In this sermon, the preacher reflects on the importance of hearing the voice of God rather than just listening to sermons and words in church. He emphasizes that many people spend their lives in church but never truly hear the voice of God. The preacher shares his own experience of being captivated by a powerful sermon and highlights the significance of hunger for God's word. He then references the story of Jesus in the synagogue at Nazareth, where he delivered his first message after being filled with the Holy Spirit. The preacher concludes by encouraging the audience to seek a deeper understanding of the scriptures and to be open to the Holy Spirit's guidance.

I can tell this morning, my brother Kirby, in these years of preaching, he's learned the great truth of this gospel, that last things are last in Christ. Yes, sir. That's, that's, you know, the final words of Christ was to go in all the world preaching the gospel. When a man knows that's his last words, whether it be for the moment or for eternity, he always weighs those very heavily, because those are the final things, that's, that's what people's going to take home with them, you know, that, that, that message. What a message this morning, truth in the house. You know, truth can be everywhere but till it gets in the house. A lot of years ago, I, I put together, I never preached it, I thought it's just for me. But, you know, I, I, I brought that along with me, I, I didn't know why, I just brought it along with me. But when I heard the message this morning, I knew why that I brought that. He closed the book, that's the message that I want to, I want to talk to you this morning. You know, in Acts 13, 27, it says, they heard the scriptures every Sabbath, you know, all day they read those scriptures. They heard every Sabbath, but they never heard the voice. You know, a voice implies a person, somebody wants to talk to you, somebody wants an audience with you. But they heard, they heard the words, but they never heard the voice, and they condemned him when he came. See, that voice of those prophets, see, all prophetic ministry began in the book of Genesis, when it said that Jesus, you know, is the spirit of prophecy, everything, everything in this book leads to him. The seed of the woman shall bruise that serpent. You know, everything begun there, and everything continually moved toward it. You know, all the sacrifices of that Bible are understood in three hours on account. Think about it, 4,000 years bunched together in that short term, all of it. What a, what a moment, but said they never heard the voice. How many people spend their life in church, but never hear the voice? They hear words, they hear sermons, but they never hear that voice, and it never changes, it never changes. You know, I've, I've said in the service, the man of God helped me spell man, this morning. I said last night, we were at the table, I believe it was, or anyway, we were talking, and I said yesterday morning, as the message was being delivered, you know, if somebody were to rose up to talk in tongues, the prophet said, I would have rose up and said, sit down. You know, I mean, there's no interruption here, you know, once, once you tune in to the voice of what's being said, you know, not just hearing words, not something I'm going to take home with me. You know what God said he required of us is a true heart, a true heart, you know, not just a pure heart, but a true heart. A true heart is a man or woman that goes to the house of God to hear what God has to say. They put that in practice in their heart. About 80% of the church go because the music, to be seen, or because that's what I'm supposed to do. Everybody's supposed to go to church, so they go because that's what they're supposed to do. They believe there's four gospels because that's all there is in the Bible. They don't, they, they don't necessarily believe in Jesus because to change their life, but because that's what the church said they're supposed to do. Now that's not a true heart, you know, that heart's not true to God. But the true heart is the one that came here to hear what he had to say and then put that in practice in that life. It's been a very wonderful privilege to be here to worship with you and I do believe this is the beginning. We began a conference like this in Beaumont, Texas in 1980. We called it a pastor's conference. Well, that first conference we put all the pastors in the quarrel. Only about 25 of them there. The last account there were over 600 of us there. I'm telling you, one of the 10th wonders of this world is to see a thousand people in a prayer meeting at 6 o'clock in the morning. Amen. 600 preachers there in that altar, 6 o'clock in the morning, calling upon God. Carter Conlon, the great, the pastor, wonderful friend of mine of the Times Square Church. When he come, the first time he come, I remember when he got up. I preached the opening message and he sat there and wept the whole time that I preached. And that night when I announced, I said we begin to march 6 o'clock to the prayer meeting. If you have really interest in God, you'll be in that prayer meeting. He said to me later, he said, you give no man a choice. You closed every door. You know, you gave no man a choice. But he said that night, when he come to preach the 10 o'clock service, he said, I've given up. I remember he could tell me that story. I've given up. I didn't know that there were still this many that haven't bowed their knees. I didn't realize that there were that many. Well, there's more of us than you think. We just don't get together like we ought to. But there are those out there. You know, Elijah one time called, I'm the only one left. And he said, I've reserved 7,000 that haven't bowed their knees for that little sister. And it's wonderful to know this. We have been in contact from Australia, you know, all the way across this globe with people. And I just, two wonderful friends I've met here from Scotland, a beautiful lady and her daughter. And thank you for that gracious letter and your gift. God bless you. I've never received from both of you such a wonderful letter. But people say, you know, I just didn't know that he was being preached. You know, isn't that sad? You know, but my sheep do know my voice. And that's so wonderful. I've traveled this world on that faith right there. That if I keep myself here before God, separate the clean from the unclean, and preach his word, I have a guarantee from God that his sheep will hear my voice. That's a wonderful thing. They will hear me. They will hear you. If you keep that real sheep of God, they'll hear that voice. You know, I thought the Chinese, I've preached in both the house church and the three-self church. You know, they told me in Shenzhen, you're the only non-Asian ever preached in this church. But they invited me back for a week, you know, just to get the arrangements made. But, you know, I thought they were Pentecostal. I found out they were Presbyterian. I never preached Pentecost like I preached it in that church that morning. You know, it didn't matter what they were. I preached the truth. I know what Pentecost is. It's God the Father through God the Holy Ghost, revealing God the Son through a vehicle called the church. That's the message of Pentecost. Well, Brother White was on the platform that morning. 