The Prayer of a Threatened Church

Now, as I look into the book of Acts again and again, I find myself to be a great ignoramus. You know, we can be little children walking around the periphery. I have never seen a little child swallow the glossy packing or the glossy cover of a fine chocolate and say, hey, this tastes good.

You know, I've never seen it. But I've seen children, oh, they can open a chocolate wrapping. I find it very difficult to open some of these wrappings, you know.

But no such difficulty for these little ones. And they just get to munching the thing. And it doesn't take very long for them to be telling you how tasty the stuff is.

Now, when it comes to prayer meetings, we see that the early church resorted to the prayer meeting every time it was threatened with extinction. You know, it's very, very sad. When I first encountered this in London and I found lovely church buildings sold away to ashrams or Hindu places or idolatrous places and passing through Glasgow or Edinburgh and, oh, those stately big churches.

Oh, I was told they are no longer churches, brother. They are whiskey go-downs, whiskey warehouses. My dear friends, oh, what sorrow.

I preached in a place where many famous preachers had preached in Glasgow. It was a glorious work. But I already could see that the service was getting dominated by, you know, just some loud music.

You know, I was trained in classical music. And to us, some of this loud stuff of today is just obnoxious. Whatever, you know, music has its trends and its variations.

And with generations, things change very well. But, you know, that great place where I preached is no longer there. A huge sprawling hall.

Why have we shrunk in this manner? I do not know how things are. And some people say our churches are getting closed. And so on.

It pains me. On the contrary, I had to keep the wrong kind of people from becoming great leaders, which is a very tough thing to do. Because they have the drive and the gift of the gab.

And they are able to draw the people with miracles and great works. And yet they do not have that deep, not I, but Christ. You know, anybody who has not got it deeply ingrained into him should never come to the platform.

Platform is a very dangerous place. But the early church knew how to pray. So when they were threatened and let go, let's turn to Acts 4 chapter 18 first.

And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all, not teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge you. I have already dealt with this in the beginning services.

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen. And heard. You know friends, that first hand connection with God.

I called and he answered. Should never become a distant kind of experience. We dare not water it down.

As a matter of fact, when some of us young fellows were asked to take revival meetings in the beginnings of the work. You see, daddy was always busy and some of the lesser campaigns or meetings. People fancied asking me to preach.

However, before we went to preach in any place. We would gather and pray. And we would say, Lord, send your spirit.

Let there be conviction and revival today. You know. Since some hard places accompanying my dad.

I found that we were getting nowhere. And I would tell daddy. Daddy, let's call for a day of prayer.

I remember a place where we did so. And there was such brokenness. And the power of God coming down upon.

Kind of hard and rude people. Nor did they treat their missionaries very well. You know, my friends, slowly that kind of resolve.

Gets watered down. Other interests. You know, life is very complex.

Other interests begin to come in. Now, I did not allow myself to be distracted by other interests. But you know that early burst of love for Jesus.

And the kind of prayer that comes out. Glorify your name. You know, the psalmist.

In 115th Psalm. And the first verse. Says.

Not unto us, O Lord. Not unto us. See, very emphatic.

But unto your name give glory. For your mercy and your truth sake. Wherefore should the heathen say.

Where is now their God? You know, my father used to challenge the communists. Communism was in the ascendancy. In student circles.

You see. And most of the socialism. That peculiar college.

In California where. The president studied for some time. It had.

Left an indelible mark upon him. And I tell you my dear friends. Some of those.

Communists. Are communist minded. Atheistic students.

They would. Just. Crumb.

Crumple. They would just come to nothing. Then challenged.

I will prove God to you. You see there should be a certainty about. Our spiritual experience.

It should not be something up in the sky. It should be down to earth. And when anything is down to earth.

It is quite obvious and visible. You don't. I don't like words of unfaith being uttered around me.

Whatsoever is not of faith is sin. And I don't. And I say.

No God will not be pleased. If there are words of unfaith uttered around us. I don't know how you feel your thoughts.

If your thoughts are bent. Upon. Securing the glory of God.

Wherefore should the heathen say. Where is now their God. You see.

Now. Constantly there are occasions where. There is the wide open door for us to prove.

God. At work. That should become a normal experience.

Not something extraordinary at all. You know. The Lord working with them with signs following.

They went everywhere and preached. The Lord confirming the word. With signs following.

All right. Here they. What did they pray.

