Normal requirements for successful evangelism.
Last night we dealt with the subject of
repairing the altar of the Lord and tonight
we're going to look at the subject now
much more practically and we shall go first
of all from uh Matthew 10 and then
we shall work our way through the scriptures.
So would you please turn to uh Matthew
chapter 9 we shall read from the 10th
chapter perhaps later.
Chapter 9 and we shall read from verse
36.
But when he the Lord Jesus saw the
multitudes he was moved with compassion on them
because they fainted and were scattered abroad a
sheep having no shepherd.
Then saith he unto his disciples the harvest
truly is plenteous but the laborers a few.
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest
that he would will send forth laborers into
his harvest.
Now could we read just the first verse
of chapter 10.
And when he had called unto him his
12 disciples he gave them power against unclean
spirits to cast them out and to heal
all manner of sickness and all manner of
disease.
And the Lord will bless to us that
first portion of his word.
When we study the new testament we find
that God has given to us clear guidelines
concerning normal successful evangelism.
And if we follow those guidelines carefully we
shall see the blessing of God.
If we miss these guidelines we shall find
ourselves in very very barren soil.
And I believe the time has come for
us to look at six essentials for normal
normal evangelism.
You will notice that I'm not talking now
about extraordinary evangelism.
I'm just speaking now about the normal conditions.
Now as you look at these few verses
you will notice that the great emphasis here
is on the word pray, pray, pray.
Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest.
So that is the first essential.
As you look at the narrative again you
will notice that the Lord Jesus was moved
with compassion when he saw the multitudes.
So the next essential is to have people.
First prayer then people.
Then you will notice that he says that
they were to pray the Lord of the
harvest that he would thrust forth laborers into
his harvest.
Now the Lord doesn't tell us to thrust
forth preachers although of course that's inferred.
He uses the word laborers and really the
word laborer is far better than preacher as
we shall see in a few moments.
But I'm going to use the word preacher
just in order to keep the p's all
together.
Now I know the p season is over
but it's nice when we have a few
p's it helps us to remember the headings
doesn't it.
Then you will notice when we come to
chapter 10 verse 1 and then if we
were to go back through chapter 9 we
would see that constantly there are references to
power.
Power over unclean spirits, power over sickness, power
to heal people and power to preach.
Then you will notice as we move from
this particular narrative into Acts chapter 2 and
we shall look at that in a few
moments.
We shall see that we need the priest
and functional priest.
Now by priest I do not mean those
that occupy a special religious kind of position
in the church.
I am referring to the priesthood of all
believers and we need these priests and we
need them functioning in a gospel service.
And last of all you will notice in
this narrative that the Lord speaks of sheep
and shepherd and therefore we do need pastors
and we need pastoring.
So these are the great essentials in new
testament evangelism and first of all we are
talk about prayer.
If we had time to turn to Luke
18 the Lord states something there that is
completely what I would call fantastic.
I don't know if you use that word
we always use it in England but it's
a word I haven't often used here.
But it's really an amazing chapter and he
says that men ought always to pray and
not to paint.
Now what has praying and painting got to
do with each other?
It's as simple as this.
When a man prays he falls on God,
when a man faints he falls down and
he falls on nothing.
And therefore when a man prays he is
throwing himself upon God.
When a man faints he spiritually collapses.
And that the Lord Jesus knew that it
was so easy for his people to collapse
that's why he used that particular word men
ought always to pray and not to faint.
Now if we watch the life of the
Lord Jesus we shall know that the moment
he commenced his ministry he was praying.
Luke tells us that when the Lord Jesus
was being baptized by John and the heavens
were being opened to him he was praying.
And then immediately following that event when the
Lord Jesus Christ had done some wonderful cases
of healing in order to escape from the
crowd he went up into a mountain and
spent the night in prayer.
When he was going to choose the twelve
apostles he spent again the night in prayer.
When the Lord Jesus was on the mount
of transfiguration he was praying according to the
Luke version.
When the Lord Jesus Christ was in the
garden of Gethsemane anticipating the cross he was
praying in an agony.
When he was actually doing his dying he
was praying not for himself but for others.
Father forgive them they know not what they
do.
Immediately he was raised from the dead and
just before his ascension he took his disciples
to Bethany and he was in the attitude
of prayer when he went up into heaven.
When he went through the heavens he became
a high priest and he's a high priest
in the attitude of prayer.
