My father, like Enoch of old, walked daily
with his Lord.
And as he worshipped at God's throne, he
saw his heart outpoured.
He knew that he would faithfully be.
On him he could depend.
He's preached God's word for fifty years.
He'll preach it to the end.
Now I wonder if just before the evening
you would take the brochure that has been
put in your hand that says fifty years
in the ministry on the front.
Would you find that right now?
It's somewhere.
And I think almost everybody in the congregation
would have one.
And if you'll turn over to the back
page in miniature form, you will find reproduced
Dr. Smith's most famous hymn.
The music written by Billy Sunday's song leader,
Homer Rodeheaver, whom everybody here in Toronto knew
and loved before.
We're going to stand together and sing just
the first verse and the chorus of this
song, Then Jesus Came.
It's on the back of your brochure.
We'll stand together and sing the first verse.
I'd like to take you back to May
18th and 19th of 1958, where in Varsity
Arena, members of the People's Church Golden
Jubilee.
I have followed Dr. Smith's career with great
interest in as much as he commenced his
missionary work under me at Port Simpson in
1908.
Dr. G.
H.
Rayleigh and comes from the city of Vancouver.
The next comes from who incidentally commences a
campaign in the People's Church for eight days
the first Sunday of June.
I hope you'll remember that.
Commencing the first Sunday of June, Red Harper,
Mr. Texas, in the Billy Graham film, Mr.
Texas, is going to be ministering in the
People's Church from Sunday through Sunday, commencing the
first Sunday of June.
Red Harper writes this, We shall not learn
this side of heaven, even half, of what
this great missionary statesman has accomplished for the
kingdom of God.
The next comes from William Culbertson, who is
the president of the Moody Bible Institute.
Dr. Culbertson writes, We thank the Lord for
Dr. Smith's allegiance to the Word of God,
his remarkable Bible teaching and evangelistic ministry, and
especially his worldwide vision of missions.
Then from Mr. A.
H.
Chappell, who is the president of Marshall, Morgan
& Scott, London, England, who has published all
of Dr. Smith's 24 books, representing one of
the largest religious publishing companies in the world.
Mr. Chappell writes, I have watched with ever
-increasing admiration the worldwide growth of Dr. Smith's
ministry.
His books are read and treasured among English
-speaking peoples all over the world and in
many foreign languages.
In his charming wife he has a gracious
helpmate and his children loyal associates.
And then from God's businessman, Mr. R.
G.
Letourneau, It is now over 30 years since
Dr. Smith was my pastor in Los Angeles.
God was using him mightily then and has
been continually blessing souls through his tongue and
pen all these years.
This comes from Mr. B.
D.
Ackley, who is probably the world's greatest living
writer of gospel songs.
Mr. Ackley says this, Dr. Smith ranks among
the outstanding gospel song poets.
My high regard for him is comparable to
that for my own brother.
Then Dr. V.
R.
Edmond, the president of Wheaton College in Wheaton,
Illinois, writes, because Dr. Smith devoted himself entirely
to the Savior, he has been used mightily
of God to the very ends of the
earth.
And Don D.
Mumaw.
Don Mumaw, one of the great athletes of
our generation, who has played football in this
stadium on many, many occasions.
An all-American football player writes, because Dr.
Smith devoted himself entirely, or rather, Don Mumaw
telegraphs, thank God for Dr. Smith and his
ministry.
Both have challenged my own life.
Then the next one comes from Great Britain,
from Evangelist Eric Hutchings, who today is probably
being used of God in evangelistic, Great United
Evangelistic campaigns in the British Isles and from
Radio in Europe, as much as any other
minister in England.
Eric Hutchings writes this, the recently conducted crusade
in South America underlines, in my view, that
Dr. Smith continues to be at the very
forefront of evangelistic ministry around the world.
There is scarcely an evangelical home in Britain
in which the name of Dr. Oswald J.
Smith is not known and honoured.
I owe more to him as a father
in evangelism for encouragement and inspiration than any
other world leader.
The next comes from Scotland, from Mr. John
M.
Moore, who is the superintendent of the Great
Kent Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.
And from Scotland we have this greeting.
We in Scotland send our sincere Christian greetings
to Dr. Oswald J.
Smith on this great occasion which celebrates 50
years' ministry in the service of God.
The influence of Dr. Smith's written ministry has
been felt throughout the lengths and breadths of
Scotland.
We in Glasgow will be wearing the Smith
tartan on our neckties over the weekend in
honour of Dr. Oswald J.
