How God Gets Men Lost — Rolfe Barnard

I was once in the forest saving the sinner, but if Christ the Redeemer said...

Something else was scattered, and then we'll have to look at the scriptures above it for a moment to find out. Referring to the verse says, For because I am ever best to save, I say it again, the popular gospel of the day is, As far as the Son of Man is come, on a definite mission, on a definite thing.

Christ Came to Seek and Save the Lost

Aspect has two aspects, come at it in two different ways. He came down here to seek, and to save that which was lost. He came down here to try to seek, but he came down here to seek. He came down here to try to save, but he came down here to save.

It's startling for a preacher to say that most people are not lost. People are exactly where they ought to be. They're happy there, they're getting along fine, thank you. If you do not think so, you just tackle them.

They'll soon acquaint you with the fact that it's none of your business. They do not wish to be bothered. They sleep well at night. They have their beliefs, and they believe them. And they have their doubts, and they doubt them.

Zacchaeus and the Evidence of Lostness

But the verse just above, verse 9, of course, explains verse 10. What kind of folks are these folks? Not to make an effort to, but to do it. The 9th verse, of course, explains. There's one who is the same kind of person that this fellow Zacchaeus was.

And when this man, Zacchaeus, being sure that the Lord Jesus was passing by, he sought to see him, who he was. End of all endeavor, find out who the Lord is. I said he is so-and-so, the preacher said he's so-and-so.

He sought to see him, who he was. And there was such a crowd following the Lord on the journey that Zacchaeus, being sure of the statue, of course, couldn't see him. And he was determined to see him. And he ran ahead of the procession, climbed up the sycamore tree.

And when the Lord came to the place, Zacchaeus, down, said, I must abide in thy house this night. Zacchaeus did, and the Lord Jesus went home with him. And he ventured to say that the religious people, who finally wound up the murderers of the Son of God, were enraged in it because they said the Lord went to beguess with a man who was a sinner.

But the Lord Jesus, in verse 9, answered the murmuring and the accusation and the hostility a little bit of these religious people who didn't like it because he had dealt with Zacchaeus. And in verse 9, the Lord said, This day is salvation come to this house, so much as he also is a son of Abraham.

Abraham's Covenant and the Doctrine of Election

He made a covenant with a man by the name of Abraham. That night he took Abraham out. The record, of course, is in Genesis 15. He said, Abraham, look up and give me the number of the stars. Abraham said, I can't count them, they're too many.

And the Lord said, that's the way it will be with your seed. The first time the gospel was preached, the covenant, God preached it to Abraham. And when we turn over to the book of Galatians, chapter 3, we find out that the Lord was made a curse upon the people, and the blessing of Abraham is Jesus Christ.

In short, whether we like it or not, God made a curse with a man by the name of Abraham and promised to give him a seed that could not count them, even as the stars. And it turned out that this man gave Abraham in that covenant.

From God's standpoint, the Lord answered these people and said, I'll tell you why I went to visit in the house of this man Zacchaeus, and why salvation! For salvation is Christ, and Christ went to stay all night with him, and since Christ is salvation, the Lord could say, since I'm there, salvation's there!

And he said, I did it, the reason is that he's Abraham. It's the doctrine of election where they hate that word, so it's been talked about now. And I can remind them of Abraham's covenant, and they dare not say that's not in the Bible.

And I got them, you see. And I haven't said, Amen! And if I mentioned the word election, they'd get a ton of break-and-fall on me with it, and I just do it. I hope nobody will get offended. Now, Brother Barnes, do you understand that?

No, no. No, no. I just rejoice in it. That back of the salvation of any human being is the eternal purpose of Almighty God. And if you don't have that to stand on, you haven't got anything, because your frame of mind will change a dozen times a day.

But if you can rest on this, it's a good resting place. A dear woman came up to me in great umbrage and confusion one evening, and she said, I hadn't mentioned the word, but somebody told her that I believed in the doctrine of God's saving election.

And she came and said, Brother Barnes, I just can't understand it. I said, Move over, sister. Neither can I. But she said, But, Brother Barnes, I wish you'd try to explain it a little bit. I said, It's unexplainable.

