Christ Could Not Do Mighty Works — Rolfe Barnard

A chaplain came to see me, a man, an officer, and he said there's a break in regulation that said the men have been out on bivouac and said they've been on alert, six-hour alert. That meant that whatever they did and wherever they were, they had to be ready in six hours for the embarkation to go overseas.

And he said these men have been alerted and now the order has come and said I want you to get a car and take it out to the country and give it to the captain and tell him, not saying anything about it, but that I want you to preach to the boys before they leave out.

He's an old, hard-drinking church member. He always sobered up on Sunday morning and came to chapel. And he was my friend. And so I went out and I gave the orders to the captain and charged the men on bivouac.

Had somebody blow a bugle and got all the men together and he read the orders and told them they had time, everybody wanted to, was free to attend a religious service, as he called it. And he asked me where we'd have it and I said we'll have it out under the wood if we did.

And the boys were scared. I'd been scared, too. They were fixing to go over where the fighting was and they sat on the grass. And I had a colored boy saying, remember that. Tonight, if you will, turn to the 13th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.

Christ’s Mighty Works and the Problem of Unbelief

The 13th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, beginning at verse 53. In the morning at the 10 o 'clock hour, I'm going to try to speak on a call to decision. And tomorrow night I'm going to bring the message on watching men die.

Beginning at verse 53 of the 13th chapter of Matthew. And it came to pass that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed hence. And when he was coming to his own country, he taught them in their synagogue insomuch that they were astonished and said, hath this man, this wisdom and these mighty works, is not this the carpenter's son?

Is not his mother called Mary? And doesn't he have some brothers by the name of James and Joseph and Simon and Judah? And his sisters, are they not all with us? We know them. Whence then hath this man all these things?

And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, a prophet is not without honor, save in his own country and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there unbelief. And he did many mighty works there.

At the beginning of the text he'd been telling about things that had been happening elsewhere. And about the mighty works that he'd done. And when he told, recounted the mighty works he'd done elsewhere, why the people were astonished.

They said this just can't be. We know him. We know his brothers by name. The sisters around here know who his mother is, know who his father is. We just can't, we can't go along. I first heard down in this country somebody didn't like what a priest couldn't go along with it.

They said this just, we just can't go along with this idea. That this man done many mighty works and all of this wisdom. And so in this place they were offended at him. Jesus did not many mighty works there.

And the reading he didn't do many mighty works there. In Mark's gospel at chapter 6. I ask you to indulge me while we read Mark's account. Of this same instance and we come against something of a problem.

Believing the Bible to be the word of God and inspired. In Matthew, Matthew said that the Lord did no mighty works there. And because of their unbelief. When we come to Mark's account of it. It reads just almost alike except one word.

Beginning at verse 1. And he went out from tents and came into his own country. And his disciples followed him. And when the Sabbath day was come he began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing him were astonished.

Saying from whence hath this man these things. And what wisdom is this which is given unto him. That even such mighty works are wrought by his hands. Why we know who he is. Is not this the carpenter the son of Mary.

The brother of James and Joseph and Judah and Simon. And are not his sisters here with us. And they were offended at him. But Jesus said unto them. A prophet is not without honor. But in his own country and among his own kin.

And in his own house. And Mark as the Lord say. And Mark says. And he could there do no mighty work. Save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk. And healed them. And he marveled because of their.

That is one of the most astounding things I have ever found in the word of God. My Lord Jesus Christ. In his manhood. He was astonished. He marveled. At their unbelief. What a terrible thing unbelief must be.

He marveled. People say well. Just unbelievable. But the Lord marveled. At their unbelief. The emphasis here in the book of Matthew. Is that he would not. Do many mighty works. There. Because of their unbelief.

But Mark says. That he could not there do many mighty works. And the thing that stopped him. This is almost blasphemous. But it is the God's truth. The one thing that limits. The one thing that hinders.

The mighty working of the Lord Jesus Christ. Is unbelief. I have seen God do mighty things. In every other atmosphere. But he never does mighty works. Where there is unbelief. There is a challenge there.

