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said you've done, what meaneth this bleating of

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the sheep?

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And the lowing of the oxen which I

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hear.

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To obey is better than sacrifice.

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There is no substitute for obedience.

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None, not there, not now, not ever.

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Again trust and obey, there's no other way,

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there's no other outlet.

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You either do as God says, all right,

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you begin to shrink, you begin to wither.

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Now here is the ark, and the measurements

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are given to us.

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Verse 22 says, there will I meet with

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thee.

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And that was the supreme desire of God.

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It's the supreme desire of God today, that

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when we come together we meet with him.

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As I usually ask people when, somewhere in

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a meeting, did you come here, or did

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you come here tonight to meet God, or

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did you come to hear a sermon about

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him?

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I talked with somebody today, an internationally known

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figure who said, you know, I'm realizing how

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little I know of God, and I had

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offered somebody a sermon that, uh, there's the

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most profound thing I've ever heard, and this

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person said, I don't, I feel as though

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I don't want to preach anymore.

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I said, well that's how I felt when

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I, when I heard the, the depth that

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this man has.

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Talking about Jesus laying his glory by and

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being wrapped in our clay.

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Oh God pity us, we're so commercialized, we're

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so regulated by circumstances, we get up with

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the clock, the clock runs our lives, that

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we lose sight of eternity, we lose sight

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of the wonder of God's salvation.

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And the key concern is about the whole

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of the building of this marvelous, you know,

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if you want to call it, kind of

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a private area that was to be roped

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off, and, and again when you think of

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all the linen that was put round, and

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every thread, billions of them were put in

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there by hand.

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Rather staggering, isn't it?

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And then there's to be a, a place,

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a holy place, and then not only a

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holy place, but the holy of holies.

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And this ark was put not in the

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holy place, it's put in the holy of

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holies, and it has the chief place in

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the holy of holies, and inside of it

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you'll have the, uh, the rod that budded,

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and you'll, you'll have a sample of the

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manna that fell from heaven, and it didn't

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get worms in it either, and, uh, and

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there you have the tables of stone.

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These, this testimony of God has to be

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preserved.

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And the ark is, is an abiding place

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for God on earth, that is, he manifests

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himself there.

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Uh, let's, let's skip over a minute here,

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and read in the first book of Samuel,

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and, uh, chapter five, sorry.

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We can't go through the whole thing, this

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is a fantastic study.

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I'm going to do it myself, but I

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couldn't do it tonight, because it would take

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up too much time.

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But if you want to find a, a,

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a, a minute, excuse me, a minute account

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of this ark, and God's desire, and the

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way it moved around, you'd have to go

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to the first book, go to the first

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book, uh, of Chronicles, and chapters 12 to

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16, and you'll find a very marvelous account

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of the moving of that wonderful ark.

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And then, of course, you'd have to read

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Psalm 68, and Psalm 101, which, which also

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deal with him, and this, and Psalm 24.

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You see, this is some little bit of

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furniture that's tucked away in the corner that

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has no meaning, meaning it's the abiding place.

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If you like, it's the seat, it's the

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dwelling place.

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You, you have the ark, and then on

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the, on the top of the ark, you,

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you have a mercy seat.

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The Salvation Army never used to talk about

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coming to the altar, they used to sing.

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I remember that years ago, 60, 70 years

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ago, when the army used to sing, come

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to the mercy seat, fervently kneel.

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Here bring you wounded heart, here, uh, tell

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your anguish, earth has no sorrow that heaven

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cannot heal.

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There's a mercy seat, a blood-sprinkled mercy

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seat.

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Somebody afterwards removed that lid and looked inside,

267
00:11:00,590 --> 00:11:02,310
and because they did, they, they got into

268
00:11:02,310 --> 00:11:03,030
serious trouble.

269
00:11:04,950 --> 00:11:07,210
Now, if you read those Psalms again, 68

270
00:11:07,210 --> 00:11:09,950
and 101 and Psalm 24, you'll find this

271
00:11:09,950 --> 00:11:12,630
thing goes immensely, immensely interesting.

272
00:11:14,470 --> 00:11:16,570
Okay, we're now in the first book of

273
00:11:16,570 --> 00:11:17,690
Samuel, chapter 5.

274
00:11:18,770 --> 00:11:20,990
The Philistines took the ark of God and

275
00:11:20,990 --> 00:11:22,710
brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

276
00:11:23,430 --> 00:11:25,350
When the Philistines took the ark of God,

277
00:11:25,450 --> 00:11:27,090
they brought it into the house of Dagon

278
00:11:27,650 --> 00:11:29,310
and set it by Dagon.

279
00:11:30,230 --> 00:11:32,590
Now, when they of Ashdod rose early in

280
00:11:32,590 --> 00:11:34,690
the morning, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his

281
00:11:34,690 --> 00:11:36,550
face on the earth before the ark of

282
00:11:36,550 --> 00:11:36,870
God.

283
00:11:37,770 --> 00:11:39,450
And they took Dagon and set him on

284
00:11:39,450 --> 00:11:40,250
his place again.

285
00:11:40,330 --> 00:11:41,890
And they rose early in the morning, and

286
00:11:41,890 --> 00:11:44,310
he was fallen on his face, and his

287
00:11:44,310 --> 00:11:45,830
head and his hands had broken off.

288
00:11:47,330 --> 00:11:51,470
Now, you see here the peril of toying

289
00:11:51,470 --> 00:11:53,150
or playing with holy things.

290
00:11:54,090 --> 00:11:55,630
There's a verse I didn't look up, but

291
00:11:55,630 --> 00:11:58,110
it talks about the iniquity of holy things.

292
00:11:58,170 --> 00:12:00,270
Now that's something to really turn over, isn't

293
00:12:00,270 --> 00:12:00,430
it?

294
00:12:01,010 --> 00:12:02,510
How in the world can you have the

295
00:12:02,510 --> 00:12:03,990
iniquity of holy things?

296
00:12:05,570 --> 00:12:07,730
These people have captured the ark of God.

297
00:12:08,370 --> 00:12:09,750
They thought it would do them good.

298
00:12:09,810 --> 00:12:11,710
Instead it did put it at the side

299
00:12:11,710 --> 00:12:14,410
of their God, this monstrous God.

300
00:12:14,690 --> 00:12:17,030
Dagon, with the upper part of his body,

301
00:12:17,190 --> 00:12:19,410
was a man, and the lower part a

302
00:12:19,410 --> 00:12:19,690
fish.

303
00:12:19,790 --> 00:12:21,690
Something like a mermaid you would say today.

304
00:12:22,590 --> 00:12:24,250
And there he stood in a temple where

305
00:12:24,250 --> 00:12:26,290
people worshiped him, and as soon as they

306
00:12:26,290 --> 00:12:28,090
put the ark of God there, without anybody

307
00:12:28,090 --> 00:12:30,150
doing a thing, big old Dagon fell down

308
00:12:30,150 --> 00:12:30,670
on his face.

309
00:12:30,870 --> 00:12:32,090
So they stood him up again.

310
00:12:32,410 --> 00:12:33,710
And they went in the next morning, he

311
00:12:33,710 --> 00:12:34,430
was worse off.

312
00:12:35,290 --> 00:12:37,050
He not only fell down, his hands had

313
00:12:37,050 --> 00:12:39,750
broken off, his feet had broken off, just

314
00:12:39,750 --> 00:12:42,030
because of God's presence being there.

315
00:12:43,570 --> 00:12:45,650
Now, see what happened further in the chapter.

316
00:12:46,930 --> 00:12:48,970
When it was early in the morning, behold

317
00:12:48,970 --> 00:12:50,950
Dagon was fallen upon his face to the

318
00:12:50,950 --> 00:12:52,510
ground before the ark of the Lord.

319
00:12:53,210 --> 00:12:54,930
And the head of Dagon and both the

320
00:12:54,930 --> 00:12:59,620
palms of his hands were cut off upon

321
00:12:59,620 --> 00:13:00,220
the threshold.

322
00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:02,140
Only the stump of Dagon was left.

323
00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:04,460
Therefore neither the priest of Dagon nor any

324
00:13:04,460 --> 00:13:07,020
that came into Dagon's house dared tread on

325
00:13:07,020 --> 00:13:08,860
the threshold of Dagon to this day.

326
00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:11,800
You see, just that one visitation, that one

327
00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:13,500
movement of God, terrified them.

328
00:13:14,260 --> 00:13:16,080
So in a sense Dagon had to go

329
00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:16,720
out to business.

330
00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:18,720
Verse 6.

331
00:13:18,780 --> 00:13:20,220
The hand of the Lord was heavy upon

332
00:13:20,220 --> 00:13:22,780
them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them and

333
00:13:22,780 --> 00:13:25,420
smote them with emeralds, and Ashdod and the

334
00:13:25,420 --> 00:13:26,740
cults thereof.

335
00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:29,180
And when the men of Ashdod saw that

336
00:13:29,180 --> 00:13:30,860
it was so, they said, The ark of

337
00:13:30,860 --> 00:13:32,860
God of Israel shall not abide with us,

338
00:13:33,620 --> 00:13:35,880
for his hand is sought upon us and

339
00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:37,120
upon Dagon our God.

340
00:13:37,940 --> 00:13:39,880
Going to the end of the eighth verse.

341
00:13:40,660 --> 00:13:42,540
And they carried the ark of God, the

342
00:13:42,540 --> 00:13:43,220
God of Israel.