For he's able to save to the uttermost
all that come unto God by him, now
note this, seeing he ever lives to make
intercession for them.
And therefore for two thousand years the great
high priest has been praying.
What a minister.
When we go through the book of the
Acts we find the same particular spiritual exercise.
In Acts chapter one they were praying with
the women in the upper room.
In Acts chapter two when the Holy Spirit
came they appear to be sitting but in
the attitude of prayer.
In Acts chapter two the first church that's
recorded in that particular chapter continued steadfastly in
prayer.
Acts three they went up to the temple
to pray at the ninth hour.
Acts four when they had prayed the place
was shaken.
Acts five it appears that Ananias and Sapphira
were judged in the presence of prayer.
Acts six the apostle says we will give
ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of
the word and that's why they appointed Eden.
Acts seven Stephen went into the presence of
God praying.
Acts eight the apostles come from Jerusalem and
they lay their hands upon the Samaritan Christians
and they pray for them and they receive
the Holy Ghost.
Acts nine we read of Saul behold he
prayeth.
Acts 10 Cornelius is praying Peter is praying.
Acts 12 Peter's in prison but prayer was
made for the church of God for him.
Acts 13 the prophets from the assembly in
Antioch were actually praying about the mission field
when the Lord said separate me Barnabas and
Saul for the work whereunto I have called
them.
Now can you see by these simple citations
that our Lord's life was baptized with prayer
and the first century Christians were caught up
in the spirit of agonizing unbelieving prayer and
perhaps that's why they were so successful.
Now brothers and if we are going to
see a movement of the spirit we must
pray.
And there are two things we must remember
the Lord Jesus is not only the Lord
of his servants it's the Lord of the
harvest and you know what that means.
He knows everyone that's going to be saved
in Maryborough.
He knows everyone that's going to be saved
in Pyelva.
He knows everyone that's going to be saved
in Queensland.
You see he is the Lord of the
harvest and he did not tell us to
have great missionary meetings so that we might
appeal to the Lord's people to go out
in the Lord's work.
On the contrary he said pray ye the
Lord of the harvest that he would thrust
forth labourers into the harvest.
Now that word thrust forth is beautiful.
Now I know this is probably rather common
and very much London in its origin or
perhaps I should even say Cockney in its
origin but the word means to kick them
out.
And what the Lord was basically saying was
this don't you thrust them out that's not
your job if you do you'll make a
mess of it.
Pray to the Lord of the harvest that
he would thrust them out.
Now brothers and sisters there comes a time
when a man gets a call of God
and there is nothing in the universe that
will stop that man from going out.
When he's sent out by God he is
thrust out and then we know that he's
a God chosen seven and a man that
thrusts out will go on right to the
end.
And that's what it means pray ye therefore
the Lord of the harvest to thrust forth
labourers into his Now that's the great name.
Now if a local church soaks its activity
in prayer you'll see blessings but what do
we find today?
We go to a particular local church and
we find that there's a good worship meeting.
If there's a good speaker who comes along
there'll be a good ministry meeting but go
to the prayer meeting and my word we're
babies in prayer.
Furthermore we have got into such a rut
that if someone says in a prayer meeting
amen everybody looks around and says oh he's
a Pentecostal.
So we've given the amens and the praises
and the hallelujahs to the Pentecostals and all
we have is an ignorant grunt.
No wonder brethren there's no power with us.
You know when are we going to specialize
in prayer and when God can raise up
a group of people who really do specialize
in prayer be sure of this God is
working in that local church and the way
to test the spirituality of any local church
is not to go to their preaching services
but to go to the prayer meeting and
if you have a good prayer meeting in
your local church it's well supported and there's
a good quality of prayer in it be
sure that's a spiritual church and it's as
simple as that.
But then after the prayer we do need
the people.
Now you will notice in this narrative there's
a interesting statement we read of the Lord
Jesus was moved with compassion.
Now he just did not have compassion but
he was moved with compassion.
That simply means the love that he had
really moved him.
Now we need compassion but we need a
compassion that will move us and move us
right into action.
And so the Lord Jesus was moved with
compassion.
Now that is the secret really of getting
people.
If we have a love for people and
we are moved with compassion it will not
be long before our respective halls will be
packed to capacity.
If we're moved with compassion.
Now how can we possibly be moved with
compassion by prayer?
Yes but more than that.
We must allow the facts of the gospel
to really grip us and this is what
the apostle says.
