In this sermon, the preacher discusses the seven basic laws to entering into spiritual reality. He emphasizes the importance of having a vital relationship with God and maintaining fellowship with Him. The preacher also highlights the need to recognize Jesus as Lord and to know God on a personal level. He encourages the audience to seek a spiritual revival and to hunger for the reality of God in their lives.

Well, it's good to see you tonight. I trust that you've come to obey the Lord. So many times in church meeting, we've come to hear but not to obey. I trust that you've come to obey. It is good to have you. It's good to be with you. The desire of my heart this week is that we might have revival. A little better way, a more sophisticated way to put it, that we might enter into spiritual reality. That we might enter into spiritual reality. Into a realm that's beyond emotionalism. A realm that's beyond intellectualism. Into a genuine, real spiritual experience with God. Bible says we worship him in spirit and in truth. Right? And my heart, a spiritual revival, my heart's desire is that we enter into a spiritual experience with God. A real, genuine, spiritual experience with God. You say, well, what's a spiritual experience with God? It's an experience where God touches your life and reveals the living, everlasting truth to you in your spirit. And gives you the grace to be obedient to it. That's right. And leaves you knowing God that's so far beyond your understanding. That's so far beyond your emotion. It leaves you knowing God. Knowing him so realistically. Knowing him so personally that when you face adversity, you know he's there. In charge of that whole bit. When you face the blessings, you know that he's there. For instance, you like, you have to have sudden adversity in your life. And Jesus is just so real to you. That you know that he's in charge of everything. So what we're wanting to do is have a spiritual revival. A time when we really meet God. Now what I want to do tonight is talk to you about entering in how to enter in to spiritual reality. Now saved people are hungry for the reality of God. They really are. So I'm going to talk about tonight how to enter into spiritual reality. You won't mind if I drink a sip of water along the way, will you? You won't mind at all. I know brother Bill's getting a hint. Uh, this, um, I tell this story on myself and I didn't bring you to hear to hear jokes or stories, but when I was a little boy, uh, I used to have to go to church. I was made to go and I'm glad I was made, but I still was made to go. And my mother would make me wear these short britches and man, that made me mad. I was made to go to church. I was made to wear short britches. And then I'd get at the table at lunch where they'd have dinner on the ground in the old churches in the country. And then I'd be made to wait to the biggest, fattest preachers you ever saw got through eating. I mean, they were big and fat. Oh Lord. And what was left was usually the wing. And, uh, I'd have to eat that. And then I'd have to go back in after lunch and sit and listen to a big, big, heavy set preacher preach. That wasn't so bad for him to be heavy. It's just that I had to listen to him preach and watch him eat that, uh, fried chicken. And about halfway through his message, about halfway through his message, he would stop and there'd be a little stand like that. And on top of that stand would be a picture of water. And that water would be so cold from ice in it that, you know, the water just be sweating on the outside, man, you talking about something. And it would be in July and it would be about a hundred degrees plus inside that church. And I would be starving to death for a drink of water. I'd be so thirsty. And that big old preacher would run over there and pour him a big glass of that water and just go down and go. And I'd sit there on that seat and man, what I had in my mind, only God needs to know. So I tell people, I tell people that I have to have a little water to help me preach because I criticized that preacher and God's punishing me. Now, you know, that's not theologically sound. That's not the reason I have to have a little help is that, um, I do not have enough moisture in my mouth to speak without the help of a little water or some mints. And I prefer to use water. And if you are offended by my water, you come up here and I'll promise you, I'll give you a drink. Now, there are seven basic laws to entering into reality. Now, do not try to take these down tonight because if you try to take these down tonight, you're going to, uh, be just writing and I'm not wanting you to just write. I'm just going to bring one of them, but I'm going to mention them hurriedly, but I'm going to go back to them one by one and spend the time on them this week. And there are seven steps I say into entering in and maintaining spiritual reality, seven steps. The first one is that, and I'm going to just list them hurriedly, that of a vital relationship. And the second is that you have to learn how to maintain your fellowship. Second, thirdly, you have to