The People of God 06 a Saved People

Real joy having you here tonight, and that's really wonderful singing. It really excites me well. Some I haven't seen before, I'm glad to see you here tonight.

Some probably come in just for the first time to the campus, and it's lovely having you, and I'm trusted to bless you and grant you much joy for coming along. First, before we sing our chorus, let us just read our scripture. Deuteronomy thirty-three and verse number twenty-nine.

Deuteronomy thirty-three and verse number twenty-nine. Someone said the other day, you know, you give us six messages in one, and I said, well, I am like a good housekeeper, sprays your table well. What may not be for you may be for somebody else, just people belongs to you and leave the rest.

So, you know, now I've been told I talk very fast, I don't know about that, do you? Eh? Oh yeah, that's true, that's true. I ought to try and be a Scotsman, try and save my breath a bit more, don't you think so? That's right. I was just saying the other day, last year I feel pretty speechless from my throat, not because I want to, others thought I ought to do it, so I've done it, you see, to please them.

And all three of them told me to shut up. In a word, they told me to put the brake on and just talk, my only tone of voice, don't yell and don't whisper. It takes far more out of your voice to whisper than it does even to yell, but just talk with an ornery tone.

The only way to get rid of the calluses on the vocal cords is to rest them away, to cut them off and be no use, just rest them away, and so we'll try and do that, eh? That's not easy, resting them. My wife tells me I'm always talking, I never stop talking. I say, my dear gentry, you're talking, my talking, I get paid for my talking, you don't.

Now here it is, then, verse number twenty-nine. Hath not thou, who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy health? And who is the soul of thine excellency? And thine enemies shall be far liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high place. Now there's our chorus, shall we? It matters to him about you, it matters to him about you.

All the day long, all the night through, he's caring for me and he's caring for you. His mercies are tender, his love is ever true. It matters to him about you.

At hand, those who don't know this chorus. Oh, I see, one or two. It's lovely having you here tonight.

See, you just sing a thing once apart at a time, and they get it. Isn't that true? So let us have it, thank you. All together.

It matters to him about you, it matters to him about you. Make a mistake, don't worry about it. If you don't know it, just sing la-la-la, but please do something.

Will you? Everyone, right? It matters to him about you, it matters to him about you. We were there, those lovely plush cushions, you know, and after a busy day out there on the shovel board, in the garden, washing ironing, ironing too, sometimes making Irish stew. I don't know what you've done today, but you've been all so busy, and here to come in to confide in these delightful little chattels.

Nice warm atmosphere, and the speaker's speaking so slow and so deliberate, so confusing to go off to sleep, isn't it? So come on, we're singing now, right? All together. It matters to him about you, it matters to him about you. That's wonderful.

It matters to him about you, it matters to him about you. A special treat. Would you? You really would? Well, my wife will come and sing it with me.

Oh, now, I'll never hear the end of this from now until the evening's over tonight. I never will. Now you listen to this.

Let's start it. Did you hear that? Thank you. It matters to him about you, it matters to him about you.

You got it, haven't you? I'll tell you why I did that. Because, you know, the Sears and the Bahamas, I wish that service stopped, you see? So they got the words then, you see? They can't get them from me, they can get it from Agnes. So let us have it once more.

Everybody knows it now, right? It matters to him about you, it matters to him about you. You can go this time, Mrs. Adele. All right.

These words then are verse number twenty-nine, O people saved by the Lord. It's good to know when the Lord has saved us. We're looking at this this morning, but the word happy.

Happy are those who are saved by the Lord. What must I do to be saved? What is the answer altogether? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. For by grace are you saved through faith, that none of yourselves is a gift of God, none of works, lest any man should boast.

O people saved by the Lord. I wonder if all this very fine group tonight are included in that. O people saved by the Lord.

If you are not, I trust it will be the very night when you'll come into living, vital union with the Lord Jesus Christ. We know this, this people saved by the Lord in seven different pictures this morning, all in the one verse. We know that they are a happy people, and you look there tonight, and they're a unique people, there's nobody like them.

