Amen, choir, praise the Lord.
This morning I would like to speak to
you, if I could, a little further.
I was going to, you know, we're discussing
three men from the book of Jude, which
we've been speaking in reference to the second
coming of Christ, prophetic things, as I spoke
about Balaam last week.
We saw how God took a wicked prophet
and put the words in his mouth so
that he spoke even of the prophecy of
Jesus' coming.
Amazing, amazing how God can do these things.
It says, He taketh the wickedness of man
and makes it serve him.
Magic, magic.
In Acts it says, Ye by wicked hands
have slain the Prince of Peace, whom, notice,
God hath raised up and made him Saviour.
You see?
Great, you see?
Isn't it amazing how God works?
Takes the wickedness act of mankind, in slaying
his precious Son, and from the counsels of
eternity past, looking down at all mankind, seeing
that death upon the cross, it's the means
of man's redemption.
The Lamb of God that taketh away the
sins of the world.
Gracious grace of God, man so small and
so finite with our little minds, living 60,
70 years in eternity, and trying to tell
everybody about eternity.
How foolish man is, and how wondrous God
is.
He maketh the wickedness of man to serve
him.
In other words, God is sovereign, and no
matter what you do, you cannot change the
inviolable will of God.
Impossible, impossible.
What he hath said, it says he hath
said, and his yea is yea, and his
nay is nay.
In the portion we read last week about
Balaam, Balaam said, he hath said, Bless, how
can I curse?
He was going to curse the children of
Israel.
Here he was with the Israelites, he was
going to curse them.
And it says, God hath said, and God
is not a man that he can lie.
Not a man that he can lie.
There is no variableness with God, the same
yesterday, today, and forever.
He never changes.
Now, I thought that I would go on
to Korah, but I'm not going to go
on to Korah, who's the third man in
the group.
There was Cain, he was the first one.
In Jude, it says, they have gone the
way of Cain, or they have gone the
way of Balaam, talking about these different people,
and then that to them has been reserved
darkness forever and ever.
And these were those who walked with the
church, remember.
As I said, remember, Cain believed in God.
You know, I read many books, and I
hardly ever see anyone ever say, Cain believed
in God.
They try to make Cain wicked.
Cain believed in God.
Cain brought an offering to the same God
as Abel.
Not one bit of difference, except God says,
I have no regard for the offering of
Abel, though it is the fruits of the
ground, because his offering shows that he knows
nothing about sin.
And all I have asked is that the
firstlings of the flock be brought to me,
brought to me.
Cain, Abel has done this.
Cain has failed to do it.
Cain has brought of the fruit of his
hands and the produce of his hands, as
though this is a beautiful thing to me.
But Abel has said by his offering that
he knew for sin someone should die.
And his father Adam and his mother Eve
spoke to him, and he knew the way,
and he came the way.
And then he looks at Cain, and he
says in Genesis, Cain, if you do as
Abel do, I'll forgive you too.
Gave him a second chance.
And what does Cain do?
Turns around, kills his brother.
He objected to the way.
He came.
But God determines.
In Balaam's case, I spoke about that last
week.
I wanted just, if I might wrap it
up together in some thoughts on Balaam, and
especially, you remember last week as we concluded,
I said something about you might find it
in Numbers 34 or Deuteronomy 34.
Well, I was off a few chapters, forgive
me.
It happened to be Numbers 31.
And I don't know where I got the
34, you know, but in the fervor of
the message, I thought it was 34, although
I had it in the margin of my
Bible in Numbers 31.
But I want to speak first from 25,
because here's a very important thing.
Balaam worked so hard to curse Israel.
And God had brought blessing, so that finally,
Balak, the king of Moab, says, listen, don't
bless, don't curse, don't do anything, I'm better
off.
Forget the whole thing.
So that Balaam still wants the rewards of
evil.
Balak's promised him high position.
Balak's promised him money.
And Balaam still is covetous.
You know, that dollar sign is such a
big thing, isn't it?
I wonder sometimes if Christians were, you know,
offered a million dollars if they give up
their faith.
You know, it's 6 percent, maybe 7 percent
now, I don't know.
I sometimes wonder how many who really, you
know, claim faith in Christ would say, you
keep your million and all the gold and
all the earth.
