In this sermon, the preacher discusses the possibilities of miniaturization and how it will revolutionize communication in the future. He mentions the potential of having email, internet, and even a three-way conference on a wristwatch. The preacher also highlights the dangers of being influenced by worldly desires and the negative consequences that can result from chasing after adventure. He emphasizes the importance of staying connected to God's vision and not shrinking back in faith. The sermon concludes with an invitation to come forward and commit to following God's plan.

Father, we do have so much to be thankful for, so much. I thank you Lord for touching Stephanie and little Jonathan, others that have been ill, Lord. We appreciate your hand on our families, and we're believing Lord that every member will be brought into the Kingdom of God without exception. So help us to be faithful that this may happen. We pray Lord for the prison ministry today, Lord, as Bill goes down and others that you will be there, and the inmates will come forth, that your hand is on them. And Lord, you'll bless those that are working with the children, those of us here. Lord in Tape Land, we need your presence, Lord. We need to hear what God is saying. And I pray that no one will leave without his biscuit today. I ask in Jesus' name, Amen. While we're looking at Hebrews chapter 10, verses 35 through 39, I'll remind those that hear the tape that we are internet www.wor.org and there is a free essay to go out on the email if you'll send your email address to us. Alright, Hebrews 10, 35 through 39. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. You can read with me if you have the New American Standard. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, he who is coming with me, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. Verse 35, throw away your confidence. That's also in Hebrews chapter 3. We have confidence that if we do God's will, that he's going to enable us to make a success of the Christian life. Satan often challenges that, and people start out to lead the victorious Christian life, and their friends say, who are you trying to kid? And their own perception of their inability says, who are you trying to kid? And Satan says, who are you trying to kid? Did you ever have that happen to you? I can't make it, I mean it's great to think about it, but I'm me and I'm going to blow it. So, have confidence. Confidence in God's power. Confidence in God's promise, that he is faithful to keep that which has been presented to him. Faithful, God is faithful. You have to do your part, and if you do your part, God will do his part. You're not going to blow it, if you will just do the simple things that God requires. To read your Bible and pray, and when you're tempted, pray, do what you can to overcome. You're not going to blow the program, you're going to make it, because God's word is behind you. You have to do your part, you can't just lay and do nothing, and sin all over the place, that isn't going to work. But if you will do what God says, to pray and read your Bible, gather with the saints, give, serve, present yourself before the Lord, you're going to make it, have confidence, don't throw it away, don't throw it away. These Hebrew Christians had had a real good experience behind them, and they were now getting careless and casual, and figuring, well he's not going to come, and what's the use of all of this, and why, keep at it. I've seen a lot of Christians come and go, the secret of the successful Christian life is to keep at it. It's not to the smarter, the beautiful, it's to those who keep at it. Any dumbbell can keep at it. Just keep at it. Don't quit, keep at it, and you'll make a success of it, because God will see your patience and your faith in all your problems, and he will help you, if you don't quit. Get up off the canvas and start swinging again, you'll be alright, don't quit. Cast not away there for your confidence, that's a great reward. Audrey prophesied over someone in Wisconsin, and I never heard the thought before, but it's very useful. She said that you're laying up gold, that you'll be able to spend in the kingdom. Laying up gold, that you'll be able to spend in the kingdom. Isn't that some concept? Probably some of you have read the visions of Annie, and what comes across is that the rewards of the righteous are quite beyond our imagination. They think, oh yeah, there'll be a reward, maybe I'll have a mansion, maybe I'll sit on a throne, which all may be very true, but I'm here to tell you, that the eye has not seen, the ear has not heard, neither has entered into the heart of man to imagine the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. And when you are patiently making those difficult choices, those difficult righteous choices, that are sometimes tear of your soul, just remember that there is such a reward laid up for you, you have no comprehension of the magnitude of the reward that will accrue to those who are faithful in obeying God. Believe me, it's true, they are staggering, they are colossal, they are beyond anything you can imagine. Life beats us down, as Sholem Aleichem described the beggar who went to heaven, they promised him anything he wanted, and he asked for a hot roll and butter. The poor guy had never had a hot roll and butter, he was poor. He just looked through the restaurant window and saw people with a hot roll and butter. He thought, if I ever get to heaven, I'm going to