343
00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:46,820
They carried the ark of the God of

344
00:13:46,820 --> 00:13:49,920
Israel out thither, and it was so after

345
00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:51,480
they had carried it out that the hand

346
00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:52,880
of the Lord was against the city.

347
00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:56,620
Now here you are again, you see the

348
00:13:56,620 --> 00:13:57,240
peril.

349
00:13:57,240 --> 00:13:59,440
What I want to emphasize, two things.

350
00:13:59,580 --> 00:14:03,020
I want to emphasize the peril of having

351
00:14:03,020 --> 00:14:07,680
these holy things and misusing them.

352
00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:12,580
And yet the peril is obviously the opposite

353
00:14:12,580 --> 00:14:13,820
to the power.

354
00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:16,860
Remember the children of Israel, one of their

355
00:14:16,860 --> 00:14:19,700
marvelous escapades, they walked around the city seven

356
00:14:19,700 --> 00:14:20,300
times.

357
00:14:21,460 --> 00:14:22,340
What did they do?

358
00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:23,720
They carried the ark of God.

359
00:14:23,820 --> 00:14:25,520
So then that was the very presence of

360
00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:25,780
God.

361
00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:27,860
Can you imagine people on the walls looking

362
00:14:27,860 --> 00:14:29,680
down and say, Well, who are these lunatics?

363
00:14:30,020 --> 00:14:30,920
I mean, what are they doing?

364
00:14:31,100 --> 00:14:32,200
They were not allowed to speak.

365
00:14:32,300 --> 00:14:33,580
That must have been tough on some of

366
00:14:33,580 --> 00:14:33,800
them.

367
00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:35,820
They were not allowed to speak.

368
00:14:36,440 --> 00:14:37,920
They walked around in silence.

369
00:14:38,060 --> 00:14:38,860
They carried the ark.

370
00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:39,760
What have they got there?

371
00:14:39,820 --> 00:14:40,460
Is that a coffin?

372
00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:41,060
What is it?

373
00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:41,820
It's a casket.

374
00:14:43,620 --> 00:14:45,480
You see, they were not allowed to mount

375
00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:45,740
it.

376
00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:49,720
When Moses was sharing out some of the

377
00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,000
property of Israel, he gave various things to

378
00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:55,840
various people, but the sons, I've forgotten his

379
00:14:55,840 --> 00:14:58,160
name, Athon, I think it was, his sons

380
00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:01,300
were not allowed to have any cattle or

381
00:15:01,300 --> 00:15:02,180
any of the possessions.

382
00:15:02,540 --> 00:15:05,000
They were separated to carrying the ark of

383
00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:05,340
God.

384
00:15:07,900 --> 00:15:11,800
Now the peril is this, and I think

385
00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:13,580
to me it comes home with great force.

386
00:15:13,900 --> 00:15:15,100
Or let me go to the other scripture.

387
00:15:15,180 --> 00:15:16,260
Where did we read a bit earlier?

388
00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:17,960
I've forgotten that chapter.

389
00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,340
2 Samuel 6.

390
00:15:21,820 --> 00:15:22,120
Okay.

391
00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:27,720
2 Samuel 6 and verse 6.

392
00:15:32,300 --> 00:15:35,860
When they came to Nacob's threshing floor, Uzar

393
00:15:35,860 --> 00:15:38,980
put forth his hand to the ark of

394
00:15:38,980 --> 00:15:40,660
God and took hold of it, and the

395
00:15:40,660 --> 00:15:42,340
oxen shook it, and the anger of the

396
00:15:42,340 --> 00:15:43,660
Lord was kindled against it.

397
00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:43,980
Why?

398
00:15:45,780 --> 00:15:47,760
Now they'd made a new cart for it.

399
00:15:49,380 --> 00:15:50,920
God said it never had to be on

400
00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:51,340
a cart.

401
00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:54,520
God said it had to have four gold

402
00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:56,300
rings, one on each corner, and put a

403
00:15:56,300 --> 00:15:58,100
staff through it, and that men had to

404
00:15:58,100 --> 00:15:58,880
carry this thing.

405
00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:00,880
So they made a new cart.

406
00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:04,020
You know, the Jews then, I don't know

407
00:16:04,020 --> 00:16:05,620
about today, they loved new things.

408
00:16:05,700 --> 00:16:08,220
Remember what Samson said, if you fasten me

409
00:16:08,220 --> 00:16:11,320
with seven new ropes, then I shall be

410
00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:12,660
like other men, or then I shall be

411
00:16:12,660 --> 00:16:13,480
weak like other men.

412
00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:15,040
Rather insulting to us, isn't it?

413
00:16:16,970 --> 00:16:19,250
Remember it later, when Jesus died, they put

414
00:16:19,250 --> 00:16:20,370
him in a new tomb.

415
00:16:21,350 --> 00:16:23,510
When Jesus rode an ass, he rode one

416
00:16:23,510 --> 00:16:24,810
that nobody had brought in.

417
00:16:24,910 --> 00:16:26,010
It was entirely new.

418
00:16:26,230 --> 00:16:29,610
They loved new things, and these people thought

419
00:16:29,610 --> 00:16:31,790
they were doing God a favor by, you

420
00:16:31,790 --> 00:16:33,190
know, modernizing this thing.

421
00:16:33,270 --> 00:16:34,470
I mean, why carry the thing on your

422
00:16:34,470 --> 00:16:37,170
shoulders anyhow, when oxen can do it?

423
00:16:38,310 --> 00:16:39,990
Now I don't know what happened to these

424
00:16:39,990 --> 00:16:40,370
oxen.

425
00:16:40,450 --> 00:16:41,630
You know, it says that when they came

426
00:16:41,630 --> 00:16:44,310
to the threshing floor of Uzar, maybe they

427
00:16:44,310 --> 00:16:45,390
thought it was lunchtime.

428
00:16:46,610 --> 00:16:49,190
You know, they could smell, hmm, that's the

429
00:16:49,190 --> 00:16:51,530
stuff we eat, and hmm, right now they're

430
00:16:51,530 --> 00:16:52,610
threshing some new wheat.

431
00:16:52,910 --> 00:16:54,310
Hmm, we should stay and have some.

432
00:16:55,170 --> 00:16:57,170
And maybe it was the very action of

433
00:16:57,170 --> 00:17:00,250
those creatures that swayed the ox.

434
00:17:02,580 --> 00:17:04,520
Now isn't it really awesome?

435
00:17:07,140 --> 00:17:08,880
They didn't decide to paint it another color.

436
00:17:10,579 --> 00:17:12,460
They didn't decide to put a second deck

437
00:17:12,460 --> 00:17:12,839
on it.

438
00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:16,140
They didn't disfigure it in any way.

439
00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:20,579
The men didn't go in front of it

440
00:17:20,579 --> 00:17:21,740
and start blaspheming.

441
00:17:23,140 --> 00:17:25,680
The man somehow thought he do gotta, oh

442
00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:27,920
look, the ark is going to topple over,

443
00:17:27,940 --> 00:17:28,960
oh I'll hold it.

444
00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:32,000
Somebody once asked Mr. Spurgeon if he would

445
00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:33,880
join a society for the defense of the

446
00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:36,280
bible, and he said you don't usually walk

447
00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:37,660
before a lion with a sword.

448
00:17:40,470 --> 00:17:41,790
Why do you need to defend the bible?

449
00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:46,940
All this man did was put his hand

450
00:17:46,940 --> 00:17:48,860
up to stay the ark, and immediately he

451
00:17:48,860 --> 00:17:49,380
was smitten.

452
00:17:52,190 --> 00:17:53,450
What do you think we're doing with the

453
00:17:53,450 --> 00:17:54,270
gospel today?

454
00:17:56,150 --> 00:17:57,010
Dressing it up?

455
00:17:57,770 --> 00:17:58,570
Painting it up?

456
00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:02,520
Somebody told me this week of a Christian

457
00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:05,180
group, a rock band, a Christian, Christian rock

458
00:18:05,180 --> 00:18:05,360
band.

459
00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:08,860
Anyhow, whatever they are, they go around, and

460
00:18:08,860 --> 00:18:10,840
now they've got sequins on their coats.

461
00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:12,940
Well why not?

462
00:18:13,020 --> 00:18:16,020
Johnny Cash has them, and all the other

463
00:18:16,020 --> 00:18:16,780
guys have them.

464
00:18:16,940 --> 00:18:18,380
I mean if the world can have them,

465
00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:18,860
can't we?

466
00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:20,900
Glitter, I mean if there's no other glitter,

467
00:18:21,020 --> 00:18:22,060
we may as well stick it on the

468
00:18:22,060 --> 00:18:23,500
outside if you're not on the inside.

469
00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:28,660
Anyhow, and we try to study the ark

470
00:18:28,660 --> 00:18:29,160
of God.

471
00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:31,180
We're trying to put some improvement on the

472
00:18:31,180 --> 00:18:31,760
ark of God.

473
00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:33,420
We try to do that, I think, with

474
00:18:33,420 --> 00:18:35,280
the translations we make of the word of

475
00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:35,560
God.

476
00:18:36,800 --> 00:18:38,620
We try and make sure those words are

477
00:18:38,620 --> 00:18:40,000
just a little bit more easy.

