Revival Series 2 — Leonard Ravenhill

Neglecting Our Own Spiritual Vineyard

Song of Solomon The verse 6, the latter part, they made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard have I not kept. In modern language people say something like this, the shoemakers children usually have no shoes.

I remember in Ireland not far from where my wife lived there's a an old-fashioned shoe. Repairer down the road and his children's shoes were the worst in the district. For the simple reason he was always repairing everybody else's.

He hadn't time to repair his own children's shoes or. Across the road there's a beautiful garden in England they'd say it belongs to a Duke or a Lord and You couldn't find a daisy. You couldn't find a weed or anything in the garden.

It's always immaculate. You know manicured so beautifully. But when you come over the road and look at the garden of the gardener his gardens all full of weeds. He's taking care of someone else's property.

He doesn't take care of his own. One of the distressing things to me. When moving around the country and in other countries is to find That after you get over the initial state. You know stage of being strange and a little afraid of each other the pastor begins to unload his heart and say well, you know.

Since I came to this church, I think I've reached an all-time low in my own spiritual life. Now you talk to the people and they say this fellow's the greatest preacher ever had man you should hear it now.

He can handle the Word of God and he has a marvelous Way of bringing the whole world to view of you know, it's our obligation to lost men and women. On one hand, he's a success again. He's looking after the other people's garden.

He's neglecting his own garden. Now what what is the secret of maintaining the spiritual glow to use a phrase that? James Moffat uses. You see it's not much good having revival fires outside if I have no revival fire in my own heart.

And this is where it all begins. Now the question is what degree or what percentage if you like we like to talk in percentages. What percentage of the responsibility. For my spiritual development depends on me and how much depends on God.

Is it all of God and none of me? Or is it all of me and none of God or is it a 50 -50 deal? Well, I'm not going to try and fix the percentage wise of this thing, but I'm quite sure that this morning that the Lord kind of stressed upon me to Keep reminding you of our personal responsibility in our spiritual life.

The Word of God and Personal Spiritual Discipline

Again, no man that ever lived ever had a bigger Bible than you have. I don't care how he expounded it. You can take me to. I have a number of books in my office. I'd like more but I have a couple of thousand my wife thinks I was about 1 ,999 too many.

To stay with this one book, but anyhow, I look at all those learned men there and I think of well look Spurgeon what what did they publish recently about? 55 enormous volumes of Spurgeon sermons and each of them have about 50 sermons in so that's that's an enormous range of stuff that he Got again out of the Word of God.

Then you you go to Adam Clark and you see Adam Clark brought these great volumes of exposition. But the fact is that none of them ever had a bigger word than you and I have. All they did was use it better.

There's a there's a very fine Commentary by Albert Barnes. Albert Barnes did all his studying between 5 in the morning and 8 o 'clock. He wrote the whole commentary between 5 in the morning and 8 o 'clock when his mind was fresh.

You know, I hear so many people say oh, I'm a nightbird. Do you know I? Part of that is weakness. It's not strength. You'll find in the Word of God the great men of God. Repeatedly a read of Joshua read of Jeremiah.

They rose early in the morning. We love that hymn here, don't we? Holy Holy Holy Lord God Almighty. Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee, you know. Once you're up and dressed and you've had a nice day.

It doesn't take any moral courage or strength or decision to say well you all go to bed. I'm gonna sit here and read read my Bible read something else. That's the easiest thing in the world. I Don't like parodies, but somebody no, I won't even quote it.

But the fact is again that it's a hard thing to drive your own resurrection every morning. You see you can be a spirit filled as you like the Holy Ghost isn't going to lift you out of bed at 4 or 5 o 'clock.

You've got to make that decision and mornings like this. It's not always easy. It's still so nice and snug, you know. Even if you get up, maybe you go over bathe and then say oh I could take 50 moments.

We'll get in bed again, you know, and we don't like to think it's weakening to the flesh and yet it's a lack of discipline. Now if the Christian life calls for anything and again, I don't care which great man you look to you can look to.

