1
00:00:02,570 --> 00:00:06,110
I have a startling message to bring before

2
00:00:06,110 --> 00:00:09,410
you today, friends, and it is startling because

3
00:00:09,410 --> 00:00:11,890
it goes against popular preaching.

4
00:00:12,730 --> 00:00:16,870
Popular preaching has a topical message of self

5
00:00:16,870 --> 00:00:19,250
-empowerment on your way to heaven.

6
00:00:19,710 --> 00:00:21,710
But when I read my Bible and the

7
00:00:21,710 --> 00:00:24,310
Book of Acts, I see men of God

8
00:00:24,310 --> 00:00:28,430
preaching the Word of God in direct antithesis

9
00:00:28,430 --> 00:00:31,270
to our brand of popular preaching today.

10
00:00:31,850 --> 00:00:34,410
My text can be found in the Book

11
00:00:34,410 --> 00:00:35,870
of Acts in chapter 7.

12
00:00:36,510 --> 00:00:38,250
You can turn in your Bibles there now,

13
00:00:38,810 --> 00:00:38,910
friends.

14
00:00:39,410 --> 00:00:42,250
We will be in verses 51 and following.

15
00:00:43,510 --> 00:00:46,390
The title of my message today is A

16
00:00:46,390 --> 00:00:48,930
Ministry of Self-Preservation.

17
00:00:49,810 --> 00:00:53,150
The backdrop of our story today, friends, stands

18
00:00:53,150 --> 00:00:56,590
out like a brilliant diamond against black velvet.

19
00:00:57,530 --> 00:01:00,510
Stephen is described in Acts 6, 8.

20
00:01:00,770 --> 00:01:04,590
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did

21
00:01:04,590 --> 00:01:07,890
great wonders and miracles among the people.

22
00:01:08,630 --> 00:01:12,510
This stirs the Jewish religious leaders, gets them

23
00:01:12,510 --> 00:01:15,230
angry at him, and they arrest him under

24
00:01:15,230 --> 00:01:16,570
false pretenses.

25
00:01:17,330 --> 00:01:20,730
In chapter 7, we see Stephen's defense before

26
00:01:20,730 --> 00:01:21,870
the Sanhedrin.

27
00:01:21,870 --> 00:01:24,650
I wouldn't be surprised to learn if a

28
00:01:24,650 --> 00:01:27,570
few Baptist preachers weren't part of that council

29
00:01:27,570 --> 00:01:28,310
as well.

30
00:01:28,910 --> 00:01:32,550
Anyhow, Stephen then preaches one of the longest

31
00:01:32,550 --> 00:01:35,730
sermons found in Scripture, and it's jam-packed

32
00:01:35,730 --> 00:01:39,710
with excitement as he is loaded for bear,

33
00:01:39,910 --> 00:01:42,930
and he slowly builds momentum in his message

34
00:01:43,390 --> 00:01:45,670
with the history of the Jews, with the

35
00:01:45,670 --> 00:01:48,830
call of Abraham, and then he talks about

36
00:01:48,830 --> 00:01:53,270
Joseph and Jacob and Moses and the history

37
00:01:53,270 --> 00:01:56,330
of Moses and the deliverance of Israel out

38
00:01:56,330 --> 00:01:58,630
of Egypt by way of the Red Sea.

39
00:01:59,250 --> 00:02:01,230
And then he talks about the golden calf

40
00:02:01,230 --> 00:02:05,230
and reminds us hearers of the idolatry of

41
00:02:05,230 --> 00:02:07,750
Israel and their stubbornness of heart.

42
00:02:07,930 --> 00:02:10,370
And by the time we get to our

43
00:02:10,370 --> 00:02:14,510
text today in verses 51 and following, he

44
00:02:14,510 --> 00:02:19,510
then points both barrels at them and peppers

45
00:02:19,510 --> 00:02:22,470
his crowd with the unvarnished truth of God

46
00:02:22,470 --> 00:02:25,090
spoken with the authority of God, and it's

47
00:02:25,090 --> 00:02:28,290
too much for them to handle, so they

48
00:02:28,290 --> 00:02:30,210
go into a devilish rage.

49
00:02:31,110 --> 00:02:33,990
Graham Scroggie had this to say of Stephen,

50
00:02:34,930 --> 00:02:39,090
Stephen's day of ministry had scarcely begun when

51
00:02:39,090 --> 00:02:42,550
it was violently ended, but the greatness of

52
00:02:42,550 --> 00:02:45,610
one's life must not be looked for in

53
00:02:45,610 --> 00:02:46,690
length of days.

