In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes that Jesus is the answer to all our needs. He emphasizes the importance of trusting in Jesus and believing in him as the key to the Christian life. The preacher highlights a question asked by the disciples to Jesus about what they should do to work the works of God. Jesus responds by saying that the work of God is to believe in him whom the Father has sent. The preacher encourages the audience to trust in Jesus and rely on him as the only solution to their problems.

It's good to see you tonight. It has been a great experience to be here with you. This concludes a long series of meetings for me. Probably you are not aware of it, but this makes the fourth week in a row I've been preaching. And I promised the Lord and a doctor or two, three or four, that I wouldn't do such a thing. And so, when I accepted this meeting, I had expected a meeting to cancel out the one last week. And it did not do it. So I got caught in a trap. So I've been trusting the Lord to get through tonight. And then I'll fall apart for a week. And I thought I had fallen apart today. I just stayed in bed all day, but I have appreciated this week. I have appreciated being here and I've enjoyed the fellowship. Enjoyed sharing with you some truth that the Lord has shared with me. And I thank you for the privilege of coming. And I thank you for listening. I feel like the Lord wants to build a great spiritual church. But it will take people of vision and faith and works if God is to build a great church. Somehow, someway, Baptists have concluded that if you have noses, people and money, and buildings, you have a great church. But you can, some of the heathen sects of the country have that. They have people, they have buildings, they have money. That does not make a church. The name does not make a church. The glory of God makes a church. That's what makes a church, is the glory of God. And if God gets his glory here like he wants to have it here, then there's a price to be paid. And the first price to be paid is to recognize he's not here as he wants to be here. Amen? Have some of you about figured out what I'm doing when I do this? I am being used in a seminary. I'm being used in a seminary by videotape. And the professor used me for a number of years without ever meeting me. I have recently met him. And he told his students one day, he said, I don't know what's wrong with Brother Beasley. He said, I know he was ill back in the early seventies. And number one. And said, I guess he was left hard of hearing. He's always doing this. And one of his students that knew me real well, he said, he's not hard of hearing. He said, he's listening. See if he can hear anything. I love to be talked to while I preach. You know, by amens and homies. That sort of thing. I like to see you respond. Well, amen. I have wanted to lay a foundation this week for a particular message. Which does not necessarily mean one message. One sermon, but it means a message, which could be several sermons. And I have not been able to lay that foundation adequately. So tonight, I'm just going to stab at giving you the message in a very general way. Because I believe it's what's on my heart and I believe it's what the Lord wants you to have. And I trust that the Lord will open your heart and let you see this simple message. It's not an easy message to see. Because it's so mystical. But it is a message that you and I need to see. The disciples asked the Lord Jesus a question. Now this is a very interesting question. You're going to have to put up with me doing a lot of drinking tonight because I'm extremely dry. Amen. And I know you don't want a dry sermon. They asked the Lord a question. They said, Lord, what is it that we might do? That we might work the works of God. Now that's interesting, isn't it? Isn't that an interesting question? What is it that we might do that we might work the works of God? Now the works of God is what the Christian life is all about, isn't it? That's what they were talking about. Lord, we want to do the works of God. What is it that we might do that we might work the works of God? What do you think Jesus told his disciples? If someone came to you personally and said, what is it that I might do? That I might work the works of God at Trinity Baptist Church. What do you think you ought to tell them? Now I'll tell you what we've been telling them in the Baptist Church. First thing you do is be faithful. Second thing, tithe. Come on. Third thing is read your Bible. What else do we tell them? Be faithful to church and Sunday school and training union. Right? In general, we tell them, try your best. Just try your best. You think that's what Jesus told them? They said, Lord, and I'm quoting the Bible. What is it that we might do that we might work the works of God? Do you know what Jesus told them? This is the work of God. That you believe on him whom he hath sent. Believe on Jesus whom the father