And they're a saved people, they're a shielded people, they're a defended people, they are a vindicated people, and they are a triumphant people. Then we broke the word happy up into initial letters. H-A-P-P-Y.

I know I am. I'm sure I am. I'm H-A-P-P-Y.

Remember, what was the first one? The cavalier, the other. The happy man is a holy man. Then he is an assured man.

Then he is a powerful man, and he is a peaceful man, and he is a yielded man. I was out looking at your notes, that was absolutely wonderful. My, you must have wonderful memories, eh? So there it is.

Yes, we are a happy people. Tonight we're going to take the word saved, and we're going to break it up into initial letters. They're called A-S-A-V-E-D.

Still spells saved. A-S-A-V-E-D. A-S-A-V-E-D.

I know I am. I'm sure I am. I'm A-S-A-V-E-D.

Are you in that too, amen? Oh, the joy. Oh, people saved by the Lord. And you'll find how it dovetails to what is the other.

The happy man, the saved man. Five letters in each word. We're going to deal with the word saved now.

Tomorrow morning, the one right in between, unique. We are a unique people. No people like us.

That is to say, who is like unto thee? Oh, people saved by the Lord. May I let you in just a little whisper? Don't tell anybody I said this. Especially those that come to the evening meetings.

But I enjoy the morning meetings far better. I love you all here tonight. I really do with all my heart.

I mean that. And I love having you here. But there's a power and there's a grip about those morning meetings.

I've never yet experienced in the evening meetings. No, I wonder why. Is it because you're all so fresh? Have a real good night's rest.

And my friend, nice, brisk cup of coffee. And you come out here in a spirit of expectancy. And your minds are alert and absolutely wide awake.

Is that one of that's why? Dear brother in the swimming pool said to me this afternoon. Said, Jim, if I go to sleep this evening, you won't mind. I know something.

He's moved his seat from the front to the back. I won't tell you who he is, mind you. I won't tell you at all.

But it may be possible, you know. That's why he goes to the back tonight. Maybe a little drowsy.

That'll never do it. Rigel, that tomorrow morning we are a unique people. O people saved by the Lord, who is like unto thee.

O people saved. I love that, don't you? Rigel and the cavaliers, the saved people, they are a sealed people. They are sealed.

And it says in Ephesians chapter 1 and verse number 13, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise until the day of redemption. Grieve not the spirit, says Ephesians 4, by which you are being sealed until the day of redemption. The saved people are a sealed people.

The sealed reminds me of three things. One, ownership. It means you belong.

I travel rather a lot and sometimes put JKB on my shirt or on my handkerchief. Now, she does not let me do that because they want people to know it belongs to me. That's one thing I know.

That shirt, that handkerchief belonged to me before that seal was put on it. All these initials were put on it. Now, listen, it's because we have been purchased by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus that we are being sealed until the day of redemption.

The seal is not something after conversion. Sometime after. You don't receive the Holy Spirit sometime after you're saved.

Oh, no. On believing on the Lord Jesus, you receive the Holy Spirit. When my all I ventured on Christ's atoning blood, the Holy Spirit entered and I was born of God.

Now, notice the seal is the spirit in the believer. It is a mark of ownership. It's a seal that can never be broken, a seal that can never be erased.

Once in Christ, in Christ forever. Thus the eternal covenant stands and we are sealed until the day of redemption. You remember way back, John, during the book of Exodus chapter 17, the rock had to be smitten.

And from the smitten rock gushed out the thirst quenching waters. What is the lesson? Calvary without Pentecost is incomplete. Pentecost without Calvary is meaningless.

The rock had to be smitten before the waters could gush out. The Lord Jesus had to be smitten at Golgotha before we could know the joy of the coming of the Holy Spirit. In the Bible, when you read a word of static, stationary, it always refers to the word of God.

Water running, streams, rivers, springs, it always refers to the Holy Spirit. And because now the rock was smitten and the waters come gushing out, reminding us of Golgotha and then Pentecost. In the book of Leviticus, the high priest, his ear had to be first anointed with the blood.

