In this sermon, the speaker reflects on his experiences as a mischievous student and the importance of setting goals in life. He shares a story about a man from the Soviet Union who lost his passion for prayer and seeking God when he came to America. The speaker emphasizes the danger of becoming entangled in the affairs of this world and losing focus on pleasing God. He also highlights the importance of not just hearing messages, but applying them in one's life and seeking God's grace. The sermon encourages listeners to open themselves to the message of discipline, read the Bible, pray, and actively witness to others.

I'm a one for old hymns. I love the old hymns of the faith. And I once heard a little chorus, which is interesting, it goes something like this, God's got an army marching through this land. It goes on to say, something like this, deliverance is their message, and they've got a Bible in their hand. God's got an army marching through this land, and in this army, I've got a part. And what's so precious is to be part of the army of God. But if you look around you at the Christians, without judging in the least, but just being realistic, you wonder how many people are part of the army of God, going to war, not just having met with God, but going on to become warriors and soldiers in God's army. It's a prayer I've asked many times, God, I cannot make myself, but you make me a soldier in thy army. You know, I was reading a little magazine once, and I saw this little illustration, I think many of you might have heard of this church, a very dead church. And that doesn't mean that it didn't have lively music or anything, it was dead. And this church was on a prominent square of one of the towns. And one day the church burned down. And there was a congregation looking up at this large building burning to the ground. And one of the congregation looked next to him and he saw a man that never went to church. And he looked at him and said, very sarcastically, this is the first time I've seen you at church. And the man looked back and he said a staggering statement. He said, well, it's the first time the church has been on fire. And you know, when you talk of a church being on fire, some people that look in their eyes as if you're talking about a fairy tale, a long time ago in a land far, far away. Yesterday. That doesn't happen today. But beware of Sarah's laugh. After many years, Sarah was told that she was going to have a child. And she laughed when she heard that, the angel speaking to Abraham. Don't laugh when you hear of a church being on fire for God. It is possible. They tempted God. Asking whether he could make a table in the wilderness. And it may be a wilderness today, but God can take any one church and he can make it a flower, a river, a stream on fire. There's a verse in the Bible, hang on, 2 verse 3. Who is left among you? Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing? In comparison of it as nothing. Talking obviously of the temple that had been rebuilt from Solomon's days. Now when I look at the church today, many of them, I just wonder that. Is it not in your eyes in comparison of what it used to be as nothing? In England, I love reading of the Wesley's revival. I've got an old revivalist. He had true revival back in South Africa many years back. He's 91 years old. I love praying with him. Oh, how God honors those prayers. But he loves speaking of John Wesley. And you know, I read in a book of the Wesley's. It was quite interesting. After about 50 years into the revivals, he wrote down there that people have said that a revival of religion only lasts one generation. He said, praise God, this one has lasted 50 years. 50 years that God had been working. You had Spurgeon, Wesley's, all those ministers going out and being used of God across England. But if you've ever been to England or heard of what's happening in England, then you'll know that only about 3% to 6% of England now go to church. It's a dead church. It's a church graveyard from what it used to be when God worked. And interesting, I read in some newspapers of what they're trying to do about it. The answers they're trying to work out to save the church. Church comes to the home was one. British homeowners wanting to ward off bathroom germs or calm kitchen rows can now call on God or at least his ministers for help. A new service has been offered by vicars in the north of England who give blessings to people moving to a new home. They will say prayers for each room, calling on divine assistance to protect the home and the health of those in it. For a large part of the church's history, people have come into the church building. Nowadays, people tend not to come into church. So we need to find new ways to meet the people. Now that's ridiculous. But that's cried out across the world. We need new ways to meet the people. And it might not be as ridiculous as this. But oh, we have to win the youth. The Church of England, another newspaper article, said yesterday it approved a hit with football fans seeking divine intervention to help England win the World Cup after putting a prayer for the team on its website. The church said it had scored more than 4,000 hits on the prayers section of the internet site after posting the prayer last month. A Church of England spokesman said this represented a 28% surge in hits. What is these churches doing? Okay, you can see they're not saved in the first place. But the answer that they're trying to look for is entertainment, activities. And you know, many churches, they might have the gospel message, they might not be unsaved like this, but they're in exactly the same. Activities, entertainment. Sorry, I shouldn't shout like that. You know, I was in a town once, and I heard that this minister's wife or something had worked out these wonderful Bible studies. Many interesting little figures where everybody looked wonderful, and the youth loved it. And there were hundreds of them or something going. In other towns it was not happening like this. The youth were so-called turning against God. There they were gathering them through the activities. And I came there and I had an opportunity to preach at that church and to these youth. And we had been walking down the streets praying, calling out to God for hours. I saw a lady then, tears, calling out to the souls of men. There was prayer in that town. And I came there and I preached on salvation. And afterwards a lot of them realized, it was wonderful how God worked. They realized that all their activities, they'd never met with God. And God so worked that I remember two of them, two of the adults who had been at other meetings of mine, they said, from the very first meeting, I realized I don't have what you're talking about. Truly knowing God. And the wife said, I didn't want to get out of my car because I was too scared that I would