Warning — Manley Beasley

A lot to happen since I last talked to you and I am here in my home in the living room again not to preach a message this time. This time I'm just making the introduction to this message and and I will turn you over to a sermon that I brought this past week at the First Baptist Church Lake Jackson Texas.

I have dealt in this area before but there was a special anointing for a special time at this church at this special time for the church and I felt like that I really needed to send this out to the tape club.

It's nothing new and I don't know that most sermons we preach are anything new but sometime we just need to be reminded of some things we've known a long time. We stirred up they moved on and I trust that this will do.

How this message will do that for you. We've had quite a wonderful month since I talked to you last I have been able to really get deeply involved in the dialysis process that I'm on and it is working well.

Martha and I have been to Canada which was our first adventure with this particular system and that was quite a unique experience. And then I've been in a couple of other short meetings I have made the serious decision I think a serious decision to cut back a great deal of our time which will give me a little more time at home and a little more time to write and I believe a little more time to give myself an opportunity to get adjusted.

Someone asked me the other day how are you doing. And I simply said well the doctors are happy with the figures and what I mean by that is the way the process is cleansing the blood and my blood pressure is more under control than it's been in years and so I feel great and I'm able to function.

And what I mean by that is when I have had the opportunity to preach I've been able to preach without seemingly any restriction. I am still weak or I would say my strength is not back to full capacity.

I'm really not sure where it will level out but as far as us backing off of what God has put in our hearts in Europe things are going excellent and the Lord is just working supernaturally for us one step after another in this past month since I saw you by tape I don't mean see I didn't see you but send a tape to you.

I call my sister who handles a portion of our finances and I said where do we stand. And she said well you have less than a thousand dollars and by the 20th you will need about sixty three hundred dollars.

And of course that was the 17th and that same day our daughter said well we had to write four thousand dollars worth of checks today we haven't mailed them but we don't have the money and by the 20th you'll need to cover that.

And I was in Canada and I told the Lord I said now Lord when I get back home we'll work something out you know I can trust you when I get back home and the Lord just challenged me said why don't you trust me now right now.

And I said well Lord I'm in Canada I don't know any way you could meet a need here but the Lord was just so kind and gracious and good to just challenge me to trust him right there on the spot in Canada and there was no way that that particular conference and the way they're structured to take care of a need that I had and it would be easy for you to figure it out was ten thousand dollars or more and so I just didn't see any way.

But about midnight that night I was able to get to the place of faith and just believe that God would keep his word that he would not leave us without support. He said he wouldn't. And so on the next morning while I was preaching I simply said you can stand on the Word of God you may not understand but you can stand on the Word of God.

And I did not mention anything about what particular crises I was in except the fact that I had that previous night been able to stand on the Word of God and I knew God was keeping his word and naturally people would have thought that I was talking about some physical issue because of my condition but I was actually talking about believing God for my needs to be met.

After service a man walked up to me and said sir is your need financial. And I almost lied. I really did. I said somewhat and he walked off. I saw him a few minutes later and he said can I talk to you.

And we sit down and talk and he said my gift is giving and said my wife and I have been impressed to give you some help. Would you tell me about how you work things. And I did and I still did not tell him what I had to have and I did not tell him that I would go under if God did come through and he simply got up said well God has told us to give you something and tonight at dinner I'll bring you check.

And that night at dinner that man brought me a check and you can imagine what it was for $10 ,000. Well I got home and I've been praying that Debbie our daughter that's doing the secretary work and Manley jr. who is really running the office and just preaching revivals as they come in for him and I asked him how you know I've been praying they learn how to trust the Lord and I've been trying to push them a little bit into trusting the Lord.

And so I asked him were they trusting the Lord for anything. They said yes. But you could tell they were fearful but yet really reaching out to say yes we're trusting the Lord. And so I showed him that $10 ,000 check and it just got so blessed and wonderful to watch those two people respond to the how God had blessed him.

Actually that previous week separately from each other they had written out as a note I'm trusting God for $10 ,000 and it was quite a spiritual experience for them to see God come through like that. And some of you so well brother Manley at this level in your ministry you mean to tell me you have to trust God like that.

Well God has always allowed us to give away money to the extent that we constantly have to trust God. And that's really true. That is really true. I realize that for the last 16 years if I had just lived to myself and put all the money away that that's come through my ministry except just needs for our ministry.

I could possibly retire right now with possibly a half a million dollars but the Lord has allowed us to just constantly give it away and it's turned out beautiful and we're rejoicing in him and the Lord is meeting the needs as God lays it on his people's hearts across this country to respond to him.

And we haven't been able to have to beg it for it or plead for it or you know we're just allowing people to realize that we're trusting God and he's doing it. And I trust this tape this month will be a unique blessing to you.

