Consider Your Ways — Charles E. Fuller

Christian Heritage Ministry, in cooperation with Fuller Seminary, proudly presents the Old-Fashioned Revival Hour, a broadcast of the Gospel with Dr. Charles E. Fuller. As the broadcast is just about to get underway, let's join the Old-Fashioned Revival Hour.

Haggai's Call to Consider Your Ways

And while we do that, put a marker in your Bible, in the book of Haggai chapter 1.

He who bids for Jesus in the lowland of sin,. Hoping that we at last...

...around, shake hands with everyone you possibly can, all together on heavenly sunshine, now lift it up. On that, you come up and shake hands with me at the close, especially. I'll give you a double handshake.

That's fine, but sing it once more and really lift it up, all together.

I just wonder if there are any here that have ever heard that oldest melody on Jordan's Star.

It's new to me, and yet I understand it goes way, way, way back. Well, this is the Old-Fashioned Revival Hour. Anyway, we sing some of the songs. In just a few moments, the chorus choir is going to sing one of my favorites, What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

I tell you, it means everything in these dark and distressing days to have a friend in Jesus. To you outside of Christ, you're without hope, without Christ, without God. May you come today and kneel by faith to the foot of the cross and know this friend of all friends.

All right, we're all having a good time, aren't we? Amen. I don't know, we don't know just hardly how this program goes across, but somehow we get it across in the 60 minutes, right, as they say in the radio parlance, on the nose.

Well, anyway, go ahead and sing What a Friend We Have in Jesus. I feel led to ask you to stand right now and sing one verse of Sweet Hour of Prayer, 131. Would you do that, please? Remain standing for prayer.

Let's sing this in the Spirit and then remain silent before Him for a few seconds before I have our son lead us to the throne of grace at the close of the first verse. Now join with us in the radio audience.

Stand, if it's possible, by your radio. Join this congregation here in Long Beach. Ask God to forgive you of your sin. Let's remain silently in prayer for a few seconds. Oh, our Father, we do thank Thee for the wonderful privilege that we have of coming to Thee through the Lord Jesus Christ, and how thankful we are that Thou art the God that dost hear prayer and that Thou art the God that dost answer prayer according to the good purposes of Thy will.

Father, today we would come to Thee confessing our sins and thanking Thee for the forgiveness of sins so that we can have access to Thee by faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. We pray today for the missionaries in the foreign fields who are carrying the gospel to a world which is so often indifferent and sometimes hostile.

And, Father, if for chance they may hear the broadcast today through the foreign shortwave stations in Luxembourg, in Quito, Ecuador, or in Formosa, we pray that they may be strengthened thereby. And, oh, Father, help us here who remain at home to remember that we are always to be witnesses to Jesus Christ.

And, Father, if our vision of a lost world has been dampened, oh, Lord, we pray that Thou would revive it today as we catch afresh a glimpse of Jesus Christ, for we ask it in His name and for His sake.

Amen.

To the radio audience, I do not know of a time in the many years of my radio ministry.

That there has been such a need for a program like the Old-Fashioned Revival Hour. I am sure that your hearts are made to rejoice as the letters are read each Sunday telling how the Holy Spirit is working in the hearts as the word of God goes out to needy souls from week to week.

There are some that we cannot read over the air. It just seems that some, by accident, tune in on the hour and are saved and receive hope and courage, but are of such personal nature that we do not feel that we should read them over the air.

God has entrusted us with a tremendous responsibility by giving to us these open doors around the world. But He is looking to each one of us to do our part to see that this gospel ministry continues to go out over the many, many stations.

Can we depend upon you to do your part? Thank you, I know we can. I know you will not fail the Lord in this vital portion of His work.

If you know that good and acceptable and perfect will of God, honey, just before you read the letters,.

Doesn't that song take you back to some early days when you and I used to sing that as a duet? We'll not attempt it now, but it just took me back to some times when we used to try to sing it. Wasn't it sweet when you and I sang it then?

All right, go ahead and read the letter.

It sounded all right to us. We had lots of enjoyment singing it. I certainly wouldn't try it now. Dear Reverend Fuller, I am an alcoholic who has had his ups and downs on the sin road for years, but I know that my Redeemer lives because he lifts me every day and would lead me straight to the throne if I did not stumble sometimes.

But even in my weakness, I know he watches over me and loves me. Although I have been a sinner of the first water, I have come to have a wonderful understanding of God's love for even me and forgiveness as I have listened year after year to your preaching.

