In this sermon, the preacher focuses on Romans 6 and highlights four important things that the Apostle Paul wants believers to know. These include the meaning of baptism, the significance of our crucifixion with Christ, the importance of our resurrection, and the fact that God reckons each believer as having died, been buried, and risen with Christ. The preacher emphasizes that these truths are unchangeable and that believers are seen by God as strong, tempered, and ready instruments in His hands. The sermon concludes with an invitation for those who have not yet trusted in Jesus to become vessels of honor and instruments for righteousness.

Just let me sing you tonight. My good friend, old Paterson, who's now in the presence of the Lord, used to say that people down in Florida were sugar babies, that if it rained, they never came out to a meeting. Well, we thank God we've no sugar babies here at Park of the Palms. They're all here, but thank God for your being here tonight, and we just thank God for the fellowship at this particular time. You're singing very well again tonight, and for the group here, I think you're doing exceptionally well. Let us just sing two choruses tonight. Ah, Lord, make my heart thy care as a theme during these particular days, eh? And then we'll sing the other ones as the Lord... It begins... I'm a little horrorous. She doesn't get my story. Romans chapter six, please. Romans six, and remember that... Romans six, and please let us read in, eleven. We'll just hear the other night, verses three through verse number... verses six through verse number eight, the meaning of our call. And then verse nine, and then... That is a fact in the reckoning of God. God reckons by grace each and every believer, one when Christ died, one when Christ was buried, one when Christ rose, one when Christ ascended and took his place at God's right hand. Now, there's where God sees each and every believer. But if I'm going to know the power... The verses I refer to in the reckoning of God is a fact that can never be... Then if I'm going to know the joy of this in my life, faith comes in here now. So God reckons by grace. He reckons by grace. And now we reckon by faith, and faith keeps them in the grave. So it says in verse eleven now, Likewise, because of the fact of the reunion of Christ in death, in burial and in resurrection, likewise reckon, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin. Now notice in verse number eleven, there's a two-fold... There is a negative, and I want to underscore something still looking at this verse. This is the only key of the bridge that leads us out of Romans 7 into Romans 8. And the captor of Romans 7 becomes a conqueror in Romans 8 by entering in by faith into Romans 6-11. Now notice the negative. Likewise, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin. That's the negative sign, but the positive, for then we and him are alive and Christ walking. Now my friend, there you have the whole thing. And we're all in the swimming pool. Now to whatever view AP gives, he's going to teach me to swim. And so he said, Jim, I'm just holding you up by my little finger. He said, I've got you there, and the water's taking away my feet. I know what the kid's saying. When you're doing this, my friend, the old Adamic nature is still there. And over there, the Bible does not give us authority to teach that. But here's the point now. It should not be habitual. The way that God's clear, he and his boat is sin. That he and his thing called sin. The same holy victory for the joy of being alive. But notice it says, let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body. That you should obey it in the loss thereof. Now, here's my verse. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God. Notice the expression, yield yourselves unto God. As those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Verse number 16. Knowing not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his sin unto death, that ye were the servants of sin. But ye have obeyed from the heart. Now, notice that little word, yield, in verse number 16. But yield yourselves. Take the word, yield. Yield yourself. You know what amazes me about the conversation at Macedonia? When you work, and work, and work. That's another page of life. Not only what he's done for me, that's wonderful. He gave it all for me. He gave it himself. Then he has to do it through us. Then you come down to the next point now. What he's done for me. What he wants to do in me. And what he wants to do through me. But it all starts with my yielding myself to him. Then he by himself begins to work in. And then he begins to work through. For years I tried to work for the Lord Jesus. Rushing here and rushing there. Almost working the nails off my fingers in activity. Till one day he said to me very clearly and distinctly. And from that moment the inner peace, the inner joy. Some people say, he just can't understand how you go on. And there's all the service you're taking. Not my working for him. But his working through us. This is rest. This is peace. This is joy. Yield yourself to him. Then you come down to the next word. It says immediately. Immediately. God by his voice has been talking to many of us on our journey days. Some of you have immediately on hearing the word. You've acted and you've yielded your life to him. Others of you have fought it. And you're still fighting it. And my friend, there'll be no joy. No peace. And my friend, the light God's