The fourth chapter. Of Acts please. Twenty third verse.

And being let go. They went to their own company. And reported all that the chief priests.

And elders had said unto them. And when they heard that. They lifted up their voice to God.

With one accord. And said. Lord.

Thou art God. You see. Here they knew Jesus.

And in Jesus. They saw. The living God.

Lord. Thou art God. Which has made heaven and earth and the sea.

And all that is. In them. Who by the mouth of your servant David.

Has said. Why did the heathen rage. And the people imagined vain things.

The kings of the earth stood up. The rulers. Were gathered together.

Against the Lord. And against his Christ. So.

When did this. Matter become. A modern.

Trend. It was there from the beginning. And David recognized this.

The kings of the earth stood up. And the rulers gathered together. Against the Lord.

And against his Christ. You see. In the local situation.

At that time. To prove. That Jesus Christ.

Was Lord. And he was the manifestation. And the fulfillment of the promise.

Of the coming Messiah. You see. That became.

Quite a. Hurdle. They said well we know this man's. Dad.

We know this man's mother. How does this man have this education. And this wisdom.

So. All the time. They were.

Running Jesus down. And suddenly when they saw. A spurt.

In the testimony. Of these. Disciples.

What a spurt. The resurrection. You know when.

They. Had felt. That the problem is now fixed.

The man is crucified. All is finished. With nothing to worry about.

And we shall make sure and strengthen the guard. So that his body is not carried away by his disciples. Claiming.

And they claim. That he has risen from the dead. Now my dear friends.

Their expectation. Was all. Thrown into smithereens.

They were confounded. Resurrection. The Lord is risen.

You know my friends. We can't be living around. As though our Lord is dead.

You know these modern methods. Which I see. Drawing great crowds.

What is it? Prosperity gospel. God has got. Great.

Blessings for you. No talk about obedience. No talk about repentance.

Did Jesus preach that? Blessed are the poor in spirit. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn.

For they shall be comforted. Nothing of that sort. What kind of preaching is that? It is certainly not the preaching of our Lord.

I have no authority whatever. To bless. Where God has not decreed the blessing.

Any blessing. True abiding blessing. Can only come from God.

You know my dear friends. I too make a few enemies. For no.

Reason whatever. A man with a cancer. Was marvelously healed.

And I rejoiced. But he did not change his conduct. His conduct however.

Was. Contrary. To the word.

And also his wife. Was very disappointed. Now after the lapse of several years.

When again he was reported to be sick. I said to him. Last time I prayed for you.

And the Lord healed you. This time. I am going to commit you into the hands of God.

Let him do whatever he pleases. You know. The family was upset.

But I felt. That I had no. Other.

Permission to. Say or do. That's as far as I God would let me go.

I loved him. And his wife. And.

But I said. Is there anything better. That I can do.

Then leave you in the hands of God. Does he make any mistake? No. They got some Pentecostal preacher.

Who said. Hey you're going to be healed. And it did not happen.

You see. People are just going around. For.

Anybody who. Produces. Success.

The success syndrome. Is gotten people by the neck. And when preachers begin to.

Succumb to the success syndrome. Let me tell you my dear friends. They are going to be.

Flat tires. Useless. Now what did these people pray.

Twenty. Ninth verse. And now Lord.

Behold their threatening. And make sure of the security. Of your poor Harry children.

Now they did pray that. And grant unto your servants. That with.

All boldness. They may speak your word. You see this was not a prayer.

For security. Unfortunately. Most of our prayer.

If you. Boil it down. It comes to.

Some kind of worldly security. What kind of prayer is that. Hello be thy name is the prayer.

That we should pray. But. You see their threatenings were very real.

They were just out of prison. Having spent the night in prison. And did they not want to.

Tell these fellows. Hey we need you to pray for us. We've spent a whole night in prison you know.

And it's likely that the whole bunch of us. Are going to be thrown into prison. So.

Let's pray for our security. You know security is a concern. Of God.

He is the good shepherd. He knows how to take care of us and. Meet our needs.

Yeah. But somehow. We make that the central thing.

In our thinking. In our praying. In our asking.

That's our religion. What's the your religion sir. Self.

Security. God doesn't know how to secure my. Me or my family.

So I'd better. Be concerned with that. With the security measures.

No friends. Their prayer was this. Grant unto your.

Servants. That with all boldness. They may speak your word.

