The Purifying Blood — Leonard Ravenhill

I've God and Father we bring to thee our offering of praise and of thanksgiving this afternoon. We're glad for returning the dear ones who have been far places and bringing them safe from danger seen and unseen.

We trust that their strength is in body and mind and in spirit too. We thank you for calling us together. The word says that where two or three are gathered and if we had gathered them we might have hustled a lot of people in.

But we dare to believe that you have gathered us this afternoon. We came at your call not by the call of men or by any human demand. We thank you for our recognition too that anything which is done that is constructive and lasting must be done by this wonderful person the Holy Spirit of whom we've been singing.

We have put an expression in our head more about Jesus let me learn. Possibly we've learned many things since we were last together. And yet there is an inexhaustible supply of knowledge and wisdom. There are still new discoveries for us to make in the areas of faith and love and obedience and courage.

We thank you for bringing us to the school this afternoon. And as the hymn writer says spirit of God my teacher be. Showing the things of Christ to me. We marvel at your great love we. I've sung in that hymn I know not why God's wondrous grace to me he hath made known.

Nor why unworthy Christ in love redeem me. There are millions in this very country there are tens of millions. There are thousands of millions actually around the world. Who still sit in darkness in the shadow of death.

There are some who could have light and they don't want it. There are some who want light and they can't get it. There are some who think that the things they eat and wear and touch and buy and sell make up life.

And there are others who know that these things are not life at all. Your word makes it very clear because you said the man's true life you said is true life consistent not in the abundance of things that he possesses.

What good is it possessing the world if we've lost our own soul. Your word asks the question. We thank you for giving us some measure of illumination. We thank you for our growth in grace. We're not the dwarfs we used to be.

We're not yet the giants we want to be. We've come a long way but we want to go much further by your guidance by your spirit. We thank you. The spirit is the spirit of truth and he will guide us. You very definitely mark that out for us.

We don't know the way to take. We come to the fork in the road and yet you said that when we would go one way or the other by nears you'll hear a voice behind you saying this is the way walking when you would turn to the right or to the left.

Obviously you want us to get moving. You didn't say if we sit in a chair you will come and tell us. You said as we walk in the way you'll show us whether to turn right or left. Someone has said you never employ lazy men.

You give tasks to the busy men. You found a busy man Moses and you used him and you found other busy men. Even our lord Jesus didn't sit under the tree all day. He worked we understand. He was a carpenter and he did the menial tasks.

And we thank you lord for employing the unemployable and we thank you for them employing those who are employable. We thank you that you don't see our handicaps as we see them and you don't see our wisdom as we see it.

We're in a different school. We're so glad you're not like the school teachers they have their favorites in the class not always the best boys as we thought but they have their favorites. But lord we know that you understand us very differently.

We're so glad again for this inexhaustible world. We think of countries where this word cannot be propagated. Where it's not permissible to own a bible where it's not permissible to meet together. And we think of those back down the ages all the marvelous men and women who translated this word and often smuggled it from one country to another.

And even ended up burning at the stake because they wanted every plow boy to have it. We thank you it got out of the hands of the mere scholars and the hierarchy who would teach it their way and you gave us the book.

And you gave us the spirit who wrote the book. And you've given us the Christ who the book is all about. And as we come to your word again we thank you that whatever our appetite may be that there's sufficient in it to satisfy us.

If we've come with a little appetite we'll soon be fed. If we come with an insatiable thirst you'll still satisfy us. And lord we pray that this meeting small though it may be in the eyes of the world yet that it may count for eternity.

Count in our own lives. Give us some surprises from your word. Give us some attacks as it were ambushes. Shoot the arrows of god at us at the moment we don't expect it. Touch us in spots where we think we don't need touching and shows that where we're strong we're only weak anyhow.

And very often where we have weakness that's our very strength. And we wait on thee to renew our strength before we set off again on our pilgrim journeys to a hostile world that loves thee not. And because it loves thee not it loves us not.

But lord we're glad we made our choice in thee. We've so often decided to follow jesus. And lord we haven't changed that decision. We want to press toward the mark of the high calling of god in christ jesus.