have a hot roll and butter. So then he stood before God and Father Abraham, and they asked him, what would you like son, all of heaven is here for you, a hot roll and butter. Life beats us down, and we lose the grandeur of God. God, who created all things, is able to give you more than a hot roll and butter, praise the Lord. So, don't cast away, there's great reward attached to it. You need to remember that, because sometimes things can get pretty irritating, pretty depressing, can grind you down. Figure if I could just get a little shack on the corner of glory land, I'd be happy. I could just make it Lord. Well, be patient. There is a great reward for every righteous act that you commit, because God knows we're inaccessible, and He knows we're only dust. And when He sees that dust down there trying to do what's right, when the angels in glory did not do that, and to see us down here trying to lift up our little dust-filled head and do what is right because of Jesus, let me tell you, the Father's heart is gladdened, and He lays up rewards beyond the mind of man to imagine. Ear is not heard, eye is not seen, neither has entered into the heart of man to imagine the things that God has prepared for those who love Him. How does that set with you? It's true. And he saw that in vision. For you have need of endurance. I wonder if any of us today have need of endurance. So that when you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise. That's a very key verse, because sometimes we pray and nothing happens. So we try to force it by faith and nothing happens. We get discouraged, we think this thing doesn't work. Jesus said, ask what you will and it shall be done. We asked what we would and it didn't happen. Yet, the time interval between the things that God has promised you and you have prayed for, and the point of time at which you receive them, is not known to us. We just have to have endurance. That after we have prayed and after we have heard from God, we receive the promise. But it is in that, are you there? It is in that period of time that the saints are formed. The character is formed. You know how a child is, if you give them everything they want, when they want it. What kind of a child do you soon have on your hands? A monster. They cannot accept any delay. I want it now and if I don't get it now, I will kill everybody in sight. And that's the way we all would be. If every time we said to God, you know, I'd like this or that and God gave it to us, we would be worth nothing in the kingdom, whatever. We would never have character. We would be spoiled, rotten. And would certainly have no compassion on sinners. But because of that interval of time, and the Bible speaks of it frequently in the New Testament, the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, because of that interval of time, we are made saints as we wait. Because that tests our faith, doesn't it? It tests our hope. It tests our resolution. You have to be in the place where Thomas said, let's go up and die with him. It's a kind of, Jesus, you're the only show in town. And if you're not there, and you're not real, I don't care to play any game. I mean, I've got all my eggs in one basket, I'm not hedging my bet that Jesus is on the nose to win or forget it. That's what Peter said, didn't he? Where will we go? All the others had alternatives, didn't they? Well, this Jew isn't making any sense talking about his body and his blood. So let's go back home and see if we can do something significant. But Peter said, Lord, just nobody else has it. You got it. So we're hanging out with you. We crash, we crash. You almost have to have that attitude. Because as long as you think there's an alternative, you know, Satan will fiddle around and fiddle around and fiddle around. You say, well, I'll give God a year to do it, and if He doesn't do it, well, guess what? Nothing's going to happen for a year. Because Heaven wants to see where you're coming from. Do you really want a new world wherein dwells righteousness? Is this what you want? Or are you looking for a fire escape? Is what... Is the new world of righteousness mean so much to you that, Lord, if you're going to go up and die, we're going to go up and die with you because you have got all we want and ever hoped for and no alternatives. There's something wonderful and simple about that. It'll make your whole body full. There's a lot of truth to it, too, because what Jesus has to offer is so far superior to anything the world can come up with that it's really a rational decision to say, Lord, I hope so much for this new world of righteousness that Peter talks about. I just... I'm betting everything on it. Are you there? Is that where you're living? Huh? Or are you waiting on the alternatives? They say that we should count the cost. Jesus said we should count the cost. There's two costs to count. There's the cost of being a disciple and there's the cost of not being a disciple. And I've counted both costs. And the cost of not being a disciple is astronomical. And I don't care to pay that cost. The cost of being a disciple requires discipline, but it still results in a better life than people that are running around getting themselves sick for the one thing or another. The way of the transgressor is hard. So following Jesus is a win-win situation. Don't forget that. It's a win-win situation. And everything else is a mess. Don't wait too long to find that out. For yet a very little while he was coming, will