I was going to turn you to it
but if I do turn you to it
we will not get through this meeting by
at least quarter to nine and I mustn't
keep you too long tonight.
But the apostle in the 2nd Corinthians chapter
5 said this.
The love of Christ constrained.
Now why?
He says because we thus judge that if
one died for all then we're all dead.
Now the word constrain is a very powerful
word and there are many connotations of it
in the New Testament.
But one of the connotations would be as
follows.
Do you remember when Peter's mother-in-law
was sick of the fever?
That is basically the meaning of the word.
And when someone is gripped with a malarial
fever every part of the body is caught
in the vortex of the fever.
I remember being in Nacikanda during my naval
days.
It was a very primitive part of Ceylon
and lots of our fellows were going down
with a very very bad form of malaria
and I remember seeing one young man and
when the fever had got him every part
of the body was caught and shaken in
the vortex of the fever.
It was pathetic to see him.
Now says the apostle Paul.
The love of Christ has got hold of
me like a malarial fever.
It seized me.
Why Paul?
Because if I have thus judged that if
one died for all then the whole world
is dead under the judgment of death.
Now I want to ask a question and
I want to ask my own heart this
question.
Do I really believe, let me say that
again.
Do I really believe that men and women
without Christ and without God are on the
way to hell?
Do I believe?
Do I believe at this moment there are
millions of people in outer darkness who will
never see the light of eternity as far
as Christ is concerned?
Do I believe that hell is a sphere
that has been created by God for the
devil and his angels?
And that sphere has been called by Jesus
hell and outer darkness has been called by
the apostle John in its final state the
lake of fire.
And do I believe that the people who
are there will be in a state of
weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth and two
of those expressions defy description?
Now let me put it to you like
this.
Have you ever been in a hospital and
seen a crowd of spastic children?
With broken little bodies, distorted little faces, they
cannot speak they just grunt.
And as you look at those children your
heart goes out to them in sadness.
I was once asked to go and see
four young men and I didn't really know
what had happened to these four men it
was in Glasgow and really I should have
been told.
And when I got to the particular ward
I discovered that it was a Burns ward.
Now I thought it had to do with
Burns the poet.
I didn't realize it was a deep burn,
a literal burn ward.
And when I saw these four young men
I got such a shock it took me
a week to get over it.
When I saw one man being held up
he just couldn't sit down and he was
totally black with deep burns.
And the smell almost turned my mind.
When a soul's in hell it is a
million times multiplied.
What's the matter?
Do we believe it?
You see and if we are going to
really get people under the sound of the
gospel that very fact of a lost soul
should grip our hearts.
That's why brethren and sisters aren't we stupid
to argue about non-essentials when we are
trying to save people from the lake of
fire.
What would you think of a man who
saw some people drowning in water and someone
dived in to save them and two people
who were watching him were criticizing him because
he was doing the breaststroke and not the
crawl.
You would say to the people criticizing him
why don't you dive in and do it?
Of course we wouldn't do it.
But remember this mission is just a yard
from the lake of fire and if we
have that in our mind we shall do
our utmost to bring people under the sound
of the gospel.
Secondly do I believe that people are not
only condemned but totally confused like sheep without
a shepherd.
Take for instance what happened this morning.
One lady stayed behind and really interrupted me
from speaking to others.
But that poor soul she was totally and
absolutely confused.
All that she had learned about God was
totally wrong.
The way of salvation that she believed wasn't
the way of salvation of the bible it
was the way of salvation of her own
thinking.
Totally confused.
Then another lady that I spoke to she
had a part of the gospel right but
the part of the gospel she had all
wrong.
And one moment she was putting faith in
the precious blood of Christ the next moment
she was putting faith in her own work.
Totally confused and I'm sure every person here
that's tried to do some soul winning in
your own beloved land will know this that
there are hundreds of people young and old
who are completely confused.
Now once we get a vision like this
we shall want our friends to come and
sit under the pure gospel so that they
can get that.
And then we should not only have compassion
because they're condemned they're confused they're like sheep
without a shepherd.
We should be able to lift up our
eyes and see that there's a harvest.
You know what the savior says the harvest
truly is plenty of it.
We don't believe that do we?
We begin to say well it's the last
days there won't be many saved.
We've got to hang on by our teeth
and that's it.
Forgetting that there are more souls being saved
today than on the day of Pentecost.