I love Christ.
And if you want to slay me, I'll
still love him.
I cannot do anything against him.
But Balaam, he loved the rewards, it says,
of unrighteousness.
He wanted the money.
He wanted the position.
He wanted the fame.
He wanted the prestige.
And I have to say, men, it's a
tragedy, but I see businessmen, you know, who've
gained great prestige, as I said when I
went to that telephone retirement dinner there just
two weeks ago or so.
And I dread saying it, but the man
who said to me, when I pinpointed him,
the executive, a vice president, and when I
told him I was pastor of a Baptist
church, and he came back to me, and
he said, I'm a Baptist.
And I looked at him, I said, what
church did you go to?
He said, Pastor Drew's Church in New Jersey.
I said, you're a saved man if you
listen to that man's message.
He said, yes, I'm saved.
But I found out after he's never said
a word to a soul, because when he
was going up the line, oh, when he
was younger, he was a fervent witness for
the Lord Jesus.
But as he went up the line of
organization, his position became more important to him
than his relationship to God, which was eternal.
And oh, this happens so often.
That's why I so, when I read the
words of the scripture, you know, where it
says, riches are a snare, and those that
have attained them have pierced themselves through with
so many sorrows.
And the average, and I'm not saying all,
because I have to look at Nelson Blount,
who's with the Lord now.
I have to look at men like Letourneau
and say, there are the exceptions, you see.
But I have to say that by and
large, in the great majority of cases, you
show me the Christian who has attained to
riches, and I will show you a Christian
who is not what he was at one
time.
There are many reasons for this.
The reason ordinarily is a very plain one.
Riches demand attention.
That's why they're such a snare.
I can tell you that the man who
has a million dollars in investments has a
full-time job.
I know a man who has it, and
I want to tell you, he spends night
and day over the stock markets and the
bonds, so much so that his bedroom is
lined with the reports.
And when he comes home at night, he
goes to the bedroom and looks over all
the reports and spends his late hours figuring
what he's going to do with his money.
How is he going to keep it?
What should he do now?
How shall I move?
Is there going to be a recession?
And he frankly told me that he can't
sleep good, because all night long figures are
going through his head.
It must be terrible.
I'm not afflicted so.
God delivered me from such afflictions to have
figures in my head all night long.
I can't imagine anything more terrible than to
have just figures dancing in your head, you
know, and dollar signs, you know, all over
the place.
It must be, you know, it's so precious,
isn't it, to lay your head on your
pillar and to love the Lord, isn't it?
I think it's so wonderful when you can
just put your head on your pillar and
love the Lord.
Well, Balaam, he loved the fruits of unrighteousness.
That's what he said.
He wanted the reward, and even God, when
he spoke to Balaam, you know, when the
Lord spoke to Balaam and Balak spoke to
Balaam, Balak said, I want to tell you
something, your God has kept you from a
high position.
Imagine, your God's kept you from a high
position, and he's kept you from the reward.
I want you to see, just for a
few minutes before we go to the Lord's
table, in the 25th chapter of Numbers, if
you turn to that 25, this is after
he's tried to curse them, after he's tried
to do everything, he still is not satisfied.
He's got to do something.
If only he could get this reward.
Now, what could he do?
He can't curse them.
He says, when I would curse, God bless
us, what am I going to do?
He says, if you gave me all the
gold there is in the world, I can't
do anything about it.
Of course, he says, all God says to
me is, I regard not sin in Jacob,
nor perverseness in Israel, because they belong to
me.
You can't do anything.
They're my people.
So, he has to think, now, what could
I do?
What would be the best thing?
Well, I'll tell you what he does.
Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began
to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
Balak's king of Moab.
Now, just before we finish reading that, would
you turn over to 31 with me for
just a minute, so you understand who caused
this.
I want you to understand perfectly what happened.
I want you to read with me the
7th.
I'll read it to you, to the 9th
verses, and then I'm going down further.
They warred.
Now, this is the Israelites.
They warred against the Midianites as the Lord
commanded Moses, and they slew all the males.
And they slew the kings of Midian, besides
the rest of them that were slain, namely,
Evi, Rechem, Zur, and Ur, and Reba, five
kings of Midian, Balaam.