come. Well, that's 2,000 years ago. So God's idea of a very little while and ours may be different. I think, Bruce, you've got to be in for the long haul. You've got to sign up for the duration. You've got to put your treasures beyond the grave. You've got to put your treasures in heaven. You've got to lay up gold there so you'll have it to spend in the kingdom. How would you like to get into the kingdom broke? There will be people, according to the Bible, who will get into the kingdom broke. They'll be saved just by fire with no reward. And they'll go in there with nothing to spend and all these wonderful things and no gold to buy it with. I counsel thee to buy every gold tried in the fire. It's worth it. It's worth it. Hallelujah. I wouldn't be in church if it was just a social gathering. But my righteous one shall live by faith. And, of course, you recognize that. That's the cry of the Reformation. The just shall live by faith. That's one time in the old. It comes from the old. And three times in the new. And this is the last time in the new. That's how you live. Then the 11th chapter that follows. See, these two chapters really go together. But they're separated by chapter numbers 11. They shouldn't be. They run. The 11th chapter is a definition of the saying the just shall live by faith. Bishop Usher, some hundreds of years ago, broke these texts into chapters and verses. And he was an itinerant preacher, which meant that he rode a horse from one town to another in the old days, the old west. And he, while he was traveling, broke the New Testament into chapters and verses. Before that, it was just all one text. And the apocryphal tale is that every time his horse stepped in a gopher hole, he made a new chapter. Apocryphal means it may not be true. I don't want the kids going out here and quoting that. That's what Brother Thompson said. Alright. The righteous one shall live by faith. And chapter 11 is the definition of faith. If he shrinks back, that's the only way you can blow this program, is by shrinking back. It's a pressing forward. Any dead fish can go downstream. It's a pressing forward. There are strong currents that are militating against your pursuit of Christ. Strong currents. Spiritual, in the media, in your own flesh, and will. There are strong currents. And all you have to do to go with it is to just relax and do nothing. And you'll go with the flow. But to do right in this world, in the condition that it's in, the United States is apostate. If you even go back a hundred years, it would be so different. The same is true of England. The same is true of England. I like to read about the English sailing ships of war when they fought war on sailing ships. And the Christian influence in England was so strong that it was regarded by the sailors as a Christian ship. They had two kinds of language that they used. Above deck and below deck. And when you were above deck, where the captain and the officers were, you used good language. And if you wanted to tell dirty jokes and so on, you did that below deck. They had a sense of righteousness. A sense of what is right. And when you were up where the officers could hear you and the captain, they would not permit you to use filthy language. I mean, this was Christian England. This was a Christian ship in this royal Christian king's navy. And so they had below deck language and above deck language. I doubt seriously that today's navy is much concerned about that. But anyway, it hasn't always been like this. And so we have a rare opportunity to serve the Lord in a time of considerable spiritual darkness. It's a great time to make overcomers. But you have to swim upstream. Being a churchgoer is one thing. Being a victorious saint is quite a different thing. And churchgoing, it's nice and admirable. But if you don't end up being a victorious saint, it isn't going to do you a great deal of good. Maybe save your conscience or make you socially acceptable. My righteous one shall live by faith and if he shrinks back. Isn't it like that expression? Shrink back. Like you're facing something frightening or something that's pressing you and something that... Shrink back from this thing. Are you shrinking back today? Huh? You're shrinking back from what is before you? God will break the walls before you if you move in the right direction. There's power steering there. You turn the wheel in the right direction, the engines will kick in. I mean the engines of God will kick in and break down the wall before you. Don't shrink back. We've got one little miserable life to live and the only thing that counts is Jesus. Don't wait until you're 72 to learn that. Alright. If he shrinks back, God says, my soul has no pleasure in him. Well, God knows that I'm a mouse. Pass the cheese. He doesn't expect me to be sir valiant. Yes he does. He wants you to be valiant for truth. And if you insist on being a timid little mouse, God will not find pleasure in you. But doesn't he love me when I'm a timid little mouse? No. He wants you to be valiant for truth. He wants you to be up there. So just... You remember Reepy Cheep? Look, he was only a mouse, but he had his sword and he was in there to fight and to win, wasn't he? You've all read about Reepy Cheep. Huh? He's a valiant little mouse. So you may be a mouse, but get up there. Make it count. Hit him with the flat of your sword. That's what Reepy Cheep did. Whip him with the flat of his sword. Alright. God says, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. I