A long time ago, when I really asked him for help, yes, any help that would be good for me in my desperation, he opened the way for me to hear the old-fashioned Revival Hour. And Sunday after Sunday, it lifts me and my family and makes life here on earth wonderful and that promise of the life beyond something to look forward to.

From London, dear sir, I am writing to let you know how much we enjoy your service on Radio Luxembourg. They are a great inspiration to Mother and myself. Mother has suffered much as a result of the raids during the war, but through it all, she's a wonderful Christian and we would like to have more services on the air such as yours.

But it seems to me sometimes that the majority of people would just like to leave Christianity out of their lives altogether. And you may be interested to hear just a word from a good letter in which the lady mentions one of our graduates of the seminary who graduated last May.

We thought you might be interested to know that at our prayer service last night, we had the pleasure of hearing B .G., one of the graduates of the first class of the Fuller Seminary. He spoke about the Japanese people and how the Lord had laid it on his heart to go as a missionary soon after the first of the year.

The Lord's blessing is obviously on this young man. And if the seminary continues to turn out such graduates, we can say our blessings on you. And here's a letter from a mother in Connecticut who is happy over her daughter's conversion here.

Dear Mr. Fuller, I did so enjoy the broadcast yesterday. It cheered my heart. My daughter has just returned from California. She went out there a sinner far from God. She came home Friday, a lovely Christian girl.

Saved at your service in Long Beach on July the 3rd in 49. Another letter from London. This is my last one today. Dear Dr. Fuller, I lived for years in the States. And one of the things I loved the most, even more than your abundant and delicious food, was my spiritual food that I received from hearing the Old Fashioned Revival Hour hardly missing a Sunday.

We do not have any such programs in England. And I have been heart sick and lonely this fall. But last Sunday night I was visiting a friend and someone in the next room had the radio on. And suddenly I heard your familiar voice, Mr. Fuller, announcing during the singing of Jesus Saved.

It went right to my heart and I shouted and ran into the other room calling out, Leave that on, please. This is what England needs. I'm telling my friends on all sides, and soon your hour will have a much greater audience in England.

Oh, I can't tell you what it means to us over here. And friends, will you be praying for those two stations in Luxembourg and in Formosa? That they may carry the gospel into the hearts of the people. That God will bring opportunities for people to come up to the radios and to hear.

That their hearts may be opened. That if they need salvation, they may see clearly the way. And if they need comfort and strength, they may receive that too. There's much need for prayer in these times.

Conquering now and still to conquer. Ride of the king in his might. Leading the horse of all the faithful. Into the midst of the fight. See them with courage. Not to the strong is the battle. Not to the swift is the race.

Yet to the true are... Conquering now and still to conquer. Whence are the armies which he leadeth? While at his glory they sing. He is our Lord and... Not to the strong is the battle.

You are listening to the Old Fashioned Revival Hour with Dr. Charles E. Fuller. The message today is titled, Consider Your Ways. I'll provide our address and additional information after Dr. Fuller's message.

Open your Bibles to the book of Haggai, chapter 1, as we rejoin the broadcast.

Stand and sing one verse of number 140.

He leadeth me, O blessed thought, O words with heavenly comfort brought. We change the program just as the Lord would have us do. Somehow I feel I want you to sing this. He leadeth me, O blessed thought.

Sing it out. Quickly turn to Haggai, one of the minor prophets. A book that is seldom read. Thumbing through the Old Testament pages. Perhaps you pass it by, but a book rich and deep in spiritual teaching.

Just two chapters, 38 verses. But every verse, it seems, charged with eternal, everlasting truth. Turn to the first chapter, especially verse 5. Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways.

Haggai's Historical Setting and Israel's Neglected Temple

Little is known of Haggai beyond the fact that he was the first of the prophets to the Israelites, which had returned to Jerusalem from Babylon in the year about 536 B .C. Tradition has it that he was born in Babylon shortly after the beginning of the 70-year captivity.

That 70-year period was prophesied by Jeremiah many years before. After his return, some 16 years had passed since the return from the captivity about 520 B .C., the work of rebuilding destroyed Jerusalem and the temple was undertaken with great energy and skill.

The brazen altar was first erected, but internal political intrigues interrupted the good work and eventually the work of restoration came to a complete standstill. The returned remnant gave their whole attention to the erection of palatial buildings, buildings to be used for themselves, and the work of the Lord was forgotten, put into the background.