54
00:02:47,150 --> 00:02:51,230
Stephen means crown, and early did he receive

55
00:02:51,230 --> 00:02:51,790
his.

56
00:02:52,570 --> 00:02:54,970
Well, let me read us this striking passage

57
00:02:54,970 --> 00:02:58,070
of Scripture, friends, picking up in verse 51

58
00:02:58,070 --> 00:03:02,110
where Stephen rebukes the unbelief of the Jews.

59
00:03:02,550 --> 00:03:05,390
Here now is the word of God, and

60
00:03:05,390 --> 00:03:08,910
may his spirit bless the reading of his

61
00:03:08,910 --> 00:03:09,950
holy word.

62
00:03:11,810 --> 00:03:15,870
Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and

63
00:03:15,870 --> 00:03:20,490
ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost,

64
00:03:20,670 --> 00:03:23,690
as your fathers did, so do ye.

65
00:03:24,330 --> 00:03:27,350
Which of the prophets have not your fathers

66
00:03:27,350 --> 00:03:28,230
persecuted?

67
00:03:28,830 --> 00:03:31,750
And they have slain them which showed before

68
00:03:31,750 --> 00:03:34,750
of the common of the just one, of

69
00:03:34,750 --> 00:03:38,330
whom ye have been now the betrayers and

70
00:03:38,330 --> 00:03:39,210
murderers.

71
00:03:39,890 --> 00:03:42,910
Let me pause here, friends, to say, notice

72
00:03:42,910 --> 00:03:45,890
how this preacher in our story doesn't hesitate

73
00:03:45,890 --> 00:03:47,850
to rebuke sin in a sermon.

74
00:03:48,890 --> 00:03:51,990
He then calls them out for their lawlessness

75
00:03:51,990 --> 00:03:56,190
and despising the law of God, who have

76
00:03:56,190 --> 00:03:59,570
received the law by the disposition of angels,

77
00:04:00,130 --> 00:04:01,610
and have not kept it.

78
00:04:02,330 --> 00:04:05,310
When they heard these things, they were cut

79
00:04:05,310 --> 00:04:07,530
to the heart, and they gnashed on them

80
00:04:07,530 --> 00:04:08,570
with their teeth.

81
00:04:08,990 --> 00:04:11,930
I believe any preacher of the cross will

82
00:04:11,930 --> 00:04:14,890
face bitter opposition and persecution.

83
00:04:15,910 --> 00:04:19,130
When I read about George Whitefield, they peppered

84
00:04:19,130 --> 00:04:22,390
his preaching with rotten eggs and threw pieces

85
00:04:22,390 --> 00:04:23,950
of dead cats at him.

86
00:04:24,430 --> 00:04:27,210
Charles Wesley said of his brother John that

87
00:04:27,210 --> 00:04:30,210
he was dragged through a village by an

88
00:04:30,210 --> 00:04:32,730
angry mob by his hair, and it was

89
00:04:32,730 --> 00:04:36,370
by God's grace and his brother's shortness that

90
00:04:36,370 --> 00:04:38,630
heavy stones missed his head.

91
00:04:39,270 --> 00:04:42,010
John the Baptist put his finger on the

92
00:04:42,010 --> 00:04:44,490
sin of Herod, and it cost him his

93
00:04:44,490 --> 00:04:44,990
head.

94
00:04:45,430 --> 00:04:48,190
But we don't preach like that today, because

95
00:04:48,190 --> 00:04:51,870
we are too much into self-preservation.

96
00:04:52,670 --> 00:04:55,010
Hence the title of my message today, friends.

97
00:04:56,290 --> 00:05:00,510
Well, Stephen kept his eyes on Jesus the

98
00:05:00,510 --> 00:05:03,170
whole time he was preaching, and was seeing

99
00:05:03,170 --> 00:05:05,330
verses 55 and 56.

100
00:05:06,070 --> 00:05:09,790
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost,

101
00:05:10,290 --> 00:05:14,290
looking up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the

102
00:05:14,290 --> 00:05:17,990
glory of God, and Jesus standing on the

103
00:05:17,990 --> 00:05:22,090
right hand of God, and said, Behold, I

104
00:05:22,090 --> 00:05:24,870
see the heavens opened, and the Son of

105
00:05:24,870 --> 00:05:27,930
Man standing on the right hand of God.

106
00:05:28,690 --> 00:05:31,870
Let me pause here, friends, to say, Jesus

107
00:05:31,870 --> 00:05:34,450
was standing because he had to get up

108
00:05:34,450 --> 00:05:36,390
to go receive him into heaven.

