In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of understanding what the Lord requires of believers. He challenges the idea that extravagant offerings or sacrifices can please God, stating that the most important question for believers is what the Lord requires of them. The preacher shares a personal testimony of a man who experienced conviction of sin for three years before coming to the Lord. He then discusses passages from the Bible that speak of God's judgment and restoration, highlighting the need for repentance and obedience. The sermon concludes with a reminder of God's past miracles and a call for believers to testify against any weariness or disobedience towards God.

Micah, Micah. He comes right after what? I forgot myself. He comes after Obadiah, who comes after Amos, who comes after what? Habakkuk. Well, anyhow, he's there in the middle of the minor prophet. Chapter 4. You know, I don't know why, but the schoolmen, as we call them, the schoolmen, the intellectuals of the church, even the godless, they've divided the prophets between the major prophets and the minor prophets. And Micah is one of the minor prophets. He was contemporary with a major prophet by the name of Isaiah. In fact, they use language, whether Micah borrows from Isaiah or Isaiah from Micah, I don't know, that's their business, but I'm glad they wrote it anyhow, it's good. Micah chapter 4 and verse 1. But in the last days it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and the people shall flow unto it. The situation that Micah is in is a desperately serious one. Now, there are different interpretations of this chapter. Some say, of course, that this is not an end-time revival, it's speaking of the speaking of the millennium. This man told some amazing truths. He's a minor prophet with major prophecies. Look at the fifth chapter there. And in verse 2 he says, But thou bethlehem Ephrathah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be the ruler of Israel, whose goings forth have been from the ends, from old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up until the time which she that traveleth has brought forth. Obviously there he's speaking of the coming of Jesus. Isaiah did the same thing, but this man pinpoints it more deeply. He gives you the exact place where he's going to be born. Now it's that same person he speaks of in verse 3 of chapter 4. And he shall judge among many people and rebuke strong nations afar off, and they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. In the last days, going back to verse 1, it shall come to pass that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established. Now he uses another phrase too. Let's go to verse 6 in the same chapter. In that day saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, I will give her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted, and I will make her that her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast off a strong strong nation. The Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion from henceforth forever. Now he's talking here again, I'm going back to verse 1 to stress it, in verse 1, in the last days. What does he mean by the last days? Well the patriarchal period had passed away, and the mosaic economy, the time on the Moses was almost fading out. But he talks about the last days. And he's talking about the house of the Lord. It shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and people shall flow to it. What does he mean? He's meaning the habitation of God. There's a period when the habitation of God is going to be exalted into the highest place. And he says two things about it in this verse. One, it shall be established. And the second, it should be exalted. You know we're always trying to establish the church of Jesus Christ. There are people now who are hoping a certain man will become president of the United States. He can't do a thing about it. He may get in, he will not. You can't legislate righteousness. As I've said to you, people won't keep 50 miles an hour on the road. Do you think it's going to be moral just because the government says thou shall not commit adultery? God said it. They won't obey him. Will they obey the guys in Washington? Of course they won't. But this is going to be established. The house of God is going to be established in a new and a most glorious way. I think it's right to say that unwise and ambitious men have tried time and time again to establish righteousness. Go back to the fourth century when Constantine, I think that's the greatest tragedy to Christianity. Until the time of Constantine it was a very painful thing to be a Christian. It was a perilous thing to be a Christian. You could be snatched at any time and be put into a false labor camp. You could be put into isolation. And then up came this marvelous man Constantine. And he made it a state religion. Christianity became a state religion. And from that day it began to go downward. There was no persecution. It was easy. He appointed himself to be the chief preacher in the nation. And he demanded that when he walked into the pulpit everybody stood and applauded. So that's where it comes. It comes from a heathen. And yet today we're so rampant with these things. The house of the Lord shall be established on the mountains and it shall be exalted. It's going to be the most attractive thing in the world. God is jealous for his glory. He's going to lift the church out of the mire and out of the clay and out of its rationalism and materialism. And he's going to crown it with glory and honor. And the kings of the earth, the materialist kings, the captains of industry, the bankers, the people in government, they're going to see the glory of God. There is the mountain and there's Zion on top of the mountain blazing with the glory of God. Remember later Jesus said a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. The most attractive thing if God Almighty is there in Thailand should be a church where the glory of God is. Where we're attracted you don't have to drive young people to go. There should be a majesty that excels. There should be a light that excels. There should be a power that excels. And it won't happen until we get jealous for God. Not jealous about somebody else's ministry, forget it. I don't care a hill of beans about them. We've got to be jealous for God's glory. It's time to bring him back. It's time for us to prepare the way of the Lord. Well anyhow I'm looking forward to this. I was deeply moved as I read it today. In that day, what day? In the last days. I tell you the mosaic economy was dying out. The patriarchs had already gone. Well how does it begin in Hebrews chapter one? Remember it says in the Good King James Version anyhow. Hebrews one, what does it say? What's the first verse? Good. Thank