Crucified With Christ — Jack Hyles

George Muller was one of the great Christians of his generation. It is said that he fed 1 ,677 orphans, strictly by prayer, from God's hand to their mouths. Somebody asked George Muller one time, said, what's the secret to God's hand upon your life and all that God has used you to do?

And George Muller replied, there was a day when George Muller died. There was a day when George Muller died. Mr. Moody one time said that as a young man he went to hear a preacher, and that preacher said these words, the world has yet to see what God could do with one man wholly committed to the will of God.

And Mr. Moody said, as a young man, by the grace of God, I'll be that man. The Apostle Paul put it this way, he said, I die daily. Now when the Apostle said, I am crucified with Christ, there are two things that he meant.

Crucified With Christ and the Death of the Old Nature

I want you to listen on purpose tonight. There are two things that he meant. First thing he meant, in a strange, mysterious way, Paul was crucified when Jesus was crucified. Now I don't understand this completely, and I make no pretense of being a theologian, and I don't understand this completely.

But I do know this, I do know that Jack Hiles was on Calvary with Jesus. I can't understand it. But you see, in Christ I died, and in a strange, mysterious sense, the body of Christ was there two thousand years ago, and in a mysterious, atoning sense, I was crucified with him when he was.

But that's not really the main thing the Apostle meant here. He meant there are two natures. There's the old nature, there's the old Bob Billings, there's the old C .W. Fiss, there's the old John Colston, there's the old Jim Vineyard, there's the old Ron Perkey, there's the old Max Elton, and then there's the new person, that person who was born the second time, born again, in 1 John chapter 2, it says such words as these, that which is born of God sinneth not.

And many of our dear, overly zealous friends that want to become perfect, they think that means that a Christian never sins. No, that means the part of man that's born of God never sins. The new nature never sins.

It is the old nature who sins. The new nature, that which is born of God, the new Bob Billings, never sins. That which is born of God, but that which is born of his mother and father, does sin. I've witnessed it myself.

It does sin. But that which is born of God, that new nature in him, doesn't sin. Now then, what is Paul talking about? Paul says that the old nature, Bob Billings, needs to be crucified, needs to die.

Let me ask you a question, have you died? Have you died? Can you say to the Apostle, I am crucified with Christ? Churches across this country are splitting right down the middle. Why? Because the people cannot say, I'm crucified with Christ.

Preachers can't get along with each other. Why? Because they've not been crucified with Christ. People fussing and bickering and complaining. Why? Because they've not been crucified with Christ. But the Apostle gives to us his testimony, one that each of us ought to be able to embrace and say, I am crucified with Christ.

Presenting the Body as a Living Sacrifice

What does it mean? The old man's dead. The old man's crucified. That's what the Apostle meant when he said, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. What's he saying? He's saying, take the old flesh and place it on the older.

Take your hands and have crucified hands. Take your lips and have crucified lips. Take your feet and have crucified feet. Take your body and have a crucified body. Take your eyes and have crucified eyes.

I guess I could comprehend a Christian's eyes gazing upon some kind of lustful scene in Playboy magazine or Penthouse magazine, but I can't comprehend crucified eyes watching stuff like that. I guess I can comprehend a Christian getting away from the will of God and watching some dirty programs on television, rather that they should not watch, but somehow I can't picture crucified eyes doing that.

I guess I can picture a Christian hand reaching out and taking a bottle of liquor and putting the beer bottle or the wine bottle or the martini bottle or the Bloody Mary bottle. I was on the airplane a few years ago and a stewardess came up and said, you want a Bloody Mary?

And I said, I didn't know she was hurt. I'm sorry about it. But I guess I can picture a Christian doing that, but crucified hands will never touch the alcoholic bottle. I guess I can picture a Christian's tongue gossiping about another Christian, but a crucified tongue will never do so.