hath sent. Now if I ask you the question tonight. Do you believe on Jesus whom the father hath sent? What would you say? If you're typical, you would say, yes, sir. I believe on Jesus whom the father hath sent. Well, if you believe on Jesus whom the father hath sent. What's he doing in your life? The Bible says, according to thy faith, so be it. Do you know what that means? It means God is working right now in your life according to your faith. That's right. According to thy faith, so be it means. That God is working in your life and my life right this minute. According to our faith. You can see how much faith you have by seeing what God is doing in your life right now. You say, Brother Manley, I believe God can do this. Or I believe God can do that. Now let me ask you something. Is he doing it? Oh, I believe he can do this. I believe he can do that. I didn't ask you that. I believe you believe he can do anything. What is he doing? I'll tell you what he's doing. He's doing exactly what you're trusting him for. Brother Manley, I believe he can raise the dead. The devil doesn't even have any trouble believing that. But I'll tell you, is he raising the dead right now? You don't believe. James says, faith without works is what? What's dead, works or faith? Faith. In other words, James says, if you say you've got faith and it's not working. Then your faith is dead. According to your faith, so be it. I had a rather humorous experience along this line. It wasn't so humorous at the time it happened. Now it looks, now it's humorous. But it was so helpful to me. My wife is a rare, rare person. Even the rare says she's rare. Of course, she's rare for me, but you would expect that. She is so open about stuff. That she can't get even mad in private. I mean, she just... In other words, when you see her, you see her. She's not a hypocrite about things. And so, she's just so open. She, one day, asked me. Said, what kind of revival meetings are you having? I said, well, the Lord is blessing. She said, well, the Lord is blessing. What does that mean? I said, you know, we're having a wonderful meeting. She said, a wonderful meeting. What does that mean? And I wish you'd shut up. I said, in my heart. I said, well, we would have a better meeting if the pastor had prepared. Or we would have had a better meeting if the deacons had not been at discord. Or if the WMU president had been right with God, we'd have had a better meeting. You know what I was trying to do? I was trying to blame my failure on the pastor, the deacons, or the WMU president. Because the Bible doesn't say, according to thy faith and the work of the pastor. Or the harmony of the deacons. Or the rightness of the WMU president. The Bible says, according to thy faith. So be it. And I realized that in my ministry, God was doing exactly what I was able to trust Him to do. And God is doing tonight in your life, exactly what you are trusting Him to do. And what He is doing in your life, you can honestly just praise Him. Because it's not, most of the time, it's not because we're trusting Him. It's because we are so immature, He's treating us like babies. So He can teach us to trust Him. The Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. And as He brought them from Egypt to Canaan, He blessed them. Because they were babies as they murmured and complained and acted like children. But when He got them out of Egypt into Canaan, you know what He did? He continued to bless them, but He worked not only for them, but He worked through them. Because they had grown up. Now God works on that level in your life and my life. Now, what do we talk about when we talk about faith? What do we mean when we talk about faith? I really want to be practical and applicable with this message tonight. I want to read out of Hebrews 11, a few verses that I feel like will help you. The first, the second, and the thirteenth verse of Hebrews 11. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By it the elders obtained a good report. The thirteenth verse. These all died in faith, but having received the promises. Not having received the promises, excuse me, put that not in there. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them. Having seen what? The promises. And were persuaded of what? The promises. And embraced them. What? The promises. And confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Now I feel sorry for you if you do not have a King James translation. Because this beautiful process is not in your New American Standard translation. It's only in the King James. And I know that some of you feel like that the King James is inferior to your translation. But I got news for you, there's some places that it won't even touch the King James. And I'll tell you the reason why. It's because the translators tried to get a little too humanistic. In some places. And I guarantee you, this is one of them brother, that there's no translation can touch this verse. This is some