Peter Brandon emphasizes the importance of reckoning our identity in Christ and the necessity of yielding ourselves to God for true spiritual revival. He reflects on a friend's observation that many evangelicals speak of peace and joy but lack the actual experience of it, urging believers to recognize their position in Christ and to live out that reality. Brandon explains that reckoning involves understanding our spiritual facts, such as being dead to sin and alive in Christ, and encourages a continuous commitment to this truth. He illustrates the concept of faith through the story of Abraham, highlighting the need for implicit faith in God and His promises. Ultimately, he calls for a complete yielding of ourselves to God, allowing Christ to live through us, which can lead to a powerful transformation in our lives and the church.

Now we're going to look at the subject of reckoning and if I have time tonight I want to talk to you about the subject of yielding. Now firstly, why have I chosen this subject for this weekend? Because a year ago, or jumped over, I had a speech in one of the large at night and some of the best meals I've ever seen were being served free and I stood up to speak and then I was called and the friend that I took in with me was very heavily engaged in conversation and then he said for two years he had been seeking for God and he went to a number of churches and this was his finding. He says, you know, you evangelicals, you talk about peace, you sing about peace, but a very few of you have got it. You talk about joy, you sing about joy, you preach about joy, but a very few have got it. He says, you evangelicals, you talk about power, you sing about power, and then he started to outline his experience and this was the spiritual earthquake to me. What he said was so true, so true. We left him feeling that we had been us. The man that was taking me home was very talkative but I noticed that he was silent. And when he gave me his cup of, my cup of ovaltine about three o'clock in the morning, he said this, brother that's the greatest challenge I've ever had. Now he was a hard man, he was a businessman, very unemotional, and I saw the tears streaming down his cheeks and he just said this, I need revival and unless we see revival in the church, we shall never make any impact upon society. And may I really flesh this out with you. If we leave this weekend without being touched by God, it's going to be a pity. If we really come face to face with God, and square up to the challenge that God is giving to us in these last minutes, and that's all we've got, what a tremendous impact this time will have upon us. What does this word record mean? It means three things. First of all, it means correct, complete confidence. And lastly, it means continuous commitment. Firstly, correct calculation. Secondly, complete confidence. Thirdly, continuous commitment. The word reckon comes from a word which really means to add up correctly. I suppose that's where our word accounted, the root meaning of this in the Greek. And the idea simply means this, get to know your spiritual facts, see your position in Christ, and immediately you're able to calculate your position, then the inevitable will follow. That's why in all Paul's epistles you will notice that he is constantly praying that they might be filled with all knowledge. In other words, he wanted them to calculate correctly. Get to know the facts. Now what are the facts? That we're no longer in Adam, we're in Christ. What are the facts again? That we cannot improve the old man no matter what we might do. Put the old man to death in the death of Jesus Christ. And we have seen as far as God is concerned, there's only one life in us, and that's the life of the Lord Jesus. Now the more we can see ourselves in Christ, and the more we can see our position in Christ, the more we shall find. Now unfortunately, many is like sitting on, faith is like boarding a bus. Faith is like getting on an aeroplane and putting confidence in the driver. Now when I sit on a chair, instead of the chair being the object, Christ is the object. When I board a bus, instead of putting my faith and confidence, so that Christ is. Now that basically is not New Testament. Sitting on a chair, boarding a bus, getting on an aeroplane, mathematical, you do it by instinct. For instance, and I sit on. So every time you sit down, it's not faith, you say, what is New Testament faith? Here is a man by the name of Peter, defeated by the elements of nature. He's in a boat, and the boat is being tossed by the waves. Jesus Christ comes near, and he says come. Now the law of nature said, Peter it was, it is absolutely impossible. The law of faith says all things are possible. And therefore there was almost a paradoxical condition, between the law of faith and the law of gravity. And Peter stepped out and crossed the law of gravity, put his faith in the law of faith, and walked upon the water, and did the impossible. Now you can see it's a vastly different thing, and stepping on the waves. One is mathematical. Now when Paul wanted to give to us a real outline on faith, he throws us right back to the fourth chapter. And he gives us two pictures, one of David, and the other Abraham. Now I haven't got time to talk to you about David, but I will talk to you a little about Abraham. Five years old, when God said to him, Abraham I want you in the wilderness. 