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In His Humiliation
Lester Roloff

Lester Leo Roloff (1914–1982) was an American fundamentalist Independent Baptist preacher whose fiery sermons and extensive ministry left a significant mark on 20th-century evangelicalism. Born on June 28, 1914, near Dawson, Texas, he was the youngest of three sons to Harry Augustus and Sadie Isabel McKenzie Roloff, raised on a cotton farm in a strict Baptist environment. Converted at age 12 during a revival at Shiloh Baptist Church in July 1926, he began preaching at 18. He attended Baylor University, famously bringing a Jersey cow named Marie to sell milk for tuition, and later studied at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. In 1936, he married Marie Brady, and they had two daughters, one biological and one adopted. Roloff’s preaching career began in small Texas churches, including pastorates in Houston and Corpus Christi, where he launched The Family Altar radio program in 1944, eventually broadcast on 180 stations. After filling in for a revival in 1950 following B.B. Crim’s death, he founded Roloff Evangelistic Enterprises in 1951, shifting to full-time evangelism. He broke with the Southern Baptist Convention in 1956 over theological differences, aligning with Independent Baptists, and established Alameda Street Baptist Church in Corpus Christi. Known for preaching against homosexuality, communism, alcohol, and modern vices, he also founded homes for troubled youth, starting with the Rebekah Home for Girls in 1968.
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The video transcript is a jumbled collection of random phrases and sentences that do not form a coherent summary. It includes mentions of going grocery shopping, a manager coming to someone, a historical figure's rise to power, and references to Japanese culture. There is also mention of a movie called "Why He's Only Decoration" and the importance of gratitude and support for others. Overall, the transcript lacks a clear message or theme and does not provide any references to biblical teachings.
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Book of Proverbs, chapter 15 and verse 33. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom and before honor is humility. The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom and before honor is humility. That verse announces the two of vice instead of a virtue. But look the shape we're in. There's another verse found over in the 18th chapter of the Book of Proverbs and verse 12. Before destruction the heart of man is haughty and before honor is humility. If you were to choose the greatest verse in the Bible on revival, would it probably be 2nd Chronicles, chapter 7 and verse 14. And that verse says, if my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven will forgive their sin and heal their land. All of which we need today. This morning we were flying over the rocky, or rather the smoky mountains. I hate to say anything smoke, even the mountains. But I got as high above it as I could and it wasn't the kind of smoke that smelled bad. And the mountains look like they're healthy and strong. But I got to thinking about a message for today. And the Lord reminded me of a text and shame on me, I didn't know where it was found. I've never placed on it before. And I went to the room after landing about 8 o'clock and I looked it up. And it's found in Acts, chapter 20. Acts, chapter 20 and verse 19. And with many tears and temptations which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem. Nearly about everybody is bound by something. Some people are bound by the love of money. Some people are bound by liquor. Some people are bound by cigarette smoke. Some people, they're just bound. Paul said, I'm bound with the Spirit. All tied up with the Spirit. Isn't that a wonderful binding? All of us need to be sewed up with Him. The Bible talks about being knit together. Our hearts being knit together. He said, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me, but none of these things move me. Neither can I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all among whom I have gone, preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore, I take you to record a record this day. And to turn on my recorder, he said, that I am pure from the blood of all men. Isn't that a tremendous declaration? For I have not had ye get free, had ye get pure. For I have not shunned or declared unto you all the counsel of God. Take ye therefore unto yourselves and all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made ye overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. I know this, that after my departing, shall grievous worlds enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I cease not to warn everyone, night and day, with tears. I know this, that the second time, the first time he said, many tears. This time he said, I cried three years, day and night, I wept. Now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified. One of the greatest texts in the Bible, along with the thirty-third verse, I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. Then that thirty-fifth verse, it is more blessed to give than to receive. And when he had spoken