you. I wonder if you're all listening. God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake unto the fathers by the prophets hath in these last days. And that was written two thousand years ago. John on the Isle of Patmos. We say we read the revelation of Saint John the Divine. This Bible doesn't talk about it. It says the revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave to him and he passed it on to John. And John says the things which shall shortly come to pass. Again that was two thousand years ago. Well how near are we to the coming? There's going to be a tremendous awakening one of these days. I don't believe the superstar preacher will be in the picture at all. I believe God's going to fulfill his promise. If I didn't believe that I'd want to die myself. He's going to pour out his spirit on all flesh. Sons and daughters will prophesy. Martha's very fond of giving a little book away. What's the name of the black boy? Sammy Morris. How many of you read the life of Sammy Morris? Great. Little black boy that God appeared to in the night in a camp. He was a son of a chief in India. He's buried at in Ohio. What's that place called? Fort what? Fort Wayne. I went there one day. It was drizzling rain and snow and I knelt at the side. There's a big old rugged rock there. And it writes his name there. Sammy Morris. A prince in the crew tribe. He came to this country. He talked with a lady. She was half dumb anyhow. I nearly said what denomination but you can guess. Some of you belong to it. And she talked to him about Jesus. But one day she mentioned the Holy Spirit. And he says who is the Holy Spirit? Oh I don't really know. But there's a man in New York by the name of Stephen Merritt. And he says where's New York? She's across the water. He'd never seen water except a stream. He woke up in the night and he said the light guided him. He got through the window if I remember right of the school and off he went following that light. And eventually got to the coast. Went on board a ship. They booted him off. He got back again. He stayed on the boat for I don't know about three weeks. One of those slow old things that went across the Atlantic in those days with sails. Arrived in New York. By the time he got to New York I think it was 23 of the people on the crew had been born again. They booted him like a football. Little black guy. See a good black brother there. Lord make him another Sammy Morris. And and God began to work. He went to see Stephen Merritt. When he got off the boat he got into a cabin. He had no money. He went to Stephen Merritt. He had the address. Went to there. Knocked at the door. Stephen Merritt asked him where he came from. He said Africa. And the fellow said pay my fare. Well he had no money so Stephen Merritt paid it. Then Stephen Merritt I think the next day went to a meeting. A big fashionable Presbyterian church to preach. He put Sammy Morris in a side room with the teenagers and he thought oh they'll enjoy seeing this black boy so different. When he came back half of them were prostrate on the floor seeking God. And everywhere he went he had a touch of it. He died at 21 years of age. But look what he put into that time. You see he was totally yielded to God. It wasn't a case of take my life and let it be. He burned out for God. It's good to burn out. It's better to last out. We wear out that's okay. But let's last out to the end of the line that God wants for you and God wants for me. But you see God is going to restore his glory. I wonder how much the heart of God aches tonight as he looks down on the church. Almost imbecile. Almost paralyzed. And there's no hope except he finds channels through which to come. And this man is going to tell us how to get to this stage. Go over to chapter six. Well let's look at the end of chapter five from verse 10. Here's the condition. It shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, I will cut off thy horses, I will destroy thy chariots, I will cut off the cities, I will cut off the witchcraft. And thy graven images also, verse 13, will I cut off, and thy standing of images out of the midst of thee. Thou shalt no more worship and work with thine hands. I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee. And I will execute vengeance in anger and fury. Then verse one of chapter six. Hear now what the Lord saith. Arise, contend thou before the mountains, and let the hills hear thy voice. Look at verse four in the same chapter. I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants. And I set before thee Moses and Abraham, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Now we've read verse four. Let's go back to verse three. He's asking a question. O my people, what have I done to thee? And wherein have I wearied thee? Testify against me. What have I done? I delivered. I did you miracle after miracle after miracle. I divided the sea, I rent the heavens, and brought down manna. I destroyed your enemies. They sang that great song in the 15th chapter of Exodus. There the horse and his rider hath he cast into the sea. And this people could have slaughtered. The sea could have been the Red Sea, could have been red with human blood. But God intercepted. God interfered. And God says what have I done unto thee? Where have I wearied you? Testify against me. And all this anger is going to be poured out upon them. Verse three of the previous chapter. Four says. And he shall judge among many people and rebuke strong nations afar off. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares. Then he's speaking again of the day that's coming up a day of glory in verse four. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree. And none shall make them afraid. For the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. For all the people will walk every one in the name of his God. And we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever. But come down now. In the same chapter. And he says in verse nine. Now why dost thou cry aloud? Is there no king in thee? Is thy counselor perished? For pangs have taken hold of thee as a woman in travail. But in pain and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion. And then in verse three of the next chapter he says. Therefore will he give them up until the time which he travaileth. She which travaileth hath brought forth. Then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. Now we're going into this sixth chapter again. In verse six he says. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord? And thou myself before. I think the Hebrew says the most high God. Shall I come before him with burnt offerings of calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams? Or with ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression? The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed the old man what is good. And what doth the Lord require of thee? But to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God. Will the Lord be pleased with ten thousand rams? With ten thousand rivers of oil? Well they were allowed to sacrifice lambs. In the meal offering in the book of Leviticus it says that they took measures, small measures of oil. What we would say a pint or a quart. And they put that same measure on all the burnt offerings. But this man says, he's exaggerating. Supposing I increase my giving to God to ten thousand rivers of oil. Supposing I give God ten thousand rams. Will the Lord be pleased with this? What does the Lord require of thee? Maybe the most important question to the man in the world is this. What must I do to be saved? The most important question to the believer is, what does the Lord require of me? David's there. He'll be preaching next Friday night. Then he's going home to New Zealand. You do well to get the tape. He preached a message last Sunday morning. A wonderful message up at what used to be Agape. You were there. Some of you nodding your heads. A marvelous message saying that when he came to the Lord. You know it grieves me about these altar calls. They're so sick. And he stressed the fact that for three years, from 15 years of age to 18, he was under conviction of sin and often trembled. We have three boys. No we haven't. We're three men now. We had three boys. But you know what? We never spanked one of them. Never had trouble with any of them. Why? Because we loved them. We gave them attention. People smile when I say when when they were five years of age, I prayed about the girls they would marry. People think it's stupid. I don't. I think it's wonderful. They've got wonderful wives. But David spoke last Sunday morning about using a figure again. I think it's beautiful. Buying an old automobile. I don't know whether he actually did it. It's just a figure. He bought a normal automobile over in New Zealand where he lives. And when he got it home, he washed it, got all the dust off it, took the seats out, vacuumed it, got a stack of dust. He said supposing I put it all on the kitchen table and said to his wife, well honey look this is what we got for two thousand dollars. He said what do you mean? No he bought the car and he got the junk. Well when the Lord gets me, he gets me. What do I give him? My lousy sins. His problem was not tobacco, drink, foolishness. I've never been in a movie in my whole life till I came to New York in 1950, 1951. We live in a country, we did at that time, it's backslidden now, where once you were saved you never went to movies or professional ball clubs or anything, professional games. We kept the sabbath holy and we tried to live as righteously as we could. What's wrong with being right anyhow? People say about the Pharisees, oh the Pharisee. Well Jesus didn't bless their righteousness. He said accept your righteousness, exceed the righteousness of those. The thing wrong about them was they boasted it was their righteousness. You find people saying humbly, well of course I'm a Christian but my righteousness is as filthy as rags. Well get saved. That's all you have to do. Except if we're really born again, his righteousness becomes my righteousness. He that doeth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous. It takes all the twist out of me, it takes all the perversion out of me, it takes all the self out of me. David as a wonderful artist, he doesn't use that anymore, with one or two things he painted. But his job was, he'd already planned a career to have a studio and do graphic arts and other things. And his struggle was not with sin, it was not some terrible vicious sin or vileness. It was this, I can't give Jesus Christ just my lousy sins, he didn't use that terrible word as I do. I can't just give my sins, I've got to give myself, my will, my heart, my life, my all. And as he stressed, Jesus can't be a saviour without being your Lord. If he's not your Lord, he isn't your saviour. It's our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He wants sovereign rights. That's the trouble we do, we go our own way many of us, even after we're saved, we turn everyone to our own way. What does the Lord require of thee? That's the question. Very often on news in the morning they put a notice there of people needed, they put a mechanic needed, at such and such a wage. We are required he has six months of training or six years. They put qualifications, what does God require of us? If you go to some groups like Armstrong's group, you talk about tithing, they have to pay three tithes. 30% of their income has to be divided into three forms of tithing with them. That's a condition of membership. If you go to the Catholic Church you have to do penance and heaven knows what. And there are conditions. I remember when I went to Bethany Fellowship first in 1950, I was amazed when the students drove up in their cars they were told to take them to the back of the building and jack them all up. They couldn't use them again for how long David, I don't remember. I don't think they could go shopping in them. You put your car up when you came in October to the back of the building and it stayed there till Easter or whenever you're leaving. In between the bus went to town if you had to go to shop and come back. It was compulsory to go to the church service there every Sunday morning. There were certain conditions laid down. We've got out of that. We don't like it. It's bondage. I was thinking the other day you know some of the preachers in the Church of England, they have to subscribe to what we call the 39 articles. And they have to declare, they have to write out that they believe in the virgin birth, the physical resurrection of Jesus, that there is a hell to shun and a heaven to gain as they say. And then afterwards they don't preach it. So they brought some of them on the mat and asked them why. You gave your vows with mental reservations they said. I wonder if they made the marriage vows the same way. With mental reservations. By the way they live a lot in Lusitan. But what does the Lord require of me? He requires first of all, Paul says, writings of the Corinthians, it is required of us, it is required of a steward that he be found faithful. It's not optional. We used to sing a hymn in England. Part of it says, and round my heart still closely twine those tithes which nought can sever. For I am his and he is mine forever and forever. We're too swift. I've been in two meetings with David in the last few weeks. The power of God was on both of them. David never makes long altercations. Let's see what God is doing. He said in both meetings somebody came forward. Straight after that somebody took the meeting over and put pressure on and started saying do this, do that, do the other. And urging young people to come in. And he said already I don't want, it's not a case of decision here. It took me three years. We're in such a hurry. We interfere with God. We don't trust the Holy Ghost. I'm seeing this more and more and more. We're working in such a fleshly area. What does the Lord require of me? He requires, he requires that I'm obedient to him. Obedience demands faithful, and it's married to faithfulness as far as I'm concerned. And he requires, Jesus says in the fourth of John there, the father seeketh such to worship him. That's not an option. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God. See how often the psalmist says that. Remember the occupation in heaven in eternity is worshiping him. They worship him day and night, the scripture says. The beasts fall down and worship him. The foreign trendy elders fall down. The least known thing in America or the world today is knowing how to worship God. Do you know we worship? Worship. We worship, worship. You can tell a church why they worship, worship. They sing for 50 minutes and have a message from God's word in 10. So they're worshiping worship. Most of it is soulish. It's not spiritual at all. The scripture says you should worship him in spirit and in truth. But you know, you get up and say, well let's clap our hands. Nobody's shouting. They're not even in the spirit yet. They worship, try to worship on the soulish level. I can tell you some churches in Dallas that are famous for worship, and they've got consumed with worship. And when people are there once or twice, they say, well I know what this is. They're worshiping worship. It's becoming, it's the object of worship is to reach someone who's worthy of being worshipped. But they're content with the emotion and just expression and release. And God demands that we worship him in spirit and in truth. You know when I see these people shouting and clapping their hands, I wonder do you do that at home in the closet? They do it here to show off. Have you two standards? Are you so expressive? Are you so overflowing? Are you so joyous in his presence when there's no spectators? Do you pour out your love, your adoration until the very angels feel I'd like to express God as that man does? There's a song that says angels never felt the joy that our salvation brings. They'd never be redeemed. But it's true that those who love much are being saved from much love much. You see many of us were never in the filth and the mire. But Lord when you turn around and see him for who he is and for what he is, not just what he gives. He's not just a utility God to meet my need. He's there desiring that of my whole being. There's a hymn that says fill thou my life O Lord my God in every part with praise. That all my being may proclaim thy being and thy ways. Not for the lip of praise alone nor in a praising heart I ask. But for a life made up of praise in every part. Praise in the common things of life, its goings out and in. Praise in each duty and each deed however small and mean. So shall no part of day or night from sacredness be free. But my whole life in every step be fellowship with thee. Another thing that the Lord demands of us of course is sacrifice. There is no true love without sacrifice. And it's easy to sing love so amazing so divine demands my soul my life my all. But it's something entirely different to give it. Like David said he struggled for three years before he could come to that place where I say well Lord I take my hands of everything. I'm not bargaining if you forgive my sins I'll serve you. It's not that at all. But I'm so loving you and adoring you and see what you mean now. I'm changed from eternal darkness to eternal light from death to life from the power of Satan to God. Isn't that enough to set us singing? We don't look back. God repeatedly had to say to Israel remember that you were a bondsman in Egypt. Remember the pit from which you've been lifted. We've all got short memories. We don't get into rapturous delight. And as I've said to you so often the entertainment is the devil's substitute for joy. And more and more the people there's more of this entertainment stuff creeping again into the sanctuary. He says do justly. What does it require of me? He requires obedience. He requires sacrifice. He requires worship. He requires adoration. He requires my will to be married into his will. In that that lovely hymn we sing sometimes of Edwin Hatch's breathe on me breath of God. Fill me with life anew that I may love what thou dost love and do what thou would. That's submission totally. Being sensitive to the spirit of God. You know we there's no way that men are going to make the church of Jesus Christ work. They've been at it for thousands of years and it doesn't work. There has to be a complete takeover by God himself as that director and master. And it functions only on love and adoration and devotion. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee. Proverbs 3 3 says let not mercy and truth forsake thee. Bind them about thy neck and write them on the tables of your heart. When David had sinned he'd got murder on one hand and adultery on the other hand. But when he comes to God he doesn't say pity me he says have mercy upon me oh God. In his letters first letter to Timothy and the second letter to Timothy and then in Titus Paul says grace and mercy and truth he binds them all up together. The excellences of God to be worked out in our life. And it's only when we realize how much I believe mercy is greater than grace. Grace can make me feel joyful that mercy suggests I have a need that somebody has to meet. I can't get there myself. Come in your mercy. Come in your greatness. Come in your fullness. I have a dire need in here. Nothing on this earth can satisfy it except God. As Augustine said he made us for ourselves for himself. And only when we are really given over to him do we delight him. As I see it I believe our will is our altar. My will I have to get down and submit it. My career or my reputation may be my sacrifice. And remember the fire does not fall on the altar the fire falls on the sacrifice. When when no one obeyed God and that's a tremendous thing. I'm afraid I'm glad over that too easily but for 120 years he withstood the mocking and scourging and laughing of the people and they built him when he built his ark he went into the ark and remember God shut the door and he kept him waiting seven days before he spoke. Moses climbed up the mountain there in the blinding in the darkness to see the blinding glory of God. He was there six days before God spoke to him. We want things done in such a hurry and God is never in a hurry. Love is never in a hurry. It's just a case of waiting God's time his timetable. Moses could have pardon me nor could have stayed in the ark