(Hebrews) 1-Overview-2 — Leonard Ravenhill

The end the assistant pastor said that was a beautiful meeting by the rain. I said there was a lovely spirit there didn't you enjoy it all. I said no why not. I Said how is it that three people spoke in tongues and nobody interpreted and it was a huge audience.

He said there's only one person in this church has the interpretation. That's the pastor and when he's away I Said are you telling me the Holy Ghost move somebody and then the Holy Ghost couldn't get an interpretation doesn't make sense.

Spiritual Gifts and the Need for Order

There's no waste in the economy of God either. She's totally out of gear else the pastors out of gear being somewhere else. If this really operated in the power of the Spirit signs and wonders and miracles and divers gifts of the Holy Ghost.

We'd still move the world for God goes where you get holy fire you get false fire. You read the report of the coming of the Spirit was it Azusa Street 1905. I think it was. Every crackpot in the country went.

One of the leading prophets is a man in a faded old Swallowtail coat with a white beard tobacco juice all down one side. It was deep brown, and they had to push him away from the front every day. He had a new revelation a new prophecy and they got out of him the huddled him out into another room.

He came back. He had that hope that never fails. You know of course you get some false fire, but brother I'd rather a bit of false fire with Holy Ghost fire around and I've no fire at all. If holy fire is there God will give the necessary wisdom.

The Fire of God and His Glory

Now if you didn't get Dave Wilson's tape, oh, what's it week last Sunday Martha week last Sunday? Yeah on the fire. Did you get it? Did you play it again? Oh? That was a fantastic message on Zachariah God being a wall of fire roundabout and the glory in the midst.

Usually he asked me to close in prayer. If he'd done that that Sunday morning I would have choked. I couldn't have done it. I'd have been on the floor myself. High youngsters going to church and other people laughing Mary doesn't make any difference to them.

They don't expect to be awed with God. As I've said once or twice Sunday morning. Did you come here to meet God or do you come here to hear a sermon about him? I preach in audiences when have been to a 3 ,000 and ask that question.

Nobody has ever come up to me yet. Even the pastor often says well brother in it. I'm afraid I don't come to meet God. I come to deliver at what I feel is the Word of God. Brother you've been saying that for the last 20 years.

When are we going to have a divine invasion that will leave us stunned with his majesty with his glory with his beauty with his power with his love with his authority. The Methodist use of a hymn that said but Lord how much longer shall we live at this poor dying rate.

I Think we ought to sing that every Sunday. So great salvation. He tells you how great it is. Don't look. I'll quote it from Hebrews 725. He is able to save to the uttermost. You better get that lodged in your mind in case God shunts you up the Amazon.

The Great Salvation and the Unreached Peoples

Whether some virgin territory where people have been waiting for a thousand years for the gospel nobody's gone. Remember a missionary coming to England he said I went up the Amazon in a boat that was bought for me by a Pentecostal group in England.

He put the boat on top of a almost an ocean liner that can go right up the Amazon. For nearly a thousand miles, then they lifted the boat off when he went up further. Till he couldn't go any further, and he rented a man there and his boat, and he paddled up the.

Well he went up the Amazon, then there's a branch of the Amazon called the Orinoco. And he went up the Orinoco paddling for days, and then he went up the next bend in the river. And he said I was saying to myself.

Oh, oh boy. I feel almost like the Apostle ahead. I am I'm going up here. I'll have to work who they keep arrows keep swishing across the boat there. But Lord will preserve me of course, but anyhow he said I'm possibly the first white man.

They've ever seen up here. And he said we went round the bend and there was a big tree hanging with a sign on. What did it say? What was Rockefeller's company oil company? Standard oil, I think that was it.

Thank you. Standard oil. What. I thought I was the first one. Oh, we've had standard oil more than five years nearly ten years. Oh, I said, I felt like jumping in the river. Or coming back and blazing and said you know there are tens of thousands of Indians up there.

Hmm and nobody had ever reached them yet the other night. There was a lady singing on. I like to hear these good singers I confess. Hey, she is. She was somewhere up in where Alabama. In a poverty-stricken shack, and she thought she'd like to play the piano so a neighbor said well come in and play.

And one day she played she sang. Now she said I was gonna pay for you to be a penis you won't get a penny. I Will train. Have you trained? I think she's singing Wednesday night this way at Liam Tone price.

But they say has a voice one. What is it in a hundred years and one in a hundred millions a fantastic voice. Should have been washing dishes or scrubbing a floor in some little you know place up there.

But they got hold of her and trained her. To sing Yes Friend she sings in five languages. I say my god. What are our people doing? You young folk get all of another language. How do you know God wants you staying in a stuffy country like America or England?

Come on master it master language while you're young while your mind is plastic so to speak receptive. Come on. Think the vastness of the world the vastness of the world of Spanish. I was reading today Spain as upon me Brazil.

Think they speak Spanish in Brazil. Portuguese that's right. I just remember because when Phil what Paul was they were speaking Spanish and then over the border. Portuguese. It's the fifth largest nation in the world.