die before I met with Jesus. And the husband said, I'm a hard man. I'm a hard man, but it was like a drill that went through my heart. It was like a drill that went through my heart. And both of them in brokenness and tears, among the other people that came out, met with God. That's not me, but that's what you need. The Holy Spirit of God. Not activities. Let us pray again before I carry on. Father, I ask for this message that somehow from you would make it a part of our lives, that you would give us the ability not to be proud in what we are doing, but somehow to start to seek God in truth. And oh Lord, I ask you to work, thank you, that I can agree with Rand for this meeting. Oh Lord, that thou wouldest come down in Jesus Christ's name. We can do nothing without thee. What nation is like unto our nation, whose God is near unto us in all things, which we call upon him for. Amen. Now I'd like to look today on two points. What did God not intend for the church, and what God intended for the church. What God did not intend for the church, and what God intended for his church. The first thing under what is not intended, is God did not intend his church to be anything else, but a word based church. God did not intend his church to be anything else, but a word based church. Mark 2 verse 2, and he preached, this is Jesus, the word unto them. Acts 8 verse 4, therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. Acts 15 verse 35, Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also. And Paul writes to young Timothy, and he says these words, preach the word. There was a missionary who was going to India, and he got on his ship, and of course he had all his wonderful books. Now I have nothing against books, I love books. But books can scare you sometimes, how little people read the Bible, how much they read books. And he took his 300 books I think, and they put them on that in trunks, in this ship. And he had his Bible. And he went out to be a missionary in India, and a missionary in India, I don't know how, today it has gone a little bit, I don't know. But for a long time, there was only about 1.5% of India called themselves Christians. And he came there, and off the coast of India, that ship sunk. And I suppose he swam or something, and got to the sea shore. And the next day, he was in a state. You know why he was in a state? He didn't have his books. What am I going to do as a missionary? I don't have my 300 books. And you know he looked out, and he looked along, and he said, Oh, I suppose you pray that the Lord would just send some of his books back. Of his 300 books. You know I think the Lord has a little sense of humor sometimes. You know which book, the only book of those 300 books, that came floating on something slowly to the sea shore? The only book that came was his Bible. Preach the word. He started a church under a tree with just his Bible. And after one year, he had a thousand strong church there. Of people who I believe had truly met with God. Matthew 4, verse 4. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Church shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Now I was in Petersburg. It's Polokwane. There's two names for many of our towns in South Africa. It gets very confusing when you look at the old maps and the new maps. And I came there and I was visiting this lady and her husband. Staying at their house and the husband said he's very excited. There's a wonderful preacher there to organize this a year before because he's so wanted in that denomination. And he came there. And he's having a series of meetings and hundreds of people are going to come. Something like that. Why don't you come? So I thought okay, I'll come and listen. And I came there. And I started to listen to this man preach. So many hundreds wanted a year. And you know he quoted two verses from the Bible. And then he started to talk about this man said and this psychologist said and that psychologist said and this psychologist said and that psychologist said. And you know he could have taken those two verses out and it would be just as practical. And afterwards it was very interesting the reaction of the wife and the husband. The husband was excited about the psychology. It was mixed in with the word. But the wife said something so interesting. She said there's so many people Roy. There's so many people bringing messages. And it's so interesting. This psychologist said and that psychologist said. Do you know what I long for Roy? It's just to hear a message from the word of God. It's just to hear a message from the word of God. It's in the Bible it says I think it's Amos. The old the days come said the Lord God that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread nor thirst for water but of hearing of the words of the Lord and they shall wander from sea and from the north even to the east and they shall run to and fro to seek the words of the Lord and shall not find it. In one church I had a friend who stood up in front of hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people. And he said I want to ask a question of the youth of this church and I do not want any adult to answer. I'm glad none of you are like this. But it's so sad. As hundreds of you stood up he said I want you to tell me put up your hand those of you who can quote these basic verses and it was John 3 verse 16 and 1 John 1 verse 9 and the basic verses of the Bible. I think about three hands could put up their hand in that evangelical church to quote the basic verses. I was in a Sunday school once I couldn't believe it the evangelical parents had not taught their children who Adam's second son was. I asked them 30 questions. And you know this is not just in some parts of South Africa it's in much of America you'll find things like this. I remember listening to Dr. Stephen Alford preaching. I wasn't there I listened on a sermon. I cried through some of his sermons. I remember him standing there and talking of the preaching of the word. Come back to the word church of God. And there were many ministers before him if I understand it right from different denominations. And he had talked about his father where he had seen his father his godly father on his deathbed and the last thing that his father had said to him was Stephen preach the word. Preach the word. And he went on to do just that. Praise God. And you know he stood before those hundreds of supposed ministers and he said to them who of you in America have stopped preaching the word. And I was amazed at how many hundreds had to get up and come to the front and confess that they had stopped preaching the word they were preaching other things. Perhaps to hold their congregation. Let me ask you a question how can you be word based if you do not know the word? 2 Timothy 2 verse 15 Study to show thyself approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth. I