But I said, Are you mad about it? She said, No, I know it's in the book, but I just can't understand it. And I said, Maybe I can help you just a little bit if you want a bit of help. Of course, if you want to fight God, there ain't much hope for a fellow like that.

He don't want help. He wants encouragement to fight a little more. And I don't want to do that. I asked her this question. I said, Sister, you see. She said, I have reason to believe I am. I said, You're pretty sure you are.

She said, I think so. I believe I am. My hope is I am. And I said, Well, who saved you? And she said, Well, the Lord God saved me. And I said, Well, did he do it on purpose or was it an accident? And she said, Blessedly true people, Brother Barnes, it aren't all men lost or between the eternities are the people whom God gave Abraham.

And he hadn't found them yet. If God Almighty in one description of your loss that he'll have to bring you four Bible truths. I just wouldn't be surprised if he don't love people nearly as much as we do.

Never to witness to anybody with the slightest reservation is not willing as much as we do. Sometimes in great panic the salvation of all men. God is detached to go to all the trouble and he uses with the abstinence from God.

The Desperate Recognition of Sin

About there you'll be safe. I talk to people and say, Brother Barnes, I know I'm lost. You're telling me a story, honey. If I'm speaking to anybody that night you really believed you was lost, you wouldn't let me preach.

You'd start screaming right now. God have mercy on me. You'd better quit kidding yourself. If it ever dawned on you just that David Brainerd, the father of modern missions, he died when he was 29 years of age.

Some people wanted to say that they weren't willing to take somebody else's word that they were saved, that they weren't willing to go through some motions and call it salvation. This man wanted to get to the place where he was dead at night that he could have some hope that he had a saving interest in the merits of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

His biography that was written by Jonathan Edwards, the modern missionary movement, every last one of them got their encouragement from the ministry of this man who prayed himself to death at the time he was 29.

On the white snows of the state of New York, Brainerd was a man who saw that Brainerd wasn't, he'd be a peculiar person now. Now people tell me they want to be saved, but they're not Bible searchers. They don't search.

They seem to think that sometimes something's going to whiz a little bit and they'll have some sort of peculiar experience and they probably will and go to hell trusting that experience. But here was a man wanting to write with God to find out how he could be right with God.

Jonathan Edwards, father-in-law, David never married, he was in love with Jonathan Edwards' daughter. But he thought that he couldn't be married and serve the Lord among the Indians and so he gave up his love.

He spent his life ministering to the wicked, hard-drinking, witch-ridden Indian people in upper New York State. Jonathan Edwards said that he'd always thanked God that he had the privilege of having David Brainerd die in his home and had the privilege of being by his bedside most of the waking and sleeping hours for the several days it took the man as he hemorrhaged his lifeblood.

He said it was the greatest experience he'd ever been through being in the presence of that saint of the life to come. It was also Jonathan Edwards who said of David Brainerd that any interpretation of the gospel of the glory of God that would make the contribution of giving to a generation of David Brainerd was God's pleasure especially in that hour.

In David Brainerd's search to have some assurance that he did have he personally interest in the shed blood of Christ. Hear me now! David Brainerd said he'd do my picture taking photographer he'll do his best to make me look better than I do.

Some things he'll touch up all the blemishes and things if he wants to sell pictures. He'll make you out then you'll I never have met a mother that'd tell the truth about her boy. Never met a father that'd tell the truth about his daughter.

First mother to meet that had a bad boy. Got my first father to meet that had a bad boy. At this human nature and you'll never get a real honest look. I was thinking I was a pretty nice fella said Paul.

Everything the lost sinner can't do but there's one thing I know he can do. Can you read? If you can't get somebody to read it, go ahead! Just read it! Read it! Read it! Read it! The place that's where you'll get your club and get rid of God if that's possible or you'll throw up your hands and you face the utter strangeness of God's holy law.

Is there mercy for me? In outward conduct go to hell. The law demands perfection in inward motive. No hope for me. Thy neighbor as thy strict it is. The whole shootin' match of you'll go right straight.

