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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 William Blackburn with his

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messages The Salvation Test and The Fire from

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Heaven Revival.

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Enter ye then at the straight gate, for

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wide is the gate, and broad is the

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way that leadeth to destruction, and many there

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be which go in thereat.

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Because straight is the gate, and narrow is

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the way which leadeth unto life, and few

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there be that find it.

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Beware of false prophets which come to you

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in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening

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wolves.

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Ye shall know them by their fruits.

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Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs

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of thistles?

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Even so every good tree bringeth forth good

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fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil

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fruit.

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A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit,

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neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good

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fruit.

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Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit

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is hewn down, and cast in the fire.

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Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

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Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,

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Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven,

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but he that doeth the will of my

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Father, which is in heaven.

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Many will say to me in that day,

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Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy

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name?

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And in thy name have cast out devils,

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and in thy name done many wonderful works.

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And then will I profess unto them, I

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never knew you.

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Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

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Have you ever wondered why there are so

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few people today in America who claim that

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they are Christian, and yet truly live a

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Christian life?

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Have you ever thought about why the divorce

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rate for church members is higher than the

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divorce rate for non-church members?

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Well, Jesus tells us the answer.

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In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus says that

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one day there are going to be many

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church members who will stand before the judgment

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of God, and these church members will not

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even know they're lost until Jesus tells them.

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The sad fact today is there are many

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church members who have been deceived about true,

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genuine salvation.

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The Bible says that God loves us and

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has a plan for our life, and God

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wants to save us and take us to

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heaven.

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The Bible says there is a plan of

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salvation.

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But the Bible says there's a counterfeit plan

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of salvation also.

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The Bible says there's a way that seems

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right to a man, but the ends thereof

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are the ways of death.

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You see, my dear friends, the Bible says

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the devil has made a counterfeit plan of

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salvation.

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And there are many people who think they

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have God's salvation, but they don't.

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They have the devil's counterfeit.

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There are many people today in our churches

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who will stand before the judgment of God,

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and here's what they will say.

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They will say, Lord, Lord.

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They will actually call Jesus their Lord.

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They will say, Lord Jesus, we prophesied or

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preached in your name.

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We cast out demons in your name.

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We've done all these wonderful works in Jesus.

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We did them in your name.

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And the Bible says the Lord Jesus Christ

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will say, I never knew you.

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He'll say, I know that you exist because

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I'm God.

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I know all things.

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But he'll say, I never knew you in

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my heart.

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I never knew you in the new birth.

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You took my name, but you never took

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my nature.

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You were baptized in some water, but you

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were never born again.

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Oh, dear friends, what a sad thing for

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a man to spend his whole life in

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church claiming to know God, and then at

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the last moment find out that he's not

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truly born again and be not allowed to

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go to heaven.

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Well, how can you make sure you're a

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Christian?

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The Bible says examine yourself.

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Make sure you're really in the faith.

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Well, how do you do that?

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How do you examine your salvation to make

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sure it's God's true plan of salvation and

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not the devil's counterfeit?

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Well, the Bible says God has made a

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salvation test in the Bible.

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You can examine your heart by the Word

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of God.

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The Bible teaches that what we're to do

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is to take our life, our testimony, we're

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to lay it on the Word of God.

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And if our testimony matches the Bible, we

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have God's salvation.

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If our testimony does not match the Bible,

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then we have the counterfeit version.

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The salvation test.

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Find out today whether you truly know God,

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whether you're truly going to heaven or not.

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If you were to die today, would you

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go to heaven or would you go to

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hell?

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How can you be sure?

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Well, the Bible says God wants you to

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be saved and He wants you to know

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you're saved.

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And the Bible says examine yourself.

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Make sure you're really in the faith.

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Don't be one of those people that stand

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before the judgment of God to find out

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that you really don't have what it takes

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to get into heaven.

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In the book of 1 John of the

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Bible, God lays out a salvation test.

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And God asks seven questions that we can

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ask ourselves to make sure that our faith

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is real.

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My dear friends, listen to me.

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You may have been in church all of

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your life.

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You may believe in God.

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You may read the Bible.

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But if you cannot pass the salvation test,

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then you are not a true Christian.

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You are not born again.

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You will not go to heaven when you

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die.

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The sad fact is that people examine all

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kinds of things.

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They examine their bank book, their investment portfolio.

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But most people have never really examined the

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most important thing in all the world, and

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that is their true relationship with God.

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So let's take the salvation test today.

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Let's examine ourselves from God's point of view

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to see if our relationship will get us

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into heaven.

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Test question number one is this.

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Do you obey the Word of God?

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Here's what the Bible says in 1 John

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2, verses 3 and 4.

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It says, And hereby we do know that

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we know him, if we keep his commandments.

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He that saith, I know him, and keepeth

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not his commandments, is a liar, and the

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truth is not in him.

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Now, the Bible is not saying, and I

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am not saying, that the way you become

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a Christian is to keep the laws of

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God.

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No, the Bible says that salvation comes by

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faith in Christ.

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The Bible says the Holy Spirit convicts us.

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We repent of our sins.

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We receive Christ as our Lord and Savior

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simply by faith.

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It is a gift from God, the Bible

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says.

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But the Bible teaches that when we truly

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give our lives to Christ, that God puts

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his Spirit within us.

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And when a person truly gets the Spirit

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of God, what happens?

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Well, that Holy Spirit is the one that

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wrote the Bible.

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And so when we get the Holy Spirit,

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that produces in us a desire and a

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passion to obey the things of God.

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When you find a man who is truly

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saved, he'll be reading the Bible, he'll be

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obeying the Bible, he'll be living his life

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according to what the Word of God says.

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In fact, the Bible says this, Be ye

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doers of the Word, and not hearers only,

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deceiving your own selves.

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The Bible says you can claim to believe

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it, but if you don't do it, then

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you have deceived yourself, you don't believe it

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at all.

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And dear friends, our churches today are filled

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up with people who claim to love God,

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claim to believe the Bible, but when they

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leave the church, they don't think about it

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again, they don't obey God, they live for

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themselves, without a concern of what God has

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commanded them to do.

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But dear friends, that's a test question.

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Do you obey the Word of God?

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If you wake up in the morning and

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you use the Bible as a road map

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for your life, if you obey what God

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tells you to do, if you're concerned about

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the will of God for your life, then

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you can know you have the Spirit of

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God.

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But dear friend, you may come to church

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every time the doors are open, but if

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you live a life of disobeying the Word

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of God, you have no reason to believe

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you're saved, you have no reason to believe

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that you'll go to heaven one day.

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That's a test question.

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Do you obey the Word of God?

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Now, test question number two is this.

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What do you love the most?

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Do you love the things of God, or

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do you love the things of the world?

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What's your attitude about the things of the

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world?

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Here's what the Bible says.

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The Bible says in chapter 2, verse 15,

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it says, Love not the world, neither the

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things that are in the world.

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If any man love the world, the love

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of the Father is not in him.

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Now, dear friends, I want to tell you

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something.

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You can tell whether a man really knows

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God or not by what he loves.

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And what he loves is what he spends

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his time on, his energy on, his money

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on.

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A man who invests himself totally in the

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world does not know God.

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When a man gets the Spirit of God

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and he's truly born again, he understands this

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old life is just temporary.

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He's just passing through.

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And he has his mind on the things

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of heaven.

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So, my dear friends, if you love the

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things of this world, you love your home,

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you love your family, you love your life

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more than you love God, then the Bible

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says you do not love God.

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The love of the Father is not in

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you.

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We need to examine ourselves because, friend, this

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old world hates God.

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We claim to be a Christian nation.

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We claim to believe the Bible.

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But the truth is the world hates God.

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And when a man is truly born again,

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when he is born again by the Spirit

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of God, he understands he's just passing through

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and he loves the things of God more

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than anything here on planet Earth.

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That's a test question.

275
00:10:06,450 --> 00:10:08,210
Do you love the things of God or

276
00:10:08,210 --> 00:10:11,190
do you love the things of the world?

277
00:10:11,650 --> 00:10:13,450
The third test question is this.

278
00:10:14,550 --> 00:10:18,290
Were you changed when you made your profession

279
00:10:18,290 --> 00:10:19,390
a faith?

280
00:10:19,690 --> 00:10:20,930
Here's what the Bible says.

281
00:10:20,990 --> 00:10:22,790
The Bible says in chapter 2, verse 29,

282
00:10:23,550 --> 00:10:26,010
If ye know that he is righteous, ye

283
00:10:26,010 --> 00:10:28,910
know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born

284
00:10:28,910 --> 00:10:30,350
of him.

285
00:10:30,830 --> 00:10:32,710
Now, that word righteousness is just a word

286
00:10:32,710 --> 00:10:34,890
that means living right in the eyes of

287
00:10:34,890 --> 00:10:35,350
God.

288
00:10:35,670 --> 00:10:37,870
You see, when a man is lost, he's

289
00:10:37,870 --> 00:10:38,810
in total darkness.

290
00:10:39,450 --> 00:10:41,110
The Bible says he's an enemy of God.

291
00:10:41,410 --> 00:10:42,910
He has his back against God.

292
00:10:42,910 --> 00:10:45,090
He's going away from God at 100 miles

293
00:10:45,090 --> 00:10:45,530
an hour.

294
00:10:45,710 --> 00:10:48,190
But when he gets saved, he steps out

295
00:10:48,190 --> 00:10:48,730
of the darkness.

296
00:10:49,230 --> 00:10:50,370
He steps into the light.

297
00:10:50,850 --> 00:10:52,750
He goes from being an enemy of God

298
00:10:52,750 --> 00:10:54,550
to being a friend of God.

299
00:10:54,750 --> 00:10:56,710
He goes from running away from God.

300
00:10:56,770 --> 00:10:58,550
He goes to running to God.

301
00:10:58,910 --> 00:11:00,330
You see, when a man is truly born

302
00:11:00,330 --> 00:11:04,590
again, it is a radical 180-degree turn

303
00:11:04,590 --> 00:11:05,670
in his life.

304
00:11:05,810 --> 00:11:07,990
When a man truly turns away from sin,

305
00:11:08,310 --> 00:11:10,030
when he truly is born again by the

306
00:11:10,030 --> 00:11:12,710
Spirit of God, when he's really saved, it

307
00:11:12,710 --> 00:11:14,570
is like taking a golf ball and throwing

308
00:11:14,570 --> 00:11:15,890
it against a brick wall.

309
00:11:16,130 --> 00:11:18,530
That ball hits that wall and bounces straight

310
00:11:18,530 --> 00:11:18,850
back.

311
00:11:19,170 --> 00:11:20,370
That's salvation.

312
00:11:20,830 --> 00:11:22,870
Now, my dear friend, if you walk down

313
00:11:22,870 --> 00:11:25,290
the aisle in your church and you prayed

314
00:11:25,290 --> 00:11:27,950
a prayer to God, got baptized, sprinkled, or

315
00:11:27,950 --> 00:11:31,650
confirmed, but God did not radically change you

316
00:11:31,650 --> 00:11:34,550
and cause you to begin to serve Him

317
00:11:34,550 --> 00:11:37,330
and obey Him, then you did not get

318
00:11:37,330 --> 00:11:38,510
God's salvation.

319
00:11:38,510 --> 00:11:41,270
If you came down and got baptized and

320
00:11:41,270 --> 00:11:43,310
joined the church and then you went outside

321
00:11:43,310 --> 00:11:45,690
and you lived the same way as before,

322
00:11:46,290 --> 00:11:47,950
you did not get saved.

323
00:11:48,190 --> 00:11:49,510
You are not a true Christian.

324
00:11:49,950 --> 00:11:52,090
You will not go to heaven when you

325
00:11:52,090 --> 00:11:52,510
die.

326
00:11:52,910 --> 00:11:54,130
The test question is this.

327
00:11:54,350 --> 00:11:55,650
Do you obey the Word of God?

328
00:11:56,250 --> 00:11:57,970
Do you love the things of God more

329
00:11:57,970 --> 00:11:59,190
than you love the things of the world?

330
00:11:59,770 --> 00:12:01,490
And number three, when you walk down that

331
00:12:01,490 --> 00:12:05,030
aisle, did God supernaturally change you and cause

332
00:12:05,030 --> 00:12:07,490
you to begin to love Him and serve

333
00:12:07,490 --> 00:12:10,950
Him more than anything else in your life?

334
00:12:11,330 --> 00:12:12,410
That's a test question.

335
00:12:12,730 --> 00:12:14,090
The next test question is this.

336
00:12:15,330 --> 00:12:17,130
What's your attitude towards sin?

337
00:12:17,970 --> 00:12:30,390
Chapter 3, verse 9 says, Now, this

338
00:12:30,390 --> 00:12:32,410
verse is not saying, and I am not

339
00:12:32,410 --> 00:12:34,950
saying, that the way you become a Christian

340
00:12:34,950 --> 00:12:37,970
is, when you become a Christian, you'll be

341
00:12:37,970 --> 00:12:40,230
perfect in every way, you'll never commit another

342
00:12:40,230 --> 00:12:40,670
sin.

343
00:12:40,870 --> 00:12:41,250
No.

344
00:12:41,690 --> 00:12:42,870
What God is saying is this.

345
00:12:42,890 --> 00:12:44,190
When you get the Spirit of God, you'll

346
00:12:44,190 --> 00:12:45,670
have a different attitude about sin.