It has the largest potential outside of China or Russia. How many people are going. If kids can give up basketball and other stupid things and get away and start learn. Oh, I'm gonna be an opera star.

Oh I'm getting ready. They showed a girl in the news the other night. I was it other morning news little thing only about 12 years of age. I'm going to the Olympics in 1988. I'm not 14 yet, but I'm gonna win a gold medal at least when I get there.

I'm giving all the hours a day. I don't care what it costs. How I keep my body fit. I? Reject chocolates. I won't eat cookies. I won't drink this that you know I'm gonna get myself in line for what? I'm glad she's got the discipline.

That's unusual for our day. But every time they talked about these men willing winning these medals I thought yes what Paul say they run for what a Corruptible crowd, but we for an incorruptible So great salvage you better get that on your eyeballs if you're going up the Amazon.

Proclaiming the Fullness of Salvation

I remember the first time I went in a leper colony in the north part of Thailand. You talk about everything in you're turning over talk about the stink a Hog sighs a perfume factory compared to decaying flesh.

Where people have no limbs where the end of their arms with masses of corruption dripping pus on the floor and blood. People have no cheeks. They've been eaten away with leprosy. You better go with something better than John 3 16 and a few little choruses.

We've got a witness that great salvation ourselves. Not just to erase our rotten record that's there in eternity and God in infinite mercy wipes it out. But to do something in us. So that we're not only Forgiven our sins, but we're cleansed from sin.

We remove all the internal territory that God that the devil can work on. You know, there's nothing more awesome in the whole world. I'm preaching the gospel. Such a great salvation. I must wind up my times are almost down.

Christ’s Suffering and the Gospel of Substitution

I Remember the other day an event that happened after World War 1 14 1918. Prince of Wales is a great runabout boy, you know, and he was always dressed immaculately in his breeches. He did go to the front lines and won the hearts of men because he went up to his knees in slush and mud and blood.

And where there was shots and firing and risked his life. But when he got home his father didn't like what he'd been doing and he reprimanded him somewhat. Oh Well, he said daddy. I'm going to a military hospital.

I Must go see some of the men they brought home. He got into this war that had about 50 beds all around a huge place. And at the end there was a screen. They took the Prince round and said this is private so-and-so this is sergeant so-and-so this is lieutenant so-and-so this dear man lost one leg.

Notice this man lost both his arms. This man lost two legs. This man lost a leg and an arm. He went round saying all the horrible things that happened to this man, and then they took him past the screen.

And the Prince said nothing. Oh. They whispered. We managed it. All right. He said excuse me. You took me around about 50 beds, but he said there's a screen and you didn't show me the man behind the screen.

Well, your excellency. We are forbidden to show you that man. I'm the Prince of Wales. I Assert my royal prerogative. But sir, he's repulsive there's hardly any man left. He was right near a mine when it blew up.

I Shall see him now and he marched up with his smart stride. They took the screen on one side. There was a man. He had no face. It two bits of skin holding his eyeballs in place. The Prince looked at him he could see right down his throat to where his tongue was joined there in his throat.

The other parts of his head were great big sores that he hadn't had the right attention. And his hands were all messed up. Everybody that saw him wept. They turned away the Prince looked down put his hand on his shoulder and he bent down and kissed him and The doctors and nurses and everybody who wept he said why not.

Why not. He did that for me. He did that for you. Don't you think we ought to reverse that so often and see the suffering of Jesus? See what he did in our place the old him him says bearing shame and scoffing rude in my place condemned he stood and Sealed my pardon with his blood.

What a gospel. There's nothing like it in the whole world. He's good at able to save to the most can save himself Said before his death. I've been searching all my time all my life for truth. Jesus started that I am the way the truth.

Truth, Apostasy, and the Judgment of God

Brothers this we're totally inexcusable. What did the psalmist say thy word is truth. What did Jesus say? I'm the way the truth. What did he say about the Holy Ghost when he the spirit of truth is come?

I read a dreadful thing this week. I'll quote it and finish out. I'm trying to find it remember Martha there tomorrow. I can't find where I where I read it, but I read this it was for a very reputable teacher.

He said heresy. Pardon me. No. He said apostasy. An apostate is not a man who has got heresy and is running all over the country with it. An apostate is a man who has had light and refuses to walk in it.

Dear God that made me gasp. So they told me I had a preacher down there in Tyler who recently I said, you know the Old Testament. It's. It's not relevant to our day. The story of John of course is a fish story.

That man signed up in his denomination to be a fundamentalist preacher and gets a good wage for it. He's a double-dyed hypocrite. He's a pastor. I'd like to talk to him about it. How shall we escape if we had our light under a bushel.

What's the bushel sign of business. You often bury your light with business or you put the light under a bed symbolic of laziness and indifference. Come on friends. How shall we escape. Well, we know such a message of love such a message of infinite mercy such a message of measureless grace.

Such a magic message of the dazzling blinding holiness of God. And I had to get away from that wonderful him written by Oliver Wendell Holmes a second his father lived in Wesley's day. Oliver Wendell Holmes lived about 1802 maybe.

