In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of three fundamental questions in life. He shares an experience where he spoke to students about these questions and received a positive response. The speaker then mentions a Jewish rabbi who stated that life consists of being born, getting married, and eventually dying. He reflects on the meaning of life and finds three scripture verses that provide insight into these questions. The speaker prays for a transformative experience for the audience and shares that this message is not only for young people but also for adults.

But who have come tonight to hear from God, to hear speak, Lord thy servant heareth. Open the spiritual ears of everyone in this meeting this night. As we've been singing these songs, let have not been words, but let them be the cry of our heart, and the conviction of heaven to our spirit, that we need to be ready to meet our King. So do that work in each of our hearts tonight, and we'll thank you. Let nobody leave this meeting this night as they came in. Let this be an hour of the mighty power of God in every one of our hearts and lives, and we'll thank you. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen. You may be seated. I'm going to do my message in two parts in just a moment. I'm just going to say a few words of introduction, and then come back and give the message. Amen. A joy to have you all here tonight, and I'll tell you I came tonight with two messages ready to preach. So are you ready? But no, I'm going to leave one alone, all right? I just sent, and the Lord, when I heard all this music, as if God says, this is the way you ought to go tonight. I'm just going to give you a little word to introduce what I'm going to share with you. I'll come back and share in a few moments, but where did this message come from that I want to give you? A number of years ago, the Canadian Revival Fellowship was asked by the Briarcrest College to come and put a five days of ministry on the subject, a seminar morning and afternoon and night sessions all day long to the students and whoever else wanted to come in on the subject of revival. And so we were asked to do that. Ralph and I were asked to be platform chairmen for this whole week. When we got there, it was the dead of winter, you know what the wind does over here in Saskatchewan in that time, and all the rest of it. We got there, and we drove all the way from Seattle, Washington in a van and came over, and I was sick. And so I had to stay in while the session started, and the poor people had to put up with my brother all week long. And that's the way it went. They had to put up with him. So in the midst of all of that, you know, I'd look out of the window. I'd be in bed and so forth, but in a room, I didn't go out in that cold wind and all the rest of it, and I'd look out the window, and I'd see those students going across that campus for these meetings, morning, afternoon, and night. And I saw them all bundled up, and all you could see the eyes, you know, or something, maybe the mouth or whatever. And there they'd go across the campus like that, and for I don't know how many meetings a day, and I thought to myself, I wonder what these students are thinking about this school that makes them, in this kind of weather, trot back and forth across this campus for three or four meetings a day to hear about revival, hear what's all about. So, 8K, and I'm thinking, and they asked me to speak on the last session, and I'm asking God, give me enough strength to get out of bed to speak on the last session, all right? And I'd say, Lord, what do you want me to say to these students? They're hearing Dr. Dick Sibley, and they're hearing Bill McLeod, and I think Dr. Erwin Lutzer, I think, was with us there. I forget, but all of these big-named guys, you know, and they asked me to speak on the last session, and I'm saying, Lord, what do I say? And I thought to myself, I wonder what's going through the minds of these students? Why does this school make us go through all of this? What is the importance of all this? What is so important about this? And they make, drag us out, that's kind of weather, and it was compulsory. They had no choice. It was a, that was, they had to be there, you know, all that. And I said, Lord, what can I put in a cup, in a capsule, in a nutshell, what is this really all about anyway? What is the importance of this? And here's what the Lord gave me. You know what this is all about? Why is this so important? Because all of this is about, hear me now, the three most important questions in life. The three most important questions in life. And that's what this is all about. And I got out of bed, and I gave that message, and put it in a nutshell, and just in a 15-20 minutes, and I spoke to students, and the response of those students to that word was such, that the Lord said to me when I came away from that campus, Lou, every place you go, you have a night of young people. I have, remember I told you I have a night for young people? Ralph has to take care of the old people, he goes with the old ones. But I have a night on Saturday night that I give to the young people. And the Lord started saying, you speak that message to young people. They need to know about this. They need to start off with this in life. And then you know what happened? The Holy Spirit of God started to speak to me and said, Lou, what do you mean? What do you mean this is just for young people? What about adults? And I asked God, help me give this message, that in our pews, our pews would be revolutionized, but we would start to see what are the three most important questions about life. And most of us as adults don't even realize what they are and don't relate to them the proper way. And so tonight, I sense the Lord wants me to tell you what that's all about. Dear Lord, I pray that this shall be a night that will revolution every one of our lives in simplicity, nothing complicated, very simple, but oh God, how far it seems to be from our spirit. Do a office work, Lord. Go up and down the aisles and in and out these pews and let there be not one soul in this meeting, go out of this meeting different, same as when they came in. Do that office work, Lord, in our hearts. Pull this whole crusade together with this word. Let us see that everything about what we've been talking and hearing about in this week and a half relates to what we're going to share tonight. Thank you, Lord. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. For 50 years ago, and I haven't seen them since then. And so I don't know if they're going to recognize me. And I'm going to recognize them. So I'm going, God saved them in our meetings way back in the state of Iowa that long ago. And there they are. And they called my wife and my wife said, wow, they sound weakly and sickly. Well, I don't know what I'm going to see when I see them. But anyway, praise the Lord. I'll have good fellowship there with them. What a joy it has been to be with you. All right. Three most important questions in life. And these are really profound, right? Very simple. First one. What is the meaning of life itself? Is that a profound one? What is the meaning of life itself here on this earth? What's the meaning of it? Good question. I heard about the Jewish rabbi who was performing a wedding ceremony with a young man and young lady. And he said something like this at the wedding ceremony. He said, there are three things that happen in anybody's life, most people's lives. He said, you were born. Today, you got married. So he said, so now there's nothing left for you to do but die. In the realm of life, in the realm of the world we live in, it's just about like that, men and women. Somebody said life is like a goose chase without the goose. All kinds of definitions. What is life? What is life on this earth all about anyway? And you know what? I found out three basic scripture verses that give me a cue into it and then I want to give you an application to it. Here's the verse. You don't need a term. Just listen. Psalm 24, verse 1 says, the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. That earth out there and the fullness thereof. Then he goes on to say, the world, the earth is the Lord's, fullness thereof, the world. About all that is God's. But what about the last statement of the verse? And they that dwell therein. They that dwell therein are the Lord's. Are you an indweller? Are you a dweller therein? Huh? Got some here tonight? They are the Lord's. Here's another one. Colossians 1, verse 16. It says, for by him, by Jesus, or by God, all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth. Now listen. All things were created by him. You say amen to that. But listen to this one. And for him. And for him. You and I were created by him. And I am looking at bodies that are looking at me. And you know what? Every single one of those, all those two eyes looking at me, you were created for him. Interesting verse, isn't it? Here's another one. Revelation 4, verse 11. We sang it. And this is what turned me on. It gave me a cue. We sang about it. Worthy is the Lamb. Right? When we get into heaven, around heaven, this is what we're going to sing. Revelation 4, verse 11. Thou art worthy, O Lord. That's it. What? To receive glory and honor and power. You're worthy to get all that kind of acclamations. Why? Why? For thou hast created all things. I've been saying that. And listen. And for thy pleasure they were created. Everybody in this meeting here tonight, men and women. Everybody look at me tonight. You know what about you? Last night you found out that you are not a nobody. You're a somebody. You're a child of God. But everybody look at me. You were created. All over there and everybody here. You were created for God to get pleasure out of you. Wow, what a thought. What a thought. Is he getting it from you? You were made for that. Well, if those three verses are true and you say they're true because they're in the Bible and you know God means what he says and says what he means. If those are true, you know what they're doing to us? They're taking us back to what I'd call the owner's manual in the car. You know, you buy a Ford, a Chrysler, a Chevy. I don't know which one's popular up here. But anyway, a Rolls Royce, excuse me. And you buy a car and what is it in the glove compartment is a what? Owner's manual. What's that for? That's the book that tells you how this car runs and what makes it tick. So we better go back to the owner's manual about you and me, all you people looking at me and me myself. Where's the owner's manual about us? I'll tell you where it is. Right when God made us. Right in the beginning, the Garden of Eden. What did God do? In Genesis 2.15. Here's the verse. You know, here it is. Here's what it says. Here's the owner's manual. What you and I are all about. Right when we are created. Here's what it says. God took the man. And then it says, and God put the man, God placed the man in the garden. And then it says he gave him a job to cultivate and keep it. Now, I like those three statements because that's the essence of what you and I are all about. Here it is. God took the man. You know what I find? I have an idea that God didn't have to drag him. I don't get the idea that man dug in his heels and said, wait a minute, God, I'm too busy. When I get around and I'll be there. I get nothing like that when I read. It's a simple statement. God took the man. This is the creation he just made. And he put his hand on and he took the man. You know what I have an idea? The creature that God made now is in total submission to the creator that made him. No kicking his spirit, no bucking, no talking back. Okay, God. Total submission to the creator. From there it says, then God placed him. Put him in a garden. Placed him. You know what now? Now we have from a creature in total submission to God, now we have a creature located by God. Put him somewhere. So now we have the creature in location. Ah, took him, he placed him. He put him somewhere. And here it is. Man in submission to God. Now God has the privilege to locate him anywhere he wants to put him. Now you know what happens? Then it says he gave him a job to do. He put him there to cultivate and keep the garden. Now what do we have? We have the creature that God made in total submission to him. And because of that, God could just pick him up and put him anywhere he wanted. So God put him in a garden. So God locates him. And now what do we have? God vocates him. Vocates him. God gives him a job. Huh, isn't that interesting? Oh, you know what this is all saying? God is wanting to do that kind of work in our heart and life. That's what you and I were made for. And God wants a work of restoration to go on in this meeting and in this community and in your heart and mine tonight, where those same three things get back in proper relationship with their God. What's that? God wants you to be a creature that he made in total submission to him. That he could pick you up by the scruff of the neck anytime he wants. And he can locate you anywhere he wants. You're ready, no kick in your spirit. You're ready to do what God wants for you. And go where he wants you. And God will give you a job to locate you. He'll give you the job he wants you to do. Ah, isn't that interesting? Wonderful indeed. You know what men and women? That's what God wants you to live your whole life. God constantly, Lord, you have submission. I'm in submission to you. You can locate me anytime. And you can vocate me, give me a job, any kind of job you want, anytime. When did you stop saying that in your life? Do you live under that kind of philosophy? Do you get up every day in the philosophy that that's what life is all about? You were made for that. Now, I have an interesting little article here. Some palm trees, a little picture, you see some palm trees. So that must be in the West Indies or in the tropics somewhere. And you know what it is? Here's the story of the island of Grenada. And there's the story of a lady, 80 years of age, who just now has gone to Grenada to be a missionary. 