You know that trust in the word of God. Filling yourself with the word of God. Now you ask me.

What is your trust. You know friends. People have been willing to trust me.

Without any collateral. I just said to them look here. My word is more than a document.

And they believe it. All kinds of people. In many nations.

I could produce no collateral. You see. And of course.

People don't give you vacant possession. Without. Guarantee.

That they will have their money. What has happened to the word of a Christian. Where has it gone.

This country has a wonderful history. Of. Huge properties.

Changing hands. Over a handshake. That was it.

It's all gone. We have become just like the heathen. Grant unto thy servants.

That with all boldness. They may speak your word. It's not my word.

Can't I speak the word of God with certainty. And with boldness. You know my dear friends.

Anybody can figure out. How much assurance. You have.

Blessed assurance. Jesus is mine. Oh what a foretaste.

Of glory divine. Air of salvation. What? Air of salvation.

Purchase of God. Born of his spirit. Washed in his blood.

My dear friends. Are these mere words. Or is there.

That supercharging. When you sing every line. Of that blessed hymn.

Blessed assurance. Jesus is mine. Do we walk around as the heirs of the kingdom of God.

Heirs to the throne. Just fancy. If we had.

You know. One acquaintance of mine. Had been.

The tutor. Of Prince Charles. The next.

The heir to the British throne. And of course we converged with each other. We had common.

Theme. Because he was a keen cricketer himself. And.

I was told. That when he was invited to London. The Royal.

Limousine would be sent to pick him up. You see. Well.

I was too busy. Preaching the word of God. I didn't cultivate that friendship.

Nor did I have the time. But. You see.

When you move in that circle. Oh you have a consciousness. Fortunately I did not cultivate.

Any such consciousness. I want to be conscious of. The presence of God.

That's enough for me. I am in the midst of royalty. The king of heaven.

You see my dear friends. We don't. Have that kind of assurance.

Grant unto your servants boldness. To preach. Your word.

Now. By stretching forth. Your hand.

To heal. And that signs. And wonders.

May be done. By the name. Of your.

Holy child. Jesus. You see.

We have got a great work to do my friends. We are in the midst of a battle. That's why.

I have a terrible struggle. The small minds of Christians. And we are talking about the word of God.

You can be sitting there. With that little minute mind of yours. Your vision has to increase.

It is true. That some of us. Are passing through hard times.

Hard times are good times. Hard times are times. When our soul receives chastening.

I often tell God. Give me all the chastening. That is needful.

For whom thou lovest thou chastenest. You know people want compliments. No I don't care for compliments.

What does the Bible say? It says. They prayed that his hand should be stretched out. By stretching forth thy hand.

To him. And that signs and wonders. May be done by the name of your holy child.

Jesus. That name. Which is given among man.

That we might be saved. You see. Neither is there salvation.

In any other. For there is none other name. Under heaven.

Given among men. Whereby we must be saved. You know my dear friends.

Many streets. Great streets. Have been.

Named after Lenin. Some of these men. Who generated thoughts.

That destroyed millions of people. Have been greatly venerated. You know a Chinese family.

Heard me in Singapore. And said. To.

Our doctor. In Singapore. You see I would love to invite him to preach in China.

But. He touches certain sensitive things. Of course.

Truth is truth. History is history. Mao was responsible for nearly.

70 million people's. Death. Well that's a very.

Conservative figure. The actual figure is much much bigger. Well my dear friends.

And freedom is so restricted. That that there is surveillance everywhere. And a man like me of course.

I have said even in. Communist East Germany. If there are informers in this meeting.

You know always there would be informers. Take note of these words. You see saving our skin is not our.

Our concern at all. The name of Jesus. See friends.

It's a different kind of mindset. You know. Sometimes I think of.

The usual circle. Amongst which we are working. The underprivileged.

The. People for from poor backgrounds. You see.

Who have only managed by skimping and. And saving. But.

I say. How to give these people. The mindset of a billionaire.

Our father. Owns the cattle on the thousand hills. The silver and the gold it says.

But you know my dear friends. You can carry with you. That feeling of being disadvantaged.

What. Disadvantaged how. I was one of the poorest boys in my.

Prep school. But that didn't matter to me. I had Christ.

I had. I came from a little family. Where my father.

You know as the girl sang just now. My father gave everything. You know my dear friends.

Today. When the Christian. Testimony.

