In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the need for revival and the reasons why it may be delayed. He quotes Isaiah 59, explaining that God's hand is not too short to save, but it is our iniquity and sin that separate us from Him. The preacher challenges Christians to examine their lives and question if they are living in a way that grieves the Spirit of God or compromises their faith. He urges believers to be honest with themselves and seek God's mercy and transformation. The sermon also highlights the importance of missions and warns of the judgment that awaits those who are found outside of Christ. The preacher acknowledges his own shortcomings and encourages the audience to trust in the living God despite their weaknesses.

Let us close our eyes, I pray. Father, we come before you in only one name, for all men have fallen short of the glory of God, but one man has prevailed. There was one man found who could open the book, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. Father, and we come in his name. In the name of Jesus Christ. It's only because of that name and that life and that example and that sacrifice that we can stand here this morning or sit there and say, oh God, have mercy on us. Come and help us to perceive what thou wouldst say to us this morning. Come and lead us, Lord, by thy Spirit, for man shall profit us nothing, neither the strength of man. Father, therefore, please hide me away. I so easily will hinder thee, I know. Oh, life is frail and weak, but I yet boast in my weakness, for so Christ is made manifest in this earthen vessel. And so I pray, Father, come and lift Jesus Christ up high this morning in our midst. Help us to perceive and understand the words that we are about to look at. Father, not to have our own perspective and understanding, but to have yours is our desire. Help us, Lord. We are weak, although we even might not know it. We are done of hearing. We're proud. We are boastful. God, have mercy on us. This morning I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. You can open your Bibles, the book of Matthew, Matthias, book of Matthew, chapter 23, sorry, book of Matthew, chapter 23. If you have your Bibles open there, please listen first to what I think is good for us to know. There is a reason not to go and do missions. There's a reason why we can rather stay at home and not go preach to other people. There's a reason for us to shut ourselves in our closet and stay there. There's a reason why God would not want people to carry His covenant on their mouth. There's a reason. We read a few words here what Jesus said, chapter 23, verse 14. It says, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you devour widows' houses and for pretense make long prayers. Therefore you shall receive a great damnation. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you can pass sea and land to make one proselyte. And when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourself. Woe unto you, ye blind guides, who say, and then it goes on and on. There's a reason for men to tremble when they get in contact with this book and the one who wrote it and then want to go and tell others about it. There is a reason to tremble if you are a hypocrite. What is it to be a hypocrite? A hypocrite is someone that doesn't really always stick to what he says to others. So he would tell others to do things, but he himself, when he's alone, would do differently. He'll teach the men not to look at the ladies, but when he's alone, he's looking. He would teach his congregation to live sacrificial lives, but then he's living lavishly, rich lives. He would teach people things which he himself is not prepared to lift his pink, his little finger to do. This is hypocritical. And Jesus had no liking to it. You know, he would let harlots come and weep at his feet and wipe it with their hair. Listen, he would let a lady who has allowed her body to be abused come and lie at his feet and weep and wipe it with her hair, but he wouldn't let the hypocrite come close to him with a stick. He called them vipers, men who shot heaven in the face of men. He had little respect for the religious hypocrites of his day. And the sad reality is, most of us in this room stand in danger of being one. You know, I've often thought we preach sermons against the adulterer and against this one and against that one, the drunkards and these, but they usually don't come to church, you know. The ones that should be preached to is the hypocrites. And they have reason to shut themselves in their closet and not go anywhere. Not tell anyone about Jesus. God says, you wicked, why do you keep my covenant on your lips? You've got nothing to do with it. It says here, they come past sea and land to make one proselyte. Now that's, they go do missions to make one man a Jew. Make him a, what they call a proselyte. Convert him to Judaism of that day, not the Judaism of today. Today's Judaism is close to witchcraft. Whereas the Judaism of that day still had the law, the temple, the sacrifices, the priests and all these things. But we consider that Jesus was not pleased with this. And I know that there are many churches today that they are doing a great deal of mission work, but they are blinding people. They're making them, as the scripture says here, you come past, make one proselyte, and when he is made, you make him twofold more the child of hell than yourself. So God is saying, you're a hypocrite, you're a child of hell. It's not me that's saying it, God is saying it. If you're a hypocrite, you're living a double life in church, you're nice and smile and fresh, but there in your closet, you're deceiving and stealing and slandering and gossiping and envying and striving and you're a hypocrite. So my question is, Jesus says, if you then go out and convince somebody to follow you, you make them twice the child of the devil. Twice. I think, well, Lord, let us stay in our closets, let us fall on our knees, let us weep, let us cry for grace, let us change our ways. I have over the short little time of my life met so many people that have been completely blinded by hypocrites in the church. People