Lord we do bless us as parents that we may have wisdom with our children. Whether they're living at home or they've left us they're still their parents. And we pray that that love may increase. We pray for those who have the younger children that they may mould them not merely by word or discipline of word or discipline of a rod.

But by the very presence illumination of a christ filled life. That we should be radiant in the midst of the trials of life. That they'll see us buoyant. Being able to ride the storm where others go down.

Being able to triumph where others get defeated. Being able to smile where others get into mockishness and tears and self pity and weakness. For all your mercies we give you thanks. And as one old hymn writer said glory to thee for all the grace i have not tasted yet.

If there's a bigger need there'll be bigger supplies. If there are bigger mountains to scale there'll be greater strength to scale them. With a goliath to meet you'll give us the equipment if it's as foolish as a sling and a stone.

While the rest of the world looks on. So equip us that lord while we live in a day when it seems there are many goliaths there are no giants about to slay them. So raise out of us the simple davids. And with a shepherd's sling and a stone can do what an army cannot do.

Can do what a king with his breastplate and his shield and his helmet and great sword could not do. Thank you who take the weak things the things that are not to bring to nought the things that are that no flesh should glory in your presence.

For we pray that we may be so totally thine that the flesh will not intrude in any way either in our meeting now or in our journey as we go on our pilgrim way. Bless the absent friend and think of brother colin again bless him.

Bless him. Make this a good day for him for phyllis wherever she may be. The others if they're in hawaii and jip and his wife wherever they may be and the others will come in now and again. Bless them all.

And lord again we are here to meet thee as much as we love each other and like to see each other and hear each other we want to see thee and hear thy voice. And tell him he'll do thy will.

We have a new treasurer so this is crossan. Nice to have her today.

And hope she'll enjoy so much when she comes back. Nice to see the one youth all the way from cape cardin again. That will replace disneyland. And the other folk that have been around and you know are feeling good these days.

The Sermon on the Mount and the Fruit of the Spirit

Frank's got all his things out. Ok we're in now have been for some weeks in the fifth chapter of matthew. Again the as we've said often the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest man that ever lived.

That the attitudes and remember we've played on the words and said they should be attitudes of our lives. Again reminding ourselves that while he gives as he will the gifts of the spirit to one he gave this and to one he gave the other.

He did not say that about the fruits of the spirit. The gifts are given singularly because they're so magnificent that there may be people who have one or two. I never met anybody as i said last week i never met anyone who had all the gifts of the spirit except a man and woman who had them all.

And told us about it for about four days and then at breakfast the last morning told us they were going to get a divorce. Well that sounds like the spirit for life doesn't it in reverse. The gifts may be given one here one there but i believe that all the fruits love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, meekness, goodness, temperance, faith.

These should be in every life. It's like plucking a grape off a bunch you alter it in a symmetrical. To me it isn't as attractive if you just pull one grape off. And they may not all blossom at the same time but they should be there.

And they will be by the grace of God. And then again this sermon of the attitude is to my mind it's almost a classical example of the spirit for life. Again we start at the bottom rung of the ladder. Blessed are the poor and as i said again to remind these dear ones who are fresh. that if Jesus had started off with blessed are the pure everybody would have backed off.

It would have scared them off. They would have said well there is no chance i am going away next week i won't bother to come back. But instead of saying blessed are the pure he said blessed are the poor.

And we have to come nothing in my hands i bring but simply to thy cross i cling. It doesn't matter how intellectual you are or how high socially or what free knowledge you may have theologically. Blessed are the poor in spirit.

And then remember that there are two sides to the coin all the way through. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Again notice how often this is in the present tense. Theirs shall be the kingdom of heaven.

Oh i am going to go to heaven one day. No the kingdom of God is within you. Jesus is the king. King of kings lord of lords. Many many churches in England and maybe in this country Episcopalians begin by singing on the lord's day morning.

The king of love my shepherd is who is written as famous now. It's a very beautiful name. And he is the king of love and he is the king of glory. And he is the king of kings. And a little bit of that kingdom has come into our hearts already.