Smith.
And I didn't even know we belonged to
a clan, but there you are.
The Smith clan, I suppose it's the biggest
in the world.
And then this comes from a man who
is beloved by God's people around the world,
Dr. Charles E.
Fuller of the Old Fashioned Revival Hour.
Dr. Fuller writes, In these days when so
many are departing from the faith, it is
a great encouragement to my own heart and
a blessed challenge to know that Dr. Smith
is standing so firmly in his faithfulness to
the Word of God.
And this comes from Dr. E.
L.
Simmons, who is the principal of the Toronto
Bible College.
And we're grateful to the Toronto Bible College
for their help in this service tonight.
They have given us these curtains and the
bunting that is around the lower platform.
And in a moment, you will have an
opportunity of using the magnificent offering boxes that
come from the Toronto Bible College.
And if you can't get your gift in
the boxes, you can blame Dr. Simmons.
But we're grateful for their help in this
service.
They use Varsity Stadium every year for their
graduation exercises.
Mr. Simmons writes, Warmest congratulations and deep thanksgiving
for your great missionary and evangelistic contributions.
And then we have this from the cowboys
of the world, Dale Evans and Roy Rogers.
And Dale Evans and Roy Rogers send this
greeting.
You have been a blessing to so many,
including us.
And we are sure we speak for the
entire Hollywood Christian group.
Finally, this greeting from the world's greatest evangelist,
Dr. Billy Graham.
And Billy Graham says this in a personal
letter.
I continue to hear the most fabulous reports
of your meetings in South America.
We rejoice exceedingly at the gracious way in
which God has used you.
You are the most remarkable man I have
ever met.
And that's signed Dr. Billy Graham.
I'm sure you would like to join with
these who have written their greetings from around
the world in wishing your own pastor God's
best on this, the 50th anniversary of his
ministry and the first service of the next
50 years of his ministry.
Wherever evangelical church choir leaders gather together to
discuss music, this next song almost always comes
up for discussion.
Johnny Ambrose joins his voice with the voices
of our Jubilee Choir now to bring you
the triumphant composition written by Dr. Smith, the
song of the soul set free.
I'm going to call now on my oldest
son, Dr. Glenn G.
Smith, who is a surgeon, a Christian surgeon
in Vancouver, British Columbia.
I'll never forget the night in the Elgin
House after I delivered a salvation message.
I'll never forget returning and finding Glenn in
tears.
He told us that he wanted to be
saved.
His mother and I knelt down beside him
and we led him to the Lord Jesus
Christ.
He was only nine years of age at
the time.
Now he's become a Christian surgeon and is
giving his testimony in the city of Vancouver.
And I want to have the joy of
announcing and introducing my eldest son now, for
I'm going to ask Dr. Glenn G.
Smith, to me, Glenn, to come to the
pulpit and bring you a word from far
away Vancouver.
He's a member of the Smith family.
It's a great joy for me to be
here from those cool Pacific breezes with me.
Dr. Oswald J.
Smith, around the world to many people, means
an author that has written many, many wonderful
books.
To many other people, the name Dr. Oswald
Smith is one they have heard as a
great evangelist in person on many of his
world tours.
To many missionaries, he is the statesman that
has been responsible from the human angle of
influencing their life for missions and for their
finding themselves on the mission field of the
world.
To many of us here tonight, he is
our pastor, the pastor of the people's church
for many years, and he is to us
a pastor.
But to three of us who are in
this building tonight, and only three, we can
call him father.
Now, a more wonderful father one would never
want to find.
I was brought up, as you all very
well know, in a Christian home.
I was brought up, what is more, in
a minister's home.
Now, I'm sure many of you must wonder
what a minister's home would be like to
be brought up in, especially one that was
as famous as my father.
And I can tell you that, in some
respects, perhaps it is peculiar.
And that, no doubt, is why Glenn and
Hope and Paul are a little queer.
You will probably think that a minister's home
is a very austere place because we spend
so much time going to church and just
nature.
But I can assure you that we had
many very pleasant experiences.
On an example of father
was always interested that we should get to
know some of the creations that God has
made and put in this world.
And I think it is only the rightful
heritage of every boy to have a dog.
And, as boys, we had many dogs at
different times, also cats.
The house was on occasion filled with 50
or 60 birds of different varieties.
We had fish.
And on one trip that he came back
from Florida, he brought us two little
baby goats.
They were very young and cry.
When we arrived back at noon, we were
being the mother of.
Was the importance to his life.