The master says and oh I love these
words the harvest truly is why?
Because the day that we are living in
is the day called the day of the
spirit.
It began on the day of Pentecost and
the day of Pentecost began at harvest time
and this is a harvest time for God.
And brothers there are souls being saved in
hundreds.
Thousands are being saved now behind the iron
curtain.
Thousands will yet be saved in China you
see within a few years.
Thousands are being saved in Latin America.
Hundreds are being saved in Canada.
And we must not imagine that in these
last days just two and three are being
saved.
These are days when the Lord is saying
look lift up your eyes and look on
the field they're white already to and we
could see a harvest in Australia.
But now how should we look?
We want to look at a man and
when he comes into the local church we
want to see him not only converted we
want to see him consecrated.
So that when we pray for that best
friend of ours that just don't say Lord
we want to see that man converted.
That's poor vision.
See him consecrated.
Pray him in such a way that he
becomes a disciple for the Lord.
And I'm not here you know just to
make converts.
My commission is this make disciples of all
nations.
And I want to see two or three
four or five six or seven ten or
twenty souls not just becoming mere converts but
I want to see them disciples for the
Lord.
And let's have this far-flung vision for
God.
Now let's pray that the Lord give us
a compassion for the people.
Now the reason why I say that is
this.
You know it's ridiculous to have a gospel
meeting when we're preaching to the initiated.
You know quite frankly one man was taken
away and put into a mental home.
Do you know why?
I felt very sad.
He was an old man and he loved
fishing but his wife went up and found
him fishing in the bathroom and she knew
at that moment he had gone completely mental.
And so they took him away and that's
where he is now.
Why?
Because he was fishing in the bathroom.
Don't you think there are many like that
in our gospel meetings.
There we are in the bathroom.
As they say in Scotland well caught and
well kippet.
Brethren let's bring the people here.
We can do it.
If we all had a burden and we
all said to ourselves look these people are
under condemnation.
They're in a serious state.
If they don't hear this gospel they're lost.
And then let's be moved because scores of
them are totally confused.
And then let's be moved because scores of
them can be converted.
And if we have that vision we shall
bring the people.
But now what about the preaching.
Now I want to turn you to a
particular verse.
I'm sorry if I'm going to take you
away from Mark 9 but we shall wander
into truth.
Let's have a look at Romans 1.
There's a verse there we all know off
by heart but we want to look at
it carefully.
We were singing about it now we're going
to talk about it.
Romans 1 verse 16.
For I'm not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ.
It is the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believeth to the Jew first
and also to the Greek.
Now I'm interested in those words I'm not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
Now I want to ask a question and
then I will seek to try and answer
the question myself.
Are we ashamed of the gospel of Christ?
Are we?
You say well what do you mean brother
Peter?
There are now two kinds of gospels among
evangelicals being preached.
One is the pure biblical gospel and the
other is a part gospel and it's a
very dangerous message.
In fact I believe personally that this gospel
will bring in the great delusion in the
last day.
Now what do we mean?
There is a gospel and it's a gospel
that's man-centered that said something like this.
Look you're a poor dumb by creature.
You're totally confused.
You've all been broken up because of sin
and quite frankly what you need is peace,
joy, love, mercy and if you come to
the Lord Jesus he'll give you peace, joy,
love and mercy and you'll be happy ever
after.
Why is a man sitting in the congregation?
That's lovely that's just what I want.
Love, joy, peace.
I've always wanted a psychiatrist that will give
me peace and I've always wanted a little
bit of a comedian when I'm depressed to
make me happy and I've always wanted really
some kind of lawyer to give me security.
I trust Jesus for it.
Now that is not the gospel of God.
In fact that kind of message is bringing
hundreds of people into the great delusion of
profession.
It's to be found in the bible and
if we're going to preach the gospel well
our minds and hearts must be soaked in
the so many pitfalls and that is the
gospel of Christ and it's the gospel of
God.
Now first of all the gospel of Christ
which is the gospel of God is centered
in God and first of all the good
gospel preacher will show to the people a
concept of the glorious nature of God.
That's where it all begins and then the
good gospel preacher will show that whether you
are a Jew or a Gentile, whether you
are religious or irreligious, you have all sinned.
Why?
Because you've broken the ten commandments.
Then he will go on to show to
his congregation the reason why we can't keep
the commandment is because we were all born
in sin and we are sinners by nature
and that's the reason why we break the
commandments and that makes us a sinner by
practice.
