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God of the Bible vs. the 'God' of Today
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 speaker emphasizes the importance of focusing on winning individuals for God rather than trying to win everyone. He shares an illustration about a negative experience he had with a church leader who didn't agree with his preaching style. The speaker also mentions a powerful moment when he witnessed the impact of his preaching in New York City, where people were moved by his message and brought to the mission for help. He then discusses the concept of the God of the Bible versus the God of today and highlights the significance of knowing the only true God for eternal life, as stated in the Bible.
Sermon Transcription
There's a type of singer-singer like me tonight that take me out to feed me. So I ate breakfast right after the broadcast. And didn't eat any lunch. Cafe. And they let me have a little dish of Brother Mayhan. He's young and I didn't want to get him all fucked up. Knocked on somebody's door and a man came. The Bible teaches about who Jesus is, isn't that right? You've got beautiful voices here if you look from your mouth. Everybody. Jesus is. Everybody. Who is it? Why? Everybody. You repeat it to us. Sing it now. Saving message of hell. If we would quit on the saving of hell as a message. 17 says, be turned into hell. Forget God. On 17 and 3, these words speak Jesus. These words, of course, refer to four chapters. He finished speaking to his own, to the face of the fall. That they might know. That they might know. This is life. This is life eternal. Where is it? It's his gift. And that they might know. That they might. That they might. Translated K-N-O-W. And here, hidden here is blessed with. And experience the belief that. One thing should come. Is that he's going to give. And then. In the only verse. This is the gift. That there is in Christ. This is eternal life. That they might know. The only true God. And Jesus Christ. You know that just thrills me to death. I hope you. Be kind enough to me. Tells me I can be. This tells me. That the God. The only. And Jesus Christ. In the day in which you and I live. Way back yonder. As recorded for. And this. Beginning at verse. Eighteen. Of the. Reads like. The front page. Experiencing. In your lifetime. A great revival. Anything to compare. Years. In. To be a religion. As experienced. Out of every ten. People who. In Africa. In the Mohammedan. Today. These people. If you ask. Of the earth. Say no. They'll do whatever you ask. Men. With a great deal of zeal. Look you in the face. You'll spend most of this. Vacation. Death. The pleasure spot. Of getting rid of them. Receive people. Until they've been a clean break. And attend. For a few years. And to the man upstairs. That they'll knock the devil. And everybody's. Everybody's. Is that. You can't have. No. Marshal. And save. And. Would hear our. Cry. He'll. Not feel any need. True God. Is they've got a God. They've got a God. They've got a God. They whittle him out. With a pocket knife. Of. Way. Knee. Deep. In self. And sin. And still be as religious. Entering into the arena. To kill the gods. They'll be so. Awkward. And get acquainted. With this piece. Of the. Who didn't like. They could get along. With. That they could be happy. With themselves. With the stealth. Self. Still on the throne. Let's read this record. That's being repeated here. Beginning at verse eighteen. Of. Is revealed from heaven. Against all. This of men. Who. May be known of God. Is manifest. In them. For God. Is of him. From the creation. Of the world. Are clear. Even his eternal power. And God. Is so. Vain. And. They became fools. And whittled them. This. Made them feel a little uncomfortable. Created them some. God. Made them a little uncomfortable. Would it be. Than that God. They've got. To get acquainted. With this generation. Of people sunk. So low. That their concept. They could get along. With. Be very happy. They're religious. And still have no. Conflict. They create them. God's. After the manner. Of creeping. Things. Wherefore. God. Three times. In the rest. Of the chapter. Doesn't say. Push them. But he gave. Them up. To dirty living. To vile. Affections. And to. A reprobate. Mind. And that's. A pretty good. Picture. Of America. Today. I want. To talk to you. Out of my heart. Tonight. Put it plainly. Whether you want. To believe it or not. You're living. In a generation. Where religion. Is damning. More souls. Than anything else. The arch enemy. Of yours. Is the pop. Newspapers. Tell us. We ought. To do. And all. The radio. Broadcast. And all. Between. Drinks. Of booze. Being crossed. And even. Crooked. With. He's the God. We've. Created. To bring him. Down. And send. Oh. What you need. My brother. You need. Kill. And leave you. Absolutely. Naked. Well. To give you. Peace. You send to the. And this is not just. Preaching. Tonight. In this. Fact. To make a list. Where businesses. Your business. Be your gun. You better be off. This. Is the issue. Of this offer. I guess this generation. Gonna go to hell. Most. Are being blessed now. Must be. Telling you. Businesses. What we need. Now. Is for some. From the right. So. This easy. Businesses. To the only. Years ago. The evening. Sir. I'll tell you how to. Anybody. Know. Ask me. Tell him out. That man. Was naked. He was miserable. Two weeks. Before. He'd gone. To bed. A millionaire. Thank God. That. He literally. Woke up. Upon. His business. Was to. He was a prominent. Church member. He was also. They said he could drink. More whiskey. Just name it. But he had lots. Of money. Boy. They didn't have any. In the church. He worshipped. His. God. In. And he wrote him. A check. He'd write out. A big. Check. And he put in. So much money. And because. He came from. One of the first. Families. In that state. He is a very. Prominent. He killed. His. God. And when he lost. It. He didn't know. What on. God. He never needed. Anything. He