478
00:18:42,210 --> 00:18:43,970
As I said to some preachers I've preached

479
00:18:43,970 --> 00:18:45,970
with this week, that if we go back,

480
00:18:46,050 --> 00:18:47,550
and maybe mentioned it here before, if we

481
00:18:47,550 --> 00:18:49,930
go back to bible language and and call

482
00:18:49,930 --> 00:18:53,150
sin what it really is, instead of saying

483
00:18:53,150 --> 00:18:56,190
somebody, you say that girl's a whore, you

484
00:18:56,190 --> 00:18:57,530
say no no she's a call girl.

485
00:18:58,630 --> 00:19:02,230
You say about a dirty filthy sodomite, oh

486
00:19:02,230 --> 00:19:03,850
no no he's not a sodomite, he's just

487
00:19:03,850 --> 00:19:04,230
gay.

488
00:19:05,790 --> 00:19:07,490
There's nobody wicked, they're just weak.

489
00:19:08,830 --> 00:19:10,850
There's no iniquity, it's just infirmity.

490
00:19:12,410 --> 00:19:14,950
No backsliders anymore, that's a dirty word.

491
00:19:15,810 --> 00:19:17,670
A lot of people have a fellowship, but

492
00:19:19,030 --> 00:19:20,650
backsliders, you don't use that word.

493
00:19:22,750 --> 00:19:23,850
Oh how smooth.

494
00:19:24,310 --> 00:19:26,830
I remember reading a story of Mr Whitfield

495
00:19:26,830 --> 00:19:29,150
where he was particularly angry one day.

496
00:19:30,390 --> 00:19:32,350
I'd like to have heard Whitfield, I think

497
00:19:32,350 --> 00:19:33,470
it had been right up my alley.

498
00:19:34,430 --> 00:19:37,270
He got mighty furious about the possessions the

499
00:19:37,270 --> 00:19:37,850
devil had.

500
00:19:38,370 --> 00:19:40,230
He was always wanting the church to pull

501
00:19:40,230 --> 00:19:41,270
down strongholds.

502
00:19:41,270 --> 00:19:43,030
He was always seeing the enemy doing his

503
00:19:43,030 --> 00:19:46,010
evil work, getting people to submit to him.

504
00:19:46,970 --> 00:19:48,270
And one day he said, I'm going to

505
00:19:48,270 --> 00:19:50,210
shoot the arrows of God into your heart.

506
00:19:50,610 --> 00:19:52,190
And he said, he mentioned an arrow and

507
00:19:52,190 --> 00:19:54,290
he pulled it, the arrow back like this,

508
00:19:54,330 --> 00:19:55,790
and the congregation ducked, you know.

509
00:19:55,930 --> 00:19:58,210
And that's the way to preach, if you

510
00:19:58,210 --> 00:20:01,010
can get them to do that, at least

511
00:20:01,010 --> 00:20:02,870
you've got them halfway down to the ground,

512
00:20:03,010 --> 00:20:05,190
and maybe when you get them halfway down,

513
00:20:05,290 --> 00:20:06,410
you can push them the other half.

514
00:20:08,570 --> 00:20:10,610
But the anger of the Lord was kindled

515
00:20:10,610 --> 00:20:12,670
against this man, and not only slaughtered him,

516
00:20:12,670 --> 00:20:13,490
but killed him.

517
00:20:15,820 --> 00:20:17,280
Come on, in God's name, what are we

518
00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:18,540
doing with the gospel today?

519
00:20:20,980 --> 00:20:22,920
Isn't it getting more emasculated?

520
00:20:23,020 --> 00:20:26,540
Isn't it getting more Hollywood style?

521
00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:31,100
Don't you miss the absence and the glory

522
00:20:31,100 --> 00:20:31,640
of God?

523
00:20:34,370 --> 00:20:37,530
Why, they got the very presence of God

524
00:20:37,530 --> 00:20:39,770
in fact, and that's all we need.

525
00:20:41,370 --> 00:20:43,590
There's an old hymn that says, God's presence

526
00:20:43,590 --> 00:20:46,650
and his very self, an essence all divine.

527
00:20:49,460 --> 00:20:50,940
I'll ask you again, I've asked you before,

528
00:20:51,140 --> 00:20:52,440
when did you last go out to the

529
00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:52,780
sanctuary?

530
00:20:52,980 --> 00:20:55,420
Tiptoe, because God had revealed his holiness and

531
00:20:55,420 --> 00:20:56,100
his majesty.

532
00:20:58,700 --> 00:20:59,940
We go out very much as the same

533
00:20:59,940 --> 00:21:00,660
way we came in.

534
00:21:00,740 --> 00:21:02,060
Go out, we say, hey I like it

535
00:21:02,060 --> 00:21:02,440
very much.

536
00:21:03,140 --> 00:21:05,420
Someone like that in fears myself, which I've

537
00:21:05,420 --> 00:21:05,800
got it.

538
00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,280
Or I like some other trivial thing that's

539
00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:10,920
got nothing to do with eternity and nothing

540
00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:11,740
to do with God.

541
00:21:13,380 --> 00:21:14,020
Oh my.

542
00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:17,760
Notice in verse 5 now, go back a

543
00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:18,180
minute here.

544
00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:21,640
David and all the house of Israel played

545
00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:23,960
before the Lord, and all instruments made of

546
00:21:23,960 --> 00:21:27,340
fir, wood, even hearth, and psalteries, and timbrels,

547
00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:29,540
and coronets, and ensembles.

548
00:21:29,860 --> 00:21:31,300
Now that there is his ecstasy.

549
00:21:31,620 --> 00:21:32,860
Now come down to verse 9.

550
00:21:33,080 --> 00:21:34,880
This same David was afraid of the Lord

551
00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:36,600
that day, and he said, how shall the

552
00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:37,880
ark of the Lord come to me?

553
00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:40,400
That's a big switch.

554
00:21:42,260 --> 00:21:44,940
He's excited, they have their band music, everything's

555
00:21:44,940 --> 00:21:46,520
having a wave of the time, and then

556
00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:49,520
suddenly God intervenes, and suddenly his all emotional

557
00:21:49,520 --> 00:21:51,140
life does a somersault.

558
00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:55,260
He realizes what an awful God he serves.

559
00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:58,400
What a God of majesty, what a God

560
00:21:58,400 --> 00:21:58,960
of glory.

561
00:22:01,110 --> 00:22:03,710
One minute everybody's excited, the next minute wouldn't

562
00:22:03,710 --> 00:22:04,150
that be something?

563
00:22:04,330 --> 00:22:06,690
It'd be like going into the uh that

564
00:22:06,690 --> 00:22:09,330
experience you know when Ananias and Sapphira went

565
00:22:09,330 --> 00:22:09,870
to church.

566
00:22:10,690 --> 00:22:12,190
That must have been a great morning.

567
00:22:12,330 --> 00:22:13,810
I would have enjoyed that I think.

568
00:22:14,850 --> 00:22:16,570
I said, well Lord why do you why

569
00:22:16,570 --> 00:22:17,890
do you stop with two hypocrites?

570
00:22:18,070 --> 00:22:19,630
I'm sure half the congregation you could have

571
00:22:19,630 --> 00:22:21,070
wiped them out at the same time.

572
00:22:21,150 --> 00:22:23,290
It would have been more spectacular, but God

573
00:22:23,290 --> 00:22:24,230
doesn't do it that way.

574
00:22:26,220 --> 00:22:27,740
But I what I'm trying to say, rough

575
00:22:27,740 --> 00:22:30,160
and tumble as it may be, because I'm

576
00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,920
up to the hectic day today, that the

577
00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:34,820
anger of God was kindled for a very

578
00:22:34,820 --> 00:22:35,600
simple thing.

579
00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:37,720
He did not take a hammer and break

580
00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:38,280
the ark.

581
00:22:39,180 --> 00:22:41,400
He didn't say this old piece of furniture

582
00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:42,160
we can do that.

583
00:22:42,360 --> 00:22:43,600
Do you know the ark is the only

584
00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:45,760
thing that was taken out of the original

585
00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:47,800
tabernacle and went into the temple of the

586
00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:48,600
most high God?

587
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:52,000
Do you know afterwards in the book of

588
00:22:52,000 --> 00:22:54,560
the revelation it says that's preserved the testimony

589
00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:55,720
of God in an ark?

590
00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:59,160
Now scholars will tell you that the ark

591
00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:02,800
was destroyed in the uh second invasion and

592
00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:04,460
the burning of Babylon and what have you

593
00:23:04,460 --> 00:23:05,580
got, and maybe it was.

594
00:23:06,900 --> 00:23:10,500
And yet God's presence, and that's what it

595
00:23:10,500 --> 00:23:11,000
matters.

596
00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:12,580
It isn't a case of having a wooden

597
00:23:12,580 --> 00:23:13,480
box here.

598
00:23:14,820 --> 00:23:16,940
What it's telling us is that God makes

599
00:23:16,940 --> 00:23:18,420
their place in habitation.

600
00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:20,640
Now as I said to somebody today this

601
00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:23,560
is this is awesome, this is breathtaking, when

602
00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:25,220
when you say well I'd like to go

603
00:23:25,220 --> 00:23:26,560
and I wish we had a box and

604
00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:28,540
you can say God's presence is there.

605
00:23:29,740 --> 00:23:31,600
He's there in his holiness, he's there in

606
00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:33,120
his majesty, he's there in his glory.

607
00:23:33,180 --> 00:23:34,760
Be careful how you handle this thing.