Notice that.
Also, the son of Beor, they slew with
a sword.
And the children of Israel took all the
women of Midian captive, and their little ones,
and took the spoil of all the cattle,
and all their flocks, and all their goods.
Now, the 14th verse.
Moses was upset with them because they did
this.
Notice what he says.
Moses was wroth with the officers of the
host, and with the captains over the thousands,
and the captains over the hundreds which came
from the battle.
And Moses said to them, Have you saved
the women alive again?
Behold, these women caused the children of Israel,
through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass
against the Lord in the matter of Beor.
And there was a plague among the congregation
of the Lord.
Ah, he couldn't do it the one way,
so he picks the easiest way to get
at men, get them attracted by the women.
So, what does Balaam do?
Notice what it says.
And the people began to commit boredom with
the people.
This is 25th chapter now.
I'm sorry, I didn't say I was going
back.
Called the people under the sacrifices of their
gods.
Notice, these women did.
You know, let me stop there a second.
I have to say this.
Women, you have a tremendous control over men.
Fellas, be careful who you marry.
I'm saying to both, don't marry a non
-Christian, but I'm saying to fellas, be careful.
If you marry a non-Christian, notice what
happened here.
The women that they committed boredom with, that's
what God calls it.
They joined with them and they had children.
God calls it boredom.
They called it marriage.
They had children, women and children.
God says when you join yourself to an
unbeliever, it's spiritual adultery also.
Be careful, fellas, who you join yourself to,
because in this day we're living in especially,
there was a day sometimes where men were
the heads, spiritually the houses.
But I have to say that the woman
so often today has control over where the
children shall worship and go to the Lord.
Girls, I say the same for you.
Be careful who you marry.
Be careful that you marry a Christian.
Born again.
Our problem today is that there's a thinking
of marriage as an end in itself.
For the satisfactions of physical, biological urges, you'd
think marriage was only meant for one thing.
If you read all the books in the
stands and all the books in the bookstores
and everything else, you think marriage is sex
and nothing else.
I want to assure you, if you get
married for that reason, you're going to be
the saddest individual in all the world.
Marriage was meant for one purpose only, and
that was exactly as God determined it would.
And in Ephesians 5, he makes it very
clear when he says, I speak of Christ
and his church when I speak of marriage,
because the joining together of a man and
woman is a spiritual thing.
They'll be one flesh, but unless they're one
spirit in Christ, the union can never be
that beautiful thing God intended it to be.
It will be flesh, and God says flesh
and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven.
Impossible.
And so there cannot be a joining together
of the believer and the unbeliever.
What fellowship has light with darkness?
Now, some of you may say, but past
again, I did this.
I've done it.
Well, let me say this.
Peter then makes it clear to you that
if you've done it, he says, shall you
leave an unbelieving wife or an unbelieving husband
because they do not believe?
No, of course not.
He says, live the kind of a life
that's radiant before God.
Live it in purity and love and tenderness.
Don't be laying down the law and say,
mate, don't do this, don't do this, don't
do this.
But let them.
So you can express the love of Jesus
with all your heart.
Sometimes the saved mate begins to set down
the legal thing.
Don't do this.
Don't do that.
You shouldn't do this.
You shouldn't do that.
You'll get cancer if you do this, and
you'll get cancer if you do that.
Setting down the laws and the rules to
the unsaved mate.
Let me tell you, God never said that.
God says in Peter that you're to love
your unsaved mate.
He says, for how can you know whether
he or she will be saved or not?
You do not know.
So therefore, he says, live a radiant life
of God before them.
Here they are, a separated nation.
What does Balaam have to say in part
of his prophecies?
He said, God hath said to me that
Israel shall not be judged amongst the nations,
for they are to be separate among all
the nations of the earth, and separate from
the Gentiles.
He said, they'll not be judged with the
nations.
They'll not intermingle with the Gentiles.
They'll not marry the Gentiles.
And let me say this, the Jewish people
today, if they're Orthodox, they draw the marriage
of their sons or daughters to a Gentile.
The Orthodox Jew still has a funeral service
in his house when his daughter or son
marries a Gentile.
They're dead.