don't care for this shrinking back, God says. So you're scared. Well, that isn't what makes a coward. A brave person is a person who's scared and goes forward anyway. That's what bravery is. A person that feels no fear isn't brave. It's a person who's scared to death and goes forward. That's the person that's brave. And God wants you to be brave. God wants you to go forward in this thing. Oh, I can't live it, Brother Thompson. When I think, ah, yeah, but see, you're too far ahead of yourself. Take it five minutes at a time. How many here can live the Christian life for the next five minutes? Most everybody in the house, as long as I don't get too rough up here. You can live it for the next five minutes. Well, after that's over, we'll start again. Pretty soon those add up into years. Five minutes at a time. Sometimes, Bruce, that's the only way you can live it, is five minutes at a time. Other times, on another occasion, you might make it for a whole day. But sometimes it does get to the place where, oh God, just five minutes, just five minutes. Then when that's over, then you go five minutes more. It's very helpful. You try it. It'll keep you off the street. All right, now. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction. Now, as our email service goes on, we've got some responses back now. Two that I can think of, and then one that had to do with the article on tickets. Jesus, the ticket of the way. And the basic question that is raised is this. Once you are saved by grace in Jesus Christ, can you be lost? Yes or no? And so, a fellow put this on the internet, and on the email, I should say. Is this true or not? And it seemed to us that he was a very honest seeker. He wasn't trying to cause trouble. He wasn't wanting to debate any theology. He just wanted to know, what do you believe? And I put, yes. Yes, I do believe. I didn't go into your definition of salvation may be different from mine, or heaven, or anything else. Election, or Arminianism, or Calvinism, or anything else. I said yes. And then I wrote, I felt it was a worthy question. I know we're going to get more. So, I took the time to write a whole essay on it. A bomb, that will appear in due time. And I'm saving it. Because, in fact, I saved it as a file by the name of stock. So I would remember. I won't have to do this again. I can retrieve it, because basically the answer for everyone is the same. That we have developed, evangelical scholars have advanced the concept of a kind of a bubble, in which once you accept Christ, you're in this bubble. And believe me, it's steel. It's not easy for the Scripture to penetrate. It's a bubble. And the idea is that you are saved at nothing. Your behavior, you are saved. And so you float around in this bubble, which is really not anchored to reality. And then I introduced a few Scriptures. I don't think I used this one, but they're, the concept in Hebrews and in Jude. The concept is presented about the Jews in Egypt. And it says, you see that, Jude says, you see that how God, having saved the people out of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who believed not. Now, if it were impossible to lose your salvation once you had it, and I'm going to ignore all the extenuating explanations of this, but we all know what it means to be saved. You have a sense of sins forgiven. You have the joy of the Lord in your heart. And you're, when you pray, you know the Lord hears you. It's just a sense that you have. There's a joyful sound in your soul. And that's what we call being saved. We've been touched by God. We've accepted His sacrifice. Our sins are forgiven. Okay. Now the issue is, can you ever lose that? Well, according to this great steel bubble, no. Because you have been placed in an abstract situation that is not really tied into reality at all. And my comment to this good man, and I feel he's a very good man that wrote Fine, Kindly Man, is that what this bubble does, it prevents you from seeing what is written. You can't see it. Because there are numerous verses in the Old Testament and the New Testament that warn us that if we don't do what God said, we're going to be cut out of the vine. I mean, there's numerous verses. But because, but this bubble prevents your being able to see it. And it destroys perception. Now here is one right here. But of those, alright, but we are not of those who shrink back to destruction. Well, if you're a Christian and you shrink back, what are you inviting? Now, let me ask you this question. Can you be destroyed and still be saved? That is the question. Well, in a lie, I would not wait to find out. Because it might mean exactly what it says. Jesus said, if you don't bear fruit, you'll be cut out of the vine. Well, can I be cut out of the vine and still be saved? Is the question. Paul says, if you practice the works of the flesh, you will not inherit the kingdom. But, but will I be saved? And you remember my answer, don't you? I told you a couple of weeks ago. I finally got disenchanted with these questions. But, yes, but will I be saved? And I said, yes, by all means, you will be saved in the day that horses sprout feathers and frogs grow hair. Yes. Oh, Lord, but will I still be saved? Well, I don't want to wait and find out if destruction means you won't be saved. But it looks pretty ominous to me. If you shrink back, well, we all know what shrink back means. You quit going on with God. You say, what's the use of this? Here I have passed up a lot of heavy dates. I