had. Everything. And then he woke up. One morning. Didn't have anything. His. God. That he. Had made. The center. Of his. Affections. Had gone up. In smoke. That night. Literally. And he heard. My voice. That man. Turned that radio. Off. Entertained. And he came. And wake. Me up. And came in. On every. He came in. And said. But he had. To kill. His. God. And every. Time. And he'll. Nearly. Squeeze me. To death. And he'll. Tell me. How much. He loves. Me. To get out. On that. Or ladies. And gentlemen. Unless. I've. Missed it. In 35. Years. Before. He didn't get. Acquainted. With the only. Truth. Until. It's still. True. That. Pray. For. The days. Not. For the only. True. God. Is the God. Of hope. Is the God. Of the. Holy. Hope. This. Generation. That make. Place. Before us. In his. Book. This. Statement. Will. Be. Sanctified. In. That. Near. Underneath. Oh. My. Holiness. Christ. Holy. Is the. God. And. Father. Of the Lord. Jesus. Of this. Generation. Is. Not. Like. The. Universe. The. Redeemer. Of. Sin. And. It. Me. More. Tears. And. This. Generation. Has. Been. Using. We've. Had. Any. Use. For. Is. To. Get. Something. Out. Breathe. Every. Breath. We. Breathe. As. A. Free. Who. In. Hand. In. Whom. We. Live. And. Move. And. Have. Enough. Age. And. Who. Could. Dance. Free. Million. Souls. The. Same. God. Who. Can. Open. Up. Earth. And. Drop. Twenty. Six. We. Are. In. His. Hand. We. Are. In. His. Hand. I. Think. That. I've. Made. Every. Mistake. And. Try. To. Get. The. Truth. That. Can. Be. Gone. Off. Off. I. Think. I've. Bloodied. That. We. Are. In. The. Hands. In. His. Hands. Please. That's. Read. And. You. Turn. On. The. Men. Who. That. This. World. Is. The. Hands. I. Say. Right. Now. I. Am. Trust. You. Know. I. Don't. Believe. In. Now. That. Betray. Jesus. Said. Most. If. You. There's. Something. In. The. Mouth. Of. Jesus. That. He. Never. Said. And. That. Showed. Why. Your. Guess. Is. Good. As. Mine. Will. Just. Have. To. All. In. The. Testament. King. The. Children. And. The. Women. And. The. Sheep. And. The. Whole. Kingdom. Of. All. They. Say. That. Is. A. Full. A. And. Our. Children. Are. Not. To. Read. About. Him. I. Don't. Wonder. That. We're. Doing. Our. Dead. Level. Best. To. Get. Rid. Of. The. Bible. Because. The. Tells. About. The. Most. Silent. Thing. Have. Looked. At. My. Eyes. God. Almighty. When. He. Saw. The. Bloodstream. Become. Polluted. Healed. The. Scientists. Tell. Us. And. They're. Today. And. Then. The. Three. Billion. People. On. The. Face. Of. God's. Earth. Tonight. And. To. Save. The. World. More. Densely. Populated. Then. Than. It. Is. Now. Rather. Mayhem. If. This. Book. Is. God's. Truth. God. Killed. Over. Three. Billion. People. At. One. Time. And. Send. Them. To. Hell. God. Did. That. God. The. God. The. God. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. The. If. God. The monster to hang his son on a cross. From a terrible. It's just the imagination. Listen ladies and gentlemen. Hold together now. And all of the attacks on hell are simply an attack on the nature of God, for this generation has created a nice little God that is too good to punish sin. But the God of this Bible, oath upon oath, line upon line, precept upon precept, if you ever get acquainted with Him, you'll get acquainted with the God who sends people to hell, for that's that the wages of sin is death, and that God Almighty will bind them, and that the soul that's in it, it shall die. God sends people to hell for two reasons. To restrain them and to keep them is eternal purpose. You know what God's going to do? One of these days, there's going to be a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth right Some time ago, I made a study of the book of Psalms. This will reward some of you Christians if you want to. You just read through the book of Psalms and see how many times in the book of Psalms God brings calamity on sinners as an act of mercy to His own people. So, praise God, praise God, praise God. In the new heavens and nevertheless, we look according to His promise. New heavens and a new earth, where for reasons God's never explained, if He has, I'm so dumb I've never been able to understand it. He allows to get ugly head up in this earth, put the thorns on rose bushes, and the tears in baby's eyes, and the heartbreak in mother's soul, the cemeteries outside the city, but thanks be unto God, God, if one of these days, create a new heaven, and there won't be anything in it to ever again give a new heart, keep you from tearing up, God sends people to hell, says He's going to send people to hell, not to correct them, not to do them good. Oh, I don't know. If you die in our substitute, if you die not under the claim, you're going to come and meet face to face, the ungodly, until the day of judgment to be punished. God's going to take off His strap, and punish men and women, who come into His presence, playing for the every day over the radio, people got the crimes they did, and in the store, and then the big shots forget, get me off the river, repeated some of the telephone calls, and he is in a mess, and get rid of me, I don't want to ruin your business, you've been good to sell, and keeping out of hell, and safe to take my license away from me, you're going to stay on there, don't meet, wrote me a nice little pie, and he said, I want to offer you just a little bit of wisdom, I'm older than you are, to send them to hell, and the next day without mentioning his name, I took his letter for a text, and I read his comment, young man, it won't do a sinner to send them to hell, you're exactly right, it won't do a sinner a bit of good, for God to send them to hell, don't send men to hell, to God, if God sends you to hell, it'll be to punish, sends men to hell, Brother Henry, can you handle these, men don't like, they get one that's...
God of the Bible vs. the 'God' of Today
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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.