608
00:23:37,380 --> 00:23:39,320
Well we don't need a box, we don't

609
00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:40,040
need a presence.

610
00:23:40,140 --> 00:23:40,420
Why?

611
00:23:40,620 --> 00:23:42,860
Because it says you're the habitation of God.

612
00:23:46,770 --> 00:23:48,730
There's only so much of God's holiness in

613
00:23:48,730 --> 00:23:50,170
this meeting as you and I fill with

614
00:23:50,170 --> 00:23:51,890
the spirit of the holy spirit of God,

615
00:23:51,970 --> 00:23:53,330
the pure spirit of God.

616
00:23:55,070 --> 00:23:56,910
He doesn't dwell in temples, they owe you

617
00:23:56,910 --> 00:23:59,190
to make him a thousand crystal palaces like

618
00:23:59,190 --> 00:24:00,510
they've done on the west coast there.

619
00:24:00,730 --> 00:24:01,170
So what?

620
00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:06,020
You can't sanctify a building in the new

621
00:24:06,020 --> 00:24:07,700
testament since they didn't do that.

622
00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:11,800
Why even Solomon said, and I guess he

623
00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:13,940
built the most expensive building ever made, men

624
00:24:13,940 --> 00:24:16,280
were like he used gold to walk on,

625
00:24:16,340 --> 00:24:18,100
he used gold on the walls, he was

626
00:24:18,100 --> 00:24:21,480
the most extravagant building ever made, he used

627
00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,160
gold more easily than we used cement.

628
00:24:25,580 --> 00:24:27,080
And he built the altar and he had

629
00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,700
all the priests in total correct display there.

630
00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:33,300
And yet when he made it into session

631
00:24:33,300 --> 00:24:36,300
to God he says, look I put up

632
00:24:36,300 --> 00:24:38,380
this building, I've done everything according to your

633
00:24:38,380 --> 00:24:38,980
commandment.

634
00:24:41,340 --> 00:24:44,360
We've even got an altar, we even got

635
00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:45,680
a sacrifice on the altar.

636
00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:47,960
Now what's missing?

637
00:24:49,580 --> 00:24:51,520
Nothing except the fire of God.

638
00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:55,540
What good is a house that I've built

639
00:24:55,540 --> 00:24:57,260
if God's presence isn't there?

640
00:24:59,060 --> 00:25:00,720
What's the good of making a showpiece and

641
00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:02,440
saying we've got the best tribe, we've got

642
00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:04,140
the most brilliant preacher, we've got this time.

643
00:25:04,380 --> 00:25:05,040
So what?

644
00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:08,300
In God's name does it matter?

645
00:25:11,460 --> 00:25:13,060
Don't you think we're putting our hands on

646
00:25:13,060 --> 00:25:14,100
so many things these days?

647
00:25:14,300 --> 00:25:15,980
You've got to start this way and finish

648
00:25:15,980 --> 00:25:17,440
that way and do something else.

649
00:25:17,580 --> 00:25:18,840
We're getting so mechanical.

650
00:25:23,070 --> 00:25:25,450
Since when did the gospel need trimming up?

651
00:25:27,500 --> 00:25:28,780
I would have to go to a meeting

652
00:25:28,780 --> 00:25:30,440
this week, there was a five-piece band

653
00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:30,780
there.

654
00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:34,140
It was band, B-A-N.

655
00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:37,680
If I had ought to do it, it

656
00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:39,860
would be B-A-N-M-E-D,

657
00:25:40,060 --> 00:25:40,320
band.

658
00:25:41,360 --> 00:25:42,820
I'd have banned the whole thing.

659
00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:46,540
Oh how they swerved and jazzed and what

660
00:25:46,540 --> 00:25:46,640
not.

661
00:25:46,700 --> 00:25:48,160
They didn't do that too long after I

662
00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:48,880
really got going.

663
00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:52,920
The preacher said amen for 10 minutes then

664
00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:56,980
he lost all his pump, his energy and

665
00:25:56,980 --> 00:25:58,100
somehow lost his voice.

666
00:26:04,150 --> 00:26:05,390
Who's touching the arse?

667
00:26:08,170 --> 00:26:09,690
David was afraid of the Lord.

668
00:26:09,790 --> 00:26:11,070
He hadn't been afraid before.

669
00:26:16,300 --> 00:26:18,760
Isn't it incredible that this people that knew

670
00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:22,540
God in such an intimate way, this people

671
00:26:22,540 --> 00:26:24,300
who had gone round the city without a

672
00:26:24,300 --> 00:26:28,020
gun, the most despised people of all, and

673
00:26:28,020 --> 00:26:29,880
they went round one day, round another day,

674
00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:31,240
round another day, round another.

675
00:26:31,500 --> 00:26:33,240
On the last day they went round seven

676
00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:35,340
times, so 13 times they went round.

677
00:26:35,420 --> 00:26:36,580
That's pretty unlucky isn't it?

678
00:26:38,160 --> 00:26:39,960
And they kept down and they put all

679
00:26:39,960 --> 00:26:41,720
the criticism of the people that were watching

680
00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:43,760
and all they had to do on the

681
00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:45,460
last day was shout with a great shout.

682
00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:45,700
Why?

683
00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:50,220
Because God was there and I don't see

684
00:26:50,220 --> 00:26:52,200
any fun in shouting and carrying on in

685
00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:52,640
a meeting.

686
00:26:54,730 --> 00:26:56,510
Oh you can clap your hands that's okay,

687
00:26:56,630 --> 00:26:58,510
but mercy that's all you have to do.

688
00:27:00,210 --> 00:27:01,990
You have to whip people up.

689
00:27:04,090 --> 00:27:05,790
You know I brought my dear friend there

690
00:27:05,790 --> 00:27:09,270
Dale there and his father belonged to a

691
00:27:09,270 --> 00:27:11,410
tribe called the Quakers.

692
00:27:12,770 --> 00:27:14,870
And I thought about when God said I

693
00:27:14,870 --> 00:27:17,550
want a tabernacle and there at the mercy

694
00:27:17,550 --> 00:27:18,870
seat will I meet with thee.

695
00:27:18,970 --> 00:27:20,510
God wants me to meet with him.

696
00:27:21,570 --> 00:27:23,250
It's more than me preaching for him, it's

697
00:27:23,250 --> 00:27:24,550
more than me being a missionary for him,

698
00:27:24,590 --> 00:27:25,690
he wants to meet with me.

699
00:27:26,110 --> 00:27:28,050
He wants to reveal himself to me, he

700
00:27:28,050 --> 00:27:29,470
wants to talk to me, he wants to

701
00:27:29,470 --> 00:27:32,030
come and work in this being of mine.

702
00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:36,940
And then he called me from the border

703
00:27:36,940 --> 00:27:39,020
of Mexico today and she said she was

704
00:27:39,020 --> 00:27:41,320
weeping and she said that God has called

705
00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:44,260
us here, we're Hispanics, God has really blessed

706
00:27:44,260 --> 00:27:45,680
us but oh we do want to be

707
00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:47,320
such great soul winners and she went on

708
00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:48,560
and I said my dear look the first

709
00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:50,760
commandment is not thou shall be a soul

710
00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:50,980
winner.

711
00:27:51,540 --> 00:27:53,620
The first commandment is thou shall love the

712
00:27:53,620 --> 00:27:55,520
Lord by God with all thy heart soul

713
00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:56,360
mind and strength.

714
00:27:56,460 --> 00:27:58,120
There are lots of missionaries that don't love

715
00:27:58,120 --> 00:27:58,480
God.

716
00:27:59,700 --> 00:28:01,300
There are lots of missionaries should have returned

717
00:28:01,300 --> 00:28:03,240
to the from the field six months after

718
00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:03,880
they got there.

719
00:28:05,060 --> 00:28:10,040
They're doing a thing mechanically and it's hard

720
00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:11,740
to enjoy that kind of good when you're

721
00:28:11,740 --> 00:28:12,540
doing it mechanically.

722
00:28:12,740 --> 00:28:14,420
But when they do it under the anointing

723
00:28:14,420 --> 00:28:15,560
of God, when they do it with the

724
00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:16,300
love of God.

725
00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:20,920
Can you imagine this profession stopping?

726
00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:26,740
They had harps and psalteries and timbrels and

727
00:28:26,740 --> 00:28:32,140
comments and they're having a great time and

728
00:28:32,140 --> 00:28:33,120
suddenly death came.

729
00:28:35,620 --> 00:28:38,880
You wonder that David was angry afraid and

730
00:28:41,030 --> 00:28:42,290
he said how shall the ark of the

731
00:28:42,290 --> 00:28:43,310
Lord come unto me?

732
00:28:48,680 --> 00:28:49,520
Verse 12.

733
00:28:50,040 --> 00:28:51,840
It was told King David saying the Lord

734
00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,600
blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all

735
00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:56,540
that pertaineth unto him because of the ark

736
00:28:56,540 --> 00:28:57,060
of God.

737
00:28:57,180 --> 00:29:00,200
So David went and brought up the ark

738
00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:01,820
of God from the house of Obed-Edom

739
00:29:01,820 --> 00:29:04,720
into the city of David with gladness and

740
00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:06,480
it was so that when they that bear

741
00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:08,120
the ark of the Lord had gone six

742
00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:12,300
paces he sacrificed oxen and fatlings and David

743
00:29:12,300 --> 00:29:14,480
danced before the Lord with all his might

744
00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:16,640
and he was girded with an ephod.