these things, or when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. Now then, turn to the book of Acts, chapter 8. And I come to that unusual text, that unusual text. It's the eighth chapter. It's the scripture from the book of Isaiah. It's being read by an Ethiopian eunuch, a lost man. He's been up to the convention, I think. He'd been up to a big meeting. And the only thing he got, somebody was kind enough to put the book of Isaiah in his hand and said, go home, son. So he's sitting up there rocking along in the carriage, reading the book of Isaiah, wonderful book of Isaiah. And God broke up a revival meeting to get after him. Philip the deacon was down there preaching a meeting in Samaria, and he was having a great time, and people were being saved, and many miracles were being performed. And God said, arise and go down the desert road between Jerusalem and Gaza. And he took off. He'd just left the meeting and said, fellas, I've got another call, emergency call, I guess. I'll have to go. He took off down the road, and God saw that he was standing, going by the carriage. He said, go join thyself to him. And he ran and got up in the carriage, and he said to the man who was reading the book of Isaiah, and this is what he's reading. This is what he's reading. Let's look at it for just a minute. The place of the scripture which he read was this, verse 32, 8th chapter. He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb down before his shearer, so open he not his mouth. Now here's my text. In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. And who shall declare his generation? For his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch answered Philip and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this, of himself, or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth, and began to say the scripture, and placed unto him, Jesus. That's great preaching. You might as well get ready for baptism service, because somebody's listening about Jesus. And so that's what he said, because you remember what he said. He said, do you understand what you're reading? He said, how can I, except some man should guide me. And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. And he did. Now let's look at the text. In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. I want to speak today on the humiliated Christ. No man ever lived such a life of humiliation as did Jesus. We're living in a proud world. This is a proud, our nation's a proud nation. We've never been defeated. We've never had an enemy drop a bomb on this side of the creek. We've never known the taste of starvation. We've never known what it was to be overrun by some godless enemy. Never. America's been the most prosperous nation that was ever born, and she was born on her knees. Pilgrim forefathers knelt in the old dimly lit cabin in the Mayflower. And I might say to you that there never has been a nation that lived 200 years. And I tell you, that kind of thinking ought to sober every one of us. There never has been. And Roger Williams said back on him many times, when he went out to live with the Indians rather than to stay in bondage, and he said, this nation is going to either be ruled by God or by a dictator. What I'm trying to say is this, this nation is either going to be ruled by Satan or by the Savior. Now, as it stands right now, with both hands raised to heaven, I confess, I deny not, I announce publicly that this nation is being ruled by Satan and John Barlicorn, which is one of his main assistants. Every bed we have is filled at the city with alcoholic men. And some are sleeping on the couches. And I can't come to a meeting like this with my men and women and girls without having a burden for you. It's just as simple as the snapping of my fingers for Jesus to completely deliver everyone here completely and perfectly and permanently right now. So deliverance complete. Every time I get up with a message from heaven, I say, this must be the red letter. I'm preaching by faith, preaching by faith. And so I believe that, and listen, the city of refuge is not the only place where people need deliverance. My prediction is that nine-tenths of the church members in this building this morning need deliverance from some dirty sin. It may not be the sin of drinking, it may be the sin of stinking self-righteousness. It may be the sin of prayerlessness. It may be the sin of, I'm better than you, and thank God I'm not a drunkard. That may be your sin you're facing right here today. It may be the sin of a cold heart. It may be the sin of not having compassion on the people that are down and out. It may be the sin of refusing to walk down the road from jail to see people in the ditch and laziness and ungodliness and joylessness. But brother, you need deliverance today, if you've got any of it. Oh, my soul today, how God's people need to preach and practice. We need to be delivered from our sins. And so, in his humiliation, in his humiliation, and judgment, his judgment was taken away. Now, what does he mean? And what kind of a Savior did we have? When Jesus was born, where was he born? In a fine hospital? Not at all. He was humble in two or three ways. In the first place, he didn't have a daddy. He just