Under New Mangement

When Jesus was here, in his earthly ministry, as he passed through towns and villages, those who encountered him experienced change. They had a transformed life. And that's what being born again means, friends.

It means that you have a transformed life. I like the story I heard once about a big sinner in a small town who caused a lot of trouble to his neighbors and his community as he was always drunk and getting into fights. Until one day, an evangelist came to town, and this troublemaker went to the meeting to cause a riot.

But God got a hold of him, and he was saved. And the next day, he went out and had a T-shirt made that said in bold letters, UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. And he became one of the best citizens of that town, bearing his Christian testimony.

There's a passage in my Bible which I like, where Jesus says he makes all things new. And it's true, friends. When you give your life to him and get serious with God, he will give you a new life that glorifies God.

After I read us our scripture passage this evening, I'm going to tell you a great story about Charlie Waterman, the converted streetcar conductor from Pasadena, California. I bought my first car in Pasadena, so I love this story especially. It's a wonderful story, friends, so stick around and listen to how God transformed a big sinner and how he changed his life.

I want to read us this passage from the book of Revelation, which speaks of the transforming power of Christ in salvation. Turn in your Bibles, friends, to Revelation chapter 21. We will be in verses 5 through 8. Here now is the word of God, and may the Spirit of the Lord be pleased to attend the reading of his holy word.

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

I will give unto him that is the thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and murderers and whoremonkers and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.

I will stop there. Our Lord here describes two sets of persons and two different destinies, one with him in the joys of heaven and the other in the very bowels of hell in a lake of burning fire. When a person is truly saved, their life is transformed.

All things are new, for they are now a new creation. They are under new management and in a new kingdom. Well, I promised you a story that would be of interest to you, and I want to share that story with you now, friends, about the transformed life of this streetcar conductor.

It's told by William E. Schubert, who was a missionary to China, and he was close friends with John Sung. This story's about Charlie Waterman, the converted streetcar conductor from California, and the story took place in 1917. Well, that was a long time ago.

But it's rich, as if it happened yesterday. Here now are the words of William Schubert as he tells about a revival that broke out under Charlie Waterman's preaching. In March, we had Charlie Waterman, the converted streetcar conductor, come to tell his story.

He told how he had been a drinker and a gambler and how his wife had prayed for him for 17 years and how he would curse her and spit on her while she was trying to pray with their children until finally she decided she must leave him. Even her pastor advised her to leave him for the sake of the children. So when he'd been gone several days on one of his sprees, she finally decided it was too much and packed everything and was about to call a taxi to take them to her mother's when the Lord said to her, Pray once more.

So she knelt down and said, Oh, God, show Charlie where he is going. While she prayed in Pasadena, he was over in a dive on the east side of Main Street in Los Angeles. Something said to him, Charlie, if you don't repent, you will go to hell.

He went to the next room and drank down a big swig of whiskey, and as he did so, he looked right down into hell. He said he saw the fires of hell and the lost souls being tortured by the demons, and one of the demons came right up after him. Then Charlie cried out, Oh, God, save me.

Everything came clear, and he was sober and walked out of that place and went home. On the way, he telephoned his wife to meet him and call Old Sister So-and-So, whom he'd hated because she often urged him to repent. They prayed for him until he prayed through about two a.m. Then the three of them razed the neighborhood by shouting.

The next morning, Charlie asked his wife, Doesn't it say something somewhere in the Bible about counting the cost? She found it and read it to him. So he pulled out the tobacco and papers from one pocket and the playing cards from another and threw them all into the stove, and he never smoked or gambled again. The fellows he had gambled with laughed and said, Charlie will be back soon.

So they saved his chair and put a teddy bear in it. But he told us the teddy bear still has the chair. He could tell you how many years and months and days and right down to how many hours and minutes since he had been saved.

He never read the Bible in his meetings, but he would quote it from memory, often several chapters, as memorized in his streetcar. Well, after Charlie Waterman told his story that night in Downing Street in March 1917, he gave an altar call. The front was filled with seekers, almost every one we had on our list of prospects was saved.

After we closed the meeting and I was locking the door, two or three others came back in tears from the street. Then came two or three more. Well, I will stop there, friends.

I told you I had a good story for you, and it speaks volumes to me as how God changes a person who is truly saved. He's truly under new management and living a transformed life, bringing glory to God. Let us pray.