The thumb of his right hand was the blood. His great toe of the right foot was the blood. Then upon the blood came the oil.

The oil on the blood and ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot. What is the lesson for us? There must be redemption by precious blood, cleansing by the blood, before I can know the coming and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. For as the springs of water, the gushing water, remind us of the Spirit, so does also the oil.

The oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit on the ground that shed blood. My friends, thank God for all who have got the anointed ear, whose ear has been opened, whose ear has been digged, and your ear is in tune with the Spirit tonight. Thank God for all whose hands have been anointed and for service.

Thank God for anointed service, whether in Sunday school, Bible class, denouncing the glad tidings, teaching God's people, missionary work, whatever that ministry may be. A ministry in the Spirit must know the anointing, and the empowering, and the energizing of the Holy Spirit than a walk anointed by the Holy Spirit. Yes, my friends, when we know this, we shall walk in the Spirit and we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

Now, that is just a brief outline. May I just come again to this all-important point? We shall never know the joy of a full-armed Christian life unless I am conscious of the fact there has been the cleansing of the precious blood in my own life. And the indwelling.

Dear one said to me only the day after the service, one I've got a great regard for, loved very much in the Lord Jesus, came up and said, I was saved a long time before I knew the Holy Spirit indwelt me. Now, please get that. And one has come up to me and said, I did not realize the importance of the Holy Spirit in my life until this morning.

Now, you may have heard a lot of ministry about the Holy Spirit, doctrinal teaching on the Holy Spirit. The personality and work of the Spirit. You heard it, but it has not penetrated.

And remember, Paul said, Know ye not, your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost who is in you? And friends are those who are reborn again by the Spirit of God. They're really saved. All we know the fact they've been saved.

They don't know the joy of the indwelling Holy Spirit making real in them all the life of the risen Christ and all the joy of that new life in the Lord Jesus Christ. I wonder in this very fine assembly tonight, do each one of us here know this all-important, glorious truth? The Spirit of God indwelt me. Because remember, remember, if you know the cleansing virtue and the efficacy of the precious blood in your own life, then my friend, the Spirit of God is not only indwelling you, He is sealing you.

Now, I want to stress something here. It's not enough my friend to know the Holy Spirit indwelling. I must know Him infilling, controlling and dominating each part of my life.

We are saved and we are sealed. And that seal can never be broken. Not only does it remind me of ownership, it reminds me of security.

Of security. I know how secure is that one who is sealed by the Spirit. I repeat, that seal can never be erased.

That seal can never be broken. Cleansing is a mark of identification, is a mark that you belong. And you got the seal, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, my friend, tonight because you belong, because you've been bought with a price, not silver nor gold, but by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus at the night of Christ.

Lord, I know I am not my own. I've been purchased with Thine own blood. And Lord, in all sincerity, I pray, O Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee, for Thou and Thine atonement give Thyself to me.

I own no other master. My heart shall be Thy throne. My life I give, henceforth to live.

O Christ, for Thee alone. Thank God, the saved man, the saved woman, boy or girl, they are sealed, and they belong. You're not yours.

You've been bought with a price. Precious blood of the... Now, let me ask you very lovingly, what are you now doing with that life? That belongs to another. That belongs to another.

I'm sorry. Not only are you saved and sealed, but you're saved and accepted. And accepted.

I find people want to be accepted today. They want to belong. We are the same person.

Both belong, and they are accepted. Isn't this wonderful? The Bible says we are accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1, verse number 6. I like that little phrase in Romans chapter 8, verse 31.

God for us. Matthew 1, 23. God with us.

Urges some more precious. 1 John 4, 16. He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Thank God tonight. Not only is Christ indwelling us, but we are in Christ. And there's an indissoluble union.

Our union can never be severed. Union can never be broken. Thank God tonight.

I repeat once, we're in Christ. We're in Christ forever. Thus the eternal covenant stands.

Tonight at God's right hand is the Lord Jesus. In all his inflexible holiness, in all his intrinsic rightness, in all the glory and the wonder of his own glorious person. Now listen.