745
00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:18,460
Now notice what he danced with.

746
00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:20,220
He danced with all his might.

747
00:29:20,380 --> 00:29:21,460
Doesn't say dance with a girl.

748
00:29:22,260 --> 00:29:23,840
He said he danced with all his might.

749
00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:25,980
He danced in the presence of God.

750
00:29:26,940 --> 00:29:28,760
There's nothing sensuous about it.

751
00:29:28,800 --> 00:29:30,460
He isn't linked up with some woman in

752
00:29:30,460 --> 00:29:30,900
his arms.

753
00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:32,480
He's dancing in God's presence.

754
00:29:32,780 --> 00:29:34,780
God has turned his sorrow into joy.

755
00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:36,400
He started off in joy.

756
00:29:37,020 --> 00:29:38,100
There comes bereavement.

757
00:29:38,260 --> 00:29:38,960
There comes sorrow.

758
00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:40,300
They've disobeyed God.

759
00:29:40,380 --> 00:29:41,260
They've hurt God.

760
00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:43,360
They've transgressed against God.

761
00:29:46,030 --> 00:29:47,870
Do you ever wonder if you're getting insensitive

762
00:29:47,870 --> 00:29:49,670
to what God's trying to say to you?

763
00:29:52,280 --> 00:29:54,580
Do you ever wonder when when a certain

764
00:29:54,580 --> 00:29:57,120
thing has happened somewhere in your nervousness you

765
00:29:57,120 --> 00:29:58,760
put your hand up to steady the ark

766
00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:03,320
and somehow that sensitivity went and the compassion

767
00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:05,740
you had went and the concern you had

768
00:30:05,740 --> 00:30:06,060
went?

769
00:30:08,910 --> 00:30:10,690
Again this man didn't take an axe and

770
00:30:10,690 --> 00:30:11,530
split up the ark.

771
00:30:12,230 --> 00:30:14,010
He didn't say we've carried this thing long

772
00:30:14,010 --> 00:30:15,710
enough we need no no no no.

773
00:30:17,970 --> 00:30:20,150
All he did was try to steady the

774
00:30:20,150 --> 00:30:20,970
ark of God.

775
00:30:22,730 --> 00:30:24,850
Oh mercy how we're trying to steady the

776
00:30:24,850 --> 00:30:26,070
ark of God these days.

777
00:30:26,270 --> 00:30:27,650
We want to do some new thing.

778
00:30:27,770 --> 00:30:29,530
We wouldn't we wouldn't we wouldn't just steady

779
00:30:29,530 --> 00:30:29,670
it.

780
00:30:29,690 --> 00:30:30,390
We'd paint it.

781
00:30:32,090 --> 00:30:32,990
We'd paint it.

782
00:30:33,810 --> 00:30:35,650
We'd put a musical box inside of it.

783
00:30:37,270 --> 00:30:39,210
We'd put the priest in some new garments.

784
00:30:40,470 --> 00:30:42,010
We'd try and make it more acceptable.

785
00:30:44,540 --> 00:30:47,100
You know there's nothing nothing this generation needs

786
00:30:47,100 --> 00:30:49,620
more than a baptism, an old-fashioned hellfire

787
00:30:49,620 --> 00:30:50,080
preaching.

788
00:30:52,290 --> 00:30:53,370
I'm sure of that.

789
00:30:58,140 --> 00:31:00,620
The power and the presence of God were

790
00:31:00,620 --> 00:31:04,220
resting on that tabernacle and while they were

791
00:31:04,220 --> 00:31:06,840
obedient they had success.

792
00:31:07,580 --> 00:31:09,280
It doesn't matter if you have to get

793
00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:09,980
a city down.

794
00:31:10,220 --> 00:31:11,960
Again the most ridiculous thing.

795
00:31:13,900 --> 00:31:16,860
And they stood all the criticism and scorning

796
00:31:16,860 --> 00:31:19,700
and yet on that final day when because

797
00:31:19,700 --> 00:31:21,820
they'd obeyed God the whole place came tumbling

798
00:31:21,820 --> 00:31:22,200
down.

799
00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:28,060
Well let's not be too critical about them

800
00:31:28,060 --> 00:31:29,640
because you know you and I again have

801
00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:33,320
more we've more transfer for than they had.

802
00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:37,300
We've seen the mighty workings of God.

803
00:31:38,940 --> 00:31:41,440
I don't know anybody that's pulling Jericho's down

804
00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:41,920
do you?

805
00:31:46,300 --> 00:31:48,300
Can you think about obligation that we have

806
00:31:48,300 --> 00:31:50,240
as a nation with all our Bibles all

807
00:31:50,240 --> 00:31:52,360
our broadcasts?

808
00:31:52,460 --> 00:31:54,320
Well are we studying the ark of God

809
00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:56,280
in the way of presenting the gospel these

810
00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:56,660
days?

811
00:31:58,860 --> 00:32:00,400
The gospel is still the power of God

812
00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:05,190
unto salvation to all who believe.

813
00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:08,780
And when I hear people I heard somebody

814
00:32:08,780 --> 00:32:11,160
say well you know there's a different approach

815
00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:12,180
today is there?

816
00:32:12,540 --> 00:32:13,300
Is there really?

817
00:32:17,220 --> 00:32:18,680
You go tell a woman who's just lost

818
00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:19,180
a child.

819
00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:20,980
Well these are modern days you don't have

820
00:32:20,980 --> 00:32:22,440
to weep over it and groan over it.

821
00:32:23,020 --> 00:32:24,320
I mean they did that in the Bible

822
00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:26,500
days but of course women were women then.

823
00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:28,440
But nowadays it doesn't matter.

824
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:30,200
All they've done is lost a child.

825
00:32:32,360 --> 00:32:34,120
Is there any difference between the grief of

826
00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:36,480
somebody who's heartbroken today than there was in

827
00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:38,160
the grief of somebody who lived 3,000

828
00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:38,760
years ago?

829
00:32:41,070 --> 00:32:42,430
We say human nature has changed.

830
00:32:42,550 --> 00:32:43,850
Human nature has not changed.

831
00:32:44,930 --> 00:32:46,830
Human nature is still a sinful nature.

832
00:32:46,970 --> 00:32:48,550
Human nature still needs God.

833
00:32:52,140 --> 00:32:53,720
And I think there are times when God

834
00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:55,740
tries to stop the business you know.

835
00:32:56,820 --> 00:32:59,260
When I think of again they all they

836
00:32:59,260 --> 00:33:00,580
did was put his hand up to the

837
00:33:00,580 --> 00:33:00,820
ark.

838
00:33:00,920 --> 00:33:01,900
He didn't curse God.

839
00:33:01,980 --> 00:33:03,460
He didn't take a hammer and smash it.

840
00:33:03,600 --> 00:33:05,260
He didn't say now you're all lunatics for

841
00:33:05,260 --> 00:33:07,460
going this way as if it's too old

842
00:33:07,460 --> 00:33:07,820
-fashioned.

843
00:33:10,790 --> 00:33:16,470
Well do you think that God maybe has

844
00:33:16,470 --> 00:33:17,010
been speaking?

845
00:33:17,130 --> 00:33:18,930
Have you noticed how many tragedies we've had

846
00:33:18,930 --> 00:33:19,450
this winter?

847
00:33:20,990 --> 00:33:23,430
One whole town swept away with a mudslide

848
00:33:23,430 --> 00:33:24,050
just like that.

849
00:33:24,150 --> 00:33:25,290
People went into eternity.

850
00:33:26,530 --> 00:33:28,930
Mississippi has covered more area than ever.

851
00:33:29,090 --> 00:33:30,650
We came down past there just the other

852
00:33:30,650 --> 00:33:30,970
day.

853
00:33:31,450 --> 00:33:34,450
Acres, hundreds of acres, just little bits of

854
00:33:34,450 --> 00:33:36,310
roofs standing up out of the water.

855
00:33:36,990 --> 00:33:38,230
And all you could see looked like you

856
00:33:38,230 --> 00:33:40,390
could see for 50 miles just straight to

857
00:33:40,390 --> 00:33:40,890
the water.

858
00:33:42,370 --> 00:33:45,130
And some farms just standing on a little

859
00:33:45,130 --> 00:33:45,830
island.

860
00:33:46,610 --> 00:33:48,550
They'll never get any crops in there this

861
00:33:48,550 --> 00:33:48,830
year.

862
00:33:48,970 --> 00:33:50,370
There's sludge will be left behind.

863
00:33:50,470 --> 00:33:51,610
They can't do with cattle.

864
00:33:54,850 --> 00:33:56,590
It seems though God is trying to check

865
00:33:56,590 --> 00:33:58,430
us but we we won't take the checking.

866
00:33:58,690 --> 00:33:59,850
We won't take the warning.

867
00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:06,440
And again I said to you the most

868
00:34:06,440 --> 00:34:08,960
distressing area I believe is the area of

869
00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:11,100
the church itself.

870
00:34:13,139 --> 00:34:14,639
We're trying to study the ark.

871
00:34:18,510 --> 00:34:20,570
We don't want God almighty to govern the

872
00:34:20,570 --> 00:34:21,090
whole thing.

873
00:34:21,170 --> 00:34:22,370
We want a little bit of flesh in

874
00:34:22,370 --> 00:34:22,470
it.