To God's people. There is a challenge there. For God's people. Oh my soul. Never to sound a low note. Never to doubt. The power and the working of God. And brother that is going to be a battle. If you can come to that.

There isn't but one message. That has got any hope in it. And whether men will listen to it or not. That is the message of the gospel. This is the most pessimistic generation of people. That God ever had put up.

So long heard. From the pulpits of the world around. Of the helplessness of God. Men now do not have a great sovereign God. And that word sovereign just means he is God. And so having lost faith in a God who has got control.

And who hadn't turned this world over to Satan or man either. But he is still at the helm. There is nothing else. If you don't believe that. Well then of course we will be pessimistic. There isn't a statesman.

Most preachers are the bluest people on God's earth. I hate to get around the average preacher. He sings the blues till I get blue. Blues are catching you know. Blues are catching. Worse than a common cold.

Worse than a common cold. This is a challenge to God's people. It challenges me. It challenges me. The one thing. In which and by which almighty God is hindered. Is unbelief. The unbelief of his believing people.

Somebody wrote a book and I read it some time ago. I forget his name. And he said this is the generation of unbelieving believers. You know faith is catching too. Faith is catching too. If I come up to you and I talk to you and you're feeling poorly.

And one foot in the grave and the other about there. Pretty soon I feel bad. But if I talk with you and you feel good. And got the world by the tail and the downhill pulled. Pretty soon I forget my blues and I'm alright.

Faith is catching. You school children can spell the word. But he is the philosopher. And Germany sat at his feet. And imbibed his philosophy. And two world wars grew out of the teaching of that one man.

The first and second world war. He was a mighty man with a pen. And with his voice. And somebody witnessed to him about our redeemer. When he was a young man. And Mr. Nietzsche said. You Christians will have to look to the redeemer.

Faith in God’s Sovereignty and the Fall of Unbelief

I read in the Bible. This kind of God we got. Children of Israel were encamped about the city of Jericho. And the wall fortified. Possible. And I declare to you. If almighty God didn't come to the leader of man by the name of Joshua.

And give him the silliest instructions that I've ever read about in all of my life. And he told that gang of Israelites to march around the city of Jericho. And blow their horns. Seven times. Seven days.

And on the seventh day in an appointed hour. They would blow their trumpets. And the walls of Jericho would come tumbling down. And bless God to death. Bless God it just took faith for those folks. Well they might have said.

Well my goodness. Anybody got sense enough to come in now. There ain't no going around marching around the walls of Jericho. And blowing some trumpets. Blowing some horns. That won't do any good. It's some good because it is God.

Of using the weak things of this world to confound the wisdom of the mighty. And it just took faith. There isn't anything on God's earth. That I have to fight hard for. And I need more. Than F-A-I-T-H.

Faith in the mighty God we supposed to believe in and preach. For unbelief is the opposite of faith. And I'm amazed. And I don't know how to handle it theologically. If you do you can advise me after the service.

And I'll be kind to you. No you don't either. No either. But I'll tell you one thing. I believe in a sovereign God. A God who is very good. But the scriptures are very plain. That he's hindered. He's hindered.

By the unbelief of his people. But I'm not certain that this is the meaning of our scripture tonight. I do not think that the word unbelief here. Is the unbelief of God's people. I think it's just plain old unbelief.

Of the people to whom he was speaking. Remember he'd come back to his own country. In Nazareth and Galilee. And everybody knew him. And they just said well nice story you're telling. But it just can't be so.

Said we know who you are. And they said you couldn't be as smart as what you're talking about. And you couldn't have done these mighty works that you're talking about. And they were stumbled by what he had to say.

And he said that a prophet has no honor saving his own country. And the cryptic statement is that he did. And Mark said he couldn't do many mighty works there. He did heal a few sick people. They couldn't stop him at all.

Altogether. But they greatly hindered him. All of my life I've been preaching in that atmosphere. I've never seen God do many mighty works. I've seen God do a little bit. But it's been my lot to live in a day when men and women have ruled God out of the world he created.