75 years of age when he quit it. By the way, when I was 16, I remember a particular that Abraham never did live. The Earl of the Chaldees never existed. Abraham was a fictitious figure, and the Earl of Chaldees was a fictitious place. It came from Hebrew folklore. That man would never say. We all know according to the findings that Abraham was a fact, and the Earl of the Chaldees was a fictitious people, and the average house had ten rooms. In fact there was a library there that had a thousand volumes in that earth. So we can see that the book of Genesis is becoming alive even through archaeological research. One more thing, many people who thought that Abraham was fictitious have given up the idea. But isn't it strange that the Jewish nation is the only nation in the world that can trace back its genealogy to the first person. The only nation. And they are a supernatural nation. Why? Because they had a supernatural birth, and that birth originates in the principle of faith. And God called that man out, and he came out, but he was a halfway Christian. He got so far and stopped. I wonder is there a halfway Christian here tonight? You've heard the call of God. You've moved out, and you've stopped. Would you mind if I pointed? Would it help you? Are you a halfway? You've stopped. And then his father died. And when his father died, Kira, he moved right out. My dear friend, until you understand that the old man has been crucified with Christ, you will constantly become a halfway Christian. And when his father died, he moved right into Canaan. And when he got him into Canaan, God said to him, Abraham, I want you to look up. And he looked up, and the heavens were filled with stars. Abraham, I want you to look down. And he knew that he was treading on millions of grains of sand. Abraham, he said, your seed is going to be so much that it's going to be like the stars are hidden on the sand of the seashore. And he had not a chance. And he was 85 at that time. And what did he do? He believed God. He didn't believe circumstances. He didn't believe in feeling. He didn't believe in hallucination. God said it. He believed it. When he was 99, now you think of this. God said to him, I am almighty God. I am El Shaddai God. That's where this chap has got the mushroom theory from. That little word El Shaddai. And quite frankly, it's absolutely offbeat. And now I quote from Professor Wiseman. It does not mean just the God of fertility. The real word means the God of holy productivity. And there's a vast difference. In other words, the correct root means mother breasted God. Not the God of the male. The God of the female. And this is what God was saying to him. I've got to camouflage my words just a little in order to help. Abraham, you're physically withered. Yes. Sarah is physically dead. Yes. All her productive organs are dead. Yes. But I'm the God of fertility. I can still perform a miracle. And a child was born when they were nearly 100. It seems fantastic. But the whole of Israel's history is fantastic. Why? Because it comes from a supernatural origin. And this is what the Bible says. Abraham staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief, but with strong faith. And he gave glory to God. In other words, faith means two things. Implicit faith and confidence in God. Secondly, implicit faith and confidence in the promises of God. Can I say that again? Implicit faith in God and implicit faith in the promises of God. And he stood upon them. You know, lots of us, we stand on the premises, but we don't stand on the promises. And there's all the difference in the world. And there comes a moment in your experience and what a moment it is. When you say, Lord, you have said, my old man is crucified with Christ. I believe it. I can't fully understand it. I can't feel it. But this one thing I know it's in the word of God. And because God tells me that my old man was crucified, I'm going to stand upon it. I'm going to accept it. And I'm going to reckon myself now to be dead indeed unto sin. And therefore it was a step of faith that saved you. And it's going to be the life of faith. I wonder how I can illustrate this. Imagine if you can, someone sends me a check for 75,000 pounds. I hope someone doesn't do that, any full-time worker. And imagine someone going to see my Aunt Anne and she says, oh, how's Peter getting on? Oh, wonderful. Wonderful. What do you mean wonderful? The last time he didn't have even lino on the floor and there wasn't even a table. How's he living now? Oh, swell. What kind of house is he living? Oh, he's living in a mansion. A mansion. And how come? Oh, and let me show you something more, I suppose. And I suppose he's got a servant. But how comes? Well, I'll tell you. About two years ago, but when I find out the address, I walk along this particular road and I come to the house and I'm shocked. I'm speaking now on behalf of the family. And there are these large old mansions. And downstairs there's Wing Wong and in the middle floor and right at the top. Peter couldn't possibly live here. So I'm just going when through. And then all of a sudden I open the door and I can't even fold a proper tie and collar. I just