learn how to recognize Jesus as Lord. That may be a little confusing to you because I do not believe you can get saved apart from the Lord ship of Christ. And most people do not believe you can get saved apart from Lordship, but this is recognizing God, not only in the good things of life, but the adverse things of life. And so we recognize him as Lord. And then after we're able to recognize him as Lord and what we're talking about here, let me just say this again. We recognize the Lord in the adverse things that everything that comes to our life, God is in charge of it. And when this is what we're talking about after you learn this, then you have to learn how to get a personalized word from the Lord, a personalized word from the Lord. How does God speak? When does he speak? And then if he does speak, what are you to do about it? A personalized word from the Lord. And then after personalized word from the Lord, we're talking about how to believe God. I find that most saints do not know how to trust Jesus. And how do we trust Jesus? And then after we learn how to trust Jesus, then we talk about the inevitable warfare, the satanic warfare that we must face if we trust the Lord. And then the last, the law of abiding and what we mean there is how to be sensitive day by day with the Lord. Now you may not realize it, but these seven steps that I've laid out are basic laws that must be experienced in the life of a believer. I will say this about it, that these seven basic laws are fulfilled when a child of God is properly related to Jesus Christ by faith. Now you may not realize that these, these are basic issues that you have to face. And I have to face if I'm going to live the Christian life and I'm going to deal with these from night to night, that may not sound interesting. And I didn't say it to really be, I hadn't thought about it till just then where I'm trying to motivate you or not. I expect God to motivate saints. And I expect the hunger in your heart to get you back Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Friday night. I do not expect anything else. If I get up here and had to do a bunch of foolish gymnastics and be funny to entertain you, to get you here, I'm not interested in you being here. Amen. If that's what it takes, if it takes a ham burger or a hot dog or some stuff like that to get you here, my dear friends, I know that you might come for those reasons, but I do not believe that you're going to get much spiritual food out of coming. But now, however you come, we will accept you. Amen. However you come, what I'm trying to say is I'm not trying to be funny and I'm not trying to motivate you, but I do hope you're motivated by the Lord. Now, what about tonight? Tonight, this matter of person, vital relationship, what are we talking about? Romans 8, 16 is the verse that the Lord will leave us with, I believe. Romans 8, 16. The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we're the children of God. We're talking about this matter of a child of God being rightly related to God. Let me ask you boys and girls back there and all of you, mothers and dads, all of you, what do you think is the deepest, what do you think is the deepest experience a man, a woman can have with God? I say, well, what kind of experiences can a man have with God? He can have a circumstantial experience, something to happen in his circumstances. He can have a physical experience, something to happen in his physical person. He can have a soulish experience. That means he can have an experience in his intellect, in his emotion. What else kind of experience can a man have with God? A man can have an experience with them, with God in his spirit. What's the deepest, most everlasting, significant experience that a man can have with God? You say, well, brother man, the spiritual experience. Now, if you said that, I believe you'd be scripturally sound, but what in a spiritual experience, what's the deepest, deepest relationship you can have with God? I believe it's knowing, being, knowing that's being, or being that's knowing. I believe it's really genuinely knowing. I say that because the Bible says that we can, we can know God. That's a great deal different more than understanding God. And that's a great deal different more than feeling God. Amen. I mean, you just know God. You say, well, explain what do you mean know God? Just explain what you're talking about. It's very simple. I'll put it this way. I'll give you a little illustration first and then explain from the scripture. Back in 1970, I began to get real ill. I began to swell up my hands, my face, my legs, my feet. I began to swell. And I went to one doctor and he says, well, you have the gout and you need to go on this diet. And I began to lose weight at three and four and five pounds a week. I weighed 219 pounds and I just began to lose weight just very hurriedly. And I went to another doctor and he says, well, you have gout, but you have some other problem. You need to go to another doctor. And I went to another doctor and he said, yes, you have gout, but said, you have a, I can see scleroderma