was in standard 7 at school. I was a naughty boy. I was one of those people who threw crackers on the teachers head. But they loved me. Now in standard 7 I think it was my headmaster of this about 600 strong public school came to our classroom and he asked us a question what are your goals in life? What are your goals in life? And some people said they wanted to learn languages and other people said they wanted to become a vet. And other people said they wanted to do this and that. And you know what is interesting? One of them said these words I want to become mighty in the scriptures. I want to become mighty in the scriptures. Even among conservatives there are so few people that have got so many goals in life. But the top one apart from knowing Christ and more of Christ is not to become mighty in the scriptures. In Acts 18 verse 24 we read of Apollos who was mighty in the scriptures. Now some young people are mighty in sport. Mighty in learning and the world honors these people. We read about in the newspaper they honor this person who did this achievement and that achievement. But who is the church supposed to honor? Who is the church supposed to honor? We read here in 1 Timothy 5 verse 17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor. But it doesn't stop there. It says especially they who labor in the word and doctrines. The world honors people who are mighty in many things. But the church is supposed to honor not the great speakers. Not the ones who can entertain them. Organize the greatest activities. No, they are supposed to honor those who labor in the word. Samuel Logan Bringer was a preacher in the 1800s. He stood up one day in front of his students and he started to talk to them. From his heart he was crying out hoping that they would catch what it was about and the importance of soaking themselves in the word of God. And he said some of them caught fire. They saw what it was about. And what was wonderful was they took Bibles in their pockets. And in their spare time they were reading and praying the word of God. And he said those people grew into spiritual giants. And those people, many of them were spiritual leaders until this day. Luke 10, Mysteria 42, you all know it. Mary sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. He sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. And Martha, she was serving, and there's nothing wrong with serving. But she couldn't understand how this could be important. Sitting at Jesus' feet and hearing His word. And she complained about it. And Jesus answered, one thing is needful. One thing is needful. And Mary had chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. Do you notice something over here? It's a choice. You can choose to go through life having your priorities set as a Christian of other things being most important. Or you can choose to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word. It's a choice. What choice are you making? Have you ever set aside a day and said, Lord, that day is four days holiday in the middle of nowhere. I want one day apart from my quiet times. And I'm going to spend until five o'clock at night or seven o'clock or I'm not going to make a specific time to be legalistic and I'm going to seek Thy face. I'm going to read the word of God for a whole day. And I'm not going to even read. I'm going to praise in between and pray in between. But I'm going to read the word of God. And God will bless you. But it's your choice. And you know why people don't do it? Because they never choose to do it. And so they're never blessed. At the end of the day you're going to die and you're going to have had choices. And you chose. And you might have been one who was cumbered about much things. But you never chose the right thing. So God did not intend His church to be anything else but a word-based church. But secondly, God did not intend His church to be a place of compromise. God did not intend His church to be a place of compromise. The very last thing Jesus said almost before He left was, Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. In other words, after their salvation. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. What did He say here? The one thing we're supposed to teach is to obey Christ's commandments. To observe them after salvation. Tausser said there are things in the Bible to be believed. Such as that Jesus is coming again. But there are other things in the Bible to be obeyed. There are other things in the Bible to be obeyed. And of course you can pray and say, Lord please help me to obey. Imagine someone gave you a piece of paper, some teacher. And it had everything you have to obey. And you stood there and you said to the teacher, Teacher please help me to obey. And then you walked out of the room without the paper. And the teacher said, well read the paper. And sure God writes His law in your heart, but you have to come to God's word to see what, you have to study this day and night to see the direction God wants to give. Whosoever despises the word shall be destroyed. You know I met a girl in now spread South Africa. I remember sitting in the room and this is a problem with many Christians. They talk about the leading of the Holy Spirit of God. And I sat there and she told me that after she got saved, I didn't say she is saved, but she said after she got saved she had met this boy who was unsaved. And I said out of love I want to tell you the scriptures in the Bible claim that you can't do that. You can't have a relationship like that. And I started to, you know she said something, she said God has led me. God has led us together. But God will never leave you to do against what God has commanded. And many times even if you got the greatest peace flooding through your soul to do something against the commandments of Christ, don't follow the peace. Follow the commandment. Else you are on the wrong track by far. And you will lose God's blessing. Whosoever despises the word shall be destroyed. But he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded. Hallelujah. There is a reward in keeping the commandment of God. Proverbs 30 verse 6. Add thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a liar. You know it says in the Sermon on the Mount that the least in the kingdom of heaven, those who are to be called least are those who disobey one of the least of these commandments and teach others likewise. But if you obey the commandments of Christ and teach others likewise then you will be called the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And he promises he will manifest himself unto you. You will abide in his love. He will answer your prayers. Now let me ask you something. If you were told if I was told by my daddy there, and my daddy does never lie I've never heard him lie that I know him. When he said I'm going to buy you a chocolate Roy he bought