Oklahoma State Evangelism Conference - Part 1 — Manley Beasley

Human Leaders, Formulas, and the Meaning of Victory

There's one passage of scripture tonight that I want to turn to, and actually this passage just brings to our minds the thought that I'd really like to lay before you. In this day and time, I feel that there are a number of things that we are really faced with, but one of the things that we're faced with is the fact that some way, somehow, we have found us men that we feel like we can follow, and if we follow those men, we'll be successful.

And if we can't do that, we figure if we can get a formula, a procedure, or a program that, my dear friends, and do those things that the formula suggests, we'll be successful. And the issue is that we have come to the place that we do not have one by which to judge ourselves, and so we've established our own standards, and as we have established our own standards, we're satisfied because we're able to measure up to them.

And so I really want to talk to you tonight about what is victory, and that's the challenge to the Christian. What is victory? When I turn to this passage of scripture, it disturbs me. I never get to this passage of scripture without getting disturbed.

In my most frivolous moment, I can turn to this passage of scripture and get disturbed. The 19th chapter of the book of John, the 28th verse, really, it would be wonderful to read that, most of that entire chapter, but the 28th verse says, after this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, I thirst.

Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled the sponge with vinegar, and put it up on hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus, therefore, had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished, and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Christ's Atonement and the Victory of Fulfilled Scripture

There's just some things I'd like to bring to your attention out of this passage. Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scriptures might be fulfilled, said, it is finished, and I trust tonight, I trust tonight, that in this congregation, everyone believes in the fact that, my dear friends, in the atonement of Jesus Christ, and when he died on the cross and said, it's finished, he paid the penalty, he paid the price, whereby you and I might be saved by the grace of God.

But I believe there's something else in this passage that I need to bring out, and that is this. He's also indicating that he has come into the world and lived out everything that was written about him, everything that was written about him.

He has come into the world and lived it out. So now, it can be said of him what was written of him. Now my dear friends, that is victory. That is victory. You might say, well, Jesus Christ was the Son of God, he was God, he could accomplish such great victory.

But the amazing thing about that is this, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, did not come into the world and live out what was written about him as God. He was God, but he did not come into the world and live out everything that was written about him as God.

He came into the world as man also, and full of God, he lived out everything that was written about him. That is victory, when it can be said of you what's written of you. He lived it out. Most amazing, blessed example, wonderful Lord.

He lived it out. Now, in the fact that he lived it out as man full of God, lived out the scripture as man full of God, there had to be something in his life that could help us understand how he did this.

Submission to the Father's Initiation

And I just want to lay this before you. Out of his life, we find that Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, lived a life of submission. He said, my meat is to do the will of the Father. He expressed it in another way.

He said, I do nothing except what I see the Father do. Revealing one of the most primary principles of Christian success. And that is this, the Son of God did nothing except what the Father initiated.

That's interesting, isn't it? Jesus allowed the Father to initiate his involvement. I do nothing except what I see the Father do. Jesus Christ lived a life of submission. Not only did he live a life of submission, but Jesus Christ lived a life of renunciation.

Renunciation of Self-Reliance

Now this is interesting to me. All power had been given Jesus in heaven and in earth. Jesus could have done anything within himself. But as one man said, it shocked me when I heard it until I heard all that he had to say.

He said, Jesus never performed a miracle. Of course, he finished it. He said what he did, he allowed the Father to work the miracle through him. And I tell you, at first I was shook, but I heard all of it.

And then I understood what he meant. Jesus renounced his ability and relied on the ability of another. That's right. He relied on the ability of the Father. And the Father worked in him and did the work.

He said he did it, he worked by the power of the Father. He said of my own self, I can do what? My dear friends, I believe that God starts working when we come to the end of ourselves and know that we can do nothing without him.

Jesus Christ lived a life of submission. He lived a life of renunciation. And not only did he live a life of submission and renunciation, but he lived a life of faith. It's amazing how Jesus acted. And that is this.

Faith Demonstrated in the Feeding of the Multitude

Sixth chapter of the book of John, Jesus turns to Philip. And you know enough about the Scripture tonight to know that he already knew how he was going to handle this problem. But he turned to Philip, checking him out, and asked Philip about feeding the 5 ,000 men and the women and the children.