have just went off my drugs and I can't even have a cold beer on a hot day and I'm just, I feel like I'm tied up in knots. If I had my will, I'd go to Las Vegas and hang. You ever had the feeling? I think I might have at one time. It was so long ago, I can't remember. Which as it happens, you know, if you stay with it long enough, that's called shrinking back. And God says, no, no, I don't want that around here. No, that belongs somewhere else. I don't know. Jesus didn't shrink back from the cross. But then it says, those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. Now, there's an interesting comment. First of all, we've got to find out what faith is, which we'll discuss in a minute after we get past this gopher hole. The preserving of the soul. It seems, and I don't like to make an issue about the difference between the soul and the spirit, because as soon as you do, you can be reproved from the Bible, because it's not that clean cut. But it seems to me that when you get saved, that your spirit is received of God, and you have that touch of God in your life. But you have to put your souls down here, and it has got some ideas of its own. And faith preserves your soul. And Jesus said, he that endures to the end shall be saved. Now, God has a soul. If any man draw back my soul, he shall have no pleasure in him. If we keep on in this patient business, something happens to our soul. Something happens to our soul. And so when we say, I got saved 20 years ago, my soul was saved 20 years ago, it's not quite scriptural. You began 20 years ago. But have you shrunk back? You've got to have faith. We're going to talk about what faith is in just a minute, and we won't take all day, so don't collapse. Alright. Faith to the preserving of the soul. How many would like to have their soul preserved? Pretty near everybody in the house. I saw many nodding their head yes. They would like their soul preserved. Well, if you're going to preserve your soul, you have to have faith. And faith is the opposite of shrinking back. Now, we have the cry of the Reformation. The just shall live by faith. What does that mean? The righteous do not shrink back. That's what it means. The righteous do not shrink back. There's a confidence, there's a hope, there's a courage, there's a patience that operates. And faith is compounded from all of these that works in them and keeps them from shrinking back. Their head is bloody, but it's not bowed because of this. Not because they have faith in themselves, but because they have faith in what God has presented before them. It's a vision. Modern marketers, marketing specialists know that people are moved by vision. If you're going to sell them something, that that is something they want. Politicians work by vision. They try to destroy your ability to see what's actually going on and train sales people know the power of vision. That's why they associate that they should show Joe Camel in the hospital. You see, that's vision. That's vision. I mean, people that put out these ads are people that make a great deal of money because they're skilled in vision so that you're not seeing what is true, but you're seeing the vision. Big thing in our day. Image and vision. And so God has given us a vision and He says, if you don't have this, you will perish. So a lot of our Christian life is that vision. We get that vision and then by faith and courage and endurance and hope and a sense of humor and a few other things thrown in, we don't shrink back. That's what faith is. And that's how the righteous live. And it preserves the soul. It keeps your soul. You can lose your soul. How do you lose your soul? What does that mean? You have a soul. That's what you are. It's your power of will. It's where your emotions are. It's where you make judgments and decide. Your spirit can challenge your soul and advise your soul, but in your soul you make your choices. I will do this or I won't do this. In the meanwhile, your conscience in the Word of God and your Holy Spirit in your spirit advising you. But deep within you, you make a decision. God will not make that decision for you. That's your soul. And your job is to preserve it. It's not lose it. Because to lose your soul means that some power is controlling it other than you. You've lost control. You're driven by self-will or Satan or something else. That fine judge that dwells in you that says this is right and this is wrong. You've lost that because you have not followed your vision. You have allowed your flesh or the world or people or Satan or an image presented by Satan. If you run away from home you'll be happy. I think of those three youngsters in Michigan last week. Two young boys and a 14-year-old girl brought up in a nice sedate middle class uninteresting environment that decided they wanted a little a little adventure. All in their teens. Hopped a train and then they went as far as they thought they'd like to go which wasn't very far. It was within Michigan and jumped off within an hour. The girl had been raped several times. One of the boys had been shot dead and the other one was wounded. And they ran down the street and a lot of people passed them. Finally somebody stopped them and I thought what a way for three ordinary teenage kids who raised in just a so so common place middle class church going community to find out what's out there. That was then the paper last week because Satan presented an image to them a vision of adventure. Hopped the freight train to worlds before you the great bridge into wonderland. And the girl raped several times. 