347
00:12:46,010 --> 00:12:48,730
You'll have a holy hatred of sin, and

348
00:12:48,730 --> 00:12:52,350
you will not practice sin in your life.

349
00:12:52,390 --> 00:12:54,170
Now, we as Christians, we can sin.

350
00:12:54,570 --> 00:12:55,870
We sin every day.

351
00:12:56,130 --> 00:12:58,150
But when a Christian sins, what does God

352
00:12:58,150 --> 00:12:58,270
do?

353
00:12:58,330 --> 00:13:01,410
God convicts him and chastens him and draws

354
00:13:01,410 --> 00:13:02,190
him back.

355
00:13:02,190 --> 00:13:03,650
And my dear friend, a man who is

356
00:13:03,650 --> 00:13:06,410
truly saved has a different attitude about sin.

357
00:13:06,910 --> 00:13:08,090
He hates sin.

358
00:13:08,330 --> 00:13:10,270
And when a Christian commits a sin, it

359
00:13:10,270 --> 00:13:11,130
breaks his heart.

360
00:13:11,190 --> 00:13:12,390
He wants to get out of it as

361
00:13:12,390 --> 00:13:13,390
fast as he can.

362
00:13:13,950 --> 00:13:15,090
Oh, my friend, I can tell you on

363
00:13:15,090 --> 00:13:17,330
the authority of God's Word, if you can

364
00:13:17,330 --> 00:13:19,950
sin, and it does not bother you to

365
00:13:19,950 --> 00:13:23,590
sin, then you are not saved according to

366
00:13:23,590 --> 00:13:24,490
the Word of God.

367
00:13:24,910 --> 00:13:26,190
What's your attitude about sin?

368
00:13:26,730 --> 00:13:28,010
Do you play with sin?

369
00:13:28,070 --> 00:13:29,230
Do you trifle with sin?

370
00:13:29,230 --> 00:13:31,250
Or do you try with all your heart

371
00:13:31,250 --> 00:13:33,090
to stay away from sin and to live

372
00:13:33,090 --> 00:13:35,330
a holy and godly life?

373
00:13:35,490 --> 00:13:36,510
That's a test question.

374
00:13:36,870 --> 00:13:38,570
What is your attitude towards sin?

375
00:13:38,670 --> 00:13:41,370
It tells whether you really know God or

376
00:13:41,370 --> 00:13:41,790
not.

377
00:13:42,050 --> 00:13:43,590
The next test question is this.

378
00:13:47,170 --> 00:13:51,330
Do you have the Holy Spirit living in

379
00:13:51,330 --> 00:13:51,590
you?

380
00:13:52,130 --> 00:13:54,830
The Bible says in chapter 4, verse 13,

381
00:13:55,710 --> 00:13:57,450
Hereby know we that we dwell in Him,

382
00:13:57,530 --> 00:13:58,910
and He in us, because He has given

383
00:13:58,910 --> 00:14:01,230
us of His Spirit.

384
00:14:01,230 --> 00:14:03,290
See, when you get the Holy Spirit of

385
00:14:03,290 --> 00:14:05,710
God, friend, it produces certain evidence in your

386
00:14:05,710 --> 00:14:06,070
life.

387
00:14:06,590 --> 00:14:07,850
How do you know you've really got the

388
00:14:07,850 --> 00:14:08,450
Holy Spirit?

389
00:14:08,930 --> 00:14:10,470
Well, you don't know for sure you have

390
00:14:10,470 --> 00:14:12,710
the Holy Spirit just because you have some

391
00:14:12,710 --> 00:14:16,130
spiritual gifts in your life.

392
00:14:16,550 --> 00:14:18,790
You may have the gift of prophesying or

393
00:14:18,790 --> 00:14:22,110
preaching or praying or administration, but, my friend,

394
00:14:22,290 --> 00:14:24,150
the devil can imitate those things.

395
00:14:24,650 --> 00:14:26,030
How do you know you've got the Holy

396
00:14:26,030 --> 00:14:26,390
Spirit?

397
00:14:26,890 --> 00:14:28,170
Well, the Bible says when you have the

398
00:14:28,170 --> 00:14:30,490
Holy Spirit of God, you'll have the fruit

399
00:14:30,490 --> 00:14:31,610
of the Spirit.

400
00:14:31,990 --> 00:14:33,150
Now, what's the fruit of the Spirit?

401
00:14:33,570 --> 00:14:35,630
Well, Galatians chapter 5 says the fruit of

402
00:14:35,630 --> 00:14:41,450
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,

403
00:14:42,230 --> 00:14:45,430
goodness, meekness, temperance.

404
00:14:45,850 --> 00:14:47,010
Oh, my friend, do you have those things

405
00:14:47,010 --> 00:14:47,390
in your life?

406
00:14:47,430 --> 00:14:49,010
Do you have love?

407
00:14:49,430 --> 00:14:51,470
That word love, that agape, do you have

408
00:14:51,470 --> 00:14:53,950
that desire to put other people's interests ahead

409
00:14:53,950 --> 00:14:55,550
of your own because you love God?

410
00:14:56,070 --> 00:14:58,810
Do you have that joy that's unspeakable because

411
00:14:58,810 --> 00:14:59,950
you have the Spirit of God?

412
00:15:00,550 --> 00:15:02,830
Do you have that longsuffering, that patience in

413
00:15:02,830 --> 00:15:03,310
your life?

414
00:15:04,250 --> 00:15:06,250
Do you have the power of God to

415
00:15:06,250 --> 00:15:06,970
overcome the world?

416
00:15:07,070 --> 00:15:07,970
Are you pliable?

417
00:15:08,430 --> 00:15:10,310
That word meekness doesn't mean weakness.

418
00:15:10,770 --> 00:15:12,750
It means you're allowing God to mold you

419
00:15:12,750 --> 00:15:13,570
and shape you.

420
00:15:14,150 --> 00:15:15,510
My friend, the Bible says if you have

421
00:15:15,510 --> 00:15:17,850
not the Spirit of Christ, you are none

422
00:15:17,850 --> 00:15:18,610
of His.

423
00:15:18,910 --> 00:15:20,110
Oh, my friend, when a man gets the

424
00:15:20,110 --> 00:15:21,510
Spirit of God, you can see it in

425
00:15:21,510 --> 00:15:22,050
his life.

426
00:15:22,210 --> 00:15:23,350
You can see it by the way he

427
00:15:23,350 --> 00:15:25,150
walks, by the way he talks, by the

428
00:15:25,150 --> 00:15:27,690
things he loves, because he has the Holy

429
00:15:27,690 --> 00:15:29,530
Spirit of God living in him.

430
00:15:30,150 --> 00:15:31,030
That's a test question.

431
00:15:31,070 --> 00:15:32,110
Do you have the Holy Spirit?

432
00:15:32,450 --> 00:15:34,510
Do you have the fruit of the Spirit

433
00:15:34,510 --> 00:15:35,910
in your life?

434
00:15:36,330 --> 00:15:37,670
The next test question is this.

435
00:15:38,610 --> 00:15:41,130
Do you love other Christians?

436
00:15:41,870 --> 00:15:44,150
The Bible says in chapter 3, verse 14,

437
00:15:44,510 --> 00:15:46,430
we know that we have passed from death

438
00:15:46,430 --> 00:15:49,490
into life because we love the brethren.

439
00:15:49,910 --> 00:15:52,370
He that loveth not his brother abideth in

440
00:15:52,370 --> 00:15:53,510
death.

441
00:15:54,110 --> 00:15:57,650
Now, do you know church members who hate

442
00:15:57,650 --> 00:15:58,650
other church members?

443
00:15:59,530 --> 00:16:00,070
I do.

444
00:16:00,710 --> 00:16:02,330
I heard about a lady one time that

445
00:16:02,330 --> 00:16:04,590
told her pastor, she said, Pastor, you see

446
00:16:04,590 --> 00:16:05,930
that man standing over there?

447
00:16:05,990 --> 00:16:06,910
She said, I hate him.

448
00:16:07,290 --> 00:16:09,470
She said, furthermore, God told me to hate

449
00:16:09,470 --> 00:16:09,670
him.

450
00:16:10,050 --> 00:16:11,050
Oh, my friend, listen to me.

451
00:16:11,490 --> 00:16:13,630
Those people in church who are always complaining,

452
00:16:13,790 --> 00:16:17,170
always griping, they're not born again because when

453
00:16:17,170 --> 00:16:19,330
a man has the Spirit of God, he

454
00:16:19,330 --> 00:16:20,870
will love other Christians.

455
00:16:21,130 --> 00:16:22,870
He'll love the fellowship of the church.

456
00:16:22,870 --> 00:16:24,310
He'll follow his pastor.

457
00:16:24,570 --> 00:16:25,510
He'll serve God.

458
00:16:25,610 --> 00:16:28,250
He'll obey God with his life because he

459
00:16:28,250 --> 00:16:31,870
really does have the Holy Spirit living in

460
00:16:31,870 --> 00:16:32,210
him.

461
00:16:32,510 --> 00:16:34,210
The final test question is this.

462
00:16:35,130 --> 00:16:38,030
Did you truly believe on the Lord Jesus

463
00:16:38,030 --> 00:16:38,630
Christ?

464
00:16:39,050 --> 00:16:41,450
The Bible says in chapter 5, verse 13,

465
00:16:41,930 --> 00:16:43,890
These things have I written unto you that

466
00:16:43,890 --> 00:16:44,990
believe on the name of the Son of

467
00:16:44,990 --> 00:16:47,650
God, that ye may know that you have

468
00:16:47,650 --> 00:16:50,290
eternal life, and that ye may believe on

469
00:16:50,290 --> 00:16:52,710
the name of the Son of God.

470
00:16:53,150 --> 00:16:54,870
Now, dear friends, it is very clear that

471
00:16:54,870 --> 00:16:57,070
what makes a man a Christian is to

472
00:16:57,070 --> 00:16:59,590
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

473
00:16:59,650 --> 00:17:01,270
That's what Paul told the Philippian jailer.

474
00:17:01,570 --> 00:17:03,310
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you'll be

475
00:17:03,310 --> 00:17:03,869
saved.

476
00:17:04,390 --> 00:17:06,410
My friend, that word believe is the key

477
00:17:06,410 --> 00:17:06,750
word.

478
00:17:07,349 --> 00:17:09,109
Whether you go to heaven or hell depends

479
00:17:09,109 --> 00:17:10,410
on this word believe.

480
00:17:11,010 --> 00:17:12,609
It is the most important word in all

481
00:17:12,609 --> 00:17:15,270
the Bible, but it is also the most

482
00:17:15,270 --> 00:17:18,150
misunderstood word in all the Bible.

483
00:17:18,630 --> 00:17:20,349
What does it mean to believe on the

484
00:17:20,349 --> 00:17:21,470
Lord Jesus Christ?

485
00:17:22,089 --> 00:17:23,349
Well, my dear friends, to believe on the

486
00:17:23,349 --> 00:17:25,530
Lord Jesus Christ does not mean to believe

487
00:17:25,530 --> 00:17:27,069
facts about Jesus.

488
00:17:27,569 --> 00:17:29,510
What I mean by that is you may

489
00:17:29,510 --> 00:17:31,070
believe that Jesus is God.

490
00:17:31,470 --> 00:17:32,950
You may believe that Jesus was born of

491
00:17:32,950 --> 00:17:35,050
a virgin, that he died on the cross

492
00:17:35,050 --> 00:17:36,870
for the sins of the world, that he

493
00:17:36,870 --> 00:17:38,790
was buried in a tomb and raised from

494
00:17:38,790 --> 00:17:39,070
the dead.

495
00:17:39,210 --> 00:17:41,510
You may believe all that, but that does

496
00:17:41,510 --> 00:17:43,190
not mean to believe on the Lord Jesus

497
00:17:43,190 --> 00:17:43,730
Christ.

498
00:17:43,730 --> 00:17:46,330
To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ in

499
00:17:46,330 --> 00:17:47,970
a way that will get you into heaven

500
00:17:47,970 --> 00:17:49,970
involves three things.

501
00:17:50,430 --> 00:17:52,610
Number one, to believe on the Lord Jesus

502
00:17:52,610 --> 00:17:56,070
Christ means to turn from your sin.

503
00:17:56,630 --> 00:18:00,090
The Bible says, except you repent, you'll perish.

504
00:18:00,610 --> 00:18:02,770
Oh, my dear friends, there's no believing on

505
00:18:02,770 --> 00:18:05,270
the Lord Jesus Christ while you hang on

506
00:18:05,270 --> 00:18:05,930
to your sin.

507
00:18:06,430 --> 00:18:08,250
You see, sin is what separates you from

508
00:18:08,250 --> 00:18:08,730
God.

509
00:18:09,230 --> 00:18:10,990
Sin is rebellion against God.

510
00:18:10,990 --> 00:18:13,470
Sin is what condemns a man to hell.

511
00:18:14,430 --> 00:18:16,590
Sin is what put Jesus on the cross.

512
00:18:17,010 --> 00:18:18,790
And when a man comes to Christ, he's

513
00:18:18,790 --> 00:18:20,310
got to say, God, I admit it.

514
00:18:20,490 --> 00:18:21,270
You're right.

515
00:18:21,350 --> 00:18:21,950
I'm wrong.

516
00:18:22,150 --> 00:18:24,170
I'm a sinner, and I want to change

517
00:18:24,170 --> 00:18:24,830
my mind.

