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How God Saved Me From Infidelity
Rolfe Barnard

Rolfe P. Barnard (1904 - 1969). American Southern Baptist evangelist and Calvinist preacher born in Guntersville, Alabama. Raised in a Christian home, he rebelled, embracing atheism at 15 while at the University of Texas, leading an atheists’ club mocking the Bible. Converted in 1928 after teaching in Borger, Texas, where a church pressured him to preach, he surrendered to ministry. From the 1930s to 1960s, he traveled across the U.S. and Canada, preaching sovereign grace and repentance, often sparking revivals or controversy. Barnard delivered thousands of sermons, many at Thirteenth Street Baptist Church in Ashland, Kentucky, emphasizing God’s holiness and human depravity. He authored no major books but recorded hundreds of messages, preserved by Chapel Library. Married with at least one daughter, he lived modestly, focusing on itinerant evangelism. His bold style, rejecting “easy-believism,” influenced figures like Bruce Gerencser and shaped 20th-century Reformed Baptist thought.
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Sermon Summary
In this sermon, the preacher begins by expressing his caution and humility in discussing the topic of infidelity. He mentions that he hates when preachers focus on themselves rather than the message of God. He emphasizes the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the power of God to save or damn individuals. The preacher also highlights the importance of submitting to the rule of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation and eternal life. Additionally, he mentions that every human being knows that there is a God, as it is evident through creation.
Sermon Transcription
...so much burden. Well, me and his asses, I'm gonna tell you all that. Now, you don't brag about that. It's not because you went to school, studied the bag, or because you're extra. But I've looked the congregation over pretty. Denying the existence. There aren't any people. And the man upstairs is all. When D.L. Moody was in there, nobody else allowed. They've all joined Hollywood. Joined the ranks of their past. All of my phraseology. I just lived a life that said, God, you won't believe it. Every night, I prayed for four years, every night, on good men and women who've been brought to be baptized. And if you'll let me cut the Bible, and he deceived. He deliberately did what? But there ain't anything in the Bible. And the Bible actually says, says, A-double-L-O used to wear me as Brother Barnett. Still, in his fantasy. It's a joke. It's a parody. That you were born a rebel like or then. And damn ya. But whether he saves ya, you're a veggie. Now, this wasn't nice. Good men. Thank God there's a man. And he's gonna rain. Everything is brought under subjection. Back to the Garden of Eden. And where the rebellion started, Jesus is going to do what Adam didn't do. Going to subdue this universe. He told Adam to subdue. He came in the time where he got there. He works now by then by power. But whether by persuasion or power, deep down in your heart, you'll know what salvation's like. I think all over man. People think that who does by person brings them to himself. Makes them his children. You agree to pay it. It's 30 days graze or three days graze. That's what graze means. He hadn't foreclosed yet, but he's going to. Graze. When God does not deal by force, but he does deal by persuasion. Men and women are invited. He brings them. People get lost by rebelling against God's rule. Our people get lost by being recovered to God's rule. And when I say God, I mean God the Lord Jesus. Our men saved. They are saved in grace. Brings them to a gladness, to the blessed room. He's the only one who can give eternal life to people. And the only way you can ever get eternal life is if he gives it to you. You'll find the Savior is the Lord. And if you want to be saved, throw your theology away brother. Put your orthodoxy under the seat and surrender to Jesus Christ and under his gracious rule. You'll find he's fixed up in virtue of his blood to dispose of this world and to save a people for himself. Salvation's in the hands of the Lord and in the debt God's paying people. Salvation to give. Hear me? How does God save men now? Well, one day he'll bring them back into his rule. If you determine that Jesus Christ, dictator of your point, your will's gonna be broken. You're just like your daddy the devil who said, My will has the same authority as Adam's up against God Almighty. And men and women today, listen to me. The only reason on earth I may be speaking to somebody tonight who is still not saved, it's not because it's because in your life that you're not willing to be lured. Now that's not very complimentary. But if it isn't so, then Jesus is a liar. For he said, He that believeth on the Lord hath everlasting life. And he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life. But the wrath of God abideth on him now. This is the condemnation that life is coming to the world and poor little nice people were ignorant. No, no. This is the condemnation that life is coming to the world. Let me tell you the reason you're on your road to hell. You're not waiting for the Son. Let me tell you the reason you're on the road to hell. You don't want to live. We should listen to him. You're in a mess. You're going to hell because you are rebellious against the only one that's got a right to... Lord Jesus Christ. If this Bible is not a bunch of fables, there is only one human being that's been given the right to... And that's the Lord Jesus Christ. You don't talk to me about the reason you're not saved. See, Jesus tells me why. You don't like to lie. Somebody's telling me today they're afraid somebody wouldn't come to the services. They didn't want to hear God's truth. They'd have to face the demanding Son of God. And we need... And it's strange, but it's true that men's rebellion always heads up one place. I think maybe that's what the Scripture means when it says if you offend the Lord at one point, you're guilty of all. In languages all of us can understand a little better, the average unsaved man is quite willing to be saved of everything except one. He's willing to come under the... Our rebellion heads up. If you don't think I'm preaching the truth, you go out tomorrow and tackle. And they'll look you in the face and tell you they're not ready to be saved. They don't want to be saved. Because lost people are better theologians than us church members. Lost men and women understand that there's a changed life involved in this business. I've had them tell me time after time, I like to be... We do not deal... He'll just make a profession. Our rebellion always heads up just one place. They're going to look you in the face and tell you God's going to break you. He can break you, but he's going to break you. But it wasn't just something for us to argue about when he changed business. For us to get in theological debate about God. He meant that in that blessed life laid down that the rebellion... Where is your point of rebellion? It may be a big point. It may be a little. Rid your mind of the idea that salvation is one thing and submission to Jesus