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom. We used to sing a hymn we are marching to Zion. Any of you old folk know that. We are marching to Zion. You know it Frank. But anyhow one verse of that hymn says that the hill of Zion yields a thousand sacred sweets before we reach the heavenly fields and walk the golden streets.

You know some people went into Canaan and when they got there they were terrified. You can't always take the majority vote you know. Usually they are out anyhow. The majority vote said let's not go into Canaan.

Why? Because the walls are to high heaven and oh it's a terrible country. Sure it was. It depends how you look at it. One of them said if we go in there they will eat us. The other two said if we go in there we will eat them.

They are bred for us. I like that. They are bred for us. How many kings were there? 32? 32 kings and they licked all of them. They licked 31 of them. And they only got cheated once and that was when they were still in the camp.

Because God has not geared us in the spirit to be defeated. I don't know anything else that Aunt Walters ever said. I know she sings his eyes on the sparrow. She is older than the sparrow she sings about.

But one thing she said years ago was this. That God never sponsors a flop. I think that is pretty smart. It should be tucked in there with Solomon's wise saying. Women are usually so smart. But Aunt Walters is right saying God doesn't sponsor a flop.

And God never intended for you and I to flop. Again God is so gracious he will share his power. He shall receive power the Holy Ghost coming upon you. And he will share his wisdom. Christ is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification.

But he never never never anywhere hinted even. Never mind said he never hints that we will be infallible. There is no such thing as a human infallibility. We are all very fallible. And the older you get the more you realize that don't you.

You realize the mistakes you made and how did I do that. I should have done that. It is as clear as anything. Oh there should be another beatitude. Blessed is hindsight. You know when you are oh of course.

I mean it is so clear now you are through the fog. But when you were there it was so thick of fog. Your mind was so boggled that you didn't see it. But there you are. But again the spirit is made to us the spiritual wisdom.

And the kingdom of God is already within us. Now there is an expansion. As I said often I do not for many reasons. But I do not believe in instant maturity. I do believe in instant purity. And when you have climbed up this ladder as we have climbed. we got last week to the verse blessed are the pure in heart.

Now a thing is either clean or unclean. There are no degrees of purity. There may be degrees of wisdom. There may be degrees of strength. But there are no degrees of purity. Whether it is our heart or mind.

It is either pure or it is impure. But when the heart has been purified. it stays purified as long as we stay in the place of obedience. But that doesn't mean I know everything. There is nothing more detestable than meeting somebody who knows everything.

Still a few of them unfortunately. it seems that any subject. Oh well I'll tell you. You know what. Oh I know. You know what. And so you back off and let them talk. You know. Take the notice of them. They think they have done good.

I often have chuckled when I have listened to somebody who has given me a real brow beating. And I think bless him. He went away thinking. Boy I really wrote great. You know. I really got there. You know.

And he never affected me that much. He just made up a lot of speech. Maybe he was going to have a row with his wife. He thought he had taken it out of me. Well it is better he took it out of me anyhow.

But you meet that kind of person. But again. the spirit. the true spiritual person. If Christ lives in me. Christ is humble. Blessed Jesus says. I am meek and lowly of heart. And there is not only poverty.

We come through poverty. It says blessed are the meek. But the compensation is they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy. With what measure ye meet. it shall be meted unto you again.

The golden rule that the world quotes very often. Isn't it. As you would that men should do unto you. So do ye also unto them. You can't live that. It is a total impossibility. You can't. No man can live the sermon on the mount outside of Jesus Christ.

I was thinking. I don't know. Earlier this morning. Some people were looking at TV. But I was awake. And I was meditating on the message. And I was thinking about the third chapter there in Acts. Acts 3.

Where Peter and John went up to the temple at the hour of prayer. Now that kind of staggers me. Why in the world did they go to the temple. The folk in the temple didn't believe what Peter and John believed in.

Peter and John didn't believe what they believed in. So for where. Why do you go there. And that made me realize again. There are only two ways. There are two ways. Two roads. And they run side by side.