Wesley Finney. Any of the great characters they have been men of discipline. What's the difference between men on the football field or other field the man that disciplines himself is the man who excels always.

And I've got to have control of my spirit of my mind and my body. I am in control. It's my mind. It's my spirit. It's my body. Now let's turn over to Hebrews and to the second chapter. Let me remind you again that this this epistle.

As much as issues by evangelists very often. They they come thundering down on the third verse of chapter 2. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation that has nothing whatever to do with unsafe people?

The book is addressed in the third chapter verse 1. Wherefore holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling. Consider the Apostle and high priest of our perfect profession. So the book is addressed to holy brethren.

It has got nothing at all to do with people in the world. Again, let me remind you that after the Acts of the Apostles the whole balance of the New Testament is to the church. There's no epistle to sinners.

The whole of the New Testament apart from Matthew Mark Luke and John is trying to get the Church of Jesus Christ into shape. Trying to show us our responsibility trying to show us our obligations. Now notice the stress here in verse Pardon me in verse 1.

Wherefore we who's the we the folk mentioned in chapter 3 verse 1. We believe us we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard. Lest at any time we should let them slip. Then jump to verse 3.

How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation? Now how great is that salvation? Well, it goes on in a verse to say Which of the first began to be spoken by the Lord. Number one number two. It was confirmed unto us by them that heard him and number three God also bearing them witness with signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost or the margin says distribution of the gifts of the Holy Ghost according to his own will.

Now we need to stress that. We talk about Romans chapter 8 and what is it verse. Well, let me check it and see Romans 8. I think verse 26 or maybe not down in verse 26. Verse 27 he that searcheth the hearts north.

What is the mind of the Spirit because he that is the Spirit maketh intercession for us the Saints. According to the will of God there's the determining factor in everything in our lives. The Holy Spirit prays according to the will of God.

Here the gifts verse 4 again of chapters 2 are distributed according to the will of God. I Don't think of any right to tell God what to give me. I Can cover it earnestly? Part me the best gifts according to the will of God for my particular life.

There may be some gifts. I don't need. There may be some gifts. I don't have. I don't need. And therefore I need to find God's will and pray so until those things are made real in my life. But where to?

Buy me again. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation. Now we have to comprehend to the degree made possible in Two ways by our intellects partly and by revelation. Now many of you have been to Bill Goffin's meetings.

And I stayed in Bill Goffin's home, and he was a schoolboy as a matter of fact I said something over the table that night. And he said that as soon as Ravenhill said that I got hold of it, and it's been a guiding factor in my life.

He said that quite recently to one of the most famous men in America and that man told me he said you said over the Supper table one night the secret of the Christian life is obedience and Bill said I grasped that and decided I would be obedient now that was a turning point in his life according to what he said, but The other factor was this that at that time in school.

He was not smart to use a common phrase. He was not smart. And So he made up his mind that he would sulk himself in the Word of God because as it says in verse 12 of chapter 4 The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword.

Piercing even to the dividing a center of soul and spirit into the joints and joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart. Now the thoughts and intents of his heart at that time with ease I'm going to get on a course, and I'm going to be obedient to everything that God tells me and Included in that was the fact that God was going to insist that again.

He be a disciplined man. And so he began to memorize the Word of God. I've often said no man is smart. Who knows everything in the world about philosophy and all the other things that go around? Psychology all the other side of parapsych or anything you like.

No money smart who knows all the intricacies of psychology and doesn't know the Word of God. No man is dumb who knows the Word of God and doesn't know the other thing. For after all isn't this book just God's wisdom and.

What bill did I understand what my bought my boy? David did too without knowing that bill had done it anyhow, but that he made up his mind to master the book of Proverbs. Now there's a thing I recommend to you.

It's so full of counsel. It's so full of wisdom. It's so full of gems or pearls or whatever you want to call them. Little little nuggets of truth that come up so many times in life. Exhortations. Corrections provocations.

Inspirations things that would go this on. And therefore if we know that Word of God, we're going to make it's going to make us wise unto salvation. And being wise unto salvation keeps us from 10 ,000 snares in other areas.