here. He said, what you need to do is go to another doctor. So finally the fifth doctor or the fourth doctor, I went to a friend and I said, I am getting so confused and I know that I'm dying. And he said, well, let me do what I can do for you. And so he examined me. I went through all these severe tests and he called me in one day and we didn't go to an examination room. We went to a study and he said, brother Manley, and he was an old, old friend. He said, you're dying. He said, I can see that you have not only scleroderma, but you have a problem with lupus and not only with a problem with loose lupus, but you have another problem with polymyositis. And he said, he said, it's such a complex thing. I've never seen anything like it. Now, all the other doctors were right, but they just weren't right enough. And I went to the Methodist hospital in Houston, Texas after an entire year, just searching one doctor after another. And finally the seventh doctor neurologist put his finger on my problem. And I, they discovered that I had seven diseases. And one of them, the title of them was mixed connective tissue disease. I had lupus, I had scleroderma, I had polymyositis, I had gout, I had three others. That's not even necessary to mention. They were just little things, but those three first ones are terminal. And they told me, said, well, you will not live. And many, I stayed in the Methodist hospital for four solid months at one time, four and a half months to be exact. And on several occasions during that four and a half months, the doctors would stand outside my door and they would say, he will never make it. I dropped down to 140 pounds and I was a bag of bones, so totally collapsed that I could not even walk. I could not even talk. My tongue had collapsed. I could not move my hands, but six inches this way, like this, just six inches that way. I could not lift them this way. I could not raise them this way. I was so totally collapsed and I would be there in bed and those doctors would get outside my door and say, he can't make it. He'll never make it. I don't know why they didn't go down the hall to say that, but they just get outside my door and say, he'll never make it. Let me tell you something, friend. In my heart, I knew Jesus. I knew Jesus. I knew that I knew it. The Bible, the word know in the Bible, you can know him from experience, our experiences. You can know him from understanding, but you can know him from an intuitive work, an intuitive knowing, a revelation in your spirit. That's right. Now watch this verse. The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we're the children of God. That verse is to me, one of those greatest verses in the Bible. Here it is. How does God know anything? Let me ask you this question. Does God have to think to know? Huh? How does God know? He just knows. God just knows, doesn't he? He doesn't have to think to know. He just simply knows. He just knows. Right? Now, the best way to put it is God just knows intuitively. Now, the reason I say that's the best way to put it, it's the only language we have that can in any way come near describing how God knows something. He just knows. Have you ever heard people talk about a woman intuitively knowing something? In fact, it fascinates me. They just know almost know everything. I've seen, I've seen women come out with an outlandish, almost unreasonable proclamation and it happened just like she said it would. Have you noticed that? What do we say when a woman does that? Well, she just intuitively knew that. Amen? I'm not making fun. I may be getting in hot water, but I'm not making fun. Listen to me carefully. I got interested in that. How does a woman know things like that? She intuitively knows things like that. Well, what does that mean? So I looked it up in the dictionary. You know what it means? Listen to this. To know without reasoning. That's funny, isn't it? But get through laughing and then get to the seriousness of it. That's also heavenly because that's the way God knows things. Amen. He just knows. Are you listening to me? You still with me? It's going to take some of you two nights to get in touch with me. I know you're city folk up here and I know you've never seen a calf look at a new gate, but it sure is funny to watch y'all trying to to understand, understand the way I talk. See, God just knows. Amen. He just intuitively knows. And here's what has happened. When you and I got saved by the grace of God, when you and I got born of the spirit of the living God, our spirit and God's spirit became one spirit. First Corinthians 6, 17. Our spirits became one spirit. He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Isn't that amazing? I mean, God's spirit and man's spirit is one spirit eternity through eternity for eternity. Now, if man has been joined unto the Lord and is one spirit with the Lord and the spirit of God is in charge of his spirit, a man can know things like God knows things. He just knows. And what I'm saying is this, if he's saved, he knows a thing like God knows the thing. He just knows. We give, we say a man has