Lot of all being thrown afar by flurry flame from sun and star center and soul of every sphere. Yet to each loving heart our dear. He said our midnight is I smile withdrawn. Do you ever feel that? You feel God has hidden himself.

And when he's withdraws his smile you're in darkness. Then he goes on to say this staggering thought before thine ever blazing throne. We have no luster of our own. He adds grant us thy truth to make us free and kindling hearts that burn for thee till all thy living altars flame one holy light one heavenly blaze.

God has nothing to add to the gospel. How should we escape if we neglect preaching the judgment of God which? We all have to go to finally saints or sinners two different judgments, but there they are.

Paul’s Passion and the Resources of Grace

How should we? Stay as we are well get that passion that consumed in the heart of the Apostle Paul. Who is me if I preach not the gospel or again? Can I just quote one thing here of about three minutes left now faith is a substance of things hope for.

Is this a definition or a description of faith. Does it matter? Hebrews 11 1 faith is a substance of things hope for. The evidence of things not seen for by the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God.

You know that isn't a good translation. I believe the worlds Were framed by God. What did they say yesterday. Jupiter they've just rediscovered some new moons rather. I think it has 17 already and They've sent that thing the Voyager on into space.

They don't know where it's going to end. Scientists don't believe in eternity, but they believe in infinity. It's already done about 250 ,000 miles in that staggering it's still going on with it some momentum.

They put in it. We think of the world. I don't think that's the right word here. Through faith we understand that the ages were framed by the Word of God. What was the first age the age of innocence? Well sin ended that.

We moved into another age the age of conscience from the age of conscience. We moved on to the call of Abraham. Which was the age of faith and that lasted for centuries? Then when the age of faith went out the age of law came in and that existed till the law till the day of Christ.

But all these ages are under the control of a sovereign God. He measured them out as he will. I can't explain it. I can't explain it to myself. But I know that all those ages were there and one stops another start.

Now we're in the most amazing age of all the age of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Spirit is totally. I wish I could say that in letters six feet high. He's totally incapable of anything small. This world was a ball of mud wrapped up in the universe.

Here it is and The spirit brooded over it. And out of chaos he brought cosmos or out of disorder he brought order. The Holy Spirit brooded Over this misshapen world and God is glorified in it. And then he brooded over the barren womb.

Of a young Jewish lady by the name of Mary the Virgin. All his works as one hymn writer says in all his works. Most wonderful. What a wonderful world we live in. Somebody recently discovered. I don't know how or where somewhere in Egypt.

They discovered that I think it was Pharaoh's brother Amenhotep the second. I guess you like his proper name King Tut. You know they brought all his gold and displayed it in Dallas a few months ago. He used to use penicillin.

We thought it was something no new discovered by. I Forgot the name of the man, but anyhow. All the glorious things in this world we haven't yet discovered. Science is bringing us into a new world a terrible world too.

If you had told me grandpa you sit in a room one day and. You'll be looking on a piece of glass. You see the man walking on that snow. That's not snow. He's walking on the moon. I think you're loony. Walking on the moon, but wait a minute.

Let me turn this knob now. He's talking to it. You did that. I did that. I sat in a house and listened to a man walking on the moon and talking on the moon. Julius Caesar could have done that but he didn't know where to find the stuff Shakespeare could have written his place on it plays out on a Printing out thing.

What do you call it? Computer thing. All the resources were there, but they weren't put together. That makes me ask the question what resources are there in God tonight that we're not touching. Do you wonder Paul yearns?

And he says I want you know to know the height and the depth and the length and the breadth of the love of God that passes knowledge. I Want you to get such a vision of the majesty of God. But you didn't say now you didn't sit down you didn't refuse to use all you have of material resources intellectual resources spiritual resources get them all together and Go burn out in some hellhole of the Amazon hmm.

Or if you're brave enough going to China. Or if you want to live shorter going to Russia. And they'll go to a stinking haul us these precious folk here Ray and Robbie before they go back to India again.

We're so smug. We're so contented. We're so happy to be saved from sins and a few dirty habits. We had. And a few unclean things, but oh, I wonder how often it burns there with us this great salvation.

Exploring the Possibilities of Grace

Marvelous grace of our loving God. Great the grace that exceeds our guilt and our sin all there for a lost world. In 2 ,000 years after he died and made it available to us. We haven't explored again what I call the possibilities of grace.

As you leave would you take one of these. You can have it they're free. But that Dale's going to give them out one for a family if you're by yourself. You can have one of course if you can make it one for the family that will make them to go around more father bless us as we explore your word and As one said write it deeply in our hearts with an eternal pen.

We're terribly obligated to our generation. We're awfully guilty if we withhold anything at any time in any way. Help us to see the majesty of our Lord Jesus. Help us to realize Lord that this word Which quicken the pioneers of faith and some who didn't have their word of God?

This word is our God this word is that your word still valid? Still powerful quick and powerful sharper than any twedged sword, but we ask in Jesus name Amen.