1,700 people in that church. He said, you know, pastors like the Son coming up. He said, when you begin to preach, you can see. They've never heard that before. But they knew what they were hearing was reality. Then they become a brokenness, begin to weep while I preach. Then they become a rejoicing. And when it was over, the lady was a lady pastor. And I'm sitting there, Brother White, myself, and Emily, my Chinese daughter. And that lady began to pray. There was such a passion and such a fervency in that prayer. I said, Emily, what is she praying? She was saying, oh, God, can you ever forgive us? We didn't know that we were created to be your temple. Oh, my. Oh, my. What a prayer. What an awesome moment. As I prayed that prayer, we did not know that we're created. You know, you know the reason that all of heaven, all the angels in heaven, Rejoice when my good friend, Leticia, was born again. You know the reason they rejoice? God has found another vessel to reveal his son. They said there's another temple now that that son can be revealed. That's why heaven rejoiced. Because there's no reason, no purpose, but to reveal that son. That's the meaning of a son of God. God's son is seen in our life. You know, I told you the other morning or evening sometime. You know, I'd look at that pretty girl of mine. How can she be a son of God? But the Bible said, as many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God. Well, there's only one son to be revealed. He don't become female because he's revealed through a female. Amen. That sons of God is those through whom this Christ can be revealed. Hallelujah. So wonderful, my good friend, Brother Tim here and folks from all over Sweden and different places. Amen. Gather here. We're going to read from Luke chapter 4 and verse 20. You know, I never promise anything. I thought I probably won't be very long-winded. I learned very early that sermonettes create Christianettes. You know, they make those off on you. But they'll wake up, you're still talking. Amen. Somewhere along the line, if you preach long enough, you'll find everybody where they are. You know, that's the course of it. I was down in, I won't say where, but me and my good friend here in England. They sang for an hour and 20 minutes. I got flat footed while they went through it. They sang courses. I counted one of the courses they sang 12 times. Our, us, me, my, and them. Two times it said God. Well, when I first come in, somebody met me at the door and we were talking. They said, how fast do you usually preach? About 10 minutes. Oh, I said, take me long enough to read the text. But when they sang that long, I said, they'll demand equal time. Well, I preached an hour and a half that night. And I gave the altar call. They sat there like a tree full of owls. Nobody moved here. They just sat there. But the next night, some come. But by the end of the week, there were not enough room in the altar. See, there was a hungry people. They want, they want God. But if you never saw the, you know, if you never saw the gold in that brass, you'll look good. But the people saw the gold. They, they knew this thing well. People have never known reality. Then the imitation looks well. But if you've ever tasted the good power of a world to come, nobody's going to sell you that imitation. No, no, nobody's going to sell you. Father, thank you for this final message here today. Will you just help us to be your voice here today? God, help us to hear this gospel. But above everything, as we leave this conference, don't let it be a place we've been. But let it be a place we've met you. And our focus was brought into light. That we saw Jesus. And we never saw anybody else. Oh God, make yourself real. Let us go and make you real. In the name of Jesus, Amen. You know, after that wilderness experience, the Bible said Jesus went out of that wilderness in the power of the Spirit. That simply meant he was led by the Spirit of God. And he went to Nazareth, climbed the pulpit steps to preach. Took his text from the book of Isaiah. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. Was anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, opening the eyes of the blind. And then in Luke 4.20 it said he closed the book. Now Luke 4.20 said he closed the book and gave it again to the minister and sat down. And listen, all the eyes of all of them that were in the synagogue were fastened upon him. This day, he said, this scripture has been fulfilled. I am what this book talked about. I am the fulfillment of Genesis to Revelation. Christ is all or all is absolutely nothing. When he sat down. Now I read that, and I've never preached this, but I read that. And God dealt with me. I put down a lot of things that I'm going to try to tell you what I put down. But God said to me, when that closing of the book. He said no sermon is ever finished until the eyes are on Jesus. Don't close that book. Don't sit down. Don't quit your preaching. Amen. That's all Christ. There is nothing else to see folks. Everything else pointed to him. The law was a schoolmaster to take us to Christ. Every lamb that died on that altar pointed to the lamb that's coming to die. When John introduced him in John 1.29. He said behold the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. He told of his crucifixion. Now if that had been told after his crucifixion. It would have meant nothing as to what it meant there. Three and a half years before he died. John said he's come as the lamb of God. Every lamb that died on every altar pointed to this moment in history. There is nothing beyond him. There's no more revelation. No more new beginnings folks. Everything now is just a learning of what's come to us. It is a learning Christ. Everything that pertains to life and Godliness is in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. All physical healing. The Bible said they that know him. That know his name. That know his character. Will trust him through thick and thin. You learn it. You know it. Then you know he's trustworthy. It is only as we come to know the character of this Christ. Faith is not an experience of seeing miracles. The Israelites. They saw miracles as God restored Egypt. Almost equal to the creation. But Moses hadn't been gone ten days. Till Aaron's got him naked dancing around the golden camp. See faith doesn't come. By