did not have a daddy. And I know that I'm in the presence of some of our precious girls this morning as I'm preaching. That's one reason we recommend to our girls, though we do not demand anything, but we recommend giving a little baby both a mother and a daddy. I believe that ought to be normal. That's what God started little children out with. The first child that ever was born had a mother and a daddy. And I believe that every little baby needs both the parents. Not just the little boy, the little girl, too, needs a mother and a daddy. But when Jesus was born, he had no earthly father. Therefore, the stigma and the criticism and the misunderstanding... Oh, but you'd say, Brother Locke, don't you believe the people believed he was virgin-born? Let me ask you a question. Do they believe he was virgin-born now? Did you know that over 50% of the preachers have denied the virgin birth? And preachers? Then what can the poor people in the pew do about it? Nothing. And so Jesus walked down the streets of Nazareth and they pointed their little old crooked fingers and spit at him and said, that little boy, he doesn't even have a daddy. I mean, his mother, his mother, I mean, she was going with a boy named Joseph. And I tell you, old Joe must not have been in the gut either, they said. And before they ever got married, I mean, he got born and Jesus heard it. He knew everything they were saying. He had humiliation. In the second place, he was humiliated in the place of his birth. In the place of his birth. Oh, that tired mother of his had walked those old sandy roads. Joseph had tenderly escorted her along and said, honey, you're getting tired. She said, yes, but I'll make it. On into the little town they came. Oh, that night, after they'd asked for room in the inn, there was no room in the inn. I tell you, I believe somehow, fellas, and I say this on the part for the benefit of the women, when a woman begins to expect, I believe she needs some special tender care, it's a new experience. I guess I've wept more over the girls than all the other homes put together. I've felt their loneliness and the fear and the oppression and the depression more than, and then to come without a mother and into the delivery room without a husband to walk the corridor. Or some stranger, maybe some of us that love them, but nobody to be saying, oh, I'd be glad, I'll just be glad when the doctor steps out and tells me everything's all right. But dear friends, Mary went into a manger that night, and when that little baby boy was born, and his little head was laid on the peasant breast of a mother, I mean, he never had anything. I mean, he stepped out of everything into exactly nothing. I mean, every angel in heaven would sing for him for breakfast, dinner, or supper. I mean, all the glory. He could stand out on the edge of the glory world and listen to every bird sing at one time. And as for Jesus, you men and women, get a load of that. And let me get a fresh load of it this morning, and rebuke my dirty pride and arrogance and all of the stiff neckness of my life, and say, I'll tell you to see, in him Jesus was born more than any man that was ever born. I mean, there he was, and he lived such a humiliating life. He was misunderstood. I believe the Bible, when it says he came unto his own, and his own received him not, the very ones he came to die for turned their back on him. I believe he's misunderstood in his own family. The mother came back and said, son, we sought thee sorrowing. I mean, why have you done this? And he looked at her with all the innocence of the Savior and said, wished you not. I must be about my father's business. I was just doing what I'm supposed to do. Oh, he was so involved at the age of twelve with his father's business until he forgot to keep up with his own earthly mother and his foster father. But he said, I wished you not to be. The humiliation of misunderstanding. You know, I guess that's about the hardest thing that I face in Corpus Christi. One quarter of a century, climbing them old jail stairs and knocking on the doors and feeding the poor. And loving the people, preaching the gospel, and just for twenty-five sweet, blessed, wonderful years. And yet, the one place of the tremendous and most misunderstanding is Corpus Christi, Texas. Almost dread to land my plane in Corpus, but for the fact that that's where God has put me. That's the home base out of which everything has come. And that's where in that old study and in places in Corpus, that's where things got born in my soul. Oh, but listen, in his humiliation, I've never been through anything compared to what Jesus went through. Of course, in the first place, I couldn't take what he did. But I know one thing. Jesus Christ was the best man that ever lived. And he was never welcomed anywhere in the world that he made. Never. There never has been a place. If he walked in a synagogue, he was unwelcome. If he walked down in a political gathering, he was unwelcome. If he walked in society, he was unwelcome. If he walked in a financial meeting, he was unwelcome. If he walked in his own home, they didn't understand him. Oh, you talk about humiliation, dear friend. You and I never know how the Savior passed through. He walks to me like