I guess I can picture the lips of a Christian just spreading slander about somebody else, but a crucified lips will never do that. I guess I can picture the feet of Christians on the dance floor somewhere in some kind of questionable place, participating in a questionable practice, but I can't picture crucified feet dancing.

I guess I can picture a Christian's lips curling around a cigarette, but I can't picture crucified lips curling around a cigarette. Now, what does it mean to be crucified? Well, let's crucify a fellow.

Let's just put him here on the cross. It means that a tree was cut down. It means that the tree was made into a cross. It means that the hands of the individual are extended out toward the cross, the beam that is parallel with the earth, and it means that his hands are nailed to the tree.

It means that his feet, perhaps, are crossed, and a long spike is nailed through his feet, and it means he hangs there. Usually they had something to go between the legs so that it was some kind of a stick to go between the legs to keep the body from completely ripping off the cross and the hands from absolutely ripping in two.

And here's a person, he's crucified, he's dead. He's died, he cannot move, his eyes are stilled in death, his lips cannot open, his tongue cannot speak, his ears cannot hear, his eyes cannot see, his feet cannot walk, his hands cannot feel, his heart cannot beat, his blood does not go through his veins and arteries.

He's dead. He's dead. Let's look at him for a minute. Paul said, I am crucified with Christ. He said, just as our Lord, or just as a human being physically is crucified on a cross, even so, the old nature, the old man, is to be crucified, nailed to the cross, killed.

A Crucified Person Has No Plans of His Own

Well, let's look at this fellow and see what he looks like. You notice very carefully, you'll notice he has no plans of his own, no plans of his own. Crucified man has no plans for tomorrow. Crucified man has nothing planned for the next day.

You ever hear anybody say, here's a fellow being crucified, and he's dying on the cross, and nails and spikes to his hands and feet, and he's dying. You walk up and you say, hey, fellow, what are you doing tomorrow?

Why don't we just go out and play around the golf? He has no plans for tomorrow. Ever hear a fellow say, what are you going to do tomorrow? Well, he's not going to do what? I've got to go down and get crucified right quick, but as soon as I get crucified, let's go out and watch Notre Dame, get beat by Missouri.

Praise the Lord. Now, if Joe Namath has a bad year, I'll call it a successful year. But let's get, I've got to get crucified. Let me go down here. I've got to go fishing. I've got to get crucified first.

No, crucified man has no plans of his own. No, it doesn't. No, no plans of his own. It doesn't matter what he wants to do. It doesn't matter where he wants to go. It doesn't matter what he wants to be.

It doesn't matter what he wants to say. It doesn't matter what he wants to play. It doesn't matter anymore. He has no plans of his own. And Paul said, I'm crucified with Christ. What does it mean? It means my old wife has no plans for me of its own.

Only His plans, only to be what He wants me to be, every moment of every day. Yielded completely to Jesus alone, every step of this pilgrim way, just to be clay in the potter's hands, ready to do what His Word commands, only to be what He wants me to be, every moment of every day.

Here is a man crucified. He has no plans for tomorrow. Here is a man who is crucified with Christ. Everything is given to God. The old man is dead. He has no plans for tomorrow. Why? He's lost his will.

He's given his will to another. Only his will matters. Only what he wants matters. To go where he goes says go, that's all that matters. To be what he says to be, that's all that matters. To say what he wants me to say, that's all that matters.

To see what he wants me to see, that's all that matters. A crucified man has no plans of his own. My pastor was here two weeks ago. I guess the thing, the statement that he made to me the most when I was a teenage boy, and even as I've gotten older, I've called him when I've had decisions, I called him before I came to this church and saw his counsel about considering coming to this church.

But the thing that my pastor said to me more than any other single statement, I'm sure, is this. I'd say, Pastor, how can I know what God wants me to do? How can I know the will of God? When I went off to college, I wanted to know, how can I know the will of God?

And time and time again he said to me, Jack, the first step to finding the will of God is losing your own will. Have no will of your own. Lose your own will. You say, I wish I could do so and so. You're not crucified.