The very same acceptance and acceptability whereby God has accepted his beloved son, so has accepted you and accepted me tonight. No stain, no spot, no blemish, or any such thing. As Christ is before the Father, so are we right down here at the path of the palms.

The wondrous glorious truth. Oh, is this real? Is it vital? When I recognize tonight that I am in Christ, that he is the very life of my life, I find my portion in Christ, he finds his portion in me. I find my inheritance in Christ, he finds his inheritance in me.

I find my life in Christ, he finds his life in me. Oh beloved, how closely and how intimately we're linked up with our adorable Lord Jesus. He's the very life of our life.

He is love. Not only am I in his love, and I think the very love I love him with, he's first given to me. The wonder of this wonderful love is tonight we're accepted in the beloved.

Are you here? Are you in Christ? Are you still out of Christ? In Christ accepted, so near, so very near, more near I can't be than the person of God's dear son I am, as near as he, so dear, more dear I cannot be, for the very love worthy love the son, such is his love for me. Noah and his family were in the ark, safe and secure in the ark. All outside that ark perished.

They might have been in, but they would not believe the testimony of Noah. Standing on the top of the highest mountain, climbing the highest tree upon the top of that mountain, looking out there upon that ark, the only means of salvation, all the devils take one step from within, from darkness into light, from death into light, from bondage into liberty, from judgment into acceptance, but they did not take that step. And I think I see them, and I think I hear them saying, why, we could have been in the ark, we might have been in, but the only means of salvation.

Now listen, all in that ark were safe and secure. There was pitch within and without the pitch. The flood of judgment could not penetrate that pitch.

All outside the ark perished. Was it God's fault? Was it God's fault? By their own death and deliberate choice, they chose to stay outside and they perished. I looked round this intelligent congregation, and I asked you lovingly, where are you? Are you out, or are you in? I'm not asking whether you've been christened, or confirmed, or vaccinated, or a church member, or a communicant, or a preacher, or a deacon, nor an elder.

I asked you lovingly, are you in? And there's only one way. Christ said, I am the door. By me, if anyone enter in, he shall be saved.

What does Romans 8 verse number 1 say? There is therefore now no condemnation, no judgment of them that are in Christ Jesus, in whom we have redemption through his blood, in the forgiveness of sin, in whom we have been accepted in the beloved. Oh, aren't you glad you're saved? Amen. Aren't you glad you're a child of God? My friend, there you are, that you're sealed, and that seal can never be broken, and you're accepted, and as he is before the Father, so are you tonight, right down here.

The one of it all. One more point. These, we are victorious.

Not only are we saved, and sealed, saved, and accepted, but we're safe and victorious. I like this, don't you? Oh, dear. You know what I saw just now? Somebody just yawned.

Thank you, yawned at once. That's terrible. Only half of you flew the message to, eh? When is it going to be the time to get to the end? May I help you a little? Here is victory.

Thank God for it. Saved and victorious. 2 Corinthians 2 verse number 14.

Thank ye unto God, who on Sunday gives me the victory. Is that what it says? Thank ye unto God, who always causes the triumph through Christ Jesus. Paul in Romans 7 says, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? He said, I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Whom we have delivered, my friend, is through Jesus Christ. Paul 32 times used the personal pronoun I in Romans 7. I, I, I. He was an I specialist. He cancelled I, and he cancelled I. At the end he says, O wretched man that I am.

No one is wretched. The man, the woman is always self-occupied and self-centered. They are wretched kind of people.

And they try to make everybody else wretched with them too. But thank God when there are lives of old wretchedness. And the same with Paul.

Who shall deliver me from this body of death? And they turn away from themselves and cry, I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Beloved, the captive in Romans 7 becomes a conqueror in Romans 8. It says in Romans 8 verse 37, We are more than conquerors through him that loveth us. Isn't this wonderful? And please, the only way out of Romans 7 into Romans 8 and to live there is Romans 6, 11.

