An Exhortation to Church Members — Rolfe Barnard

The Need for Spiritual Healing

1960, in the month of October, I hadn't been home a few days, and my boss made me mow the lawn. He was saying, what is that thing? He took me to a clinic, and the doctors told me that they're God-called pastors, and I believe they're God-called evangelists, and I think we've got the same job.

The Deep Needs of a Disordered Society

From God, that so many of us are hurting. That's a sign there's something dead wrong. I borrowed the money to get a specialist treatment. There's an outfit in Rochester, Minnesota, and got a specialist to come and examine my mother.

So he could have lied about 30 years later. Medical science could do it. I had people lay hands on me and pray for me. I was anointed with oil, I believe, and those things don't know about you. But it didn't do me any good.

When you're hurting, all those are everywhere now, and I think that we must be having done a very good job. Thank God for any blessing. Inside and outside, government, home, church, and school. We must be conscious of the fact that the deepest needs of the disorder are going to be responsible.

So much. I've said that, I don't know whether I should have or not, but I'm constantly trying to help people. Hear me? Because I've got sense enough to know. I'm going against years of tradition. A little peanut preacher from the message.

The Exalted Lord Who Will Return in Judgment

I want to seize upon in this description of the exalted Lord once again with this world. He came one time to die. He's coming again to judge. Now it's in judgment. I'm in guilt to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Salvation Through Surrender to Christ

I haven't got a nickel. He owns all the money. Isn't that silly? You ought to use your talents for the Lord. That's not biblical. Simply enough, he can take somebody, make better music on an old country crosscut saw.

And some talent. Take his knife and scrape off that little skin. Can't do that now. The difference is the people are now. The water, me and you. We ain't got no money. We can't give him some of our talents.

We don't have any in ourselves. God help us. The only response is to dethrone myself. To resign as the governor of the universe. To cease trying to play God. Language of description that my Lord will let him deny himself.

Not make a good gift or an orphan's home. Or do a little sex. That won't get you anywhere. But the presence of the Father in the throne. But a bloodstained Jesus. That's salvation. I want one crown to have been placed on his head.

I want a rock barn of what there is of me. Warden of all in faith. From being your utter Lord. What we call salvation is the establishment of the sovereign rule of Christ in one. I know that this whole universe was created to echo.

Just been saying one thing in the hope that it makes some contribution to the creation. Would make himself gain. Attend our church services. Would make him under his discipline in the church. A written head of the church.

The Gospel's Claims on Those Who Hear It

Most of my race is wrong. I'm telling you that the Indians in Oklahoma. Women sit on one side. Men on the other. Most of them sit there and smoke Oklahoma. Listen to him. Then he'd go back to his teepee.

And he had sense enough to know. Some of the something wonderful of what God has done. And is doing. But that it has claims. And demands. And a call. Two things. He'd just have to shut his ears. He'd say well that's called for some response from me.

The Native Chief Offers His Most Prized Possessions

And the old Indians trying to figure out. Trying to figure out what he could do. Finally thought he had it. He got his favorite prized hunting rifle. And he oiled it up. Or whatever you do to a rifle.

And got it where it shined. And he cradled it in his arms. Like a little girl with a doll. Listen to the Jesus man. Said hear Jesus man. Jesus man said no tee. Went back to his teepee. Didn't know what to do.

But he kept listening. Said it's done for him. And he got his most prized possession. He kept his heart. He got his most prized hunting moccasins. And made them shine. So he could look like a mirror. Man said hear Jesus man.

You tell me what Jesus do for me. I bring my rifle. Me say me give my rifle to Jesus. You say Jesus no what? Jesus no take. Me bring my moccasins. Me give them to Jesus. He said no chief Jesus no want your moccasins.

He won't take them. Went back and for days. Didn't come out of his. Merged and went into the presence of the Jesus man. Said Jesus man you tell me what Jesus do for me. I want to do for. I want to do something for Jesus.