80 years of age. Now, how come? Well, not to be a full-time, but go there for six months. Go there for six months. Because she's back at home and she gets these missionary papers from the organization. And it says that one of the missionaries there in Grenada has to go home because they have physical problems. And they're praying that God would send somebody there to fill in the gap, to work with the women that this woman worked with when she was this missionary, and to work with the children's Bible lessons and the correspondence courses. And we need somebody to take the place. And the article says we're praying that God sends somebody. And here's an 80-year-old down there. And Ralph and I had the privilege of going to the island of Grenada when we find this 80-year-old just got there. And we start saying, you know, the tropics, that humidity and all the rest of that kind of heat. And we said to them, man, we're sort of amazed. This is an 80-year-old age. You're coming here for the first time? You're coming to the mission field? Yeah. I said, how come? I said, well, I read this article and I said, well, God, I can do that. But he said, do you have any physical problems? What's your health condition like? Oh, he said, I've got a very bad heart. I have a very bad heart condition, terrible. And I said, you have a heart condition terrible? And you come down here in this kind of climate with a heart condition you have? She acted like I was surprised. Why should I be surprised? She said, she said to me, well, I can die down here just as easy as dying in the United States. Ah, are you getting the point? You're God's. You are made for God to be in total submission to him that he can locate you any time he wants and he can vocate you any way you want. Now, what's the meaning of life in other words? We are God's. We were made for God. We are God's property. That's the bottom line of this. You know what? The Corinthian church had trouble understanding that. And Paul had to speak to the Christians in the Corinthian church. Like I believe the church today has trouble understanding that. And Paul had to write to the Corinthian church and he says, what? Listen to what he said. What? Know you not? You know what he's saying? Don't you know it? Don't you know it? I'm looking at people on this side of the congregation. I'm asking you, don't you know it, folks? And what about you folks in here? Don't you know it? And you folks over there, don't you know it? What? He asked, he said, don't you know what? Don't you know it? That your body, all these bodies I'm looking at, your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which you have in you. I don't think you're a nobody. And here it is. And it says, and you have that of God. And listen, and you are not your own. And Paul had to write to the Corinthians and say, you folks, don't you know that you are not your own? And Paul is coming to this meeting tonight to you and me and say, don't you folks know that don't you think you don't belong to yourself? You are not your own. You are God's. Get your hands off of your life. You are God's. Don't you know it? You know, I was speaking for you're bought with a price. We were singing about that, the price of Jesus. You're bought with a price. Therefore, because that's true, glorify God in that body which isn't yours. You're God's. You're God's. Glorify God in your body and in that spirit which are God's. How many times do you want to hear that we belong to God? That's what life on this earth is all about. The realization that you belong to God. You should be in total submission to God who owns you. At His control any time He wants to move you. And any time He wants to give you the job, He wants to give you at any time. You know, when I was speaking along this line to the young people one time, I remember when I got in the foyer of the church and I saw the young people out there and I got to one guy and I said, what did you learn in the message tonight? And what impressed you? And he said to me, wow. What impressed me? Wow, he said. You know, like a surprise. I was surprised. Wow, he said. Wow, what's the wow? I belong to God. I wonder how many people need to say wow tonight. I hope it gets you that you belong to God. Everything about your life, you belong to God. One preacher in my country made a profound statement and I believe it's so true. And this is why life is so empty to so many people. He said, we were made by God and we were made for God. And until you figure that out, listen, life isn't going to make any sense. When are you going to figure it out? I'll tell you, that's when life's going to make some sense. So, I suggest to you, there it is. What's life all about? The recognition that you are totally God's. The second question, most important in the light of the first one. This inevitably leads to the second question. What is it? Why did Jesus Christ die on the cross anyway? Why did Jesus die on that cross anyway? Good question. Alright, no answers right now. Because you answer, everybody answer. But you know what you're going to tell me. I know what you're going to tell me. To take away my sins. Well, isn't that wonderful? But I want to tell you something. The devil doesn't want you to know the rest of the story on that question. And that's the problem. Our church is filled with people that all they want to know is the fact, oh Lord, take away my sins. And they stop right there. I hope God shakes us up tonight and shows us something more. To take away my sins, half the truth. To remove your sins is a by-product of what that cross is all about. Thank God he did it. Thank God. Because it says in Titus 2.14, listen, who gave himself for us. That's what we're singing about tonight. Who gave himself for us to do what? Three things. But we're only talking about one. To redeem us from all iniquity. Oh, take my sins, right? Yeah, thank God for that. But to redeem us from iniquity. But listen, that's to do something else. And to purify unto himself. He wants something for himself. To purify unto himself. What? A people that are zealous. Zealots. Zealous. Zealots. Unto good works. Serving him. Zealot. Serving. He wants you for himself. A zealot. To serve him. Now, if you brought your Bibles, I want you to see that in another place. In Romans chapter 14. Romans chapter 14. Look at these words. Romans chapter 14. Tremendous words. Romans 14 verse 7. Look at this. This doesn't say it. Romans 14 verse 7. For none of us liveth unto himself. You don't