me a chocolate. Wonderful. Imagine daddy said there was a treasure hidden there. All you have to do is dig it up Roy. I would take a spade and I'd dig it up. If you truly believe that God is honest when he says in keeping his commandments he will reward you. He will manifest himself unto you. Then you with all your heart, if you truly believe him, will be seeking those commandments to obey him. If you don't believe him and you show it through your life, not through your words, then you make God a liar. You make God a liar. And that leads on to my third point. God did not intend his church to be a place of words without deeds. Tarsus said nowhere else are there so many words and so few deeds to support them. You know that the whole of heaven is looking down at the Christians and they talk about us. Sometimes they talk about Job and God said, Hast thou considered my servant Job? What does God say about you? I want to read to you what God said to Ezekiel about what I call his congregation, those that came to hear him. I'd like you to compare it to yourself considering messages that you've heard before. Ezekiel 33 verse 31 to 32, And they come unto thee, they come unto thee as the people come, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them, for with their mouth they show much love. What is God saying here? People are hearing messages and they say they're saying it's wonderful messages. With their mouth they show much love, but with their heart, their heart goeth after their covetousness. And lo, this is God speaking to Ezekiel, thou unto them is a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well an instrument, for they hear thy words, but they do them not. If God looked down upon you, not how you praise messages, but how you apply them in your life, looking to God for the grace, what would he serve you as an individual from heaven? Hebrews 5 verse 11, speaking of the Christians, when they were speaking of Jesus, of whom we have many things to say and hard to be uttered, seeing you are dull of hearing. You are dull of hearing. Now when I was a little boy, when I was a very little boy, my mom decided to, I was in public school and we had to do sport, so I decided to do tennis, among other things. And there I got my tennis racket, and I started trying to do tennis, and I was a pathetic tennis player. I don't know why I started tennis, but my mother feeling very sorry for me, back in those days it wasn't too expensive, she saved money or whatever to send me to some lessons, some coach at a house. And you know I came there, to this house, and I saw this big tennis court, and there was this lady, I can't remember what she looked like, but she was on the other side of the tennis court. And I was this little boy, and there was a big wall behind her, and she started hitting tennis balls at me, and I hit them back. And she said I must hit them on that side of the court. But then this big temptation came to me as a little boy. I don't know if you've ever been tempted. You see behind her was a big wall going to the neighbor's house. And the temptation was when she said hit the ball over there, was to hit the ball over the wall. And so she used to hit me and I stayed over the wall. And at times she used to hit me and I stayed over the wall. And she got a little cross. At this little naughty boy. And I think I felt sorry for her. I felt sorry for this lady, who I was disobeying. But you know I think I sent the next ball after I felt sorry over the wall as well. What I'm trying to illustrate here is very simple. It doesn't help feeling sorry about something. It's what you do with the next ball. It doesn't help feeling sorry about disobeying God's commandments. Or in a message. The next ball you're just doing exactly the same. You haven't made earnest. You might have heard messages about purity, about obedience, about praying much. And you felt a little sorry. And praise God for those who felt sorry and they went over to make right in their life. But there's people who hit the next ball over the wall. And you know who's giving you those balls and saying please obey me. It's Jesus Christ who died for you. The ball is in your court. What do you do with the next ball? So what did God intend for his church? Obviously that they should be saved. It's no use doing wonderful principles being word based if you never had life in the first place. But there's something about if you make a study in the New Testament about labour. Proverbs 14 verse 23. In all labour that's painful toil, there's profit. But the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury, to impoverishment. Talking does nothing, says the word of God. Talking accomplishes nothing. Labour hath much profit. I read, I did a little study in the New Testament, 66 times you'll hear words like labour, labouring, labourers, pray for labourers in the harvest. My fellow labourers, your labour in the Lord is not in vain. Mostly, with some exceptions, talking about the church and Christians ought to be labourers. And that's exactly what the church isn't. They want entertainment, they want fun, but one thing they don't want is labour. We read it earlier, honour those who labour in the word. And that word means painful toil, to spend time, discipline. Nehemiah 3 verse 5. Nehemiah 3 is one of the most amazing chapters in the Bible to me. I hope it is to you. It brings out one of the most interesting sights of how God looks down upon men and what He thinks of what they're doing in their hearts. It's about when they're repairing the wall of Jerusalem. And God gives a whole list there. He says, this person repaired, and next to him this person repaired, and next to him this person repaired, and next to him this person repaired, and next to him this person repaired, and next to him this person repaired. And it goes on for many verses. But God stops at two verses, and He changes it. Nehemiah 3 verse 5 and Nehemiah 3 verse 20. Why did He stop? And next unto them, Nehemiah 3 verse 5, the toroitors repaired, but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their law. Lazy. Proud. Not labourers. And then He stops again in verse 20. And He said, Baruch, the son of Zabiah, earnestly repaired. God honoured the person with all his heart was doing the work of the Lord. And God dishonoured, so that everybody can read of Him through time, the person with half a heart did the work of the Lord. God doesn't miss these things. God doesn't miss your heart. The first century church was a wonderful church. And they had their problems. It's amazing studying their problems. It's very much like today's problems. But they had Christians there that were so wonderful sometimes. Do you know how the apostles died? I hope you made a study on that sometime in your life. I'm just going to read it without mentioning their names. I'm just going to say this one died by