A Man of God - Part 7 — Leonard Ravenhill

John Sung’s Life of Repentance and Consecration

Come from a meeting at night and he never he never did like the others. He didn't get western clothes. He wanted an American jacket and a white shirt he just had a figuratively tied on his shoulder and a lock of hair that fell down.

And she said he stayed in the home of a friend of mine and he would leave a half door open you know to get the air. And she said he would come in after the meeting these shirts sticking to his back and they would be heating like a dog.

And this lady said to her after you know of all the preachers we've ever had in this country I've never seen a man like John Sung. He lives and moves and has his being in God. And she he comes home every night sobbing and weeping and his shirt stuck to his back.

And she said one scripture only bleeps to my mind when I see him. She said what's that. This is my body which is broken for you. And she said that was where he lived. He didn't tell other people who lived there.

Revival Hunger and the Cost of Spiritual Consecration

But he lived economically. And he lived all the time. Well his book is written. Uh uh Chan Inman Mission published it and if you see it buy it. It's worth a thousand dollars. I mean I've tried to contact men that like that have lived moving out there being in God.

They have theories. There's all kinds of theory. I could in fact right now I should be in Australia with a team that will go on to Hong Kong and China and everywhere. But the thing is there's a hunger now.

Young men in this country have never seen revival. They never seen meetings that go until two or three in the morning. People that won't go home or if they do go home say I can't eat. I can't turn on my tv.

I'm so hungry for God. I'm so tired of my neighbor's going to hell. I'm told my daughter came home and tells me she's pregnant. My son came home he's on drugs. There's all kinds of messing even amongst believers even amongst the pastors children.

So what we need to rediscover the value of a human. So our people need to be taught what repentance is what the atonement is what forgiveness is what pardon is what justification is. What the witness of this they don't know.

They want to kneel down and in five minutes pass from death to life and become a full-blown Christian. It can't happen. Jackie Bollinger was here and we were talking about people being converted. She said well uh a man knocked at my door recently and I went and I said well let's call him Bill.

That wasn't his name. Oh Bill come in. No no Miss Jackie I'm being a bad boy. Uh I left you 13 years ago. You took me in. I was a drug addict. I was a drunkard I was a fighter. I was a bad man. And I got saved and filled with the spirit and spoke in tongues.

But then I just went to the devil. The devil took me. I left my wife and child. I took another woman. I've been in and out of prison. I know I've seen your record in the newspaper but but he said I've been wicked for almost 13 years.

I've done everything shamelessly. But three months ago in my present cell Jesus came to me and I was saved again. And he's restored me and I have his peace to have his joy. But he said Miss Jackie I want to tell you that every night for the last three months I've wept two to three hours every night.

Repentance for Wasted Years of Disobedience

And she thought she would come with him. She said well Bill you don't need to do that. Your sins run the blood they forgot. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not worried about my sins. What are you worried about.

I'm worried about the fact that for 13 years I've denied God the right to use my tongue and use my heart and use my mind and use my thinking. And I'm sorry she said that's the best case of repentance ever heard.

Well this one isn't just saying I did these lousy things. But I've denied God the right. What could I have been if I'd. What would Swaggart be. If he hadn't messed his life up he might have been a new deliverer for this nation.

Arrogance, Sin, and the Loss of Spiritual Power

But the devil got him. And now he's arrogant. He says it's no business of yours. They tell me when he said that two weeks ago the audience stood up and clapped and gave him a standing ovation. You've got thousands of people living in adultery and devil really don't care.

I just hope God spares him. I mean if I were God I'd cut the guy off. He's had his second chance. Adam didn't get a second chance. Judas didn't get a second chance. Why does Swaggart expect me. But we're in that day now where sin doesn't mean much to us.

I mean I weep over the guy. But what does Jesus do. He's crucified the son of God of faith. I was reading last night to Martha said darling. Well I don't understand this. In fact I wrote to a friend at two o 'clock this morning.

The Judgment of Every Believer’s Work

Where. What is it. 2 Corinthians 3 says the fire shall try every man's work. And what. Not. What size it is but what sort it is. And then. But the thing that bowls me over maybe you fellows can help me.

Maybe that's why he's about to send you today. And I'm serious about this. Yeah. 1 Corinthians 3. That's right. Yeah man. 1 Corinthians 3. You think everyone's work should be a manifest for the day shall declare it.

Well let's let's put it in a nutshell. Dear brothers when you and I go to the judgment we're not going to have our passports checked. We're going to have our baggage checked. What have we been collecting all our lives he said Bill about.

Okay look at verse 13. If anyone's work shall be made manifest the day shall declare because it will be revealed by fire. The fire shall try the man's work. What sort not. What size it is. Now if any man's work abide which is built there only to receive a reward.

Now look at this 15th verse. If any man's work shall be burned he shall suffer loss. But he himself shall be saved by fire. Now look at verse 17. If any man defile the temple of God him shall God destroy.

Living in the Light of the Coming Judgment

Now what do you do. God's going to destroy that man. Did Jimmy Strangford ever think he's 24 5 billion people. Or you. And I will with all the archangels there all the apostles of the old of the new testament all the prophets of the old testament gazing on me.

And God reads my record out. We've lost sight of the judgment. If we began every meeting in the light of the judgment we'd be prostrate before the end of this service. You wouldn't think about running home to turn the lousy tv on the early Pentecostal meetings.

Brother used to go eight in the morning and stay till five or six at night. They had a meal on the grounds particularly in America. And then have an afternoon session and an evening session at three or four sermons.

I don't. So we have to go to that. But this is nobody's answer my question. Him shall God destroy. Not his record be destroyed but he shall be destroyed. How can a man mix with a harlot when he knows his body is the temple of the holy gospel that is holding in his head.

I mean the body is the temple. Is it also when you think two men five years ago at the world at their feet Jimmy Strangford got arrogant because he said God called him to evangelize the world in the first place.

That's wrong. He said it. Nobody's got to. David Wilson went to him two years before that mess up. He went to PTL two years before and told them. And they wouldn't listen to him. It's no good saying they'd no friends.

They were so arrogant they became alone to themselves. Nobody dared correct them. They wouldn't listen to counsel. They got on a crash as they say in the world they got on a roll. Swagger is taking three million a week in I hear it still takes in a million million a week.

But where's the power. I'm not looking for a modern Elijah. I'm looking for a kind of a hundred Elijah's in different areas to to come. We've had all the other. In this passage is scripture from Isaiah in line with what you're saying.

In Isaiah 29 verse 13 it says. Wherefore the Lord said for as much as his people draw near me yes with their mouth and with their lips. Do honor me but have removed their heart far from me. Yes. And their fear yes toward me is taught by the precept of men.

Yeah. Their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men. It's all being.