the world without stretching. He wasn't welcome in the garden. Adam said, I'm going to hide from him. I don't want to see him. Eve said, I'm going to hide too, and I don't want to see him. Jesus has never been welcome in his world. He's not welcome tonight. Holy Spirit's been grieved and despised, and Jesus Christ was humiliated in his life. Oh, such a life of humiliation. Isaiah said he was taken from prison and from judgment. And who shall declare generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living. For the transgression of my people was he stricken. He'd done no violence. He'd done no violence. Jesus had never hurt him. You know the only thing they had against him, actually, if they'd told the truth? This man loved everybody. We're going to kill him because he's so filled with love. He's so filled with compassion. His cheeks had been soaked in his own warm tears. He spent night after night in death, sinning in lonely places and had no place. Dear friends, you won't fit the religious pattern today if you ever get right with the Lord. And in his humiliation, in his judgment, when Jesus said that riding on, I'm going to make my triumph, do you want us to get a great big beautiful white horse? He said, if you just go get a little coat. Oh yes, his word would have got a big horse, but he didn't want a big horse. Dear friends, he got on that little thing, and Jesus rode the little donkey. I said he rode a little donkey. Oh my soul. Most of us, with our cattle and ideas, and Jesus come around. But dear friends, let me tell you something. There's a secret. Jesus didn't want to call attention to a little donkey. He wanted to call attention to himself. It wasn't the little donkey that was fixing to die. He's going to die. Jesus never did lose anywhere. He was triumphant from the time that his little donkey was in the manger. When he walked the face of the earth, you know what triumph is? You know what victory is? It's overcoming the devil. And Jesus never did sin one time. He had triumph every day. And brother, his victory didn't come in the clothes over sin, over death, over his enemies, over religion, over everything. Jesus. And then yonder he comes to Calvary. He has the load of wood on him. And then finally they ask him to see Jesus in, in, in. I mean just, I guarantee you, ears started. He wasn't ear trimming. You put that down. I mean he's going to Ephraim. And Jesus said, Simon will lead you. And he'll give grace to the humble. Jesus, he died. He stood in Pilate's judgment hall. Where's your attorney? But Jesus didn't have a state appointed. He didn't have anything. The man who did the most good, healed the most people, raised the most dead. I mean fed the most multitude. And he was shaking his head in the wrong direction. In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. And who shall declare his? Jesus, dear friends, was getting the biggest job done while he was being humiliated that has ever been done. He offered me the only hope I've ever had while he was walking the road. And I believe that the greatest thing, you know why we get drunkards? You know why we get dope addicts? They get humiliated. You, you never find a, you never find a person that gets to drink. And if they got money, they'll never come. They go to the doctor. They go to the psychiatrist and pay him $50 for 30 minutes or $1 at least for every minute that they live on his couch. What they're guilty of. And then he tries to get rid of their guilt and said, why, you're not going to feel guilty and I'm going to get you. Read the newspaper in the matter of peace. You never will have it. Taking it in. When I was a kid, there wasn't any nervous breakdowns in Nevada County that I don't think about. People just worked so hard and sweated so much and ate what they had and wasn't stealing somebody else's. Oh, listen, dear friends, Jesus paid the price and he'll not give his glory to another. You're going to either come to Jesus and be saved or you'll never be saved. You're going to come to Jesus and be delivered or you'll never be delivered. We have a number of people here today and we love every one of you that have come. Some of you once, some of you twice, some of you three times, some of you four, some of you five times. You'd say, Brother Olaf, you failed, didn't you? I might have failed, but Jesus didn't fail. I tell you what, they failed to get in the Word of God. They came and were looking forward to eating three meals a day and potatoes and gravy and all the rest more than they were the Word of God. I've been warning you people, I'm telling you now, I don't have any confidence in you apart from the Word of God. And if I can't slip up on you and find you reading the Word of God and make it, you might as well make up your mind. I will not get drunk again this morning. You know what that is? That's nothing. And brother, I believe that when you meet me and you come into the ark, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, and in a million years, and earth is, and they talk about the rock age now, and that's Jesus. He's my rock. Oh, then to me, he said, when my son tell you God's people ought to be humiliation. And his judgment was and he was injured for running to meet me. He was sitting