Hearing His Voice, and Receiving 'So Great Salvation — Hans R. Waldvogel

Last night, I could wish that this place had been filled with people. I know we could fill this place with people easy enough. All you'd have to do is show a moving picture, or give a coffee clutch, or have some sensational show, a spiritual show maybe, announce a certain person to come here.

Hearing God’s Voice Rather Than Seeking Sensationalism

But last night I saw the Lord Jesus Christ in this place like I've seldom seen him, and I heard things that I've seldom heard. And I thought, oh God, oh God, how is it that you tell us such things? How is it that you lead us into such avenues of the knowledge of the Son of God?

Well, it's because God must find the people in this world to whom he can reveal. Not only reveal, but communicate, give, manifest. He's got to have a harvest that brings forth the fruit that he has sown.

The mystery of the kingdom of God consists not in a lot of people talking about wonderful sermons they hear. It doesn't consist either of signs and wonders like we enjoy them and thank God for. But it consists of growing into him, growing up into him in all things, growing up into the full stature of the manhood of Christ Jesus.

In other words, being made like unto the Son of God. My, what a, my beloved, that truth has been forgotten, has been discarded by the great bulk of so-called Christians in the world today. God has never discarded it, never.

God made up his mind before he ever made Adam and Eve that he would have sons like unto his Son Jesus Christ. The Bible says that Jesus was dedicated before the foundation of the world to lead many sons unto glory.

And when God made Adam, he simply made a pattern or he made a vessel. He made a model. He made a vessel and he commanded him to fill the earth because God needed a lot of room to work in. But God's plan has never been given up.

Thank God he's never given it up with us. I'm so thankful for that. To grow up into him in all things. We have heard at the beginning of this convention that God's going to make changes in us. And he has been working by the power of the Holy Ghost, working.

God’s Work of Transformation in Believers

He really has been working to change us, to perfect us. The Bible says to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Many years ago I was in a work similar to this where God worked similarly in great power, spoke his word.

And I was able to see what happens to people who take God seriously. I remember one young person who came there hungry for God and God began to bless this person. And he was really seeking the Lord. I used to watch him.

I was inspired by him. He would seek God with all his heart and he would preach in power. And I noticed how Elder Brooks would get after him, get after him and say, Hey, what's the matter with you? You ought to be a prophet by this time.

You ought to prophesy. Your little talks here are nice, but goodness, a man that's seeking the Lord like you are seeking him ought to be a prophet by this time. Something ought to be coming forth. Elder Brooks would talk to him like that and I watched his life and I noticed that God was taking him an entirely different way.

As he sought the Lord, sought God with all his heart, God began to strip this fellow, put him into all kinds of trials. I knew him intimately. I knew some of the trials he went through. They were most humiliating.

They were most humiliating. I know that that young man was advised by older ministers to run away. You don't have to take this thing for goodness sake. What's the matter? Are you a man? Get out of this thing.

But you know, he wanted Jesus Christ to have his way with him. He had heard from heaven. He had heard God's voice and he thought that Jesus was serious when he said, Except a man hate his own life also, take up his cross daily and follow me.

He cannot be my disciple. Well, I saw that man finally develop into a powerful minister of the gospel, not only a prophet, but God came to his life. God came into his ministry. God moved whole cities by that man.

He didn't seek anything like that. He didn't want anything like that. He didn't know anything about that. He wanted Jesus. That's the secret. And if you and I want Jesus, we'll go after him and we'll go after him not to be great or not to be wonderful, not to have a blessing.

The Bible says unto you first, God having raised up his son, Jesus sent him to bless you. Oh, how we like to see people blessed. How we like to be blessed. How we love people to know that we are blessed.

That's been the curse in Pentecost and is the curse today. We like people to know that we are sons of God. I had dealings with one some time ago who said that he was a manifested son of God. He does great things.

There's no question about it. Stupendous things he's done, but nobody can work with him. He is such a hot temper that nobody can get along with this manifested son of God. I tell you, God is after a people that will want, that really want the Lord Jesus Christ, that really want to be clothed in his likeness.

And if he can find a people like that, they will not seek him for blessing. Oh, how we like to be blessed. And when somebody else is blessed more than we are, we get jealous. And then there come these imitations.

We've got the world full of imitations today, so that it's become thoroughly sickening. But how about imitating Jesus Christ? He says he sent him to bless you. Do you know that scripture text? In turning every one of you away from his iniquity.

Oh, this inbred iniquity. That's the blessing God has for every one of us. To turn us away from ourselves and unto him. To make us grow up into him in all things. Into the full stature of the manhood of Christ Jesus.

The Church Called to Pursue Jesus, Not Blessings

And in these days, the Lord seems to have somehow returned to us. There was a time when I felt a little concerned. Not just a little bit. But I felt concerned because so much flesh was growing up among us.