who have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof. They have no reality with God. They're Christians, but they don't know Him. They're faithful in doing the little things like tithing and all these things. They fast twice a week and they will never miss any activities. But they are carrying within them dead man's bones. Whitewashed sepulchres. That's what it is to be a hypocrite. You go read chapter 23 if you don't believe me. It says all these things. That's one reason why we shouldn't go do missions. But then, let's look at why should we? Why should we go do missions? Why missions? As one brother started exclaiming that there is so many percentage of millions dying per hour and this and that, and he went down giving statistics after statistics of millions of people dying every day who has never heard the gospel once. Once! They have not even heard it once. We live in 2008. That's 2000 years approximately from Christ. And yet there is thousands upon millions of people who has not heard about Him once. Do you know that? In Africa they haven't heard of Him once. Now we know the devil has jumped in to furnish the job because he knows his time shall not come until everyone has heard of Jesus. And through the media and many similar fashions, a false Christianity is being proclaimed with speakers so loud that the truth, I doubt we'll be able to keep up the pace if God does not intervene. False Christianity is growing like wild grass everywhere. Promising people a false peace. Giving them a security which is not from God. God has not said stay in your sin and I shall smile on you. He started His ministry and His very greatest prophet too with these words, repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent is what He started with. Do we think He has changed? He does not change. Why missions? John 20 verse 21 says, As my Father has sent me so send I you. We can quickly read it. One of my favorite chapters or rather verses when I consider the greatness of those words. In fact, it's so great that I believe when it was spoken the whole spiritual world trembled when they heard that God is now going to send many like He sent His Son. They saw what the Son has done. You know the Son has totally overcome the Kingdom of Darkness through His death. He's totally taken out of the way all accusation and cleansed your name. Made you white as snow. So the Father sent Him. And here in chapter 20 verse 21, then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you. As my Father has sent me even so send I you. Even so. And with that goes, I believe a whole great responsibility. A very great responsibility. You know we read there in Matthew 24 a story a parable Matthew 24 sorry, 25 Matthew 25 verse 31 Matthew 25 When the Son of Man shall come in His glory and all His angels with Him then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory and before Him shall be gathered all nations and He shall separate them one from the other as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats and He shall say so He shall set the sheep on His right hand but the goat on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was hungered and you gave me meat I was thirsty and you gave me drink I was a stranger you took me in naked you clothed me. I was sick you visited me I was in prison you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer Him saying Lord when saw we thee hungered and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink when saw we thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and clothed thee or when saw we thee sick or in prison and gave thee came unto thee and the King shall answer and say unto them verily I say to you insomuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me. We consider here a passage which I believe is very much misunderstood it is very much misunderstood because I know of many different religious groups which do a great deal to make sure that people are fed and clothed and looked after and visited when they seek and all these things they do it they are they put us to shame in their commitment and dedication now what does it then mean if that if people who have a wrong perception of Christ still do the same let me tell you what it says here when I was a hungered you gave me meat Jesus said my meat is to do the will of the Father Jesus said I come to give my life as bread you know the world out there is hungry they don't have spiritual truth they are starving they have no eyes to see they are blind they have nothing to cover their nakedness of sin they are totally bound in a prison of sin they are sick because of the sickness of sin they are strangers to the covenant of God they are without hope and if we don't commit our lives to repent from hypocritical lives and then go out and give them the bread of life clothe them with the righteousness of Christ hold out to them the healing balm of Gilead shall we not have their bloods on our hand according to Ezekiel 3 chapter 4 it's a one of those passages that I'm sure many Bible faithful Bible readers know Ezekiel chapter 3 verse 4 and he said unto me son of man go get thee out no it's not that one verse 17 chapter 3 verse 17 son of man I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel therefore hear the word of my mouth and give them warning for me when I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely die and thou givest not warning nor speak to warn the wicked from the wicked way to save his life the wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand doesn't that sound the same with the king saying to these go away from me and to those you gave me meat you clothed me and this and that it's the same the one gave warning to the coming judgment and many took heed and were clothed upon with the righteousness of Jesus Christ they were washed they were delivered out of the prisons you don't believe me well let's go to Isaiah 61 and you hear the lord Jesus his own words repeated in the new testament but we will read it in Isaiah 61 it says the spirit of the lord is upon me because the lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives isn't that those in