Philip reckoned with his own ability, acted just like an atheist. An atheist would have acted like that. Anyone can reckon with their own bank account. But that's the way an atheist would act, or a humanist would act.

But Philip flunked the test. Of course, I think the Lord was letting him see himself. Andrew came up and said, I found a lad here with a few fish and a few loaves of bread. But what's that among so many?

Now, how did Jesus act in this situation? How did Jesus act in this situation? You know, I think sometimes that we try to fall over on the God side of Jesus and not see the human side of Jesus, and we miss the point of its application to us as an example.

How did Jesus act in this situation? Did he bow down and say, now God, if you'll give us about two tons of fish and two tons of bread, we will have these people seated, and then we'll offer thanks, and we'll have a meal.

Is that how he acted? Let me give you a definition of faith in the life of Jesus. Jesus was so obedient to the truth that by his obedience to the truth, trusting the Father, my dear friends, it released the Father to perform for Jesus what he was trusting him for.

I mean, obedience to the Father. Literally, you might could say, place God on the spot. But you see, if you've been following the message, that's not presumption. Because we're talking about God initiating.

Jesus relying completely on the Father. And so now, he's acting in obedience to the Father in such a way that if God the Father doesn't come through, he's sunk. You say, Brother Manly, that is being presumptuous.

Not when God has initiated it. Not when you are depending on Jesus totally. And there he is. What did Jesus do? He told his disciples to seat the men. They were seated. Then what did he do? He bowed his head and thanked God for the food when he had a couple of fish and a few loaves of bread.

Brother, if that's not obedience. To the extent that if God doesn't come through, he's sunk. What about Lazarus' tomb? He didn't say, Oh God, if you'll bring Lazarus out of there, then we're going to do this and that and the other.

But he did let it out. When he did pray, he did let it out that, my dear friends, he and the Father had been talking about it. And he already knew what was up. And, my dear friends, he called forth Lazarus.

And Lazarus came out of that tomb. I don't know where he came, hopping or floating. But he came out. You say, Brother Manly, do you believe stuff like that? I didn't know all saved people believed otherwise.

In fact, I have a hard time believing all saved people doesn't believe the complete book. I have a very hard time with that. Amen? But anyway, Jesus lived a life of submission. He lived a life of renunciation.

Living Out What Is Written of the Christian

And he lived a life of faith. And in relationship to that, when he finished his life, he said, It's finished. And, my dear friends, he had actually completed everything that was written about him, even to the going by of Samaria, to the well and so on, all of it, to where it could be said of him what's written of him.

Now, that is victory. Now, there's some things that are written about us. There's a few things that are written about us. And the issue tonight, is it said of us what's written of us? Is it said of us what's written of us?

My friends, you can do, do, do, do, but until you be before you do, there's something wrong. There's not that life. There's not that warmth. There's not that glory. There's not that power. There's not that ability to get people birthed into the kingdom of God.

This might cut a little deeply, but I want to tell you something. You can take you some singers that's soulish, and you can take you a preacher that's soulish, and my dear friends, you can build a church organization today without God.

But my dear friends, if you're going to have God, you're going to have to come to that place where you yield it all to him. Renounce your ability. And trust the Lord. And cooperate with him. It still takes Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to birth people into the kingdom of God.

The Christian Calling to Be Saints, Priests, and Kings

There are some things that are written about us. And I want to just mention a couple of those. One of the things that are written about us is that we're saints. Another thing that's written about us is that we're priests.

Another thing that's written about us is that we're kings. Now that's something that's written about you and me. Now the issue tonight is what are people saying about us. That's important. In this day and time, my dear friends, I'm running into alcoholic deacons.

And the next thing I'm expecting is to run into prostitute WMU presidents. You say, that's shocking, preacher. No, it's not shocking. My dear friends, I'm overemphasizing a point. We have come to the place that if we go to church on Sunday morning, give our money, sing in the choir, teach a Sunday school class, we can live like the devil the rest of the week.

And brother, that is not according to the Bible. I went in the hospital right here in your city. In the hospital right here in this community and then was moved over to University Hospital. My wife checked us in over at the University Hospital.

