(Sermon Preparation) Lecture 07 — Alan Redpath

Thank you, Lord, that as we ask you to do that, your Holy Spirit does indeed take the things of Christ and reveal them to us. He's the only one who can, and we submit to his authority. Thank you for this day, and for your goodness and mercy to us, renewed every day.

In Jesus' name, Amen. Now, my apologies for interrupting for one hour the lectures of this week, but I covered the course of homiletics very inadequately, and I'm leaving it this way, that you will try to secure a copy of the books by W .E. Sangstone, The Craft of Sermon Preparation and The Craft of Sermon Illustration.

They're absolute masterpieces. And all I know and more has been found in those two books. Tonight, I'm going to do something different. I want to give you what I would have done if I'd had more time one other evening.

Fourteen Principles for Christian Living

I want to give you 14 principles for Christian living, and I want you to write them down. And having written them down, I'm then giving you a text to support each of them. And I'm asking who will be quickest in standing up, finding the text, standing up, reading it.

Now, I'm always told that Americans and Canadians are the quickest of all, but I question it. I'm going to put them against people from the United Kingdom and people from the rest of the world. Europe, Southern Ireland, and the Far East, and all other countries, and see if it's really true that Americans and Canadians are the smartest of everybody.

All you have to do is first to get down on paper the 14 principles of Christian living, and then be the first one to stand up on your feet and read out the text that I give you. Okay? And I'm here marking just to find out exactly who gets the best.

But these 14 principles are very important, and at least I want you to take them home. I'd have been developed with them had I more time in our lecture periods this term on homiletics and similar subjects.

Preparation for Christian service, really. Now then, ready? All bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, all set? Right. Ready with pen and paper? One. By the way, you will find, if I may just introduce it this way, you will find that these basic principles are most unpopular in most circles, and they're greatly in need of emphasizing in all our ministry.

A Life of Continual Repentance

One, the whole life of the faithful should be an act of repentance. The whole life of the faithful should be an act of repentance. To rule out repentance in the church is like inviting another Dunkirk to the spiritual warfare.

Do you know what that is, a Dunkirk? Anybody not know? If I say, invite another Pearl Harbor, is that lighting it up for you? Okay. Say that again. The whole life of the faithful should be an act of repentance.

To rule out repentance in the church is like inviting another Dunkirk or Pearl Harbor into the spiritual warfare. Got that? Now, the verse. Ready? 2 Chronicles 7 .14. Yes, you come from? I give you that one mark, but you didn't read it too well.

It should be read audibly, clearly, slowly, with authority. Right. Why are you still holding your hand? Good night. Nice just knowing you. Number two. Ready? Right? 2 Chronicles 7 .14. That lady won by a very short head.

Repentance Requires Personal Crucifixion

You know what I mean? Just made it. There was someone else just getting up on the feet of the town. Now, here's the second one. Repentance is void. Void, V-O-I-D, is meaningless. Repentance is void if it does not result in personal crucifixion.

It must get into every relationship, wife or husband, church, ethics. Ethics, E-T-H-I-C-S, that's moral standards, really. Ethics. No area of total living will be unaffected by it. No area of total living will be unaffected by it.

Right? First, Colossians 3 .5. You come from, and I give it to you because of your boldness, your boldness, bravery to stand up and knowing that you haven't got free English. Very good. Right? Third. Third.

Forgiveness Requires Forsaking Sin

Ready? You'll be exhausted by the end of this, I tell you. Come on, all set? For sin to be forgiven, it must be forsaken. We have learned to live with it. For sin to be forgiven, I'm repeating, it must be forsaken.

We have learned to live with it. Right? Ready for verse? Colossians 3 .8. You just made it by half an inch.

That's right. Very good.

Always remember that that chapter is full of the expression, put off, put on, put off, put on. Change from the old life to the new. That's repentance. You come from America? Right. Well, that's interesting.

Salvation Includes Discipleship

Right. Now then, number four. Ready? Number four. There is no salvation without discipleship. Verse Luke 14 .26. Oh no, you haven't found it. This one gets it. You haven't found it when you stood up. Right.

Very good. You come from? Right. Sorry about that, Carolyn. You're just a bit too smart. Typical of you. Bless your heart. Right. Ready for the next one? That was number five. No, number four. That's what I was saying.