And because God is infinitely holy he must
punish sin and if we die in our
sins we are lost.
In fact already we're under the judgment of
sin which is death and that is separation
from God.
Now my dear friends not everybody's going to
enjoy that.
When that really grips a man in the
pew that's going to really hit him.
My says a person so I was born
in sin and I've broken the commandments well
I know that and I'm under the judgment
of God.
Then after Paul mentions these two great facts
in Romans 2 and 3, I shall omit
the fourth chapter for a while.
Then he gives us about five or six
verses on the cross of Christ and he
explains that Christ died for the ungodly and
Christ died for sinners.
But you see what he does.
He spends two long chapters on the facts
of sin.
He gives us about four or five or
six verses on the cross of Christ.
Now why?
A person will never understand the cross of
Christ until he understands his personal sin.
Then having got over that fact to be
his readers and we of God to our
hearers as we preach it.
Then in the tenth chapter he explains how
a person can be made right with God.
He says if thou shalt confess with thine
mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in
thine heart that God has raised him from
the dead thou shalt be saved.
Now the word to confess doesn't mean to
say well Jesus is Lord.
It means to confess with burning deep intense
conviction.
In fact that doesn't really give us the
true force of the Greek word.
And when a person is going to be
really saved the first thing he begins to
see is the horrid condition in which he
finds himself and he says my Lord I'm
in an absolute mess.
And if you don't save me Lord I'm
completely lost forever.
Now when that takes place be sure of
this the spirit is working.
He doesn't put his hands in his pocket
and say well I suppose I ought to
trust Jesus.
If that's his attitude he hasn't gripped him.
Then the Lord takes him to the cross
and he begins to see two things.
The deadly seriousness of his sins that caused
the agonizing death of Christ.
My word the Lord made me feel a
sinner but that's horrid to think that my
sins caused his death.
And then he sees the infinite love of
God for him that God loved him in
that while he was yet a sinner.
And he comes to the Lord confessing his
sin and confessing his need and then he
looks up and sees that Christ is on
the throne and he is Lord.
And he says right now Lord I want
to make you the Lord of my life.
And so he comes to the Lord and
he confesses his sin.
He confesses Christ as his savior and he
makes Jesus to be his Lord.
And then deep in his heart he says
I know I'm not confessing this to someone
that's dead.
I believe in my heart praise the Lord
that God raised him from the dead.
He didn't raise himself from the dead.
God raised him from the dead.
Praise God he says that's wonderful.
I can confess this to a living thing.
And the moment he believes in his heart
the scripture whispers right into his deep soul.
Oh shall be praised.
Praise God he says.
I'm right with God.
Now when a man does that he is
right with the Lord and his genuine.
Now what kind of gospel do you want?
Do you want this man centered gospel?
Or you want this God centered gospel?
Well brethren you know the gospel I'm going
to preach.
And if we preach that gospel we won't
see crowds of profession but we will see
some people really being genuinely saved and it
will last.
And you know what has sickened me I
must say this.
To be in a place where about 40
people profess but conversion and then to go
back in two years time and see only
two remaining.
I would have only wished to see two
people saved in the mission.
Because the 38 that's gone off into the
world you won't be able to touch.
And brethren let's get away from this mechanical
profession and be very careful you know putting
a kind of a mechanical appliance on people
and saying something like this.
Do you believe that you're a sinner?
Oh yes.
Do you believe Christ died for your sins?
Oh yes.
Do you believe Jesus is God?
Oh yes.
Are you willing to take him yourself?
Yes.
Will you ask him to save you?
Oh I will.
Will you say this Lord save me?
Oh another one sir.
There's no more saved than the frog in
the water.
In fact the frog's more saved than him.
That's not conversion.
That's not the mighty work of God.
That's something that we are doing.
But if we leave this work to the
power of the spirit then we'll see something.
Now you say well brother Peter that's real
hard talking.
But you see this is all to be
found in the book.
We need prayer.
We need people.
We need preaching.
But we need the power.
Now my dear friends souls are not saved
just by getting people there and by getting
a preacher there.
Now this will surprise you but I want
to say it and I want to say
it of course to you in love.
It's possible for this building to be packed
with people every night.
It's possible for the preacher to give an
absolute biblical message and not a soul to
be saved.
Not a soul to be saved.
Why?
Because souls are not saved just by good
biblical gospel preaching.