875
00:34:22,550 --> 00:34:24,230
We want a little bit of humanism in

876
00:34:24,230 --> 00:34:24,370
it.

877
00:34:24,469 --> 00:34:26,190
We want a little bit of organization in

878
00:34:26,190 --> 00:34:26,449
it.

879
00:34:27,170 --> 00:34:28,550
We want some skill in it.

880
00:34:30,580 --> 00:34:31,699
And God holds off.

881
00:34:33,739 --> 00:34:34,820
Want to do it in the flesh?

882
00:34:36,699 --> 00:34:38,500
By the word of God says some trust

883
00:34:38,500 --> 00:34:40,159
in chariots and some trust in horses.

884
00:34:40,460 --> 00:34:42,120
But we will trust in the name of

885
00:34:42,120 --> 00:34:42,739
God alone.

886
00:34:45,900 --> 00:34:48,440
Oh I'm aching on the inside to see

887
00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:51,040
somebody that will really really really have no

888
00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:52,260
confidence in the flesh.

889
00:34:56,080 --> 00:34:57,080
Don't try to organize.

890
00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:01,280
Isn't it horrible when we try and subsidize

891
00:35:01,280 --> 00:35:03,480
God's cause with a few dollars in a

892
00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:05,120
collection there and something else.

893
00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:07,560
Now either God is God or he isn't.

894
00:35:07,660 --> 00:35:09,360
As I've said before this book is either

895
00:35:09,360 --> 00:35:10,720
absolute or it's obsolete.

896
00:35:10,900 --> 00:35:11,860
There's no middle course.

897
00:35:12,660 --> 00:35:14,300
It either has all the answers or it

898
00:35:14,300 --> 00:35:15,220
has no answers.

899
00:35:16,700 --> 00:35:18,220
I've got to get to the place where

900
00:35:18,220 --> 00:35:19,900
I say Lord you can strip everything else

901
00:35:19,900 --> 00:35:20,540
away from me.

902
00:35:20,700 --> 00:35:22,860
I'm on Christ the solid rock I stand

903
00:35:22,860 --> 00:35:24,820
all of the ground is sinking sand.

904
00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:27,700
I'm not going to study the ark.

905
00:35:28,920 --> 00:35:30,920
I'm convinced God's going to do new work.

906
00:35:31,020 --> 00:35:32,780
I've talked the last two or three days

907
00:35:32,780 --> 00:35:35,160
with a brother I love very dearly and

908
00:35:35,160 --> 00:35:36,940
he's at the crossroads in his life and

909
00:35:36,940 --> 00:35:39,340
I know others who are men that you

910
00:35:39,340 --> 00:35:40,680
think are at the top of the tree.

911
00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:43,280
You think they should be satisfied with what

912
00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:44,900
they've got and they're not.

913
00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:47,340
They're suddenly realizing there's a new dimension that

914
00:35:47,340 --> 00:35:49,340
God wants to bring to our generation.

915
00:35:51,810 --> 00:35:52,810
A new revelation.

916
00:35:55,230 --> 00:35:57,210
A new unfolding of the word of God.

917
00:35:59,540 --> 00:36:01,420
If you like men that don't try to

918
00:36:01,420 --> 00:36:03,600
study the ark by organization and saying you

919
00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:04,840
must do it this way you must do

920
00:36:04,840 --> 00:36:05,240
it that way.

921
00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:08,340
Say no listen we're going to follow if

922
00:36:08,340 --> 00:36:09,880
it takes us we have to follow those

923
00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:10,680
loin oxen.

924
00:36:10,820 --> 00:36:12,520
They look pretty scruffy things.

925
00:36:13,820 --> 00:36:15,600
But before long you remember that David he

926
00:36:15,600 --> 00:36:17,720
went and slew the oxen and and he

927
00:36:17,720 --> 00:36:20,120
took the fatlings and he made a sacrifice

928
00:36:20,120 --> 00:36:22,100
to God and then he danced before God.

929
00:36:22,220 --> 00:36:22,460
Why?

930
00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:25,600
Because he got rid of many of his

931
00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:26,300
obstructions.

932
00:36:30,180 --> 00:36:31,780
The Lord is very merciful.

933
00:36:32,300 --> 00:36:33,480
Do you know how merciful he is?

934
00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:35,880
He's so merciful he'll strip us right down

935
00:36:35,880 --> 00:36:37,520
to the place where we under thing to

936
00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:38,060
stand on.

937
00:36:38,580 --> 00:36:40,040
We under thing to lean on.

938
00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:43,700
We're cast in nakedness and we we stay

939
00:36:43,700 --> 00:36:44,180
in despair.

940
00:36:44,500 --> 00:36:46,000
You know the church that was rich and

941
00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:46,900
increased in goods?

942
00:36:48,020 --> 00:36:49,340
That's where the church is today.

943
00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:51,260
She's rich, she's increased in goods, she's in

944
00:36:51,260 --> 00:36:51,820
need of nothing.

945
00:36:54,900 --> 00:36:56,880
Which church was it Jesus spewed out of

946
00:36:56,880 --> 00:36:57,380
his mouth?

947
00:36:59,240 --> 00:37:00,980
I would I was either hot or cold.

948
00:37:01,540 --> 00:37:03,520
So then because I was neither hot or

949
00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:04,160
cold I would spit.

950
00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:05,480
It didn't spew the cold one out of

951
00:37:05,480 --> 00:37:06,540
his mouth it never been in.

952
00:37:06,740 --> 00:37:08,220
It was his church that he spewed out

953
00:37:08,220 --> 00:37:08,760
of his mouth.

954
00:37:12,070 --> 00:37:13,890
It wasn't a heathen religion it was his

955
00:37:13,890 --> 00:37:14,170
church.

956
00:37:14,330 --> 00:37:15,470
They were neither hot or cold.

957
00:37:16,410 --> 00:37:17,570
They were kind of midstream.

958
00:37:19,570 --> 00:37:21,410
And because they were neither one thing nor

959
00:37:21,410 --> 00:37:23,170
the other he vomited them out.

960
00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:26,840
He didn't vomit the cold church out.

961
00:37:27,060 --> 00:37:28,160
He didn't bother with it.

962
00:37:31,380 --> 00:37:33,280
God will not stand for mediocrity.

963
00:37:35,440 --> 00:37:36,880
I think I need to sit down.

964
00:37:36,980 --> 00:37:38,680
In fact I've said to somebody today I'm

965
00:37:38,680 --> 00:37:40,080
going to do less preaching in the next

966
00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:42,160
few months as little as I can and

967
00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:43,840
I'm going to meditate on certain things.

968
00:37:46,110 --> 00:37:47,170
I'm not young anymore.

969
00:37:47,830 --> 00:37:49,890
I'm getting older and older but that doesn't

970
00:37:49,890 --> 00:37:50,450
mean you can't.

971
00:37:50,610 --> 00:37:52,530
I mean Moses was 80 when he started

972
00:37:52,530 --> 00:37:53,510
and I'm not 80 yet.

973
00:37:54,110 --> 00:37:55,810
So maybe when I'm 80 I'll wake up

974
00:37:55,810 --> 00:37:56,810
and start doing something.

975
00:38:00,940 --> 00:38:01,780
But there's a hunger.

976
00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:04,180
There's a the class we talked to the

977
00:38:04,180 --> 00:38:06,480
last Saturday morning there's some 500 men maybe

978
00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:08,180
about 30 of them 32 or 3.

979
00:38:08,620 --> 00:38:09,880
And half of them were zealous.

980
00:38:10,000 --> 00:38:11,060
They were sitting on the edge of their

981
00:38:11,060 --> 00:38:12,240
seats with all prospects.

982
00:38:12,360 --> 00:38:15,120
Most of them there were seminarian fellows.

983
00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:17,520
Eager keen.

984
00:38:18,780 --> 00:38:21,240
Even asking afterwards well Mr. Raymond what's the

985
00:38:21,240 --> 00:38:22,540
secret really of abiding?

986
00:38:22,700 --> 00:38:24,480
What's the secret of abounding in the Christian

987
00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:24,780
life?

988
00:38:25,140 --> 00:38:27,020
What's the secret of not being a failure?

989
00:38:27,180 --> 00:38:28,820
What's the secret of not letting your branch

990
00:38:28,820 --> 00:38:29,680
get withered up?

991
00:38:32,050 --> 00:38:34,250
I had somebody calling today for prayer again.

992
00:38:34,410 --> 00:38:35,430
Every day they call.

993
00:38:36,870 --> 00:38:38,990
I'm sorry for the situation some of them

994
00:38:38,990 --> 00:38:40,110
are in but it's the only way they'll

995
00:38:40,110 --> 00:38:41,590
go in grace anyhow and in the knowledge

996
00:38:41,590 --> 00:38:41,970
of God.

997
00:38:42,130 --> 00:38:43,970
They've been leaning too much on what they

998
00:38:43,970 --> 00:38:47,150
have and now God's going to dry up

999
00:38:47,150 --> 00:38:49,150
their souls so that they only have God

1000
00:38:49,150 --> 00:38:50,610
on whom they can lean.

1001
00:38:52,150 --> 00:38:53,470
They've had so much flesh.

1002
00:38:53,570 --> 00:38:54,670
They've had so much ability.

1003
00:38:54,870 --> 00:38:55,970
They've had so much organization.