We will never forget, not on Sundays only,
or not on special occasions, or not just
when we were going on a trip.
We would hear him walking back and forth
in his study.
He felt it important enough to spend time
before God for the guidance and direction of
bringing up his family.
The importance of prayer in carrying on the
great work that he was interested in.
And that, to me, is never forget.
Now, as well, of course, I have grown
out outside of the home, in the people's
church.
And two things.
One is the seeing
at the conclusion of
the site.
As you get out of that, we do
not see in our church.
And then the other important aspect is the
tremendous influence to
be the son.
I counted a great privilege to have a
heritage of a Christian and to have been
brought up where the evangelistic message was.
Thank you, Glenn.
And ladies and gentlemen, if any of you
have any trouble with your kids, I
said a little while ago how thrilled.
But I think most of you have
the support that are working on many, many
different fields around this work.
And in addition to our own 360 missionaries,
are many thousands of other missionaries.
For missionary inspiration and zeal and provocative missionary
giving.
Every year at Christmastime, we have the privilege
of contacting some 8,000 missionaries of many
of the faith missions, almost all the faith
missions, and some of the denominational missionaries.
Practically in every country of the world through
the medium of our Christmas books.
Every year, beginning in about the month of
July or August, our book room is extremely
busy wrapping Christmas presents.
Books, which we send out shortly after the
summer so that they will reach over 8
,000 missionaries all over the world by Christmastime.
And immediately after Christmas, within about one month's
time, we begin to receive letters from our
missionaries.
And in the course of the next few
months, I suppose we received nearly 8,000
letters from missionaries around the world.
I wish you could look over our shoulder
and read some of those letters.
And read of the thrill and the blessing
and the inspiration books are to missionaries, many
of whom are alone all around this world
about.
As Mr. Dave mentioned earlier, the board of
managers tried to make the offering at this
great service, a love offering for Dr. Smith.
However, he begged them not to do that
and asked them if they would mind using
this to enable us this year to send
the books to the missionaries.
We're going to begin to do that within
about one month's time.
Our office staff will have to start working.
And so we're going to take the entire
offering tonight, whatever you give, and we're going
to put it to the ministry of our
Christmas book.
And you can be assured that every dollar,
every five dollar bill, will send a messenger
by literature to some missionary that perhaps may
receive absolutely nothing else by way of a
Christmas gift this coming Christmas.
It takes about one dollar to send a
book to a missionary.
That means if you give a dollar in
your offering tonight, you will be actually sending
a Christmas present to one of our 8
,000 missionaries.
If you're able to give five dollars tonight,
it means that you will send a Christmas
gift to at least five missionaries somewhere in
the world this Christmas.
If you're able to give a $20 bill,
you bless and encourage and inspire some 20
missionaries around the world.
I'm going to ask the ushers that they
will come forward at this time and put
in your hand one of these envelopes in
which you can put your gift, your missionary
gift, for the Christmas books this year.
I'm going to ask the men to go
ahead and distribute the envelopes immediately.
And when you get your envelope, I want
you to look at it.
I hope everybody will take time to take
an envelope.
And I want you to look at your
envelope.
May I ask you please, whatever you do,
don't seal the envelope.
Whatever you put in, do not seal it
for just a moment.
After you have put your name and address
on it, you'll notice at the bottom it
says, all who give two dollars or more
in this afternoon's offer will receive an official
receipt suitable for income tax purposes.
And you will receive the People's Magazine, published
by the People's Church for two years, absolutely
free of charge.
And then this is very important before you
decide what you're going to give.
It says at the bottom, special, and this
is extremely special on this occasion, those who
give five dollars or more, five dollars or
more, are entitled to Dr. Smith Golden Jubilee
long play record, with greetings from Billy Graham
and also a number of others, beautiful
Golden Jubilee in this auditorium, to get one
of these records.
They are not for sale.
You cannot buy these records anywhere.
But everyone who gives to the Christmas books
five dollars or more is entitled to receive
this record absolutely free of charge.
It's in a beautiful gold finish.
It has a picture of Dr. Smith on
the front.
And then on the back is the list
of what you will get.
First of all, there's a greeting from Dr.
Smith that you'll want to treasure in the
years to come.
You'll have his voice on record.
Then you have George Beverly Shea singing Dr.
Smith's great song, Then Jesus Came, for this
special occasion.
Then you have Red Harper singing Dr. Smith's
song, Come With Your Heartaches.
Then you have Johnny Ambrose singing The Soul
of the Spirit.