And what is Romans 6, 11 saying? Likewise reckon yourself to be dead indeed unto sin. That's the negative side. But alive unto God through Jesus Christ, Lord, that's the positive side.

If you take a nut for the negative reckoning, you get melancholy and morbid. I've died for that. I've died for that.

Take the positive side. Why am I alive unto God? He's now my life. And when temptation cross your pathway, as often as it does, you say, Lord, take over in this situation.

Lord, look after your property. It's in danger. That's what it means.

You're reckoning alive unto God. You're no longer your own. You belong to him.

As I read a letter yesterday, a very fine young man, high school teacher, is now in full-time service to the Lord. God is using him very mightily in Pittsburgh. This young man, along with other young men, have been trying to come to Romans 12, 1 and present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy unto God, holy unto God.

And they tried with all sincerity and with all heart before the Lord. They came and they presented their body, and they tried their hardest to consecrate. But after a few days, it didn't fit.

It didn't work. One day, going along there, not knowing about the situation, I yelled out. I'm not doing it tonight.

These words. There's no good coming to Romans 12, 1 until you're in the Romans 6, because otherwise you're trying to consecrate flesh, consecrate your old man. You must come to Romans 6 and recognize your old man, crucified with Christ.

And my friends, all of you are out of the child of Adam, finished the cross 2,000 years ago, and now is one of the lives of the dead. You're coming to present your life to him now, a living sacrifice. Alive unto God.

Like an arrow, it went home to those young men, and they saw the truth. And they've been trying to consecrate their old man. But God said, I'm finished with the old man.

I put the old man upon a cross. And they reckoned upon that, and reckoned alive unto God. And alive unto God.

Now they came to Romans, and what happened? What happened? Jermaine could tell you this. Since last May, we were there, this is years ago since that's happened regarding Romans 12, 1. Last year was in the month of May. Thirteen new gospel outreaches have started.

Three new assemblies have started, and over 600 people have been saved, because young men were willing to do business with God. We were having 200, night after night, coming along to a converted store. They opened the door, they came in, it smelt.

Those young people, my friend, were there. A hippie type. Long beard, long hair.

Many of those people had been pushers. One young fellow got five bullet wounds in his leg, from a principle revolver. But those young people were there to do business.

There was a short word of prayer. No music. No singing.

And I was on for two hours of solid Bible teaching. There were no books and Bibles. And there were there, my friend, hours of midnight, leading others to Christ.

Some were just saving themselves this particular day. They were out on the street the next day, trying to lead others to Christ. And I believe from Ernie Oskie, Oldman yesterday, saying, Thirteen new gospel outreaches have started.

And he said three new assemblies have started since last May. Because young people, and thank God the older ones are right with them. Mr. and Mrs. May came along, some others.

And they were absolutely astounded at the reverence and the attention those young people gave to the Word of God. It's night after night we finish with these words. Have thine own way, Lord.

Those young people broke down and sobbed. I went back there just a few weeks ago. Grandmothers, five grandmothers, parents, older brothers and sisters were led to Christ.

Why? Because I preached. Because of the transformation of those young lives. There's been a transformation of young sons and daughters.

Praying, don't try and come to Romans 12, 1 until you've been to Romans 6, 6. The only way, my friend, out of Romans 7, and again I'm quoting Dr. Rob Northcote there. The only way out of Romans 7 and Romans 8 is Romans 6 and verse number 11. Likewise, reckon thyself be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

All the wonder of the glorious truth. No wonder I sing from my heart, reckon thyself to be dead indeed of sin. Crucified with Christ, he now may reign within.

Raised together with the Lord, so will life renew. Thus the spirit doth afford victory for you. How may I know victory from any crime? Commit thyself to Calvary, consent to die.

God will gain his seeming loss. We die to live. And his life comes as to the cross.

My life I give only in the measure which I have written in my own life. Crucified with Christ, moment by moment, day by day, my Lord and Lord Christ, all this fullness of living in me. It happened in the land of Georgia some years ago.