Just plain flesh. But I'll tell you something. The Lord has begun a very gracious work and he's going to finish it. He's going to have a people which he'll gather unto himself. And there will be that church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven.

And the question is this morning, has he signed me up for that church? Oh, his eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth today. To sign up sons and daughters of God. And he doesn't find them running after fame.

Or after blessing even. But he finds them running after Jesus. Just Jesus. Wenn ich nur dich habe, so frage ich nichts nach Himmel und Erde. And all the help God's been giving us has been perfectly marvelous.

I mean to those who want it. I know there are people who have no ghost of an idea what's happening. Not a ghost of an idea. They've been coming to Pentecostal meetings for 20 and 30 and 40 years. And they have never awakened.

They'll boast of being perfected and being matured. And having been in Pentecost many years. And they always remind them of the man that used to go to sleep in the bathtub. He didn't get clean. It isn't how long you stayed in the bathtub.

But how well you scrubbed yourself. It isn't how long you were in Pentecost. But beloved, does the word of God change you? Does that word wash you? Does the word mean anything to you today? If you will hear his voice.

Have you heard his voice? Oh, if you have heard that voice. And it doesn't come to us like it did to old Israel from Mount Sinai. That made Moses quake. That was an entertainment. We might wish for that kind of an entertainment.

I've often wished for a revival such as we read of. Happened in finished days when people were convicted and smitten by the power of God. I've often wished for that. But beloved, there's a revival among us that's far beyond that.

Even in those revivals people get their eyes on outward manifestations. But oh, to hear the voice of Jesus. To know what he wants. Since the day ye heard it and knew the grace of God in truth. Oh God, there's not hardly a person in this place that hasn't heard the voice of Jesus.

And what does it say? Why it calls us after himself. And not only have we heard the voice of Jesus. But the spirit of God has made it alive, has quickened it to our hearts. But the trouble is it calls us out of ourselves.

And out of our habits. And out of our own wisdom and ways. Away from our ungodliness. He calls us to perfection. As we heard last night. He will make you perfect in every good work to do his will. Now there's one place where we could check with the timetable and see whether we have reached that station.

Hearing the Word and Becoming Obedient

Have we gotten to that place where we have a perfect mouth? What a perfect mouth. My Lord and my God. If a man seems to be religious and prideless, not his tongue. Hardly anybody bridles their tongue.

You don't find many people, even among so-called deep life saints, that bridle their tongues. Well, the result is that we don't grow up into him. There's something of the devil there. You can't avoid it.

We grieve the Holy Spirit of God. That man's religion is vain. It's as if you made soup out of your peony bulbs. It's vain to do that. They don't grow into peonies that way. That word of God must be received.

My Lord, you've spoken. You've given me your will. Jesus says, the words that thou has given me, I've given to them. Now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me. Let my words abide in you.

Then ye shall bring forth much fruit. Oh, if ye will hear his voice, if ye will hear his voice. God, if I never heard it, let me hear it today. Give me grace to bow before thy word, to humble myself. Oh God, I pray thee, let thy word be a discerner of the thoughts and intents of my heart.

If it isn't, I am lost. And if I don't pay attention to that word, it will soon not speak anymore. Oh, I may be entertained by a powerful sermon and I may think myself very spiritual because I weep a few tears.

It's all surface slush. It didn't go in. It's a very different thing. When I hear that word, I will bow my heart. I will tremble at that word and I will never give up until that word has reached or produced perfection in me, until I am perfect.

That's why he says, turn you at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you. But because I called and ye did not listen, because I stretched forth my hand and no man regarded, the day will come when you will cry and I will not hear because they would have none of my reproof.

They refused my counsel. But what does Jesus say? They've received your word. Oh God, he says, sanctify them through thy truth. Thy word is the truth. Beloved, are we growing up into him in all things?

All things means all things making you perfect in every good work to do his will. Oh God, here's one place where I could easily follow Jesus with my mouth. Do I say things that displease Jesus? Well, after a while, the Lord will not bother me anymore.

There was a time when he bothered me. There was a time when he censored me diligently. He wouldn't let it get by. He wouldn't. You remember a time like that? You had to stop short and ask God to forgive you.

I remember a dear saint of God who would speak. And if a little careless word escaped her, she'd slap herself on the mouth. That was her method of waking herself up. Perfect in every good work. Not in my own sight, but to do his will.

The Holy Spirit’s Work Is Christlike Character

And beloved, that's a perfection Jesus works out in us. It's his perfection. It's his work that Good Shepherd has found his lost sheep and is bringing it home with rejoicing. And then he goes on to say, Working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight.