the sword. The eleven apostles and one or two of the leading disciples. They died by the sword, one. Number two, dragged through a city. Number three was hanged. Number three was burned alive. They survived. That was John. Number five was crucified upside down. Number six was beheaded. Number seven was beaten to death. Number eight was flayed alive. Number nine was bound to a cross. Number ten was run through the body. Number eleven was shot to death with arrows. Number twelve was stoned and then beheaded. Number thirteen was stoned. Number fourteen was beheaded. It's amazing how they died. The apostles. They didn't go out and have a revival all the time. They had persecution. They had a hard time. But it's so wonderful reading of how they went out and what their attitude was. When people hurt them they said, Lord give us boldness to preach the word. What do you do when you have opposition? Do you ask God for boldness? Andrew was bound to a cross. That's one of the four things I read. And he preached to his persecutors until he died. For me I'm going to quote that verse again. Acts 8 verse 4. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. Now what happened just before that? The persecution had come upon them there that were Christians and because of this they were scattered abroad in Galilee and Samaria I think. And what did they do? They just lost I suppose their houses. They just lost everything they'd ever worked for. Imagine you lost everything you ever worked for. What did they do? They went everywhere preaching the word. Isn't that precious? Let me ask you a question. Are you still on the road? That's my grandpa's. It's the one who after he had a stroke he just wanted to witness to people still. Are you still on the road? Jesus came not only to save people. He came to seek and to save. Are you out there? It doesn't help praying, Lord please lead someone across my way. Yes God does that sometimes. And it's lovely to see them come to Christ. But Jesus was on the road. And if you're not on the road then you're in the wrong place. If you're not taking time, Lord give me wisdom. I'm going to make mistakes, but help me to go out. Remember me and Glenn. The very first Saturday we went out. Oh God worked later. It was hard, but God worked. The people met with God. But it started when we made a choice. We had to get on the road and take our Saturdays off to go and witness. It was a choice. It started somewhere. And you've got to make a choice in life. It's not all going to come down with a wonderful feeling and then you go out. You need to lend feet to your prayers. I think we're living in what is known as the Sow in Comfort Age. The Sow in Comfort Age. You go to the vending machine, you put some money in and the can comes out. And you want that to happen with souls. You really do. You'd love souls to come to God, but don't let it cost me. Don't let it cost me much. The sluggard will not plough by reason of the coal. Therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing. You know, I compare much of the church today and don't think I'm judging. I'm grieving. I'd long, long, and I love seeing people on fire for God. Oh, there's so few. I compare much of the church to people who went fishing. I don't know if any of you fish. I fished sometime in my life, but I wasn't the greatest fisherman. There's something wrong. And got seasick. But anyway, these fishermen went down to the river and they started to throw their lines into the river. And after about five minutes, if you were looking up down at them, you'd see something strange happen. They all packed up and went away without having caught a fish. And if you ask them, now, why did you pack up and go away? Then they'll give a strange answer. The one said, I'm so angry. This fish ate my bait. And I'm so angry with this fish for stealing my bait that we're all giving up. Now, would you call those fishermen? No. But that's exactly what Christians do. They go down the street. They speak to a few people. And after a while, after a few fishes have stolen their bait, they're angry with the fish. They say, they're all hard. They can't come to God. And the devil tempt you that many times. And so they give up. And they're like the fishermen of that place. Samuel Logan Bringo brought many souls to God. He was thrown on the brick with a head, on the head with a brick, sorry, once. Landed up in hospital trying to win souls. But he said something interesting. I just want to quote it to you. Above all, if you want to be a soldier in God's army, and you want to be a soul winner, he will have to fight if he is to save anyone else. Men cannot be turned from Satan to God by gentle phrases and lavender water. To save men is a desperate, agonizing, wounding business. Tommy, are you still on the road? I'm so glad I got on the road the other day. I said to God, I want to go on the street again, please. I went out and I prayed for half an hour and I felt so weak. You generally do just about before you're going to speak to someone. Common trait of soul winners. Anyway, got out of the car, and I am nothing, and I know that. I spoke for half an hour to someone. Gave out a few checks, spoke for half an hour to someone. Organized a meeting with him the next week. Now that isn't always that you get the opportunity to speak to someone. For so long, so I decided to come and I spoke for about an hour. Turned out he was a Zionist. Now it's very hard to bring them to the Lord. They're Satan worshippers. They pray over people and they die. And he offered me some drink. Zulu alcohol or something like that. And it was pretty hopeless. He had two people next to him trying to interrupt every second of the conversation. Somehow God gave me the grace to go on. At the end of that conversation he got earnest. And he wanted to pray to become a Christian. And I said, I want to call a Zulu minister and I want him to pray with you because I'd just like him to speak in your own language perfectly that you don't have any misunderstanding. That night he prayed and became a Christian. He's excited. He's left this spirit worship. He's left the drink. His family sing hymns on the fire. But let me ask you a question. Are you still on the road? Are you still on the road? Jesse Bundy, a little boy, I rather like him. I think I mentioned this before. He once came and he wanted me to come out with him to pray in America. He is back. And he, I love this, a little seven year old wants to pray. If any of you are seven year old, please come and ask me to pray. I love it. And he was really wanting to pray. It wasn't just for the speaker. It was lovely. This little heart wanted to pray to God. And I was walking out there. I thought, wow, this is a godly boy. And then suddenly he became normal again. He looked down in the middle of his prayer. He saw a stone. He picked up that little rock and it was