I want to go so and so. You're not crucified. A crucified man doesn't say, I want to go. He says, he wants me to go. Crucified man doesn't say, I want this. He says, I want to have what he wants me to have.

I want to, it doesn't matter what I want. It's what he wants. Crucified man has no plans for tomorrow. Let me ask you a question. You got plans for your life? Huh? Got plans. Hey, I say, yeah, I want to go to school and be an engineer.

I've got, I want to, I want to go make a little money. I want to, I want to be in business for myself. I've got this plan. It doesn't matter what you want. What does he want? That's all that matters. Just the will of God.

Just the will of God. Crucified. Oh, take your dreams and crucify them. Take your air castles and crucify them. Take your plans and crucify them. Strike a match to your plans and say only to do what God wants me to do.

Just to go where he wants me to go. Where he leads me, I will follow. Where he leads me, I will follow. I'll go with him. I'll go with him. Every place he says I'll go. No place he does not lead will I go.

Crucified. Old man is dead. Doesn't matter what the old man wants. People all across this country trying to make a fast buck. That's not a crucified man. Man says, I want to get popular. I want to be a great athlete.

Crucified men don't do that. I want to be a rich man. Crucified men have no desires or no plans for tomorrow. Look at our friend. He is crucified. I am crucified with Christ, the Apostle Paul said. Now, here's the man crucified.

The old man of my own nature is supposed to be just like that man. Notice, spikes in his feet and nails in his hands and feet. Notice that man. He's dead. What else about him? I want you to notice very carefully.

Letting Go of Greed, Ambition, and Possessions

He holds on to nothing. He holds on to nothing. Look at him. There's a nail through this hand. Look at this hand. There's a nail through this hand. He has no way to grasp the dollar. He has no way to grasp riches.

He has no way to grasp something for himself. Why? He's crucified. He holds on to nothing. Ask your question. Are you selfish tonight? Then die. Die. Do you want something for yourself? Then die. Are you offended easily?

Then die. Do you want to fight back? Then die. Do you want to accumulate riches for yourself? Then die. Crucified. Now, you may, a person can be a Christian and have ambitions of his own. I'm talking tonight to a young man here, several young men.

I'm talking to you. You've got ambitions of your own. The will of God means nothing to you. What God wants means nothing to you. Life, a lot of mess with all those ambitions. Then die to self and die to your will and die to the old life.

Let go. Let go and let God have his way. Let go and let God have his way. Your burdens will vanish, your night turned to day. Let go and let God have his way. Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way.

I am the potter, thou art the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will. While I'm waiting, yield it and steal. That's the answer to the Christian life. That's the secret to living for God. That's the secret to growing a great church.

That's the secret to being a great soul winner. That's the secret to being used for God. His will, not mine. His purpose, not mine. His desire, not mine. His riches, not mine. Let go. Let go. All these hands that want to accumulate wealth.

All these hands that want to hold on to something, but the crucified man holds on to nothing. Are you greedy? Then die. Are you envious? Then die. Are you ambitious for yourself? Then die. Are you hurt easily?

Then die. I'm 46 years of age. But the passing of every year, to me there's nothing that the world gets like garbage more every year. The longer I live, and the longer I live, and the older I get, I wonder why we spend so much time on ourselves and so little time on God's business.

Let go of it. Good night. There's a world perishing without God. There's a country about to go to hell. There are people dying in their sins with no hope. Let it go. Let go of it. Years ago, a little boy got his hand caught.

He had an expensive vase, and he stuck his hand down that expensive vase. I guess every preacher in the country has told this story, because it's such a good illustration. He got his hand down that expensive vase.

They wanted to get his hand out because the vase was worth hundreds and hundreds of dollars, maybe thousands. They tried to pull that boy's hand out and couldn't. They put some water and soap shards down there and tried to pull the boy's hand out and they couldn't.