witnessing miracles. Jesus used those miracles to draw people to himself. Then he separated them by the word of God. You eat my flesh. Drink my blood. Or there's no part of me in you. Well they left him. They walked away. Then he turned to his own. Will you go also? Peter with a very discriminating word said. Where will we go? For you alone have the words of eternal life. Now that's very discriminating. Because those Pharisees had the word. But they were not like it. They just had words. That's all they had. The letter kills. Our pastor made it so real this morning. The letter kills. But it's only the spirit of life in the word. That makes it the word of God. You can take this Bible. Make it say what you want to. The Bible says in Judas. When out in hanging cell. There's another place somewhere. It says go and do likewise. If you separate the two. You'll have everybody hanging themselves. By the same word of God. But there has to be life in that word. Before it ever becomes the word of God. There has to be that life. You know we don't worship the book. We worship who the book brought us to. This book. It must be. But here it said he closed the book. That's a very simple and obvious thing to do. We read the text. We close the book. It's a very simple obvious thing to do. But look again. And perhaps you and I will be able to see today. Beneath the obvious. We'll be able to see the wonderful. In this moment. Of closing this book. Something happened. In the synagogue at Nazareth. That day that never never happened before. When that Christ came in. That day. This is his message. After that wilderness experience. He stepped across the line. From private life to public ministry. After being filled with the Holy Spirit. That spirit now has took absolute control. And this is his first message. The Holy Spirit led him here. Now in that synagogue. Something happened. That had never happened before. Now the book had been closed before. But never with such divine reasons. Such wealth of suggestion. And assumption of authority. As it had been closed that day. Just look at it. Why did he close the book? Because he was greater than the book. He said you're looking at this book now. It's not now just a page. I am everything this book is. This book was. This book was the word. This book became flesh. It walked among them. That day when he said to them. When he closed that book. Is because. Every eye now. In that synagogue is fixed upon him. Not that book. They worshipped that book long enough. They searched that scripture. Because they thought in that scripture they had life. But he said you'll find me in this book. Or this book will damn you to hell. It's nothing until you locate me in this book. This is a book that testifies of me. From the opening word of Genesis. To the final word of the book of Revelation. It's a book about Christ. There is no other message in this Bible. But the book of Christ. And he closed the book. Because the attention now must be upon me. Amen. When you look in this Bible. If you're not looking for Christ. You're looking for an argument. That's the reason the Bible said. All debaters are going to hell. Truth never parties with anybody. It's proclaimed. It's thundered. It's a revelation of God. It's Christ Jesus the Lord. And no message is ever complete. Until that audience sees Christ. When they see Jesus. Then the message has finally come to the purpose. You have to wade through a lot of things. You have to move a lot of rubbish. As our pastor said this morning. Before Christ can ever be seen. But once that is clear. And the world can look at you. And take knowledge that you have been with Christ. Then a revival has come to your time. That's the whole key to everything. Revival has come. Revival. John knew what it was. See John's a hundred years old. When he wrote his gospel. Now you know the synoptic gospels are marvelous. Now it's only about four steps. From Malachi to Matthew. But it's a universe ladies and gentlemen. From Malachi to the gospel of John. There John has lived it. He saw fulfilled the prophecies of the apostle Paul. There will be a form without any power. John saw that happen. He's a hundred years old. Paul has been dead for thirty years. And now John is bringing back. He begun that gospel. There was a living word. Walked this earth. That God was made flesh. That word was made flesh and dwelt among it. Bringing back the revelation of that personal heavenly man. That's the whole of the gospel of John. John knew till Christ is seen. There is no hope of revival. You can preach. You can say. You can do. But until that Christ is seen again. In that body called the church. There's not going to be a revival in this world. That is the only only possibility. He closed the book. Because he's greater than the book. The book was a shatter. He was the reality. Everything that book said. Was pointing to him. And if he don't ever come. Then that book is a dead book. But he. He was the reality. He was everything that book talked about. That bible. This book is about Christ. Me that read it. There was an infidel in my time. In my town rather. When I first went there. Heard me on the television. My message was Christ. It's always been Christ. That's the message of this bible. From the moment I met him. The one desire of my heart is to know him. Not to know about him. The theological Christ won't get you through. You must know first with the mind. Before you can ever touch the heart. But if you stop there you never know him. See the orthodox Christ is not enough. It's the Christ of the heart. When it's a revelation of who he is. When I come to personally. Know that Christ. Life changed. Everything changed. Everything changed. The whole desire. And purpose of life. Took on a different meaning. But that infidel. He would quote me chapters. On the bible. But did not believe there was a God. You see did not believe there was a God. The book was a shadow. He was a reality. This day this book is full for all. In your sight. I am this book. I've been made flesh. I'm walking this earth. I'm the God that you've been wanting to see. Amen. His body. Become the prison. That broke up the infinite light and holiness of God. That men can look upon God in them. That was the Christ of God. And third. The book was a echo. He was a voice. That our pastor talked about so wonderfully this morning. The book is the echo. But the echo is not what we want. It's the voice. The living voice of God. When he come. He closed the book. The book was a forecast. He was the fulfillment. Everything said from Genesis to Revelation. That Christ was the fulfillment of that. The law was a schoolmaster. To take us to Christ. To bring us to this Christ. To bring us the revelation of this Christ. That moment. Meeting him. We found the answer to everything. Life cures all ills. Every ill. That is