518
00:18:25,010 --> 00:18:26,670
I want to repent and turn away from

519
00:18:26,670 --> 00:18:27,210
that mess.

520
00:18:27,470 --> 00:18:29,430
God, I want to serve you and live

521
00:18:29,430 --> 00:18:29,970
for you.

522
00:18:30,590 --> 00:18:33,170
No man believes on the Lord Jesus Christ

523
00:18:33,170 --> 00:18:35,770
unless he has turned away from his sin

524
00:18:35,770 --> 00:18:39,350
and stopped serving himself and serving the world.

525
00:18:39,350 --> 00:18:41,550
To believe on the Lord Jesus Christ also

526
00:18:41,550 --> 00:18:45,510
means to leave your idols behind.

527
00:18:46,390 --> 00:18:48,450
In the Gospel of Luke, there's a parable

528
00:18:48,450 --> 00:18:51,390
about a man who prepares a great banquet.

529
00:18:51,870 --> 00:18:54,250
And this banquet is symbolic of the Gospel.

530
00:18:54,870 --> 00:18:57,050
And this man asked three people to come

531
00:18:57,050 --> 00:18:58,510
to his Gospel banquet.

532
00:18:59,070 --> 00:19:01,590
The first man he invites says, I'd love

533
00:19:01,590 --> 00:19:02,910
to come, but I just bought me some

534
00:19:02,910 --> 00:19:05,010
land, and I've got to go look at

535
00:19:05,010 --> 00:19:05,110
it.

536
00:19:05,550 --> 00:19:06,950
The second man said, I too would love

537
00:19:06,950 --> 00:19:08,550
to come to your Gospel banquet, but I

538
00:19:08,550 --> 00:19:10,390
bought me a team of oxen.

539
00:19:10,810 --> 00:19:12,110
I've got to go look at them.

540
00:19:12,650 --> 00:19:14,350
The third man said, I would love to

541
00:19:14,350 --> 00:19:15,950
come to your Gospel banquet, but I've just

542
00:19:15,950 --> 00:19:17,670
gotten married, and I've got to go be

543
00:19:17,670 --> 00:19:18,610
with my new wife.

544
00:19:19,170 --> 00:19:21,470
And Jesus Christ said, none of these men

545
00:19:22,150 --> 00:19:24,590
would taste of the banquet.

546
00:19:25,210 --> 00:19:25,990
Here's what he was saying.

547
00:19:26,030 --> 00:19:27,950
He was saying, listen, if you are not

548
00:19:27,950 --> 00:19:31,110
willing to leave your idols and come to

549
00:19:31,110 --> 00:19:34,750
me, then you cannot come to me.

550
00:19:34,750 --> 00:19:37,190
Now, you can join a church with your

551
00:19:37,190 --> 00:19:40,430
sin and your idols, but you cannot join

552
00:19:40,430 --> 00:19:44,190
Jesus with your sin and your idols.

553
00:19:44,650 --> 00:19:45,970
My dear friends, the way you come to

554
00:19:45,970 --> 00:19:47,890
God, as you say, God, I burn the

555
00:19:47,890 --> 00:19:48,930
bridges behind me.

556
00:19:49,210 --> 00:19:51,150
Everything I used to love, everything I used

557
00:19:51,150 --> 00:19:52,950
to lust for, everything I used to desire,

558
00:19:53,150 --> 00:19:55,250
I count the world but done just to

559
00:19:55,250 --> 00:19:55,830
have you.

560
00:19:56,490 --> 00:19:58,390
Oh, my friend, have you come to God

561
00:19:58,390 --> 00:20:00,010
like that?

562
00:20:00,010 --> 00:20:04,710
You see, our churches today are filled up

563
00:20:04,710 --> 00:20:07,450
with people who have walked down the aisles

564
00:20:07,450 --> 00:20:10,430
with their sins in one hand, their idols

565
00:20:10,430 --> 00:20:13,170
in another, and many times we make them

566
00:20:13,170 --> 00:20:14,310
leaders in our churches.

567
00:20:14,890 --> 00:20:18,590
It is truly an abomination to God.

568
00:20:19,130 --> 00:20:20,570
Oh, my dear friends, listen to me.

569
00:20:21,010 --> 00:20:23,410
You cannot be a Christian until you make

570
00:20:23,410 --> 00:20:25,310
up your mind you can only serve one

571
00:20:25,310 --> 00:20:25,830
God.

572
00:20:25,990 --> 00:20:28,130
It must be the God of heaven.

573
00:20:28,130 --> 00:20:30,810
You must understand that your sin separates you

574
00:20:30,810 --> 00:20:31,430
from God.

575
00:20:31,790 --> 00:20:33,510
You must turn away from that sin.

576
00:20:33,850 --> 00:20:35,570
You must let go of your idols and

577
00:20:35,570 --> 00:20:36,890
stop serving other gods.

578
00:20:37,410 --> 00:20:40,230
And then, number three, you must make a

579
00:20:40,230 --> 00:20:45,230
total surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

580
00:20:45,890 --> 00:20:48,090
Oh, my friend, you'll never find any teaching

581
00:20:48,090 --> 00:20:50,110
in the Bible that says you can take

582
00:20:50,110 --> 00:20:52,750
a piece of Jesus and be saved.

583
00:20:53,110 --> 00:20:54,930
It is the Lord Jesus Christ.

584
00:20:55,270 --> 00:20:56,890
The Lord Jesus Christ.

585
00:20:56,890 --> 00:20:58,770
The Lord Jesus Christ.

586
00:20:59,050 --> 00:21:01,510
He is either your Lord, your God, your

587
00:21:01,510 --> 00:21:04,770
boss, your master, your owner, or He is

588
00:21:04,770 --> 00:21:07,270
nothing in your life.

589
00:21:08,150 --> 00:21:10,670
Let me tell you a story that'll make

590
00:21:10,670 --> 00:21:11,130
the point.

591
00:21:11,710 --> 00:21:13,650
In the Bible, there's a story about a

592
00:21:13,650 --> 00:21:15,390
young man who was interested in the things

593
00:21:15,390 --> 00:21:15,970
of God.

594
00:21:16,470 --> 00:21:18,290
We call him the rich young ruler.

595
00:21:18,950 --> 00:21:20,570
He was a man who believed in God

596
00:21:20,570 --> 00:21:22,530
and he wanted to know God.

597
00:21:23,050 --> 00:21:24,850
The Bible says one day the Lord Jesus

598
00:21:24,850 --> 00:21:27,950
Christ passed by and this rich young ruler

599
00:21:27,950 --> 00:21:29,690
ran up to Jesus and he fell at

600
00:21:29,690 --> 00:21:30,470
the feet of Jesus.

601
00:21:31,130 --> 00:21:33,330
And he looked up and said, Lord, what

602
00:21:33,330 --> 00:21:35,530
must I do to inherit eternal life?

603
00:21:36,150 --> 00:21:37,730
And Jesus looked at him and Jesus said,

604
00:21:37,810 --> 00:21:40,130
Well, you need to do this, this, this,

605
00:21:40,290 --> 00:21:41,110
this, and this.

606
00:21:41,450 --> 00:21:44,710
He gave him five of the ten commandments.

607
00:21:45,150 --> 00:21:46,510
He was trying to get this young man

608
00:21:46,510 --> 00:21:48,670
to see that he had sinned against God.

609
00:21:48,970 --> 00:21:51,570
But this young man was so deceived, he

610
00:21:51,570 --> 00:21:53,590
said, Well, Lord, I've kept those things my

611
00:21:53,590 --> 00:21:54,490
whole life.

612
00:21:54,790 --> 00:21:56,290
And the Lord said, Well, there's one thing

613
00:21:56,290 --> 00:21:57,150
you haven't done.

614
00:21:57,590 --> 00:21:59,030
And Jesus looked right in his heart.

615
00:21:59,130 --> 00:22:00,030
He saw what the problem was.

616
00:22:00,150 --> 00:22:01,370
He saw he loved his money.

617
00:22:01,810 --> 00:22:03,250
He saw that money was his God.

618
00:22:03,710 --> 00:22:04,790
He said, Well, here's what you need to

619
00:22:04,790 --> 00:22:05,890
do if you want to really be a

620
00:22:05,890 --> 00:22:06,250
Christian.

621
00:22:06,890 --> 00:22:09,910
Go home, sell everything you have, give the

622
00:22:09,910 --> 00:22:13,010
money to the poor, then come and follow

623
00:22:13,010 --> 00:22:13,450
me.

624
00:22:13,870 --> 00:22:15,490
And the Bible says this rich young ruler,

625
00:22:15,750 --> 00:22:18,470
he went away sad because he was very,

626
00:22:18,590 --> 00:22:19,750
very wealthy.

627
00:22:19,750 --> 00:22:21,190
Now watch this.

628
00:22:21,610 --> 00:22:23,590
Here's a young man that came to Jesus.

629
00:22:24,090 --> 00:22:25,430
We tell people all the time, If you

630
00:22:25,430 --> 00:22:26,870
come to Jesus, you'll be saved.

631
00:22:27,410 --> 00:22:28,170
Not necessarily.

632
00:22:28,830 --> 00:22:30,610
This young man had an emotional experience.

633
00:22:30,690 --> 00:22:32,750
Can you imagine how emotional it was to

634
00:22:32,750 --> 00:22:34,110
be at the feet of Jesus himself?

635
00:22:34,770 --> 00:22:36,630
He even wanted to be saved.

636
00:22:37,030 --> 00:22:38,090
He said, Lord, what must I do to

637
00:22:38,090 --> 00:22:38,650
be saved?

638
00:22:39,430 --> 00:22:41,470
He was even drawn by the Holy Spirit.

639
00:22:42,050 --> 00:22:43,170
You say, Well, how do you know that?

640
00:22:43,490 --> 00:22:45,470
Because Jesus said, No man can come to

641
00:22:45,470 --> 00:22:47,290
me except my Father.

642
00:22:48,070 --> 00:22:48,670
Draw him.

643
00:22:48,670 --> 00:22:51,110
Here's a young man that came to Jesus,

644
00:22:51,230 --> 00:22:52,330
but he didn't get saved.

645
00:22:52,690 --> 00:22:55,070
He had an emotional experience, but he didn't

646
00:22:55,070 --> 00:22:55,790
get saved.

647
00:22:56,110 --> 00:22:57,910
He was drawn by the Holy Spirit, but

648
00:22:57,910 --> 00:22:58,990
he didn't get saved.

649
00:22:59,270 --> 00:23:02,410
He wanted to get saved, but he didn't

650
00:23:02,410 --> 00:23:03,270
get saved.

651
00:23:04,150 --> 00:23:04,630
Why?

652
00:23:05,430 --> 00:23:08,490
Because when Jesus Christ told him that he

653
00:23:08,490 --> 00:23:10,730
must turn away from his sin, he must

654
00:23:10,730 --> 00:23:13,530
leave his idols behind, that he must make

655
00:23:13,530 --> 00:23:17,070
Jesus his God and his only God, this

656
00:23:17,070 --> 00:23:20,210
young man was not willing to pay that

657
00:23:20,210 --> 00:23:20,870
price.

658
00:23:21,410 --> 00:23:23,430
Oh, my dear friends, there are many people

659
00:23:23,430 --> 00:23:25,070
today who've done the same thing.

660
00:23:26,210 --> 00:23:28,250
They've walked an aisle to come to Jesus.

661
00:23:28,850 --> 00:23:31,390
They've had a very emotional experience.

662
00:23:32,050 --> 00:23:33,190
They want to get saved.

663
00:23:33,290 --> 00:23:34,190
They want to go to heaven.

664
00:23:34,990 --> 00:23:36,690
But when the Lord says, This is what

665
00:23:36,690 --> 00:23:37,050
you must do.

666
00:23:37,110 --> 00:23:38,550
You must stop serving other gods.

667
00:23:38,590 --> 00:23:39,870
You must stop loving your sin.

668
00:23:40,290 --> 00:23:42,910
You must give me your life and serve

669
00:23:42,910 --> 00:23:44,110
me and only me.

670
00:23:44,850 --> 00:23:46,550
They're not willing to do that.

671
00:23:47,110 --> 00:23:49,090
Oh, they'll pray a prayer and join the

672
00:23:49,090 --> 00:23:49,490
church.

673
00:23:50,010 --> 00:23:53,190
They'll get baptized, but they will not give

674
00:23:53,190 --> 00:23:55,470
God their life.

675
00:23:56,350 --> 00:23:57,810
My friend, let me ask you a question.

676
00:24:00,170 --> 00:24:02,930
Suppose that when you walked that aisle, that

677
00:24:02,930 --> 00:24:06,330
time you count as your salvation moment, when

678
00:24:06,330 --> 00:24:07,830
you walked down that aisle and you took

679
00:24:07,830 --> 00:24:10,070
the preacher by the hand and said, Oh,

680
00:24:10,090 --> 00:24:11,150
I want to be saved.

681
00:24:11,190 --> 00:24:12,670
I want to ask Jesus into my heart.

682
00:24:12,730 --> 00:24:13,490
I want to be baptized.

683
00:24:13,490 --> 00:24:16,310
Whatever it was you said, what if the

684
00:24:16,310 --> 00:24:19,330
preacher had whispered in your ear, You can

685
00:24:19,330 --> 00:24:22,230
be saved, but what you must do is

686
00:24:22,230 --> 00:24:25,730
you must go home today, sell everything you

687
00:24:25,730 --> 00:24:29,350
have, give the money to the poor, and

688
00:24:29,350 --> 00:24:33,070
then come and follow Jesus the rest of

689
00:24:33,070 --> 00:24:33,730
your life.