109
00:05:37,070 --> 00:05:41,350
For we see in verses 57 and 58

110
00:05:41,350 --> 00:05:42,830
the results of his sermon.

111
00:05:44,130 --> 00:05:46,730
Then they cried out with a loud voice,

112
00:05:46,990 --> 00:05:50,250
and stopped their ears, and ran upon him

113
00:05:50,250 --> 00:05:53,010
with one accord, and cast him out of

114
00:05:53,010 --> 00:05:55,150
the city, and stoned him.

115
00:05:55,730 --> 00:05:58,470
And the witnesses laid down their clothes at

116
00:05:58,470 --> 00:06:02,030
a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

117
00:06:02,710 --> 00:06:05,330
We will pick up the Apostle Paul at

118
00:06:05,330 --> 00:06:08,330
another time, friends, and see how God turned

119
00:06:08,330 --> 00:06:10,470
his life right side up.

120
00:06:10,690 --> 00:06:13,190
But for now, I want us to see

121
00:06:13,190 --> 00:06:17,310
several aspects from our message today, regarding my

122
00:06:17,310 --> 00:06:20,430
subject of a ministry of self-preservation.

123
00:06:21,250 --> 00:06:25,590
I guess somewhere down the line, pastors got

124
00:06:25,590 --> 00:06:28,990
used to a settled ministry that developed into

125
00:06:28,990 --> 00:06:31,030
something that was never meant to.

126
00:06:31,490 --> 00:06:35,590
We got used to our 401ks and financial

127
00:06:35,590 --> 00:06:38,130
security being over a big church.

128
00:06:38,310 --> 00:06:41,870
I've known pastors who, their churches, put them

129
00:06:41,870 --> 00:06:45,250
in million-dollar homes, and gave them country

130
00:06:45,250 --> 00:06:47,890
club membership, and paid to have their kids

131
00:06:47,890 --> 00:06:49,410
go to the best schools.

132
00:06:49,790 --> 00:06:53,330
Now, before I go further, I must admit

133
00:06:53,330 --> 00:06:57,350
that most pastors don't have it that good.

134
00:06:57,850 --> 00:07:03,010
Most are underpaid and overworked individuals because they

135
00:07:03,010 --> 00:07:05,010
have to keep two jobs just to pay

136
00:07:05,010 --> 00:07:08,770
the rent, as most preachers are bivocational, at

137
00:07:08,770 --> 00:07:11,110
least among Baptists, that's the case.

138
00:07:11,710 --> 00:07:14,550
Now, that still doesn't excuse any of us

139
00:07:14,550 --> 00:07:17,670
from not preaching the unvarnished truths of the

140
00:07:17,670 --> 00:07:21,530
gospel, but many today still are hesitant to

141
00:07:21,530 --> 00:07:25,070
do so because of a ministry of self

142
00:07:25,070 --> 00:07:26,130
-preservation.

143
00:07:26,950 --> 00:07:29,870
I will describe this in the negative by

144
00:07:29,870 --> 00:07:32,470
listing what we refuse to preach.

145
00:07:33,050 --> 00:07:37,070
A ministry of self-preservation will, number one,

146
00:07:37,650 --> 00:07:38,990
not rebuke sin.

147
00:07:40,170 --> 00:07:44,170
Number two, a ministry of self-preservation will

148
00:07:44,170 --> 00:07:47,070
not warn of a future judgment that awaits

149
00:07:47,070 --> 00:07:50,130
all mankind where a day reckoning will be

150
00:07:50,130 --> 00:07:54,310
made before the judge of all the earth.

151
00:07:54,970 --> 00:08:00,070
Number three, a ministry of self-preservation will

152
00:08:00,070 --> 00:08:03,510
not speak of the terrors of damnation in

153
00:08:03,510 --> 00:08:06,550
a burning hell that rages for all eternity

154
00:08:06,550 --> 00:08:09,910
for all of those who die outside of

155
00:08:09,910 --> 00:08:11,190
Christ's blood.

156
00:08:12,210 --> 00:08:16,430
Number four, a ministry of self-preservation will

157
00:08:16,430 --> 00:08:19,350
not warn man of their duty of repentance

158
00:08:19,350 --> 00:08:24,450
and inform them that unless they repent they

159
00:08:24,450 --> 00:08:27,050
will bust hell wide open when to die.

