This sermon emphasizes the calling and challenges of preaching the Word of God, highlighting the need for humility, endurance in the face of adversity, and unwavering commitment to faithfully proclaim the Gospel. It underscores the importance of relying on God's strength, seeking His guidance, and continuing to fulfill the ministry entrusted by Him, even in old age.

It pleased God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, the foolishness of preaching to save, to save them that believe. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 21, but how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? How shall they preach except they be sent? Romans 10 verse 14 and 15, pray ye therefore the Lord, the Lord of the harvest that he will send forth laborers, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest. Matthew 9 verse 38, I, I am appointed, appointed a preacher. 2 Timothy 1 verse 11, the Lord hath called me and he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword. Isaiah 49 verse 1, I will make thee a sharp threshing instrument. Isaiah 41 verse 15, a vessel, a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet for the master's use, and prepared, prepared unto every good work. 2 Timothy 2 verse 21, ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. John 16 verse 16, Jeremiah 1 verse 7, thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee, whatsoever I command thee, thou shalt speak. Verse 9, then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth, when the Lord said unto me, behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. Ezekiel 2 verse 8, open thy mouth and eat, eat that I give thee. And when I looked, behold, a hand was sent unto me, and lo, a roll of a book was therein, and he spread it before me. Chapter 3 verse 1, and he said unto me, eat, eat that thou findest. Eat this roll, study, study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2 verse 15, Jeremiah 15 verse 16, thy words were found, and I did eat them. I did eat them, and thy word was unto me, the joy and rejoicing of mine heart. God, God hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 7 verse 19, but, but, he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. Jeremiah 23 verse 28, he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him, for he refreshes the soul of his masters. Proverbs 25 verse 13, holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine, both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers, those who contradict the truth. Titus 1 verse 9, Psalm 50 verse 16, but unto the wicked God sayeth, what hast thou to do to declare my statutes, seeing thou hatest instruction, and casteth my words behind thee. Jeremiah 23 verse 22, if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my word, then they would have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. He that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. Jeremiah 23 verse 28, verse 29, he is not my word like as a fire, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces. The word of God is quick, living, alive, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing. Hebrews 4 verse 12, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will reprove, convict, convince the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment. John 16 verse 8, as Paul preached before Felix, the governor of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled. Acts 24 verse 24, I came not within excellency of speech. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 1, verse 4, my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of men's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power. Verse 13, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth. And he hath anointed us, 2 Corinthians 1 verse 21, ye have an unction, that's an anointing from the Holy One. 1 John 2 verse 20, verse 27, the anointing which ye have received of him, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned, and ignorant men, they marveled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. Acts 4 verse 13, and preacher, be careful here, holy, unctionized, boldness in the pulpit, holy, unctionized, boldness in the pulpit, is the result of being alone with Jesus. Soaking yourself in the word of God, does the greatest priority of your life daily. Any other boldness in any pulpit, is of the flesh and of the devil. I was made, I was made a minister, according to the gift, the gift of the grace of God given unto me, by the effectual working of his power, Ephesians 3 verse 7. Neglect not the gift, that is in thee. 2 Timothy 4 verse 2, redeeming the time. Ephesians 5 verse 16, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine, neglect not the gift, that is in thee. 1 Timothy 4 verse 13, verse 15, meditate upon these things, give thyself holy to them, give thyself holy to them, what you are, is God's gift to you. What you become, is your gift to God. What you are, is God's gift to you. What you become, is your gift to God. Life offers us one moment in all eternity, to do something for God, that is of eternal value. Life offers us one moment in all eternity, to do something for God, that is of eternal value, as he died to make men