shining. It was worth about nothing. He looked at me and said, wow. Hey boy, look what I found. And he was excited about the stone. And you know what's so sad is there's Christians out there who aren't excited about the word of God to show it to people. It's not precious seeing. It's not life changing seeing. It's the third fish that bites the bait, they give up. There was a child in Mexico, I read in an old Chick tractor thing of how this child at 12 years old went out to win souls, walked miles, suffered from dizziness because of malnutrition. Had big persecution. He wanted to give out tracts and wanted to bring the word at 12 years old. Does a 12 year old shame our zeal to go out and to speak to people about their souls? Or are you waiting for the most perfect opportunity for someone to be brought across your way? Which happens sometimes, very rarely. He that observeth the wind says the Bible shall not sow. And he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. Have you ever thought of that? If you're waiting for the perfect opportunity to sow, you're not going to reap anything. I've had people come to the Lord, and it was only God who brought them to the Lord, and I can guarantee you it was the most funny circumstances. Times I wasn't looking for them. They were just willing to sow a little bit. And God worked in His mercy, not because I am anything. Ecclesiastic 11 verse 6 In the morning sow thy seed, in the evening withhold not thine hand for thine host, not whether shall prosper either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. You don't know. Have you stopped sowing? Looking for the next opportunity, looking for the next idea. Whether it be a piece of paper that you can hand out, and then spending a day of prayer for those papers that went out. Something like that. Anything for God. Firstly God intended it to be a laboring, sowing church, but secondly God intended His church to be a praying church. That's what we all hear everywhere. A praying church. That's what we see the least. You know when I read in books as a young Christian, I cried deep into the night. Because I read of people who prayed for days. And I looked around me and I saw people who prayed for minutes. And I thought there's something wrong. I suppose there must be. Mark 11 verse 17. Oh yeah, before I go on with that, I got an interesting illustration. I've got people come to me and they say the most strange thing. They say that quality is better than quantity, and I agree with them. They say better, better pray as a Christian's prayer for five minutes than a heathen prays for five hours. And so we don't pray much. And that's interesting, but it's very unscriptural. If I came to you, unless all the revivals were just coincidence that prayed much. If I came to you with a diamond in the one hand and a coal in the other, and I said which one do you want? Which one's more precious? Then you would ask for the diamond. True. And their quality is better than quantity. It's better to be a Christian praying and being obedient to God than a person who is unsafe. But then if I took out of my other pocket five diamonds just as great in quantity, I put the five diamonds in the one hand and the one diamond in the other hand. And I said which one do you want now? Then you would choose the five diamonds. And their quantity is more important than quality. Much prayer is not wrong. I will remember, or Mark 11 verse 17 says, is it not written My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer but ye have made it a den of thieves. You know I, you see all these churches building big buildings because they've got so many members, but you know I'd rather you lose your church building. I'd rather from my heart that you lost every brick than that you lost your prayer meeting. Now I'd like to ask you, is the prayer meeting that important to you? Is it? I'd rather you lost the entire building than that you lost your prayer meeting. I remember I was at Jane Joes Church, probably you guys were there too, Kamalari and them. And I remember one of the Soviet Union people, I can't remember where exactly he was from I think, Randall's there too and a few of you. And he stood up and he spoke with a stuttering English and he told him when he was overseas and in the Soviet Union how they used to walk I think in the snow and call out to God in prayer late at night. And that interested me. But you know what shocked me was what he said, what happened when he came to America. When he came to America he said these words, I've lost that. I've lost that. And you know it's so easy in a commercial land, in a land driven by money, even if you don't seek to be rich, to lose that. Because you're so entangled in the things of this world. 2 Timothy 2 verse 4 says, No man that woreth and tangleth himself for the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. No man that woreth and tangleth himself for the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. I'm coming to the end of my sermon with about four illustrations and a verse. Now I'd like to examine your life now. I don't think I'm introspective but just to think a little bit. About your prayer life, about your obedience, of how important the word is to you. Luke 9 verse 51. Talked about Jesus. I think God was so proud of his little son when this happened. Luke 9 verse 51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he, that is Jesus, should be received up, should die on the cross. He who knew no sin should become sin for us. What did Jesus do? He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. He steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. Now let me ask you, when it comes to the time of prayer, I don't know when only it comes when you have a little prayer meeting, but when it comes to opportunities to be used of God, to go out to witness, a day that you can take off. When the time comes that you have the opportunity, do you steadfastly set your face to go? Or are you half-hearted? And now I'm coming to the last little bit of my sermon as I said. I'd like to bring an illustration concerning prayer in the church. There were two old ladies on a veranda. And as old ladies do they chatter and gossip. And the one looked at the other one and started going, where, where, where? And talking about I suppose the minister and his son and everything on earth they shouldn't be talking about. And they went through the day like that and suddenly at one point they looked out in the garden and they saw a little weed. And looking at the weed they said, what a pity about that weed. And then they looked at each other and they started going, where, where, where? Gossiping on. And the next day it was exactly the same. They went through a long time talking about everything on earth, the sunshine, the minister's wife this time and so on. And then they looked out and they saw