got a piece of line and you can see it's the good. And you look around and you say, what's wrong with you? What do you mean what's wrong with? Aren't you rich? Rich, the only thing I've got of any money is to tell it. But surely you received a check for £75,000, didn't you, the other day? The other day? No. Well, about two years ago. £75,000. Who ever told you though? £75,000. Since when? Well, she said that she put the check in an envelope. Oh, she sent me. Well, get it out now. So I get out the envelope. And there is the covering will. And tucked in the covering will, there's a green check. Oh, I said I didn't notice that. Well, it says it there. And I'm still trying that he's living there. And I walk in and this time, where's the check? I've put it up on the wall. You've had it Yes. And then in my rage, don't learn the check off by heart. It is all infinite. And we're all living like Paul. We're in Christ. We're seated with Christ in the heavenly. We've been blessed with all spiritual blessings as Paul. As a Christian, we are multimillionaire. But hundreds and hundreds and thousands and thousands are living like Paul to think great Britain. Do you know why? Can you take it? We've got our eyes glued to the telling far more in the world than in Christ. That's why. And we haven't taken the trouble to read God's will carefully. If you're a worldly Christian, you might as well give up. Because you're a traitor to the cause of Christ. If you're a spiritual leader and you're worldly, emanating from your life is the spirit of the world. And basically the people that you're trying to teach can see nothing in it. Nothing. If you're trying to help in the club, and you're not radiating Christ, those fellows can see through you like a piece of glass. And we need people today not living like spiritual tramps. We need people today who are living in Christ, who are reading God's will, cashing God's checks, reckoning themselves to be dead. And once a small group of Christians are living that type of life, you'll see them multiplying and multiplying and multiplying. And then lastly, it speaks of continuous committal. Immediately I come, I'm attacked each morning. A death, burial and resurrection service without flowers. You say, what do you mean? Each morning before I face devotion, I just tell the Lord each morning that I've done. I tell the Lord each morning that I'm alive, and I allow this thought to literally baptize my psychology. So that this thought is constantly permeating that I've died to sin. Why? Because how do I know it? My baptism has expressed it. And my baptism is an evidence of a fact. Because we can trace right back the thought of baptism and the Lord's supper to the actual institution of it at the Passover. And therefore this fact leads me right the way. I'm not imagining that I'm dead. I have died. Why? Because Christ. And therefore when sin comes, it comes at me in two ways. Now notice this. Sin can come at me inside me. We call that the inward attack. Sin can come at me from outside of me. The external attack. So then we have sin coming to me in two ways. Inwardly, externally. Sin can never get in through the new nature. Impossible. It can only get at me through the old nature. Now what's my attitude to it? Now I wonder if I could have three. Would you just stand up? Would you just stand up? You don't mind do you? No I'm good. Now last comes lying. Last comes a lying cup. It moves into my mind. It gets into my subconscious being. It suggests itself. I've died to it. I'm alive to God. It has no power. And then temper comes. Someone says a thing. When the children were small, they were fighting. I go downstairs and there they are really beating it out of one another. And what's my attitude? Boys. Or I could be full out. And so when people come among us, they can see nothing. Just the Adamic life. Why? Because we are not reckoning. Or may it be that we shall start reckoning. Lust, lying, temper, and all the other besetting sins. Whatever your sin might be. Reckoning yourself to be dead indeed unto sin. And alive unto God. Now let's look at the idea of yielding. My duty your members as instruments of honor. Yield yourself and your members as instruments of righteousness. It means free. The presentation of your. Sadly. For the purpose of the manifestation. To cut it short, we could say a follow-up. Examination. Presentation. For the purpose of manifestation. Now the world is far. We used to have this in. We have to. Every Christian should have put on. In our home we have a little slogan. Perhaps you might like to put it to practice in your own respective homes. It's SC. And whenever the old man and sin raises his head. Someone will say SC. And that means self proof it up. Now you try. If you're married. And your husband comes home with the rats. When you have children they learn it. I mean you just imagine. In Romans 10. And it hasn't worked. So what does that prove? Scores of Christians are 50% of the cases we have. In other words. Once you have learned that there is nothing that you can do to make better. And once you have learned that Jesus. And he wants to take over in your life. Then you yield up your members to him as instruments. Or if you like. And you say Lord. I'm consecrating my eyes to the Lord. You know if you