given you. If you don't obey that light. Then how great will be your darkness. But as you come and you immediately probably hear the light. Remember what I read from 1 Chronicles 20. The ease in entirety. Then come to the next. The instrument must inspect the tender love. And as we're inspected in the light of what he's said of us. An instrument under inspection. I think that's a very remarkable statement. You know, I think also another verse. From the 13th chapter. One verse number 10. Remember what it says. He said to approve things that are excellent. The Lord himself has said of him. He's a man of study. To show yourself like peace and idol. My last year maybe before the end of the day. Please one person. And I do that for David's eyes. I remember his eyes. May God help us to recognize this. My claim must be approved unto God. Remember dear old David of old. Remember when David got into trouble. Remember what he said. Don't let me fall to the hands of man. Let me fall to the hands of the Lord. In the hands of God. God's got more sympathy. More understanding. More compassion. More love than men have. So tonight my friend the Lord says clearly. I'm a man of truth. May God give us that wonderful approval tonight. Your heart with my heart. Now go to the next letter. Letter N. This in this instrument has not only been inspected. But now it's passed the approval. The old searching eye of the master himself. And now he can place his name upon it. My friend his instrument has been named. We are a Christ one. We are a Christian. They remember in John chapter 10 verse number three. I don't know why I should misquote this one. It may be good for you just to see it. Some of you have been very busy today. Rushing here and rushing there. And driving here. But it's not right to tell a lady she's tired. And then it says in verse number three. To him the portioner openeth. The sheep hear his voice. And he calleth his own sheep by name. And he doeth them out. He calleth his own sheep by name. And he doeth them out. What does it say? My sheep hear my voice. Verse 27. My sheep hear my voice. And I know them. And they follow me. So now my friend instrument has its name stamped upon it. Thank God for that wonderful name. The name that he has given to us is. Praying for the efficacy of his present blood. Oh I pray all of us here tonight. Know the joy of that wonderful efficacy. That wonderful virtue. The blood cleansing us from all sin. Maybe one here you've never yet trusted the Lord Jesus with salvation. And you certainly are not an instrument unto honor. Instrument my friend unto righteousness. This can all be changed tonight. You become a vessel unto honor. An instrument to righteousness. By becoming a child of God. You'll be an instrument my friend. A tool. A gift of the evil one. You become an instrument in the person. All loving tender hand of your adorable Lord Jesus. Says in verse 28 of John 10. My sheep hear my voice. My sheep eternal life. They shall never perish. Isn't that just wonderful? Something more I want to think of. Norma's line. The instrument is strong. First of all it is inspected. Then it is named. Aren't you glad tonight you're a Christian? And then remember you're Christ. No wonder at all. Then the next thing is you're strong. The instrument must become strong. John chapter 15. The Lord Jesus said without me he can do nothing. Yet the apostle Paul could say triumphantly. I can do all things. In 2 Corinthians chapter 12 verse number 10. When I am weak. Then for his strength is made perfect in our weakness. Now some of us are far too strong in ourselves for God to use. It's when we come to our soul. Into our soul. I was talking with a Jew one today in the colony. And brought up the truth regarding salvation. He said you know I don't think I'm worthy of Christ having died for me upon the cross. I feel just so insignificant and just so very very weak. Think of him really dying for me. That may be mock humility. When the apostle Paul says remember those wonderful words. There's a faithful saying in the world of all except faith in Christ. Jesus gave him the world of faith. Now the chief of sinners is in heaven. There's room for you. And there's room for me. May God give us grace to recognize this truth tonight. But sometimes we're just so strong in ourselves. We're too strong. The Lord can't use us. It's when we recognize our own weakness. Come to recognize our own nothingness. All be saved from myself dear Lord. All be lost in thee. All there be no more I but Christ who lives in me. Therein lies the whole secret. Strong. I'm going to go down to the next letter. And the word is T. That's a letter of T and the word is tempered. Those instruments must be tempered. I'm thinking now all the way back in Sheffield England with all the talk about the Sheffield steel. My friend that steel must be tempered. Sometimes remember the material put into the fire. A certain temperature, a certain heat. Then that thing's taken and put into the water. Then taken back and put back into the fire. Then put into steel. My friend and that is very same regarding us spiritually. May I God help us recognize two verses. 1 Peter please chapter 1 and verse number 7. 