Salvation Includes Lordship

Right. Number five. Right. Number five. There is no saviourhood without lordship. There is no saviourhood without lordship. Right. Verse? Ready? Matthew 7 .21. I'm sure you'll find it before you stand up.

You haven't found it. You have? Come on then. That's it. Right. And you come from? Philippines. Right. Right. I haven't had anybody from Britain. You see what's happening to us? Now, next one. Number six.

The Hard Way of the Cross

Ready? The way of the cross is hard. The way of the cross is hard. The spirit of the church, the spirit of the church was, underline was, give up and die. Give up and die. The spirit of the church is, underline is, keep, live, grow fat.

Got that? Got it? What? Got it? The way of the cross is hard. The spirit of the church was, give up and die. The spirit of the church is, keep, live, grow fat. Verse? 2 Corinthians 4 .11. Yes? A little bit clearer.

Sorry. Yes. Get that verse. It's vital. We who live are given over to death that the life of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal bodies. Also, another verse on this one. What is, where do you come from?

What country? Where that is. Right. But you know what group you're in. Right. Another verse on that one, which is equally important, is Acts 20 .24. Yes?

Acts 20 .24. Thank you. That's right. Your country? All right.

The Holy Spirit's Methods Versus Human Methods

Ready for the next one? Now, this is a longer statement, but get it down now. Go slowly. Methods of the Holy Spirit and methods of men are utterly opposed. Methods of, repeating. Methods of the Holy Spirit and methods of men are utterly opposed.

There are churches from whom the Holy Spirit could leave and nobody would ever know. Again. Repeat. Just a moment. I'll go through a whole thing. A church can run a long time on its own momentum. A church can run a long time on its own momentum.

Inertia, I-N-E-R-T-I-A, that's laziness, inertia will carry us for a lifetime with no Holy Spirit impulse. Methods of the Spirit always humble the flesh. I'll repeat the whole statement. Methods of the Holy Spirit and methods of men are utterly opposed.

There are churches from whom the Holy Spirit could leave and nobody would ever know. A church can run a long time on its own momentum. Inertia will carry us for a lifetime with no Holy Spirit impulse.

Methods of the Holy Spirit always humble the flesh. Right? Right now? Last phrase again. Methods of the Holy Spirit will always humble the flesh. Verse? Romans 8, 13. Yes. Right. Is that the NIV? Good news, isn't it?

Christ Saves Worshippers Before Workers

Thank you. And you're from? Mm-hmm. Right. Hmm. Statement 8. Ready? Christ saves us to make us worshippers before workers. Saves us to make us worshippers before workers. Verse? 2 Corinthians 12, 14.

Same one as before. Sorry, you just missed it by half a second. No, let me have it again loud, clear. Yes, thank you. You may wonder how that applies to the statement we've just made. The answer is this.

I'm putting those words on the lips of the Lord Jesus. I seek not yours, but you. Not your gifts, not your talents, but you. Christ saves us to make us worshippers before workers. 2 Corinthians 12, 14.

And you're from? Mm-hmm. Right. UK. Now, this one. This one. Evangelical Christians violate Scripture without knowing it. Evangelical Christians violate Scripture without realizing it or without knowing it.

Evangelical Carelessness in Relationships

Careless. We are careless of relations with other people. Repeat this sentence. Mm-hmm. Evangelical Christians violate Scripture without knowing it. We are careless of relationships with other people.

Verse? Yes. Not a verse this time. But, who can tell me where, in Scripture, that is prominently stated by a Lord in a particular sermon He preached? And what sermon? Who said that? You? Sermon on the Mount?

You both said it. That's awkward. Ha, ha, ha, ha. Right. You come from? And you come from? Where? Casey? Oh. I'm going to give you both for that. You come from? Mm-hmm. And you come from Australia. Right.

Meekness, Modesty, and Humility

Right. Now then, here's one very, very important. Ready for it? Number ten. Meekness is a modesty and humility make a man dear to God. Meekness, modesty and humility make a man dear to God. We have too many chiefs and too few Indians in the Church.

Now that will be an illustration which puzzles some of you. We have too many chiefs and not enough Indians in the Church. Verse? Ready for it? John 15, 14. Right? Yes. What version is that? Yes. That's right.

There are stronger translations of that, but that'll do seeing you ready for that. And you come from Australia? Yes. Right? Now, here's one for you, and you'll have to think this one out when I come to the verse.