690
00:24:34,670 --> 00:24:38,410
If he had told you that, would you

691
00:24:38,410 --> 00:24:39,930
have given Christ your life then?

692
00:24:40,750 --> 00:24:42,510
Would you have been saved then?

693
00:24:43,050 --> 00:24:45,510
My friend, salvation is a radical thing.

694
00:24:46,150 --> 00:24:47,810
It is a supernatural thing.

695
00:24:48,410 --> 00:24:49,850
It is when the Spirit of living God

696
00:24:49,850 --> 00:24:52,250
convicts you of sin, shows you that you're

697
00:24:52,250 --> 00:24:54,770
a rebel against God, shows you that you're

698
00:24:54,770 --> 00:24:57,490
lost, and you make a conscious and willful

699
00:24:57,490 --> 00:25:00,790
decision to turn away from that sin, leave

700
00:25:00,790 --> 00:25:04,110
those idols behind, take Jesus as your Lord

701
00:25:04,110 --> 00:25:06,570
and your Savior, your God, and then you

702
00:25:06,570 --> 00:25:08,670
begin to follow Him and love Him and

703
00:25:08,670 --> 00:25:10,370
serve Him with your life.

704
00:25:10,370 --> 00:25:14,490
Anything less than that is not true genuine

705
00:25:14,490 --> 00:25:19,090
salvation and will not get you into heaven.

706
00:25:19,310 --> 00:25:20,410
Here's what's happened.

707
00:25:20,530 --> 00:25:22,910
The children of Israel are in rebellion against

708
00:25:22,910 --> 00:25:23,490
God.

709
00:25:23,670 --> 00:25:25,410
They've turned away from the living and true

710
00:25:25,410 --> 00:25:27,970
God and they've turned to worship the pagan

711
00:25:27,970 --> 00:25:29,050
god, Baal.

712
00:25:29,390 --> 00:25:32,450
And God, in His anger against their sin,

713
00:25:32,750 --> 00:25:34,410
He has sent a drought.

714
00:25:34,630 --> 00:25:37,010
For three years it has not rained.

715
00:25:37,190 --> 00:25:39,390
There's a great famine across the land.

716
00:25:39,390 --> 00:25:43,310
And what this drought represents, it represents a

717
00:25:43,310 --> 00:25:44,490
spiritual drought.

718
00:25:44,770 --> 00:25:46,890
Yeah, these folks needed rain, but what they

719
00:25:46,890 --> 00:25:50,110
needed more than rain was, they needed for

720
00:25:50,110 --> 00:25:52,070
God to show up and refresh in their

721
00:25:52,070 --> 00:25:53,890
hearts and refresh in their lives.

722
00:25:54,150 --> 00:25:56,810
And God calls out a man named Elijah.

723
00:25:57,090 --> 00:25:58,630
I want to tell you, friends, there's never

724
00:25:58,630 --> 00:26:01,550
a great revival of God without God calling

725
00:26:01,550 --> 00:26:02,290
out a man.

726
00:26:02,570 --> 00:26:05,370
God calls out a man named Elijah.

727
00:26:05,370 --> 00:26:08,490
He says, Elijah, go and show yourself to

728
00:26:08,490 --> 00:26:12,110
Ahab, that wicked king, and show yourself and

729
00:26:12,110 --> 00:26:14,210
tell them that God is about to send

730
00:26:14,210 --> 00:26:16,090
rain to planet Earth.

731
00:26:16,310 --> 00:26:17,630
Friend, I want to tell you, what the

732
00:26:17,630 --> 00:26:19,910
Israelites needed more than anything else was an

733
00:26:19,910 --> 00:26:21,050
old-fashioned revival.

734
00:26:21,290 --> 00:26:23,050
They had turned their backs on God.

735
00:26:23,250 --> 00:26:25,050
The rain had been cut off from heaven.

736
00:26:25,430 --> 00:26:27,450
Spiritually, they were in rebellion against God.

737
00:26:27,670 --> 00:26:29,650
What they needed was rain, but what they

738
00:26:29,650 --> 00:26:31,490
really needed was God to show up and

739
00:26:31,490 --> 00:26:34,170
refresh their hearts and draw them back to

740
00:26:34,170 --> 00:26:34,510
repentance.

741
00:26:34,510 --> 00:26:36,210
Friend, that's exactly what we need.

742
00:26:36,470 --> 00:26:39,370
We need an old-fashioned, heaven-sent, holy

743
00:26:39,370 --> 00:26:40,910
ghost, devil-defeating.

744
00:26:41,170 --> 00:26:43,410
I'm telling you, we need a real revival

745
00:26:43,410 --> 00:26:44,130
from God.

746
00:26:45,370 --> 00:26:47,070
And I am not one of those men

747
00:26:47,070 --> 00:26:49,290
that believe the time of revivals has ended.

748
00:26:49,530 --> 00:26:51,250
We live in a day where many prominent

749
00:26:51,250 --> 00:26:53,610
preachers say we cannot have revival anymore.

750
00:26:53,950 --> 00:26:55,390
I am not one of those men.

751
00:26:55,610 --> 00:26:57,390
I believe with all my heart, we can

752
00:26:57,390 --> 00:26:58,510
have a real revival.

753
00:26:58,750 --> 00:27:00,430
I believe if we will meet the conditions

754
00:27:00,430 --> 00:27:02,110
of the Bible, if we will come to

755
00:27:02,110 --> 00:27:04,530
God on God's terms, if we will humble

756
00:27:04,530 --> 00:27:06,870
ourselves before a holy God and call upon

757
00:27:06,870 --> 00:27:08,630
the name of the Lord, I believe that

758
00:27:08,630 --> 00:27:11,630
God will send the refreshing rains of revival.

759
00:27:11,970 --> 00:27:13,270
He can cleanse our lives.

760
00:27:13,350 --> 00:27:14,530
He can cleanse our communities.

761
00:27:14,690 --> 00:27:16,050
He can change this world.

762
00:27:16,350 --> 00:27:19,050
I believe just like in Elijah's day, God

763
00:27:19,050 --> 00:27:21,910
is willing and able to send the rains

764
00:27:21,910 --> 00:27:25,010
of revival if we will simply turn back

765
00:27:25,010 --> 00:27:27,490
to Him and call upon His name.

766
00:27:27,530 --> 00:27:28,630
But there are a lot of enemies of

767
00:27:28,630 --> 00:27:29,030
revival.

768
00:27:29,130 --> 00:27:29,770
Did you know that?

769
00:27:30,410 --> 00:27:32,430
Not a lot of people want revival.

770
00:27:32,430 --> 00:27:34,330
You might be surprised to know there are

771
00:27:34,330 --> 00:27:35,590
a lot of enemies of revival.

772
00:27:35,730 --> 00:27:37,210
There were enemies in Elijah's day.

773
00:27:37,790 --> 00:27:39,830
Look at verse 3 through 5.

774
00:27:40,830 --> 00:27:42,290
And I will talk about the first enemy

775
00:27:42,290 --> 00:27:44,630
of revival tonight, a man by the name

776
00:27:44,630 --> 00:27:47,390
of Obadiah, a teenage friend, listen very carefully.

777
00:27:48,590 --> 00:27:52,510
Obadiah represents the enemy of revival, the old

778
00:27:52,510 --> 00:27:54,370
-fashioned compromiser.

779
00:27:54,770 --> 00:27:56,770
In verse 3 it says, And Ahab called

780
00:27:56,770 --> 00:27:59,710
Obadiah, which was governor of his house.

781
00:27:59,930 --> 00:28:01,950
Now Obadiah feared the Lord.

782
00:28:02,630 --> 00:28:05,290
For it was so when Jezebel cut off

783
00:28:05,290 --> 00:28:07,810
the prophets of the Lord that Obadiah took

784
00:28:07,810 --> 00:28:10,870
a hundred prophets and hid them by fifty

785
00:28:10,870 --> 00:28:13,210
in a cave and fed them with bread

786
00:28:13,210 --> 00:28:14,110
and water.

787
00:28:14,510 --> 00:28:17,590
And Ahab said unto Obadiah, Go into the

788
00:28:17,590 --> 00:28:20,330
land, unto all fountains of water, and into

789
00:28:20,330 --> 00:28:23,030
all brooks, per adventure we may find grass

790
00:28:23,030 --> 00:28:26,410
to save the horses and mews alive, that

791
00:28:26,410 --> 00:28:29,470
we lose not all the beasts.

792
00:28:29,510 --> 00:28:31,610
Now the number one enemy of revival is

793
00:28:31,610 --> 00:28:33,150
a man by the name of Obadiah.

794
00:28:33,270 --> 00:28:34,110
Who was Obadiah?

795
00:28:34,370 --> 00:28:37,150
Well Obadiah was a man of God.

796
00:28:37,250 --> 00:28:37,810
Listen to me.

797
00:28:37,930 --> 00:28:39,690
He was a man who feared God.

798
00:28:40,110 --> 00:28:42,590
Obadiah was a man who was really saved.

799
00:28:42,810 --> 00:28:45,290
The Bible says when Queen Jezebel was chasing

800
00:28:45,290 --> 00:28:47,890
all of God's prophets and killing them, that

801
00:28:47,890 --> 00:28:50,290
Obadiah took them and hid many of them

802
00:28:50,290 --> 00:28:52,610
in a cave and fed them to save

803
00:28:52,610 --> 00:28:53,130
their life.

804
00:28:53,290 --> 00:28:55,350
So Obadiah was a man of God.

805
00:28:55,490 --> 00:28:56,850
He was a man who was saved.

806
00:28:57,010 --> 00:28:59,110
He was a man who feared God and

807
00:28:59,110 --> 00:29:01,110
he wanted to serve God, but he was

808
00:29:01,110 --> 00:29:03,270
also a man who was aligned with a

809
00:29:03,270 --> 00:29:04,470
man by the name of Ahab.

810
00:29:04,830 --> 00:29:07,290
Ahab was the most wicked king that ever

811
00:29:07,290 --> 00:29:07,690
lived.

812
00:29:08,010 --> 00:29:10,670
And Obadiah was the governor of his house.

813
00:29:10,830 --> 00:29:11,790
So here's what we have.

814
00:29:11,970 --> 00:29:13,730
We have a man who wanted to serve

815
00:29:13,730 --> 00:29:16,410
God on one hand, but he wanted to

816
00:29:16,410 --> 00:29:18,070
serve Ahab on the other hand.

817
00:29:18,450 --> 00:29:19,570
Here was a man who wanted to walk

818
00:29:19,570 --> 00:29:22,070
after God, but Ahab paid his salary.

819
00:29:22,270 --> 00:29:23,810
He had a financial interest here.

820
00:29:23,990 --> 00:29:25,010
So here was Obadiah.

821
00:29:25,150 --> 00:29:27,250
He wanted to live with God, but he

822
00:29:27,250 --> 00:29:29,310
wanted to also live in the world.

823
00:29:29,310 --> 00:29:33,330
You see, Obadiah represents the A number one

824
00:29:33,330 --> 00:29:36,970
garden variety compromiser that we see in our

825
00:29:36,970 --> 00:29:37,730
churches today.

826
00:29:37,910 --> 00:29:40,030
It's like on Sunday morning, those folks, they

827
00:29:40,030 --> 00:29:41,910
come to church on Sunday, but they want

828
00:29:41,910 --> 00:29:43,510
to live for the world on Monday.

829
00:29:43,650 --> 00:29:45,690
They want to have the good God and

830
00:29:45,690 --> 00:29:47,790
the good devil crowd wrapped up in one.

831
00:29:47,950 --> 00:29:49,890
You see, our churches are filled up with

832
00:29:49,890 --> 00:29:50,710
Obadiahs.

833
00:29:50,850 --> 00:29:52,750
Our churches are filled up with people that

834
00:29:52,750 --> 00:29:54,730
want to serve God, but they don't want

835
00:29:54,730 --> 00:29:56,270
to separate from the world at the same

836
00:29:56,270 --> 00:29:56,670
time.

837
00:29:56,850 --> 00:29:59,330
And I'm telling you, friends, you cannot serve

838
00:29:59,330 --> 00:30:00,190
two masters.

839
00:30:00,390 --> 00:30:02,690
You will love one and hate the other.

840
00:30:03,030 --> 00:30:05,770
And Obadiah was a man who really, really

841
00:30:05,770 --> 00:30:06,490
was saved.

842
00:30:06,570 --> 00:30:08,090
He was a man, the Bible says, a

843
00:30:08,090 --> 00:30:09,210
man of God.

844
00:30:09,330 --> 00:30:11,450
And yet he had aligned himself with the

845
00:30:11,450 --> 00:30:14,630
most wicked, rebellious king that the nation of

846
00:30:14,630 --> 00:30:15,730
Israel had ever seen.

847
00:30:16,410 --> 00:30:18,150
Obadiah was an enemy of revival.

848
00:30:18,730 --> 00:30:21,310
In fact, I have found that Obadiah is

849
00:30:21,310 --> 00:30:24,170
the number one enemy of all revival.

850
00:30:24,330 --> 00:30:25,730
You see, there are a lot of people

851
00:30:25,730 --> 00:30:26,810
sitting on the fence today.

852
00:30:27,490 --> 00:30:30,050
A lot of folks straddling the fence.