But the traffic goes opposite ways. There is a broad way that leads us to destruction. Even if it's paved with gold. it still leads to hell. If it's paved with faith. it leads to hell. And when we were in New York. sometimes we'd go around Broadway.

And West 44th street. West 44th street. And more than once I saw some young woman standing there looking up. She got her name up in light I guess for the first time. Boy she felt as big as Manhattan Island.

Got my name up in lights. Somebody taking a picture of it. Somebody asking for an autograph. But the good book you know is never wrong. And it says the way of destruction is a broad way. Significant they call Broadway the broad way anyhow.

But it's not the only broad way. And as broad as it is. It's a popular way. It's an expensive way. Nobody gives you anything on that road. You have to pay a lot to go to hell. Rather than go to heaven.

You have to make your choice. And if you go the broad way. it leads us to destruction. The narrow way leads us to life eternal. And the scripture is very emphatic. Few there be that find it. You can tell me about all the revivals.

Courage money. Do any of the revivals you like right now. We're still at. You can include them all. And it's a decimal fraction of the population of America. And the population of the world. They're very very very very very very few people.

They want to be disciples. But not disciples who take up their cross. And you cannot be a disciple without you take up your cross. Peter and John went up to the temple at the hour of prayer. This system is a system of blood sacrifice.

And this new system is a system of blood sacrifice. Which makes obsolete the other blood sacrifice. And I do not see what point they have. When people have said to me. as they have often. Well I've gone to this church.

And I was raised as a child. And I'm in it now. And this has happened in it. And that has happened in it. And I. Or they may say. Well look I've recently really got saved. And the spirit has come in me.

And I'm having hostility in the church. Should I leave it. Now if that's the reason. If they say. because I've just got filled with the spirit. And I'm having a rough time. I say no. No. Because the first thing they'll say is.

Oh well he got filled with the spirit. And you know what. Over the week he was superior to all of us. He shook us all off. And said I'm sorry. You're not travelling fast enough. I'm just about to go. You know.

It's a 30 mile limit here. I'm going to 75 mile an hour traffic. Leave you all behind. The best thing to do I think. is to go till they throw you out. And then the onus is on them. Not on you. You see.

And it will happen. Sure enough. Sure as people say sometimes. Well if I get saved. Well I have to give up this man. And give up that friendship. And you say no. Don't give anything up. Why not. Because they'll give you up.

That's why. Boy you'll soon be an odd. You know. You'll be like a six length sheep. in the middle of the frog. Everybody will look at you and say. Oh say. He is what he used to be. He doesn't curse. He doesn't drink anymore.

He doesn't do this. He doesn't do that. And if you move into other areas of spirituality. You know. I think that this text actually. is the. What shall I say. I'm going to say Genesis. I hope I'm doing the right word.

I think it's the aspiration. of every religion in the world. People are seeking for purity. That's what they really want. They're laden with guilt. If conscience is working at all. They're terrified of death.

They're afraid of the past catching up with them. And whether they go to a shrine. A little old wrinkled lady goes up a mountain there. in Japan this morning. And it takes her three or four hours to get up.

And she throws some grains of incense. in an extinct volcano. And she comes down shaking on a stick. And you say. What did you do? And she stammers out. She paid a tribute to her god. And she said a prayer.

And you say. Well. Was it answered? And she said. Well of course I don't know. You see. as somebody has said. they used to say it often. In street meaning. Ours is a no soul religion. We know in whom we have belief.

We're not left hanging in mid air. It's not a cliff hanging experience. We know in whom we have belief. We have assurance. Blessed assurance gives us his mind. And this is the wonder of the gospel. Of the grace of God.

We know in whom we have belief. We've chosen to go the narrow way. That lead us to life eternal. Now I say this is an aspiration. that every healthy person has. I don't have to describe it. Except maybe.

I see. It's almost like a man on his tip toes. reaching for the highest thing that's possible. While I'm still in the flesh. And that is purity of heart. And purity of motive. And purity of desire. toward God.

Purity in every area. Every appetite of my body. purified. And the dangerous thing is that when. it's another branch of the same thing. That if I'm totally committed to him. Then God has total rights.