14 years old. One of the youngsters shot dead. They found out what Satan has to present to offer to you. Adventure, thrill. Boy they found out the hard way. The two survivors will never forget that lesson I'm sure but what a way to learn. And so he continues with this thought now faith, alright I told you that the righteous will live by faith. Well what is it? Well I'm going to tell you what it is. It's the assurance. It's your conviction. It's your determination to believe something that you hope for. That's why I told you this. So important what you hope for. What do you wish the world was like? 2 Peter 5.13 He speaks of a new world wherein dwells righteousness. Is that what you want? Would you like to live in a world where there's no sin? Not even your sin? A new world wherein dwells righteousness. Do you really want that? If what you're after in Christ is a ticket to heaven you're not going to last. You have to have in your heart a hope that what Christ said is true. That the picture painted from Genesis to Revelation the city that has foundations there really is such a thing. There really is a resurrection from the dead. There really is a judgment that will work for good if you have done good. It will bring incalculable reward if you have chosen righteousness. It's a vision. Jesus, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross. You cannot endure the cross unless you've got a vision. You've got to have a hope. You've got to have a conviction of something you cannot see with your physical eyes. It's good to read the Bible and see what's coming. I got an email from a lady. I would guess she's a new Christian. It may not be true. But she was asking basically she said, I hope that my destiny was golden streets and mansions. Is that true? Well, if that's what you want but I think you'd be kind of disappointed because that isn't what you want. What you want is a glorified earth with no problems with your loved ones. You want someone to love and you'd like a nice environment. But you're not really tuned up about a sea of glass laced with fire or creatures full of eyes. That isn't doing anything for you. That's not really what you want. So, I didn't try to I just kind of I said, how would you like this thought and then painted to her what Isaiah paints about the place where the wild and the tame animals live together the lion eats straw like an ant. Old Grandpa Thompson can sit on the beach and relax without worrying about everybody's kids drowning. Oh, glory. I've enjoyed the beach since I was a kid. I think I'm a warrior instead of a worrier. A worrier instead of a worrier. Alright. Faith is your mental picture of the future that you hope for. That's what faith is. It's your mental picture of the future that you hope for. Hope is the key. What do you hope is going to happen to you? What do you hope is going to be true? We preach to sinful people we say, accept Christ and you won't go to hell. Well, in the first place, the apostles didn't preach like that. There is a hell, but that's not the issue. Here's an issue. To the sinner. How would you like to go to a place where the people all day long were praising God and living righteously and there was no sin of any kind no stealing, no violence none of that type of living that you would find in Las Vegas or Reno or Atlantic City or anything. There's none of that. It's all like church people. All holy, all praising the sinner. How would you like that? And if he says, well that would be hell to me then we say, well whatever you do don't have anything to do with Jesus. Now think about that. I want to escape hell and go to heaven, do you? Maybe you'd be happier in hell. That's where they do the stuff that you're doing. It's not going to be allowed among the saints. They don't want any more of that. They've had it. They're for peace and joy and love and security and freedom from dread and anguish. They don't want you bringing up your violence up here your hatred and your stealing and your lying and your swearing. They don't want that around them. Are you with the saints? Is this what you really want? And give the poor dude an option. Don't leave him with the impression that he's going to remain the way he is and do the things only he's going to not suffer for it. Why lie to the man? Tell him the truth. Say, now here are two visions. One is a place where you have a Satan and his demons and the people eat hair soup for lunch and they're all kind of like you know some of the cities in America. And then on the other hand over here you've got people that are peaceful and straightforward. There's no locks on the doors because nobody steals. Everything looks beautiful and lovely. Now which of the two do you want? Do you really want? Or do you want to sin and just not suffer for it? I think we preach the gospel that way. Don't we? We don't stress the new creature. We stress escape from hell. The apostles never did that. I think that's humanistic. I think that's a humanistic gospel. What's behind that is Satan paving the way for the time when mankind tells God he's wrong for putting Satan in the lake of fire. I think that's what's going on with this doctrine. Now faith is the assurance of things what? Hoped for. What do you wish were true? What are you hoping for? What do you really want? That's so important. And all these men that are listed in this chapter that explains the just shall live by faith were