Everything they tried, they could. They tried to save that expensive vase, but the boy's hand was in the vase. And they pulled, and they had no luck or no success. And they wet his hand and soaked his hand and put oil inside the vase and grease inside the vase and tried to get his hand out, but they couldn't.

Finally, after a while, the little fellow had his hand. They broke the vase, the expensive vase. And as they broke the vase and took the little boy's hand, they said, Now you can open your hand. He opened his hand and they found a nickel in his hand.

That's why he couldn't get it out of the vase. A nickel was in his hand. And somebody said, If you had let go of that nickel, you would have saved hundreds of dollars. Let go. Let go. I'm talking to some young person tonight who's hanging on to something.

Let it go. Let God have it. Be crucified. I'm talking to some man tonight who wants to climb up the ladder of success. Let go of it. Let go of it. God wants you to be successful. Be successful. But always be what He wants you to be.

A crucified man holds on to nothing. Something else about this fellow. Look at him. He's crucified. He's nailed to a cross. He's dead. He has no plans for tomorrow. He has no desires of his own. He has no appetite.

That crucified man doesn't care whether he eats or not. That crucified man has no physical appetite to satisfy. He's crucified. That crucified man has no plans for tomorrow. He holds on to nothing. Something else about him.

Dying to Retaliation and Offense

Hit him. He won't fight back. Hit him. He won't fight back. Hey, he's dead. Come here. Look at him. There he is. Look at him. There he is. Hands are again nailed to the cross. His feet are nailed to the bottom.

The blood is dripping out of his hands. And gangrene is setting in. Walk up and say to him, Look at me, buddy. Hit him in the face. Let him have it. He won't fight back. You know why? He's crucified. Spit at him.

Spit at him. He won't spit back. He's crucified. Curse him. Lie about him. He won't fight back. He won't curse back. He's crucified. Oh, if I could get God's people to hear me right now. If I could get the membership of this church to hear me now.

If I could get God's people all across this country. Look, look. Die to criticism. To slander. Die to hatred. Die to fighting back. Die to vengeance. He got me. I'll get him back. If it's the last thing I do.

Not if you're crucified, you won't. I'll tell him off. He's been spreading a bunch of stuff about me. Not if you're crucified, you won't. I'll tell you what. If I see her, I'm going to slap her right in the face.

Not if you're crucified, you won't. You can't offend a crucified fellow. A lot of Christian people get offended. But the Bible says, Great peace to have they which love thy Lord. Nothing shall offend them.

Nothing. Nothing. I'll be honest with you. I guess this was the hardest thing I ever fought in my life. I guess of all the things that ever were a battle to me. It was a battle of not wanting to fight back when folks criticized me.

I mean, crucified to criticism. Crucified to criticism. He doesn't fight back. Hit him, he won't fight back. Spit at him, he won't spit back. Ask a question, are you easily offended? Die. High school students, are you mad at somebody?

Say, she didn't treat me right. He didn't treat me right. Oh, good night, what does it matter how you got treated? The important thing is the gospel of Jesus Christ and getting out the message of grace.

What difference does it matter whether they hit me or not? Crucified, he won't fight back. His lips are still, he's dead, he won't curse back. His hands are nailed across, he won't hit back. His tongue is silenced, he won't curse back.

His feet are still and dead, he won't kick back. Why? He's crucified. He's crucified. He's dead to criticism. He's dead to vengeance. He'll not retaliate. He'll not seek vengeance for himself. He'll not seek revenge.

Why? He's dead. They nailed our Lord to the cross. They spat upon him. They cursed him. They pulled a crown of thorns on his head. Blood spurted out of his veins and arteries. They put a sword in his side and nailed it to his hands and feet.

Stripped him naked and made fun of him. The dogs licked his wounds and they laughed at him and mocked him. The Son of God. The darling of heaven. They made a mockery of him and a spectacle of him. This is God's Son and yet he opened not his mouth except to say, Father forgive them, they know not what they do.