Me bring my rifle. Jesus no take. Jesus man said yes take you. Ladies and gentlemen. That's all you. Nothing about giving yourself. Which members that come to the house of God on Sunday morning to worship God.

True Worship and Submission in the Church

This isn't a worship service. The only worship service in the New Testaments around the Lord's table. That's the truth. Some sort of an experience. Nothing really committed to the redemption. Redemptive.

There's nothing but hailing of my son. Word of my son. The glory of Christ. Church made up of undisciplined role. Not mine. God. Well, there's just no hope for you. And that's the gospel. That's what?

The Call to Repentance Cannot Be Delayed

Yeah. Undisciplined. Right. You got sent nothing. I try to do this in the army. Fire curtain. You're calling him now. Hey, but you ought to do it now. Those men thrown him. Place a crown on his head. Prince in England.

The Trinity and the Mystery of God

They were trying to unravel the mystery of the myth of the Trinity. Trinity. God is what didn't have all his wish. When the congregation met, he met with them. Somebody thought he was misbehaving. He had him a pencil and piece of paper and he's crippling something on the paper.

And one of the wardens, I guess we'd call him inertia. He slipped up beside him and kept him on the shoulder and reprimanded him and took his paper and pencil away from him and took it up to the preacher's desk.

Like you used to do when I went to country school. Keep on trying to unravel how God could be one and yet print the paper and read it. You said silly Billy wasn't misbehaving. So here's what silly Billy's written.

A Young Preacher Confronts an Old Man's Resistance

That one of theological seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Year 1929. I was a student there. And it weighs the fault, not a virtue. As you buy and never see. I'm thinking something a thousand miles away. I'm not proud of this, but it's so.

I had my head down and I walked across. I'll be in behind. He said, Rafa, you're very busy. I said, well, I don't know. He said, could you come to my room a little while? He said, but don't talk. Somebody think I'll go crazy.

Ordinarily, he's from the seminary campus. And then on Friday out in a nice little parsonage. He tried to be pastor of a church over the weekend. Here it come back. But this week is old daddy. He'd been saved.

He'd never been allowed to go back home. Devout in the religion of his father. So he'd talk a little bit. And then pretty soon, my daddy would say, Hyman. And he'd call Hyman by his Russian Jewish name.

I can't pronounce it. He'd say, Hyman, my firstborn. Came, I rushed home as quickly as I could from school. Sitting in the front room, a suitcase. Most time for the train. Took my old daddy loose. He said, Hyman, you can have your clothes sent later.

Don't make me go home to mama without you. If you've ever seen him, he's powerful, man. Hyman had me. Said I had to take it by main strength. Disengage my daddy's arms. Reach down, get the suitcase. Come on, dad.

Went and got in the car. Put his suitcase up on the whatever you call it. He put his hand on the rail and embraced me. I could feel it bumping. Kill mama. I can't help you. Get on the train with me. I'll buy the ticket.

We'll send for your thing. Give it to Jesus and come home with me. Hyman said, Ralph, I had to once again, by the strength of my arms, take my daddy's arms from around me. Anything short of that. And thrown him.

The Final Judgment and the Church's Mission

Oh, there's no way on earth. And the day is coming when the throne of God to him who is. Mount Oakmog, Oklahoma. We were married. The lady, as I went back, held three meetings in that great church. It's a big church.

Holds about 1 ,900 people. It's always full. Has two balconies in the lower floor. Morning is up in the top. In that corner where we are. Come down, office chief. Just make a put. That's basic. Preacher, I cast Sunday morning.

If anything has been dropping, souls have been brought into the kingdom of God's desire. And I preach. And soon as I preach, I say, pastor, you'll have to take the invitation. First balcony up the steps into the second balcony.

It's trembling like a leaf. I said one more time, said preacher, this afternoon it's free. In Jesus' name, I commit myself and this congregation to worship on and on.