Growing in Grace and Knowledge

Now again, what responsibility what what? Proportion of responsibility is mine. In developing my Christian life in the last verse of the second epistle of Peter it says. But growing grace, I'm in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now there are some people growing grace, and they don't grow in knowledge. There are some people growing knowledge, but they don't growing grace. I've met people are literally walking Bibles, but you know what they were brittle and sour and critical and and hard to get on with.

They were just so full of knowledge that they'd made a kind of fortress of their particular say eternal security or or pre-millennium is on a something or Pre-tribulation rapture and boy they could fight with both hands and both feet if you got in their way, then you're going to get kicked around.

That they're just full of knowledge, but it is not balanced with grace with gentleness with meekness and with love. Now that other people say oh, I don't care much about doctrine. I've heard people say that on TV.

We we don't bother with doctrine. Well, you're better. Because the word of God tells us the way to take heed to sound doctrine. There's so much false doctrine around That I need to be fortified with sound doctrine.

But sound doctrine is not a weapon a club by which I'd beat you into submission. And I I feel that I've you know, I've vanquished your idea. There's an old saying it's better to lose an argument and win a man than win an argument and lose a man.

Now that doesn't mean that you compromise in your theology not at all. I noticed this morning's news said that the Pope in Hungary is Getting those people around he's a Not had any reception like he's had anywhere else.

It's a communist country, but he's trying to say, you know, there's not much difference really between Islam and and between The Jews and us we all believe in God and Islam at least recognizes Jesus Christ.

Boy, isn't it? Nice you put it all down. You don't have any. You know. Somebody said recently. Oh, well, where are the prophecies? What do they protest against these? They're just about nothing. Now there's a way to protest as a way not to protest.

I don't believe in protesting with guns and taking a militant attitude like that. But we're to contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints. That's an obligation on us. Not another faith that would deliver to me in my particular church necessary.

But the faith once delivered to the Saints which again is the Word of God. Now we need to keep this balance grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And when you put those two together, it's like you don't hop around on one leg.

I. Awfully expensive. Why don't you try hopping on one leg? And when you've worn that sure I'd hop on the other. You say that's ridiculous. I know we try to walk on one leg so very often, don't we? Growing grace and balance it with the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ now.

Building Up the Most Holy Faith

The question again is how do I build up myself? Look at what it says there in? In the epistle of Jude. The epistle of Jude is really an epitome of the whole of the Old Testament. It's a book that you could very very easily in my judgment a book you could very very easily memorize.

Let's look at that from verse 17. It's the last book before Revelation in case you Bugged about that. I don't suppose you are but there it is. Verse 17 but beloved. Remember ye the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How that they told you there should be markers in the last time who should walk after their own ungodly lust. These be they who separate themselves sensual having not the spirit now. Here's a gap between there and the next verse.

But ye beloved building up yourselves on your most holy faith. Praying in the Holy Ghost. Praying in the Holy Ghost there are two things in that verse obviously. Building up yourselves on your most holy faith.

Praying in the Holy Ghost will come to the praying in the Holy Ghost later. Now doesn't that put an obligation on you. Doesn't it put an obligation on me building up yourself on your most holy faith. Again, I don't have me over here.

Maybe 24 20 people this morning. 24 25 people. Okay? There is no way in which all of us are going to march. We're all marching to one tune in one sense that there is no way in which let me change the figure.

We're all going to grow in grace. I'm in the knowledge of Jesus Christ at the same rate. For instance you take 25 seeds and put them in the ground to get the same rain to get the same sunshine. And and one comes up tall like this the other thin one goes fat the other small.

Or take children around the table. You feed them all the same and one skinny. And it doesn't matter how you say you need to eat more and he eats more and eats more. He doesn't get any it doesn't get any fatter.

My wife says sometimes if she if she looks at the menu. She puts weight on nearly. I don't I. I get I get away with it pretty good. I think for my age particularly too. You know yeah as you get older you Ask a gentleman at the back.