May God richly bless you. Is our prayer your Bibles turn with me please to the book of Hebrews. I want to preach the entire book tonight. I'll let you out before midnight or four hours and something before midnight this time together will pass hurriedly and I trust that you'll pray for each of us that will be applicable in our presentation of the gospel in song and in message sermon.

You know what you need if you're willing to admit it. I don't know most people aren't willing to admit what they you know about what they need. So you pray that the Lord will put it in us put it on us that we'll be able to say what will help you rather than what you want to hear.

I know that that's praying for a lot but I think we should pray that way. In the book of Hebrews there's a little word that is found in I believe it's nine different passages of scripture. Now I'm not going to deal with all nine of those passages.

I will possibly deal with about five four or five just depends on how fast you listen. And you know I love audience participation. I like for you to nod your head and and blink your eyes and smile or either say amen or oh me and I I was in Canada a few weeks ago well three weeks ago Martha and I were in Canada and I'm gonna tell you I have never preached to people that that is so quiet.

I really thought I was preaching to a bunch of people in First Baptist Church Lake excuse me I mean First Baptist Church Oklahoma City and where they have a lot of wooden Indians but they're awfully quiet but they didn't listen.

And before the week was out one fellow that's a missionary to Ecuador I believe he said I've heard more amens here this week and I've heard in ten years but I love that participation amen or oh me tonight this particular message in this in these passages you'll find a little word and it's spelt L-E-S-T.

Now I understand from people you know that's done a great deal of study and work on different words that this indicates a warning and I think you will pick this up. Actually it's I believe these scriptures indicate a warning but it also indicates these scriptures will also indicate a progression of deterioration.

I really believe the final end of the deterioration is an apostate condition. Now a lot of apostate condition is a is a condition of being religious with a form of religion but without the power of God.

Now some theologians believe that only lost people can become apostate but I I believe Christians can and I think this passage these passages deal with that and this could be so helpful tonight in your daily life and I trust that everything will be very helpful helpful to you in your daily life.

I I resent we I didn't resent preachers being so theological that they try to make things more simple than God did and so I I trust that I'll not try to do that and had it be very simple and very practical applicable to the everyday living.

The Warning Against Drifting From Heard Truth

And I want us to look at these warnings. One man referred to them as perfect warnings because he says there's seven warnings here now if you use the word less to get the scriptures out there's more than seven but it might be that they're just seven warnings that several of them mean the same thing.

But if you have your Bibles and you want to follow through these scriptures I'll begin in Hebrews 2 Hebrews through 2 and we'll just go right through the book of Hebrews and and you pray that the Lord will give you a heart to hear and to respond as we go through these verses the first one is found in Hebrews 2 1.

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we've heard lest at any time we should let them slip. The scene here and the warning is simply this we as God's people need to give earnest heed to the things which we have seen lest we become like a vessel that is leaking and off course.

And when a person is awakened to the fact that the vessel has been leaking and is off course it's too late to get back. Recently in Ridgecrest I had the unique privilege of preaching with Dr. J Edwin Orr.

I believe he's the was the foremost theologian and writer on revival in the in the world. The rare thing about that occasion was not that I was preaching with him but the fact that that was his last sermon to ever preach.

I've been with him before but I heard his last message. His wife had never been with him in all the times we've been together. His wife had never been with him but she was with him. And she was seated right near my wife and I and we heard him preach.

And then I got up and preached. And we heard his wife say I have never heard him preach like this before. And he was 70 right at 80 years old. And she said I've never heard him preach like this before.

And you say well what did she mean by that. And I wanted to you to ask that question. Of course so I can answer it. She meant by that she he preached on judgment like she had never heard before and he preached in relationship to revival and judgment.

And he said this was the next thing on God's calendar in America. And that was that judgment must begin at the house of God. And this is what he said. He said the reason judgment must begin at the house of God and I think it's already began.

I think it's already started in this nation. He said the reason is the Bible says we must fall on the rock and be broken. If we do not the rock will fall on us and break us. And that's out of the book of Corinthians.

In other words the child of God must judge themselves lest God has to take them to the place where he himself will judge them. In other words we need to fall on the rock and be judged lest my dear friend God has to take us and judge us.

And here he's saying in this passage that we need to take heed to the things that we've heard lest we become like a vessel leaking off course. In fact the word here is that really shows this. What he's saying is like a leaking drifting vessel.

You see a drifting condition is a condition that you basically are not aware of. You know you can get in a boat in a river and start drifting and never know it. It takes no effort whatsoever to drift and you can be drifting and never know it.

And the only way you can discover whether or not you are drifting is by in the language of a sailor you have to take a correct bearing. You obviously do not understand what that means. That means you have to find something that is fixed and you have something that is absolute something that is fixed and you take a bearing you you you check yourself in the light of what is fixed.