Souls are saved in an atmosphere where God
is.
And so we need power and we need
mighty power.
Now we need this power for conviction.
We need this power for comprehension and we
need this power for conversion.
Now let's search the scriptures about this point
because it's so essential.
Would you please turn to John's gospel chapter
60.
Verse 8 of John 60.
And when he that's the Holy Spirit is
come he will reprove the world of sin.
That word means to convict or it can
mean to demonstrate and of righteousness and of
judgment of sin because they believe not on
me of righteousness because I go to my
father and you see me no more of
righteousness because the prince of this world is
judged.
Now that's what the Spirit of God will
do in the world.
But if you look at verse 7 then
you will see just what the Lord really
meant by this conviction.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth it is
expedient for you that I go away for
if I go not away the comforter will
not come unto you but if I depart
I will send him unto you.
Now unfortunately we have this erroneous idea that
the church is here and the church has
the Holy Spirit and the world's out there
and they have the Holy Spirit and he
is operating out there irrespective of the state
of the church.
Never, never, never.
The Holy Spirit comes and he comes to
the people of God.
The Lord Jesus made it quite clear in
John 17 and also in these particular chapters
that he would not send the Holy Spirit
to the world he would send it to
his people or send him to his people.
And it's the church of God that receives
the Holy Spirit and it's the church of
God that becomes a habitation of his Spirit.
And quite frankly it's as simple as this.
If the Holy Spirit is being grieved or
quenched in that local church he will not
be able to convict people of sin.
If the Holy Spirit has purged the local
church so that the local church is clean
then there will be that conviction of sin.
You say where's your scripture for this?
Well the Lord Jesus Christ said out of
your innermost being shall flow rivers of living
water.
And my dear friends in preaching it's as
factual as if I go to some areas
and there's not that conviction.
Not that.
You preach, you speak to people who stay
behind and you just cannot lead them to
the Lord there's no conviction.
Sometimes a person will say I would like
to trust the Lord but you know within
your heart it's all mechanical.
You go into another area where the Spirit
of God has been moving and you preach
the same gospel and whilst you're preaching you
see tears and you see people broken.
Why?
The Spirit of God is moving.
And could I share this with you that
has worried us in Australia.
We haven't seen the old-fashioned conviction we
see in the old country and in Canada
and especially in South Africa.
And it's an indication that the Spirit of
God is being great.
And if we want to see Holy Ghost
meetings, if we want to be in an
environment where God is moving, then my brothers
and sisters we the Church of God must
be cleansed and purged.
And when judgment begins at the house of
God then it will move from the house
of God right out to the world.
And it's as simple as this.
We were having some meetings and I shall
never forget this in Belfast.
And the Christians in the Harland and Walsh
shipyard and we must remember 20,000 people
worked there or they did.
I don't know how many work there now.
They got together to pray for the people
in the shipyard and they invited me over
to have a mission in the shipyard for
17 minutes.
The trembling gripped him so much he went
to the foreman and said look I can't
stand there.
I've got to go home.
He says why?
Well he says I'm unwell.
He says why are you unwell?
Well he says I can't tell you at
the moment.
But he was petrified with conviction.
When he got home he was walking backwards
and forwards like a demented man and his
wife said I'm going to get the doctor.
Don't you get a doctor he said.
And there he was walking backwards and forwards
he came to the lunch hour meeting.
And while I was speaking he was gloriously
converted and nearly hit the ceiling of the
boiler house with a mighty hallelujah.
And when they all turned around everyone was
shaking.
There was this man praising God that he
had been gloriously saved and previous to that
he was a militant atheist.
What did it?
The mere preaching?
No it was the mighty convicting power of
the spirit.
Beloved that's what we want.
But we shall never see that conviction until
the church is purged.
What right have I to condemn sin in
the lives of others and condone it in
my own house.
See the point?
And therefore the church of God has to
be purged and thoroughly cleansed if we're going
to see a movement of the spirit.
In fact I would take a step further
it's ridiculous for us to have a gospel
mission if we're not going to have that
purging.
It's hard on the preacher.
It's hard on the congregation.
In fact brothers and sisters it's just like
preaching to a wall.
It's hard.
It won't give.
It's just like that.
But the moment God's people have been purged
and cleansed and sanctified then the spirit moves.
And then this mystical inexpressible thing the conviction
of sin comes.
And that's the secret of it all.