That's what it means all of me. You see. sometimes we say then. Lord I'm yours. I don't care what you do. And then the Lord start working. And you say. Well Lord I wasn't kind of thinking of it that way.

I mean. I was thinking you might take us this way. And you said turn left. And I thought you. I was sure you were going to say. I mean that's why I committed myself. Because I knew you knew what I wanted.

And so I thought you'd just say. OK you go have it. And he said. That's the very thing you can't have. Go the other way. Arthur and I were considering this morning. about amazing king of Israel. David.

And you remember that when he got exiled. He cried. Oh that one would give me a drink of water. From the wells of Bethlehem. Our neighbor was saying the other day. You'll find the water's bad. He said sometimes we draw water.

It just stinks. I've heard lots of people say that. I've heard the men say. You know when we were at home. we had a well at the bottom of the garden. Oh it was such pure water. I loved to drink that water.

It was so fresh. Now we drink any old water. We don't know where it comes from. We've been thinking. But how it tastes. And this exiled king was thirsty. And he said oh if I could just get a drink. From the well of the gate of Bethlehem.

And some three of his most devout men said. Come on we'll get it for the king. And they ran and they got it. And almost got killed doing it. And you'd have thought either day. He was in. I'll never forget the kindness.

When I get back in my kingdom. You'll be Chancellor of the Exchequer. And I'll see that you. You know you get a job as a foreign ambassador. And you can be something else. You know the promotions you get for political favors.

What did you do with it. Well they risked their lives. All he said I'd like a drink of water. And they said if it's for the king he can have it. And they took it back. Maybe with trembling hands. And the king said thank you.

Thank you. This is marvelous. And they waited for him to drink it. And he poured it out on the floor. That's not the right thing to do is it. You gave him the right to do it. Once you put it into his hands.

And you said king it's yours. I risked my life. There you are you doing it. And you think he's going to take it. You think he might say. You see these three men. They're going to be three of my most important men.

And they risked their lives. Look at all those enemies around there. And they fought their way through in the dark. And one was shouting out. While the other dragged the water out of the pool. And I'm so excited to have it.

I'm going to drink it now. And go it for a while. And instead of that. he poured it out on the floor. Why? He didn't say do you mind if I do this. You risked your lives. It was a strange thing for you to do.

He didn't ask anything at all. The greatest challenge was not going and fighting. Fighting enemies and getting the water out of the well. The greatest thing was to keep your mouth shut when he poured it out.

I'm going to pour it out this way. You thought I'd drink it. That's the only reason we went. I mean there's a stream there. We could have got water if they shouldn't have run afloat over the garden. Why didn't you tell us?

They didn't question. And you know. God doesn't deal with us in the way we want him to obviously. And you know what? God won't answer all your questions. This book won't answer all your questions. The bible isn't here to answer all our curiosity.

It's here to build our faith. It says actually the secret things belong to God. There are some things he's never going to unveil to us. If he did you would need faith. That faith says Lord I'd rather walk in the dark with God than walk alone in the light.

Ritual, Spiritual Power, and the Kingdoms of Light and Darkness

All right. There are two ways. One is the broad way that leads us to destruction. The other is the narrow way. There are two systems. There's a system of ritualistic worship which they had. And then they start and they say wait a minute.

Wait a minute. You mean to say that you're worshipping with that gang of guys? But there's not one of them has ordination. There's not one of them wears a priestly robe. There's not one of them with any standing.

Somebody once asked an English preacher I know if they thought God had a sense of humour. He said he must have. He'd never have made monkeys. Well I don't know if that's the right answer. But I sometimes think he has a sense of humour on higher levels.

After all Peter, James, John, Fisherman. No degrees. And these uneducated men are going into the most sophisticated world in the world amongst the Greeks. To upset them. He didn't say every time you draw your sword and point it at somebody.

Fire will come out. You just say pow and they're gone. But he turns them loose on the greatest military machine in the world. The Roman Empire. He didn't say if anybody disagrees with you just say dry up.

And you'll be back cursing the feet. Treat them with it. And then he was turning them loose on the greatest religious system in the world. These are the men out of the upper room. Almost unnamed men. Unlettered men.