And a man's got to be bad at it. Bad at God. Children say glory hallelujah lost in himself. In the mirror of your neighbor. And this generation doesn't feel any need of a savior. Ask the holy lord if anybody'll ever have the slightest conception of his need of a savior.

The fact I lost is a sin. God's commands. He cannot do it. Injury! Preaching the word of God! Dead in irony! Against the truth! God almighty demands faith. Man cannot produce it. Man's got downright angry with God.

I read he argued with God. It's not for God to demand perfection when I cannot produce it. Maybe it's not right. But God demands perfection. And then this David Raymond said it's not fair! You see he is interested but I like seat centers get interested and nothing there.

To argue with God a little bit anything except this taking everything for granted. With God it's not fair! By exercising faith when the center hadn't got any faith that I produced what I hadn't got! God cannot produce exactly what God does.

No man can get in my club and try to kill God or he can look that in the face and it'll wipe the smile off your girl's face right quick. If you face this you can get vitally united to Jesus Christ and thus have a right to claim an interest in what he did on the cross.

Is by an exercise of faith and you haven't got any faith to exercise. We remember that God will not let you go and be sent to hell. Man's in a pretty bad shape but he's got the ability himself to get out of it.

He may be in a bad shape but he can run! This generation doesn't feel it's need of Christ of America what I'm preaching tonight shall not a generation of souls that they saved and fell and all of that and God will spew you out of his mouth with a fire from heaven and not argue with anything but get concerned that the reason that generation of people inside the church and out will not seek the spiritness of that condition.

If I'm so loved by God but I can be saved by faith and I can produce magic well I'm still not in too bad shape.

Because I'm pretty well bent up but I can get out of it. But David Brainerd found out that God demands faith and he could not produce it and he got mad at God. The next breath may send you splitting hell wide open.

If you do not exercise faith in Christ you're bound to go. Yet you've got no saving faith to exercise. That ain't fair. But that's how lost you are. Can't make it.

Because he demands faith and you haven't got it. You haven't got it. Come in. Come to you. God has to work it in you. It'll be your faith. It'll be your exercise. But you can't exercise what God doesn't enable you to do.

And the reason this generation of nice church members show no evidence of a seeking heart, they don't think they need to cry to God to get on the blood-stained jeans. They'll do it themselves within time that they can know.

Center to believe in him. That center here, yearning for the word of God, not by memorizing scriptures. The devil believes every word of it. With a confession of faith in most of us professing Christians.

They died and went on back to the kingdom of darkness and hell. But they did say, we know who thou art, thou holy one of Israel. Still died and went to hell. But if anybody here, the preacher including, give that crystal clear profession tonight.

Better listen to me. It's not to memorize in the scripture, believe in a verse. It's hearing God speak to you through the scripture and you say, that's God. And when God speaks, whatever he commands, he enables you to perform.

That's how people are able to exercise saving faith in Christ. Not many of you seeking him. It's something. The fact that God requires faith and you can't produce it. Mr. David Brainerd didn't quit. He kept on searching.

He wrestled with this until he had to submit this is true. You can go to hell if you want to fight with the facts, but this is true. David Brainerd says it so. And then to add in self to injury, David Brainerd kept searching the scripture and he found out that not only does God require perfection and he couldn't produce it, not only does God require faith and he didn't have it, but he found out and this is terrible trying to show you how this ever dawns on you.

God's Sovereignty in Salvation

Start screaming for mercy. He found out that God has a right and that he not only has exercises that right, but the reason this generation, nice little Sunday morning church members, they've never heard what I'm talking to you about.

Well, after this sermon you get your ought to listen to me. God Almighty has got the right and exercises the right to hope you face this till you get tight and spit and mad and do exactly what Mr. Brainerd did and say, God, it's not fair.

I can't be saved apart from faith. I haven't got any faith. I've got to receive it from you and you is the right to receive me or not. But that's the God's truth. I'm talking about how lost, lost people are.

They haven't got saving faith, can't produce it and there's no way on earth they can make God come across. Exercises the right to give theirs in the same community that can get religious drunk. You never preach a sermon, you wouldn't say something like this.

The probabilities are that in the way of seeking the Lord with all of your heart, you may find him. If I got on my knees and ask God to save me, wouldn't he do it? Or why should he? Is he under obligation to?