1 Peter 1 verse number 7. I notice my time's not going to allow me to take these in detail. I'll give them to you. Then I must hurry along. Verse number 7 please of 1 Peter chapter 1. The trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold which perishes. Though it be tried with fire, it might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of God's thing ye love. In whom thou now ye see him not yet rejoiced with joy unspeakable and full of glory. May I go to a little scripture. Psalm 12 and verse number 6. The words of the Lord are pure words as silver tried in the furnace of the air purifying seven times. The purifying effect of the fire. Remember the trial of your faith much more precious than of gold so tried in the fire. Then it comes here and I love it with all my heart. It says the word of God. Verse number 6. Pure words. As silver tried in the furnace of the air purifying seven times. Thank God for the purifying effect of the fire that God allows us to pass through from time to time. All in his matchless love and wonderful grace. Go to another scripture now please. The next word is ready. Remember the instrument that the Lord has inspected. It is named. It is strong. It is tempered. And now it is ready. It is ready for you. Go to Titus chapter 3. Titus chapter 3 please and verse number 1. You just do it very for yourself and I am sure it will be a blessing to you. Titus 3 verse number 1 and the very last phrase of the verse. To be ready to every good work. Now once we have been inspected and we are named and we are made strong and we have been tempered by the fire and by the water then we are ready for use. Ready for use. It says right here to be ready to every good work. Now isn't that wonderful? Remember it says also in 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 15. Ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us. So those that ask of us. Ready to give a reason. Remember the verse I referred to in 2 Samuel chapter 15 verse number 15. We thy servants are ready to do whatsoever our Lord the King shall command. Now dear child of God, in the closing moments of our service tonight, those of us who know the joy of your enlistment, having been inspected, having the name placed upon us, and we are strong, we are tempered, then we are ready for use. Into thy hands, Lord, take me and move me. In the Father, handle with plenty. Make me a vessel fit for thy service. Cleanse me and fill me and use me as a day. That's the chorus I love to teach. I learned that chorus in Baltimore. They said to get drinks made for me and send them on. They haven't come. I know these people. I must touch their memory, set it up by pure way of remembrance, eh? Because it's a wonderful chorus. This chorus, what does it say? Into thy hands, Lord, take me and move me. In the Father, handle with plenty. Make me a vessel fit but ready for the master's use. Go to the Father, shall we? That takes me now to 2 Timothy, chapter 2, 2 Timothy 2, and verse number 12. Wonderful words. 2 Timothy 2, verse number 12. Is that the verse I'm looking for? Let us see. The testature of the business in chapter 2. And verse number 21. 21. If any man therefore thirds himself on these, look at verse 24. About in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also wood and earth, and some to honor and some to dishonor. If a man therefore thirds himself on these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and made use, made meet, for the master's use. And it is now prepared unto every good work. A vessel unto honor, made meet, for the master's use. Now we're going to do this. Notice, please, verse number 3, 22. Free also youthful love. And there are four things we've got to follow. But follow righteousness, faith, love, and peace. And we'll then call on the Lord out of a pure heart. We've got, my friend, to flee. Notice chapter 3, verse 14. And we've got to continue. Chapter 4, verse 5. And we've got to watch. We've got to watch. Notice what's said in verse 22. Mine's going to be a vessel unto honor, made meet, for the master's use. Then I'm going to flee those things, and I'm going to follow after righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Now, of these wonderful things, may God give us grace to recognize them more and more. Something more. Acts chapter 9, verse number 15. Talking about straight streets. Remember, it says, he's a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name. I love that. And it may be the night right here, far from the palms. The Lord has some others who are chosen vessels. They're going to be made meet for the master's use. And as you yield yourself to him as clay in the hand of the potter, a vessel usable, fitted, and equipped, and qualified, then what's he going to do? Says right here, to bear my name. Bear my name. And oh, what a name. What an honor. To bear my name. Right back into that office. Right back into that home. Right back into that college. Right back into that hospital. Yes, to bear my name. And what an honor it is ours, to bear the wonderful, precious name for a durable Lord, Jesus Christ. Look at something else, the same thought now. We are to be not only ready and usable. An infant magnified. My dear brother leaving last night. This morning whispered to me these words. John 3 30. He must increase. I must decrease. So remember he says, a chosen vessel, fitted, equipped, made usable by the master of hands himself, will not magnify the vessel at all. There's a name appraised upon that vessel. And I say we won't make much of that wonderful name. But let's say, remember in Philippians chapter 1 verse 20, Christ, Paul said that Christ will be magnified where? In my body, whether it be by days or by life. 2 Corinthians 4 verse 11 says that your life and my life will be enough. We're not mindfully concerned with absorbing things. What people think about, it matters nothing whatever. What people say, it matters nothing. My friend, when we come to recognize that you will cry for days to the family, for days to the crown, be warned about everything else. He might and he might be magnified. He might be glorified. There's a secret, my friend. This word, knowledge, this instrument must be energized. It is energized. Now, what is the energy that will de-energize the instrument himself? The Lord Jesus. Here it is, my friend. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 15 says, no longer I but the grace of God in me. 2 Corinthians 2 verse 13 says, it is God. He has begun a good work in me. Achievement. Why are you worried about it? Why are you worried about it? I am but a teacher of those whose scripture might be of help to you. So, 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 28, and as you're looking at that, turning to that scripture, may I quote a little chorus to you. Just where he needs me, my Lord has placed me. Just where he needs me, there would I be. And since he found me by love, he's found me to serve him joyfully. Notice verse 28 of 1 Corinthians chapter 1. The big things. Verse 27 for the connection, shall we? Oh, verse 26. For you see your calling, brethren, are it not many wise men as with flesh, not many mighty, not many noble. Queen Victoria says, thank God, did not say not any noble, are called, that God has chosen the foolish things of the world. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty, yet the bears, and the base things of the world, and the things which are despised. God has chosen me, and the things which are not, to bring to naught the things that are, and what is the reason? That no flesh should glory in his presence. Now, isn't that lovely? Oh, child of God, you're necessary. If you're in the family, you're a vessel, and you're necessary. He wants you. He wants you to yield your life as queen to the hand of the father. He'll mold you, he'll fashion you, he'll equip you, he'll train you, he'll educate you. Oh, my pretty, long to do this. Now, let's cut you along this line. John chapter 15, please, and verse number 60. Some dear ones of day came to me and asked about my ordination. Had I been ordained as a minister? And I said, yes, thank God, I've been ordained by the purity hand of the Lord Jesus Christ. I've had to be ordained by the purity hand. Isn't it wonderful now? That dear ones, these ones went away rejoiced this morning in the wonderful ordination. They themselves were ordained, ordained by man. I'm a concerned about the empty hands of the bishop who laid upon my empty head and conspiring me. That's no use at all. I want my friend to know the joy of the ordination of the purity hand by the dutiful Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know this ordination? It's wonderful. See what it says here, John 15, verse number 16. This I'm thinking of. You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you and ordained you. So the word here is appointed you, ordained you, appointed you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever you shall ask to follow in my name or a wonderful name, ye may give it you. So there, my friends, notice, please don't look at it, but John chapter 20, verse 21, put it in. As my father said me, even so send I you. Now that's one because I really, the instrument is trying, says in 2 Corinthians 2, lead it off in a, I have finished the course. I have kept the peace. Henceforth the crown, the crown, the crown of righteousness, which he, the righteous judge, has laid up for me. Not to me only, but of his appearing. Now did you get that acrostic on the instrument? A Christian is an instrument. I please don't miss the strong, tempered, ready, usable, magnified, energizes. It is necessary, and hallelujah, it is triumphant. May we prove to be just that type of instrument in the lovely hands of our adorable Lord Jesus Christ. Now let us sing together, shall we, a lovely little hymn. Two hundred and ninety-eight. Two, nine, eight. Now this is a hymn we all know. Want to sing it thoughtfully and prayerfully. Ask your heart again the question, is instrument? If not, then why not tonight? If you've never yet been born again by God's Spirit, why don't you here and now open your heart? If you once, my friend, run well, but tonight you're out of the running, and you know you're in a back-splitting condition, you're saying, where is the blessings of once I knew, when first I sought the Lord? Where is the soul-refreshing view of Jesus and his word? Oh, come back to him tonight. This is, my friend, the great moment of your discovery, as you discover Jesus Christ, not just a savior, but a sovereign Lord. Two hundred and ninety-eight. Have thine own way, Lord, thou art the father, I am the slave. Two, nine, eight. Have thine own way, Lord, and weary. Have you been wounded during these days? Maybe, my friend, you're smarting under the ministry of the word of God. The word, my friend, is cut right in like the surgeon's knife. Maybe the surgeon has twisted that knife while the knife has still been in. And you're wounded, and you're sore. And there's a verse that says, Wounded and weary, help me, I pray, that you turn away from your sin. And then you look up and say, power. He alone can do it. No man can do it. Touch me and heal me, Savior divine. And then the prayer in the land for Jesus Christ, our wonderful Lord.