160
00:08:28,510 --> 00:08:31,530
When I first moved to Florida, I visited

161
00:08:31,530 --> 00:08:35,190
the head of my denomination in regard to

162
00:08:35,190 --> 00:08:38,030
missions and let him know of my availability

163
00:08:38,030 --> 00:08:40,809
to preach in the churches in the area

164
00:08:40,809 --> 00:08:44,190
that needed pulpit supply or wanted to have

165
00:08:44,190 --> 00:08:44,750
revival.

166
00:08:45,470 --> 00:08:47,930
He's never taken me up on it, and

167
00:08:47,930 --> 00:08:51,190
he doesn't even return my calls because most

168
00:08:51,190 --> 00:08:54,790
nice church people don't like to hear disturbing

169
00:08:54,790 --> 00:08:55,410
messages.

170
00:08:55,850 --> 00:08:57,890
It may bring out the malice in some

171
00:08:57,890 --> 00:08:59,910
of them, and we couldn't have that.

172
00:09:00,650 --> 00:09:02,770
The state of the church today as it

173
00:09:02,770 --> 00:09:06,450
stands mainly is in a ministry of self

174
00:09:06,450 --> 00:09:09,450
-preservation, and it reminds me of a story

175
00:09:09,450 --> 00:09:11,790
that Sam Jones always told.

176
00:09:12,490 --> 00:09:14,770
If you're not familiar with Sam Jones, friends,

177
00:09:14,890 --> 00:09:17,170
let me give you a brief on him.

178
00:09:17,990 --> 00:09:21,490
I have walked through his stately home in

179
00:09:21,490 --> 00:09:26,710
Cordersville, Georgia, which was built for him by

180
00:09:26,710 --> 00:09:30,230
the citizens of Nashville for turning that city

181
00:09:30,230 --> 00:09:33,590
upside down in revival under his mighty preaching

182
00:09:33,590 --> 00:09:36,670
against sin where at least ten thousand souls

183
00:09:36,670 --> 00:09:37,550
were saved.

184
00:09:37,990 --> 00:09:40,590
One of the biggest sinners there was a

185
00:09:40,590 --> 00:09:43,790
riverboat captain who was all over the liquor

186
00:09:43,790 --> 00:09:46,590
trade on the steam ships in that area.

187
00:09:47,070 --> 00:09:49,890
His name was Ryman, and he was converted

188
00:09:49,890 --> 00:09:53,630
under Sam Jones's preaching, and after he had

189
00:09:53,630 --> 00:09:55,810
his employees pour out all the booze he

190
00:09:55,810 --> 00:09:57,830
kept on his fleets of ships into the

191
00:09:57,830 --> 00:10:00,850
river, he built an auditorium to hold Sam

192
00:10:00,850 --> 00:10:01,750
Jones's preaching.

193
00:10:02,650 --> 00:10:05,250
It's been used in modern times as the

194
00:10:05,250 --> 00:10:08,690
Ryman Auditorium for the Grand Old Opry.

195
00:10:09,370 --> 00:10:11,750
It was said of Sam Jones that some

196
00:10:11,750 --> 00:10:14,950
who resisted his ministry ended up dying through

197
00:10:14,950 --> 00:10:16,270
sudden death.

198
00:10:16,810 --> 00:10:19,750
Sam Jones always faced opposition in the towns

199
00:10:19,750 --> 00:10:20,650
where he preached.

200
00:10:21,130 --> 00:10:23,290
When I was walking through his home in

201
00:10:23,290 --> 00:10:26,830
Cordersville, Georgia, I saw a placard used to

202
00:10:26,830 --> 00:10:29,810
advertise his preaching in a certain city, and

203
00:10:29,810 --> 00:10:32,610
someone had scrawled over his face the words

204
00:10:32,610 --> 00:10:33,810
Hang Him.

205
00:10:34,550 --> 00:10:36,830
You can go see it there today, friends,

206
00:10:36,950 --> 00:10:38,030
if you don't believe me.

207
00:10:38,110 --> 00:10:39,710
It's in one of the hallways.

208
00:10:40,370 --> 00:10:43,470
He was hotly persecuted as a preacher, and

209
00:10:43,470 --> 00:10:46,010
one day while he was at the train

210
00:10:46,010 --> 00:10:48,830
station, a man beat him about the face

211
00:10:48,830 --> 00:10:50,890
with his cane when he found out it

212
00:10:50,890 --> 00:10:51,810
was Sam Jones.

213
00:10:52,370 --> 00:10:55,330
I reckon most of us would rather avoid

214
00:10:55,330 --> 00:10:59,890
such unpleasantness so we don't necessarily not preach

215
00:10:59,890 --> 00:11:03,130
the gospel, but it is in what we

216
00:11:03,130 --> 00:11:06,730
refuse to preach wherein lies the problem.