853
00:30:30,350 --> 00:30:33,310
They're the real enemies of revival.

854
00:30:33,710 --> 00:30:36,390
The Bible says, wherefore come out from among

855
00:30:36,390 --> 00:30:38,490
them and be ye separate, saith the Lord,

856
00:30:38,630 --> 00:30:41,670
and touch not the unclean things and I

857
00:30:41,670 --> 00:30:43,850
will receive you.

858
00:30:44,090 --> 00:30:45,950
See, I've seen many times men and women

859
00:30:45,950 --> 00:30:48,070
come to church and they sit there and

860
00:30:48,070 --> 00:30:49,550
they complain and they grieve.

861
00:30:49,650 --> 00:30:51,670
They go home and they have roast pastor

862
00:30:51,670 --> 00:30:52,310
for lunch.

863
00:30:52,530 --> 00:30:53,970
They complain and they whine.

864
00:30:54,030 --> 00:30:55,890
And I'm telling you, if their sons and

865
00:30:55,890 --> 00:30:58,270
daughters do get saved, they have to stumble

866
00:30:58,270 --> 00:31:00,730
over their old sorry testimony to get to

867
00:31:00,730 --> 00:31:01,090
Jesus.

868
00:31:01,390 --> 00:31:03,370
And I'm telling you, our churches are filled

869
00:31:03,370 --> 00:31:05,510
up with compromisers and I'm just sick and

870
00:31:05,510 --> 00:31:06,070
tired of it.

871
00:31:06,230 --> 00:31:08,370
You see, if our faith is worth anything,

872
00:31:08,490 --> 00:31:09,570
it's worth everything.

873
00:31:09,870 --> 00:31:11,130
If you're going to give your life to

874
00:31:11,130 --> 00:31:12,650
the God of this universe, you ought to

875
00:31:12,650 --> 00:31:14,510
give him all of your life, not part

876
00:31:14,510 --> 00:31:16,090
of your life, not hang on to the

877
00:31:16,090 --> 00:31:17,350
world and hang on to God.

878
00:31:17,950 --> 00:31:19,730
Obadiah was a compromiser.

879
00:31:21,010 --> 00:31:23,510
And I want to challenge you tonight, stop

880
00:31:23,510 --> 00:31:24,310
your compromising.

881
00:31:25,090 --> 00:31:26,950
Stop your compromising.

882
00:31:27,390 --> 00:31:28,760
See, I believe in fanaticism.

883
00:31:29,610 --> 00:31:31,650
I believe in being a fanatic for Jesus.

884
00:31:32,090 --> 00:31:34,850
This old thing about kind of getting mellow

885
00:31:34,850 --> 00:31:36,270
in the middle, I'm not for that at

886
00:31:36,270 --> 00:31:36,750
all, friend.

887
00:31:37,090 --> 00:31:39,010
I mean, I'm sick and tired of that

888
00:31:39,010 --> 00:31:41,830
old limber-wristed, back-scratching, ear-tickling, iced

889
00:31:41,830 --> 00:31:43,910
tea-sipping, lace-on-the-bridges Christianity.

890
00:31:44,150 --> 00:31:45,810
I want folk to be on fire for

891
00:31:45,810 --> 00:31:46,110
God.

892
00:31:47,830 --> 00:31:50,470
And Obadiah was an enemy of revival.

893
00:31:50,470 --> 00:31:53,830
He represents the compromisers of this world.

894
00:31:53,990 --> 00:31:56,670
They are the number one enemy to the

895
00:31:56,670 --> 00:31:57,610
things of God.

896
00:31:57,870 --> 00:32:01,290
They are saved, but they live with the

897
00:32:01,290 --> 00:32:01,710
world.

898
00:32:01,830 --> 00:32:05,230
The second enemy of revival is represented by

899
00:32:05,230 --> 00:32:08,530
this man named Ahab in verse 17.

900
00:32:11,660 --> 00:32:13,660
It says, Then it came to pass, when

901
00:32:13,660 --> 00:32:16,980
Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him,

902
00:32:17,380 --> 00:32:20,800
Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

903
00:32:21,560 --> 00:32:23,520
And he answered, I have not troubled Israel,

904
00:32:23,660 --> 00:32:25,320
but thou and thy father's house, in that

905
00:32:25,320 --> 00:32:27,460
ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord,

906
00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:30,120
and thou hast followed Balaam.

907
00:32:30,300 --> 00:32:34,460
Now, Obadiah represents the compromisers, the saved people

908
00:32:34,460 --> 00:32:36,260
who have compromised with the world, but Ahab

909
00:32:36,260 --> 00:32:38,640
represents the corrupt.

910
00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:42,380
They represent those who are actually against God.

911
00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:44,940
Now, when Elijah came to Ahab, here's what

912
00:32:44,940 --> 00:32:45,600
Ahab said.

913
00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:48,300
Ahab said, Hey, you're that preacher that's causing

914
00:32:48,300 --> 00:32:49,420
all the trouble.

915
00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:52,060
He said, you're the man that's got all

916
00:32:52,060 --> 00:32:53,400
of Israel stirred up.

917
00:32:54,080 --> 00:32:56,400
And Elijah said, No, I'm not the troublemaker.

918
00:32:56,700 --> 00:32:58,640
You're the troublemaker because you have turned your

919
00:32:58,640 --> 00:32:59,600
back on God.

920
00:32:59,820 --> 00:33:01,420
You see, Ahab was a man who didn't

921
00:33:01,420 --> 00:33:02,200
like preachers.

922
00:33:02,380 --> 00:33:04,220
Now, I can't imagine that, but Ahab was

923
00:33:04,220 --> 00:33:05,800
a man who didn't like preachers.

924
00:33:05,980 --> 00:33:07,420
He pointed to his fingers and said, Hey,

925
00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:08,840
man, you're stirring everything up.

926
00:33:09,220 --> 00:33:10,740
I mean, you're talking about heaven and hell.

927
00:33:10,820 --> 00:33:11,880
You're preaching against sin.

928
00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:13,520
Man, you've got everybody in an uproar.

929
00:33:13,700 --> 00:33:14,940
You've got everything shaking up.

930
00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:16,100
Man, you're the troublemaker.

931
00:33:16,940 --> 00:33:18,780
And the reason Ahab didn't like the preacher

932
00:33:18,780 --> 00:33:21,460
was this, because Elijah pointed out his sin.

933
00:33:22,340 --> 00:33:23,640
Elijah pointed out there was only one way

934
00:33:23,640 --> 00:33:24,200
to God.

935
00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:26,580
Elijah pointed out that Balaam was a false

936
00:33:26,580 --> 00:33:28,080
god and a pagan god.

937
00:33:28,300 --> 00:33:30,300
And Elijah pointed out that the Lord God

938
00:33:30,300 --> 00:33:32,780
Jehovah was the only God and the troublemaker

939
00:33:32,780 --> 00:33:33,460
was Ahab.

940
00:33:33,660 --> 00:33:35,020
And he loved his sin.

941
00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:36,880
And he pointed at the preacher and he

942
00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,120
said, That preacher who's pointing out sin and

943
00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:41,080
preaching about heaven and hell and being born

944
00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:42,720
again, he's the troublemaker.

945
00:33:43,580 --> 00:33:46,040
Ahab represents all those corrupt, wicked people in

946
00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:47,980
the world who love the devil more than

947
00:33:47,980 --> 00:33:48,700
they love God.

948
00:33:48,700 --> 00:33:51,080
They love their sin more than they love

949
00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:51,900
the Savior.

950
00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:53,000
And I want to tell you, as you

951
00:33:53,000 --> 00:33:55,240
hear me tonight, if you really sell out

952
00:33:55,240 --> 00:33:57,340
to God, if you really get born again

953
00:33:57,340 --> 00:33:58,760
by the Holy Spirit and give everything you

954
00:33:58,760 --> 00:34:00,240
have to God, I'm going to tell you,

955
00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:01,920
you will be an enemy of the world.

956
00:34:02,300 --> 00:34:04,700
My friend, the Bible says, Be wary when

957
00:34:04,700 --> 00:34:06,720
all men speak well of you.

958
00:34:07,020 --> 00:34:08,719
I'm telling you, you can tell more about

959
00:34:08,719 --> 00:34:10,760
a man by who his friends are than

960
00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:11,760
who his enemies are.

961
00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:13,580
I'm telling you, when you walk into a

962
00:34:13,580 --> 00:34:15,780
place filled up with lost men and you're

963
00:34:15,780 --> 00:34:16,840
just one of the same old good old

964
00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:18,620
boys and you strut up there, there's something

965
00:34:18,620 --> 00:34:19,980
wrong with your testimony, friend.

966
00:34:20,219 --> 00:34:22,060
I'm telling you, it's all right to witness

967
00:34:22,060 --> 00:34:22,679
the lost people.

968
00:34:22,900 --> 00:34:24,580
It's all right to get a relationship to

969
00:34:24,580 --> 00:34:25,199
win them to Christ.

970
00:34:25,400 --> 00:34:26,800
But my friends, when you walk through the

971
00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:28,659
door and there's no difference between you and

972
00:34:28,659 --> 00:34:30,540
them, there's something wrong in your life.

973
00:34:30,679 --> 00:34:31,960
And I have found out if you will

974
00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:34,380
stand for God, you will serve God and

975
00:34:34,380 --> 00:34:35,460
you will sell out to God.

976
00:34:35,620 --> 00:34:37,280
I'm telling you, you will be an enemy

977
00:34:37,280 --> 00:34:39,320
to a lost and dying world because the

978
00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:40,920
world hates Jesus Christ.

979
00:34:41,540 --> 00:34:44,460
And so Obadiah was the compromiser.

980
00:34:45,480 --> 00:34:46,620
Ahab was the corrupt.

981
00:34:46,620 --> 00:34:48,199
But here's the good thing about it.

982
00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:50,780
The Ahabs cannot stop revival.

983
00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:55,760
The lost, wicked world cannot stop revival.

984
00:34:56,620 --> 00:34:58,580
God did not say if the lost will

985
00:34:58,580 --> 00:35:00,640
call upon my name, I'll send revival.

986
00:35:01,620 --> 00:35:02,960
He said if my people which are called

987
00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:05,280
by my name shall humble themselves and pray

988
00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:07,640
and seek my face and turn from their

989
00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:09,340
wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven

990
00:35:09,340 --> 00:35:11,920
and will forgive their sin and heal their

991
00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:12,260
land.

992
00:35:12,500 --> 00:35:14,400
Oh, the Ahabs of the world, they are

993
00:35:14,400 --> 00:35:14,780
wicked.

994
00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:17,120
They're enemies to God's people but they cannot

995
00:35:17,120 --> 00:35:18,140
hold back revival.

996
00:35:18,260 --> 00:35:20,200
The only person who can really hold back

997
00:35:20,200 --> 00:35:22,240
revival is the Obadiah crowd.

998
00:35:22,540 --> 00:35:25,800
Those that are saved but are compromising.

999
00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:28,180
Now the third group that is an enemy

1000
00:35:29,040 --> 00:35:31,800
to real revival is found in verse 20.

1001
00:35:32,380 --> 00:35:33,380
That is the people.

1002
00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:37,400
I call the people the confused.

1003
00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:40,180
And so Ahab sent unto all the children

1004
00:35:40,180 --> 00:35:46,100
of Israel and gathered the prophets together to

1005
00:35:46,100 --> 00:35:47,220
Mount Carmel.

1006
00:35:47,620 --> 00:35:49,400
And Elijah came unto all the people and

1007
00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:51,860
said how long halt ye between two opinions?

1008
00:35:52,140 --> 00:35:53,740
If the Lord be God, follow him.

1009
00:35:53,780 --> 00:35:56,120
But if Baal, then follow him.

1010
00:35:56,300 --> 00:35:59,660
And the people answered not a word.

1011
00:36:00,300 --> 00:36:02,420
Now the people were an enemy of revival

1012
00:36:02,420 --> 00:36:04,180
because I called them the confused.

1013
00:36:04,220 --> 00:36:05,580
Now here's what old Elijah did.

1014
00:36:05,740 --> 00:36:07,180
He got all those folks together in a

1015
00:36:07,180 --> 00:36:08,220
big meeting house like this.

1016
00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:09,380
He said I want you to make a

1017
00:36:09,380 --> 00:36:09,740
decision.

1018
00:36:10,200 --> 00:36:12,840
He said is Jehovah God?

1019
00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:14,720
They said we don't know.

1020
00:36:14,720 --> 00:36:16,900
They said is Baal God?

1021
00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:18,740
They said well we don't know that either.

1022
00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:20,960
He said well how long are you going

1023
00:36:20,960 --> 00:36:21,840
to straddle the fence?

1024
00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:23,620
How long are you going to stand between

1025
00:36:23,620 --> 00:36:24,640
these two opinions?

1026
00:36:25,100 --> 00:36:27,160
If Jehovah is God, serve him.

1027
00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:29,060
But if Baal is God, serve him.

1028
00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:30,720
Make up your mind.

1029
00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:33,280
Do you know why the people were so

1030
00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:33,600
confused?

1031
00:36:34,500 --> 00:36:35,820
Do you know why the people couldn't tell

1032
00:36:35,820 --> 00:36:37,400
the true living God?

1033
00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:39,180
Do you know why the folks were so

1034
00:36:39,180 --> 00:36:40,860
confused and they couldn't make up their mind

1035
00:36:40,860 --> 00:36:42,600
the living and true God?