The first football game, huge football match I ever seen in my life. I was taken there by one of the young profs from the Georgia Tech, my alleged client from years before. And being on the faculty at the wonderful Vancey's Point, Georgia Tech were playing Auburn University in a cup tie.

I had never seen the American football before, and I didn't understand one thing they were doing. I couldn't understand those men putting fifty pounds worth of padding on, a crash helmet, and a face guard to go and play a game. I didn't understand that at all.

And I saw those twenty-two full-blooded men fighting for that little pumpkin. Couldn't understand that either. And when they got under this little huddle, I thought they were having a prayer meeting for the next move.

I didn't know what they were doing. When the crowd stood, I stood. When they yelled, I yelled.

I didn't know what I was standing up for. I didn't know what I was yelling about. Went on like that.

By the third quarter, I was getting well into it. And by the fourth quarter, I was well into it. And when I stood, I knew what I was standing up for.

When I yelled, I knew what I was yelling about. And Georgia won forty-four to seven. It was a glorious victory for Georgia.

On the way home, my good friend stopped at a stop sign. Always a good thing to do there. I got fined twenty-five dollars for not doing it one day.

Anyway, the poem is this. A man was standing on the side of the street and said, I see Butch, who won. My friend was an all-new prophet at Cal College.

He was also a champion wrestler for the Southern College. He writes his name with Butch. He writes his name with Hosea.

And so, he said, say Butch, who won? Said, we won, forty-four to seven. I pulled his coat and said, Butch, you told that man a lie. Said, I never did.

We won forty-four to seven. Said, you never did? You never played in that game. You know I'm telling that man we won and you didn't play? But don't you understand, Jim, that that team was chosen to represent this college and because the team and the whole college share the victory.

Jim, whole Georgia shares the victory. It's a wonderful day in Georgia. I know that, all right.

But you know I'm telling that man we won and you didn't play. You told him a lie. He goes all backward again.

Said, don't you understand that team was chosen to represent the whole college and because that team won, the whole college shares the victory. They've only chosen to represent the college. And because I'm identified with the college, I share the victory.

So I said, I don't care you told that man a lie. He said, haven't you any grey matter at all? I said, not very much. So you've got to go back and say, don't worry, Butch, I understand perfectly what you're saying.

But listen, friend, for the last three weeks, I've been trying to get into your skull that when Christ died upon that cross, you died. His death is your death. And just as you did not mentally play in that game, yet you shared the victory, you did not mentally die upon the cross.

And it did not go through your hands nor feet. You died in the person of your representative. And his victory is your victory, Butch.

Oh, I said, Jim, how stupid I've been. I said, yes, I thought that for three weeks. Beloved Butch, have you seen that truth? That when Christ died, he not only died to bear away your sin, but when he died, you died.

His death is your death. You died in the person of your representative. And now his victory is now your victory.

Thanks be unto God who has given us a victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. And we are victorious because we are a saved people. May I say this very lovingly, yet with all sincerity, a defeated Christian is a contradiction in terms.

There's no need for any man or woman named Aniel Christ to live a defeated life. You can know victory every moment of every day. Moment by moment, I am kept in his love.

Moment by moment, I fly from above. Moment by moment, the glory shall shine. Moment by moment, O Lord, I am thine.

A man named John Watt, back in Scotland. 1940-18, war was called up for military service. He was married, three lovely children.

He had a friend, a bachelor. No responsibility. His job exempted him from all military service.

He was in a knee-one condition physically, mentally, very much alert. He went to his friend and said, John, I am going to your place. I am going to fight in your place, and my friend, you must let me go.

No, no, objected John Watt. Oh yes, I'll go and fight in your name. I'll fight for your number.

But John, you've got three children and a wife. I've got no one. Let me go.

He went. Everything went wonderfully well until the last clash, and he was killed in that last clash. The last war broke out.

John Watt had worked from the war office to report. Three letters he got, he ignored them all. Then he sent a recruiting sergeant saying, why aren't you reported? Said, you no claim upon me? Answered John Watt, yes, I'm John Watt.