He has a problem. Maybe with a bit of weight. Some people do some of us don't. Nothing to do with our mentality. It's the way you're built. It's glandular trouble. Other problems. But when it comes down to the spiritual life, it is not like that.

Now again all the disciples did not grow at the same rate. We just read Peter. Peter finishes his two epistles by saying again now keep your balance. Growing grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now he says something that no other Apostle said as far as I remember. He says we what I witness is of his majesty. Why. I've heard people say God doesn't have any favorites. You know oh, I think he always had.

I think he always will have. How many disciples were there? Oh? Two of you know. With school needs pushing along. No you're a bit shy. All right. Twelve disciples. Jesus went to the house where Jairus his daughter was dead and he took with him.

How many disciples. Who did he take? Peter James and John. He went on to the mount of transfiguration, and he took with him. Okay, he went into the garden of Gethsemane, and he took with him. Well why why didn't he take the other nine.

Oh? Jesus you're discriminating man. He couldn't have done that this day. They'd have had a union after him or somebody. Discrimination. You're not doing the right thing. Was it that he detected in some of them are keen at appetite.

After all isn't this part of growing in grace. What. What's a part of growing in grace hungering and the first thing after righteousness. Sometimes I eat when I'm not when I don't even feel hungry. But I know there's a certain amount of input I have to I have to have.

There are certain things which will feed my body that are certain things. Fish and other kind of things supposed to stimulate the mind. Well, I should eat a whale if that's the thing. But by the same token that has to be an intake.

All right. Jesus took with him Peter and James and John. Why? Maybe detected they had a greater hunger, but you think of that awesome experience. They had on the mount of transfiguration. It never never dimmed in the mind of Peter.

He's riding years after and he says we were with him on that Holy Mount. We saw him. We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Now the awful thing about that is this again, and and it just shows again. You can't live on the peak spot in your life.

Only Peter says we were eyewitness of his majesty. Only Peter denied his Lord as far as I can see in a vehement way. Anyhow, you see the whole danger is so often. We want to live in an ecstatic Ecstatic experience.

Well wasn't it he who said well, why don't we stay here and build three tabernacles. Wouldn't you like to do that I? Mean after all it's not too bad living around here. Is it bit rough at times, but I mean wouldn't you rather be here than say in Iran right now as a missionary or?

Cambodia or Hellhole like well Cambodia or Vietnam. But a lot of our brothers and sisters there today. They don't have a shirt to the back that are picking junk out of garbage heaps in order to live. Women trying to feed the babies and they've no milk to give them.

They watch other children dying. Hmm boy some folk have it rough. And yet these boys always spouting about God wants you to prosper and everything else. Well, if if that's a sign God isn't very careful about some of his children in Russia and China and elsewhere today.

No, no, no not. It's easy to sing. Turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face. The things of earth will grow straight into the live. But I'll tell you this unless you keep your eye on him the things of earth have a tremendous pull on us, too.

And not only in material sense, but prosperity. Look at that brother over there. He even round a gap. He gets a lot easier jobs than I get or that fellow in the office doesn't have as much work as I have.

And once you start looking to the right and the left you're in trouble. That's why you see when you get this awesome. And I think it is awesome awesome catalog of people in Hebrews 11. What an amazing bunch they are.

And then the 12th chapter says looking unto Jesus. The Greek says looking off. Looking off those men. They were marvelous men, but they were very imperfect men again. Nor got drunk. Abraham told a lie.

David committed adultery. Look at the bunch true. They're all spotted. They're there not to show us what supermen they were they're there to show us that even if you've got a serious crack in your life God's able to fill it in and use you again and make you a vessel unto honor.

You don't keep blundering and deliberately getting cracks in your life, but if there's been one. Just because somehow you fell into temptation and trial and you got down. I Have a letter I didn't read it this morning from a man that I met just About a month ago.

He came in our meetings with a Towering figure of a man very imposing character a man about I think about 40 years of age. And he never squeezed my hand off. He says Oh brother a male if I wanted to see you for years a few years ago I was one of the most successful Baptist preachers in the country and and where I went they you couldn't get the crowds.