They have a funeral service in the home.
Don't ever speak to us again.
You're dead.
Because we're a nation of God, chosen, earthly
people.
We're separated from the Gentiles.
We can't join ourselves to them.
And what does Peter say in his great
epistle about the Christians?
He says, you are a chosen generation.
Notice this, a holy nation.
God, you mean Israel was an earthly people,
and you told them not to marry outside
the covenant of Israel, didn't you?
Yes, I did.
And you said they would never be amongst
the nations of the earth.
They'd be individual and alone.
Yes, I did.
And now you say to us as a
church, you're a royal priesthood, you're a chosen
generation, you're a holy nation born of the
Spirit of God?
Yes.
Then how could I ever marry outside this
glorious nation and people and priesthood of God?
Do you know I who am indwelt with
the Holy Spirit of God, my body the
temple of the Holy Ghost, join myself to
that which is pure flesh, destined for the
grave and death?
Shall we join together?
What fellowship, Corinthians says, has light with darkness?
Be not joined together, he says, unequally with
unbelievers.
You cannot.
He says, Israel was my earthly nation.
I wouldn't allow them to marry Gentiles.
Now tell me something, he says, do you
have so little spiritual understanding?
I've given you the Holy Spirit.
I never gave it to Israel.
I gave you myself.
And now you're going to say to me,
Israel could not join themselves to Gentiles, but
we can.
They're an earthly holy nation.
You are my heavenly holy nation.
I've seated you together in heavenly places in
Christ Jesus.
Marriage becomes a matter of getting married for
marriage is sick only.
I'd rather die lonely and single than married
and miserable.
Marriage is no end in itself.
Marriage is a tragedy without Jesus, for it
does not give you the spiritual union you
have no picture of the church.
He says, marriage pictures Christ in his relationship
to his church.
Oh to God that my young people will
see this.
God never changes.
Let me read 1 Peter 2, 9 to
11 to you so you see it.
Notice what Balaam did.
He got them to marry into an unsaved
nation.
He died for it by the sword.
And then when they went to war with
the Midianites, they went and they brought all
the women back.
And Moses said, you're going to do the
same thing again?
Haven't you seen the judgment of God?
24,000 men died because God wouldn't allow
it the first time.
That's what happened in the 25th chapter numbers.
24,000 men died because they went in
with Midianite women.
2 Peter or 1 Peter 2.
Notice what God says about us now.
He are a chosen generation.
You know, this really, to talk about marriage
without looking at this scripture wouldn't mean anything.
You have to understand yourself.
Are you born again?
That's all I have to ask a person.
If you're born again, you understand what I'm
talking about.
If you're not born again, you're lost and
it doesn't make a bit of difference to
marry anybody in the world.
Can I say that?
It breaks my heart, but I have to
say it.
It doesn't make a bit of a difference
in the world.
But if you're saved, rather die lonely with
Christ than married to the world and miserable.
You're a holy generation.
You're a royal priesthood.
Imagine a royal priesthood.
You're a holy nation.
It says of Israel, they're my nation, but
they're earthly.
I wouldn't allow them to marry the Gentiles.
I judge them because they did.
24,000 men died.
Now you're a holy nation.
You're a heavenly people.
Do you think I have less for you?
I have a higher calling for you.
Don't marry anybody who's not born again unless
the Holy Spirit dwells in your breast and
their breast.
You'll not be joyous, or you may be
a little bit happy.
Your husband may attain to great world fame
and have money, and you'll have everything you
need.
But I want to tell you, God is
saying, on your bed at night, when you
get there, and when you're alone, and when
your husband sees you not, and then he's
in the bed beside you, the thoughts will
come in your heart, I have disobeyed the
Savior who redeemed my soul.
No, it is a holy nation of peculiar
people that you should show forth the praises
of Him who's called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light, which in time past
were not a people, but now we're the
people of God which had not obtained mercy.
Now we've obtained mercy.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and
pilgrims in this world, abstain from all fleshly
lusts which would war against your soul and
destroy you.
Oh, beloved, be careful that marriage isn't born
of sex, please.
You know, when people come to my study,
I'm a little rough sometimes, maybe, with those
getting married.
I say, number one, are you born again?