On the other side, you have a wonderful
message of greeting by Dr. Billy Graham.
You will have Dr. Billy Graham on this
record and you can treasure it.
Then you have the People's Church Choir singing
Christ Is Coming Back Again.
You have Don Billings at the piano.
And you'll have Ronnie Avalon singing The Glory
of His Presence.
And then you'll have the Gospel Hymn.
Now, some of you have seen a great
many people have come to me and said,
Paul, how can I buy a copy of
the record?
You cannot buy it.
This record is not for sale.
But this afternoon, or rather this evening, everyone
who contributes five dollars or more to this
special missionary offering tonight is entitled to take
one of these records home with you.
Now you say, how do I do it?
Well, first of all, of course, put the
five dollars or more in your envelope.
After you have put it in sealing, put
your name and address clearly on the outside.
And then if you want the record, put
an X in the little square at the
bottom of the envelope.
The envelopes will be collected in the offering.
And then immediately after the service, you can
come to this table on my right in
front of the platform, or this table on
my left in front of the platform.
Or you can go to either of the
refreshment booths directly behind you in the vestibule.
And there you will find a sack of
the records.
Now you do two things.
You walk up and you sign your name
and address on a piece of paper.
And then you take your copy of the
record home free of charge.
And after the service is over, our workers
will check the names that have been signed
with the envelopes that have come in.
And if for any reason there are not
enough records, I believe we have a large
enough supply to take care of everybody who
will want one.
But if when you get there the supply
is gone, you'll be able to get your
record if you live in the City of
Toronto from the People's Church anytime within about
10 days when we get a new supply.
If you live outside of the City of
Toronto and the supply is gone when you
get there, and I doubt if it will
be gone, we have a great many records
here tonight.
But if it should be gone and you
live outside of the City of Toronto, if
you wait about 10 days, your record will
come to you through the mail.
So that everybody who gives the $5 or
a $10 bill or a $20 bill, and
some of you may want to write out
a check in the service tonight for this
work of missionary books, everyone who gives that
much or more will receive this beautiful golden
jubilee record which is absolutely irreplaceable.
You cannot buy it anywhere in the world,
but you can get it here tonight.
And in 20 or 25 or 30 years
from now, you'll still be able to play
it because it will last just about as
long as you last.
It's unbreakable unless you deliberately break it over
your knee.
And I doubt if anybody will want to
do that once you've heard it and been
blessed by it.
We'll wait just a moment while you fill
in your envelope.
Be sure to write your name clearly on
the outside and your address.
And when the usher is past the offering
boxes, you put your envelope in and it
will be included in the missionary offering tonight.
While you're completing your envelope, may I say
this, we're very grateful for the beautiful floral
display that's on the platform tonight.
It comes from one of the great gospel
singers of Toronto, Mr. Gunnar Knudsen, who runs
a florist shop at the corner of Cotswold
and Danforth, the Cotswold Florist Shop.
And we're so grateful for these flowers that
have been made available to us absolutely free
of charge by Mr. Knudsen.
We're thankful too for the cooperation of Mr.
McElroy of Varsity Arena.
In the work he's done, he's helped us
so much in making the arrangements for the
service here tonight.
And for these chairs, these very fine platform
chairs that have been made available by one
of our elders, Mr. George McQueen.
I think the envelopes have been filled in.
Shall we bow together as we ask God's
blessing?
After the blessing on the offering has been
made, we'll ask Frank Trenchard to lead the
band in the offertory tonight.
Blessed Heavenly Father, again, we ask for thy
blessing upon thy people as they think of
the missionaries in the regions beyond.
May our gifts be adequate.
May they prove a source of inspiration.
May they cheer the hearts of the missionaries.
May we be grateful to God for this
opportunity of reaching beyond this arena to the
regions beyond.
For we ask it in Jesus' name.
Amen.
I don't want you to feel for one
single moment that I'm going to keep you
long tonight.
In a moment, I'm going to have something
to say to you.
But it will not take very long to
say it, I can assure you.
This evening has been a wonderful program.
We thank God for every item on the
program.
I want to say before I introduce my
daughter, I want to say that Walt Huntley
is the one who has done the work
on this magnificent record.
Walt Huntley has done a splendid job on
it.
He's here with us on the platform tonight,
and we want to thank him for his
contribution.
You know, when I listened to the greetings
by Billy Graham on this record, I was
deeply humbled.
And I'm going to treasure those greetings for
a great many years to come, if God
spares me.
And I'm sure that as you take this
record home tonight and play it, you too
will treasure the words of Dr. Billy Graham
on this record.