They opened the windows folks to the stood outside and so forth and so on and then somehow I think he got a cocktail or something and from that he began to drink and from that he went down and he lost everything.

Lost his home lost his children. The only thing his wife has stood through thick and thin. The only thing he didn't do was commit adultery, but he broke about every other law in the book. And he said I can't believe that once I was up there in power and authority.

And then I went got the skids and down. I went like that and I stayed like that. I stayed in that state of misery. I stayed in that state of bondage. For years until somebody gave me a couple instead of revival tariffs and immediately.

I somehow I sensed hope. And from that time he said I began to search. I Think I began to feel this hungering and this thirsting. Now he said I'm not aspiring to be restored as a preacher. I'm aspiring to get into that close relationship with God that I had before.

I have an insatiable appetite for the Word of God. I I sleep a little and I eat much of the word. I explore the word. My prayer life is balancing. So again, it's it's growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Keeping Ourselves in the Love of God

But here is human responsibility it is not all God's responsibility that I mature in grace. Again, you bring your children to the table. Do they all eat? One of them can't wait is his eyes open before you finish grace.

And if you if you opened yours, you might find him popping something in his mouth while you say grace. He just can't wait to eat. No, no, no, no, no, let's get going. The other one sits there and says I think we've a ball match.

You know our teacher was fun. Now come on. Oh, yes. Yes, and he eats a little bit and he said, you know what? I think I think I should I should swap some of my stamps and you say would you mind just eating your lunch?

You've almost to get his nose down and I'll put a feed bag on him to get him to eat. The other guys gobbling it up. Well, it's same here. It doesn't matter what school you go to some of us sit back and relax some of us have a incurable insatiable thirst for the Word of God but again.

The exhortation here in Jude is but beloved. Building yourselves up on your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost now. How do I be it build myself up in that that's the crux of the matter, isn't it?

How do I build myself up in my most holy faith? Well, let's keep in the context verse 21 says Keep yourself In the love of God. That's one way to build yourself up. Keep yourself in the love of God. Well, all right, but the radio how do you keep yourself in the love of God?

Well. Isn't it? Isn't it? John that says in his I think his first epistle chapter 5 somewhere there. Oh, here's one way to keep yourself in the love of God if you love me you will Keep my commandment.

All right, if you're going over a field and up north it's already happened the roads have become. Well, not quite impossible. But anyhow, you can't see the boundary line and you're very thankful that there are some markers down the side of the road.

And you try and keep between those markers. Otherwise, you're going to go down in the ditch or get into trouble. So you've got some boundary lines. Well, then keep yourself in the love of God how? Because if you love me, you'll keep my commandments you'll keep yourself in the boundary lines of the Word of God.

Well, how can you do that? If you don't know the Word of God? You've got to know it and I'm not just be able to say oh. Let me flip over to this chapter a flip over that but somewhere you store it back in your mind I guess the smart folk would say in the repressed complex of your subconscious.

Anyhow, that's a little box you have there. And you can you can store things there because you see the Holy Ghost will bring through to remembrance. What's rather things we've won? We've learned of him.

If I asked you what is 2 Chronicles 7 14 most likely, you know, what is it? All right, my people are all right, but what is 2 Chronicles 7 21? Now the Holy Ghost can't bring it back because you never learned it.

But if you have it there in your mind back. You talk about a quick reflex. You talk about having a computer. There's no computer. You know, your brain has about 3 million cells. No, I think it's 3 trillion now.

Somebody said they've upped it recently inflation that. All those cells now you say they're not all working. Well, maybe they need something to stick in them. You know, you need to stick a verse of Scripture in everyone and if you did you'd be you get the whole book.

It's amazing how little of the Word of God we have really. As we say committed to memory or they used to say in the old days learned by heart in the days of Diocletian there was a very famous man a preacher and.

And he said to himself one day. The situation is going to get so bad and Caesar is going to start opposing the Christ. But after all we live in one kingdom of the other the kingdom of Jesus kingdom of Caesar and he said I see Caesar.