Why? He was crucified. Crucified people don't talk back. Crucified people don't hit back. Crucified people don't fight back. Crucified people say, if our Lord can suffer for me, I can suffer for him. Something else about our fellow.

Being Dead to the World's Injuries

Look at him. He's dead. I am crucified with Christ, said the apostle. Here's a man who's crucified. Watch him carefully. He's more than a Christian. He's dead. He's more than a Christian. He's crucified.

What else about him? Nothing can hurt him now. Nothing can hurt him now. You can't hurt him. Walk up and say, boy I'll get you. I've always had a crow to pick with you and he's on a cross dead and get a knife and stab his gizzard with it.

His gizzard won't hurt. You can't hurt him now. Imagine that. I was down in Cuba. Castro put a man on the trial and sentenced him to die before the firing squad. And here's this fellow down there about to get killed and his back's against the wall and Castro gets the firing squad and says, ready?

This poor old fellow by himself waiting till they shoot him and wait till he dies against the wall. Aim! This poor old fellow by himself just about to have it. All the men have their rifles up about ready to shoot him in the brains and this fellow in a last desperation attempt says, down with Castro!

All of a sudden all the riflemen put their rifles down and the man, Castro, looks and says, hey bud, you looking.

For trouble? Well he's got all trouble. He can say grace over.

You looking for trouble? Did you know you can't hurt a crucified man? No. Oh, if anybody were to come and say, oh something bad about Brother Hiles, okay, they said worse things about my Savior. If somebody were to come, Dr. Billings and say some bad things about you, okay they said worse things about the one who died for you.

Brother Fisk, if somebody were to slap you or hit you they'd throw nails in the hands of your captain and the captain of your salvation. Oh, would God we'd learn not to be hurt. Would God we'd learn crucified people don't fight back!

They don't get hurt! They don't get there for you. Well, I'll tell you what I'm going to get my way. You got your way last time. Well, how about my rights? I've got my rights. The most miserable wretches in this world are people always saying, I want this.

I want my rights. I want this. I ought to have this. Crucified people can't be hurt. I don't understand all about the Christian life. I really don't. I've checked my Bible about seven years ago. I was overcome with a desire to be like Jesus.

I got my Bible down and I checked the concordance and everything I could find. Dr. Billings, I went through this Bible every place I could find. I spent weeks and weeks and months and months. And I outlined every place in the Bible where there was anything about being like Jesus.

First John 4, 17. As He is, so are we in this world. Philippians 2, 5. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. And John 14, 12. Verily I say unto you, he that believeth on me the works that I do, shall he do also.

And greater works than these shall he do because I go to my Father. And Philippians 3, 20. Let your conversation be in heaven. A heavenly conversation. And over and over again I checked the Bible. I found John, it said about John the Baptist that John the Baptist was mistaken for Jesus.

They said, art thou he? Or shall we look for another? And I thought they thought John the Baptist was like Jesus. And so I studied John the Baptist for about a month. And every time I found his name I tried to find out what he was like.

And I was consumed to be like Jesus. To be like Him. All I asked to be like Him. I've said this across the country when David was about two or three years of age. We came home from Sunday school one morning, church one morning and I said to Dave, Dave what did you learn in Sunday school this morning?

And Dave looked at me with those eyes that looked like they're copied from mine. He said I learned about God. And I said, son, what did you learn about God? And David said, I learned that God loves me more than anybody loves me.

And I said, son, what else did you learn about God? And David said, I learned that God spanks me when I do bad. And He spanks hard. What else did you learn, Dave? About God. And Dave said, I learned that after God spanks me, He pulls me and hugs me and tells me it hurt Him worse than it Dad, he said, are you God?

Are you God? And I pulled that little two or three year old boy to my breast and I said, no, I'm not. I'm glad you think I am. I'm glad you think I am. Oh, what this whole city needs is some of God's people to live like Jesus and talk like Jesus and love like Jesus and fight like Jesus and have compassion like Jesus and forgive like Jesus and be crucified.