1004
00:38:56,450 --> 00:38:57,850
They've had so much security.

1005
00:38:58,030 --> 00:38:59,230
God says well let me pull it all

1006
00:38:59,230 --> 00:38:59,710
away.

1007
00:39:03,290 --> 00:39:05,110
Doesn't the word say trust in the Lord

1008
00:39:05,110 --> 00:39:05,550
forever?

1009
00:39:05,710 --> 00:39:07,530
For in the in the Lord is everlasting

1010
00:39:07,530 --> 00:39:08,550
strength.

1011
00:39:10,330 --> 00:39:12,130
I think one of the shocks in eternity

1012
00:39:12,130 --> 00:39:13,990
will be to discover how little we've ever

1013
00:39:13,990 --> 00:39:15,930
used of the available power of God.

1014
00:39:16,190 --> 00:39:19,570
Not for our own mean silly self, but

1015
00:39:19,570 --> 00:39:21,230
there's a world out that's dying there.

1016
00:39:21,390 --> 00:39:23,750
Does God have resources to meet this generation?

1017
00:39:23,950 --> 00:39:24,370
Come on.

1018
00:39:27,090 --> 00:39:29,210
I learned to my horror just while I

1019
00:39:29,210 --> 00:39:30,530
was in Brooklyn that a man who is

1020
00:39:30,530 --> 00:39:32,310
a professional in this realm, a very fine

1021
00:39:32,310 --> 00:39:32,970
Christian man.

1022
00:39:33,430 --> 00:39:36,130
Last year the churches in America spent close

1023
00:39:36,130 --> 00:39:41,010
on two billion dollars on radio and tv

1024
00:39:41,010 --> 00:39:41,670
preaching.

1025
00:39:41,670 --> 00:39:43,090
Two billion.

1026
00:39:44,430 --> 00:39:45,770
Do you know how many people we reach?

1027
00:39:45,890 --> 00:39:47,730
Less than four percent of the of the

1028
00:39:47,730 --> 00:39:50,710
national family.

1029
00:39:50,710 --> 00:39:53,450
Less than four percent of Americans listen to

1030
00:39:53,450 --> 00:39:53,970
the gospel.

1031
00:39:56,070 --> 00:39:57,070
And we spent nearly two.

1032
00:39:57,270 --> 00:39:59,130
Can you imagine how many how many mission

1033
00:39:59,130 --> 00:40:00,210
stations that would have built?

1034
00:40:00,290 --> 00:40:01,650
How many churches that would have built in

1035
00:40:01,650 --> 00:40:02,310
some other country?

1036
00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:07,580
I think we're putting our hands on the

1037
00:40:07,580 --> 00:40:07,800
arse.

1038
00:40:07,960 --> 00:40:10,200
We're rather afraid that we might go a

1039
00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:11,400
bit overboard you know.

1040
00:40:13,040 --> 00:40:15,180
Doctrinally somebody comes and says, hey well steady

1041
00:40:15,180 --> 00:40:15,560
a minute.

1042
00:40:16,180 --> 00:40:17,700
And he hardly knows he's putting his hand

1043
00:40:17,700 --> 00:40:18,540
on the ark anyhow.

1044
00:40:20,960 --> 00:40:22,900
We're just afraid it seems of some new

1045
00:40:22,900 --> 00:40:25,680
revelation, some new some new demand that God

1046
00:40:25,680 --> 00:40:26,560
will make upon us.

1047
00:40:26,600 --> 00:40:29,220
Not just individually, well it is individually of

1048
00:40:29,220 --> 00:40:30,400
course, and collectively.

1049
00:40:34,340 --> 00:40:35,600
Now I guess I didn't get this over

1050
00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:36,660
to you as it came to me, but

1051
00:40:36,660 --> 00:40:37,680
I'll tell you when I read it the

1052
00:40:37,680 --> 00:40:37,980
other day.

1053
00:40:38,220 --> 00:40:40,320
I was shocked to realize that again this

1054
00:40:40,320 --> 00:40:41,740
man did not smash up the ark.

1055
00:40:43,520 --> 00:40:45,180
He didn't tell all the people to rebel.

1056
00:40:45,220 --> 00:40:46,460
He didn't tell the priest to do it.

1057
00:40:46,860 --> 00:40:48,580
All he did was steady the ark thinking

1058
00:40:48,580 --> 00:40:49,640
he was doing God a favor.

1059
00:40:49,800 --> 00:40:51,360
Like all he did was disobey.

1060
00:40:51,740 --> 00:40:52,380
Is that all?

1061
00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:57,080
Well that's all Adam did in the garden.

1062
00:40:57,140 --> 00:40:57,980
All he did was disobey.

1063
00:40:58,060 --> 00:40:58,840
Didn't curse God.

1064
00:41:02,060 --> 00:41:03,700
And it seems the hardest thing that we

1065
00:41:03,700 --> 00:41:05,700
have in the in our lives to learn

1066
00:41:05,700 --> 00:41:08,380
is how to obey in the very very

1067
00:41:08,380 --> 00:41:11,460
very simple things that God challenges us with.

1068
00:41:14,270 --> 00:41:15,670
I still say you know if I were

1069
00:41:15,670 --> 00:41:17,630
a kind of protestant Pope I'd close every

1070
00:41:17,630 --> 00:41:18,760
church down for a month.

1071
00:41:19,660 --> 00:41:20,900
We're preached to death.

1072
00:41:21,860 --> 00:41:24,360
Why do we keep going to conferences?

1073
00:41:24,620 --> 00:41:26,320
You can't handle the light you've got.

1074
00:41:26,420 --> 00:41:27,480
Why do you want some more?

1075
00:41:31,350 --> 00:41:33,010
Turn it off when you go home tonight.

1076
00:41:33,930 --> 00:41:35,850
The next conference you go with it this

1077
00:41:35,850 --> 00:41:36,810
weekend, the next week.

1078
00:41:37,090 --> 00:41:39,110
You'll have more light therefore you'll have more

1079
00:41:39,110 --> 00:41:40,350
to answer the judgment seat.

1080
00:41:40,770 --> 00:41:42,170
Haven't you got enough to answer for?

1081
00:41:43,390 --> 00:41:45,190
Aren't there areas in your life where you're

1082
00:41:45,190 --> 00:41:47,750
still not obeying even though God said do

1083
00:41:47,750 --> 00:41:47,970
this?

1084
00:41:48,030 --> 00:41:49,550
You put your hand on the ark because

1085
00:41:49,550 --> 00:41:51,430
it was toppling over on you.

1086
00:41:56,550 --> 00:41:58,510
It's a fearful thing to fall into the

1087
00:41:58,510 --> 00:41:59,950
hands of a living God the word of

1088
00:41:59,950 --> 00:42:00,470
God said.

1089
00:42:01,130 --> 00:42:03,230
Robert Louis Stevenson said I only know one

1090
00:42:03,230 --> 00:42:04,610
thing and that's when you fall out of

1091
00:42:04,610 --> 00:42:05,770
the hands of the living God.

1092
00:42:06,850 --> 00:42:07,650
And that happens.

1093
00:42:07,810 --> 00:42:09,290
It comes a time when God says to

1094
00:42:09,290 --> 00:42:11,130
a nation all right you've been putting your

1095
00:42:11,130 --> 00:42:12,150
hand on my truth.

1096
00:42:13,110 --> 00:42:14,710
You've been withholding my truth.

1097
00:42:15,370 --> 00:42:17,830
Job said I have not eaten my morsel

1098
00:42:17,830 --> 00:42:18,170
alone.

1099
00:42:18,270 --> 00:42:20,150
You say well we've given money to mission.

1100
00:42:20,430 --> 00:42:21,270
So we have.

1101
00:42:22,670 --> 00:42:24,510
You know this came I mentioned it last

1102
00:42:24,510 --> 00:42:25,830
night before I do a lot of number

1103
00:42:25,830 --> 00:42:27,770
of preachers in that place and I said

1104
00:42:27,770 --> 00:42:29,930
this I said you know we we had

1105
00:42:29,930 --> 00:42:31,390
a national day of prayer last week.

1106
00:42:31,450 --> 00:42:32,690
No we didn't have a national day of

1107
00:42:32,690 --> 00:42:32,930
prayer.

1108
00:42:33,990 --> 00:42:35,530
We had a national suggestion.

1109
00:42:37,290 --> 00:42:38,910
If we had a national day of prayer

1110
00:42:38,910 --> 00:42:41,850
the president would have said every factory is

1111
00:42:41,850 --> 00:42:42,490
closed down.

1112
00:42:42,670 --> 00:42:44,130
Every school is closed down.

1113
00:42:44,350 --> 00:42:46,250
Every shopping mall is closed down.

1114
00:42:47,610 --> 00:42:48,590
Everything's on the start.

1115
00:42:48,710 --> 00:42:49,850
It's time we listened to God.

1116
00:42:49,970 --> 00:42:51,910
It's time we humbled ourselves before God.

1117
00:42:52,590 --> 00:42:54,550
But when God wants it that way, which

1118
00:42:54,550 --> 00:42:55,870
he does, we put our hand on the

1119
00:42:55,870 --> 00:42:57,690
ark and say well we'll steady it and

1120
00:42:57,690 --> 00:42:58,990
make it a little bit convenient.