And the lady checking her in said, does your husband smoke? And my wife said, no. She said, does your husband drink? She said, no, he's a Baptist preacher. And that lady said, well, honey, there's plenty of Baptist preachers around here that smoke and drink.

And that shook me. That really shook me. You know why? Because the Bible has written some things about us. And God wants us to live in such a way that it's said of us what's written about us. Back a few years ago, we took a trip to Europe.

A Saint's Witness Under Pressure

And on that trip, we took a boy by the name of Hannah. Now in Alabama, you can just mention the name Hannah. And you know, you think about the Alabama football team several years back when they had three of the Hannah boys on the team and not at the same time.

But John Hannah plays for the New England Patriots and I forgot where Charles plays, somewhere out in the West Coast. But anyway, Dave went with us to Europe. And he's about 6 '4", weighs about 270, something like that.

And man, he had one of the, I mean a real, real expensive coat. Leather coat. And I mean he had a new piece of luggage and just really was set up. And he got on that trip and his luggage got lost and when he found it, that beautiful new coat and that luggage had been burned.

And I mean just one problem after another happened to him. And one of the elderly ladies on the way home had been watching him and no, I didn't know it. And she walked over to me and she said, young brother Manley, she said, you know that boy acts like a saint.

She said, I've watched him this whole trip. And I've seen him after one difficulty after another. And every time he hit a problem, she said, he acted so much like Jesus, it has blown my mind. He said, well, not only is it written that we're saints, but beloved, the Bible says it's written that we're priests.

The Priesthood of Believers and Mediation

Now, I'm not going to try to define the priest tonight, but I'm going to say this about a priest. A priest is a go-between. And a real priest is one that knows how to reach up with the supply of God with this hand and reach down to the need of man with this one and bring them together.

Yes, sir. And my dear friends, let me tell you something. The Bible says we're priests. But let me ask you a question. What do people say about you? What do they say about you? Do they say you're a priest?

Do they know that when they are really in need from the supply of God, my dear friends, they can come to you and you can go into the presence of God and reach up and get hold of the supply of God in their need and bring them together.

Is that what they say about you? It's written that you're not only a priest, but you're a king. And a king rules and reigns. I wish I knew how to tell you how a king rules and reigns. My dad did not love Jesus and he went the other direction.

Kingship Through Prayer and Spiritual Rule

So all the responsibility of a home fell on my mother. And my dear friends, she didn't even know she was a king. But I want you to know she ruled like one. And I'm not just talking about discipline. I'm talking about the fact that my dear friends, she knew how to get on her knees and so render the powers of hell inoperative in our family that her children grew up to call her blessed and Jesus real.

Yes, sir. She ruled as a king. And I guarantee you today we're honoring her like one. Yes, sir. But is it said of you what's written of you? Now I've got to close. I've already preached longer than I was supposed to.

Absolute Surrender, Renunciation, and Faith

You say, Brother Manly, I'd like to have it said of me what's written of me. How? First of all, there's got to be absolute surrender. You say, Preacher, if God will just show me, I'll yield. That's not the way it's done.

That's not the way it's done. Read Romans 12, 1 and 2 again. It says, submit yourself and then He'll show you. So I like to illustrate it like this. Take a blank sheet of paper. Sign your name on the bottom and turn it in.

And then, my dear friends, then you have to renounce yourself. As God initiates things in your life, you have to come to the end of yourself where you depend on God. I said this last year here and I'll say it again.

The greatest problem we have tonight as Baptists is not weakness but strength. And if we would be broken to the point of weakness, we'd have a Holy Ghost meeting among Baptists in a week. But we are so strong that, bless God, we can do it without God.

You have to come to the end of yourself. And you have to simply take God at His Word. And as you trust Him, being obedient to Him, my dear friends, He works in your life and makes that which is positional, experiential.

And people will see Jesus and want Him, meet Him. And their lives will be changed. Is it said of you tonight what's written of you? That's right. I could have come and preached something that would entertain you or enchant you.

But I prefer preaching what would change you. Does your wife say about you what God says about you? Do your children say about you what God says about you? Do your neighbors say about you what God says about you?

Do your workers and your friends say about you what God says about you? That is victory. And anything less, my dear friends, as a Christian, it's a mockery to God.