And when man is brought under conviction when
a woman is brought under conviction then it's
not long before God says to that troubled
mind and heart let there be light.
God who commanded the light to shine out
of darkness will shine in their heart to
give them the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ.
And as you preach the cross there's not
only conviction there is enlightenment.
But more than that as you preach the
glorious truth of the new birth of the
spirit without you probing and probing and probing
and trying to badger the will of people
you will see people in that congregation just
being born again of the Holy Ghost.
And it's a beautiful thing to see.
You know many many times I've been preaching
and looking at people and one moment you
see a man wriggling and he's trying to
get out of the building and you feel
like almost laughing because you know that God's
got hold of him.
And then he can't get out and then
you see his head going down.
Then you're preaching the cross and he gets
a revelation and you can see it on
his face and then you're preaching about receiving
Christ and he switches off from you and
there in the congregation he bows his head
and you can see him receiving the Lord.
And then you look at the man and
you know his truth.
Who is it?
It's the pure holy work of the Holy
Ghost.
And we don't have to pull them out
just like you pull teeth out from a
man's mouth.
That's not conversion.
It's the sweet lovely precious work of the
Holy Spirit when God's people are right.
Now I want to ask a question.
Are we right?
Have we been cleansed?
Have we been purged?
Has the Lord taken the world out of
our system?
Is there a division in the local church?
Now brothers and sisters if there's a division
let's not start talking to souls about being
saved.
Let's get the division put right.
Is there carnality in the church?
Well let's deal with it.
Are there one or two who are not
laid upon the altar?
Well let's get on the altar.
Is there a sister here and you look
the part and externally you really look scriptural
but your heart's far from God.
You've got no love for the Lord.
Ask the Lord to deal with it so
that before we start the mission we're spiritually
ready to see God at work and then
I can go.
When the Spirit starts moving God doesn't turn
the tap on when I'm here and turn
it off when I go.
God's not like that.
Once there's a movement of the Spirit it
will go on and it will be genuine.
But then you say well what about that
uh those priests.
Well let's look at Acts 2 16.
If you're getting tired just raise your hand
and I'll close immediately.
But I must, no hands are going up
all right.
Acts 2 verse 14.
But Peter standing up with the eleven lifted
up his voice and said unto them ye
men of Judea and all ye that dwell
at Jerusalem be this known unto you and
hearken to my words.
Peter standing up with the eleven.
Now you'll notice he didn't stand up with
seven.
Peter standing up with the eleven.
They were all there.
You know it's a dreadful thing to come
out of a prayer meeting and you take
the platform and you look round and you
say oh half the saints are not here
tonight.
How can we really function with half the
saints away.
You see we must remember this that you
are as important as the preacher.
A person said to me quite recently oh
I shan't be there tomorrow night.
I said no will I brother.
Why not he said you'll have to be
there and so will you.
Oh he says but I'm on business.
I said so am I.
You see when we're having a mission we've
all got to be there.
Peter stood up with the eleven.
How could you row a boat with only
three.
How could you play a game of football
with only four.
Ridiculous.
When we're going to really see Saul saved
we want the whole church of God in
him.
He left and then they were not only
all there they were all filled.
Sometimes we hear some great things in prayer.
Lord blot out the preacher.
Amen.
He needs to be blotted out.
Lord put him on the cross.
Amen.
He needs to be put on the cross.
Lord let see none save Jesus only.
Correct none save Jesus only.
Lord fill the with the spirit.
Now all that's right.
But wouldn't it be better if we said
Lord blot us all out.
Let none of us be saved.
Fill us all with the Holy Ghost.
You see here Luke tells us they were
all filled with the Holy Ghost.
What a meeting it would be tomorrow night
with those men if all the men there
were filled with the spirit at least the
Christians.
Just think of the meeting we're going to
have on Friday and Saturday if everyone every
Christian was filled with the spirit.
We never forget it.
And then think of the meetings that you
would have long after the mission.
In your own local witnesses what would happen
if you were all filled with the Holy
Spirit.
Wouldn't there be a glorious case of multiplication.
And then they were all with him.
You know when Peter stepped forward and said
we are not drunk with wine seeing this
is only the third hour.
Meaning it was an opening time.
They all said hang in.
One or two didn't say oh you shouldn't
have said that.
When he said this is that which was
spoken by Joel.
One could have said oh he's got his
dispensations wrong there'd be no blessing here now.
Not a bit of it.