We're putting you on your honor.
When you go back to the table, if
you say, if you tell those who are
at the tables that you have given $5
tonight, they're going to take your word for
it.
All you have to do is to sign
a slip of paper with your name and
address, as has been explained already, and the
record will be handed to you.
I trust it will be a great blessing
to you in the days to come.
Now you have heard from the boys.
You have heard from Glenn.
You have heard from Paul.
You haven't heard yet from our one and
only daughter, Hope.
And some little time ago, Hope felt led
to write a poem.
And she wrote this poem to her father.
On behalf of this golden jubilee.
So we're asking Mrs. Lowery, Hope Evangeline, to
read this poem for us tonight.
Just as it touched my heart when I
read it, so I'm sure it will touch
your heart.
Now, our one and only daughter, Hope Evangeline.
Saint, I just think of my
father's life and his wonderful ministry.
And think of all that God has accomplished
through him.
I always wanted a country boy to do
such a tremendous work.
For my father was a country
boy, his body weak and frail.
He had to trudge barefoot and lunch pail.
And no one ever thought that he would
live to be able to do.
From the country lane to walk another road.
Away from relatives, God led him.
James and John of old left all to
follow him.
Obeyed his, he chose to send this country
boy to every foreign.
They've helped both young and old.
God choose someone strong, you may be prone
to ask.
He looks upon fit men, he chose a
little.
Well, wasn't that tremendous?
That was just the conclusion of side one
of this program.
Dr. Oswald preaches the sermon on side two
of this tape.
Now, my friends, it's just impossible for me
to express my appreciation for all that has
been done in connection with this service tonight.
As I look at this magnificent car, my
heart wells up within me.
And I thank God with all my heart,
with all my soul.
For those who have been willing to make
the sacrifice that has been made in order
to make this meeting a possibility.
I want to thank Mr. Day, the managers,
the elders, the adherents of the people's church.
I want to thank each and every one
for placing at my disposal that magnificent car
to use while I'm still connected with the
church.
I know that Mrs. Smith and I will
find it a great comfort, a real help
to us in the days to come.
And I want to thank everyone who has
had any part in it.
And I want to thank all those who
have sung tonight, all those who have spoken,
all who have taken part, and all the
workers who have cooperated in connection with this
jubilee program in order to make it the
success that it has been.
I'll never forget it.
You know, I believe God calls men into
the ministry.
I believe he calls men today just as
he did in olden days.
When I was only a boy about 12
years of age, I heard God's call.
I was sitting in my Sunday school class.
A farmer's daughter was teaching the class.
Suddenly she turned to us and she said
this, Any one of you boys might be
a minister.
I don't know what the other boys said.
It was in the Cody Corner Schoolhouse there
where I was attending school.
But this was Sunday school.
But I answered instantly, not out loud, but
in my heart, I'll be that boy.
Do you know that from that day to
this, I've never had a desire to do
anything else in life but to preach the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's been a glorious ministry.
And I thank God for it all down
through the years.
Three times I tried to leave Toronto, and
each time God brought me back.
First of all, he brought me back to
Dale Presbyterian Church.
Then he brought me back to the Alliance
Tabernacle on Christie Street.
Then he brought me back to the People's
Church.
And now for the last 30 years of
my life, it's been my privilege to be
the pastor of the People's Church in this
great city of Toronto.
And I'm so glad that I've had little
parts in connection with the evangelism that has
been carried on in this city.
God has kept the fires of evangelism burning
in my soul.
They've never died out.
I pray God that they never will die
out.
But that as long as I have breath,
I'll still do everything I can to win
men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ.
For that, after all, is the great mission
of the church.
I want to thank all those who are
helping to make that possible.
All who are cooperating and have been cooperating
down through these years that have passed and
gone.
I came to this city 43 years ago
after I'd been ordained to the gospel ministry.
I came as the associate pastor of Dale
Presbyterian Church, corner of Queen and Bellwoods.
And you know, when I came in 1915,
I was the youngest minister in the city
of Toronto.
Today, after 43 years have passed since I
came to Toronto, I find myself perhaps the
longest in service of any minister who is
still in active service in the city of
Toronto.
For 50 years, I've been preaching the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I started preaching when I was 18 years
of age, and I've been preaching ever since.
And I trust that I'll be able to
preach as long as God gives me breath.
I thank God for evangelism.
I thank God for evangelism at home and
abroad.
I thank God for the privilege of ministering
for the Lord Jesus Christ.