to have 15 reasons how you know he's saved. It doesn't have to have any reason why you know he's saved. He just knows. Now that doesn't mean that you can't have 15 reasons how you know you're saved. It just means that the deepest, most significant time is just to know you're saved. I know they tell me that I should have died several occasions while I was in that Methodist hospital. And on one occasion, I remember waking up and doctors standing all around my bed and I was supposed to have died. And I just knew Jesus there. And the deepest experience of my life at that moment was not my circumstantial happenings where God worked, my emotional happenings where God worked, my intellectual understanding of how and who God was and so on. But the deepest experience of my life there as I faced death was that I knew God. You say, how do you know you knew it? I don't know how I know. I just knew. Amen. I, in my heart, I knew that I knew God. Now let me just give you another illustration or two. His spirit bears witness with our spirit that what? We're children of God. Now I believe His spirit bearing witness with your spirit that you're a child of God means that the Holy Spirit is witnessing to your spirit that you are a child of God. And I believe that means you just know that you're safe. Know that you're safe. And I believe to know Him, to know that you know Him is a vital relationship. Amen. Now, let me tell you about a little fella came to me is in South Louisiana, South Louisiana people talk like this. This kid came to me and he said, preacher, I want to be saved. First thing off, I thought this kid doesn't know what he's talking about. I said, why do you want to be saved? He said, because I am a sinner. I said, how do you know that you're a sinner? He said, the Lord has shown me that I'm a sinner and I know I'm a sinner. I said, the Lord, what do you mean he's shown you? He said, I don't know, but in my heart, I know I'm a sinner and I know that I need to be saved because I am a sinner. I said, you say the Lord has spoken to you? I said, what do you mean the Lord has spoken to you? Did you see him? He said, no, sir. I said, did you feel him? He said, no, sir. I said, did you understand he's there? He said, it's beyond that. I said, well, how do you know you're a sinner? And he looked at me like a typical Frenchman. He said, I don't know how I know, but I just know. Now he understood that the Bible taught that all had sinned and come short of the glory of God. He taught, he understood for the wages of sin was death, but the gift of God was eternal life. But what had happened was the spirit of God had convicted him in his spirit that he was a sinner. We got down on our knees and pray. And a few moments, I heard him say, thank you, Lord. I thought to myself, well, that kid's talking to Jesus, just like Jesus is right here. That kid is talking to Jesus, just like Jesus is real. That kid's talking to Jesus, just like he knows him. He said, thank you, Lord. It wasn't, do you know you're saved now because you've asked Jesus because you feel him? I heard him say, thank you, Jesus. I said, son, why are you thanking Jesus? He said, I'm thanking him for saving me. I said, for saving you. How do you know he saved you? He looked up my face and did that. He said, I don't know how I know. I just know. I couldn't believe it. But I realized as I dealt with that boy, that that boy was experiencing God in his spirit where most people we know only experience him in their intellect or in their emotion. Well, they can only say, well, I know I'm saved. I know I have a vital relationship with Jesus. I know I'm born again because the Bible says who shall call upon the name of the Lord, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And all they know is they have prayed a prayer and they think that praying a prayer is knowing Jesus. They think that's knowing Jesus because they prayed a prayer. Other people think that they know Jesus because they have had some kind of sensational experience in their emotions. Come on. Some people think they know Jesus because they have made a, now this is going to hurt, commitment to him. They say, well, I know Jesus. I walked down an aisle and I professed him as King of Kings and Lord of Lord. I made a commitment to Jesus. And they say, I know that I know him. When their knowing is only intellectual or emotional or providential. That's right. When in their spirit, they do not know. They know that they know. Let me give you one more illustration. Back many years ago, I really sought for the genuine truth. And at that time, our older children, the three older children were getting up to the age that they were beginning to make their professions of faith. And so I really was putting the, all of the salvation material to the test, all of it. And so I said, Lord, I want you to give me some light that will help me with my family and help me with a family of God. I want some light on this truth about salvation. And I studied and I studied, and I even helped write a book on salvation by grace through faith. But I got some light. I got some