You see these people stumbled because they had no room for the supernatural. They had no room for the supernatural. They reasoned everything out. And certainly that's the spirit of this hour in which we live now.

Men are bound to have a reason for everything to see. If there come a flood, they'll say it's because something happened. And if a storm comes and blows a town down, well, that's just nature. Our fathers and mothers used to think that God was in the raindrops.

That God Almighty was in the sunshine. That God Almighty was in the cheerful day. And that God Almighty was in the storm. They hadn't ruled God out of his universe like this generation has. And there's no room!

Ladies and gentlemen, inside or outside of our churches now, for the supernatural movement of a holy God. And I come back to say to you now, there are just two great needs of this hour. And that's for our churches to come to the truth of God's ways with men and to learn how to pray.

For if there is one need above every need now, it is not simply the proclamation of truth. Let this and intervene in that men might see the finger of God one more time. I'm not a pessimist because I believe God's never left himself without a witness.

And I'm not trying to run God's business. But if there ever was a time since Jesus went back to glory, when the ought to intervene and come back down here and cease his silence and begin to manifest his power, this is the hour.

And I believe we believe that. We learn how to pray. We learn how to pray. We learn how to pray. That's the need of this hour. For God to intervene. For God to intervene. Believing as I do right or wrong, the heart of the ministry, believing it as I do right or wrong, I expect to get up some morning, maybe in the morning, and God will do that very thing.

Oh, my soul. But God manifests his power. Men and women! And as we learned last night, he brings miracles. And he makes it possible. God does it. But he uses men. And he gives men. Abraham did things.

Credit for it. I did some things, and God gave him the credit for it. Moses did some things, and God gives him the credit for it. We need to do some thinking there. And it arouses from our lethargy and our sometimesversion of the sovereignty of God.

If we'll remember a freshen again and again and again and never forget it, that God has given us this treasure in earthen. And that will challenge us. Unbelief is not ignorance. Unbelief, I believe. Action of truth.

Action of evidence. And refusal to be influenced by it. How many people am I speaking to tonight? That you have. And you've got a lot, brother. For although men are dead in sin, it's a spiritual death, and they're powerful, active in rebellion.

They're powerful, action and using. And there's one thing I know, that from Genesis 1 -1 to the last period in Revelation, and bless your heart, truth's decision. Men make some sort of decision every time they're faced with whatever kind of truth it is.

You're riding along the highway, and it says speed limit 50 miles an hour. And you make a decision just like that. I'll obey it or fully on it. And you'll decide to read it or reject it. You'll make up your mind that you'll do this every time any kind of truth.

You look at the television, and they tell you about something. And you make up your mind, next time I want something like that, I'm going to buy that brand. Or you pay no attention to it. You make a decision.

Let's don't get too afraid of that word decision. Under God in its place, it's a Bible word. And all truth demands decision. I don't care in what realm it is to make a decision. And unbelief is the will.

There can be no revelation of truth as well as there can be no faith apart from the revelation of truth. Let me repeat it. Unbelief isn't ignorance. Unbelief isn't ignorance. Unbelief is men and women with their eyes and with their hearts rejecting to be influenced by the evidence that is on every hand.

And this sort of unbelief wounded the Lord's hands, if you please. And He could do no mighty works there. Only He healed a few sick. We've seen a little of the work of God. But living in a generation, explain everything.

By an absence, where we get along fine without Him. There's the mighty working of God. I'm going to call your attention tonight as quickly as I can four things a living God in Christ Jesus can do. Everything we do to failure, the living God is able.

Can you take that? And is pleased to manifest the might of His right arm in our midst. Ladies and gentlemen, a church has got no right to call itself an assembly of called out people of the mighty Lord unless that church is mightily concerned about whether or not He is being hindered in His own people.

Hindered in His own people. The authority, my Lord said, is given unto me. Every last bit of it. My ministry was ruined, I suppose. It ruined me. To ever be a popular preacher, make any money, get anywhere.

Christ Alone Gives Eternal Life

Well, I was a student in the seminary at Fort Worth. I went down one day to a second-hand bookstore and browsing around, several reasons you'd find precious stuff down there. Another reason I was broke.