1036
00:36:43,840 --> 00:36:46,800
Because the Obadiah crowd had lived so sorry

1037
00:36:46,800 --> 00:36:48,200
that there was no testimony.

1038
00:36:48,440 --> 00:36:49,940
They couldn't look at any change in their

1039
00:36:49,940 --> 00:36:50,140
life.

1040
00:36:50,380 --> 00:36:52,560
There was no real change in the Obadiah

1041
00:36:52,560 --> 00:36:54,140
crowd and the folks were confused.

1042
00:36:54,380 --> 00:36:55,580
They didn't know who the living and true

1043
00:36:55,580 --> 00:36:56,380
God was.

1044
00:36:56,740 --> 00:36:58,920
I want to tell you friends, there are

1045
00:36:58,920 --> 00:37:00,460
a lot of people today just like that.

1046
00:37:00,900 --> 00:37:02,340
We've got a lot of people going to

1047
00:37:02,340 --> 00:37:04,720
hell because the church family is living like

1048
00:37:04,720 --> 00:37:05,020
hell.

1049
00:37:05,380 --> 00:37:07,060
We've got a lot of folks that claim

1050
00:37:07,060 --> 00:37:09,460
to know Christ but there's no power, there's

1051
00:37:09,460 --> 00:37:12,000
no glory, there's no influence and the world

1052
00:37:12,000 --> 00:37:13,720
around them looks at them and they can't

1053
00:37:13,720 --> 00:37:15,720
believe in God because we don't live like

1054
00:37:15,720 --> 00:37:16,260
there's a God.

1055
00:37:18,910 --> 00:37:21,190
I'm telling you the people were confused and

1056
00:37:21,190 --> 00:37:22,310
folks today are confused.

1057
00:37:23,290 --> 00:37:24,450
I see people all the time and they

1058
00:37:24,450 --> 00:37:26,930
say, well I've tried drugs but that didn't

1059
00:37:26,930 --> 00:37:27,130
work.

1060
00:37:27,170 --> 00:37:28,450
I tried sex but that didn't work.

1061
00:37:28,490 --> 00:37:30,050
I tried making money but that didn't work.

1062
00:37:30,070 --> 00:37:31,090
Do you folks have the answer?

1063
00:37:32,310 --> 00:37:33,470
Do you folks know what the answer's all

1064
00:37:33,470 --> 00:37:33,790
about?

1065
00:37:34,550 --> 00:37:36,310
And I'm telling you friends, when people look

1066
00:37:36,310 --> 00:37:37,730
at our lives, they ought to have a

1067
00:37:37,730 --> 00:37:40,110
supernatural observation.

1068
00:37:40,650 --> 00:37:41,830
They ought to see something in our life

1069
00:37:41,830 --> 00:37:43,190
that's different than just a church membership.

1070
00:37:43,190 --> 00:37:45,250
They ought to see the power of God.

1071
00:37:45,370 --> 00:37:46,670
They ought to see a fanaticism.

1072
00:37:46,890 --> 00:37:48,270
They ought to see a passion for God

1073
00:37:48,270 --> 00:37:49,810
that when they're confused looking at our lives,

1074
00:37:50,050 --> 00:37:51,630
they say yes, there is a God in

1075
00:37:51,630 --> 00:37:54,250
heaven and His name is Jesus.

1076
00:37:54,590 --> 00:37:57,530
You see, the enemies of revival Obadiah the

1077
00:37:57,530 --> 00:38:03,430
compromiser, Ahab the corrupt and the people, they

1078
00:38:03,430 --> 00:38:05,530
were enemies because they were just confused.

1079
00:38:05,770 --> 00:38:09,150
But the final enemy of revival are the

1080
00:38:09,150 --> 00:38:10,070
false prophets.

1081
00:38:10,290 --> 00:38:11,510
Look at verse 22.

1082
00:38:12,410 --> 00:38:15,610
Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even

1083
00:38:15,610 --> 00:38:19,570
I only, remain a prophet of the Lord.

1084
00:38:20,410 --> 00:38:24,230
But Baal's prophets are 450 men.

1085
00:38:26,490 --> 00:38:31,610
Elijah said there are 450 false prophets and

1086
00:38:31,610 --> 00:38:34,070
I am the only prophet of God left.

1087
00:38:35,670 --> 00:38:40,170
450 false prophets standing against the kingdom of

1088
00:38:40,170 --> 00:38:42,630
God and one man who had sold out

1089
00:38:42,630 --> 00:38:44,710
to Christ standing against them.

1090
00:38:44,770 --> 00:38:45,890
My friend, I want to tell you, we

1091
00:38:45,890 --> 00:38:46,690
look around today.

1092
00:38:46,890 --> 00:38:48,890
There are false prophets all around us.

1093
00:38:49,110 --> 00:38:51,070
There are men preaching a false doctrine.

1094
00:38:51,350 --> 00:38:53,890
We have the false doctrine of sex and

1095
00:38:53,890 --> 00:38:55,530
drugs and alcohol and money.

1096
00:38:55,690 --> 00:38:57,310
There's a false doctrine of living a good

1097
00:38:57,310 --> 00:38:59,550
life, just being a church member, giving your

1098
00:38:59,550 --> 00:39:00,430
money to help the poor.

1099
00:39:00,710 --> 00:39:03,110
We have false doctrine and false prophets all

1100
00:39:03,110 --> 00:39:05,470
around us today, just like he had in

1101
00:39:05,470 --> 00:39:06,230
Elijah's day.

1102
00:39:06,450 --> 00:39:07,690
Can we overcome that?

1103
00:39:07,890 --> 00:39:10,030
Can we have victory against the false prophets?

1104
00:39:10,030 --> 00:39:11,510
I tell you we can.

1105
00:39:11,930 --> 00:39:13,650
When the demons of hell, when the angels

1106
00:39:13,650 --> 00:39:17,330
rejected, rebelled against God in heaven, one third

1107
00:39:17,330 --> 00:39:18,590
of the angels went with Lucifer.

1108
00:39:18,670 --> 00:39:19,510
They became demons.

1109
00:39:19,690 --> 00:39:21,770
But two third of all the angels stayed

1110
00:39:21,770 --> 00:39:22,910
in heaven with God.

1111
00:39:23,050 --> 00:39:24,550
That means there are two times as many

1112
00:39:24,550 --> 00:39:25,970
angels as there are demons.

1113
00:39:26,070 --> 00:39:27,830
I'm telling you, there are not enough demons

1114
00:39:27,830 --> 00:39:30,170
in hell to keep up from having revival.

1115
00:39:31,990 --> 00:39:34,070
And I'm telling you, I don't care.

1116
00:39:34,250 --> 00:39:36,150
I don't care about the Ahab's.

1117
00:39:36,290 --> 00:39:38,090
I don't care if everybody in town stands

1118
00:39:38,090 --> 00:39:38,850
against revival.

1119
00:39:38,850 --> 00:39:40,770
I don't care if all the folks stand

1120
00:39:40,770 --> 00:39:42,570
up and say, I don't want revival.

1121
00:39:42,630 --> 00:39:44,290
I'm not gonna come down there and praise

1122
00:39:44,290 --> 00:39:44,610
God.

1123
00:39:44,830 --> 00:39:46,450
I don't care how many people we have

1124
00:39:46,450 --> 00:39:48,250
that stand and preach a false doctrine.

1125
00:39:48,450 --> 00:39:49,830
I don't care how many people in Laurel,

1126
00:39:49,890 --> 00:39:51,410
Mississippi are confused.

1127
00:39:52,230 --> 00:39:54,930
My friend, we can have revival if the

1128
00:39:54,930 --> 00:39:57,970
Obadiah's would just get off the fence and

1129
00:39:57,970 --> 00:40:01,510
get on fire for God and stop compromising.

1130
00:40:02,690 --> 00:40:05,850
Then we can have real...

1131
00:40:07,980 --> 00:40:09,680
You see, we've been kind of floating here

1132
00:40:09,680 --> 00:40:10,400
for a while.

1133
00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:14,420
And God's gonna show us and present an

1134
00:40:14,420 --> 00:40:17,520
opportunity to us to see if we can

1135
00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:18,720
call fire down from heaven.

1136
00:40:19,860 --> 00:40:21,080
See, we're gonna get an opportunity.

1137
00:40:21,920 --> 00:40:24,960
We're gonna get an opportunity to test our

1138
00:40:24,960 --> 00:40:25,420
faith.

1139
00:40:25,980 --> 00:40:27,740
We're gonna get an opportunity to put our

1140
00:40:27,740 --> 00:40:29,280
money where our mouth is.

1141
00:40:29,540 --> 00:40:32,220
We're gonna get an opportunity to get all

1142
00:40:32,220 --> 00:40:34,960
the way in or all the way out.

1143
00:40:35,180 --> 00:40:37,020
What an opportunity God has presented to us.

1144
00:40:37,020 --> 00:40:38,460
You see, we're in a drought.

1145
00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:39,960
We're in a drought.

1146
00:40:40,440 --> 00:40:41,800
And what we need more than anything is

1147
00:40:41,800 --> 00:40:44,420
we need the rains of a real revival.

1148
00:40:44,780 --> 00:40:47,140
But before the rains of revival can fall,

1149
00:40:47,240 --> 00:40:49,600
the fire from heaven must fall.

1150
00:40:49,900 --> 00:40:50,780
How do we do it?

1151
00:40:50,940 --> 00:40:52,420
What's the key to real revival?

1152
00:40:52,660 --> 00:40:54,720
How do we bring fire from heaven so

1153
00:40:54,720 --> 00:40:55,820
that the rains will fall?

1154
00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:57,240
What did Elijah do?

1155
00:40:57,340 --> 00:40:57,900
Well, let's tell you.

1156
00:40:58,080 --> 00:40:59,060
I'm gonna tell you about four or five

1157
00:40:59,060 --> 00:41:00,680
things that Elijah did.

1158
00:41:00,780 --> 00:41:03,340
Number one, he brought solidarity.

1159
00:41:03,540 --> 00:41:04,380
Look at verse 30.

1160
00:41:05,860 --> 00:41:08,380
And Elijah said, And all the people come

1161
00:41:08,380 --> 00:41:09,480
near unto me.

1162
00:41:10,180 --> 00:41:12,240
And all the people came near unto him.

1163
00:41:12,760 --> 00:41:16,020
And he repaired the altar of the Lord

1164
00:41:16,020 --> 00:41:17,820
that was broken down.

1165
00:41:18,540 --> 00:41:21,680
And Elijah took 12 stones according to the

1166
00:41:21,680 --> 00:41:23,340
number of the tribes of the sons of

1167
00:41:23,340 --> 00:41:25,460
Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord

1168
00:41:25,460 --> 00:41:29,360
came, saying, Israel shall be thy name.

1169
00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:31,460
The first thing Elijah did to bring revival,

1170
00:41:32,140 --> 00:41:34,860
he got all the people together in unity.

1171
00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:37,500
He got all the people together with one

1172
00:41:37,500 --> 00:41:39,020
accord, with one mind.

1173
00:41:39,180 --> 00:41:39,900
You know what he did?

1174
00:41:40,100 --> 00:41:41,370
He picked up 12 stones.

1175
00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:43,880
He got a stone over here and a

1176
00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:46,200
castaway stone and a forgotten stone.

1177
00:41:46,300 --> 00:41:48,900
He got 12 stones together and those stones

1178
00:41:48,900 --> 00:41:51,020
represent the 12 tribes of Israel.

1179
00:41:51,240 --> 00:41:54,520
And he built one altar to one God.

1180
00:41:54,720 --> 00:41:56,340
And I'm gonna tell you, friends, you cannot

1181
00:41:56,340 --> 00:41:59,060
have real revival until the children of God

1182
00:41:59,060 --> 00:42:00,500
come together in unity.

1183
00:42:00,780 --> 00:42:02,940
Till we put down our own prejudice, our

1184
00:42:02,940 --> 00:42:06,140
own bias, our own denominations, our own ideas.

1185
00:42:06,400 --> 00:42:08,840
We come together with harmony, with one heart

1186
00:42:08,840 --> 00:42:10,380
to seek the things of God.

1187
00:42:10,540 --> 00:42:13,020
The first step to real revival is solidarity,

1188
00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:14,040
unity.

1189
00:42:14,320 --> 00:42:16,900
I'm telling you, when Pentecost came, the Bible

1190
00:42:16,900 --> 00:42:20,320
says they were with one accord, one heart,

1191
00:42:20,720 --> 00:42:24,160
one mind, one purpose to seek the things

1192
00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:24,660
of God.

1193
00:42:25,160 --> 00:42:29,920
There was a solidarity, a solidarity between the

1194
00:42:29,920 --> 00:42:31,340
people who really love God.

1195
00:42:31,340 --> 00:42:33,360
That's step one if we're gonna have a

1196
00:42:33,360 --> 00:42:34,660
real revival.

1197
00:42:34,800 --> 00:42:37,240
But then number two, there was separation.

1198
00:42:37,400 --> 00:42:38,240
Look at verse 32.

1199
00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:42,440
And with the stones, and with the stones

1200
00:42:42,440 --> 00:42:43,800
he built an altar in the name of

1201
00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:47,280
the Lord and he made a trench about

1202
00:42:47,280 --> 00:42:49,300
the altar as great as would contain two

1203
00:42:49,300 --> 00:42:50,440
measures of seed.