the weed and they said, what a pity about that weed. And they looked back at each other and they started talking again. And so it went on for months and months. Until one day the son came to one of those ladies. And he sat down with him and they started to talk and so on and gossip, the two ladies. And then one of them looked out again and looked at this rather large weed in the garden. And said, what a pity about that weed. You know what that son did? He got up and he walked over and he pulled out the weed. And you know what we need? Not people who talk about the weed of prayerlessness. We need people who do something about it. We need people who stand up and go and take that weed out. Start spending half nights in prayer again. No matter what the cost. To set your face to seek the Lord until he comes. You know what God will do if you truly cleanse your life when you pray? Have you any idea of what God can do? God has given amazing promises. One of the greatest warnings concerning the promises I believe is Elisha's death. Elisha was dying. He had a sickness of which he would die. And Joash came unto him. And Joash was broken over this person who was dying. This godly man Elisha. And then Elisha did something very strange. He said, take bows. Take a bow and arrow. And shoot out the window. And Joash did that. And he took the bow and he shot out the window. The arrow went. And he said these words. The arrow is Elisha speaking. The arrow of the Lord's deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria. For thou shalt consume thou shalt smite the Syrians in effect till thou hast consumed them. What an amazing promise. God comes down at the death of Elijah and he gives a promise to the king Joash. A promise that his enemy Syria would be consumed. Utterly destroyed. And then he asked something a little extra. He said get down on your knees. Take the other arrows. Hold them. And smite the ground. And you know what happened? He smote the ground three times and stopped. And Elisha was angry. He said now you're only going to smite Syria three times. Oh that you'd smote the ground five or six times. Then. Then you would have utterly consumed them as God had promised. But now God's word. He promised that you'll consume them but it's not going to happen. Because you only smote the ground three times. And that's a warning I believed down the centuries of the church even. When God gives promises don't leave them on the floor. Don't spend five minutes claiming them. Seek God until they happen. Seek God until they happen. Do you? What are you doing with the promises of God? You know I've got a philosophy in life. I don't know what your philosophy is but I don't want to find out in heaven what God could have done on earth. Through the promises. Through his surrendered life. I want to find out down here. Oh wait on the promises of God. You know in the heavenly revival I love that man Duncan Campbell. Never met him. Some people you love before you meet them. Jesus especially. But this man in one of his sermons on the revival he spoke of how the revival came about. After getting leading from the Lord two old ladies started to pray and some ministers, I think about six and elders got together in a barn on one side and on the other side the elders got together and they started to pray. From ten o'clock at night to about three o'clock in the morning. Twice a week. Five hours apart. Apart from the unquiet times obviously and other prayer times. But they got together twice a week to pray. You know they claimed only one promise. One promise. I will pour water on him that is thirsty and I will pour floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring. They were smite in the ground. The churches lost them. You know after three months they realized there was areas in their lives they had to put right too. And they did. And God came. People in the fields met with God. There was one man who landed there and he was walking on in such of the presence of God that without speaking to a person he came in a conviction of sin. Not everybody was like that. Mostly it was in the meetings. But there was the presence of God after they smote the ground concerning the promises of God. And in that case it only took one promise. But most people only smite the ground three times. Or five minutes. And yes there is such a thing as trusting God and praise God as long as you pray for a few seconds and he answers his prayer wonderfully. That's mostly in lives consumed by prayer. There's a church. You know people have this thing called the end time philosophy. I think I mentioned it before and it scares me. It takes away all faith. God can't work in the end time. And even if you don't believe it openly you believe it in your heart. Many people. God can't come like those days. There's a man in South Africa. His name is Etienne Maritz. When his son died I had to preach I had to preach at a college where ministers from eleven nations were training. And he had been principal there. It's lovely. Wherever he goes there's a spirit of prayer. He teaches them to pray. We asked him for a half night of prayer. As one man they said hallelujah. All 80 of them. To hold them back a bit. And reading the bible though outside we said you can have a break now. Most of the groups didn't want to put down the bible. Now how did God use that man? You know he's been in the fear. He's been through great fires. Sometimes we almost got destroyed. Except for God. You have to be in the dust for God to use you. But you know what? One thing he believes in is prayer. And he went to a town called Kopis. And this is the end days. It's a white town like your European hardened people. And he said these people are the hardest that I ever met to bring to the Lord. And for a long time as a minister of the one church there very little happened. He said until my people snapped what prayer is. And what it can accomplish in Christ. He said when they snapped what prayer is God started to work. And other Christians would snap what prayer is. Those elders, there's about 20 of them. When they see that God is not working as much they'll get every night they'll come for prayer meetings. Perhaps for a week. They won't be legalists who say let's do the same every time. Sometimes they come together and they pray through Friday night. No Friday evening. About 12 o'clock they sleep for a few hours and they get up they pray right through the day. And then through Saturday night. And you know sometimes it's not exactly that Sunday when God comes. But through those weeks God comes. And in their rooms people are coming out of conviction of sin. Without anybody leading them they come into Christ. Because God's Holy Spirit is working. Now tell me something. What are you doing with the promises of God? I think I told Brother Don before and I have nothing against studying. I appreciate