Oh, how we need the Holy Ghost. Jesus. Not to have gifts. Not to have blessing. But to have Jesus Christ. Working in me that which is, Hallelujah. Oh, I do love him. Jesus calls us to come so near. But you know, we don't come near to Jesus just by having a blessing.

But by becoming obedient. The whole gospel aims at establishing the obedience of Christ. That's the difference between the law and the gospel. What the law could not do. And because the law couldn't do it.

Look what happened to Israel. God says behold the vessels of destructions and fear. To this day. Isaiah says they shall behold the carcasses of the men that have sinned against me. And I didn't see it myself.

But I did see the graves, the mass graves in Dachau. I saw the gas chambers. Millions of Jews were gassed to death. I saw the sign. Todus Gefahr. Today, you look at those gas chambers and you say what?

In Germany? In this day? I came to Vienna. Sister Eckert sent me to a friend in Vienna. Said please look up our friends there. So I looked them up. I came into a large house. And when I knocked at the door, what did I find?

A pile of things pile up in the middle of a room. A woman sitting on top weeping. Groaning. I told her my errand. I said my sister Eckert sent me. And then she began her lamentation. She said I've got to, I'm kicked out of my home.

They throw me out today and I don't know where to go. We have no home. My husband is out in the street now looking for some place to go to. We've got to leave our furniture here and just get out. What had happened?

Well, when the Jews were being persecuted, they came along and kicked out the Jews out of their own home and sat in that home. Now they were getting some of their own medicine. But I saw the mass graves in Dachau.

There was a monument there. Ten thousand corpses. Corpse burned to ashes are buried here. Another place, just a small square, another ten thousand. Then I saw a great big shallow place where they told me the blood would run off as they lined them up and shot them in the back one by one.

Thousands, thousands, thousands. One brother told me how they had machine guns, thousands of Jews, and made a mass grave. And when he came, he saw the ground heaving from the gases. What is the matter?

So Great Salvation and the Call to Holiness

The law couldn't do it. Like the flood that came and took them all away. Beloved, only God has given his only begotten son because nothing will avail before him but the righteousness of his son. And he has given him as a sacrifice for sins.

And he sent him to bless you by turning every one of you away from your iniquity. Oh, thank God. But not only away from our iniquity, but unto him. To grow up into him. To be like him. To be part of him.

To be united to him. Be married to him. We've been awfully slow. Beloved, we've been awfully careless. Unless we work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, we will belong to those who neglect so great salvation.

Listen. So great salvation. How big is your salvation? Oh, I'm saved. Everything's all right. Once saved, always saved. How big is your salvation? Does it provide you with righteousness that's not of the law?

The righteousness which avails before God? Does it provide you with holy living and godliness? Holiness. His holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Well, we've heard these things a thousand times.

And we'll hear them a thousand times over. And then sink into our graves. Defeated. Overcome. Or we will wake up to the wonder of Jesus. We will be awakened by the spirit of the living God who has not been able to impress the princes of this world and the great and the wise of this world.

He's had to give them up. He'll have to send another flood. This time a flood of fire. Flaming fire. Eternal destruction. Sudden destruction. He's got to do it. They won't listen. They won't come into the life-saving boat.

They will not put on the Lord Jesus Christ. They will make provision for the flesh. They will invent their own religions and their own ways and their own doctrines in order to cover their sin and their hypocrisy and in order to make provision for the flesh.

But they will not hearken diligently unto him and eat that which is good. They will not turn at his reproof. And so God has to send flaming fire. He's got to destroy the earth and them that destroy the world.

He's got to destroy those who defile the temple of God. But oh, how great is this salvation. My Lord and my God. Children of mine, I've been calling you for a long, long time. And you've started following me.

Following Christ All the Way in Humility

Why is it that you don't come all the way? I'm drawing you with cords of love. I'm making the way very clear before you. Very bright. I'm showing you the way. For I am the way. And you will never, never rest in peace.

And you will never, never wake in my likeness unless you really take my word seriously. Unless you truly come to me. Unless you truly let me take over altogether. Oh, come after me. There are so few that really follow me all the way.

So few of my followers or those who call themselves followers of mine who really love me sufficiently to want me. They all want my blessings. And the more I pour out my blessings, the more they deceive themselves.

And they cry, we're rich and increased with goods. And I'm not able to make them see their wretchedness, their nakedness, the poverty of their spirituality. And I'm not able to get them to come unto me and to buy of me gold tried in the fire.

But I'm holding it ready for those who really want me. And it will be a tremendous change that will come into the life that really makes a covenant with me. That comes down, away down to the place where I humbled myself and made myself of no reputation.

Down in the valley of humility is the place where I want to meet with mine own. And where I want to give them myself. Amen.