1204
00:42:50,540 --> 00:42:51,340
Now listen very carefully.

1205
00:42:51,640 --> 00:42:52,440
Here's what he did.

1206
00:42:53,080 --> 00:42:55,160
He took those 12 stones and he built

1207
00:42:55,160 --> 00:42:57,320
an altar to the one and living true

1208
00:42:57,320 --> 00:42:57,840
God.

1209
00:42:58,360 --> 00:43:02,160
He brought the folks together in unity and

1210
00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:02,680
harmony.

1211
00:43:02,880 --> 00:43:03,540
But watch this.

1212
00:43:03,920 --> 00:43:06,500
He then, he dug a trench all the

1213
00:43:06,500 --> 00:43:07,780
way around that altar.

1214
00:43:07,880 --> 00:43:09,500
Why did he dig that trench?

1215
00:43:09,660 --> 00:43:12,260
He dug that trench to separate the altar

1216
00:43:12,260 --> 00:43:14,300
of God from the altar of Baal.

1217
00:43:14,460 --> 00:43:16,840
He drew a line in the sand and

1218
00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:18,160
said, this is God's side.

1219
00:43:18,420 --> 00:43:19,560
This is the devil's side.

1220
00:43:19,760 --> 00:43:20,980
And I want to tell you, if you're

1221
00:43:20,980 --> 00:43:23,140
gonna have revival, if you're gonna serve God,

1222
00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:25,960
there must be separation from the things of

1223
00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:26,340
the devil.

1224
00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:28,800
There must be separation from the things of

1225
00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:29,220
the world.

1226
00:43:29,220 --> 00:43:31,380
You cannot go out there and live with

1227
00:43:31,380 --> 00:43:33,240
the world, love the world, like the world,

1228
00:43:33,320 --> 00:43:35,100
and then expect the things of God to

1229
00:43:35,100 --> 00:43:36,160
show up in your life.

1230
00:43:36,540 --> 00:43:39,540
Be ye separate, the Bible says.

1231
00:43:40,060 --> 00:43:40,980
And I want to tell you, friends, when

1232
00:43:40,980 --> 00:43:42,420
you're living for God, you'll be exactly what

1233
00:43:42,420 --> 00:43:42,880
the Bible says.

1234
00:43:43,080 --> 00:43:45,000
You will be a peculiar people.

1235
00:43:45,520 --> 00:43:46,940
When you love the things of God, you

1236
00:43:46,940 --> 00:43:50,300
must be separated unto the things of God.

1237
00:43:50,520 --> 00:43:52,080
Friend, I want to tell you, the church

1238
00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:54,480
today looks like the world, acts like the

1239
00:43:54,480 --> 00:43:57,140
world, talks like the world, lives like the

1240
00:43:57,140 --> 00:43:57,280
world.

1241
00:43:57,340 --> 00:43:59,540
No wonder God has not shown up yet.

1242
00:43:59,700 --> 00:44:01,680
I'm telling you, we must unify.

1243
00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:03,300
We must build the altar to the one

1244
00:44:03,300 --> 00:44:03,600
God.

1245
00:44:03,820 --> 00:44:04,820
We must dig a trench.

1246
00:44:05,100 --> 00:44:08,060
We must separate ourselves unto the things of

1247
00:44:08,060 --> 00:44:08,700
God.

1248
00:44:08,900 --> 00:44:11,720
And then number three, he made a sacrifice.

1249
00:44:12,000 --> 00:44:13,800
Look at verse 33, and he put the

1250
00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:15,720
wood in order and cut the bullock in

1251
00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:17,580
pieces and laid him on the wood.

1252
00:44:17,780 --> 00:44:20,380
What he did was he made a sacrifice.

1253
00:44:20,860 --> 00:44:22,180
Now, here's what happened, teenage friend.

1254
00:44:22,660 --> 00:44:23,780
Elijah showed up.

1255
00:44:25,100 --> 00:44:26,840
450 false prophets there.

1256
00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:30,780
Elijah showed up by himself unashamed and unafraid.

1257
00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:33,080
He said, let's find out who the real

1258
00:44:33,080 --> 00:44:33,960
God is.

1259
00:44:34,200 --> 00:44:37,020
He said, you build an altar to your

1260
00:44:37,020 --> 00:44:37,440
God.

1261
00:44:37,820 --> 00:44:40,120
I'll build an altar to my God.

1262
00:44:40,200 --> 00:44:42,080
You put a sacrifice on your altar.

1263
00:44:42,320 --> 00:44:44,520
I'll put a sacrifice on my altar.

1264
00:44:44,720 --> 00:44:47,020
Then we'll both pray to heaven and we'll

1265
00:44:47,020 --> 00:44:49,960
ask our God to show himself by sending

1266
00:44:49,960 --> 00:44:52,580
fire down to consume this sacrifice.

1267
00:44:52,980 --> 00:44:55,520
He said, the God that sends fire from

1268
00:44:55,520 --> 00:44:58,300
heaven will be the living and true God.

1269
00:44:58,480 --> 00:45:00,520
He said, you pray first.

1270
00:45:00,780 --> 00:45:02,220
And all the false prophets, they got over

1271
00:45:02,220 --> 00:45:02,680
here, man.

1272
00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:04,600
And they built a big fancy altar.

1273
00:45:05,500 --> 00:45:07,340
Probably had a bunch of stained glass windows

1274
00:45:07,340 --> 00:45:07,620
in it.

1275
00:45:07,640 --> 00:45:09,660
I don't know, but man, plus carpeting.

1276
00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:11,300
And they had that big altar there and

1277
00:45:11,300 --> 00:45:13,780
they put their sacrifice on the top.

1278
00:45:13,860 --> 00:45:14,600
And you know, I don't know what it

1279
00:45:14,600 --> 00:45:15,900
was, but it had to be something that

1280
00:45:15,900 --> 00:45:17,080
cost them a lot of money, you know,

1281
00:45:17,080 --> 00:45:19,160
because they really wanted God to show up.

1282
00:45:19,260 --> 00:45:21,620
And they began to pray, oh God, oh

1283
00:45:21,620 --> 00:45:24,640
God, send fire, show yourself, oh God, show

1284
00:45:24,640 --> 00:45:25,200
yourself.

1285
00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:26,060
Hey, nothing happened.

1286
00:45:26,300 --> 00:45:27,280
They prayed all day.

1287
00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:28,180
They prayed all night.

1288
00:45:28,420 --> 00:45:30,400
Oh, Elijah said over here, he began to

1289
00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:30,720
laugh.

1290
00:45:31,280 --> 00:45:32,320
He began to mock.

1291
00:45:32,360 --> 00:45:33,580
Hey man, maybe he's asleep.

1292
00:45:33,940 --> 00:45:35,000
Pray a little louder.

1293
00:45:35,500 --> 00:45:36,820
He may be having a business meeting.

1294
00:45:37,060 --> 00:45:38,580
Wake him up, man, just keep praying.

1295
00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:39,400
And you know what he said?

1296
00:45:39,520 --> 00:45:40,320
He said, let them pray.

1297
00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:42,180
He said, just let them pray.

1298
00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:43,540
Let them pray.

1299
00:45:43,760 --> 00:45:46,180
Their God can answer prayers.

1300
00:45:47,260 --> 00:45:51,600
But then Elijah prayed and the fire fell.

1301
00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:55,620
But listen to me, here's the point.

1302
00:45:56,580 --> 00:45:59,460
We don't have to worry about false prophets

1303
00:45:59,460 --> 00:46:00,080
praying.

1304
00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:02,600
What we have to be concerned about is

1305
00:46:02,600 --> 00:46:03,920
God's people not praying.

1306
00:46:04,560 --> 00:46:05,820
You see, that's the point.

1307
00:46:06,080 --> 00:46:07,900
You don't have to worry about those quacks.

1308
00:46:08,100 --> 00:46:09,300
You don't have to worry about that false

1309
00:46:09,300 --> 00:46:09,700
religion.

1310
00:46:09,900 --> 00:46:11,400
You don't have to worry about that nonsense.

1311
00:46:11,720 --> 00:46:13,260
They pray till they're blue in their face.

1312
00:46:13,520 --> 00:46:15,440
Their God can't send fire from heaven.

1313
00:46:15,820 --> 00:46:17,200
What we need to do is to be

1314
00:46:17,200 --> 00:46:19,480
concerned about we who know the living and

1315
00:46:19,480 --> 00:46:21,800
true God making sure that we make a

1316
00:46:21,800 --> 00:46:23,280
sacrifice to God in heaven.

1317
00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:25,240
You see, when we make that altar and

1318
00:46:25,240 --> 00:46:27,340
we make that sacrifice, it must be through

1319
00:46:27,340 --> 00:46:29,180
the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1320
00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:31,300
My friend, the Bible says, make your body

1321
00:46:31,300 --> 00:46:32,820
a living sacrifice.

1322
00:46:33,280 --> 00:46:35,140
It is not enough to say, thank you,

1323
00:46:35,240 --> 00:46:37,160
Jesus, for dying on the cross.

1324
00:46:37,280 --> 00:46:38,980
What we must do is we must get

1325
00:46:38,980 --> 00:46:40,120
up on the cross with him.

1326
00:46:40,300 --> 00:46:41,960
The Bible says, die to self.

1327
00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:43,900
Every day, we ought to put our bodies

1328
00:46:43,900 --> 00:46:46,400
as a living sacrifice on the altar of

1329
00:46:46,400 --> 00:46:48,440
God that he could send a mighty and

1330
00:46:48,440 --> 00:46:50,800
dynamic revival to Laurel, Mississippi.

1331
00:46:55,560 --> 00:47:01,220
So Elijah built an altar and he dug

1332
00:47:01,220 --> 00:47:05,830
a trench and then he poured the water

1333
00:47:05,830 --> 00:47:06,150
on.

1334
00:47:07,010 --> 00:47:10,510
The Bible says in verse 33, and he

1335
00:47:10,510 --> 00:47:11,810
put the wood in order and cut the

1336
00:47:11,810 --> 00:47:14,310
bullock in pieces and laid on the wood

1337
00:47:14,310 --> 00:47:17,530
and said, listen, men, fill four barrels with

1338
00:47:17,530 --> 00:47:19,390
water and pour it on the burnt, sacrificed

1339
00:47:19,390 --> 00:47:20,110
on the wood.

1340
00:47:20,610 --> 00:47:22,530
And he said, do it the second time

1341
00:47:22,530 --> 00:47:23,710
and they did it the second time.

1342
00:47:24,210 --> 00:47:25,330
And he said, do it the third time

1343
00:47:25,330 --> 00:47:26,390
and they did it the third time.

1344
00:47:27,010 --> 00:47:30,290
And the water ran round about the altar

1345
00:47:31,250 --> 00:47:33,810
and he filled the trench also with water.

1346
00:47:34,950 --> 00:47:36,190
That's an amazing story.

1347
00:47:37,230 --> 00:47:39,390
The water represents the spirit of the living

1348
00:47:39,390 --> 00:47:39,770
God.

1349
00:47:41,090 --> 00:47:44,070
Elijah built an altar to the one and

1350
00:47:44,070 --> 00:47:45,330
living, true God in heaven.

1351
00:47:46,110 --> 00:47:47,930
He brought that unity together with the 12

1352
00:47:47,930 --> 00:47:48,510
tribes.

1353
00:47:49,250 --> 00:47:50,990
He put a sacrifice on the altar.

1354
00:47:51,070 --> 00:47:53,290
He laid a cross and said, God, take

1355
00:47:53,290 --> 00:47:53,630
me.

1356
00:47:53,630 --> 00:47:56,350
But before he called fire down from heaven,

1357
00:47:56,670 --> 00:47:58,890
he poured on the water of the Holy

1358
00:47:58,890 --> 00:47:59,310
Spirit.

1359
00:47:59,790 --> 00:48:02,470
He poured the water on bucket after bucket

1360
00:48:05,790 --> 00:48:09,190
and to the world, it looked like foolishness.

1361
00:48:09,430 --> 00:48:11,630
But to God, it looked like faith.

1362
00:48:11,830 --> 00:48:13,570
And he poured the water on to say,

1363
00:48:13,890 --> 00:48:16,370
my God can send enough fire to burn

1364
00:48:16,370 --> 00:48:17,870
the offering to take up the water.

1365
00:48:18,110 --> 00:48:20,710
My God is not held back by the

1366
00:48:20,710 --> 00:48:21,410
thoughts of men.

1367
00:48:21,550 --> 00:48:23,030
He can do whatever it takes to show

1368
00:48:23,030 --> 00:48:23,770
his power.

1369
00:48:25,050 --> 00:48:26,410
He poured the water on.

1370
00:48:26,490 --> 00:48:27,210
That's the spirit of God.

1371
00:48:27,250 --> 00:48:28,250
You gotta have the spirit, man.

1372
00:48:28,790 --> 00:48:29,530
You can advertise.

1373
00:48:29,810 --> 00:48:30,330
You can promote.

1374
00:48:30,450 --> 00:48:31,410
You can run up and down the street.

1375
00:48:31,450 --> 00:48:32,670
I'll tell you what, until the spirit of

1376
00:48:32,670 --> 00:48:34,510
God shows up, you'll never have a real

1377
00:48:34,510 --> 00:48:35,010
revival.

1378
00:48:35,270 --> 00:48:37,150
You'll never have a real revival until the

1379
00:48:37,150 --> 00:48:38,690
God that created the universe comes.