holy. Let us live to make men free. I am set, I am set for the defense of the gospel. Philippians 1 verse 17, I am set for the defense of the gospel. A sower, a sower went out to sow his seed. Luke 8 verse 5, verse 11, now the seed is the word of God, the seed is the word of God. I look upon a sower, I look upon a sower, as a seed pod, about to explode. I look upon a sower, as a seed pod, about to explode. I followed my first day of schooling. Can you remember? Grade one they say today, we used to call it class one. My first teacher, Mrs. Osborne, what a lovely soul. Our first lesson, first day at schooling, little boys, little girls, our first lesson from my first teacher. She put on her table in the front of all the desks in the classroom, a seed pod in a glass. And then she said to us, at some point in this year, this seed pod is going to explode with a loud bang, and it's going to shoot all over this room. It's seeds that it contains. You won't know when, but when it happens, you're going to get a fright. Well, we all but forgot that. The months went by, suddenly while we were just in our own thing, you know, in the classroom, it exploded. And we just looked at these seeds shooting to every part of the room and to all of us in wonder, in awe. Some pulpits, it doesn't seem much truth being preached, but one day when the word of God is faithfully proclaimed, when the word of God is preached fervently, faithfully, fearlessly from that pulpit, oh, how the Holy Spirit takes those seeds from the word of God and reaches the shaken and stirred hearts of men. Every year here in America, I go to a town called Ceyenne in Wyoming, lovely people, and a joy to be with them. From the house that I stay in, there is a cement walkway. Going along a canal, a river that's been protected by cement to stop it from overflowing, I suppose, in the town, but the cement pathway can go for at least five miles, maybe ten, I don't know. But it's wonderful. I love to walk and go over my scriptures and everything. I love to walk. But every year, I marvel at something along that canal, that river, because the reeds have bulrushes, the seed pods on the reeds. They're called bulrushes in our country. And as the wind blows, as I walk, wherever there's these seed pods on the bulrushes along the river, every year, I marvel as the wind blows. Thousands, thousands of seeds fly up from each seed pod and carried as far as my eye will see, incomprehensible distances. As the wind blows upon that seed pod, it just breaks open and everything in it, carried by the wind. Now we read in John 3, verse 8, The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. So is every one that is born of the Spirit. O preacher, the wind blows as we preach the word faithfully. The wind blows where we take the gospel. The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. 2 Corinthians 3, verse 6. He sendeth forth his commandment upon the earth. He sendeth forth his commandment upon the earth. His word runneth very swiftly. Psalm 147, verse 15. Souls, souls are born again by the word of God. 1 Peter 1, verse 23. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void. Isaiah 55, verse 11. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation. To every one that believeth. Romans 1, verse 16. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing, that is carrying precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing. Bringing his sheaths with him. Psalm 126, verse 6. He that goeth forth and weepeth. I doubt you've ever been called by God, preacher, if you don't weep. But he that goeth forth and is willing to weep with all that comes against him, bearing, carrying precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing. Bringing his sheaths with him. Go ye, therefore, into all the world. I love that. Wesley said, don't confine me to some denomination you're about to create. He was against it. I'm not wanting to preach to a building and a congregation and a denomination. The whole world is my parish. And the whole world, to the greatest degree I think a man ever spoke, was reached. Multitudes of people to this day to demand. Oh, go ye, therefore, into all the world. And preach, God said, the gospel to every creature. Mark 16, verse 15. To every living being. But be careful. Be careful. Be careful. For I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Matthew 10, verse 16. Paul wrote, a great door and effectual is opened unto me. A great door and effectual is opened unto me. But there are many adversaries. There are many adversaries. 1 Corinthians 16, verse 9. Strive together with me in your prayers to God for me that I may be delivered from them. Romans 15, verse 30. We would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, in so much as that we despaired of life. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 8. Verse 9. But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God. The godliest man I ever knew in my life was a man called Will McFarlane. I have no doubt of that. And I have stood with many great preachers in your land and others whose books you have prayed with them. I never met a man so godly as Will McFarlane, second man, worker in our mission, many, many, many years ago. Mr. Will McFarlane, he stayed in our home many times. Him and his wife and then him alone when she was killed in an accident. Godly woman. He came to look after Jenny. He loved Jenny like a daughter and my little boys, Roy and Noel at that time. They were like his grandchildren because they never had children, him and his wife. But oh, he loved to be with Jenny. Whenever I went off to preach, Mr. Will McFarlane would come with his little suitcase to stay for as long as I was going to be. He had his little room in the mission's headquarters where we were living. And every time that I left, Jenny, the children would walk out to the car, the vehicle. Now I'm ready to go. Mr. McFarlane would just wait for a while and then take his hat off. Let's pray. And then he prayed as a man I've never heard in my life anyone has ever prayed like that. I trembled and so did the powers of hell. And I think heaven stood. I'd be amazed if they did. Oh, God. Here goes a soldier to the battlefield. Satan and his demonic forces are watching, trembling. For they know he takes the uncompromising word to preach fearlessly no matter what the consequences upon himself. They will do anything, God, to hinder him, to break down everything he could do for thee. Already they're working, God. To close hearts, to turn even the religious leaders as they turn their hearts against Christ, the religious leaders, who thought they were serving God, but they wanted to kill that God they thought they served. They so hated him. Oh, God, protect him. As he goes now to the front line of the battle, sell to him under the blood of Christ, the sacred blood of Christ. Protect him, rebuke Satan now by the risen resurrected power of Christ. Rebuke Satan and his demonic forces away from that town. Take Satan's hands off souls that must be saved, that can be saved. Prepare the hearts, God, that even now before he preaches, before he arrives, they will come moving by God upon their hearts. They will come a-seeking after God in that town. Come anoint him, unsonnize him, strengthen him, protect him. As he stands in the pulpit, as he goes from soul to soul in the streets, oh, God, protect him. When he finished praying, from his soul I would climb in the vehicle, stirred. Do you know how many towns I arrived at? I remember standing out of the car. I hadn't preached once. Just at the house I was going to stand, there was family standing on the stoop, never heard me preach. They just knew the meetings by the advertising. They all wanted to receive Christ as their Savior before I preached. I knew why. I knew whose prayers had done that. When he died, it took years before hundreds and hundreds and hundreds pray for me daily across this world, that I sensed the power of God, the presence of God, and the protection of God. It took years before that happened in hundreds of souls, what happened to one man who prayed in a way that shook the powers of hell. Paul came to Antioch, Acts 13, verse 14. Verse 44, the next day came almost the whole city, almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. Verse 45, but when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy. They were filled with envy. Horrible words to say of religious people. Horrible words for God to write across them and all their religion. They were filled with envy and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Acts 4, verse 18, when they commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus, Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whither it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God? Judge ye, we cannot but speak. That's when God truly called you, or you'll run. I have set my face like a flint. Isaiah 50, verse 7, that's not speaking in prophecy of Christ, setting his face like a flint to Jerusalem. This speaks of those who fearlessly proclaim the word of God. Trust me, I have set my face like a flint. Isaiah 50, verse 7, I am set for the defense of the gospel. Philippians 1, verse 17, and by God's grace will remain valiant for the truth. Jeremiah 9, verse 3, for I am appointed, I am appointed a preacher for the which cause I also suffer these things. 2 Timothy 1, verse 11, yes, there are many adversaries. There are many adversaries everywhere. 1 Corinthians 16, verse 9, but in nothing be terrified by your adversaries. Philippians 1, verse 28, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. Luke 21, verse 15, and we are also in perils, that's in danger among false brethren. 2 Corinthians 11, verse 26, we are also in perils, in danger among false brethren, that is impostors of the faith. He that hateth and dissembleth with his lips, Proverbs 26, verse 24, that rejoice at mine hurt. Psalm 35, verse 26, but if I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, if I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me or lifted up myself when evil found him, woe is me. I have been in towns where in thirty minutes three preachers fell dead, four, who were fighting to keep me out. Man, I trembled. I didn't rejoice. I nearly walked away from preaching before God gave me grace to get up. If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, for one reason, by the way, would I preach. Or lift up myself when evil found him. Woe is me, Job said, the godliest man of his generation. Job 31, verse 29, verse 30, neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth. Let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth, lest the Lord see it and it displease him. Proverbs 24, verse 17, Lord, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did? Luke 9, verse 54, verse 55, but he turned and rebuked them and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are. Love your enemies. That includes you, preacher. Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hate you. Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you. Matthew 5, verse 44, bless and curse not. Romans 12, verse 14, for even here unto were ye called, because Christ also hath suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. 1 Peter 2, verse 21, verse 23, when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously. Avenge not yourselves, for it is written, Vengeance is mine. Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord. Romans 12, verse 19, although I at times have had to face the bread of adversity and the waters of affliction. Isaiah 30, verse 20, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee. Contextually and literally, I have not sought to escape from being a preacher, a shepherd, but a preacher. In obedience to thy calling and purpose for my life. Jeremiah 17, verse 16, no matter what I must face, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow thee. I have not sought to escape from thy calling and purpose for my life. This godly man said, for God, God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. Genesis 41, verse 52, God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction. Behold, I have refined thee in the furnace of affliction. Isaiah 48, verse 10, he hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak. Isaiah 50, verse 4, who comforted us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 2 Corinthians 1, verse 4, in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, that is, tried, tested, he is able to succor, that is, to help them that are tempted, that suffer also in trials. Hebrews 2, verse 18, we went through fire and through water, but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. Psalm 66, verse 12, he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. And he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge that refine them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering of righteousness. Malachi 3, verse 3, trust me, in your darkest moment, God is doing his greatest work, or he wouldn't be allowing it. Yes, there may have been times when in weariness I resorted to believe that I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for naught and in vain, yet surely my judgment, that is, my reward, is with the Lord. And my work with my God, Psalm Isaiah 49, verse 4, consider him, that's the Lord Jesus, that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, such wrongs, consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself. Lord, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds, Hebrews 12, verse 1, God compassionately said to the weary and tired and fearful Jeremiah, if thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace wherein thou trustest, they have wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swellings of Jordan, and further trials that are going to come on you, Jeremiah 12, verse 5. Preacher, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 2 Timothy 4, verse 5, endure hardness, endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2, verse 3, neither give place to the devil, Ephesians 4, verse 27, make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof. Romans 13, verse 14, lest Satan should get an advantage of us. 2 Corinthians 2, verse 11, lest ye be overtaken in your fault. Galatians 6, verse 1, lest that by any means, when after I have preached to others, when after I have preached to others, I myself should be accost away. 1 Corinthians 9, verse 27, for ye see your calling, brethren. 1 Corinthians 1, verse 26, verse 27, how that God hath chosen the foolish things of the world, the weak things. Verse 28, base things, things which are despised, hath God chosen that no flesh should glory in his presence. Verse 29, the first qualifications for a man to preach, and he can't bypass them. To have the right to preach is to know why God chose him. He chose the foolish things of the world, the weak things, the base things, the things that are despised. How that God chose that no flesh should glory in his presence. Seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not. Jeremiah 45, verse 5, for when pride cometh, then cometh shame. Proverbs 11, verse 2, always, always pride goeth before destruction. Proverbs 16, verse 18, always, a man's pride shall bring him low. Proverbs 29, verse 23, always, no matter who you are, and I have watched them, and wept for days, and I have seen them fall after God had used them greatly across this world. Be careful preacher, always, don't doubt this now. 1 Samuel 15, verse 17, Samuel said unto Saul, when thou wast little in thine own sight, was