live a life just for yourself. And none of us die unto himself. You don't live nor die unto yourself. For whether you live. This is Romans 14 verse 8. For whether you live, you live unto the Lord. And whether you die, you die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. That's saying the same thing all over again. Now look at it. For to this end. To this end. Christ both died. What we're singing about tonight. And rose again Easter Sunday morning. This is the reason why he did it. This is the reason why he did it. Listen. That he might be the Lord. Both of the dead and the living. Oh, that sounds like something different than just taking my sins away. He died and rose again. That he might be Lord over your life. He wants you for himself. I'm asking a question. Does he have you for himself? Good question. He wants you for himself. Basically, I tell you, God doesn't want your sins. We say, he died. Oh, he'd take away my sins. What is he going to do with your sins? He doesn't want them. I thank God he takes away our sins. But he isn't interested in our sins primarily. He is interested in us. But many women in the process, he has to take away our sins. He has to clean us up because he's a holy God. But he wants you to belong to him. Not just say you've got him in your heart. He wants to possess that which is his possession. You are his possession. But the problem is he doesn't possess it. When are you going to take your hands off of your life and let him possess the you that's sitting in this meeting here tonight? He wants you to belong to him. He wants to have total authority, total authority over everything about your life. That when you wake up in the morning, you say, Orders for today, please, Lord. Or no, God, I'm going to do my own thing. No. All this is saying, let me hear me now. You know what this message is already saying? You have the right to choose to be a child of God, don't you? You choose. Have I had some people in this meeting who have chosen to be children of God? Probably say yes. Now, let me tell you something about it. You have the right to choose. But once you choose, from that point on, you have been chosen. You have no more choice. You have only the right to the choice to choose. But from then on, you have been chosen by God. And he has the right over your life. The tragedy of the matter, men and women, is most of us who call ourselves Christians are not really the possession of God and God is waiting to possess his possession. Does he really possess you as his possession? That's the question tonight. In a nutshell, then, why did Jesus die on the cross anyway? Put it in a nutshell. Here it is in a nutshell. To make it possible for us to get back into the original purpose for which God created us. To live under the loving, joyful authority and lordship of the God who made us for himself. And Jesus had to die to make it possible for you and me to get back to the original purpose for which God made us. That's why he died. Are you experiencing that? Are you living with that truth? Are you living under that umbrella, as it were? Are you living under that sense of authority? That's what it's all about. I suggest to you, our response to that claim of God on our life is the crux of the matter of the Christian experience. Your response to that claim of God on your life, that's the crux of this message. How do you respond to it? So, in the light of that, that's question number one. What is life on our fall about anyway? Number two, why did Jesus Christ die on the cross anyway? Just to take away my sins? No! That's just the beginning. Too many of us stopped there. You know why? We want a one-way ticket to heaven in the back pocket and do our own thing and keep on doing our own thing. God, you go your way, but just give me that one-way ticket to heaven. That's what I want. Take my sins away. Watch out, you might not even be getting what you think you're getting, when that's your attitude. And our church is full of people with this attitude. Maybe you're here tonight. I hope God changes your life tonight. So, in the light of that, that takes us naturally to the third basic question of life and what is that? What then, in the light of these first two, is the most basic sin? The most basic sin to which every one of us is tempted to commit every single day. What is the most basic sin? What is my basic problem in the light of those first two questions? What is it? I want you to turn your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and look at it. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and see it for what it is. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 15. 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 15. You see how it all works together. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 15. It says these words, and that he died for all. That's where we start. How many times you want it? You see why the Lord led those brothers to sing these songs tonight? Ah, there it is. That he died for all. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 15. And that he died for all. That they which live. All right, I'm going to stop right there. How many folks in this meeting say I live because he died? Don't need to raise your hands. Okay. If we're Christians, we say we live, we have eternal life because he died. You say amen to that? So I'm talking to the right bunch of people tonight? I got the right bunch? Are you here? I want to tell you what it means to you. Here it is. That they which live because he died should not henceforth. Know what it means? That's just to stop something. From that point on, stop something. From that point on, stop something. What should you stop? Should not henceforth live unto themselves. From that point on, no more living unto yourself. There's our temptation every day. What is it? To take our life and live for number one. I do my own thing. I'm my own boss. Nobody tells me what to do. I run my own life. I want to live unto myself. No more live unto myself. No more. But I should live unto him who died for me and rose again. There's the cross and there's a resurrection. All right. Those two things. Let's start the first one. The negative one first. Should no more live unto myself. The mistake we all make. Here's the mistake we make. We're prone to think. We're prone to think and describe sin when we think about sinning and sin in external terms. You know what I mean by that? Adultery, fornication, stealing, lying, cheating, murder, boom, boom, name them, right? And we're prone to think of sin as that. You know what, men and women? Those are basically externals of the expression. There are only expressions of sin, not the essence of sin. You know what? I'm convinced that men and women, many of us could be in this meeting here tonight. Now listen, you might even be cleansed from some of those externals. You're cleansing