light from an experience in Alabama. And I want to share it with you. It's not a long story. It's a short one. I know I was in a revival and there was an elderly preacher in this church. He was not the pastor. He was just an elderly preacher that belonged to this church. He had a daughter that was very, very wayward. She was living in awful, awful sin and adultery, drunkenness. She attended our meeting and one night she came down the aisle and just fell at the front and began to weep her way to God. And she seemingly got peace in her heart. It looked to me like she really got it settled in her life. And I got happy over it. I just got excited because I thought it was marvelous. And I noticed that the old dad did not get as excited as I thought he should have gotten. So I noticed after service, he came over to me and he said, Preacher, I noticed that you noticed I didn't get as excited as you thought I should have gotten. Over my daughter's decision, I said, that's right. He said, well, I'll tell you when I'm going to rejoice. I said, when? He said, when I see God treating her like his youngin. Now I knew that old man had loaded my wagon theologically. He had taught me something that the theologians had not taught me. And that happens all the time. What was he saying? He was saying, Preacher, I'm going to shout when I see that there is a commitment from heaven. He said, I've seen her walk down the aisles before. I've seen her go through an emotional experience before. I've seen her go through these intellectual steps. But he said, I'm going to shout when I see that Jesus is living in her heart. And I knew he was very scriptural. Jesus did not many mighty works among them because he knew all men's heart. Jesus was in Jerusalem performing miracles and many believed in his name. And that word believe there is a very significant word. It means they literally identified themselves by an action with Jesus. They believed on his name when they saw the miracles, which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them because he knew all men and need it not that any should testify a man for he knew what was in man. Now listen to me. Jesus Christ was in Jerusalem preaching and men and women made decisions. But Jesus did not commit himself to them. See, because he knew their hearts. Boy, what a truth. See, what a truth. People today say I have a vital relationship with Jesus. I'm saved by the grace of God. I am washed in the blood of the lamb. I made commitments. I've had this experience. I have this understanding of God. Beloved, salvation is more than an emotional experience. Some level of understanding. Salvation is more than some activity in the happenings of your life. Salvation is Jesus Christ, the son of God living in you. He that hath the son hath life. Hath life and he that hath not the son of God hath not life. I knew that old gentleman had taught me something. People said, boy, all you need to do is make a commitment to Jesus. I'll tell you what, if your commitment is not genuine, it's still false. Amen. You say, how do you know if it's genuine? Like you boys back there talking. You know, you really give me a hard time all this night. You know, you two boys back there, y'all have really talked and had a big time tonight. I hope you get it out so you won't do it tomorrow night. Amen. You said, brother, man, that upsets me. It ought to upset you. It's hard to preach with a lot of people talking. This old gentleman, I saw for the first time in my life, what I wanted in my family's life was Jesus Christ. That's what I wanted more than anything else in the world. And that was deeper than an emotional experience. That was deeper than some level of understanding that was deeper than some level of commitment. You see what, what Jesus is saying to you, when your commitment is right, when you are right by repentance and faith in committing, then Jesus commits himself to you. And I'm not going into that. I just will mention this when he makes, he comes into you in your life and he lives in your person. You are a new creation. Oh, things have passed away and behold, all things have become new. You are a new creation in Christ. That's right. Not only that, but if Jesus has committed himself to you and me, he chastens us. Do you know what that means in Romans by Hebrews 12, eight, you know what it means for him to chasten you? I want to say this. I keep trying to close, but it's hard to close here tonight. For some reason, I feel like I've left some things unsaid. Chastisement means correction. And if you really are a child of God, you're really born of the Spirit of God. Jesus has really committed himself to you and to me. He's not only made us a new creation where we hunger and thirst after righteousness, have a nature for God, but beloved, we go further than that. He chastens us. That means God in his sovereign grace corrects us when we sin. And correcting us means he causes us to quit sinning and start living for Jesus. Now, a vital relationship is with a living Christ, with the living Christ. And you can know it and you can know that you know it.