God's Rebuke for Self-Centered Living

A season of great distress followed, first a great drought. The harvest of those times, the harvest failed. Great trouble and sorrow went throughout the land, according to verse 6. Ye have sown much, and bring in little.

Ye eat, but ye have not enough. Ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink. Ye clothe you, but there is none warm. And he that earneth wages, earneth wages to put it in a bag with hold. Verses 9 -11. Ye looked for much, and lo, it came to little.

And when ye brought it home, I did blow upon it, destroy it. Why saith the Lord of hosts? Because of mine house is waste, and ye have run every man unto his own house. Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, the earth is stayed from her fruit.

And I called for a drought. Notice it, God says, I called for a drought. Upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labors of the hand.

And I say to you, unless we come back obedient to God, God may call a drought upon America. In Europe, they are having some droughts most severe in the memory of man back to the third and fourth generation.

God speaks through storms and droughts and times of trouble. And I repeat, unless we come back, America may go through times of drought when the harvest will fail. And after this, after this season of trouble and distress, Haggai was sent by Jehovah to interpret the calamities and to urge the people to be done with their sinful ways.

And so according to verse 5, he sends out these words,. Thus saith the Lord, notice it,. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways,. That is, set your heart or give your attention to your ways.

And this refrain runs five times through the 38 verses of Haggai. Notice verse 7,. Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways. Chapter 2, verse 15,. And now I pray you, Consider from this day and upward from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of the Lord.

Consider your ways. And then in verse 18, it occurs twice, Consider now from this day. And the last two words, Consider it. Haggai's mission as a prophet, speaking on behalf of God to the people, was highly successful and blessed with success.

Twenty-four days after he uttered this prophecy, the people turned from their own selfish pursuits and began to rebuild the temple. Haggai himself labored with his own hands, laboring with the faithful remnant.

And this prophecy of 38 verses is plain, curt, businesslike. Haggai is plain spoken. He calls a spade a spade. He doesn't mince words, but he goes right to the heart of the matter. And he said to the faithful remnant, Consider your ways.

For thus saith the Lord. I am giving you, Haggai says, the word of Jehovah. And so in chapter 1, verses 1 -11, we find the first message. Consider your ways. We find a very stern message of rebuke. Will you note it, please?

Notice in verse 2 how God speaks to the faithful remnant. His blood-bought covenant people. Notice the word. Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, This people, not my people, this people, as much as to say, my people have departed from me, have backslidden, have gone after their own sinful ways.

And he doesn't speak of them in that tender, loving tone. My people. No. This people. And he goes on. The time has not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built. And then in verse 4, Is it time for you, O ye that dwell in sealed houses?

That speaks volumes. Because instead of building the temple, that temple representing God's presence with them in that temple at the brazen altar, at the laver, at the table of showbread, and the candlesticks and the altar of incense and the Holy of Holies.

Instead of building that so that he might dwell with them, they were building houses paneled, if you please, highly decorated. And it speaks volumes. They were taking their earnings and their wages and spending it upon things for self instead of the house of God and the things of God.

And so he goes on. The sixth verse. If so much and bring in little, ye eat but ye have not enough. God knows how to withhold blessings when you withhold things that belong to him. Therefore, consider your ways.

And this blood-bought covenant people were occupied with their own desires, not giving God the just and right place. Does not the Scripture say, Listen, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you?

Does it not say to give Christ the preeminence in all that we do and whatsoever we do to do all to his glory? Certainly. But here in Haggai, in the days when he prophesied, this people had departed, becoming selfish, self-centered, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.

Hence, consider your ways. I stop and ask you the very pertinent question. Is God first in your life? And the calamities which have befallen this people are stated in verses 6 to 11. I read it just a moment ago in the sixth verse.

But having little, and the thought seems to be the utter folly of spending our whole income on ourselves and our family needs to the entire exclusion of any thoughtful provision for carrying on God's work.

Verses 9, 10, and 11. He looked for much and, Lord, became little. When ye brought it home, I did blow upon it. Why saith the Lord of hosts? Because of mine house is waste, and ye run every man unto his own house.

Therefore, the heaven over you is stayed with you, which I read to you a little while ago. Let me read to you some passages from God's Word. Blessed is he that considers the poor. The Lord will deliver him in a time of trouble.

The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive. And he shall be blessed upon the earth and thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemy. The Lord will strengthen him. That is, if you honor God first with your substance, God says, I will honor you.