And he's saying here take heed brethren take heed sister lest you come up as a leaking vessel off course drifting. And my friend out of line and you can't get back. So he said take notice to the things which you have heard lest you become a drifting person.

This is so serious because I I've only been saved since 1948. But I have seen a lot of Christian history and you have to if you live that long as a Christian and I have never seen I have never seen anything so deteriorate as the people who call themselves Christians.

You say what do you mean. I mean we are living in a generation when people profess to be saved and they are absolutely lawless people. I mean they're lawless. One of the best ways to discover lawlessness is this.

You'll hear them saying in political areas and social areas and even in the church we have a right. That is the voice my dear friends of a rebellious person that is not the voice of a saint. You look at all of these people in this country that are creating chaos and they are saying we have a right.

It's obvious that a person that has a right has never been by Calvary or if they have been there are long ways from it because your rights stop at Calvary. For the continuation of this message please turn the tape to side 2.

Taking Notice of Heard Truth

And you and I need to take notice. We need to check up on what we have heard.

You know why there's so much lawlessness. There's two reasons why there's lawlessness in the Baptist Church. One reason is we have we have disregarded the law of God. And the other reason is we have taken advantage of the grace of God.

We say to people the law of God no longer has any right to judge your life because we are living in the day of grace. And then we say since we're living in the grace day of grace God's unmerited favor.

You can do anything you want to and God will forgive you. For God is love. If you know how you spell love. Calvary you know how you spell love. It's not some little old sentimental emotion my dear friends it means obedience.

And that's the only way you spell love. It never has been an emotion. There may be an emotion as a result of it but it's spelled obedience. And Calvary is the fulfillment of obedience. The Bible says give heed to the things which you have heard.

Jesus Christ did not do away with the law. He fulfilled it. And the law today not the ceremonial law but the moral law of God today is just as strong and is just as powerful as it's ever been in the history of the world.

Then what. What about grace. God's grace has been given that you and I might be humbled by the law to the cross. And the grace of God enabled us to measure up to the law. So the law is fulfilled. And it cannot arrest us.

If you have ethical lawmen in this town they cannot arrest me tonight. You know why. I'm not breaking the law. I'm making void the law. I'm not doing away with it. And he said give the most earnest heed to the things which you have heard.

That's the only way you can judge yourself. That's the only way you see the Word of God is fixed. It's absolute. And you look at the Word and you can see whether or not you're right with God or not right with God.

And you can judge yourself. And if you judge yourself you'll not have to be judged. In other words you can find out where you're leaking. You can find out where you're drifting. Amen. And by the grace of God make correction.

A Warning Against Lawlessness and Abusing Grace

Let me make this just a little more applicable. I may not get but one just one point tonight you just say man in China better settle it. That's what's in my mind. I'm bad about thinking something I thought I said and didn't say what I thought.

So you know people don't know what I'm thinking. And recently Martha and I flew into Atlanta Georgia. I flew from st. Louis and she flew from Dallas and we met in Atlanta. And because of a young man working in a hotel there temporarily we were taken we were kept at this hotel and we were put in this room.

And this room cost $650 a night. Now I didn't stay there for that price. I stayed for $80 I guess is $80 but I've never been in a room like it. But a fellow that was in that room before we got there was a the black boy Cosby the comedian.

I think he could have afforded $650 a night. But there was some room but the kitchenette in that room more like an apartment. I guess I think there were three baths in that place. It was something else.

But in the kitchenette there was enough liquor that it would take them to wash tubs to haul it all out. You said well brother what do you expect in a place like that. Well the tragedy was it it was owned by a deacon and a Baptist Church.

I'm gonna tell you something. When I was a pastor 30 years ago you could not belong to a Baptist Church and own something like that. But today it wouldn't surprise me that you didn't have harlots. Professional harlots in the WMU.

You said now preacher come on. No you come on my dear friend. There's no distinction tonight between the child of God and the man of the world. And the reason is we have disregarded the law of God and we have made abuse of the grace of God and we are lawless.

And he said give heed to the things which you've heard. You see I don't have to tell you what's right and wrong tonight. I can and I probably will a little here and forwards it gets over. I'm gonna get back to that man in China and you'll understand.

I'll tell you it's an unbelievable time and we wonder why God is not supernaturally working. Judgment is going to begin at the house of God. He said give earnest heed to the things which you've heard.

See you've heard it. You you know the truth. If you've been saved because the Bible says God has written upon your heart the law of God. And all I'm doing tonight is possibly reminding you of some things.

A Chinese Example of Confession and Seeking God

Two ladies went out of Africa to China or Korea years ago. In fact in the late 30s about 39 and they were sharing scriptures with people about revival. And revival began to break out. There was a man and had an earned doctorate not a medical doctor but a theologian.

He was to he was above this business of getting on his knees and confessing his sins and judging himself. He was above that. And certainly he was above these women telling him that he need to get right with God.