verse of scripture. You say, what do you mean? Well, let me tell you something. Now I'm going to talk to some of you so plainly tonight. That you will feel like that I am personally counseling you. I want to just show you the faith life in a little nutshell. Because your only hope for our situation that you are in now. And the only hope for the situations you will come and get into in your life up to head. Is for you to learn how to simply trust Jesus Christ. There is no other way. Oh, you can build bridges and make tunnels. But I got news for you, they won't hold up. There's only one way for a child of God to solve his problems. And that is to trust Jesus Christ. The only way a man can relate to God is trust Jesus Christ. All the money in the world will not solve your problems. The best health in the world will not solve your problems. All the education in the world is nothing but foolishness. When it comes to trying to solve your problems. The only thing in this world can solve your problems is for you to simply learn how to trust Jesus Christ. I don't care how much you get of learning wealth and prestige in this world. There's only one way to solve your problems. That's to trust Jesus Christ. There is no other way. There is no other way. You may solve problems temporarily. But I'm talking about solving them for eternity. But simply trusting Jesus Christ. Amen. I got amused and amazed. Here a few weeks ago we went to Switzerland. We go to Switzerland every year for a conference in Europe. And this conference is designed to bless all the people all over Europe. All over Europe. And this last year we had five psychiatrists with us. And I got so tickled at them. Man, they all had their theory. And I let one old sinner saved by grace get up there and just say I love Jesus because he saved me. And it just blew them all out of the saddle. They didn't know what was going on. And that one person that met Jesus Christ could tell them the answer to all their needs. That one person. Jesus is the answer, folk. I'm telling you, Jesus is the answer. And for you to learn how to trust Jesus. For me to learn how to trust Jesus is the key. It's the essence of this whole Christian life. What is it, Lord, that we might do? That we might work the works of God. This is the work of God. That you believe on Him. Whom the Father has sent. You say, Brother Manley, I believe on Jesus whom the Father has sent. Well, what is he doing? You say, what are you talking about? I no more believe this crowd in general believes on Jesus and I believe you're flying to the moon. You say, is that right? That's right. You say, what right do you have to judge me? Bible says, he that is spiritual can judge all things. Amen. I'm not trying to be ugly, I'm just telling you what I see. I do not see the touch of the supernatural and the only explanation for this church is God. I do not see it. Why would you want me to tell you a lie? Amen. When you are trusting Jesus Christ and when I'm trusting Jesus Christ, the only explanation for our life is Jesus Christ. Amen. And that's not so. You say, well, what about church over there? I'm not interested in judging myself by somebody else. Are you? I'm just being an honest doctor tonight. I'm diagnosing the case and giving you the answer. We aren't trusting Jesus. We're believers now. I didn't say you weren't saved. Didn't say you weren't a believer. Here is the story out of this verse of scripture. Abraham, we'll talk about Abraham. Abraham was a man of faith. There's no difference in your life and my life as far as Abraham's testimony is concerned. He was the father of faith, but God has no favorites. And what was applicable to him is applicable to you and me tonight. Abraham, God sovereignly spoke to him one day and said, Abraham, I'm going to make a nation out of you. A nation. He promised Abraham a seed, a son, a seed. And through that son and that seed, he would establish a kingdom. And actually he was talking about in just plain English language. He was talking about, Abraham, I'm going to give you a son. And through that son, Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, will come into the world in human flesh and set up a kingdom. And Jesus will be his name. Jesus Christ will be his name. Now God didn't tell Abraham all of that, but Abraham knew it all. He got it from the Lord. Now when I'm going through this story tonight, you remember that Abraham knew this. Well, Abraham had a hard time believing that God would give him a son. So Abraham and Sarah tried to help God out. And every time they tried to help God out, they got into trouble. And finally one day, Abraham and Sarah got so old, they could no longer help God out. So they finally got reduced to where the only thing left for them to do was to trust the Lord. And they trusted the Lord and God gave Abraham and Sarah Isaac. Now, what a blessing. Some people believe it was 28 years later. It could have been 21 years later, but it was a