Has he promised to? No, no. In John chapter 5, the Lord Jesus says, as the Father raises the dead in quickness, whom he will, even so. If you don't excise faith, you're going to hell. The only way you can be able to do it, beg God to grant you the ability.

You have to do it. You have to do it. He's under no obligation to listen to you. He painlessly says, I give life to you. Get mad about that. If that would get you spitting mad, just let me go in one ear and out the other.

You can cry all you want to, but God's under no obligation to hear you. And to make it worse than that, give life. I've had people say, Brother Barnes, that's so, I'll just go on to hell. I said, well, I guess I can't stop you, but I ain't anxious to go to hell as you seem to be.

I never did see a great deal of virtue in cutting off your nose to spite your face in a fax of fact. And it'd be a lot better instead of trying to put God out of business, telling him so and so and so and so and so and so and so and you're just gonna go on to hell.

I don't see that you gain much for that, it might be your face lost. Go to hell. God requires perfection. They can't produce it. How lost are people. It's a loss that God requires faith and they haven't got it.

How lost are sinners? It's a loss that God's under no obligation. Give your faith even when you're asking for it. Do right? Don't have to. God wouldn't be unjust if he sent you to hell tonight. Merciful if he saved you, wouldn't he?

The brain had found out one last thing. God demanded perfection. Couldn't produce it. Lost to it, you're in pretty bad shape. But then to add to it that he requires faith and you can't produce it. But then to add to that that God exercises the right to give or withhold faith.

At the climax Mr. Brain had found out that God could save him or damn him. Be God. God could save him or damn him. No, God don't get glory out of you. He'd just send you to hell. Don't have to save you to be glorified in you.

Wish your brother Barnard had the power a little bit. And I'm facing you the best I can tonight with him. I don't know a thing about your spiritual condition. People think if they quit chewing tobacco and join the church that they're saved.

But that's all that's a matter with them. Or if they mend their ways a little bit and cry a little bit, that'll fix it. Oh, obligation to save a single soul. I'm going to get pending you that. And I robbed him and crippled him and left him to die.

Human Helplessness and the Grace That Comes to the Lost

His people of that hour came by and looked at him and nice advice and went on their way. One fellow came to him and said, Boy, there's a hospital two miles down the road. Just follow this road. You can't miss it.

You get up and go down at that hospital and they'll fix you up. But the poor fellow's legs were broken and he's blind. He couldn't get up and go to the hospital. That's the gospel of America today. Of course you are.

You need somebody to come there where you are. Utterly helpless to make a move. The Bible shuts men up and says there's life in the look. A fellow in that shape do except cry for somebody to come where he is.

Stand up in the shape he ran. Men cry out for God's saving mercy and grace. Now they're in such a bad shape. They're going to do something about it themselves. They're not lost. And thus they do not cast themselves on my Lord.

Damn you. I'm not going to quit. I'm going to keep on calling. I'm going to keep on trusting. You've got a right to pass me by. But I'm on your hands. I can't get up and do it myself. Blind as a bat and dead.

Can't move. Son of David, do for me where I am what I cannot do for myself. In the gospel of the grace of God. Every time he finds a fellow got both legs broken, his ribs caved in, his eyes dialed out, and he can't walk, he can't see, and he can't get up and do it himself.

But bless God, there he is. And he said, Oh, my son of David, show me. The gospel of grace. The Lord who came to seek and to save that which was lost. And once while he finds one, and he goes down there in the ditch where they are, bless God, and puts his everlasting arms underneath them and carries them safely home.

That's the gospel. That's the gospel. That's the gospel of God's grace. God saves lost people. People that cannot produce themselves. People that cannot keep his holy law. People who cannot work faith within themselves.

People whom God owes nothing to. But after a while, they come to realize their distance to shake their head. And there's just one hope. That which is lost. Never found out your lostness. Or whittle you down till you do.

The privilege that somebody will. Out for mercy. If thou wilt. Make me whole. The grace of God steps in. In the next verse, the Lord said. Isn't that wonderful? I will. Didn't have to, but I will. Be thou made whole.