the very property of life. Physically and spiritually. Is to rule out death. You know there's a million. Microbial. Your body is filled with cancer cells. But that life of yours. As long as it's healthy. As long as that immune system is right. Then there's no possibility of that thing taking a hold on you. Because it's a property of life. To rule out death. And so it is with Christ. That's the reason the leading of the Holy Spirit. Is always first to the cross. Always. He leads you to that cross. Where everything dies. If not Christ. Because everything that's not Christ. Is death. No matter how clever you are. How natural it is with you. No matter whatever it is. Whatever is not Christ. Is death. It has been cursed. It has no place in this assembly. Has no place in what we worship. Has no place in our message. But finally. The book was a teaching. But he was the teacher. This is the fulfillment. He closed the book. Because I'm the finality of this book. Now we have the book within us now. It's greater now. Than it was then. Because now the book. Is within us. You know. A man said to me. I've just passed the million mile mark. In the continental airline. Not talking about all the sidelines. I've had to fly. They said don't you get bored. What's the longest flight? I said from Newark to Hong Kong. 15 hours. 45 minutes in the air. Said don't you get bored. I said no. I'm up there. 40,000 feet. No matter what happens on this earth. I can do nothing about it. So why worry about it. But I sit there and read the book. No I don't pull the bible out. I just close my eyes. And this book is in me. I can read it all day. All night. All time. Every day. Every moment. I can read this book. You understand. I can read it. He lives in me. This book is me. He lives within me. I don't have to open the pages. I do. I read this book. Now don't you understand what. Misunderstand what I'm saying. But that which is written. Is in me. I can close my eyes. And meditate. Upon him who is this book. Amen. What a moment it is. What a moment it is. To live. It's prophecies. Have been illuminated by history. It's bigger than it's ever been. Is that right? It's prophecy. Listen. Instead of being a whisper. Of what shall be. It is also now the story. Of that which has been. And now is. The book is much bigger now. Since that book walked this earth. And that book lives within us. It's not just something wrote on a page. It's something wrote. In our heart. He said I'm going to write it. On the priceless tables of your heart. So that this now. Becomes what you are. It's not just something I've memorized. But it is something now. That I have become. And more and more. I'm becoming that. As I walk and am led. By the spirit of the living God. We can read the meaning. Of long centuries of sacrifice. In just three hours of anguish on Calvary. Every lamb that ever died. Every bullet that ever died. Amen. All of the 4,000 long years of history. Can be brought together. In three hours of anguish. On Calvary. Everything of this book. I'm telling you. It's greater now than it's ever been. Because that has come to be. In you and I. I imagine this 25 years ago. When God dealt with me. I've never preached it before. I've never said this to any human. But I knew it was for me. He said you need never to be without this book. I'm in you. I'm in you. You learn more and more about me. Understand that what you learn. Is in you. I am what this book is. This book is about me. And nothing else. It deals with those things that's not me. Because you must live them. If men are going to see me. That has to be dealt with. That's the reason it's a constant purchase. You never get beyond this. Always as we walk with God. There'll never be a perfection. Until we see him. Now we still look to a glass doctor. We cannot see him in all. And totality of his magnificence. But one day when I see him. In that moment. I'll be changed completely. But all along this line. There he is. I remember. Just before God called us. To go to Russia. They had an elderly couple. Coming to the church. They were in their seventies. They come out of the catholic church. Wonderfully born again. Had two of the worst boys I ever met in my life. One of them died in prison. He was a pedophile. A drug addict and a pedophile. And I'm just sure. That the prisoners killed him. They couldn't put up with him. You know just such a low life of a human. To seek so far down. The other was a drug addict. Lived with his mother and dad. Amen. And killed his father. Not with a knife. But by the torture of their lives. Of what he wanted. I said to her on occasion. I said sister. If you want us to. We'll put him out of that house. You know. He don't want to get right. We'll put him out. I'll send a couple of men over there. We'll tell him where to go live. But it was her son. She wouldn't do that. You know. But then. The father died. The mother had to go to the hospital. Once he's gone. He sold every stick of furniture. In that house for drugs. When she comes out. It's an empty phone. He sold every stick of furniture. Well she had to move to Louisiana. With the people. He's on the street. Never heard nothing from him. For a couple of months. And one Monday night. The phone rang. And when I picked it up. I knew it was him. And he. He told me. I said I know who you are. You know. That total wrong attitude. But you know. I just had enough of him. Me. God had me though. See. You know. That's where you got to keep the difference. Well. He wanted me to pray for him. Well. I mumbled some kind of a prayer. To get rid of him. But every morning. Was a five. Five o'clock prayer meeting. And I was there. I moved over in my corner. And I began to pray. And I. I don't know. As I ever. Had uttered this before. In a prayer. But I remember. Oh God. Let me see me. Like you see me. I heard him say. I'd be very happy to. And I said. He said. I see you as a man. Think you're smarter than I am. Oh my God. I never wept so hard in my life. I don't know why he said that. I broke. There's 30 men in there with me. They come over. They want. Oh. I said. Please leave me alone. Just go. Leave me. I never was so broke in my life. I said. I don't know what you're saying. He said. I had a man to call me. And you decided. You couldn't be saved. My God. I didn't know such wickedness. I didn't know. And you don't know. I said. You don't know what's in my heart. I've never dreamed. Oh. I said. If you'll forgive me. I've never repented so hard. No man ever wanted to walk with God more than me. I didn't know that. But you see. All along the line. He's dealing with us. He knows when to deal with us. He knows that which is not of himself. Oh. I've repented. I've never realized. You know. I just. All I could see is the outward. Here. Some degree. And I. I don't know. As a pastor. You know. The older ladies in the church. You become their father. It. You know. It becomes that with them. And now. These boys. That destroyed them. I didn't want to talk to them. God said. I had a man to call you. You. You. You decided. You couldn't be saved. That's. That's a wickedness of that heart. And you don't know the depth of it. That's a legalism. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You. So it's not a matter of reading about it, it's a matter of the promises becoming a reality. This day is the scripture fulfilled in your ear. That's the voice that speaks when the book is told. That's what you hear. You read it, but now God whispers that promise. This day, this day, that's the voice that speaks when the book is told. He said, God spoke to us in his sight. That's not just words. His life, every movement of his life speaks to us. He's telling me what life is, what's come to be. He didn't have a manual that he read and said, now the book says I'm going to live like this. No, he's become that. Now this has become that and now that he has become our life. That's the reason, the closed book. Thank God for an open Bible, but also thank God for a Bible you can close, that everywhere, riding along that freeway, going back home today, you can read this book, ride in that horse, you can think upon this God, upon this Christ, who is the word of God. Thank God for the truth that's not imprisoned in the pages of the book, but dwells in human life. Thank God that is in human life. That always, all of the time, under every circumstance. A great friend of mine was a bishop over the unregistered church in Russia. At the end he kind of got angry with me, but it was alright, I never got angry with him. He spent 26 years in prison, but he used to tell me, they had no Bible, they took it all away, he's in the prison 26 long years, but he said, you know I'd lay there and I'd read that book, I'd close my eyes, I'd read that book, because that book was within me. That book was there. What he knew about that Bible, he could read it, nobody can take that away from you. They may burn every Bible on this earth, but that Bible is in me. Amen. They can't take this book away from me. I don't know all I need to know, but I do know Him. And they can't take this away from a man or a woman when it becomes this way. He closed the book that he might open. He laid it aside for a moment that they may learn what it meant. What it meant. It's meant to know Him. Listen to it. Life is said sometimes to be a commentary on the Bible, but I think it's truer to say that the Bible is a commentary on life. Because this life, Christ is this life. Until you know this, you're dead. The Bible said a man is dead. Only him that knows Christ is alive, dead in trespasses and sin. I remember 59 years ago, I was raised from the dead. I didn't know what that was, but you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sin. I come alive that night in that little assembly at God's church. I went there on a Wednesday night. Poor little church. Windows broke out. Didn't have enough money to replace them. Cardboard is over. No cathedral, but oh, it was a house of prayer. Amen. They held the roof up with four befores. And I sat behind it, trying to hide behind the four before. I thought I'll never come back. These people are different than me, but I believe I'm right. Amen. Never felt so miserable in my life. Man's sinner go to church and said he had a good time. I knew he didn't go to church. No, no. If he enjoyed it, he never went to church. I'm in the hell and the over hell for an hour and a half. I got out, and I said I'm not going back. And I went back the next night. And that night, I was born again. Oh, listen, I found it. Christ came into this world. I went in there one thing. I come out another. Well, the next night when I went there, when they gave me all the gold, I run back down. It was so wonderful last night. I must get back down there. Well, two or three young men got around me, going to save me again. But the old man, there's an old man, 70 something years old, had prayed me through to God that night. And so he told them boys, he said, you fellas find somebody else. I'm going to talk to him. He knew God had saved me. He knew in reality. And he got down there right across that altar. This is the greatest sermon ever heard on the Holy Ghost in 59 years of Christian in about one minute. He looked me in the eye and said, what do you want now? I said, what do you mean? He said, you know what's next? He said, the Holy Ghost. Oh, the only ghost I heard of, I didn't want. I didn't know about no Holy Ghost, but the ghost I heard of, I didn't want. I said, what's that? He said, that's next. I said, sir, is that better than what I got last night? He said, no, son, but it sure will make what you got last night better. Oh, if I had this good knee, I'd just run around. Oh yes, he'll take the things of mine. He'll make this Christ for you. That's the holy purpose of him coming, is to make this Christ for you. He'll take the things of mine, Jesus said, and he will reveal them unto you. Apart from life, from experience, we cannot understand this book. No, no, you can read it. It's just something read. It's a tale that's told. But apart from life, from experience, you cannot know this book. The life is more than the book, because that's what the life, the book is taking us to. It's leading us to Christ. Every parable, every story of the Old Testament had its basis in this Christ. Everything about it. And until you experience this life, then you cannot know. Now, someone says, I wish I could read the Bible in the original. Now, that's indeed good, but that's the only way anyone can read the Bible and understand it, is to read it in the original. When I say original, I'm not talking about Greek and Hebrew. The original language of the Bible is the language of human experience. I've met this Christ. Isaiah said, I saw the Lord. He was a different Isaiah now. I said, he's a different Isaiah now. I saw the Lord. You see, it is life. You see him in the human experience of this Christ in my life. A man that I knew, who was a great friend before the war, he had lost an arm, and so he wasn't able to go into the armed services. When I got out, I never saw him. His name was Kenneth, and I hadn't seen him for years, didn't know what ever happened to him. And I got a call one night, and the man over there at the end of the line said to me, you are Bert Clendenin. I said, I am. And there was a nickname, I won't bring it out here, but he said, did they call you this? I said, they did. He said, goodness, I'm Kenneth, he told me, and I knew who he was. And he said, what are you doing? I said, I'm a preacher of the gospel. They said, officer, no you're not. I said, yeah, I'm a preacher. No, no. He knew me, before the war. You know, I was just young, but already messed up. I said, yes, I found Christ. I've been born again. Well, you've been born as something. He said, if you were a preacher. You know, he just couldn't believe, but see, that's how you read the Bible. It's experience, it's life, it's what I am. This is the book alive in me. It's the book alive in you. If it's only a thing in your head, if it's only a seminarian thing. Dr. C.M. Ward, my great friend, said, if the Bible's new, don't kid you in the seminary way. Somehow or another, it will talk you out of God every time. The big part of it will. Amen. See, there's nothing God has that demands a degree. Nothing. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I was called, I'm sure you've heard of Washtenaw, that's right up at the top of the world on the Canadian side. It's a Cree Indian village, and they called me to preach there. Man, one of the Crees come out, heard me, and he said, I'd like for you to come and preach. Well, I flew up to Canada. On the way in there, in the summer, was a small airplane. But in the winter, when the tundra was frozen, they could take trucks in there. Well, I got up there, it's minus 30, that's Fahrenheit, minus 30 in that village. Seven, eleven hundred people, seven hundred adults, and six hundred and fifty of them full of the Holy Ghost. I didn't know what I was getting into, but I called my wife and said, I'm in the millennium. I said, didn't know it was going to be this cold, but I'm in it. Oh yes, oh my God. Here, a young man, twenty years old, he went there, his father was a Cree Indian working in the mines of Canada. And God spoke to him and said, I want you to go back to your people, and I want you to plant a church in the village where you were born, Washtenaw. Totally, he said, pastor, totally demon possessed. They get drunk on a Friday, and the orgies, the incest, totally, totally demonized. And he said, my father took us. He said, my father couldn't read or write. Never went to school a day in his life, but he could read this Bible. Couldn't read the same words on the page of a newspaper, but could read this Bible. Very simple, but a man of God. Little bitty fellow. Never came on the platform while I was there. Let others run. Just sat like Brother Kirby there. Just sat there. One of the most humble men. But I've never seen a revival in such a way. His son told me, said we come here for six years. I was just a boy, I was just a boy at that time. I was six or seven years old, I forget exactly. But he said, we come. And my father went to preach. And said, those demon possessed in them. Took him and stripped him naked in this minus 20 weather. I beat him and left him for dead. Said, we drug him into the house. And we begged him, we begged him, just leave. They're going to kill you. He said, no, there's a life in me I must burn. I cannot leave. He said, time and time again, they beat him. And he said, for seven long years, we never saw anything like this. But my father preached. Just a humble man. Never been to school in his life. But he would preach to them. They would stone him. They would beat him. They would curse him. Threatened to burn the house down. One day he said, I'm 13 years old. And my father and I are down in that village. And he broke out that Bible. I began to weep. Oh, God, they'll kill him today. But said, it was different that day. He said, Mother Clinton, the wind blew. Men had been drunk for 38 years were suddenly made sober. All had been drunk for 38 years as it swept that village. Folks, I've never been in these things. I'd go to bed at 2 o'clock and 150 teenagers dancing before God. It was one of the great moments of my life. Amen. 30 minus 30, I lived with them. I ate food I didn't think anybody ever eat. Amen. But it didn't matter. Over 600 and 700 alcoves full of the Holy Ghost. They wanted to drop a liquor down, not because nobody voted out, but because nobody drank it. Now last night, the chief of that tribe had borne again. You can find his story in the bookstore. If I think of his name, I'll tell you. But he that night, he said, I perceive that a prophet has been among us. Talking about me. Well, I didn't figure out no prophet, but he said that. And he said, the pastor had already given me a check for 2200 Canadian dollars. That's about 1800 American dollars. I tried to give it back to him. I said, oh pastor, I'm telling you, I ought to pay you to come up here. Amen. You owe me nothing. I'll pay you to let me come back just to be in such. Oh no, he said, we have been so blessed. But the chief got up and said, I don't know what we've given him. But I perceive a prophet has been among us. And he said, I believe all of us ought to have a chance to personally give. And so they got a little nail keg, you know, what nail keg that nails come in. Put it down and I'm stood. I stood there while every one of them come behind. Fill that barrel up with Canadian money and kiss me on both cheeks till they were wrong. I've never been treated so in my life. But there, that what the world would call ignorant and unlearned, came a revival equal to any penny cost that ever touched this planet. Totally demon possessed, but now almost the malignant. Don't ever let anybody discourage you. You, you are what you are. God knows what you are. When he calls you, he never looks for personalities. He looks for persons and then gives them the Holy Ghost. That's a God possessed personality. And with that you can do whatever this God has called you to do. Listen, apart from life, from experience we can never understand. Now, that's what I mean when I say the truth of the Bible becoming clear to us. Not as we ponder them upon the printed page, nor as we grapple with them as abstract dogmas, but as we close the book and take its most profound message into the setting of daily life. When this becomes my life. I live this way not to be saved, I live this way because I'm saved. Amen. I, I, I go to all the movies I want to go to. Nobody have to tell me I've never been to one since I've been saved. I just don't go to where they make fun of what I am. I don't deal with people that hate Jesus Christ. I'm not entertained by theirs, not, not at all. Amen, I've drank all the alcohol I've wanted to drink and that's absolutely zero. Not, not, I didn't quit drinking to be saved. I stopped because I was saved. Don't want to mess no more. I hate what God hates. I love what God loves. It's not a set of rules, it's a life. And when you ponder upon the issues of this Bible in your heart, not just what you read on the page, that'll change nothing in your life. But when you allow that to become your life, your life. Life as a father pitieth his children. Listen, a man may read those words in beautiful, musical Hebrew. The printed page. Not as we grapple with them as abstract dogmas, but as we close the book and take this profound message into the