talking and singing and praying but he had to do something about it. And it wasn't until he came out of the ark that he made a sacrifice immediately was costly because already had a limited amount of material to work on. But it was there where he offered his sacrifice to God and it's there he worshipped him. If I'd been Abraham going up the hill and saying to my servants you stay here I'm taking my boy up there you see you see where that big rock is we're going to build an altar at the side of it and I'm going to sacrifice my boy he doesn't say that. Remember he's left the family he's come up the hill he's no escalator he gets his body up the hill. Moses climbed the hill at 80 he must have been pretty fit. But Abraham goes up there he doesn't say I'm going to sacrifice he said I'm going to worship. I'm going to worship. Worship demands my best. I can't give God my spare time. I can't say at the end of the day well you understand Lord I'm very I had a friend who always used to say well the dear Lord understands yes he does better than we think. He knows when giving him just a fag end of things. But he goes up what do you think he felt like going up that hill? Don't you think the devil tormented him? This is your only son. If God had said to him take Ishmael it would have said Lord Lord take him gladly. Instead of that he says oh God let Ishmael live before thee. God didn't God he goes up the mountain and takes his son. I can imagine him saying to the boy get hold of that rock there that slab let's lift it here lift another and they build an altar. You know it's not not difficult for me to build an altar for you to be sacrificed on. The difficulty is in building an altar for me to be sacrificed on. And yet there he is and he must have been a very delightful fella. We figured he was about 18 or 19 years of age at the most. Do you know any 19 year old that would let his daddy bind him with a knife in his hand? It would have slugged him. It would have kicked him or done something and said what are you doing? Instead of that he's perfect in submission. He's like the lamb that's led to the slaughter. And there he is Abraham doesn't say I'm going to sacrifice I'm going to worship. I'm giving God my very best but God didn't take him. You say well why didn't God take him? Because he didn't want him. What did he want? He wanted Abraham. He wanted to see if Abraham loved his son more than he loved the will of God. God never asked him. He wasn't going to cause his son to be sacrificed. These people say what should we do? Here let me go back here a minute. In the sixth chapter in verse 7. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams or with thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? You remember they'd let their children pass through in the valley of Hinnom, one of the tribes that take their children and sacrifice them to Moloch. And he says shall I do this? Shall I give my firstborn for the sin of my soul? You know we'll do anything except what God wants. We'll do anything. We won't fast. We won't pray. We'll build him a nice thing. We'll give a bit more of our money tithing. We'll read a bit more of our Bibles. But that's not what God is asking. He's asking something vastly deeper than that. And it's difficult. First of all the difficulty is to do the will of God. And the more to know the will of God, pardon me, the second thing is to to do it. Knowing the will of God brings me peace. Doing the will of God brings me warfare usually. All the families upset. What are you going to do? You can't do that. You can't do that. A young man called me the other day from Tyler. Mr. Raymond I called you a couple of months ago. He lives somewhere up way up on the east coast there. And he said you said you'd see me. So I said all right. It's quarter to nine. I go to bed at nine usually. I get up early. Oh well he said my wife and I have driven for 21 hours non-stop kind of thing. And I want to see you. Oh I said well come. And he came and stayed maybe 45 minutes. He said before I come I want to tell you something. I don't know why I'm coming. I said well that's helpful. I don't know why we've been driving all this time. I don't know why we've come. He came in the office door. I said well welcome. He said well I don't know why I'm here. I said I don't either. But we'll find out. He's just embarking on a career that he has lived for. He was 19 years of age. Fresh, vibrant, joyful, knew God obviously. And his charming young wife as well. In the course of talking he asked me about becoming a man of God. How do you become a man of God? I said one thing you can do is find a cave which his wife didn't enjoy. But you see we're looking for a shortcut. Let me tell you this. Wrap this up. He said well Mr. Raymond I'll tell you. He said I've already been doing some ministering. But I want to get as near to God as a human being can get. I said that fills my heart. You're not just after ministry. No. You're not just after knowing the word of God. No. Are you after knowing the God of the word? Yes. I'll talk to you. I'll talk to you about 50 minutes maybe. At the end his face lit up. He said I know why I came now. He asked me about going to seminary. I said don't. What do I do? So I gave him my famous list of 10 books and told him where he could get them. And he said I'm going. We're going home. We'll rest over the night and tomorrow and then we go back. They're driven for 21 hours. And he said we're going back. And he said I'm going to get down to business with God. I said discipline yourself. My old argument. Eat as little as you can within reason. Sleep as little as you can. Pray and study as much as you can. And read these books particularly Gernal. A lady wrote to me the other day. I told her years ago about Gernal. She's a brilliant woman. And she said Mr. Raymond I'm still in find still finding refreshment in Gernal. Every page somehow begins to live anew. You see we all want to get over that with about six proof texts. I'm ready to go to mission field. I'm ready to suffer and die. You're not ready because there's no sacrifice behind it. It's too late to sacrifice when you get there. You can't get discipline when you get there. Get discipline here where it's easier. Say no to bed. Say no to food. Say no to a social life. It costs something. Naturally I love my boys. I think they're wonderful fellows. And each of them spends when he's home. You can hardly find David. He's studying with his Bible in the little room there. Paul would be home. We'd have supper. And when they were all living in our house and even afterwards we'd have supper. Then Paul would say well I'll see you later. And he'd go into the room at six o'clock at night and stay there till 11. And when he came out his wife went in and stayed till two or three in the morning. No wonder they