prison and the opening of the prison to them that are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the lord and the day of vengeance of our god to comfort all that mourn and to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give to give unto them beauty for ashes and oil of joy for mourning and the garment of praise garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the lord that he might that he might be glorified why missions that he might be glorified the one reason we looked because many are dying yet it stands close to being humanistic to come to a place where we think that the existence of God is for the happiness of man no my dear friends brothers and sisters it is for the glory of God that's why missions God must be glorified another reason why missions 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 tells us a startling statement which many wouldn't want to believe 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 11 says knowing therefore the terror of the lord we persuade men but we are made manifest unto God and I trust also are made manifest in your conscience what does that mean to us that means there must be men who have come face to face with the realities of life that man is appointed once to die and thereafter the judgment and then knowing this reality and the terror being found outside of Christ they go out and they preach they warn the wicked now were they wicked of course they were all have fallen short I stand here today before you as a dying man preaching to dying people I'm just one of you said Paul be as I am weak frail but trusting in the living God that's the difference and yet we have come to see that there is a terrible wrath I mean consider for yourself a moment if he is really as merciful and as kind and as gentle and as meek and as humble and as patient patient patient as we read of in scripture if he's really all these wonderful things what must it take to get him to be full of wrath I tell you what it takes it takes people who live in sin that's what it takes many people out there today who don't want to follow God you know why because other people live in sin that's why other people go out and do unrighteous things unjust things and they mar the conscience of many and God's wrath is kindled because his image is misrepresented people are misinformed of who God is because men live in sin and that's why God's wrath is kindled there is terror for them who wouldn't turn from their sin and receive Christ knowing therefore this terror Paul inspired of the Holy Ghost said we persuade men to be reconciled to turn back you know in Hebrews 12 verse 2 it says looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despised the shame and is sit down at the right hand of God the right hand of the throne of God my question is what was that joy that was set before him isn't it you in the presence of God isn't it those that have turned and believed on him isn't it missions didn't he see oh yes there will be a few that will believe that I am truly he who I say I am and they will take this message after it's crushed them and purged them and clenched them and they will carry it with all their zeal and eager and power and fire from heaven as I've had in this time I was here and they shall bring in a harvest and they shall be called trees of righteousness a planting of the Lord that he might be glorified he saw a joy set before him people repenting people coming back to God people meeting their creator getting free from their bondages getting cleansed getting clothed he saw it and he therefore endured the cross he said well if I must die I'll die he endured it he went through it he didn't say nah they spit in my face they plucked my beard why should I if they can see how much I love them if they can see that their sin but leads to destruction why won't they turn we also see another reason for missions if we look briefly here in 1st Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 19 20 for what is our hope or joy or crown of rejoicing are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ that is coming for ye are our glory and joy there is another reason for missions brothers you can take nothing to heaven with you but souls everything that men have bled for died for strived for and lived for will become ashes useless nothing there is only one thing that shall remain and that is what is done in Christ let us go out laboring to bring in as many souls to him lest we end up before that throne and he says to us when I was naked you did not clothe me when I was hungry you did not feed me when I was in prison you did not visit me you did not come and set me free you left me to rot in the devil's hell don't you know that each man on this earth has made in the presence sorry image we have belittled the value of a soul my dear friends, brothers and sisters we drive through the townships and we see thousands of people walking and somehow this is numbed our perspective of the value of one of their souls they are made in the image of God and when you have not gone out to clothe them with Jesus' righteousness if you have not gone out to feed them with the bread of heaven if you have not gone out to proclaim liberty to the captives he shall say to you go away from me ye cursed go away from me I know you not, you workers of iniquity go away from me why? because there is people sinking away in hell because the church are hypocrites we sit on our back, ill comfortable saying we are full and satisfied yet we are naked and wretched and poor. Jesus says come come buy ye gold at my place so what is needful for missions to have its power what is needful revival there needs to be revival among God's people there needs to be an awakening that people will wake up and see their need and come before God and stop playing the fool I mean listen, if we are not walking in Christ in victory, let's face it let's come out and say God I am falling short, I am preaching to people but I am not living it let's come out and face it instead of faking on cruising on and being come twice a child of the devil as those that lead us dear beloved don't you know don't you know that