217
00:11:07,850 --> 00:11:11,070
If we don't preach against sin by rebuking

218
00:11:11,070 --> 00:11:13,690
it, how can the Holy Spirit bring conviction

219
00:11:13,690 --> 00:11:15,550
to our hearers for sin?

220
00:11:15,930 --> 00:11:18,650
If we fail to warn men and women

221
00:11:18,650 --> 00:11:21,430
and boys and girls about a future judgment

222
00:11:21,430 --> 00:11:24,210
and a burning hell, then we shouldn't be

223
00:11:24,210 --> 00:11:27,390
surprised if a good portion of our congregations

224
00:11:27,390 --> 00:11:28,670
end up going there.

225
00:11:29,310 --> 00:11:32,070
If we omit the necessity of repentance and

226
00:11:32,070 --> 00:11:36,810
salvation and preach only a only-believed gospel,

227
00:11:37,010 --> 00:11:40,390
then we shouldn't be surprised either when the

228
00:11:40,390 --> 00:11:44,590
members of our churches who remained unconverted because

229
00:11:44,590 --> 00:11:48,110
they never exercised repentance toward God for forgiveness

230
00:11:48,110 --> 00:11:50,550
of sin then go on to die in

231
00:11:50,550 --> 00:11:54,690
their sins beyond the redemption that is in

232
00:11:54,690 --> 00:11:55,850
Christ Jesus.

233
00:11:56,630 --> 00:12:00,190
This is a serious matter, friends, because many

234
00:12:00,190 --> 00:12:04,690
today have traded a penetrating ministry for one

235
00:12:04,690 --> 00:12:05,890
that is more acceptable.

236
00:12:07,250 --> 00:12:10,630
It's our self-preservation that stands in our

237
00:12:10,630 --> 00:12:12,970
way, that stands in the way of our

238
00:12:12,970 --> 00:12:16,250
people hearing what they need to hear to

239
00:12:16,250 --> 00:12:20,330
save their souls, and our self-preservation stands

240
00:12:20,330 --> 00:12:22,450
in the way of what God wants to

241
00:12:22,450 --> 00:12:25,670
do among us but cannot because we have

242
00:12:25,670 --> 00:12:26,510
blocked him.

243
00:12:27,030 --> 00:12:29,970
I believe Jesus couldn't do much in some

244
00:12:29,970 --> 00:12:32,790
villages and towns because of their unbelief.

245
00:12:33,050 --> 00:12:36,150
I believe that's scriptural, but let me tell

246
00:12:36,150 --> 00:12:38,810
you that story, friends, about Sam Jones and

247
00:12:38,810 --> 00:12:42,850
then I will let you go, but it

248
00:12:42,850 --> 00:12:46,170
sums up our subject today perfectly about a

249
00:12:46,170 --> 00:12:50,290
ministry of self-preservation, and here are his

250
00:12:50,290 --> 00:12:50,890
words.

251
00:12:52,290 --> 00:12:55,810
I knew a pastor who, upon taking charge

252
00:12:55,810 --> 00:12:58,610
of his church, was met by a delegation

253
00:12:58,610 --> 00:13:02,450
of the deacons previous to delivering his inaugural

254
00:13:02,450 --> 00:13:03,110
sermon.

255
00:13:03,650 --> 00:13:07,470
They said, Now, brother, you mustn't preach about

256
00:13:07,470 --> 00:13:11,630
fashion because our fashionable members will be out

257
00:13:11,630 --> 00:13:12,470
to hear you.

258
00:13:13,170 --> 00:13:16,050
You mustn't preach about dram drinking or liquor

259
00:13:16,050 --> 00:13:19,250
selling because several of our members who are

260
00:13:19,250 --> 00:13:22,010
liquor sellers will be out to hear you.

261
00:13:22,350 --> 00:13:26,390
You mustn't preach about covetousness because several of

262
00:13:26,390 --> 00:13:29,690
our millionaire members will be out to hear

263
00:13:29,690 --> 00:13:30,190
you.

264
00:13:30,730 --> 00:13:33,870
Oh, well, what can I preach about, he

265
00:13:33,870 --> 00:13:38,990
asked in great perplexity, about the Mormons, replied

266
00:13:38,990 --> 00:13:40,070
the good deacons.

267
00:13:40,430 --> 00:13:41,370
Give them blazes.

268
00:13:41,870 --> 00:13:43,810
There won't be a Mormon to hear you.