I want to express a word of appreciation
for the way my wife has stood by
me.
During these 43 years that we have labored
together and has helped to make possible this
great work that God has enabled us to
carry on.
I thank every member of this band.
I thank every usher and all those who
have helped us with their service tonight.
Now, I am not going to preach a
sermon, but I do want to read just
a verse of scripture.
And it's found in the seventh chapter of
Matthew's gospel, verses 13 and 14.
Enter ye in at the straight gate.
You see, you must enter in.
You'll never get in unless you enter in.
Enter ye in at the straight gate, for
wide is the gate and broad is the
way that leadeth to destruction.
And many there be which go in thereat.
I didn't say that.
God said it.
God tells us that the broad way is
strong.
There are many on the broad way.
And then he says this, Because straight is
the gate and narrow is the way which
leadeth on to light.
And few there be that find it.
This is God's book.
This is the word of the living God.
This book means more to me than any
other book in the entire world.
This book is authoritative.
This book comes from God.
I believe it.
I believe it from cover to cover.
I believe that it's God's word.
And when God speaks, you and I must
pay attention.
This, I say, is the word of the
living God.
Now you say to me tonight, you say,
Dr. Smith, Why all during the years of
your ministry, why have you pressed for decisions?
Why is it necessary for a man to
make a decision for the Lord Jesus Christ?
I've talked to Billy Graham.
Billy Graham does the same thing.
I've done it for nearly 50 years.
Billy Graham is doing it constantly.
Men and women are making decisions for the
Lord Jesus Christ.
And Billy Graham is going to call for
decisions continuously in his great evangelistic citywide campaigns.
You say, why do you do it?
Let me tell you why I do it.
I do it because the Lord Jesus Christ
did it.
I do it because my Savior did it.
I do it because as I study those
with whom Jesus dealt, in this word, I
find that he too demanded a decision.
Let me give you just one illustration.
Do you remember one day the Lord Jesus
Christ was speaking to an audience of people?
Presently saw a man in the audience with
a withered arm.
Now he knew that that man needed to
have his arm healed.
But did he heal him?
Not for a moment.
Why didn't he do it?
He could have done it.
He had the power to do it.
He could have healed that man right where
he was.
He could have healed him instantly, but he
never did it.
Why didn't he do it?
Because he always demands a decision.
There must be a public acknowledgement of some
kind.
What did he say to the man?
He said, stand upright on thy feet.
And the man stood, and every eye was
fixed on him.
Everyone was watching him.
He stood there all by himself, absolutely alone
in that great crowd, because Jesus had asked
him to do something.
He had to make a decision.
Did Jesus heal him then?
Jesus did not heal him even then.
Jesus wanted another step.
He demanded another step of faith.
And listen to me.
The reason so many never get anywhere with
God is because they will not take that
step of faith that Jesus Christ demands.
What did he say to him then?
He said, stretch forth thine arm, thy hand.
Raise your hand.
Put your hand up.
Oh, you say, I thought Billy Graham was
the only one who ever asked anybody to
raise his hand.
I thought Dr. Smith was the only one
who asked people to raise a hand in
a meeting.
I didn't know that Jesus did it.
Nineteen hundred years ago, Jesus Christ told a
man to raise his hand, to stretch forth
his hand, to put up his hand.
And the man did it.
Right before everybody.
What happened?
He was instantly healed.
Now, my friend, listen.
That's exactly what this book says.
And if you want results, if you want
something to happen in that life of yours,
you'll have to take a step of faith.
You'll have to walk down an aisle.
You'll have to go to an inquiry room.
You'll have to stand before a platform.
You'll have to kneel at an altar.
You'll have to do something if you want
results.
And all during my ministry, I've demanded action.
I've insisted on a decision.
Because I know that there must be a
decision before there can be conversion.
If you want to know Jesus Christ, you've
got to take a step.
You've got to take a step of faith.
You've got to step out for God.
You've got to get up.
You've got to stretch forth your hand.
You've got to stand.
You've got to do something, somehow, some way,
by some means.
You must act if you want results.
When I was 16 years of age, I
read the newspapers about the great Tory-Alexander
campaign in Massey Hall, Toronto.
Something in my young heart burned as never
before.
I was living at Embro, in a little
railway station, 16 years of age.
I had no church to attend.
And I could only go to Sunday school
two months of the year.
My mother was a Christian.
Two weeks ago, tomorrow, my dear mother went
home to be with Christ, how I wish
she could be here tonight.