in that old rocking chair. Some two years ago, I called him on unicom and he answered the phone and I can hear noise. Hello. Many times I've heard him say, who's done the talking? I said, this is Lester, Dad. He said, all right, Lester. I said, sure can. I tell you, he had some physical infirmities and he jumped up out of that old chair and carried along with him. That old bottle were the poisons. But I tell you, he didn't wait for Fred and Lucille. He didn't wait for nobody. He took off out of that, that old black hat on, went down that old route and his head went first. He plowed his nose and chin into the ground and got up. Lucille said, you want to take it to the doctor? He said, no, take me to Lester. In a little while, I circled and he was sitting there waving at me. I laughed. Nothing. I said, well, something must have happened. Yet in a few days, when the doctor looked at his cold form, he said to Fred and Lucille, the thing that was shocking his brain, put him on his way out. But dear friend, my daddy and I didn't have any broken fellowship, no broken communion. But you think of God's eternal darling. As he hung on Calvary's cross, his own had refused to accept him. Peter denied him. Judas had betrayed him. The old church looked like it had been shattered and scattered. And his own father, every angel in heaven, was quiet. I think the heavenly father, when he closed the door, sent out an edict through glory and said, there will be no singing here today. Oh, I'll allow no angel to circle over Golgotha's hill today. Jesus never heard the chirp or the chant or the voice of any sweet angel. There wasn't a bunch of deacons to sit by his side and stand and say, Jesus, go on. There wasn't any Moses and Elijah that met him on Mount Transfiguration. There wasn't any host of the redeemed that had been saved to come to Golgotha and say, Jesus, go ahead and pay the debt for us. There wasn't anyone. There wasn't a little crippled church. Senator Friend, you're at the end of your trail today. You need Jesus. You need him right now. Christians, you need to come back to God. You and I ought to humbly walk with God. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even to death. You'd say, do you believe Jesus was unhappy? Never. You'd say, why do you think he could be happy in a place like that? The Bible said he should see the truth. Joy flooded his soul. He could see what was going to happen. Just a few days down the road, 50, if you don't mind, numbered. There'd be 3,000 people, and I think Jesus must have smiled, and he says, and then, mercy! Oh, Jesus has hung on that old Roman cross. He could say the day of his next coming. Oh, he said, I'll be coming back by here. There'll be no cross, there'll be no hammers, there'll be no Roman soldiers. I'll just kind of soar over the top. He could see everything. Then sings my soul, Savior God, to thee, how great. Then sings my soul, Savior God, to thee, how great thou art, how great. I can sing that a little bit, and you can sing it now, brother. You wait until... Our heavenly Father, we thank thee for this blessed day to meet with thy children in this good church. God bless the pastor who responds to the gospel, who loves thy word. Lord, I pray that you'll bless all the people that have gathered. Dear Father, we're conscious that today our people are here, girls, men, women. I pray, Lord, if there's one unmet need in their life, that it'll be met by the presence of the Savior today. Oh, my Father, I pray that you'll bless them right now. Save the unsaved, and bring in this altar today people that want to follow Christ in salvation and in baptism and in church membership and in obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.
In His Humiliation
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Lester Leo Roloff (1914–1982) was an American fundamentalist Independent Baptist preacher whose fiery sermons and extensive ministry left a significant mark on 20th-century evangelicalism. Born on June 28, 1914, near Dawson, Texas, he was the youngest of three sons to Harry Augustus and Sadie Isabel McKenzie Roloff, raised on a cotton farm in a strict Baptist environment. Converted at age 12 during a revival at Shiloh Baptist Church in July 1926, he began preaching at 18. He attended Baylor University, famously bringing a Jersey cow named Marie to sell milk for tuition, and later studied at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. In 1936, he married Marie Brady, and they had two daughters, one biological and one adopted. Roloff’s preaching career began in small Texas churches, including pastorates in Houston and Corpus Christi, where he launched The Family Altar radio program in 1944, eventually broadcast on 180 stations. After filling in for a revival in 1950 following B.B. Crim’s death, he founded Roloff Evangelistic Enterprises in 1951, shifting to full-time evangelism. He broke with the Southern Baptist Convention in 1956 over theological differences, aligning with Independent Baptists, and established Alameda Street Baptist Church in Corpus Christi. Known for preaching against homosexuality, communism, alcohol, and modern vices, he also founded homes for troubled youth, starting with the Rebekah Home for Girls in 1968.