1 00:00:02,250 --> 00:00:05,070 I have always been intrigued and challenged by 2 00:00:05,070 --> 00:00:06,490 the life of D. 3 00:00:06,530 --> 00:00:06,650 L. 4 00:00:06,790 --> 00:00:07,050 Moody. 5 00:00:07,650 --> 00:00:10,250 He was a man whom God used in 6 00:00:10,250 --> 00:00:13,410 remarkable ways in the salvation of souls. 7 00:00:13,950 --> 00:00:17,130 I spent many a profitable day at Moody's 8 00:00:17,130 --> 00:00:19,350 grave in Northfield, Massachusetts. 9 00:00:20,290 --> 00:00:22,550 One day in particular stands out in my 10 00:00:22,550 --> 00:00:22,930 memory. 11 00:00:23,470 --> 00:00:26,250 I spent the afternoon sitting on the porch 12 00:00:26,250 --> 00:00:28,490 of the home he was born in, while 13 00:00:28,490 --> 00:00:31,710 I reflected on his greatly useful life. 14 00:00:32,410 --> 00:00:35,330 Moody once heard a minister remark to him, 15 00:00:35,610 --> 00:00:38,390 "'The world has yet to see what God 16 00:00:38,390 --> 00:00:41,370 can do with the man wholly sold out 17 00:00:41,370 --> 00:00:45,430 to Him.'" Moody walked away, muttering, under his 18 00:00:45,430 --> 00:00:48,590 breath, "'By God's grace, I will be that 19 00:00:48,590 --> 00:00:51,650 man.'" Moody went out and did more for 20 00:00:51,650 --> 00:00:54,870 God than all of us put together, but 21 00:00:54,870 --> 00:00:56,730 there is a story he told about the 22 00:00:56,730 --> 00:00:59,410 biggest mistake of his life, and I want 23 00:00:59,410 --> 00:01:01,430 to relate that story to us this evening, 24 00:01:01,590 --> 00:01:04,570 friends, before we go to our time of 25 00:01:04,570 --> 00:01:05,050 prayer. 26 00:01:06,470 --> 00:01:06,630 D. 27 00:01:06,710 --> 00:01:06,810 L. 28 00:01:06,890 --> 00:01:10,750 Moody was preaching one evening in 1871, and 29 00:01:10,750 --> 00:01:13,650 it was that very night that the terrible 30 00:01:14,390 --> 00:01:17,050 conflagration of the Chicago Fire broke out. 31 00:01:17,510 --> 00:01:19,770 Listen to his moving testimony. 32 00:01:20,650 --> 00:01:22,130 "'Oh, what a mistake! 33 00:01:22,510 --> 00:01:25,410 I have never dared to give an audience 34 00:01:25,410 --> 00:01:28,830 a week to think about their salvation since. 35 00:01:29,250 --> 00:01:31,830 If they were lost, they might rise up 36 00:01:31,830 --> 00:01:33,470 at the judgment against me. 37 00:01:34,010 --> 00:01:37,430 I remember Mr. Sankey singing, and how his 38 00:01:37,430 --> 00:01:40,430 voice rang when he came to that pleading 39 00:01:40,430 --> 00:01:45,890 verse, "'Today the Savior calls, for refuge fly. 40 00:01:46,170 --> 00:01:49,470 The storm of justice falls, and death is 41 00:01:49,470 --> 00:01:49,950 nigh. 42 00:01:50,350 --> 00:01:52,910 I have hard work to keep back the 43 00:01:52,910 --> 00:01:53,870 tears today. 44 00:01:54,330 --> 00:01:56,750 Twenty-two years have passed away, and I 45 00:01:56,750 --> 00:02:00,230 have not seen that congregation since, and I 46 00:02:00,230 --> 00:02:02,990 will never meet these people again until I 47 00:02:02,990 --> 00:02:04,510 meet them in another world. 48 00:02:04,930 --> 00:02:08,169 I have asked God many times to forgive 49 00:02:08,169 --> 00:02:11,910 me for telling people that night to take 50 00:02:11,910 --> 00:02:14,110 a week to think it over, and if 51 00:02:14,110 --> 00:02:16,890 he spares my life, I will never do 52 00:02:16,890 --> 00:02:17,530 it again. 53 00:02:17,530 --> 00:02:21,010 One lesson I learned that night, which I've 54 00:02:21,010 --> 00:02:23,890 never forgotten, and that is when I preach, 55 00:02:24,210 --> 00:02:26,770 I press Christ upon the people then and 56 00:02:26,770 --> 00:02:29,890 there—' Well, I will stop there, France, with 57 00:02:29,890 --> 00:02:31,970 Moody's emotion-filled words. 58 00:02:32,350 --> 00:02:35,250 I wish I could go back and witness 59 00:02:35,250 --> 00:02:37,270 to all the people I failed to witness 60 00:02:37,270 --> 00:02:40,770 to while they were still in this world—one 61 00:02:40,770 --> 00:02:41,810 man in particular. 62 00:02:42,250 --> 00:02:45,450 He was a construction worker on my house, 63 00:02:45,650 --> 00:02:48,070 and he'd always get there before the other 64 00:02:48,070 --> 00:02:50,950 men, and I'd greet him while we waited 65 00:02:50,950 --> 00:02:51,770 for the others. 66 00:02:52,230 --> 00:02:55,930 I failed miserably to witness to this man. 67 00:02:56,530 --> 00:02:59,710 Three weeks later I was reading the newspaper, 68 00:03:00,290 --> 00:03:03,490 going through the obituaries, and his face stood 69 00:03:03,490 --> 00:03:06,330 out and haunted me above his death notice. 70 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:09,090 He was a young man in his thirties, 71 00:03:09,250 --> 00:03:11,950 and I believe God had that man show 72 00:03:11,950 --> 00:03:14,630 up early each day so I could witness 73 00:03:14,630 --> 00:03:16,850 to him, but I dropped the ball. 74 00:03:17,390 --> 00:03:21,070 He slipped suddenly into eternity without a gospel 75 00:03:21,070 --> 00:03:23,910 witness from me, and his face haunts me 76 00:03:23,910 --> 00:03:26,530 still, and I'll see him at the judgment. 77 00:03:27,470 --> 00:03:30,990 I submit to you, France, for Moody's mistake 78 00:03:30,990 --> 00:03:32,990 is our mistake too. 79 00:03:33,510 --> 00:03:36,350 We should press Christ upon the people then 80 00:03:36,350 --> 00:03:39,050 and there whom God puts in our paths 81 00:03:39,050 --> 00:03:39,850 each day. 82 00:03:40,570 --> 00:03:43,330 Life is shorter than we realize. 83 00:03:43,770 --> 00:03:47,070 Let us not be guilty of Moody's mistake. 84 00:03:47,510 --> 00:03:51,030 People need to hear about Jesus, the one 85 00:03:51,030 --> 00:03:53,730 who came down here, so we can go 86 00:03:53,730 --> 00:03:54,530 up there. 87 00:03:55,190 --> 00:03:56,410 Let us pray.