He's getting a bigger grip. Like we say the government is getting a bigger grip. And so he said what I'm going to do. I'm going to commit So many books of the Bible to memory and one day the day came when it was it was a horrid wicked vile thing.

They used to do but they did it. They burned his eyes out. They used to put a poker in the eye and burn out the eye and when they've done that and somebody Commiserated with him and said well, isn't this a vile thing?

And now you can't read your Bible. He said I don't need to. I got it all in there. I've got it all in there. If you go to New York, you'll see some Jewish boys with little flat hats and black rubbery long curls down here.

You know, and I believe it is a law. Amongst that I don't know the Hasiak Jews were in the world. They are the one sect of the Jews and you know what they will do. They memorize the first five books of the Bible.

The first five books of Moses which because Moses is there almost their Christ at least. He was their great emancipator. He was the savior of the nation physically and therefore they've memorized. Well, the psalmist isn't it the psalmist who says thy word of.

I hid in my heart that what? I'm I not sin against thee. When when I go to the door in a shopping center, you know these these doors you just get there the door opens. I always think of Peter going in prison the door opened of its own accord.

But you know. It's exactly like that with the Word of God. If you have the Word of God by word of I hid in my heart when I come into a situation that red light's gonna flash. Because I've hidden his word in my heart.

And they can't why have I hidden his work. Because I love him. I've known people girls who the first love letter they got. Some of you never had them maybe but cheer up. It could happen even though gap you wouldn't know but you know, I've known girls who memorize the first love letter they ever got.

Man, they turn it over and turned it over and read it till it was you know. It needed to be retyped if you get one like that make 50 copies because you were the first one out. But you know this love letter.

Well, well, isn't this what God's Word is really to us? It is a love letter. Now if I'm going to build myself up on my most holy faith, I must know what that faith is. I can only know what that faith is by the Word of God and by the revelation of the Spirit on that Word of God.

Keep yourselves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. Now look at verse 24. Verse 20 21 says keep yourselves in the love of God. Verse 24 says no unto him that is able to keep you from falling.

Now there's the divine side. But you see we don't appropriate all the riches that are in Jesus Christ. 1 John 5 21 says little children keep yourselves. What? From idols. Well, if you keep yourself from idols, you're going to build yourself up in your most holy faith, aren't you?

Some people get idols even amongst preachers. Oh, I go a thousand miles to hear so-and-so. They won't go a hundred yards to hear another one. I don't think that's right. Unless you're coming to hear me, but apart from that no, that's not right.

Oh. There are other idols you say I don't have any idols. Look the thing that you love more than you love Jesus Christ. I would suggest that the one you talk about more than you talk about Jesus Christ has become an idol.

I've read something of Pascal. Pascal. I thought I got about half a dozen of his books last year. It's a very remarkable man. He died that about I'm not sure. I think he died about 39 good night. He'd lived about a dozen lives in the 39 years.

He'd explored so many things. Is a super intellectual sure enough. But Pascal said that perfection is made up of trifles, but perfection itself is no trifle. It's made up of trifles. Again as the good book said it's the little foxes that spoil the vine.

Eh, it's the little things that will. You know. You don't need the Sahara Desert in your idea. If you do you won't get it. But I'll tell you what if you get one grain of sand from the Sahara Desert, you'll think you've got the desert in your eyes.

That one tiny little thing can knock your eye out of kilter. And you know what when this eye begins to cry this brother over here I fellowship with it and he begins to cry as well and you discover that not one eye goes weeping.

But before long they're both going with and then what you do you you're stalled you can't do anything. So a little grain that is so small that sometimes they have to take an enormous Magnifying glass, you know if you have to go with a bit of steel or something that gets right on the retina.

Sometimes they put a machine. We didn't really machine it. It's it's not a telescope. It's an enormous magnifying glass and then they can see that little thing which is totally invisible to the naked eye.

But it's paralyzing your sight and it's giving you pain and making you feel sick all over. Now some things as trivial as that coming up and say upset the Christian life there are some things which should not upset me at all.