God would have all men everywhere to repent all men everywhere means all men everywhere to repent and call on Jesus as their Lord and Savior who has the power to give unto them a new heart to put his spirit within them and cause them to walk in a new life which they themselves cannot produce they cannot with all their strength and abilities and powers they are falling so far short that it will take the soul of man all eternity suffering in hell to do what one drop of blood of Christ does in a moment if you believe to Christ three days to settle their account it will take man all eternity and still no settlement will be reached no settlement will be reached to Christ three days you want to know how far man falls short there is somewhat of a glimpse of it you either turn for he has said my son is the one in whom I am well pleased and he does not bow the knee unto him shall not see life shall not see life oh you must believe him today there is a reason why revival tarries God says there is a reason read of it in Isaiah 59 there is a reason why revival tarries it says behold the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save neither is his ear heavy that it cannot hear but your iniquity have separated but your iniquity have separated between you and your God and your sin hath hid his face from you that he will not hear are we living a life which has grieved the spirit of God are we Christians living a compromising life are we hypocrites don't sit there and say yes I am not a hypocrite rather be honest say God it's me you're talking to I'm helping God I can't change myself I'm desperate and needy I'm weak and poor I'm unable to do this what you're saying I'm I'm undone how do you think Peter felt when Jesus met him after he denied him three times how did he feel I mean here stands the Lord now resurrected before him saying hi Peter how are you and all of a sudden Peter remembered the look he got you remember he denied him the third time and the crow crow and John it says and Jesus looked at him that look while he's being beaten smacked around the King of Heaven listen it's the Lord of Lords we're talking about he looked at Peter now after the resurrection here he's standing before Peter what has Peter done he's done the same as Judas he denied the Lord for fear of man the Lord said to him Peter do you love me and guess how many times he says it three times he was really pressing the point don't you think Peter I remember that you denied me thrice you know it's almost like he's reminding him Peter I know you done it I know you're weak I know you and then he said to him a profound thing go do missions you ready go feed my lambs you ready go when Peter came to see but I am no better than Judas I'm just another weak earthen vessel he was ready are you ready today you don't need to be smart you don't need to be strong you need to be broken that's all you need to be broken he shall not destroy but as long as you sit there in your chair and think you got your Christianity together woe unto you you know there's a promise for us in Psalm 79 we can close with that Psalm 79 Psalm 79 verse 8 O remember not again sorry O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercy speedily prevent us for we are brought very low can you hear that how low very low help us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name and deliver us purge away our sins for thy name's sake wherefore should the heathen say where is their God let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is said let the shining of the singing of the prisoner come before thee sorry let the sighing of the prisoner listen the sighing of the prisoner come before thee according to the greatness of thy power preserve those that are appointed to death who are appointed to death and who are the prisoners in the day we live those that are not in Christ bound as slaves to sin they are the prisoners and they are appointed to death and they sigh because the church is full of hypocrites there's this wonderful hymn which I want to read to you so send I you to labor unrewarded to serve unpaid unloved unsought unknown to bear rebuke to suffer scorn and scoffing so send I you to toil for me alone so send I you to bind the bruised and broken a wandering soul to work to weed to wake to bear the burdens of the world a weary so send I you to suffer for my sake so send I you in loneliness and longing with hearts hungered for the love and the known the loved and the known forsaking home and kindred friends and dear one so send I you to leave your life ambitions to die to dear desires to self will resign to labor long in love when men revile you so send I you to lose your life in mine so send I you to hearts made hard by hatred to eyes made blind because they will not see to spend though it be blood to spend and spare not so send I you to taste of Calvary I'll leave it here for those who'd like to read it some more Dear ones Jesus came as a missionary spreading revival everywhere he went. Will you follow him? Father I stand before you as a man who is unworthy to bring such a message for I know Lord that my own life falls so far short but I desire mercy and love it Lord and I plead with you raise up a people for thyself raise up a people for thyself O God that would follow you and walk as you have walked I pray for those who could not be here today Lord that I would likewise encourage them to lay their lives down, to quit the fight the faking and come before the unbroken. Father thank you for the blood thank you for the forgiveness of sin that are being preached in the name of Jesus Christ thank you Lord for thy sacrifice thank you God for thy great mercy and showing unto man that thou art not out to destroy him but give him mercy thou dost not take delight in the suffering in the pain which sin has brought but would have men see that their ways lead to destruction so that they will turn back enter through the rugged gate walk on the narrow way to the celestial city the new Jerusalem where we shall forever live with him who has called us by our name we bless you Lord for such a wonderful gospel in Jesus Christ name we thank you Amen