Well, if one is not born again, that's
it.
Oh, I'll deal with that soul on the
new birth, you see.
But I'll not merge together darkness and light.
Impossible.
Number two, if you're born again, you might
think I'd stop there.
Great, I'll marry you.
No, I don't.
Number two, how much in love are you?
Well, how much?
Are you really in love with each other?
You've been born again?
Do you really love each other deeply?
Well, you could tell right away.
I love him so much.
Yes, I love her with all my heart,
pastor.
I have that in my study.
It's blessed.
Number three, tell me, do you like each
other?
Well, don't they take in love?
No.
You can love a person and not like
them too much.
And number four, are you really compatible?
Are you interested in the same things?
Are you?
Are they the things of the Spirit of
God?
Do you have an interest?
You see, all these things are so blessed.
You know, I can't answer.
I have to stop.
But it's so tremendous.
So tremendous.
Balaam, all he had to do was to
get the Israelite, these religious people, God's people.
He has to, he can't curse them.
He can't do anything.
So what does he do?
He works on the morals.
Oh boy, get a hold of the men.
Look at those women.
You see?
And that was it.
Boom.
Oh, beloved, listen to me.
I hope your mothers and fathers are very
clear on marriage.
Young folks, I hope so.
Don't ever come to me with an unsaved
person to get married.
I had a mother come to me, oh,
many years ago and say to me, pastor,
the Holy Spirit has spoken to me and
told me that my daughter should marry an
unbeliever.
I said, I want to say this most
clearly.
Neither the Holy Spirit nor the word of
God can deny themselves.
And they never spoke to you.
If the Holy Spirit spoke to you, he
would say, what fellowship has light with darkness?
Let us pray.
Now, Father, bless this word to our hearts.
As we come to thy table, Lord, bless
us.
May we learn lessons, practical lessons from thy
word.
And oh, Father, just touch my young people.
Lord, if there's anything I want to do,
it's to have the joy of marrying them.
But oh, how I pray for their marriages,
that they will be in the Holy Spirit
of God.
With all of those qualities of which I
spoke, Christians, number one, deeply in love, number
two.
Number three, liking that person with all their
hearts and then perfect compatibility.
God give it to our young people, especially
in these last days.
In Christ's name, we pray.
Amen.
All right, let us join in singing together
hymn number 99, Break Thou the Bread of
Life, as we come to the Lord's table
at this time.
99.
Let us rise as we sing.
I do not welcome you to the table
on the basis of being a Baptist.
May I make that clear?
I welcome you to the table on the
basis of your personal faith in Christ as
your Savior.
Come and partake with us.
Let us rise as we sing.
Now, just before I read the scriptures this
morning, it's a real joy to present these
Bibles and welcome into the fellowship these who
are coming this morning.
If those will rise who are coming into
fellowship, all those who are coming into fellowship.
And first, I'll just call out the names,
Vicki, Lee, Noel, and Mother Janet is coming
into fellowship with us this morning.
We praise the Lord for that.
And Nanette Goddard, Nan, Chris Goddard, and David
Knudson.
Where's David?
David.
And Janice Carlson.
Janice.
Lord bless you.
And Ruthlyn Jan.
There's your mother's Bible there.
I know she couldn't be with you this
morning.
Roy Cavano.
Roy.
Lord bless you.
These follow the Lord in baptism, with the
exception of Mrs. Noel, Janet.
And Dennis Jensen.
And also, Barbara Barnett and Douglas
Wacconi.
Doug, here he is.
We welcome you all to the fellowship of
Franklin Abner Baptist and are thrilled that you
are joining with us as we worship our
wonderful Savior.
We pray God will use you in every
way with all the gifts he's given you.
No matter if they're small, large, use them
for him.
God doesn't ask your gifts to be large.
He merely asks that you take the gifts
you have and use them for him.
Let us pray.
Father, we thank thee for this privilege of
welcoming these into the fellowship of this church,
which thou hast blessed so much.
We pray that their lives will really shine
for Jesus Christ, that as thou didst call
Israel out to be a separated people, a
nation that would not be judged amongst the
Gentiles, thou hast called us out.
Thou hast told us even in thy word
that we shall not be judged with the
world.