that many people could have done much less damage if they'd gone to Bible college and so on. But there's something also dangerous. That one must very much be scared of. I'm talking about theological places. A revivalist. He was so in touch with God. I'm ending off with this. He was so in touch with God. He so prayed to God till God came. That people came without. He just sang to them at one stage and people fell under conviction of sin. He came through a valley and people were coming to God in a wonderful way. You know what? He started to study. And there's nothing wrong with studying but he lost that of seeking God. You know because he was the great revivalist he went round and he preached at conventions. And people respected him. But for 16 years he never brought his soul to God. Until his daughter came in and said you always talk about these revivals Father. Why are they not happening? Are you filled with the Spirit of God? And his daughter drove him to his knees and that night he said I'm not going to stop until I meet with God. About 2 o'clock in the morning I think his daughter came into the room and said whatever the cost Father. And he went through with God again. And guess what? For those of you who have heard of the Hebrew Revival. None of that would ever have happened but not through him anyway. There are many other little revivals that are wonderful. He hadn't realized the importance above all else of the Word. Stroking himself on the Word and seeking God. Until God came. Remember that song I said in the beginning. God's God and army marching through this land. Are you part of God's army? Are you? Are you setting your face to seek God? Whatever else to obey him? To prepare the praying God and then to pray through and to go out. Let us steal your bait to give the next fish a bit of bait to steal. Trust God to catch one. Praise the Lord. Let us pray. I'm only going to make one appeal this three days and that's tonight to this morning. I'm not going to make an appeal on any other morning because I know what I'm preaching. God has led me. But I'd like to ask you if you want to not be one of those people who says, what a lovely message. What a pity about prayerlessness. If you want to be one of those who get up and take the weed out from now on in your life and seek the Word and press it aside a day. It's hard to begin but a day to seek God and the Scriptures and praise and pray. If you want to tell God from your heart that you want to be part of his army in truth, in deed from now onwards. I'd like you just to raise your hand now. Thank you for those of you who are willing. Now you can put down your hands. And I'd like to warn you before I pray just to give a warning and an encouragement with your eyes closed. The one is there are choices in life. It's not all in one moment. You've got to go out and make choices. Look at your calendar. That's what missionaries do in Africa that I use with God. Look at your calendar and say, when can we have the next half night of prayer? What young child can come with me? He doesn't have to pray the whole time. He can go to sleep a little time. He can pray with me. Look at your calendar and say, when next? And don't get discouraged because the devil knows how to discourage to make you stop. Go on. The warning is that just before I pray God's throwing this ball into your court. The one who died for you. It doesn't help feeling sorry. It's what you do with the next ball. Let us pray. Father, thank you that we can come to a God who's the author and finisher of our faith. Other than everything we endeavor to do for God, we can look to you to help us. Whether it be to pray, whether it be to obey you, whether it be to live a life of victory, whether it be a soul. And he said, follow me and I shall make you fishers of men. Father, though we make mistakes, we don't look to our own strength. We don't look to our own abilities. We ask you for wisdom to show us our mistakes. That we might learn from them and go on. Father, we ask you that we will be doers. Whether it be in obedience, whether it be in prayer. Oh Lord, teach us to claim the promises of God. Teach us what it is to wait upon the promises, to smite the ground. Give us the discipline to set our faces to go to Jerusalem as Christ did. Lord, we ask this in the name of Jesus Christ. You said, hitherto have you asked nothing in my name. Therefore ask that you may receive in Jesus' name. Amen. Before you go, I'm just going to say one little thing. What is the time before I say the one little thing? What? Okay. I'd just like to say there was a lady once in a meeting. In fact, she'd come to the Lord. Amazing how God had worked there. Throwing away a drink and smoking, whatever. She sat there in the meeting. Time after she'd got saved, she looked and I preached. And you know, that was one of the meetings where no one responded. And you know, the devil comes and he discourages you. He loves doing that. The great discourager. And I stood there and I looked at this woman. You know, something happened to that lady that was so wonderful. She said afterwards, Roy, in a simple way, I listened to your message. And I thought to myself, it's no use just hearing this message. I've got to do something about it. I've got to allow it to become part of my life. And you know, she went out there on fire. She began to say to everybody in her simplicity, you can't be good without God. And they thought she was a bit mad. You don't have to do that. You know, even a person who they say was a lion used to persecute his wife. She was instrumental in bringing him to the Lord. God used her. And where did it start? After her message she didn't say, what a wonderful message. She said, I've got to do something about it. I've got to open my life to this message and discipline myself. Lord, this part of it, I want that part to be part of my life and I've got to look to when I can read the Bible. And when I can pray more and we can get together. You know, who can I pray on? Do something about it. When can I witness? If you don't do something about it, then you're making a choice for the opposite. Thank you for those who responded, but I love seeing people meet with God. I love lasting peace. I got a letter the other day from someone who said, I'm just in tears. I found a victory in Christ which doesn't leave me. Hallelujah. And that's what God can do. But it's not His fault if it doesn't happen. He wants to do it to everyone. So pray, pray, pray this guy. And when the next prayer meeting comes, tonight, it's your choice. Set your face. Six o'clock is our drive. You don't have to be legalistic if you need the bathroom and you have to go. But set your face to try to come. And in between, get a little group together and start praying. And God will bless. It has to start somewhere, practically as well. Not just in speaking. Thank you very much.