setting of a daily life. Think about it. He said, God just said, look at it. A man may read those, amen, but the deepest wealth and comfort of that immortal word as like a father pities his children is given to him at the cradle of his own little child. You look at your baby. How do you pity that baby? How do you pity that poor little thing when she is a child? Then that book becomes, I take that into the setting of my life. God said that's how he pities me. Hallelujah. The book has become a life now. It's not just something I read, but I know. As a father pitieth his children. You know, that little girl of mine, nearly 60 years old, but she's still a little bitty girl. Amen. But she's still my baby girl. Oh, that little thing was hurting her. It hurt me worse than her, you know. It hurt me. But now I read, as a father pitieth that little Brenda, that God pitieth me. It's a book in me now. It's not I'm grappling with an abstract dogma, but a living reality. Do you understand what I'm saying? This book, he closed the book because he hears the book. He's greater, greater, greater than the book. Cast that burden upon the Lord and he'll sustain me. If the greatest biblical scholar can tell us anything about that promise that's worth telling, it's not because he knows the force and history of every Hebrew root in that word. He may have been to every seminary on this planet, but that never enabled him to tell me what that means. It's because he knows it, knows what it is to lean a tired heart upon a tireless God. When everything, see, I've been there, folks, as a preacher. It's the end of the road. There's no further to go. Amen. Brother came to mind. My very dear brother, and like a son to me, told me he'd come to me in limbo. He went through his going to a trial beyond human reason. But he said to me, you know, I haven't come. I just felt like I can't go any further. But oh, when you come to know that you can lay that tired heart upon a tireless God. Oh, oh, it becomes a living thing now. It's not something I read. It's not abstract. It's a reality. It's a book. He closed the book because I know who this book is. Listen, the arduous task is not the man. It's not the man with the best education. It's the man with the biggest mercy and simplest faith. Just like cast my cares upon him. Because he does care for me. It's so wonderful. You know, there were seven of us in our family. Five boys and two girls. My mother and dad were saved, but they were great people. I learned much from them. I never saw a man love a woman like he loved my mother. Amen. You know, what we saw. I'd come home from school a teenage boy. My mother sitting on his lap. Amen. Oh, he, you know, I spoke one time a little long to my mother. I didn't know he was in that house. Hey, boy. I'm with her. Oh, goodness. I went in there and said, come here. I heard what you said. He said, let me tell you something, boy. That's your mother I know. But he said, more than that, that's my wife. She was here before you got here, boy. She'll be here when you're gone. And you just know she runs this house. You don't talk to her. No homosexuals in that house. We knew it was a man who was a woman, I can tell you. You know, the life, he knew. I can tell you. As a little boy, we lived in a tornado time. Children would come through that part of Texas. There'd be a tornado warning, you know, going to hit. It never hit our house. I looked, my old dad said, I didn't worry about a thing. He didn't have a tornado. You know, I was just a little boy. My dad didn't have a tornado. He didn't have anything else. You know, that's the way it is. When it's a closed book, when it's a thing on your heart. I'm not alone in this thing. They locked me up in India, the filthiest place I've ever been in my life. I've never been in a filthier. But I knew it was a Hilton Hotel as compared to somewhere Paul had been. But I knew I wasn't alone. I knew, he said, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. I didn't know why they got me because I suspected terrorists, they said. They'd been finally found out. I suspected terrorists. Oh, if I knew that, I may have been more disturbed. I don't know why they got me here. They took all my luggage, took everything I had. But oh, I said, he is here. And all is well. Somehow and nothing, you see. I don't have no Bible, and it's out there. But I did have a Bible with me. Hallelujah. Oh yes, I had a Bible. The living Bible. He closed the book. I said he closed the book. Hallelujah. He's able to succor them that are tempted. Listen, what does that mean? Westcott on Hebrew has a beautiful comment on these words. You know, he is able to succor them. You go to Westcott, he's a great authority on the Greek and all that. Has a wonderful thing. But he does not say the simplest, most profound thing about the text. No one can say it, but everyone can live it. I said everyone can live it. He's able to succor thee. That day in that prison, he succored me. When everything else was wrong. I could do all the Hebrew. I could know the meaning of every word in it. But that wouldn't have been what comforted me. I knew him. He's in this place with me. It's a life thing. I said it's a life. Let a man have a chance of doing a seemingly slight wrong. And reaping an enormous advantage. That comes to all of us. Just give me a little worship, I'll give you this world. Well in one form or another that comes to all of us. Out of that devil one will. Let him feel that ever looking over his shoulder. Interested in wording of a letter. That figures in a lecture. And he has a chance to know the last deep meaning. I'll succor for the tempted. He knows God can keep it. In the darkest moment. Christ had to want the kingdoms of this world. Or there was absolutely no temptation whatsoever. All you have to do sir. Is give me a little bit of that worship. And I'll give you all the kingdoms of this world. But just one, one moment to know that. And you resist, you know what it is. To be succored in that temptation. To have God to keep you. In those awful moments. That's not a written thing in a book. That's something indelibly stamped on the human heart. It becomes a living reality. He closed the book because it was only a book. If you forget that, you'll make all sorts of mistakes. I know people that worship the Bible. It's the Christ in the Bible we must worship. I'll reverence this book for all it is. But this book can only lead me to Him who is this book. And if I don't find Him. Then I've not found life. While this book is a treasure. Of the most profound and unquestionable. And authoritative books in the world. There's something more than a book. I said there's something more than a book. There's a life. A living person. A mold and force. A lift and hope. And these are greater than knowledge. These are greater than the book. God help us