from the externals and you can even be saved from some of these externals and have some of these externals drop off. And in the midst of it, still continue to plan to run your own life and do your own thing and never deal with the heart and essence of what is the real sin of the heart. And my brother's going to give me one of these because he knows, don't throw it. He knows my throat is tickling a little bit, so thank you. That's why the Lord gave me a twin brother, amen? Now hear me, hear what I'm saying. Some of these things, oh, I quit smoking. I thank God when God sets people free from smoking. And then I quit drinking and God sets people from, oh, that's a second blessing. My brother gave me the first one. Are you going to sit there? Oh, no, that's fine. Thank you. Wow. She must be a nurse, huh? Servant's heart. Amen. All right. Now here, come here. You can be free from some of these externals and yet not have dealt with the real sin of the heart. And God's good to you and lets you, and we think we're all right because we've done that. Oh, listen, not it. You know, I think you could even tie your money. You can even give submissions, but your basic motivation about your life still is, I want to do what I want to do and I want to live for number one and nobody really tells me what to do. You know, the scripture describes this principle way back in Isaiah, where it says, all we like sheep have gone astray. What's our problem? We've turned everyone to our own way. See, Isaiah 64, six is that. And I'm suggesting to you now, here it is. Here's the truth that the devil doesn't want us to hear. Here it is at its very center. The essence of sin. Remember, I told you those other things are just external expressions of sin. What is a real sin at the essence of sin is living in pride to gratify myself. That's it. Here I am. Do my own thing. You know, my claim here, there's a statement, my claims to my rights to myself. There it is. My claims to my rights to myself. And my Lord tells me that I should henceforth no more live unto myself. If I believe that I live, I have eternal life because of Jesus who died and rose again. I should henceforth henceforth from that point on no more. But there it is. Most of us in this meeting, many of us in this meeting, my claims to my rights for myself. That's what it's all about. Interesting. You know, when you study, when Jesus walked on this earth, he didn't talk like that. He didn't talk, well, just believe in Jesus, just accept Jesus. Oh, no. When he walked on this earth, you know what he said? He called people to follow me. He said, he didn't say just stop drinking and stop cheating and smoking and gambling. No. He convinced, he condensed it down to a simple issue. I want you, first of all, to deny yourself. That's what he talks. Deny yourself. Come after me, you deny yourself. It's this self thing. It's the way he talked. Now, you folks have a paper in Regina, it's called the Regina Leader. Did you know that? Oh, you do. Years ago, I got out of the, when Ralph and I were here years ago, out of the Regina Leader, there's an article. I haven't to this day read it, but I'd like the title. I mean, I don't like the title, but I like the title. I'll tell you about it. The title says, goal is, the goal is to keep people independent. See that? Goal is to keep people independent. Now, you know what it was, to keep people in their own house, so they don't have to go to the hospitals and they can live independently like that. Nice idea. I'm not jumping on that, but I thought to myself, can you say it any better than that? That seems to be the goal of most of our lives. Do my own thing. Don't let God or anybody else get in my way. This is still a basic problem. A man said, I was struck by the idea that I have been getting God's opinion and then making my own decisions. And there we're at. There we're at. Remember what I'm saying? Sin is what? Missing the mark. Missing the mark. It's missing the purpose of God for your life. That's what it is. Sin is living for yourself instead of the will of God. That's what it is. Sin is missing the will of God. What is the will of God? The will of God is basically no longer live unto yourself, but live unto him. Live unto him. That's the positive side. Who died for you and rose again. What's there about your life that I'm living unto him? Not just believing on him. Living unto him. It's interesting. Live unto him who died for us and rose again. I'd like to ask you, is there a more positive thing in life than that? I don't think there is. Live unto him? Huh. What a question. Could there be a better cause than that? When are you going to get busy at it? When are you going to get wrapped up in it? When? Huh. When? You know what? A friend of mine in Chicago was almost a millionaire, but very, very successful in business. He was an insurance man. He was making money hand over fist. Very successful. Nice big car and a nice wife and a nice home. Boom, boom, boom. You know, he had it all. Had it all. But he had the Lord. He walked with the Lord. And one day he was driving down the road and he had a passenger with him in the front seat. When he was driving, this fellow was an attorney. And another wealthy, rich man there, an attorney. And between my friend driving and this attorney sitting in the front seat, there was a periodical, a Christian periodical on the seat there. And it was a Christian businessmen's periodical in my country. They have Christian businessmen's periodical. There it is. And there it was between them. This attorney, he looks over and he sees this Christian businessmen's periodical. And he sees that and he turns to my friend. He says, what's that all about? And, you know, he's sort of making fun of it. Christian? And all this? What's wrong with you? What do you need that for? You have some moral weakness or something? Something wrong in your life? You need some outside help like that? What's that all about? What's that for? What's the matter with you? Thought you were successful? What's that all about? You have people tell you that, too, don't you? I'm telling you what the answer is. My Christian business friend said this. He said to his friend, which the friend knew it. He said, I'll tell you what that's all about. I am so tired of setting goals for myself and reaching them. I set a goal, I reach it. Then I set another goal and I reach it. And I set another goal and I reach it. And this attorney knew how my friend reached his goals. I set another goal and reach it. He said, I am so tired of setting goals and reach them, setting goals and reach them. I decided I wanted to put my teeth into a goal that I could give my the rest of my life for and never reach it. That was far beyond a hundred years beyond my life itself. And that's why I'm tuned into that. He rose again. And because he lives, I shall live also. You're not