have such a firm foundation. No wonder they have such a knowledge of God. No wonder they have such a sympathy for lost men and women. I mentioned to you before and I'll wind up with it. In the 24th of Exodus there where the children of Israel have done all the rotten things. Like here God helped them. How many times has God delivered you and you made a promise. I won't do this and I will do that and you haven't done them. The highway of our Christian life is strewn with the wreckage of broken vows and promises. We expect God to wink at them. Well Lord I'm feeble and I'm this. Well why in God's name are you feeble at this age? You've served him so long. You've had time to strength. The greatest saint that ever lived in the last hundred years never had a bigger Bible than you have. I said to the young one I have a couple of thousand books. I could get rid of 99 percent of them almost. And just cling to three or four good books and along with the word of God borrow other people's illumination. I think that's a sensible thing to do. Anyhow this man has stirred my heart. Then I got a letter from the young man on the as I told you living nearly at the north pole where they're needing help. Give no language barrier and there he is up in the splendid isolation and he can view at least 10 churches or 10 villages where they have a what they call a Russian Orthodox church where they're bound in superstition. They're drunk and they're dark and they're opposing and yet he's delighting in it. I'm here where God wants me to be. I prepared to come and I'm staying here. There's reasons to go back. People ask me this come and work in our church but God has called me here to this task. A poet says the task thy wisdom hath assigned. Oh let me cheerfully fulfill. What does the Lord require of me? Do justly. I have to live righteously before people. Love mercy. Be gracious. Be generous and walk humbly with that. Now you can do justly and love mercy without being a Christian. I know some gorgeous people who are not saved. In fact many of them I admire more than I admire some Christians. They're righteous. My dear wife and I have stayed in a home where a dear black lady was the the cook and so forth. Well the cook there's a number of servants and she died. No her husband died was it? Was it her husband died Martha? Yes it was. And the man was this friend of ours. He wasn't a saved man at the time but a very righteous man. One of the most respected men in the whole of that island, the vast island in the Caribbean. And for 15 years he paid that woman's wage as though she were working in the kitchen there. He didn't say well come in for half a day and I'll pay you half money or do this. For 15 years he paid out every week that woman's support. And every time there was somebody in need he'd say to his wife well we've more than we need. They have a mansion sure enough. And he had a yacht and he'd all kinds of. But he cared for everybody. He's a loving gentleman. People would come and ask in this shop. I've been in his office when people have come in. Mr. I never gave his name. I have a great need. And he'd say well I'll think about it come tomorrow. And he helped them. We can do justly. There are many people who hate unrighteousness as they as they hate crime and hate other things. But we're to do justly. We're to love mercy. There are not many merciful people about. They want the pound of flesh as Shakespeare says. And they'll get it at all costs. You can do justly and love mercy without being saved. We should have them when we are saved of course. But we can't walk humbly with God unless we're really born again of the Spirit of God. And God's great demand is that we're obedient. Let me read the scripture and skip over. In the fifth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. Here the disciples are in trouble. Acts 5 17. The high priest rose up and all that were with him. Which is the sect of the Sadducees. And they were filled with indignation and they laid their hands on the apostles and put them in a common prison. But the angel of the Lord came. Isn't that good? There are some people the government has no power over. And they're the angels. The angel of the temple. Good night. That's asking for trouble. You'll get arrested. They'd just been there and got into trouble. And the Lord liberates them after an hour's rest in jail. And says well go back to the temple. And the other apostles with him said we should obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers who raised up Jesus whom he slew and hanged on a tree. Now if that isn't direct preaching what in the world is? Why didn't they say some people in this town did it? Some religious people. Instead he tags them and says your fathers did this. The God of our fathers raised whom he slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted. At the right hand to be a prince and a savior. To give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Ghost to whom God has given to them that obey him. There's the secret of receiving the Holy Ghost. There's the secret of abiding in the Holy Ghost. To them that obey him. You see we want to skip points here. And as I've said to you almost to the point of weariness that that little song is one of the best ever. Trust and obey there's no other way. The Lord doesn't say when you say what what do I do Lord? What does the Lord require of thee? W tithing. W prayer life. W Bible study. He says no do justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly with your God. Go the second mile. More than is asked. And just obey God in every minute detail as Pascal said. What did he say? He said a hundred things but I'm trying to think what he said here. It won't come. It was something about perfection. Being made of very small minute things. Step by step by step by step God asks us to go. And not be weary in well doing. You know it'd be wonderful if we get over it like that. I was thinking just yesterday we we've had some problem this week. People from near and far with big big huge problems. And I've just been meditating the night before. Well maybe two or three in the morning. When the Lord says I'll be with you. To David in Psalm the 23rd Psalm. I'll be with you in the valley of the shadow. Though I walk through the. No Lord let's run through it. Who wants to stay in the valley of the shadow of death? It's dark. It's bondage. Why stay in the valley? I want a sunshine. I want freedom. I don't want to stay here. And the Lord says the only way to get there is to go through this. What some of the old saints call the dark night of the soul. And I don't care how spiritual you are. You'll have dry patches. Because God is going to test us to see whether we enjoy our worship. Just worshiping and singing and praising. I challenge myself that every day I believe in