not thou made the head? And lest I should be exalted, lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me. Lest I should be exalted above measure, 2 Corinthians 12, verse 7, to punch me till I lose balance, I'm so hurt to buffet me. God's ways are not our ways, neither his thoughts our thoughts. We have the mind of Christ, but it takes years to understand and to accept. I once heard an old preacher pray, oh God, don't let me have to crawl into the grave through pride, and you will, you will. Another grave warning, another grave warning, especially to preachers, it is not good, it is not good to have respect of persons. Proverbs 24, verse 23, to have respect of persons is not good, for for a piece of bread that man will transgress. Proverbs 28, verse 2, he will cast aside his integrity, he will change his faithfulness to the book even. To stay in favor with someone he actually respects above God, and it happens everywhere. To stay in favor with someone who is wrong, unrighteous, in his desire to please that man, I have seen this happening. I have aged watching it happen to people. If ye have respect to persons ye commit sin. James 2, verse 9, let me not, I pray thee, accept any man's person, that is a partiality to anyone. Job 32, verse 21, verse 22, neither let me give flattering titles unto man, for if I, for I know not to give flattering titles. In so doing my maker would soon take me away, meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips. Proverbs 29, verse 19, don't associate with him, walk away fast from him. And finally, I must work the works of him that sent me. While it is day, Jesus said, the night cometh when no man can work. John 9, verse 4, man also knoweth not his time. Ecclesiastes 9, verse 12, whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might. For there is no work in the grave whither thou goest. Ecclesiastes 9, verse 10, O God, what profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit that's the grave? And shall it declare thy truth? Psalm 30, verse 9, Psalm 40, verse 9, I have preached righteousness in the great congregation. I have not refrained my lips. Lord, thou knowest I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart. I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation. Being such an one as Paul, the aged, Philemon, verse 9, cast me not off in the time of old age. Forsake me not when my strength faileth. Psalm 70, verse 9, verse 17, O God, thou hast taught me from my youth. Hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not until I have showed thy strength unto this generation. Thy power to every one that is to come. Now Joshua was old, Joshua was old and stricken in years. And the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed. Joshua 13, verse 1, They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. Psalm 92, verse 14, Hallelujah. Joshua 14, verse 6, Caleb said, verse 7, Forty years old was I when Moses sent me to a spy out the land. Verse 10, And the Lord hath kept me alive forty and five years, and now, Lord, I am this day fourscore years and five. That is 85 years old. Verse 11, As yet I am as strong this day as I was the day Moses sent me. As my strength was thence, even so is my strength now. Verse 12, Now therefore give me this mountain. How do you know when your work is finished on earth? How do you know when your work is finished on earth? If you're still alive, it isn't. If you're still alive, preacher, Christian, soul winner, it isn't. I read that on a plaque in Cheyenne in this town hall. All the trees had these lovely plaques that I was writing as much as Boniface somebody other wrote that. Take heed, take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it. Colossians 4, verse 17. I suppose if every one of us was to be utterly truthful, if God just stepped and pushed me aside and you had to really deal with him tonight, and he made each one of you confess the truth of everything in your life, how different our testimonies would be and our courage. If I have to be truthful, looking over 50 years of preaching, there were many days I crawled on my face physically weeping with an open Bible. When this book ceases to be your source of doctrine and becomes your source of survival, that's the first time you can actually preach doctrine properly. It matters to anyone. If I have to look back, I crawled, I wept, I aged, I had doubts, fears, and failures. But if God were to say to me tonight, if you had a choice given you, would you choose to preach again and face it all again, everything? God knows I'm truthful. I would not hesitate to shout, scream, begging for God to let me have the same life. The privileges, in spite of me being base and weak and despised rightfully so. I don't argue about that to those who despise me. The privileges and the joy, the souls across this world, I wouldn't hesitate to say, God, give me the privilege of facing it with everything that I know is coming again. Don't stoop to be a king if God has called you to preach. William Carey said, what a stooping you would do and dishonor to yourself in the light of eternity. I don't think there could be a greater joy, a greater honor given to any human than to be a preacher.