How I wish I could have presented her
to this audience tonight, at 89 years of
age.
I went to my mother, and I said,
Mother, may I go to Toronto and attend
the great evangelistic meetings that are being held
by Dr. R.A. Tory and Charles M.
Alexander?
And she said, Yes, you may go.
And I said, May my brother go with
me?
And she said, Yes.
I often wonder what would have happened if
she had said no.
I wonder if I would have been here
tonight if she had refused.
But she said, Yes.
And I went to Toronto.
I listened to the gospel of Jesus Christ
for the first time in my life.
I had never heard it before.
And when Dr. R.A. Tory gave the
invitation in Massey Hall, you know, I said,
Yes.
You know what I did?
Before 3,400 people, though I was only
16 years of age, I got up out
of my seat.
I walked down the long aisle.
I stood at the front.
I shook hands with Dr. Tory.
I went down to the basement.
I stood at the front.
And there, Jesus Christ came into my heart.
And I was born again.
Listen, it only took a few moments.
It has lasted, it has lasted a lifetime.
And it's going to last through all the
countless ages of eternity.
And it happened in this city when I
was only 16 years of age.
But I made a decision.
I didn't just sit there.
I got up and I did something about
it.
I made a decision for Jesus Christ.
That's what you've got to do.
That's what thousands have done in my ministry
down through the years.
That's what they did last year in South
America, 4,500 of them.
That's what they did in South Africa.
That's what you've got to do.
And with this, I close.
D.L. Moody had a class of young
men.
One young man wouldn't yield to Jesus Christ.
One day he came walking up to Mr.
Moody.
He said, Mr. Moody, I'm going west.
Mr. Moody placed his hand on the shoulder
of the young man.
He said, wait a moment.
I want you to accept Jesus Christ as
your Savior before you go west.
The young man shook Mr. Moody's hand off
his shoulder.
And he said, no, Mr. Moody, I'm going
west first.
When I come back, then I'll settle the
question of my soul's salvation.
He left.
Mr. Moody turned away with a sad heart.
A few weeks passed.
Suddenly one day he heard that the young
man was sick in the hospital.
He went to see him.
He leaned over his bed.
The young man could scarcely whisper he was
so ill.
And again, Mr. Moody pled with him to
make the great decision.
But again, the young man shook his head
and whispered, no, Mr. Moody, I'm not going
to die.
I'm going to get better.
Then I'm going west.
I'm going to make my fortune.
And then I'll settle the question of my
soul's salvation.
With a sad heart, Mr. Moody left the
hospital.
A few weeks passed.
One day, to his amazement and astonishment, he
saw the young man walking rapidly toward his
home once again, apparently strong and well.
He said, Mr. Moody, I'm going west.
I got better.
I didn't die.
I want to say goodbye.
And again, Mr. Moody placed his hand on
the shoulder of the young man.
And he said, please, before you go west,
decide for Jesus Christ.
The young man became angry, shook Mr. Moody's
hand off his shoulder.
Mr. Moody said, don't ever speak to me
again about my soul's salvation.
Until I come back from the west, something
snapped in Mr. Moody's heart.
He felt in that moment that the young
man had crossed the deadline, committed the unpardonable
sin.
He watched him walk away at night, in
the dead of the night.
There came a knock on his door.
Mr. Moody looked out a window from upstairs.
He saw a woman with a shawl over
her head.
What is it, he said.
Oh, Mr. Moody, she said, it's my husband.
He's taken seriously ill.
He's dying.
I want you to come and pray for
him.
It would be no use, said Mr. Moody.
I talked to your husband this afternoon.
He said no for the last time.
He'll never change his mind.
He's crossed the deadline.
He has committed the unpardonable sin.
He has rejected Jesus Christ for the last
time.
He'll never change.
She broke out weeping.
He went with her to comfort her.
Mounted the steps.
The young man was lying on his back.
In bed.
His eyes were wide open.
But he was unconscious.
He was calling out just two words.
Mr. Moody read the word of God.
Mr. Moody prayed with him.
He shook him.
He tried to arouse him.
He did everything he could.
To bring him back to his senses so
that he could deal with him.
Young man paid no attention to him.
And repeating the two words, too late.
Too late.
He went out into a Christless eternity.
My friend, that's your only trouble.
You haven't made a decision.
You haven't walked down an aisle.
You haven't gone to an inquiry room.
You haven't decided for Jesus Christ.
One of these days, it will be too
late.
You'll cross the deadline.
The Spirit of God will never strive again.
You'll be gone.