1121
00:43:00,010 --> 00:43:01,350
Dear God there was a time when they

1122
00:43:01,350 --> 00:43:03,350
were so concerned about revival they even put

1123
00:43:03,350 --> 00:43:07,030
remember they put what um stack cloth on

1124
00:43:07,030 --> 00:43:07,650
the animals.

1125
00:43:11,410 --> 00:43:12,910
If you wear stack cloth they think you're

1126
00:43:12,910 --> 00:43:13,630
a crackpot.

1127
00:43:16,010 --> 00:43:17,650
If you don't think so get a sack.

1128
00:43:17,730 --> 00:43:19,130
Get an old potato sack and put a

1129
00:43:19,130 --> 00:43:19,750
hole in the top.

1130
00:43:20,070 --> 00:43:21,810
Put it over your head and get your

1131
00:43:21,810 --> 00:43:23,010
wife to cut some holes so you can

1132
00:43:23,010 --> 00:43:24,310
put your arms in and go to church

1133
00:43:24,310 --> 00:43:24,790
like that.

1134
00:43:25,130 --> 00:43:26,930
And say this is an outward sign of

1135
00:43:26,930 --> 00:43:28,150
an inward sorrow I have.

1136
00:43:28,190 --> 00:43:29,770
I don't care about the style of my

1137
00:43:29,770 --> 00:43:30,110
clothes.

1138
00:43:31,230 --> 00:43:32,950
I don't care what you think anybody else

1139
00:43:32,950 --> 00:43:33,190
thinks.

1140
00:43:33,270 --> 00:43:34,430
We've got to have revival.

1141
00:43:34,590 --> 00:43:35,810
We've got to have a move of God.

1142
00:43:37,110 --> 00:43:38,830
And we haven't had it by all our

1143
00:43:38,830 --> 00:43:41,930
financial efforts and all our geniuses of evangelism.

1144
00:43:42,210 --> 00:43:43,350
All the other things.

1145
00:43:44,090 --> 00:43:45,590
We get so far then we put our

1146
00:43:45,590 --> 00:43:46,770
hands on the ark.

1147
00:43:48,840 --> 00:43:51,980
There's going to be a conference shortly and

1148
00:43:51,980 --> 00:43:54,220
I am not in any way troubled that

1149
00:43:54,220 --> 00:43:56,140
I wasn't invited but I know some of

1150
00:43:56,140 --> 00:43:58,380
the godless men in the world and they're

1151
00:43:58,380 --> 00:44:01,160
not invited to that conference in Amsterdam.

1152
00:44:02,980 --> 00:44:05,200
2500 the itinerant evangelists.

1153
00:44:05,560 --> 00:44:06,820
I guess that's why they'll get to say

1154
00:44:06,820 --> 00:44:08,320
well they're not itinerant evangelists.

1155
00:44:11,260 --> 00:44:12,500
They're going to meet and they're going to

1156
00:44:12,500 --> 00:44:13,720
go through a rigmarole again.

1157
00:44:13,940 --> 00:44:14,440
Workshops.

1158
00:44:14,640 --> 00:44:15,140
Workshops.

1159
00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:15,860
Workshops.

1160
00:44:16,560 --> 00:44:18,340
There's a workshop for this and there's a

1161
00:44:18,340 --> 00:44:19,220
workshop for that.

1162
00:44:20,760 --> 00:44:22,460
The hardest work in the whole world is

1163
00:44:22,460 --> 00:44:22,860
prayer.

1164
00:44:24,900 --> 00:44:26,340
They are workshops aren't they?

1165
00:44:26,440 --> 00:44:26,720
No.

1166
00:44:30,070 --> 00:44:30,910
The ark is falling.

1167
00:44:31,070 --> 00:44:31,950
We're going to study it.

1168
00:44:32,050 --> 00:44:33,050
We've got a new idea.

1169
00:44:34,430 --> 00:44:36,570
Every magazine I pick up now, Christian magazine

1170
00:44:36,570 --> 00:44:39,090
is, is how to make your church grow.

1171
00:44:41,130 --> 00:44:42,810
I'm looking for one that says how to

1172
00:44:42,810 --> 00:44:43,910
take your church deeper.

1173
00:44:46,830 --> 00:44:48,090
Somebody said to a preacher you have the

1174
00:44:48,090 --> 00:44:48,770
biggest church in.

1175
00:44:48,810 --> 00:44:49,710
How big is your church?

1176
00:44:49,790 --> 00:44:51,470
He said three miles wide and an inch

1177
00:44:51,470 --> 00:44:51,750
deep.

1178
00:44:56,930 --> 00:44:58,150
I think that's true of a lot of

1179
00:44:58,150 --> 00:44:58,250
them.

1180
00:44:58,310 --> 00:45:00,070
Three miles wide and an inch deep.

1181
00:45:01,850 --> 00:45:03,590
And while it's true it's tragic.

1182
00:45:08,190 --> 00:45:09,550
Are we going to change the style?

1183
00:45:10,670 --> 00:45:12,230
Are we going to keep studying the ark?

1184
00:45:14,410 --> 00:45:15,610
Are we going to say no no no

1185
00:45:15,610 --> 00:45:17,210
we're not going any further like this.

1186
00:45:17,470 --> 00:45:19,010
This old cart you've got it on with.

1187
00:45:19,090 --> 00:45:20,490
New cart we're taking it off.

1188
00:45:20,570 --> 00:45:22,450
We're going to do it God's way and

1189
00:45:22,450 --> 00:45:24,110
it looks silly to carry it on your

1190
00:45:24,110 --> 00:45:24,430
shoulders.

1191
00:45:24,550 --> 00:45:26,130
It looks silly to walk around when you

1192
00:45:26,130 --> 00:45:28,410
can mechanize the thing or organize the thing

1193
00:45:28,410 --> 00:45:29,950
or paint it up or make it more

1194
00:45:29,950 --> 00:45:30,430
attractive.

1195
00:45:34,260 --> 00:45:35,960
What in the how can you make God's

1196
00:45:35,960 --> 00:45:37,160
presence more attractive?

1197
00:45:37,540 --> 00:45:39,320
That's about the height of insanity.

1198
00:45:41,480 --> 00:45:43,940
Isn't God himself in his holiness attractive?

1199
00:45:47,130 --> 00:45:49,170
For some reason I don't know why I

1200
00:45:49,170 --> 00:45:50,350
thought about Westminster Abbey.

1201
00:45:50,450 --> 00:45:52,090
They recently redecorated it.

1202
00:45:52,370 --> 00:45:54,030
Oh they climbed up there and they put

1203
00:45:54,030 --> 00:45:55,190
pure gold leaf.

1204
00:45:55,330 --> 00:45:56,790
It's worth millions of dollars now.

1205
00:45:58,030 --> 00:45:59,770
I don't think God ever enters the place

1206
00:45:59,770 --> 00:46:00,570
to tell you the truth.

1207
00:46:03,870 --> 00:46:05,210
You know the less of the glory of

1208
00:46:05,210 --> 00:46:07,710
God we have the more showmanship we need

1209
00:46:07,710 --> 00:46:08,170
inside.

1210
00:46:09,550 --> 00:46:12,610
A fancy good-looking choir with marvelous robes

1211
00:46:12,610 --> 00:46:12,810
on.

1212
00:46:14,090 --> 00:46:15,510
Lovely church building everything.

1213
00:46:16,110 --> 00:46:17,330
And the more we get of that it

1214
00:46:17,330 --> 00:46:18,890
seems as though God says I don't dwell

1215
00:46:18,890 --> 00:46:20,130
in temples made with hands.

1216
00:46:20,250 --> 00:46:21,670
I'm not comfortable here anyhow.

1217
00:46:26,140 --> 00:46:26,940
You know what we need to do?

1218
00:46:27,020 --> 00:46:28,220
We need to do what David did.

1219
00:46:28,380 --> 00:46:29,840
We need to take all the implements.

1220
00:46:30,360 --> 00:46:31,860
We need to take the cart and break

1221
00:46:31,860 --> 00:46:33,720
it up and we need to get hold

1222
00:46:33,720 --> 00:46:35,740
of the bullets and chop them up and

1223
00:46:35,740 --> 00:46:38,180
have one big holy ghost bonfire and say

1224
00:46:38,180 --> 00:46:40,020
Lord God I'm going to live on the

1225
00:46:40,020 --> 00:46:41,940
stretch for you from now till I die

1226
00:46:41,940 --> 00:46:43,720
whether I die tomorrow or ten years from

1227
00:46:43,720 --> 00:46:43,960
now.

1228
00:46:44,240 --> 00:46:45,820
I'm going to meet with you as I've

1229
00:46:45,820 --> 00:46:46,860
never met with you before.

1230
00:46:48,920 --> 00:46:50,800
I'm going on the stretch for God as

1231
00:46:50,800 --> 00:46:52,260
I've never been on the stretch before.

1232
00:46:55,880 --> 00:46:57,540
You've been listening to the From the Pulpit

1233
00:46:57,540 --> 00:46:58,760
and Classic Sermons series.

1234
00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:01,080
This week you heard Leonard Ravenhill with his

1235
00:47:01,080 --> 00:47:03,060
message Who is Touching the Ark.

1236
00:47:03,840 --> 00:47:05,180
Tune in next week to hear Ken Ham

1237
00:47:05,180 --> 00:47:07,380
talk about the spiritual state of our nation

1238
00:47:07,380 --> 00:47:10,020
on From the Pulpit and Classic Sermons.