So his wife got right with God and she started praying for him. And finally there he got so much pressure on him he got. There was so much pressure on him that he decided to go see one of these ladies.

And she dealt very direct with him. She said sir now you kiddos I'm gonna tell you I've been watching you and we're not gonna pray while brother Manley preaches. Okay. Amen. I don't put up with it. Not five seconds.

And I have put up with it ten minutes and I'm not gonna put up with it anymore. Amen. Now this man was asked by this woman sir. She said to him do you preach. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

And all these things will be added unto you. He said why. Sure I do. Sure I preach that. She said well do you practice it. You see he wouldn't have been there if he'd have been practicing. She had him.

You know what she did. She just simply helped the truth up to him and said sir do you believe this. He said yes. Then she said well are you practicing it. You see give heed to the things which you have heard lest you become a drifting leaking vessel.

You know what he did. I like this. I admire him for this. He said ma 'am I am not practicing that verse. She said. Well what does that make you. He said. And I love him for this. A sinner. She said yes.

But I'll tell you what you possibly need to do since you preach to other people. They should do it. You should write on that sheet of paper. You've got there. Not. I am a sinner. That's too general. She said.

Why don't you write down there. I am a hypocrite. Because that's what you are. You preach something that you're not experiencing yourself. He said brother manly that's being hard. Well would you rather for God to judge you.

You see all I'm presenting to you tonight is you and I. We need to. We need to take heed to the things which we have heard lest we become a drifting vessel leaking off course and we can't get back. Judgment will begin at the house of God.

That's where it began. Not not out here in the dives. You see everyone expects those people live like the devil. It begins at the house and this is where it all starts. And because of the fact I won't have time to go through all these I'm just going to mention one more and that's found in the 12th verse of that same chapter.

An Evil Heart of Unbelief

And I'll not spend but just a minute or two on this one. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God. You see when we do not stay sensitive to God the next thing on God's program is you.

You say what do you mean by that. Well see when we do not judge ourselves and stay sensitive to God do you know what God will do. He loves you. So the next thing on his program is that he will allow situations opportunities and for growth and correction to come in your life.

He will. He will allow correction to come in your life. And when it comes if you are not careful sensitive to God you will handle your problems in life. Like the banker like the CPA like the business administrator in some of these plants.

You will handle your affairs in your home in your church in your life period like the people of the world handle their problems. And when you do it shows that your heart is full of unbelief. And by this you depart from the living God.

I had one of the most powerful pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention at in Texas to ask me at the Southern Baptist Convention if I would come to his church and spend three days. And I said why do you want me to come there.

He said as far as I know everyone in Texas think this is a great at one of the great churches of the state. But he said my people do not know one thing about how to know what God is up to. He said now that's not saying everyone in there.

He said there's some people that do. That's why I said what do you mean. He said we handle our business like the world handle their business. And he said I want you to come and teach up teach them that when God allows situations to come in life if their heart is full of Jesus they will turn to him to discover his wisdom and his ability for their action rather than handle it their way humanistically.

You say why brother. Mainly there's nothing to that. It's just the difference between being carnal and spiritual. See to be carnal or to be lost or to be religious means that you handle your problems in life humanistically.

But to be Christian means that you turn to Jesus with them and allow him to handle them. And he gets the glory and you get the benefit. And he said I want to warn you unless you have an evil heart of unbelief.

And with that evil heart of unbelief you know what you do. You depart from the living God. In other words when you handle that affair you walk off and leave the Lord. That's right. And you can tell whether or not you have an evil heart of unbelief by who you consult when you hit a storm which way do you turn.

What kind of answers do you have. Let me just make it a little more personal and close a preacher's daughter gone through two marriages life a literal miserable wreck. A simple question was asked her about her first relationship when you fell for this boy.

Didn't you ask God. Didn't you seek the face of God. Didn't you see what the Lord was up to. She simply shredded her shoulders and said never thought about it. There's an evil heart of unbelief in one of the best preachers in this country's daughter.

I believe he taught her different. I just don't believe. She heard. But that's an example of an evil heart of unbelief. That's why. What's going on with most of us. It can be explained by human ingenuity you see.

Because if you let God in on it the only explanation is God. So he said I want to warn you not only that you give heed to the things which you've heard but also that you not come up after that step. The next step is an evil heart of unbelief.

So you can't expect anything out of Washington DC. But the best humans can do unless they know God. You can't expect anything out of anyone except what human beings can do unless they not only know God but know how to turn to him.

They have an evil heart of unbelief. So naturally they go to their logic. And I'm not saying ditch that but my dear friends if your logic your rationalism is not based on truth I'll tell you what you got.

You've got a bunch of people running around in the world being honored for their intelligence. That says there's no God. And God says they're amen.