1380
00:48:38,930 --> 00:48:40,470
We've got to have faith.

1381
00:48:40,750 --> 00:48:45,470
Trust God that he can do anything he

1382
00:48:45,470 --> 00:48:46,290
says he can do.

1383
00:48:46,350 --> 00:48:50,070
But finally, then Elijah, he prayed.

1384
00:48:50,930 --> 00:48:55,170
Verse 36, and it came to pass at

1385
00:48:55,170 --> 00:48:57,290
the time of the offering of the evening

1386
00:48:57,290 --> 00:49:05,110
sacrifice that Elijah the prophet came near and

1387
00:49:05,110 --> 00:49:08,290
said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of

1388
00:49:08,290 --> 00:49:11,650
Israel, let it be known this day that

1389
00:49:11,650 --> 00:49:15,550
thou art God in Israel and that I

1390
00:49:15,550 --> 00:49:18,170
am thy servant and that I have done

1391
00:49:18,170 --> 00:49:20,530
all these things at thy word.

1392
00:49:21,650 --> 00:49:22,910
Hear me, O Lord.

1393
00:49:24,010 --> 00:49:24,710
Hear me.

1394
00:49:25,330 --> 00:49:27,830
That this people may know that thou art

1395
00:49:27,830 --> 00:49:30,970
the Lord God and that thou hast turned

1396
00:49:30,970 --> 00:49:34,310
their heart back again.

1397
00:49:36,530 --> 00:49:38,890
Elijah prayed, and man, the prayer was only

1398
00:49:38,890 --> 00:49:42,410
63 words, but it went straight to the

1399
00:49:42,410 --> 00:49:43,030
heart of God.

1400
00:49:44,010 --> 00:49:46,550
He prayed for one reason.

1401
00:49:46,550 --> 00:49:47,450
You know why he prayed?

1402
00:49:48,090 --> 00:49:50,490
He did not pray so that Highland Baptist

1403
00:49:50,490 --> 00:49:52,430
Church could have a great revival and be

1404
00:49:52,430 --> 00:49:53,990
glorified in the eyes of men.

1405
00:49:54,890 --> 00:49:57,070
He did not pray simply because we could

1406
00:49:57,070 --> 00:49:58,790
have a big revival and tell the whole

1407
00:49:58,790 --> 00:50:00,630
country we've had a great revival.

1408
00:50:00,790 --> 00:50:03,010
He did not simply want a big revival

1409
00:50:03,010 --> 00:50:05,490
so that people could feel good about themselves.

1410
00:50:05,830 --> 00:50:09,570
He wanted God to send fire because he

1411
00:50:09,570 --> 00:50:12,430
was jealous for the glory of God.

1412
00:50:12,870 --> 00:50:15,470
He was jealous for the glory of God.

1413
00:50:15,470 --> 00:50:18,090
These men had stood as false prophets and

1414
00:50:18,090 --> 00:50:19,290
said, He's not God.

1415
00:50:19,390 --> 00:50:20,790
And Elijah was angry.

1416
00:50:21,070 --> 00:50:23,550
He said, God, show these people who the

1417
00:50:23,550 --> 00:50:24,930
God of heaven is.

1418
00:50:25,110 --> 00:50:25,970
Are you angry?

1419
00:50:26,150 --> 00:50:28,330
Are you jealous for the glory of God?

1420
00:50:28,550 --> 00:50:31,410
Aren't you sick and tired of people taking

1421
00:50:31,410 --> 00:50:33,530
the Lord's name in vain on television?

1422
00:50:33,950 --> 00:50:35,890
Aren't you sick and tired of a wicked

1423
00:50:35,890 --> 00:50:38,270
world living as if there is no God?

1424
00:50:38,530 --> 00:50:40,530
Are you not jealous for the glory of

1425
00:50:40,530 --> 00:50:41,050
God?

1426
00:50:41,130 --> 00:50:43,530
And Elijah was jealous for the glory of

1427
00:50:43,530 --> 00:50:43,730
God.

1428
00:50:43,810 --> 00:50:46,630
He said, God, I ask you, show yourself.

1429
00:50:46,970 --> 00:50:48,110
Show them that I am your man.

1430
00:50:48,390 --> 00:50:49,890
Show them I am doing exactly what you

1431
00:50:49,890 --> 00:50:50,710
told me to do.

1432
00:50:50,790 --> 00:50:53,610
God, send fire from heaven.

1433
00:50:53,790 --> 00:50:55,870
And the Bible says, God sent the fire.

1434
00:50:56,110 --> 00:50:57,710
It consumed the sacrifice.

1435
00:50:57,970 --> 00:50:59,010
It consumed the altar.

1436
00:50:59,210 --> 00:51:00,210
It consumed the water.

1437
00:51:00,410 --> 00:51:02,350
It consumed the water in the trenches.

1438
00:51:02,710 --> 00:51:06,050
God showed himself as the one God of

1439
00:51:06,050 --> 00:51:06,830
this universe.

1440
00:51:13,290 --> 00:51:17,580
And then in verse 45, And it came

1441
00:51:17,580 --> 00:51:21,120
to pass in the meanwhile that the heaven

1442
00:51:21,120 --> 00:51:25,460
was black with clouds and wind, and there

1443
00:51:25,460 --> 00:51:26,480
was a great rain.

1444
00:51:28,450 --> 00:51:32,430
Before there can be a cooling rain, there

1445
00:51:32,430 --> 00:51:33,910
must be a cleansing fire.

1446
00:51:35,310 --> 00:51:40,450
Before God can send a real revival, there

1447
00:51:40,450 --> 00:51:42,270
must be real repentance.

1448
00:51:43,690 --> 00:51:45,390
See, God wants to send a revival.

1449
00:51:46,510 --> 00:51:49,030
And God has blessed us so far beyond

1450
00:51:49,030 --> 00:51:50,410
anything we can conceive.

1451
00:51:51,550 --> 00:51:53,150
But I assure you, we have not seen

1452
00:51:53,150 --> 00:51:54,490
the fire fall yet.

1453
00:51:55,070 --> 00:51:57,470
We have not seen the fire fall yet.

1454
00:51:57,830 --> 00:51:59,650
But I'm here to tell you if we

1455
00:51:59,650 --> 00:52:00,850
will meet the conditions.

1456
00:52:01,430 --> 00:52:03,090
Because I'm telling you the day we are

1457
00:52:03,090 --> 00:52:05,470
living right now is exactly like it was

1458
00:52:05,470 --> 00:52:06,630
in Elijah's day.

1459
00:52:07,290 --> 00:52:08,810
We are living in a day where there's

1460
00:52:08,810 --> 00:52:10,890
a drought across the land.

1461
00:52:11,490 --> 00:52:13,550
Where the leadership of the world have made

1462
00:52:13,550 --> 00:52:16,170
a mockery of religion and made a mockery

1463
00:52:16,170 --> 00:52:17,250
of the things of God.

1464
00:52:17,750 --> 00:52:20,750
Where sin is everywhere at every corner.

1465
00:52:20,750 --> 00:52:23,990
People are laughing at morals, laughing at God.

1466
00:52:24,630 --> 00:52:26,310
Things that we used to call evil are

1467
00:52:26,310 --> 00:52:27,530
now called good.

1468
00:52:27,850 --> 00:52:30,350
Men that stand for right are mocked and

1469
00:52:30,350 --> 00:52:31,790
laughed at as idiots.

1470
00:52:32,130 --> 00:52:33,930
We live in a day where sin is

1471
00:52:33,930 --> 00:52:35,270
abounding on all corners.

1472
00:52:35,590 --> 00:52:38,470
We are living in a spiritual drought, my

1473
00:52:38,470 --> 00:52:38,930
friends.

1474
00:52:39,490 --> 00:52:41,230
We are hungry for the rain.

1475
00:52:41,750 --> 00:52:44,090
We are hungry for the rain.

1476
00:52:44,270 --> 00:52:46,330
But there are enemies out there.

1477
00:52:46,890 --> 00:52:48,750
And the main enemy is Obadiah.

1478
00:52:48,750 --> 00:52:52,190
That man who's really been born again.

1479
00:52:52,350 --> 00:52:54,550
But he's got tangled up with the world.

1480
00:52:54,670 --> 00:52:56,190
He's a compromiser.

1481
00:52:56,690 --> 00:52:58,550
One foot in the world, one foot with

1482
00:52:58,550 --> 00:52:58,910
God.

1483
00:52:59,110 --> 00:53:01,390
He has such a sorry testimony that the

1484
00:53:01,390 --> 00:53:03,690
confused world, they can't even see there is

1485
00:53:03,690 --> 00:53:05,430
a God because his life is such a

1486
00:53:05,430 --> 00:53:06,170
hypocrisy.

1487
00:53:06,490 --> 00:53:09,230
I'm telling you, friends, Obadiah is causing the

1488
00:53:09,230 --> 00:53:10,770
rain to be held back.

1489
00:53:11,050 --> 00:53:12,210
Oh, Ahab's out there.

1490
00:53:12,410 --> 00:53:13,150
He's corrupt.

1491
00:53:13,370 --> 00:53:15,230
He's pointing a finger at all the preachers.

1492
00:53:15,390 --> 00:53:17,290
He's saying those preachers are the real enemies.

1493
00:53:17,290 --> 00:53:19,230
We need to get those preachers straightened out.

1494
00:53:19,370 --> 00:53:20,630
We need to get that prayer out of

1495
00:53:20,630 --> 00:53:21,010
the school.

1496
00:53:21,150 --> 00:53:22,450
We need to stop having any kind of

1497
00:53:22,450 --> 00:53:25,310
religious activity in our society because that's really

1498
00:53:25,310 --> 00:53:26,210
the troublemaker.

1499
00:53:26,850 --> 00:53:28,750
And a lot of false prophets out there.

1500
00:53:29,350 --> 00:53:31,350
But I'm telling you, if the Obadiahs would

1501
00:53:31,350 --> 00:53:34,790
just get their life right, God will send

1502
00:53:34,790 --> 00:53:39,350
revival if we'll come together in unity.

1503
00:53:40,350 --> 00:53:43,950
If we'll build that altar, dig that trench.

1504
00:53:44,530 --> 00:53:46,610
If we'll put our sacrifice of our lives

1505
00:53:46,610 --> 00:53:49,730
on the altar, pour on the Holy Spirit,

1506
00:53:50,250 --> 00:53:52,410
and pray to the one and living true

1507
00:53:52,410 --> 00:53:56,250
God, God will send that fire to burn

1508
00:53:56,250 --> 00:53:57,170
that sacrifice.

1509
00:53:57,570 --> 00:54:00,450
Then he'll send the cooling rain that a

1510
00:54:00,450 --> 00:54:02,710
world here that is now lost and dying

1511
00:54:02,710 --> 00:54:05,290
can see, yes, there is one living and

1512
00:54:05,290 --> 00:54:05,950
true God.

1513
00:54:06,210 --> 00:54:08,430
They will turn their hearts to him and

1514
00:54:08,430 --> 00:54:11,410
be saved before it's everlastingly too late.

1515
00:54:11,670 --> 00:54:15,210
My friends, we stand as Connie K.

1516
00:54:15,330 --> 00:54:17,850
said, at the crossroads.

1517
00:54:19,230 --> 00:54:20,970
We really are at the crossroads.

1518
00:54:22,070 --> 00:54:23,230
We're at the crossroads.

1519
00:54:24,330 --> 00:54:28,350
We got 450 false prophets, but we got

1520
00:54:28,350 --> 00:54:29,970
a God in heaven that will send revival.

1521
00:54:30,830 --> 00:54:32,490
The question is, are we willing to pay

1522
00:54:32,490 --> 00:54:33,270
the price?

1523
00:54:33,970 --> 00:54:36,230
Or are we satisfied with just a little

1524
00:54:36,230 --> 00:54:38,210
drop that we felt so far?

1525
00:54:38,930 --> 00:54:42,250
I'm telling you, the revival can come if

1526
00:54:42,250 --> 00:54:44,530
we will simply stand on the promises of

1527
00:54:44,530 --> 00:54:48,890
God, stand on the promises of God that

1528
00:54:48,890 --> 00:54:51,270
he desires for his people.

1529
00:54:51,370 --> 00:54:52,610
He said, if my people which are called

1530
00:54:52,610 --> 00:54:55,950
by my name shall humble themselves and pray

1531
00:54:55,950 --> 00:54:59,190
and seek my face and turn from their

1532
00:54:59,190 --> 00:55:02,010
wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven,

1533
00:55:02,290 --> 00:55:05,430
I will forgive their sin, I will heal

1534
00:55:05,430 --> 00:55:07,130
their land.

1535
00:55:10,000 --> 00:55:11,820
You've been listening to the From the Pulpit

1536
00:55:11,820 --> 00:55:12,920
in Classic Sermon Series.

1537
00:55:12,920 --> 00:55:15,580
This week you heard William Blackburn with his

1538
00:55:15,580 --> 00:55:18,480
messages, The Salvation Test, and The Fire from

1539
00:55:18,480 --> 00:55:19,180
Heaven's Revival.

1540
00:55:19,940 --> 00:55:21,440
Tune in next week to hear Carter Conlin

1541
00:55:21,440 --> 00:55:24,180
talk about his message for America and its

1542
00:55:24,180 --> 00:55:25,060
cultural religion.

1543
00:55:25,460 --> 00:55:27,860
On From the Pulpit in Classic Sermons.