Gone forever.
I've preached to some of you now for
40 years.
I've preached to others for 30 years.
I've preached to others for 20 years.
And others for 10 years.
And others for 5 years.
But in all these years, I have been
urging you to make a decision for Jesus
Christ.
If you are not right with God tonight,
I want you to make that decision tonight.
At this great jubilee service, before it's forever
too late, I want you to allow God
to write your name in the Lamb's Book
of Life tonight.
I want you to lead the broad way
and to get on the narrow way.
And to settle it for time and for
eternity for the Lord Jesus Christ.
Will you do it?
Will you make that decision?
Will you let me demand a decision as
Jesus demanded a decision?
Will you make that decision now?
May we bow our heads for just a
moment.
Every head bowed.
Every eye closed.
If you've ever prayed, I want you to
pray now.
Now, how many will say, Dr. Smith, I'm
not right with God.
I need Jesus Christ.
I want you to remember me in prayer
tonight.
I'd like to make a decision.
Will you just raise your hand and put
it right down again all over the building?
Put your hand right up quickly way up
there at the back.
Wherever you are, raise it quickly.
Just raise it and put it down again
wherever you are.
And say, yes, I'll make a decision for
Jesus Christ tonight.
I'm not right with God.
I'm a backslider.
I'm unsaved.
I'm out of touch with God.
I need Jesus Christ.
I need help from God tonight.
And I want to make a decision at
this great jubilee service.
Raise your hand right now.
Wave it so that I can see it
a way back there.
Just put your hand up and wave it
a little bit so that I can see
it.
Yes, I see those hands.
Put them up wherever you are all across
the back there.
Raise your hand and wave it just so
that I can see it.
If you're saying yes, I'll make a decision
tonight.
Those on the ground floor, put your hand
up quickly wherever you are.
Raise them right up now as we wait
just a moment.
And wave your hand so that I can
see it without a moment's hesitation.
Those way over on my left, in this
section on my left on the ground floor,
will you raise your hand right now?
Put your hand up for Jesus Christ and
say, I'll make a decision tonight.
Those way over on my right, will you
raise your hand now?
Put your hand up as we wait just
a moment.
And way up there in the balcony, raise
your hand now for the Lord Jesus Christ
and say, yes, I'll make that momentous decision.
I'll make it tonight.
Lord Jesus, thou knowest what thou hast done
in the hearts and lives of men and
women tonight.
We know that a decision must be made
if we're going to meet God.
We know that we cannot drift into salvation.
We know that we've got to enter the
straight gate and the narrow way.
And it's up to us to enter.
And unless we enter, we'll never get in.
God, help us to enter and to enter
tonight before it's forever too late.
Some of us may be backsliders.
We need to come back to God.
Some may be unsaved.
We need to make a decision.
Some of us may have no assurance of
salvation.
We need assurance.
Speak to us, Lord Jesus.
As thou alone canst bring us to thyself
tonight, we ask it in Jesus' name and
for his sake.
You see this space here at the front
in front of the platform?
We're going to stand in a moment.
And I want no one to move for
the next two or three minutes.
I want you to stay with me.
I want everyone who needs God tonight, everyone
who wants to make a decision, every backslider,
every unsaved one, everyone without any assurance of
salvation.
I want you to come and stand at
this platform facing me.
I want to pray for you.
We want to give you a little booklet.
We want to help you.
I want you to come and stand at
this platform facing me on this great jubilee
night.
I want you to come and join those
who will be coming and standing here tonight
as we sing together, just as I am,
without one plea.
Don't hesitate a moment, but come the very
moment we start singing.
And if someone's sitting beside you, you bring
that one along with you.
But let's come to the front as quickly
as we can to this open space.
And you stand facing me so that I
can pray for you tonight.
Let us stand together.
Everybody's standing and everybody's singing.
And you come quickly as we sing.
All right, together, sing.
Our gracious God and our loving Heavenly Father,
again, we thank Thee for grace and power
in this meeting tonight.
We thank Thee, Lord, for coming forward to
make a decision that we know will change
their complete life and change their destiny.
But, O Lord, our hearts go out still
to those in the congregation who are still
outside the fold that have never made that
decision.
And shouldst Thou stop the day of grace
tonight, we'll go to an endless eternity.
O gracious God, wilt Thou speak to their
hearts and draw them to Thyself even in
the closing moments of this service.
Now dismiss us with Thy richest blessing, we
pray.
May the blessing of Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit rest and abide upon each one now
and until Jesus comes.
Amen.