excited about Jesus? What's the matter? What's this business living unto yourself? What a waste of time when you can put yourself into something that is eternal. Now, having said that, in my lifetime, some of you were in that same time. Remember, there were three basic rulers in the world at the same time. You know what? You had in England at this time, Churchill, a great leader. And then you had in Germany, you had Adolf Hitler. And then you had in the United States, same time, Delano Roosevelt, the leading president in our country. And then at the same time, you had in Italy, Mussolini. And in Italian, they use the name, they called him Il Duce. That means the sweet one. That was the name they gave Mussolini. And then at the same time, I'm talking about the same time, these world leaders, right? You had in Japan, Tojo. And history books will tell you about every one of these guys. Oh, miss one. Oh, yes. Yeah, I'll have to get that. Stalin. Russia, Stalin. Communism and Stalin. These were all at one time. It was Churchill. It was Hitler, Roosevelt. It was Mussolini, Il Duce. And it was Joe Stalin in Russia and Tojo in Japan, all at the same time. World leaders. And they challenged young people to follow them for their causes. One after another, this caused them. And they were going to sweep the world with their cause. Fascism in Italy and communism with Stalin and with Hitler, Nazism. We're going to sweep the whole world on and on and on and on. And young people gave their lives to each one of these rules. And Churchill was a good one and Roosevelt. But you know what? I find my my my cousin had the privilege of being an honor guard at Franklin Delano Roosevelt's grave in Hyde Park, New York. You know what? He's in the grave. Even good guy. He's in the grave. Churchill is in the grave. And then these others, you know where they all are. And young people did what? Fanatically gave their lives to those world leaders, every one of them. Thinking that they were turning their life into something that was going to be worthwhile. And every one of them went down in despair. And all of those young people wasted their time and their money and their life and their energy for causes that we're here today and gone tomorrow. You know what, men and women? I'm talking about a cause that's not gone tomorrow, tonight. Do you know what I have just done to you? I have just sent you C for Churchill, H for Hitler, R for Roosevelt, I for Il Duce Mussolini, S for Stalin and T for Tojo. And they're all gone. And I just spelled Jesus Christ. It's going on forever and ever. And you're not tuned in. What's this business of wasting your life for these things that are here today and gone tomorrow? And God is asking you like my my friend said, I want to put my teeth into something that's here today and outlives me. It goes on into eternity. That's what God's calling you. That's what life on this earth is all about. No longer live for yourself. Quit it. Live unto him. Got a better cause than that? Tell me one. Tell me one. There is none. When are you going to get busy at it? What is there about your life that's saying amen to this message? That's my life. Oh, it's easy to say amen to truth. I like that. I agree with me. What about your life agreeing with it? Would God by his Holy Spirit do his office work in your life? Oh God, this is a night I make a total commitment to what it is to really be the child of God. What it's all about. Anyway, now having said that, look at it. We're right there in 2nd Corinthians chapter five. It says these words in verse 15, no longer live unto themselves, but live unto him who died for us and rose again. Now, you know where we are in 2nd Corinthians chapter five. We're at the verse that we use all the time. Verse 17. For when a man becomes a Christian, look at it. Here it is. 5 verse 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, what does it say? He is a brand new creature. A new creature. What's the new creature? Behold, all things are passed away. All things are passed away. Excuse me, all things are passed away. And behold, all things have become new. Now, what's that all about? Well, a lot of people say, well, you know, I used to smoke and that dropped off. And I used to drink, and I used to do this, that dropped off. Ah, what about people who've never done any of those things? What's this thing? No change in their life. They never did drink. They never did smoke. They never did chew. So, what do you mean? What's the old things that pass away? What does all things become new? What's this all about? We use that verse when we say, when you become a Christian, that's what's going to happen to you. But what's going to happen to you? Here it is. Verse 18. And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, the cross. And he has given to us. No, he's given you a job to do. That's what's become new. He's given us the ministry of reconciliation. What's that? If you, then a child of God, if you're a child of God, God says, I want you to know it's not enough for you to say, I'm a Christian. He said, I have saved you, and I want all things to pass away. What's the old things? Living for number one. And what's the new thing? All things become new. I want to give you a ministry. What's ministry? Get wrapped up in my cause of reconciliation. Open your mouth for God. Reach people. Make the cause of Jesus number one. Not a little leftover in your life. Ministry of reconciliation. That's what's new. What's new? You used to live for number one. You want to live for number one. What's new? You've got a whole new purpose for living, which takes you out of that selfish mode that says, I want to live unto him. And God says, you've been redeemed. You've been reconciled by Jesus. And once that happens, I give you now the same ministry that Jesus did to you. I give you the ministry of reconciliation. Get busy. Get busy. Then he goes on to say, and he says in verse 19, to wit that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. See, he's saying again, not imputing their trust with him. And he hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. He said, I've given you the word to speak. Open your mouth. Are you doing it? Don't just tell me you're a Christian. God's asking you, what's the reality of Christianity in your life? Here it is. And then it says, you want to know what it's all about? What's the thing that's new about you? Verse 20. Now, then we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ that be reconciled unto God. What's new about you? Before you were ambassador to nobody but yourself. Now what's new about you? You're an ambassador for Jesus Christ. Ralph and I have had the privilege of being in 20 countries of the world. And we've been in embassies and we've been around ambassadors. And I want to tell you something. You learn a lot about what an ambassador is all about. How