number of years later. God said to Abraham, Abraham now listen, listen to this problem. I am wanting you, in fact he didn't say I'm wanting you, he said I command you, to take your son Isaac and offer him as a sacrifice. Do you know what that meant? That meant that God was calling on Abraham to do something that contradicted his nature. God was calling on Abraham to do something that contradicted God's promises, God's plan, God's performance. I mean all of this contradicted the very essence of God. Now tell me something, listen to me carefully. Wouldn't you say that Abraham had a problem? Now if you were here last night, this message just fits right where I left off last night. God allows a problem to come into your life. And that problem comes there for a purpose. Now Abraham had this problem, offer up thy son as a sacrifice. You say what did Abraham do with his problem? Well I'll tell you one thing, there's no evidence in the Bible that Abraham tried to handle his problem. That's the mark of spirituality. Amen. Amen. The mark of immaturity is that you and I try to handle our problems. Do you know what a spiritual person is? The ability to know God and cooperate with him. That's a spiritual man. Abraham, there's no indication in the Bible that Abraham tried to solve his problem. There's no indication of it. Up to this time he tried to solve his problems but there's no indication he tried to solve it. There is all indication that Abraham turned to God. You say how do you know? Okay, I know because of a portion of scripture found in John 8. Don't turn to it, just mark it down because I'll be gone before you get there and then I will have lost you. And that's foolish and I don't like to preach to the top of your heads anyway. I like to preach to your eyes. But John 8, 56, Jesus had been preaching to the Pharisees. And they said we are of our father Abraham. He said if you were of your father Abraham, you'd be doing the works of Abraham. He said I know you. Now listen as I quote that 56 verse or parts of it. Abraham rejoiced to see my day. Did you hear that? Abraham rejoiced to see my day. What do you mean he rejoiced to see the day of Jesus? Do you know what that meant? It meant Abraham saw the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He rejoiced to see my day. You know what the next phrase says? He saw it. You know what the next phrase says? He was glad. Why was he glad? What did he see? You see he saw Abraham has just been told of God. Offer up thy son. Take him to the mountain. Tie him to an altar. Take a knife. Stab it in his body. Drain the blood from his body and burn him to ashes. Abraham has just been told to sacrifice his son. Instead of trying to run out and handle his problem himself, he turns to God. And God lets him see the promise fulfilled. What's that? Jesus Christ coming in the flesh. No wonder he's glad. He sees that God is going to fulfill his promise. So Abraham knows something. You say what does he know? He knows that Isaac is going to live. Why? Because he saw Jesus. And Isaac couldn't, Jesus couldn't get here if Isaac didn't live. Do you get a glimpse of what I'm trying to say to you? See Abraham was able to read the last chapter. He saw it. He saw the promises. He saw the last chapter. He was persuaded of it. He embraced it and he confessed it. There's that outline I gave you a while ago but I'm going back to it. Abraham saw the fulfillment of that promise. Did you know God let him see the fulfillment of that promise? The incarnation of Jesus. Which made Abraham to know his son was going to live. But did you know Abraham did not know that God was going to provide a ram? Did you know what Abraham thought? Abraham thought that God was going to let him put that knife in Isaac's body and drain his blood and burn him to ashes. And you know what? He thought God was going to resurrect him from ashes. You say how do you know that? Because of the 18th and 19th verse of the 11th chapter of the book of Hebrews. It says accounting that God was able to even raise him up from the dead. Hear it? Amen? Now what I'm trying to tell you is this. Abraham had a problem. And he turned to God with that problem. You say how long did it take him to get through to God? It may have taken him a year. It may have taken him a week. It may have taken him a day. But he got through to God. He saw the promises. He was persuaded of it. He embraced it. And he confessed it. And you know what happened? What he confessed God did. That's the sequence of faith. I gave him a testimony the other night. Let me try to tie this all into what I've said all week. I gave him a testimony the other night. And I got sick. And I knew that some people God did not choose to heal. He would just give them the grace to die by. But I knew if he wanted to heal me or give me the grace to die by. I was not going to settle for anything less than the will of God. Seven months I sought a word from God. And one day after seven months