men that hoped for something. They hoped for a better resurrection. They hoped for a city that has foundation. They hoped for the presence of God. Is that what you want? I do. I want it. Count me in Lord. For by it the men of old gained approval. What is so remarkable who can see it? Russ, what is so remarkable about that statement? Can you see it? I put old Russ on the spot there. Alright well join the group Russ nobody else can see it either. We have been taught 20th century of America and it's wrecked the church that there's such a thing as a dispensation of grace that God changed his way of dealing with man. He no longer has to live righteously. This professed faith in Jesus Christ that is probably the most disastrous heresy ever to be introduced into Christian thinking. And it's there in that verse. Can you see it? How is God teaching us under the new covenant faith? Who is he using to teach us faith? The church shall live by faith. Who is God using to teach us faith? Aren't you tracking with me people? Is it past time for din-din? Who is God using? The men of old. The men of old. You want to know what the church shall live by faith means? Look at these men of old. But I thought they were justified by the law. No man ever was justified by the law. Ever. There's not a new way of God dealing with man. You know who the first person that he starts off teaching us the church shall live by faith? Abel. I mean you can't go much past that. There's not too many guys before Abel. So see we've had a snow job. We've had a massive snow job. That somehow God has changed. And now we have something special called faith which is not faith at all. It's belief and doctrine. It doesn't save anybody. Wouldn't grow a hair on a frog. The men of old gained approval only one way Betsy. Only one way. By faith. No one ever pleased God. Other by faith. Abel pleased God. By faith. That's what it means the church shall live by faith. It's not a new thing. God doesn't change. Chop up his dealings with dispensation. Let me see. I think I'll try this. Not the greatest. Let's try this. It's not just what I want. Well let's try this. Oh hang it all. If you can't lick them, join them. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God. And you know it says a fool has said in his heart there is no God. And now scientists can puff up. Puff up like a souffle. And say there is no God. And everything all around you tells you there is design. Somebody did something. But we look around and we say our father did that. Any fool with half an eye can see that the greatness of God in the creation. What is seen was not made out of things which are visible. And that's very important to remember. Don't get too hooked on the visible. God made the physical world and he said it was very very good. It is very good. There's nothing wrong with the physical world. There's no sin in the physical world. The physical world is great. But it's the spirit that controls it that's evil. The heavenly snakes. The snakes from heaven are driving it. And I'll tell you what the plan of redemption is. Is to drive out of the physical world the devil and his angels and the demons and to replace it with the spirits of righteous people made perfect. Isn't that some expression? That's in Hebrews 12. You're coming to Mount Zion to the city of the living God. Now listen. To the spirits of righteous men it's generic, people made perfect. So God starts with righteous people. Elizabeth, he does. And he makes them what? Perfect. Good, I almost got you that time. He makes them perfect. God starts with righteous people and he makes them perfect. Hebrews 12. You're coming to Mount Zion to the city of the living God. And to an innumerable company of angels and to the spirits. The spirits of righteous men made perfect. And it's these spirits that God is going to place in resurrection bodies and on the thrones that govern the physical world. And that's how the new world of righteousness is going to come about. Through the spirits of righteous people made perfect who have been given charge of the physical world. So, kids, if you want to get onto what is real and going someplace, it's the spiritual realm. For it's that that controls the physical. And if you spend your life eating, sleeping, working, playing, reproducing, interacting with the physical realm, you will be under the... there will be spirits that control you. You don't want that. You don't. The physical realm is only a metaphor. It's only something that... Oh, it's real and it's going to endure for eternity. I mean, this is the form of things as they are. But what is working out now is a contest between God and Satan. Don't waste your life playing with the toys of the physical realm. Get hooked onto God, onto what is real, where the shakers are. And the shakers and the makers are in the spirit realm. Now they're evil, but God is preparing righteous people, making them perfect so that one day they will knock those others off the throne and replace so that the physical realm will be what God intends it to be. Paradise, paradise, paradise. Paradise! Without blemish. But that unblemished paradise is being created in people now. And that's why it's so difficult. That's why you can't shrink back. That's why you're fighting uphill. That's why you have to hold your vision. It's because the new world of righteousness will not drop out of the azure blue. It will come from within you. It will come from within you when you appear with the Lord. Are you