he represents his homeland, how he speaks on behalf of his king, how he serves and he wants to make influence from the countries in that represents the homeland. On and on and on. A whole message on what an ambassador is. And God says, now, then we are. It doesn't say you have a choice to be one. Remember, I told you, once you choose Jesus from that point on, you have been chosen. You've been chosen. Don't tell me that I don't think I'll be an ambassador. You already are. It's not whether you are or not. It's how faithful you are at that. And what God's going to think of your ambassadorship. That's what should be new about you. Reconciling the world, being part of the kingdom of God. Now, men, women, that needs to start young in your life. You know, in our home, we started to teach our children this, this whole home and this whole family is for this cause. And we had a son who was a baseball player in the little league, you know, they had a little league. And one day my son came into the house and he said, mom and dad, he said, you know what? My coach, I, the way he talks, I don't think he's a Christian. And I have such a love. I love him. I would love to know that he knows what it is to be a Christian. I mean, you're talking about an 18, 10 and 11, 12 year old little leaguer, you know what I mean? Little league baseball team. And he says, mom, would you make a spaghetti and meatballs dinner for my coach? And I want to tell him that I'd like to invite him to come to our home that you're going to make a spaghetti meatballs dinner for him and ask him if he would come. Because if we get him in the home and then we can lock the door behind him, you know, and men and women, he went up to his coach and he said to his coach, he said, you know, I enjoy playing for you and the team and so forth. And I'd love you and I'd like you to come to my house. My mom, I've asked her to make a nice meal for you. Would you come? Yeah, I'd be glad to. And we got there and had the meal, went into the living room and I said, you know why you're here? I said to him, coach, because your son loves you so much. My son, your player, loves you so much and is concerned, wondering whether or not you really knew the reality of Jesus in your life and that you are ready to meet God if he would call you tonight. Do you know what men and women? He started to weep. The coach started to weep. He said, I never had anybody express that kind of love for me. And we ended up at the at the coffee table in our home on his knees when his coach and he gave his heart to Jesus. And that's it for Christ. Men and women, that was just the beginning. But I want to tell you about a young man who now is a professional golfer. And if you follow golf next September 25 to 30, they're going to play at Medina Golf Course outside of Chicago, the Ryder Cup Tournament. And he is the assistant pro at that golf course there where these millionaires have no time for God. And God brought my son right in on them because God wants those millionaires to know about the love of God. He is more excited about that than the golf. He'll be around Tiger Woods and all those players next in the next week. But that's not the issue to him. He's an ambassador for Jesus Christ. I could tell you a story that would absolutely thrill you of that in his life. Everything about his life, his business, the place God put him, put him in a place where people don't have no time for church because their money is their God. Ninety nine thousand dollars just to join the golf course where he is at, just to join. Not even talking about the green fees, just to join and their money is their God. And God taught my son right in on them to show them the reality who God's all about. And I won't even begin because I'd have to pull the clock down off the wall and let the men go home and shave. I start telling you the victories, the victories of a life, the excitement, the excitement, the excitement of living unto Jesus. Business world is nothing. Money is nothing. It's all secondary. It's the place God put him to be the ambassador for Jesus Christ. That's what it's all about, men and women. I want to tell you, I believe with all my heart that God is wanting to do a work of restoration in this church and in this meeting tonight, a restoration along these same three areas to ask you whether you are in total submission to God. God can put you anywhere he wants and give you any kind of job he wants, but you know that job is going to be because Jesus is in you. That job is going to have something to do with the ministry of reconciling others to Jesus. No such thing as our church is being filled with a preacher gets up and preaches and everybody comes in and sits and listens and sits and enjoys. God is waiting to make every one of you a minister, not just this minister, everyone a minister. God wants to turn that energy loose on this community. You are somebody and God has called you to be that kind of child of Almighty God. Before you call yourself a Christian, you better understand what is involved. And this is the reality of what Jesus dying was all about. Not just a ticket in the back pocket, a life unto him. He died to redeem us from iniquity, to purify unto himself a people zealous, zealots unto his works. Where are you tonight? Heads bowed, eyes closed. And we are going to have a song for this. One sister traveled with us and wrote music and she wrote a song. Claim your own, dear Lord. Claim your own, dear Lord. Oh, revive each soul. Make your people whole. Claim your own, dear Lord. Claim your own. You know what, men and women, while we're in God's holy presence, I think one statement would characterize this whole message. And that statement is the statement of C.S. Lewis when he said, there is one thing that Christianity cannot be. And that is moderately important. It cannot be moderately important. Is that the way it is in your life tonight? A little extras thrown in on your life? Or are you a zealot for Jesus, living unto him? Oh, Heavenly Father, I thank you for these, my dear brothers and sisters. Listen so attentively. And I pray, oh God, that this will be a night of commitment to thee. This will be a night of admission that we need to submit to you, Lord. And in our spirit, we've been bucking you. And we've been wanting to do our own thing. We've been wanting to live unto ourself. And the cause of Jesus is not primary, is not burning in our hearts. I pray, oh God, would you just speak to us tonight to show us when we say we are a Christian, this is a truth, this is a claim with meaning, with depth. And I pray it shall be so in every one of our hearts and lives this night. I pray there'll be that commitment that would go forth, that Lord, every church that's represented in this meeting tonight will be changed because of the energy that you are creating from your people who are saying, yes Lord, how shallow my Christian life has been. Oh God, walk amongst us tonight and call your people unto yourself. And let us live unto that one cause that is eternal. Let us become zealots like never before. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for these my brothers and sisters who come night by night to listen. But Lord, this is what it's all about. You're dealing with us to bring us to the place where you can own us and have us and that you have total control of our lives. Do that work in our hearts and lives even tonight, Father. May this be the night of commitment. While heads are bowed and eyes are closed and all over this meeting, I wonder how many brothers and sisters want to say to me, Lou, I'll tell you there's no better way of closing this crusade than letting you know and letting God know that there's so much about my life that says live unto myself, live unto number one. And tonight I want to tell you, God, Lord, I want to die to that big one, that big I. I want to be crucified to that. I want the cross of Jesus Christ to be applied over that big I. And by faith tonight, I want to exercise the death of that big I that is so real in me that I'll start tonight to live unto him, live unto him in every aspect of my life like never before. That's what I want to ask God for. First of all, Lord, I need to say, God, forgive me, forgive me, forgive me, Lord, for being one who's been so busy living for myself. Why don't you pray for that now in your own heart? Ask God to forgive you. Ask God to forgive you for living unto yourself. Ask him to forgive you. Confess it to him right now. Lord, that's my life. All about my life is I live for number one. That's the motivating, driving, compelling force of my life to live for number one. Ask him to forgive you for that. If you've asked him to forgive you that, now thank him for that. Thank him. Thank you, Lord, for forgiving me as I've asked you to forgive me for my selfish living that has been so much about my life, living for myself. Thank you, Lord, for forgiving me as I've confessed it now. Now tell him, oh God, what I need is that big I to be identified with the cross of Jesus Christ, crucified with Christ. And I ask you, oh Lord, right now by faith, I ask you that I will accept by faith that I am crucified with Christ to die out by faith to that big number one, that big I. That's the problem, Lord. I want that I to be identified with the cross of Jesus Christ, anew and afresh. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, for hearing that prayer. Now, Lord, I commit myself. Now, Lord, I make a commitment. I make a commitment. Here I am. I'm making this a place of commitment tonight to live unto thee, the one who died for me and rose again the sight of women. I make that commitment tonight to live unto Jesus, live unto thee, Lord. I make that commitment tonight. Now, Father, making that commitment, tell him, I invite the Holy Spirit of God who is in me to take complete control of my life because I can't do it on myself. Oh, Holy Spirit of God, do in me what I cannot do for myself. If you're a child of God, the Holy Spirit is in you. Invite him who is in you, not just to be present in you, but to become president in you. Holy Spirit, take over in every aspect of my life that the life of Jesus can be lived in me and living unto him through the power of the Holy Spirit. Ask him to do that right now. Thank him. Oh, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I thank you for hearing my prayer tonight. When you say thank you, you're accepting by faith the answer. You're meeting God and God's conditions and accepting his answer and his promise to you. When I say thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayer tonight and while we're in God's holy presence, perhaps there's some of you folks who say, Luke, when I hear this message, I recognize that I have never really become a Christian. I've never really accepted this kind of a Christ. I know in the head I have the theology about Jesus. I know the story, but I'm not sure that I am ever really become a true child of God. I need to start right there to accept Jesus in my life to begin at the beginning. Pray for me. Pray for me. How many could say, I'm not really sure I am a real child of God. When I hear this message, I'm so far out of it because I'm not even sure I'm a real child of God. I need God's forgiveness right there for keeping him out of my life, even though I've had him in my mind and my head, but not in my heart and life. I'm not sure I'm a child of God. Would you pray for me tonight? Could I see your hands while heads are bowed in such a holy moment? I'm not sure I'm a true child of God. Hands are being raised. I'm not sure. And while we're in God's holy presence, the Bible says to pray one for another, and you folks who are raising your hand, you're not really sure you're the true child of God. I'm going to ask you to pray for your own heart right now, and we're going to pray for you. You just pray in your own heart. You say, Dear Lord Jesus, I ask you to forgive me for my sins of keeping you on the outside of my life, but tonight I ask you to forgive me, and I invite you right now by faith. Come and sit on the throne of my heart tonight. I accept the blood of Jesus Christ cleansing me from my sin, so from this moment on, I can now give myself back to him. Thank you, Lord, for coming into my heart right now to sit on the throne of my life. Thank you, Jesus, for hearing my prayer. Now while heads are bowed and eyes are closed, thank God for these who prayed. All of you, my brothers and sisters who've just now prayed, you've made a new commitment to commit yourself totally to the Lord. I want to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for you. How many say tonight, this has been a real night of commitment to me. I have made a commitment in these fews. Include me in your thanksgiving prayer to God. Let me see your hands if right now you've made a new commitment of your whole life to the Lord that God can control your life from this point on. God bless you. Dear Lord, I thank you for brothers and sisters in this meeting this night who made this commitment. Let every church represented in this meeting, let them feel the effect of these lives that have given themselves totally to the Lord in a new way. Thank you, Lord, to understand what it is all about, what life is all about, why Jesus really died, and what is the temptation that I'll be tempted to every day to live unto myself, to grab my life and pull it back and live unto myself. Thank you for opening our eyes to see it tonight, and we refuse to accept it tonight through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We allow him to live the Christ life in us. Thank you, Father. We give you glory and praise your name. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. Amen.