Russia in those prisons. Where there's rotten vile conditions. As I told you Solzhenitsyn said. It was on a bed of rotting straw that he found God. Because of another man in the jail. I believe every day God gets more praise and adoration out of those people. Than he gets out of us. They have nothing to divert their attention. They their minds are stayed on him. Their world is gone. They're living for a new hope. They're living for a new kingdom. They're living for this day that this man speaks of. When swords will be beaten into plowshares. And so forth and so on. This Christ he speaks of here from Bethlehem. Who's going forth. So being from of old and from everlasting. He was there before the world began. And he'll be there after the world has boiled up and gone away. And he's asking us to put our trust in this unchanging God. He's asking me not to just do one thing there. But it's his right if he's my Lord and Master to say sacrifice this and sacrifice that. Somebody else he may not ask them to do it. They can do a hundred things the Lord won't let you do them. They can buy things he won't let you buy them. They can go places he won't let you go. For what reason? Because he's making you that's why. It's not your business what he lets them do. It's my business to trust him fully. As we sing stayed upon Jehovah hearts are fully blessed. Finding as he promised perfect peace and rest. And where they who trust him wholly what does it say? And there's those who trust him wholly find him wholly true. You know there's no such thing as making one big leap. I know Norman Grubb wrote a book the leap of faith. I don't believe there are leaps of faith. I believe it's step by step inch by inch that Lord leads us and honors us and we grow and we expand and we become more like him. We go from one degree of glory to another one degree of revelation to another. At least we should. But you know what we're approaching this time I'm convinced of this. When to go back to Hebrews 12 everything that can be shaken is being shaken. The next four or five years will be tremendous. God's going to get glory. He's going to set his church on a hill. The mountain means the high place. Zion means the church. He's going to exalt his church. Give her glory that she's never had the like of in your day or mine. And people are going to be drawn he says from the ends of the earth. It's not going to be conscription. It's going to be the magnetism of love. The magnetism of power. The magnetism of joy. The world is aching for love and it can only find it in God. It's aching for joy and it only finds it in entertainment. And he's seeking a people who above everything else will just ask Lord what is it what have I to do? He says what shall I render unto the Lord? In the psalm he says doesn't he? Shall I render that which cost me nothing? What does the Lord require of thee? He requires total obedience. He requires total obedience. He requires total devotion. He requires my will to be set to do his will. He requires sacrifice because that right through from beginning to end the Christian life is composed basically of sacrifice on the basis of gain of the sacrifice of Jesus. And since he gave me his all shouldn't I give him my all? Should I ask him to give all for me and me give less to him? It doesn't work. I had a letter just a few days ago from Jock Purvis. He wrote one of the best of modern books. If you haven't read it you should. If I were a head of a Bible school of course it'd be a lot of trouble if I was but if I was one thing they'd have to read would be my good friend Jock Purvis's book Fair Sunshine. It's about all those young men of England was battering the mainly Presbyterian church in Scotland in 1600 up to 1665. I wonder how outstanding heroes then was a young man with promise they thought like Saul of Tarsus he's going to be the next moderator of the church maybe. He was about six foot one and he was sentenced to death and he came out from his sentence and walked down the street and each side of the street people as they say in their dialect greeting or weeping and drying their eyes and as he turned the bend he looked and saw another man Huey and he raised his hand and he says quit quit quit he says don't you realize four days from now I'll see the king in his beauty and he was 22 years of age he'd been hunted like a rabbit through the through the highlands trying to find him for leading a people who met and worshipped in a cave some of those men didn't go to bed year in and year out they ran during the night time in the dark they got a bite of food here and a bite of food there but it's such utter devotion when you read that book when I read it moves me to tears but Jock wrote me about a couple of weeks ago and he said well then he said you were mentioning about C.T. Studd he worked with C.T. Studd actually and he said you know what I'm doing now and I was thrilled to hear he's writing the life story of Mrs. C.T. Studd and he said she was a human dynamo I mean I believe he means God's dynamo you know she's a woman that when C.T. got his fortune he gave five thousand pounds at that time worth about I suppose 150,000 he gave it to help found Moody Bible Institute he gave five thousand pounds to William Booth to help with the Salvation Army and he came home he said well I'm giving this is that's all right five thousand pounds 150,000 dollars 150,000 dollars but darling he said I've saved two thousand pounds for you she said if you can live by faith so can I that's a kind of a life to have keep your money I don't want it and he's writing a life story I can't wait till it comes out but keep this in mind these people are not a special breed they weren't born supernaturally they were reborn supernaturally they had a new birth a new life a new heart a new spirit these people get up from the altar and if you stop them at the door say what happened oh well I just cried I'm sorry about it they're not born there's little regeneration they've no witness of the spirit I went to a church and if you went to the altar at Sunday Sunday night before you left the altar you to get assurance then you turn around and tell the congregation what had happened they'd say well Leonard what happened to my I remember I was 14 I went to that altar and after I'd really prayed through as they talked and was clear of what was happening I could sing happy day that picks my choice tis done the great transfection is done I am my Lord's and he is mine I've never doubted my salvation from that day to this never will I knew something miraculous happened I was changed not just changed my sins had gone my burden had gone my guilt had gone my condemnation had gone it had thank God I moved up and I didn't go as quickly as I should but then later on I entered into a sanctified sanctified life as we say and