Well, you're a taxpayer. Yes, I'm a taxpayer. He said, well, why don't you report? Said, go back and look up your war records.

You'll find I died in the last war. Pardon? You go back and look up your records. You'll find I died in the last war.

And they went back, and true enough, John Watt, on a certain day, in a certain battle, died. John Watt did not literally die. He died in the person's substitute.

But John Watt reckoned upon that fact. And when his letters came, he ignored the letters. There's no claim upon him.

Told the recruiting sergeant, you no claim upon me. I died. Friend, the old devil, your old master, your old wife will send you letters.

You've got to ignore them. You've died in the person of your representative. His death is your death.

His victory is now your victory. Very fine girl came to me at Bible school some time ago. Young high school teacher.

Well, she said, Uncle Jim, that's just a figure of speech. I'm trying so hard to crucify myself. Ernie Woodhouse was there too.

And she said, I'm trying so hard to crucify myself. And I said, my dear, you're trying to do the impossible. I said, why? Now, if perchance you're able to get a nail through your feet, a nail through this hand, who's going to put a nail through this hand? She said, I never thought of that.

I said, well, I don't feel that. Well, do dead people feel? Oh, how stupid I am. How stupid.

I know what happened. I said, my dear, you're 2,000 years too late. You're already crucified.

When Christ died, you died. His death is your death. I know he was a rather son of the life unto God.

For Jesus Christ, that girl went away rejoicing, saw the truth revealed to her, why I'm alive unto God with Jesus Christ. His death is my death, not my struggling and striving, trying to crucify. I'm already dead.

This is a rather humorous point. I don't really mean it to be humorous. I want to get the point across here.

But the Irishman's walking down the street, of course, back in Ireland. Only Irishmen do this. Poor old tortoise, with its head severed from its body, run over by a car.

Pat says that thing's dead, its head's off. Mike says it's not dead. Its legs are still moving.

I tell you it's dead because its head's off. He says, not dead, not dead at all, because its legs are moving. Can't be dead, because its head's moving.

I say it's dead because its head's off. So, of course, Murphy goes along. Murphy, come over here.

Look, Mike says this thing's dead because its head's off. I say it's alive because its legs are moving. What do you say, Murphy? Surely, Dad, you're both right.

The poor thing's dead, but doesn't know it. And all the other Christians are just like that. They're dead, but they don't know it.

They've never realized all the important truth. And there's victory. Thank God, my friend, tonight we are victorious.

But it's from Christ, our wonderful Lord, saved and victorious. He saved, and I love expectancy. The saved man is expectant.

I've got to stop soon. You know why? My wife just looked at her watch. Right? Expecting.

Of course, we're expecting the meeting to finish. But we're expecting more, aren't we? That's right. Remember, looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of a great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

We're looking for His coming. And when you're saved and know the joy yourself is, and you're living a full-on Christian life, you know the joy of being saved and healed, saved and accepted, saved and victorious, and now you're saved and expectant. Why are you standing at the tip of expectancy? You're expecting your Lord to return at any moment.

Why? Because He's saying, I know I've been looking for Him. Surely He'll appear a second time, apart from the same question, on the selfie. Won't that just be wonderful? So you're at heart with my heart.

Stay for that. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Even so, come today.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Catch up thy bride away. Oh, how my heart is yearning.

Longing for thy returning. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Even so, come today.

Have you got a dear child of God? Is it real? Is it vital to you? Are you expecting your Lord anymore? If you're saved and know the joy yourself, you're expecting. And you're praying for His coming. May I whisper something to you? Tonight, there's a man in the glory.

But he's a lonely man. He's lonely. He's waiting for his bride.

He's longing for his bride. Are you praying to the bridegroom? Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Even so, come today.

Is your heart longing? Is your heart yearning to be with Him? I was preaching down, I think, on the Gatsby Peninsula, a place called Grand Cascopedia. Now, going along the line, I'm not regarding expecting Christ at any moment. I use the illustration of a young couple who are very happily engaged to be married, head over heels in love with each other.