Prayer Cannot Justify Disobedience

Ready for it? We cannot by prayer justify disobedience. We cannot by prayer justify disobedience. By prayer or by fervency or faithfulness in our message. We cannot justify disobedience by prayer, fervency or faithfulness.

Tell me somebody in the Bible, a man in the Bible, who attempted to do that, and where do you find reference to him? No? Yes? No? A man in the Bible, in the Old Testament, who tried to justify by prayer his disobedience.

Now, who was that? Who said that? Who said that? Joshua? Right. But you know where? Joshua, I'll give you, I'll give you, it's a, that was difficult. Joshua at Ai, chapter 7, verse 10, who tried to pray and justify his disobedience.

Chapter 7, verse 10 of Joshua. And you're from? Right, it's getting very crucial now, we're near to finish. Now then, here's another similar question. You cannot cover up disobedience by becoming a missionary.

Disobedience Cannot Be Hidden by Missionary Activity

You cannot cover up disobedience by becoming a missionary. I'm not asking for a verse this time. Tell me someone in the Bible who tried to do so and wrote a book and told us about it. Who's that? Was that you on your feet?

Jonah, you said? Were you first? Yes. I'm never quite sure with you. Where you come from? That's alright. Right, a lady too, that's good. Jonah, who tried to cover up disobedience by becoming a missionary.

Busyness Does Not Prove Spiritual Reality

Now, reading number 13. We can't cure a spiritual malady by more activity. We cannot cover, sorry, we cannot cure a spiritual malady, that's illness, a spiritual malady, or a spiritual wrong, or anything like that, by more activity.

Busyness is no evidence of reality. Busyness and the Lord's work, no evidence of reality. The test will be, the test will be the final exposure at the throne of God. Is that made clear? And where? He's on his feet.

Hear what he has to say? No. Pardon me. Sorry. Yes. Standard reading. Which verse would you say? Well, what about verse four? Standard reading. That's right. Thank you. I'll give that one to you. This, I think, yes, there are one or two that really could be described as this, but I think this one is outstanding, because I said, business is no evidence of reality.

The test was that for second the first love for Christ. Right. Now the last one. Ready? Number.

Reformation Rather Than Mere Revival

Fourteen. Our urgent need is not revival, but more of what, sorry, repeating, our urgent need is not revival, but reformation. More of what we have now, but a new attitude. Got it? Not more of what we have now, but a new attitude.

Give me a verse in scripture which, though not saying that, implies it. I'm prepared to listen to alternatives here. I have one in mind, especially, but listen to other alternatives. Oh, but you must find the verse.

You know the verse, but you don't know the reference. What do you mean? Well, you read it. Can you read the verse? Can you find it? Well, that was rather subtle. I hardly think that does, but let me have another one.

Romans, I beseech you, therefore, that you present... Who is saying that? Oh, you didn't stand. Right? Has anybody else got a verse that says that? Yes? Yes, well, that's been quoted. Yes? Somebody else?

Stand. What verse is that? That's true Laodicean Church. Yes? That's... Yes, Caroline? Ephesians 4. Stand. Aye. How does that begin? Put on, a command, that is. Yes? Well, yes, I think that is good. Yes?

Stand. Neither am I. Let this mind be in you, which is in Christ. Well, now, the one I had for that, perhaps you would question this, I don't know. Joel 2, 13. Joel 2, 13. Gird on sackcloth and lament, O priests, wail, O ministers of the altar.

Go in, pass the night in sackcloth, O ministers of my God, because offering and drink offering are withheld from the house of your God. However, I think that Caroline and remind me, Bob, both deserve something for that.

So, that's North America, no, England. Right. And, Caroline is Britain. Yes. Right. Well, now, just a minute till I just see. North American ladies got three points and men from North America got four.

So, that's seven. Now, the rest, three from, three men, sorry, two men and one lady from Britain. That's three. Three ladies from other countries and one, two, three, four men. So, that's four, seven, ten.

Yes. Americans and Canadians got seven first and the rest got ten. I think that's about going even in relation to numbers. But, the important thing is, I want you to remember those fourteen principles are absolutely vital in Christian living.

Thank you very much. I hope that isn't too difficult for you. But, I wish I had one or two more hours to complete what I want to do. Down to Willowbeck on skates, please. Twenty-four of you. Right. Good night.

The Lord bless you.