that was completely revolutionary and I walked amongst some of the saints of all I saw C.T. stood once my how I envied that man he was the Babe Ruth of English critic you know cricket played cricket better than anybody living and I thought it says something about cricket and guy never said a word I was disgusted other people enjoyed him I didn't I was about 12 but you know I remember meeting him and Padgett Wilks and on one occasion meeting what's the fellow that had the awesome faith Smith Wigglesworth I met him once and you know these men were ordinary men but somehow they got such a lusting for the glory of God they got to the place of such discontent with everything worldly they said like young Murray McShane in Scotland who died at 28 if if this isn't of eternal value I'm not doing it what what will this mean in eternity and they live with an eternity consciousness I said to Buck the herring a few hours ago I said Buck we've lost sight of eternity if we lived in the light of the judgment seat we'd never be critical we'd never be carping we'd never be self-pitying we'd never back off we'd say Lord I want to press toward the mark press if I press then as opposition I have to push through push through my feelings push through other people's opinions push through all the other things that people do and I can't do them God won't let me do them God won't let you do them if he's getting you to himself he's going to wean you from those things what does the Lord require he requires my total obedience he requires my total being he requires me to desire a heart like his heart that I may love what thou wouldst love and do what thou wouldst do the glory of God is going to come and I'm not going home till it does come at least I hope I'm not I just want to live to see God take supreme control to so fill his church his people with his glory that people will I was reading about John Owen the other day some people think he was the greatest preacher amongst the Puritans in the 1600s remember there was no transit public transit in those days and before he was 30 years of age 2,000 people got to church Sunday morning to hear him they came back to church Sunday night some had horses some walked they walked in the snow they walked in the rain but there was some glory of God there the rooms were dingy there's no lighting in the rooms there's no heating in the rooms there's no public PA system there's no music they didn't believe in music why did they go they sat on benches that had no backs on the seats no heating no choirs everything was put down to God himself comes all the meetings flat and we're going to have to get back there we're not going to be happy and relieve our nerves and feel emotionally stirred we're going to be still in the quietness in God if it like the Quakers if it takes an hour before God speaks I want to go to meetings like that where people know we build up and say look when you come here for the first half hour nothing will be said unless you let of God to say well sing this or I want to say that just let the Spirit of God lead and break we become so formalistic and ritualistic that we get God into bondage and I'm so sick of that I want to know exactly what God wants for Tyler I'll tell you what I'll do it whatever it costs me I believe there's in fact we talked with two people the other day Ray and Robbie that come here you know they're in I don't either Bangkok or they're in India already that precious couple are a challenge every time they come in they sold their airplane they sold their business they've raised up two orphanages with about 250 children in there built a seminar there they support it in their own money they could live like kings they live in an ordinary cottage an ordinary little place but those people really sold out to God and all those little children call them mummy and daddy when they go obviously and you know there's room everywhere for that in some country we're overloaded in this country dear lord unfortunately overloaded with the wrong stuff we've got a spurious evangelism we've got a religion that almost demands no sacrifice we're not conscripted we're not told tithe three times we're not told do this what does the lord require of you more than it requires of me or requires of them he requires it though and it's a delight when you're in love love has no sacrifice there's no thing about it do justly love mercy and walk humbly with our God the other side of holiness is lowliness okay I'm finished right here Moses I mentioned in the 24th chapter there of Exodus when he pleads with God turn life turn away from thy fierce wrath and later in the chapter Aaron says to him you turn away from your fierce wrath why what do you mean is fierce wrath the word of God says Moses was the meekest man in the world well the other side of meekness is wrath and only a man who is really meek or a person you can get angry fleshly angry but as I've said to you before in natural anger there's bitterness in holy anger there's sorrow and this man is so sorrowful he says yes I'm angry you built a calf Aaron says no I threw some silver I threw some gold in the calf jumped out the liar because it says in the previous chapter he engraved it and yet they've been delivered in the Red Sea they'd sung the song of Moses just five months before they come out of the Red Sea being delivered from slaughter and yet now they're building a golden calf and the man who has holiness written on his forehead on a golden headband if you like it looked like a scrape band it was made of gold he had holiness on it yet that man who had revelation from God holy oil had been put upon him and his back's ridden you know unless we keep up to date we'll we'll lean on our baptism 50 years ago our blessing 20 years ago it has to be day by day it's a day by day commitment it's a day by day dying to this and that and the other and as we do then we have resurrection life we have blessing and we have the victory I want to pray tonight good to see Spencer back he had a good meeting in Chicago and pray for the Indians and pray for this other Indian that may come down and see Spencer pray for world challenge I haven't heard anything about they're doing I know what they're doing something in New York and I don't know where Joe Foss is only the Lord knows that the Lord and the devil anyhow but he's doing good wherever he is I'm sure of that we talked with Paul again the other night they're having the tightest job I think they've ever had tightest time oppression has just come like a a cloud from hell on top of them and they're having a tremendous time they need our prayers not just tonight but continually and then you've got your burdens to pray for let's pray one bear one of those burdens as we pray and seek the Lord and if you feel you have to go well just slip out please