I said to her one day, Darling, I ain't going to Australia. I'm going to try and make good, and I'll come back to you as soon as I possibly can. She wasn't very happy about that.

But she knew her future depended upon it, so off he goes. Good letters come from England, letters from Australia. Every letter, just little heartbeats of love.

All those wonderful little letters. How they look for them day by day. He gets the Australian.

He gets a job. And then with the money he takes for them from Britain, he gets a lot. And then he begins to build.

And he builds and builds. The roof's on. All the furnishings now.

All the drapes. All the color scheme. Everything all in view of the coming of the bride.

Oh, waiting that day when she would come to share it with him. One day she gets a cable. I'm on the way.

I'll arrive in Southampton a certain boat on a certain day. Now where she's concerned now, everything takes a color in view of that great day when he's going to arrive. Telling my long story short, she's down at the harbor.

The Greenlander's steamed in during the night. Hundreds upon hundreds of people are there. Hundreds upon hundreds are upon the boat.

Some looking over, looking for loved ones. Some looking out. Where are they? For there are two young people oblivious to everyone else around them.

Youngster, where is she? Younger, where can he be? Ready. Then at last. John, I see you, John.

I'm here, John. Oh, I see you, Mary. I see you.

So glad to see you, Mary. Now he's going. That crowd were coming with me.

What do you think? What do you think when their eyes meet? A voice from the congregation. He jumped overboard. He jumped overboard.

I thought they meant he had committed suicide. It wasn't that at all. He was just so glad to see us.

Didn't wait for the gangway to be put down. He's just been one week just to be down beside her. That's what they thought, you see.

Because he didn't do it. The gangway is put down. He comes down the gangway.

His true cousin heads away through the crowd. She heads away through the crowd from her side. And they meet.

They embrace. They hug each other. Oh, how happy they are.

Oh, you see. What? He's kept his promise. He's come back for me.

I'm just so happy. Oh, I'm so glad I didn't flirt around with other boys while he was away. I'm so glad I kept true and loyal to him all the time he was away.

Oh, I'm just so happy. Now, listen. Our beloved has gone to prepare the place.

The cable has gone out. Behold, the bridegroom cometh. Go ye out to meet him.

And you know something? It may be tonight. Your eyes of my eyes will behold those lovely eyes of his. What is it going to be to look into his eyes? Delight or despair? May I ask you, lovingly, as I bring my messenger close.

Are you flirting around with the world? The ways of the world? The pleasures? The politics? The religions? Or is your heart so weaned away tonight you look up and say, Lord, thou art enough for mine heart to fill. Oh, fix my eyes so holy, Lord, on thee, that with thy beauty all can see. Lastly, the saved person is delivered.

And with a threefold deliverance to Corinthians 1, verse number 10. He has delivered. He doth deliver.

And even yet will deliver. He delivers from sin's penalty. He is delivering from sin's power.

And it may be tonight he will deliver from sin's prison. Wouldn't that just be wonderful? Now, may I go back over to you. I trust your heart's been warmed toward him tonight.

I trust you see what it means to be saved. This is very fragmentary, very elementary. How I wish we got time to develop this.

But I leave it with you for your own private devotion and meditation. You're saved and sealed. You're saved and accepted.

You're saved and victorious. You're saved and you are expectant. You're saved and you're delivered.

Aren't you glad you're saved? Amen? Aren't you glad you're in Christ? Now, take the two words. You're holy and sealed. You're assured and accepted.

You're powerful because you're victorious. You're peaceful because you're expectant. And remember this evening hour, you're yielded because you've been delivered.

God bless you. Hymn number 153. 153.

Grand Ruling 153. Saved, saved, saved. My saints are all forgiven.

Christ is mine and I am on my way to heaven. Once a guilty sinner lost and done, now a child of God, and I like this word, saved through his Son. Hymn number 153.

Now, remember what you've been listening to and sing it from your heart. Real symphony, real grip. I'm saved, saved, saved.

Amen? Go out again. Saved, saved, saved by the Savior. In the name of honor and glory and power of dominion both now and forever.