So, Father, we pray that they'll live separated
lives unto Christ.
Lord, may they use their gifts for Jesus.
We pray in his blessed name.
Amen.
Now I'll read to you the portion on
the Lord's Supper in 1 Corinthians 11, beginning
at the 23rd verse.
This is the portion to do with the
observance of the Lord's Supper.
For I have received of the Lord that
which I delivered unto you, that the Lord
Jesus, the same night in which he was
betrayed, took bread.
And when he had given thanks, he break
it and said, Take, eat.
This is my body, which is broken for
you.
This do in remembrance of me.
And after the same manner also he took
the cup when he had supped, saying, This
cup is the New Testament in my blood.
This do ye as oft as ye drink
it in remembrance of me.
For as often as ye eat this bread
and drink this cup, ye do show or
remember the Lord's death till he comes.
Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread and drink
this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be
guilty of the body and blood of the
Lord.
But let a man examine himself, and so
let him eat of that bread, self-examination,
notice that, and drink of that cup.
It doesn't have to do with the sectarian
name.
For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth
and drinketh judgment, the word is in the
Greek, to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
For this cause, many are weak and sickly
among you, and many sleep.
For if we would judge ourselves, we should
not be judged.
Now notice, when we are judged, we are
chastened of the Lord, that we should not
be condemned with the world.
Wonderful portion of God's word.
I'm going to call on our brother Harry
Karl and ask him to thank the Lord
for the bread at this time.
For as often as you do eat this
bread, ye do remember the Lord's death until
he comes again.
Beloved, remember the words of our Savior.
I came into the world not to condemn
the world, but that the world through me
might be saved.
In the words of Peter, he bare our
sins in his own body on the tree.
Eat ye all of it and be ye
thankful.
Likewise, after supper he took the cup, and
when he had given thanks, he gave it
to them, saying, This is the New Testament
in my blood, which is shed for you
and for many for the remission of your
sins.
Do this as often as ye drink it
in remembrance of me.
I'm going to call on our brother Steve
Rowland and ask him to thank the Lord
for the cup at this time.
Thanking you for your dear son.
As you do drink this cup, ye do
remember the Lord's death until he comes.
Beloved, remember the words of John, The blood
of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanses us from
all sin.
And the words of Peter, Ye were not
redeemed by corruptible things such as silver and
gold, but with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without spot and without
blemish.
Drink ye all of it and be ye
thankful.
Father, for we can call thee Father.
We would not be here at this table
unless we could call thee Father.
For thou hast said to as many as
received him, Thou didst give power to be
the sons of God.
Paul tells us we now call him Abba,
Father, by the Holy Spirit.
And so we come to thee simply as
children, to our Heavenly Father, and we thank
thee for this blessed and wonderful fellowship we
have around this table of love and remembrance
left to us.
We thank thee for our Savior, for his
death on the cross, for the resurrection that
put the seal upon his death, and for
his coming again.
Father, we would remember that when you called
us to be separate, a holy nation, a
chosen generation, a peculiar people, it wasn't that
we were any better than anybody else.
No, God deliver us from flaunting self-righteousness,
but it was because you called us into
the adoption of sons, and we now have
a Father to honor and to love, who
has separated us to himself.
God, help us to honor thy family.
Thy family name, help us to bring honor
to it.
And as we leave this place today, we
pray that we will walk as that people
whom thou hast said, I have separated thee
unto myself, for you are not your own.
You have been bought with a price, with
the precious blood of Jesus Christ.
Now, as we wait for Jesus, keep us
faithful to thee in Christ's name.
Amen.
It says, after they had sung a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Let us sing one verse of hymn number
62.
Remember tonight's service at 7 p.m. 62.
Let us rise as we sing one verse
together.
As we
leave this holy place, this sanctuary, which is
the center of thy presence as we speak
together and as the Holy Spirit enters this
place through thy people, we pray that the
blessings of Christ might be the portion of
each one.
Lord, let no one leave here without Christ
in their heart as their Savior.
We pray that as we wait for Jesus,
day by day, we will be seeking to
serve him in every way.
May the mercy, the grace, and the peace
of God be upon every heart and soul
until Christ comes in Jesus' name.
Amen.