When he said you have taken and by
your wicked hands you've crucified and slain.
Some could have called Peter to be a
bit diplomatic you're being really hard on them.
Of course not they were all with him.
Now look Gretchen when I preach about sin
don't drop your head.
What will he think?
People do that because we're ashamed.
Pray it for them.
Lord make this real.
When I have to speak about judgment.
Pray Lord make it real.
When I get the people to the cross
pray as you're sitting there Lord open their
eyes.
But don't make it too obvious to the
person that you bring.
I mean I saw a person praying all
the time and the person that brought one
thought she was asleep.
Now don't do it like that.
I think we've got to be sensible and
then when I I'm bringing them to the
last point of repentance and faith join me
in prayer.
But oh it's so hard Brethren when you're
preaching your heart out and you see a
brother down there.
Do you know I threw a hymn book
at one man I know it was wrong.
But every night just before I started to
preach he loosened his shoelaces and took his
dentures out and he was off.
Just went like that.
Now I had to apologize but you see
it's terribly hard when you're preaching to say
I know if a person's been working out
in the field sometimes he can't help dropping
off sometimes the Lord understands.
But try and keep with the preacher.
That's absolutely vital.
Peter stood up with the 11 and remember
this that we're all important as one is
to the other.
Everybody is vital we all have our part.
Some it's just preaching others it's praying.
But we are working together in this glorious
body fellowship to bring people to Christ.
Now my last point will be very quick
and I trust very simple the pastoring.
Now look at Matthew 18 and there we
shall see the secret of pastoring.
Matthew 18 verse 4 and 5.
Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little
child the same is greatest in the kingdom
of heaven and whoso shall receive one such
little child in my name receiveth me that
whoso shall offend one of these little ones
which believe in me it were better for
him that a millstone were hanged about his
neck and that he were drowned in the
depths of the sea.
Now I know what many of you thought
I was going to say when we came
to pastoring.
That's the work of the elders.
Yes that's a part of their work.
But pastoring is the work of the whole
church and the Lord Jesus talking about these
new converts says that we must receive them
and remember a person who receives one such
little child receives me.
But notice what he says about the person
who offends one.
It were better for him that a millstone
were hanged about his neck and that he
were drowned in the depths of the sea.
All of us would be saying well the
Lord is almost speaking on the lines of
vulgarity but that could never be affiliated to
the Lord Jesus because he was infallible.
But what he was basically saying is this.
If you offend one of these little ones
it would be far better for you never
to be a Christian.
Well could we offend a little one?
Oh yes.
I have known even in Australia a person
being saved come into fellowship then baptized and
then Christians who should have known better tried
to entice that Christian to go to the
pictures.
And a new convert definitely said no.
And therefore Christians who had been in fellowship
were actually trying to carnalize a young convert.
Can you see the danger?
I knew of another man that was subject
to drink.
He was an alcoholic and he got saved
and he got beautifully saved.
He went into a particular home and they
were social drinkers.
And the shock was as great as this.
My he said I can't believe it.
An alcoholic.
I knew of another young convert that came
into fellowship and he went along to the
prayer meeting and he said this to me
with tears.
Brother Peter I can't stand the boredom.
I can't stand it.
And in one particular assembly a young man
actually got up.
This was not in Australia this was in
London and he stood up and he said
this Lord help me to be able to
speak this prayer meeting.
Please help me.
In other words it was so dead he
was praying that the Lord would give him
grace to speak it.
Now can you see what was happening?
Souls were saved but there were people in
the local church that were offending the young
convert.
Now I want to ask you a question.
If the Lord saved 30 young converts and
here it comes and they all followed you.
What kind of Christians would they be if
they followed you?
Now can you see how essential it is
before the Lord saves that he brings these
young converts into an atmosphere where they can
And then we read this in the book
of the Acts.
When they were edified.
Acts 9 31.
They were multiplied.
In other words when they were filled with
the spirit, when they were filled with the
Lord Jesus, when they were filled with his
love and they were edified and built up.
Then God started to multiply them.
Now I want to close with this challenge.
Are you individually in a fit state to
look after a new convert?
If a new convert followed you where would
you take it?
Let's pray that each one of us may
be in a state so that we wouldn't
offend, we would help.
And if we offend one of these little
ones the master said it would be better
for us to have a millstone around our
neck and cast into the sea.
Aren't they strong ones?
May the Lord challenge our hearts.