to take this home with us. Meditate. You can read this book under any circumstance of life. Because the living one is in your heart. Now, the world has a great capacity. Profoundly, for foolishness. It has looked at the book and said. To the scientists, to the historians. The Hebrews, the great scholars. To the students of world movements. Come. Let us have a committee meeting. Upon this book. Let's sit down. The higher critics, the German higher critics. At the turn of the century. Made the Bible. Subject to higher criticism. Therefore, the question marks came on the virgin birth. And everything supernatural about this book. Out of heaven has come. What rules the ecumenical movement. That's what brought everything about us in here. The scientists have given us the hopes of evolution. In their committees. They have given us that. They have placed the literal story of Adam and Eve. Among the beautiful myths of the world's infancy. The historians have shown us. That the far dim history of human life. Cannot be read. As one would read contemporary history. The masters of biblical language. Has shown us the difficulty. Of attaching exact meaning. To every word and phrase. Of this Bible. All of this you see. The theologian. Has said ten times as much about the Bible. As all the others put together. But he often contradicts his only brother theologian. And occasionally contradicts himself. It's only those. That this Bible is enlightened. Nobody else can understand. Nobody. Nobody can understand. I went up to the North Pole on the other side. On the Russian side. I went up there. We had a young man come down. To the school in Kemerovo. My wife and I. Stayed there thirty days. And taught the school. He come down. Nicky Cruz's book. Had been left there by a savior. He read it. And nobody up there. No churches. No nothing for a while. Up at Taxi. Right up there. I found for truth. I was right up there. At that Arctic Circle. Amen. That Arctic Ocean. And he said. I'll be with you to the ends of the earth. I was there. He was there. Amen. Well he come. And he wanted me to come. To the North Pole. Well my 70 interpreter went up there. In this village. Hundreds of years old. Used by the Tsars of Russia. To put their political prison. Only way food could get there. Was be brought by boat. One of the most primitive cities. I was ever in. But the people never heard the gospel. I preached there. Fourteen people. Were saved. That's all. But now. We got fourteen churches. And twelve pastors. But while I was there. The governor wanted to talk to me. Well. We went. Myself. The interpreter. The governor. And his secretary. And the governor said. You know. You're the first American. Ever to be up here. I said. I'm always glad to be first. But he said. You're the first one. Ever to mind Christianity. I said. That's the reason I came. Well he said. You know. Our people are animus. They worship the river. That Lena. Lena River. That's one of the ten. Longest rivers in the world. Comes a freeway. When it freezes. But they worship that river. They worship everything. That forest. But he said. Me. I'm a communist. But I've come to know their God. But he said. All of us. Have to find our way there. I said. No sir. That's the reason I came. Governor. To tell you. How to get there. There's only one way. Only one way. I said. Only one way to this God. I wouldn't have come up here. If it wasn't so. He said. You probably don't believe in evolution. Oh. I said. Not believe it. I know it isn't true. You do. Yes. He's kind of like that woman. You know. I said. Yes. And I said. If you've got time to listen. I'll prove to you it's not true. Well. He said. Tell me. I said. Even Darwin said. That even plants have to have sex. To reproduce. There's no other way. You just don't shuffle off. It doesn't come that way. I said. There had to be two dogs here. Before there could ever be a third one. Had to be two humans. Before there could ever be a third one. I said. This is impossibility. He said. You know. I'm very busy. I've got to go. His secretary don't want to leave. I said. But I've got much more to tell you. He said. Well. I don't have the time. He did. He left me. But he left knowing. That there's no one way to this God. You see. This. This. This. All. Amen. The masters of language. All. We see what's happened. Someone cried. They're taking away my book. But they're not doing anything they can. They couldn't take it away if they tried. You may burn every Bible in this world. But there's a Bible in there. There's a Christ. It is this one. This word was made flesh. And that one lives in this heart. You can't. Take this Bible. But you and I'll be happier with the book. If we remember and interpret. What the master did with the Bible. He read it. Then he closed it. And made them all look at him. And listen to him. This is the day. This day. Is this scripture. Fulfilled in your hand. And all the eyes now. Are not upon John 3.16. But upon him. Amen. All eyes. Are upon this Christ. Every eye. Is focused. Upon him. It is a book. With one objective. To reveal. The Lord Jesus Christ. Somebody wants to talk to me. With the eyes of all. That are in the synagogue. All are fastened. Upon him. Then. Have the scriptures. Serve their righteous purpose. But not until then. Until we've turned. All attention. To Christ. If you leave here. Saying. Herbie and Clinton. Are the good preachers. We failed. In our coming. We've had so. Bit. Bit. But if you leave here. And said. I saw Christ. In that place. Then it's been worthwhile. To come. They haven't been. They won't talk to me. Amen. The Lord's all from us. It's here somewhere. Anyway. They wait on us. But this is. This is what it's all about. A friend. Of a man in parliament. A congressman. Lots of years ago. When I wasn't away. But get to. London. But I got to. Went there. Perhaps. On business. But while he was there. He had a friend. Both of them. Born again. And he went. With his friend. Of the parliament. And the. They were there. Sunday. So. Sunday morning. The English parliament. Took the congressman. To hear Joseph. Perhaps. Since Paul. There'd never been a man. With a greater. There'd never. Never. Been a man. With a greater. Use. Of. Of a human language. Never. Then. Then Joseph Parker. His. It. It's beyond words. If he never said anything. I'll read it. Just. Both awake. And put it together. But when they left. The parliamentarian. Said. To Mr. To. To the Englishman. Said. What do you think? He said. Absolutely. The greatest speech. I've ever heard. In my life. Well he took him. To the Metropolitan. Tabernacle at night. To hear Mr. Perkins. And when they left. He said. What do you think? The English. The. American was weakness. And the greatest Christ. I've ever seen. You can close the book. The sermon is over. You've received the Christ. Let it stand. Lift your hands.