Living Like Jesus Through Compassion and Service

Little boy right over here in this alley, I told you about him. Had his shoe untied and I was walking down the alley. Poor little fellow. His mother stood beside him with tennis shoes on, one of our bus ladies.

Obviously very poor. And I came down the alley and I said, hey there buddy, you got your shoe untied. Let me tie your shoe. And the mother said, Pastor, the organ's already playing the prelude. You don't have time to stop and tie every kid's shoe in the church.

And I said, he ain't every kid in the church. I said, we're, tell him what we are. He said, we're buddies. That's what we are. And I reached down and tied his shoe and as I walked away, he looked up at his mother and said, Mama, did you see God tie my shoe?

Did you see God tie my shoe? Little fellow tonight walking down the hallway, he said, hey Brother Hiles. I said, yes. He said, can I do something? I said, what? He said, Can I shake your hand? And I shook his hand.

One little kid in Texas used to call me Brother God. Brother God. I'd preach hell, fire and damnation. Some Sunday morning he'd look over at his mama and say, Mama, ain't God.

Mad this morning? I went by one day to visit the home and.

The kid's bicycle was broken and I tried to fix it and I couldn't. And about that time his dad came in. And his dad said, Son, what's wrong with your bicycle? He said, it's broken. And he said, let me fix it.

And he said, you can't. The dad said, well, how do you know I can't? Well, he said, God came by and couldn't. If God couldn't, you dead sure can't. A little boy went to Sunday school one morning and they told him about Jesus.

They told him about the love of Jesus and how Jesus hated sin and how Jesus fought wrong and loved right. And how Jesus loved everybody. And how Jesus went about doing good. And how he lived his life for others.

And anybody and the teacher asked said, anybody here want to learn more about Jesus? And one little boy said, I know all about him. He said, that's my daddy you're talking about. That's my daddy you're talking about.

Sort of like the lady and her son. Her husband died and they're having his funeral. And the preacher got up and eulogized the fellow. And Dr. Rice says, says, one fellow said, said, this is not our brother.

He's gone to heaven. This is only his body. This is the shell. The nut is gone. And so the I'll eat an egg too, Doc. But anyway, little boy said, the preacher said, this is a good man. One of the best men in our neighborhood.

Little boy looked up to his mama and said, mama said, we're in the wrong funeral.

This ain't dad. One little boy.

Said, that's my daddy. That's my daddy. And about seven years ago, I decided I want to find out what it means to be like Jesus. And I've not succeeded. But I want to. God knows I do. Somebody that lives like Jesus.

Heaven needs some people that love like Jesus. Heaven needs some people that teach like Jesus. Heaven needs some people that forgive like Jesus. Heaven needs some people who can take persecution and yet keep on going and keep on going and keep on going like Jesus did.

Somebody who's crucified with Christ. And I say this, and this is the last thought. Our man here has no plans of his own. He holds on to nothing. He won't fight back. Nothing can hurt him now. But there's something I want you to notice about him.

Yielding to God Rather Than Crucifying Ourselves

He couldn't crucify himself. You don't crucify yourself. Is that what I'm going to do? I'll tell you, I'm going to work on my life and I'm going to become a sold-out Christian. No, you're not. No, you're not.

This fella, all he did was yield himself. Here's a man who says, I'm going to get crucified. So he gets a nail and he puts it up here against his hand and takes a hammer and drives this hand to the cross.

Now he's got to get this hand to the cross. What's he going to use to drive this hand to the cross with? He can't do it, can he? Somebody else has got to crucify you. Dr. Billings could crucify me. Brother Fisk could crucify me.

Brother Perky could crucify me. Brother Hilton could crucify me. Brother Venner could crucify me. Brother Colton could crucify me. In fact, they all have at one time or another. They could, but I can't crucify myself.