up for that? Or would you rather spend your life playing with toys? We have new toys now. The computer, the internet, and this is just the beginning. Oh, we are in the Model T stage of what is coming, and that's not even a good comparison. And these things are fascinating. They're interesting. Software that will control the world. Interesting beyond belief. It boggles the mind what is possible with miniaturization. You'll be able to have in the not-too-distant future, you'll have on your wristwatch, you'll have email, internet, answer machine. You'll be able to talk to anybody on the face of the earth. Oh, hello, child. How do you like it along the Amazon? Great. Well, let me hook you up. We'll have a three-way conference with somebody in the Azores. All right? Just a minute. Are you there, Ted? Yeah. Well, we've got to talk about what's going on over in Israel. Then you push another button and it prints out. Miniaturization, you know, because pretty soon you're working with the nuclei of atoms and, you know, that just gets smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller and smaller. You have to have a magnifying glass to see the thing you're working with. Shall we, Stan? What are we talking about? Fabulous technological alternatives except our world is in a political upheaval and if the church doesn't repent, America's going to be in sorry shape in the not-too-distant future. And it all depends on you're going to make out of it what you want to make out of it. If you serve God when everything is in fire around you, God will bring you forth and who knows? You may be an advisor to the dictator of China in the days to come. But I'm serious. The days of playing church anity are... There's no strength in that anymore. Things are changing. The world powers are shifting. You can see that. America's dead through materialism. But there's a voice in the land. Hallelujah. And Christ is telling us what to expect and where to go and where the power... And you can be part of that if you want to. I'm going to open up the altar. It may be for one person. I don't know. But I'm going to do it because I don't want to take a chance that there's someone here that needs to take a step forward in God. And I don't want you to go out the door and pretty soon it's business as usual and forget what you heard. If you're not... If you don't have your life hooked up to the vision of God and your hope isn't there and you're tempted to shrink back, I want you to come forward now. If you're... If you're tempted to shrink back, I want you to come forward. Now. Now. Now. If you're tempted to shrink back. This vision that I'm telling you of God, there's a new world of righteousness coming. It's true. Young people have... You have your lives ahead of you. And the pressures are great. They really are great. And so we open up the altar so you can get recharged. Get your batteries recharged. Now, if you're here and you're not living in that vision of God, you don't have that conviction that is enabling you to keep from shrinking back, I want you to come. Hallelujah. Amen. Ask them. If you need to come, come. Praise the Lord. Don't walk out of the church. That's a no-brainer. This is where the power is. God. And God alone can stir up your dust so that you do what you're supposed to. But it isn't just going to happen. If you need to come, come. Hallelujah. I don't like letting you go unless I'm positive that you're making it. People coming into this church and going out and saying it wasn't that nice. My job is to bring you under conviction. And then the purpose of the altar here is so you can get rid of the conviction and walk out on hinds feet praising the Lord. Now, if you need to come, this is the time. Not five minutes from now when you walk out the door. Are you living it? Are you concerned about the young people? Are there any young people that need to come forward? I think that some of the young people are struggling. Get it with the Lord. Get it with the Lord. Don't fool around. When you catch things early, they're easy to deal with. If you let them grow into a tree, they're hard. I just feel about the young people. And you need to come. You need to come. Hallelujah, Lord. I'm not going to prolong this, but if you do need to come, come, come, come, come, come. It isn't all right with Jesus. There's something that is troubling you. You need to come. Okay? We're going to go into our altar service now. I don't want to prolong this. But please, don't go through those doors if you need to be up here. It doesn't matter who sees you or anything else. It's between you and God. And if you need to come, come. It's between you and the Lord. It has nothing to do with the other people in the church. It's just you and the Lord. And if you need to come, it will strengthen and help you. Anyone else? I'm going to call the service over. I'm going to ask the musicians for some quiet music. And you're welcome to stay and pray. The presence of the Lord is here. You're welcome to stay and pray. If you want to, God bless you. We're going to do service again at 6 o'clock. But we're going to deal now with those at the altar. And if you need to come, would you please come and tell the Lord about it. God wants you to be a happy, victorious Christian. A happy, victorious Christian. So you can set a standard of Christian discipleship wherever you go. You're representing the Lord. You're representing this church. We're proud of you. And we want you to... Hallelujah, Lord.