Giving God the Firstfruits

And I turn to Proverbs, the third chapter. Oh, there is much in the Word of God regarding these things. But I want to give it to you. Verses 9 and 10. Honor the Lord. Proverbs 3, 9 and 10. Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the firstfruits of all thine increase.

So shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Talk about a program that will fill the land with prosperity and peace is this. And it will not come by man-made plans or schemes.

It will come first by the people honoring God with their substance, first of all. And not through any plan schemed by the politicians in Washington. Proverbs 13, 7. There is that maketh himself rich yet hath nothing.

There is that maketh himself poor yet hath great riches. Proverbs 22, 9. Notice what it says. He that has a bountiful eye shall be blessed for he giveth of his bread to the poor. Malachi 3, 10. Bring all your tithes into the storehouse.

Prove me now, saith Jehovah, while not pour out a blessing that you can't contain. I'm going to read the sixth chapter of Luke. Verse 38. I'll give you something from the New Testament. Copy these references down, if you will, because this is God's Word.

Luke 6, 38. Here it is. Give, and it shall be given unto you. Good measure. Press down and shake it together, running over, and men shall give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye meet, wherewithal it shall be measured unto you again.

And I say to you that the Christian people of America are face to face with one of the most serious situations, with the increase in the price of food and goods at the same time taking more of our income to pay the bills.

The question is coming, how much are you going to give to God? But I say to you that no matter what happens, if you will honor God first, He'll see you through and your barns will be filled. And I've proven it time and time again.

2 Corinthians 8, 7 -12. Oh, I'll not have time to read all of that. But here it is. For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.

It goes on and says, See that ye abound in this grace. Also, you put God's work first. I tell you, if you put it first, sending out the Gospel, home and foreign missions, even by radio, the only money you will save is that which you give for God's work.

Recently, one of the top entertainers of the entertainment world died here in California. And the paper said that he left four million or more. And in among it are the requests to charity, commendable, and the world applauses.

But I say to you, What a shame! Not one penny for God's work or the Gospel. He left it behind. What you spend for God, you will save. The second message, and I must quickly, the first message of the Lord's rebuke has the desired effect.

Obedience Brings God's Presence

Verse 12 are these beautiful words. Will you see it please? How God works. Notice it in the 12th verse. They obeyed and then they went to work. Here it is. Ye obeyed my voice. And then, here it is. God's a rubber ball and so forth.

With all the remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet as the Lord their God had sent them. And the people did fear the Lord. And then it speaks of their being obedient.

You'll hear what God has to say. You'll hear through his ambassadors the word of God that's been given to you. And then obey and God comes back and says this, I am with you. But not until obedience. Not until you come back to the place of confession and obedience will you have the words I am with you.

God's work was stirred up. The Lord stirred up the spirit of these men. They began to build the house of the temple. And no sooner had God's people started the work of building the temple, the note of discouragement comes in.

Discouragement and the Promise of Greater Glory

How true it is that you attempt some work for God after obedience. After hearing the gracious words, I am with thee, you start to do a work for God. And in the 2nd chapter, verses 1 -9, comes a note of discouragement.

As the people labored, they became disheartened for the fact that owing to their poverty and the fewness of numbers and the lack of skilled workers, the temple was bound to be inferior to Solomon's temple.

I must close. God says I will fill this 2nd temple with my glory and it will have more glory than all that Solomon's temple ever had. And I leave you with this thought. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and you may be the weakest of the weakest, but if you will dedicate and present your life as a living sacrifice, you will have the greatest of all glory, Christ in you, the hope of glory.

What a privilege to come by faith, accept what God has done for you in Christ, and be reconciled to Him, Christ in you, the hope of glory. And while we're bowed in prayer and just before the chorus sings the invitation number, out in the radio audience, will you give your hearts to Christ and come back through compassion and obedience and hear God say to you, I am with you.

My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives. To have Christ in you, the hope of glory. God bless you. God's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And while our heads are bowed here in this splendid visible audience, how many will quickly put their hand up and say by the uplifted hand, Brother Fuller, pray for me.

I here now want to accept Christ as my personal Savior and be remembered in a word of prayer. Will you put your hand up in any place in this room? Say pray for me, God bless you. God bless you. Quickly and quietly as the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, I have to bring it to a close.

This is Charles E. Fuller bidding you goodbye and God's richest blessing upon you. Continue in prayer.