How can I be crucified? How can I die? I come to the Apostle Paul and I say, I'm crucified with Christ. Lord, how can I do it? And the Lord says, anyhow, just yield your body a living sacrifice. Just let me have you, that's all.

Just let me have you. And don't matter anymore what you want, but what I want. And don't ever go where you want to go. Go where I want you to go. Don't be what you want to be. Be what I want you to be.

Oh, did you know, you never will be what you could be until you quit being what you want to be. You never will. You can't crucify yourself. I recall, as a kid preacher down in East Texas, I used to get out in the pasture on Sunday afternoon.

I didn't bring a handkerchief. Tonight I got all... I used to I used to get out in the pasture on Sunday afternoon. See, when God called me to preach, I didn't mind being a big preacher right away. I thought maybe Dr. Criswell, his church was the largest in the world at the time.

Dr. W. Criswell, I thought that I'd soon he'd die and I'd take over his place. Dr. Tom Malone says that a preacher's like a wasp. He's bigger right after he's hatched than any other time in his life. I'd just gotten hatched and I thought the sun came up in the morning to hear me crow, and so I...

But God put me down in the country. I had 19 members, $7 .50 a week salary, little old country church with an old rusted bell out in front, and two woodpeckers stayed inside the building all week and had to chase the woodpeckers out on Sunday.

And I used to get out in the pasture on Sunday afternoon. I'd look up and I'd wave a handkerchief to God. Hey! Remember me? I'm that big preacher. And he didn't say a word back. And one day, one day I sat on the platform and looked at my 19 people and I fell in love with them.

And I thought, I'd hate to leave these folks. I'd hate to leave these folks. And I went out in the pasture that afternoon and got on my knees and looked up to God and I said, Dear God, if it'd be alright with you, I think I'd just like to spend my life here with these 19 people.

And the dear Lord put His arms around me and said, My son, I've been trying to get you there a long time. I thought two weeks ago, three weeks ago, when Dr. Elmer Towns handed me the plaque as having the largest Sunday school in all the world, I thought about that Sunday afternoon and I said, Dear God, I'll burn up my dreams for a big church.

I don't care anymore. I just want to love these people and stay with these people the rest of my life. What does it mean? It means I was crucified to having a big church. Did you know God will come there giving a fellow a big church if he'll die to having one?

God will come there giving a fellow great crowds if he'll die to having great crowds? I hope this is true. But Dr. Billings, this is what we ought to say. We ought to say if God comes tonight and says, Dr. Billings, I want you to go in the most remote place in India and I want you to take 10 people and start a little church.

And you won't be a doctor anymore, but that's my will for you. Then you ought to say, Okay, dear Lord, I'll go to India. Every once in a while I dream that I'll leave this church. Every time I dream it, I dream I'll go to some little church that has about 50 members.

And when I wake up, I'm so happy that it was a dream. Did you ever dream and woke up and said, Oh boy, did you ever dream you died? I mean, died. I mean, dead, dead. And woke up and found out it wasn't so.

If you ever woke up and found out.

It's so, then you're in trouble. But the other day I was in up east,.

Oh, in Buffalo, New York. And I went to bed that night and I dreamed that God called me to Buffalo. And we had eight people. Didn't have a building. Met at the funeral home. I mean, we had eight live ones.

And I was pastoring eight people starting a church in Buffalo. Now, I'm not going to start one in Buffalo. Don't get your hopes up. I'm not leaving. But when I woke up, I said, Where am I? And looked at the newspaper and said, Buffalo, New York.

I said, I guess I must be in Buffalo, New York. And it dawned on me, I'm pastoring a church here. Eight members in the funeral home. And I said, now who am I? I got out my driver's license and found out who I was.

I said, hey, I'm pastor of First Baptist Church in Hammond. I can't take this church. And I got on my knees beside the bed and said, dear Lord, I would. I would. If that's what you want. Ladies and gentlemen, now listen to me.