The flag is droopy. At best. Flying at half mast.

Around us. You know if we are really the Lord's. We would pray in this fashion.

We would be zealous for his name. See how the people get. Over trifling things.

Somebody said something. Oh. You know that upset me.

What. Anything can possibly upset you. The reproaches of them that reproached me.

Have fallen on me. You see. That's how we.

Take on. Our role as sons and daughters. Don't you reproach my Lord.

Don't you negate him. Don't you put him down. Amongst all your variety of gods.

Behold. Their threatening. And grant unto your servants boldness.

To preach your word. By stretching forth your hand to him. And signs and wonders.

May be done by the name. Of your holy child Jesus. 31.

And when they had prayed. The place was shaken. Where they were assembled together.

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. And they speak the word of God. With boldness.

You know the sequel to this is most amazing. Any visitation of God produces. Amazing.

Events and possibilities. The multitude of them who believed. Were of one heart.

And of one soul. You know. It's amazing isn't it.

What does it show. Innate selfishness. You know there are three people.

They can't find a common time. When they can meet for prayer. Each person is so self important.

And raises some kind of objection. There's no teamwork. My dear friends.

I have always been a team player. And you know. You can't play a game of soccer effectively.

Without. Dependable team members. You can't have one fellow who says.

I had a slight headache. And so I thought. I will not come.

My wife tells me. She complained to one of the senior doctors. When she was.

House. Doctor or. House surgeon.

Finishing her training. She had a. Stomach ache or some ache. And she told the boss.

And the boss said come on get on with your work. Take this. Tablet.

And get on with your work. That's how they do things outside. But you know religious people.

Are cry babies. Just cry babies. They have not gotten out of the cradle.

I didn't waste my time crying. Someone didn't do this for me. Someone didn't give me this.

Someone didn't do that. No. You can't do anything with a bunch of cry babies.

My dear people. Here. They were charged with new power.

The very place. Was shaken. My friend.

Mr. Duncan Campbell. That was used of God in revival in the heaven. These.

Said. When God's power came down. Oh.

Some of the furniture. Was even. Shaken.

And. He said. Some of the people as they were walking back.

They heard heavenly music. As though the heavens were open. You know my dear friends.

We can be spiritual babies all along. Just going after trifling things. You know the magistrates had no work to do.

After that revival. The courts were idle. My.

The possibilities that are in the preaching of the word of God. You know I feel. I am hardly doing any justice at all.

You know everybody says slow down slow down. Well. What am I to slow down about.

I am slow enough. My dear friends. The sequel to this.

Is an amazing. Thing. We will not enter into that just now.

Let's pray. Dear Lord. We have been pretty slow.

In fact. Too slow. You have given us.

All the leads. For. Advancing.

Like a mighty army. Oh my father. How in the early days of the Salvation Army.

Some few of them. And getting arrested in Switzerland. Marching.

In the name of Jesus. Father. They could not be stopped.

And in Paris. One of the. General's daughters.

General Booth's daughters. As she preached. All the hoodlums.

And the vagabonds. How they tried to shout her down. Today we see a similar situation.

We are not going to be bullied. We are not going to be a bunch of cry babies. We will cry unto the living God.

From whence cometh our deliverance. Oh my father. Don't let the lonely pastors.

In lonesome places. Lose heart. Encourage them with your sudden visitations.

Oh my father. Give to us praising hearts. You have given us.

Far more than we deserve. As we have just heard. Givers or takers.

We can't be all the time with. That grabbing money lenders. Mind.

I must get back my principle. With big interest. Takers.

Snatchers. No father. Thou has made us.

The little. Functionaries. Of the great giver.

Our Lord. Please father. Give to us large hearts.

Large hearts. Full of love. Full of the ambition.

To exalt Jesus. Please father. Then when we eventually.

See you face to face. To us also may be spoken. Those wonderful words.

Well done. Down good and faithful. The little insults.

The little wounds. That we may. Invite.

Upon ourselves. These must not. Deter us.

All the threatenings. And Rome with its amazing. Sprawling power.

Could not. Stem the tide. That was.

Put in motion by the preaching of the word of God. Oh my father. Come to us.

I stand in deep need. Please come to me. And to these my dear.

Brothers and sisters. I want them to experience greater things. And walk more humbly with God.

Than I have ever managed to. Please do it Lord. In Jesus holy name.

Amen.