have. You've got a wonderful vision. Then it's the consecration of your ears to the Lord. And that means. Any slander you might hear about a person. You have to turn a deaf ear to it. You consecrate your ears to the Lord. And then it means the consecration of your lips. Your hand. Your heart. Your feet. So that every organ. Every faculty. All your senses are given up to Christ. You know. If that happens during this week. What a power it's going to be really. Do you know in my life I regret two years. Or three years of a wasted. I was in a Bible class. And from the age of 16 to nearly 19. It was Christ and the world. We used to hear the talk from Mr. King. And then afterwards it was jokes. Football. And everything. And quite frankly Christianity was a positive thought to me. I knew I was a Christian. But it didn't work. And somehow the world was far more attractive than Christ. But I shall never forget a Sunday afternoon. When Mr. King came in. And after much prayer. He really led us. He told us that he couldn't go on with the class. He had been a failure. And that we were far more interested in the world than Christ. And he was speaking to us for the last time. If you fellows don't give yourself to Christ. And if you're not fully committed to the Lord. I can't go on ministering to war. Because that's what you are. Dead. As far as the word of God is concerned. There wasn't a joke. That afternoon. I remember going home. And I can see the room now. 45 Theobald's Road. A little box room. And I knelt across that bed. And I said for the first time in my life. Lord. Lord. And gave myself to God. And although there was defeat after. God started to use me in a simple way. And the whole group came into blessing. Doug Biggins who's now serving the Lord in Canada. He was consecrated. Fred Earnings who preaches the gospel in London. Another young man. Don Smith who's an Anglican minister. Was consecrated. A chap called Wolf that was a Hebrew Christian. Gave himself to the Lord that day. But he was taken when he was just 26. And from that moment we had a new beginning in our spiritual life. May it be. That some will consecrate themselves to the Lord. But then you might say to me. In other words. You have a body. And with that body. Jesus Christ wants to take over. Instead of you living in that body. Christ wants to relive his life in you. And that's why he saved you. That Jesus Christ might relive himself in your body. And that's what that chorus is all about. It's no longer I that lives. But Christ that lives in me. And you know I saw this so beautifully expressed. When Mr. Hall took his little daughter in that canoe. And she grabbed hold of the the oar. And then he put his hand over his. And he took complete control of that little girl. You know a friend of mine. Was a wizard of mass. But he was literally hopeless at art. And every time he went into the art class. It was like a nightmare. And this time they had to paint a rose. So he went in. And he always sat somewhere near the back. And of course when he started he was wrong. And there he was. He was really having a go. Moved a bit with his hand. And smudged it. And of course at last he looked at it. And it was like genocide. You remember it was without form. What are you going to do with that piece of paper. And with glee. And with joy. I'm crucified. If you think that you're the cat. That'll mean nothing to you. But if you've come to that point in your spiritual experience. Where you realize that you're absolutely defeated. It can mean everything to you tonight. And then he says right. Clean your paint. And he did. And clean the desk. There's some paint there he said. All away. No no. He says there's another spot there. Clean it all away. And Johnson was saying. My word isn't he fussy. No no no. Look at that. Clean your paints properly Johnson. And he stood over him. And he made him absolutely clean everything. And when it was all nicely clean. He says God will never stop doing anything new in you until you're clean. Could I ask a question. Are you willing to get alone somewhere tonight. And say Lord search me. Search me. Take away all the dirty things from my life. Take away all the rubbish. Make me clean Lord. Are you. Are you prepared. And then he said. Take hold of the paintbrush. No he said don't hold it like that. Like this. That's it. And then he slipped his hand over his. And they started. And Johnson couldn't believe it. And then he said lift your hand. And they started to paint again. He smiled and said. Could I take that home. Yes he said. And when the art master painted up right on the man. He hadn't got a father. And he kept on looking. Was the art master doing it through him. In came his mother. Did you hold the. He loves Supposing twins. Handed them like these young chimes. Me. Are handing themselves over to Lenny. Supposing we handed ourselves. Would be twins. Would be the beginning of revival. Oh may God. And we see that. We shall never make better the old nature. That's what we must do. Really press. Can you not hear God. Yield yourselves unto holiness. And it means to present for examination. Putting the old man off. The new man on. Yielding up your members of instruments of righteousness unto God. Presenting your members to him. For the purpose of Christ being formed in him.