Uneducated men. Certainly unpopular men. And all that happened was that in that upper room they waited on God. And God came and he purified their hearts by faith according to Acts 15, 8 and 9. Now I say there are two ways.

There's a narrow way that leads us to life. There's a broad way that still is. Make your choice. There's a ritualistic form of service that has a form of godliness but it has no power. Not that necessarily if you throw it all over the world you get power.

That's not as simple as that. Now let's say it this way. There is a system in the world. We know it. I'm always talking about that these days we're mesmerized by materialism. And I think we are very often in the church as well as out of it.

That there's a busy world. A material world. A physical world. A political world. You can put all the other things in it if you like. An educated world. A criminal world. All the others. But that makes light.

You see a big map of the world. You've got two hemispheres. Ok you've got one hemisphere which is the kingdom of darkness. You've got the other hemisphere which is the kingdom of light. You've made up your mind which one you're going to walk in.

Now how are you going to reconcile them? Are you going to take the high lofty christianity and adulterate it so it comes down to the level of worldliness? Or are you going to try and purge the rotten corrupt system and lift it to the height of christianity?

Can you reconcile the two? Well there is a sense in which you say no. East is east. West is west. And never the twain shall meet. I don't believe there's any guarantee anywhere in the word of god that we're going to get it christianized.

Men have to hear the gospel. They're going to be given the opportunity to say yes or no to christ. And this again brings an awesome responsibility on us. We can all get our thinking blurred if not twisted.

For instance if you talk about the present crisis. You get x-rayed up and here we are. What shall i do? I've got blood on my hands. Well there's only one way. And that's in top lady's hymn. He says thou lie to that fountain.

Thy wash me saviour or i die. Salvation isn't just an upgrading. Salvation is as i said last week. Jesus did not. N .O .T. capital letters ten feet high. Jesus did not come into the world to make bad men good.

He came into the world to make dead men live. And the conscience can die. There are people who have no conscience. They can do the most horrible wicked vile things. Conscience dies. But let them become alive in jesus christ.

You see again no wonder people don't like the bible. It doesn't flatter us. Does it? I remember going down a place called orange grove. I happened to be speaking at a kevick meeting in london. And after the afternoon meeting i walked down the street.

And coming back i saw a man in uniform with white gloves. He was standing very erect. Walked past this building with my friend. Walked back and there were gorgeous swing doors. And huge chandeliers and beautiful things.

And i was looking in and he stood there. Can i help you? I said yes. And i was wondering oh i see this is a syro. Syro? Yes yes. This is a syro nightclub. I said oh could i come to dinner tonight? Oh no no.

You couldn't come in here at all. What if i buy a ticket? We don't sell tickets. Well couldn't i come in? No. Not unless you come with a guest or the duke or somebody lord somebody. Oh just the other night.

This was twenty odd years back. Last night we had queen. Before the queen got married actually. Princess margaret was here last night. And queen elizabeth. Princess elizabeth was here. This is for very elite people.

None of you thought i was. But anyhow it's for very elite people. So i said are you sure i couldn't come in? No sir. No no you couldn't come in. It's just for the mobility and you have to be signed in and signed out.

You need a sponsor. I told him i said i'd like to come in. I told him you can't come in. I said i'd still like to come in. What would you do if i came in? I said i would wait till we were all at dinner.

You know dripping with jewels that they'd borrowed or stolen or something. And beautiful minks and all the other things. And i said when they were all at dinner i'd turn my chair around and stand on it and say she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

He said they'd throw you out. I said well i'd expect that. But at least i've had a shot at them. At least i've had the gratification of saying to people who think they've got all that life has because oh look up there.

Look at the rolls royces and the ferraris and all the other super super cars they have. And they're waiting in the foyer here are the chauffeurs and well yes yes because we don't keep open late now. We used to open till four.

We close at two now. I said i don't care when you close. Just let me get in so slightly. No sir you can't come in. Don't they talk to me. Try and get in. But oh how false it is. And when you've lived that way and then you turn round and you come to one who says i am the way the truth and the life.