I received a promise. I would see my children's children. One of my grandbabies was here last night. And it was just a joy to see him. Paul Paul's promise. But let me tell you something. When I saw that promise. I had to be persuaded of it. And then I had to believe it. And what I believed in my heart. You know what I did? I confessed with my mouth. And what I confessed with my mouth God did. Amen. Can you confess with your mouth anything? No. Only what you have believed God for. Can you believe God for anything? No. Only what you have been persuaded of is from God. And can you believe be persuaded of anything as from God? No. Only what God shows you out of the word of God is his will. Do you see that sequence? Amen. I'm not pulling your leg. I'm not playing games with you. God is doing what you are believing him for tonight. Amen. He's doing it right now. You say well brother Manly he's not doing anything in my life. He's probably doing more in your life than you realize. He's probably allowing you to have some kind of situation in your life right now. It may not be an adversity. It may just be an opportunity. I call them situations. I call them situations because a lot of times God gives me opportunities. Amen. God gives me opportunities that are not adversities. Right? God gives me opportunity that's not an adversity at all. So if there's any kind of situation in your life and there is and there will be. Amen. You and I need to learn how to turn to God and discover God in that situation. And when we learn how to discover the word. Faith, listen to this. Faith, Romans 10 17 and you ought to mark that one down. It says faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. What does that mean? That word, word there is not logos of God, the body of truth. That word, word in that verse is rhema of God. And what it means? It means the Holy Spirit takes this blessed word and gives it, personalizes it to you for a given situation. Like my wife and I were praying over one of our sons that was living in rebellion against God. So we prayed and prayed and one year while we were in Switzerland, God gave us a word. And you know what that word was? That he will perfect that which pertaineth unto thee. God, the Holy Spirit just gave us that word. Said he will perfect that which pertaineth unto thee. Now let me see if you can get a hold of what I'm saying. A lost man got saved one day. He'd been saved a very few weeks. And he came to Dr. James Alexander Stewart and said, Dr. Stewart, I want you to pray for my family. They're all lost. Dr. Stewart turned to him and said, do you have a word from God? He said, no, sir. He said, well, you go get a word from God. And when you get a word from God, you come back and then we'll trust. Because you need to know that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word. And before you can have faith, you've got to have a word. And this young Christian came back a few days later. And this is so in context if you know your Bible. I mean, I like to use this on these hyper theologians. I love to use this one because it's in context. He said, Dr. Stewart, I've got a word. I've got a word. Dr. Stewart said, what is it? Not one hoof will be left. I overshot you, didn't I? You don't know your Bible. Amen. I'll tell you, I won't do you like Mr. Marley's son did me the other day. When he asked me some question, I just looked down, you know. Maybe I ought to ask him this question. Where is he? Not one hoof will be left. How many of you know what I'm talking about? Not one hand went up. Do you know what I'm talking about? Yeah. Holly, what are you blushing for? You knew I was going to ask you this. Now, Sue, you know, don't you? You don't know either? I'll have to tell you. It's so beautiful. And I don't mean to be making fun of you. I'm really not. I want to tell you. I'm here to teach you. I'm not making fun much, am I? This is so interesting. In the history of the children of Israel, when they got ready to leave Egypt, when they got ready to leave Egypt, that was redemption. Remember? And God said to them, said not one hoof will be left. In other words, I'm going to redeem everything down to the hoof. Not one hoof will be left in Egypt. Now, see, that's in his context. He told that word was to that dad. I'm going to save them all. Not one will be left. Isn't that beautiful? Well, see, that dad had grounds then for what? He had grounds to be persuaded. He had grounds to believe. And when he could believe in his heart, then he could do what? Confess with his mouth. Not one hoof will be left. Amen? Now, this is what, you and I need to take our adversities, our opportunities, our situations. And we need to set a time apart with the Lord and seek ye the Lord till he's found. Amen? And then we get a word from God. And then we can be persuaded. And then we can embrace. Now, what are we talking about embracing the word? I call this, my stars, it's already 8.30, 8.23. Who was that that said amen? You weren't wanting to go home, were you? No? I was going to let you go and I was going to finish this sermon. I didn't think you were wanting to quit. Wow, I didn't know I'd been talking that long. That's the way it is when I've got a full glass of water. I know. Turn to Mark 11.24, turn to that now if you don't mind. Boy, I love to talk about trusting the Lord. Now listen to this verse. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire. Now that word desire there is not in your New American Standard Translation. That's another place they got afraid to translate the truth. You say, what do you mean, preacher? Well, I've had a lot of people look at that Greek text and it really fascinates me. That word desire, we can't get saved enough these days that we can trust our desire. But I tell you what, you can get saved enough you can trust your desire. You sure can. Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire. Now watch this. When you pray, now look at that word believe. Believe that ye receive them. That you receive them. Now this is not a bad use of words. It's right on the money. Believe that you receive them and ye shall have them. Now listen to me carefully. When you have a situation and you get a word from God and you're persuaded that it's a word from God and you pray and ask God to do something, are you supposed to believe you have it before you have it in order for you to have it? Are you supposed to just pray and wait for God to give it to you without believing He's done it already? In other words, which one comes first? Believing or receiving? Believing. Which one comes first? Believing or receiving? Say it again. Believing. Amen. And your believing is not presumptuous. It's not being presumptuous. You know why? Your believing is based on what? Truth. The Word. Amen. That God has given to you. So what you are believing the Lord for now that you are receiving, you are receiving it. Now only can the Lord show you what I've shared with you tonight. That's right. You say, Brother Mellon, I'm trying to put all that together. You'll never put it together. But let me give you one illustration unless the Holy Spirit puts it together for you. Here is a lost person sitting in this auditorium tonight. Here is a lost person sitting in this auditorium. This lost person sees that he is a sinner. And you and I tell him that Jesus has paid the price for him to be saved already because Jesus paid it all. And he doesn't need to do anything but repent of his sin and what? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And this we call on this sinner to act on the Word of God as if a thing is so. When it's not so in order for it to be so. Because with God it is so. And when does that sinner say? When he calls on the name of the Lord? No sir. When he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. And what does that believing constitute? It means a final, ultimate, literal choice in his heart to take Christ at His Word. Has Jesus Christ died for sinners? Has He? Is man saved by works or by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ? I can remember so distinctly when I was standing there lost that young lady had come to witness to me and I prayed, Lord please save me and He didn't save me. I said, Lord I know I'm going to go to hell if you don't save me. He did not save me. I did everything I could do to get Jesus to save me but trust Him. And I never will forget it. I said, Lord live or die, go to hell or heaven, I am coming home. And the moment I took Christ at His Word as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God. The moment I believed, that instant I received Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. You know what Colossians 2, 6 says? It says, as you receive Christ, as you receive Christ, so walk in Him. You received Him by faith, so just keep on walking the rest of your life by faith. You're praying that God will solve a problem? When are you going to believe your prayers answered? Well you might say, well preacher, when they're answered? Well I got news for you, the devil can believe it then. That's nothing. You need to come to the place of faith and trust that the Lord is doing it right now. Would you pray with me please? If the Lord has given you some light tonight about your situation as a child of God and you'd like to bring it to Jesus, I wish you'd come. I wish you'd literally come to Jesus tonight. If you're saved, I wish you'd just bring your life to Jesus tonight and say, Lord, teach me how to trust you. Would you do that? If you're here lost tonight and you've never been saved and God has dealt with you about your salvation, you come tonight and trust Jesus. I want you to stand with your heads bowed for a word of prayer Lord Jesus, have thine own way tonight in each of our hearts. I know that I've shared the truth and I know the truth is going to set people free. Lord, enable your people to respond to the truth in Jesus' name.