Christ is another. I won't scream aloud again against this damnable stuff they call about being saved. And sometime it's your convenience submitting to the Lord Jesus Christ. It just can't be that way. That's it. I'm not talking about a deeper life. I'm talking about salvation. The doorway to the kingdom of God is the Lordship of Christ. No man will ever find the Savior except in the realm of the blessed rule of him who won the right by dying on a cross. Where is your point of rebellion? What is it that keeps you from bowing and receiving Jesus Christ? We need to be very careful lest we not be true to men's souls and women's gifts. You know, the experience of putting a can on the shelf it enters into the market. For there isn't a day in your life that has the choices in between the Lordship of Christ and the every day it takes place. That's the reason the old times ain't one act of in the county years ago when Brother Hollis the young woman came up to me to join in prayer for my they became a drunkard. They got a little something. Where is your point of rebellion? What is the right? And then tomorrow it's an issue again. And then tomorrow and then tomorrow it's hell! Where is your point of rebellion? Quit telling God you don't want to go to hell in your life. Mr. Finney told the story of the village squire that came to hear him preach and God began to deal with the soul. And the old squire got under deep conviction. And Mr. Finney always appointed a place he called it the place of prayer. And after he'd get through preaching he said the place of prayer is so and so and any of you that are interested in your soul you'll go on down and I'll meet you as soon as I can at the place of prayer. And this old squire said a man don't have to go there to be saved. Well he is right. But the trouble is that if you raise a point with God one of you is going to win, see. And it ain't going to be you. You may win but you'll go to hell for your trust. He said I want to be saved but I'm going to go to the place of prayer Mr. Finney talked about to be saved. Well he is right but he is wrong in saying he wasn't. And the very thing you tell God you're not going to do that's exactly what you'll do if you're ever saved. And so the old man got in deep trouble and he'd go home every night get down by his bed and he'd pray and squall to beat sixty. But the heavens were silent. And he'd keep going back to jail Mr. Finney and every night place of prayer is over here if you're interested in your soul I'll meet you there. And he'd go away and say I want to be saved but I'm not going over there. And one day it came up big gully washer rain and there's a great big mud hole right in the front of the old squire's house and he went back from the morning service and he is desperate to show how humble he was. He got down right in the middle of the mud hole and just begged God to save him after a while. He got up out of the mud hole and headed for the prayer place. Right away he said he wouldn't go. And Mudd said I'm not going! You don't have to walk an aisle to be saved but if you say you will not do it you will walk it or go to hell. You can't tell God what you won't do. That's rebellion. And he's not going. Peace in your soul. Rebellion against his son. A woman in West Virginia years ago it's almost funny she came to the meeting God began to deal with her and she got desperate want to pass to the mouth won't wait to entertain me at three o'clock in the morning made me mad waking me up that time of day. Holy shit. And she said Brother Preacher I can't sleep I can't eat I'm just miserable feel like I'm dropping into hell. And I said Why don't you get as easy as falling off the log backward just surrender to Jesus Christ as your That's it! First way to say you'll not get mad at me. She said My brother's pastor of the Methodist Church here and said if I got saved I'd have to be baptized and if I got away I got saved. Putting up Jesus Christ demands in your life and equating telling God he'd have saved apart from her. In that same community the richest man in the community coming to the meeting God began to deal with him and he had me out to supper and he didn't do like he for that stayed in the faith not on the word with me my point of rebellion I knew there was that being saved being brought to where his will I'd seek to do it. Any salvation doesn't fix you where you will to do his will is no good is it? You see the worst old sinner out of hell be saved if you want to he wants to know whether what this book says is so Jesus said if any man wills to will to do the will of God he shall know there ain't no excuse for a fella to go to hell goodbye brother you've been hiding behind things long enough troubles with you you want to join the ranks of the church members of this day that prayed about salvation and no one I knew that involved in being saved for me I'd have to be a public preacher and I did two things to try to handle that situation I became an infidel by day and a prayer by night by day I got so bitter I got so miserable that I had to find a refuge brother may have I had to crawl and organize an infidel club in my college at 300 Young Baptist College I prayed to God to save me talk to me I was an orator in those days college debater college orator college Shakespeare man on the can got to have something you see I didn't know what was taking place when I was 11 years old I walked down the aisle he said is anybody here I'll say what you want ladies and gentlemen you may not but you give God anything he keeps it I made a vow they may be hearing what I say I don't know to be a public preacher they never did tell me God knew about it they gave me to God to be a public preacher I didn't have a chance on earth give your children to God he'll take it they just said Lord he's yours that's a serious bit a boy can't win against odds like that this can't be done against you ten million times better than leaving your kids a bunch of money to go to hell on would be to give them to God and then remind God he's yours you can't get nowhere that ain't good language it ain't nothing but a he'll break you for it hope you have better luck
How God Saved Me From Infidelity
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Rolfe P. Barnard (1904 - 1969). American Southern Baptist evangelist and Calvinist preacher born in Guntersville, Alabama. Raised in a Christian home, he rebelled, embracing atheism at 15 while at the University of Texas, leading an atheists’ club mocking the Bible. Converted in 1928 after teaching in Borger, Texas, where a church pressured him to preach, he surrendered to ministry. From the 1930s to 1960s, he traveled across the U.S. and Canada, preaching sovereign grace and repentance, often sparking revivals or controversy. Barnard delivered thousands of sermons, many at Thirteenth Street Baptist Church in Ashland, Kentucky, emphasizing God’s holiness and human depravity. He authored no major books but recorded hundreds of messages, preserved by Chapel Library. Married with at least one daughter, he lived modestly, focusing on itinerant evangelism. His bold style, rejecting “easy-believism,” influenced figures like Bruce Gerencser and shaped 20th-century Reformed Baptist thought.