Couldn't buy a new book. And I came upon a book of sermons by old Dr. B .H. Carroll, one of the old giants of the faith, the founder of the school which I was going then. And I bought that book and I'll never forget it.

Gave a dime for it. And I still got it. And I was reading a sermon by that dear man of God. And just like a key that unlocks the door, I was rebelling against what my professors were teaching me. My professors in the seminary where they believed in the great doctrines of the Word of God.

And what little I've ever learned about them, I was taught by those men. But at first, I rebelled against them. My professor told me that election was God's purpose in redemption. And he actually taught me that God chose people, the ones who were to be saved.

He taught that. Why, everything in me hated that. I rebelled against it. I argued until I blew in the face. I'd been pastor of a big church and I'd baptized many, many people. I was a big shot in those days.

And my goodness, to hear such damnable teaching as that from a Baptist professor. And I couldn't take it. And all of the attendant things that go along, the foundation, the gospel of Jesus Christ. I fought them.

And I was miserable. And I read this one sentence from the pen of dear old Dr. Carroll in a sermon he preached in this church in Waco. And it unlocked everything and ruined my ministry. He was preaching from the 5th chapter of the gospel of John.

And his subject was the voice of authority. And he quoted that verse of Scripture. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He, and now is, the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. And one sentence the dear man said, verbatim, said Mr. Carroll, that if my voice is the only one you hear in this gospel service, you'll go away from here.

Nothing better. Providence sublime thing, that when the powers of hell are on him as he speaks, men and women who do that ought to go to hell. Men and women who do that will go to hell. And that's the reason the Lord marveled at their unbelief.

At their unbelief. There are four things that this living Christ alone has any authority. If you've got a bit of authority on earth, it's delegated to you. If you've got a bit of power delegated to you, you have none in yourself.

And there are four things this living Christ alone can do. He alone can give life to dead sinners. Thou hast given him authority over all flesh. John's Gospel, 17th chapter, 2nd verse. Thou hast given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as the Father has given him.

And this is life eternal that ye may know Thee, the only true God, and His Son, Jesus Christ. Eternal life is to know by experiencing His power, Almighty God. And ladies and gentlemen, the most solemn thing I've faced for thirty years going down this country is that life is absolutely in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ.

There isn't any life anywhere else. I've had men cuss me. I've had them have all-night prayer meetings praying that I'd get to life as I've tried to press upon men and women this truth. Ladies and gentlemen, the only way on God's earth this old preacher knows is any hope for an eternally bound sinner is stand upon his hind legs and recognize and openly confess to this godless world that the Lord Jesus Christ is my Lord!

Whether I ever get saved or not, God's appointed Him to make my Lord. That I'm in His hands. I'm subject to Him. That He can do with me as He pleases. And I'll never have life unless He gives it to me.

Life is in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. If it's not yours, if you'll accept the proposition, ladies and gentlemen, it'll become yours! Pessimistic, that is air. That's a good safe place for a sinner to be.

The feet of the sovereign Redeemer in whom is life. In John chapter 5, for as the Father raises up the dead, quickness them, even so the Son, quickness whom He will, verse 26, for as the Father Himself hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself.

Eternal life. What's that? That's to know God in His Son. That's to know Him. I'm telling you, my friends, this isn't silliness. This is no place in your second-hand religion. If nobody else ever makes a profession of faith, then a man isn't saved unless they live in Christ.

Eternal life. To men God deals with. In Adam, Adam was the living soul. And as long as you are out, they fell very much alive. Life and blessing. And that's the reason we go up and down this country where our bodies and everybody died.

For there isn't any life in the dead. Thank God there's life in the Christ who died. He's been made alive. Giving spirit. Giving spirit. Except Him. For anybody else. And leave you with just one way to look.

And that's up. Up for this life. Jesus Christ can give. Won't do it. This way for you to be dead, certain you'll go on to hell. Sinning against what you know. There's a second thing that to live in Christ alone can do.

Christ Alone Brings Freedom from Sin

And if you'll look at this outline, you'll find it takes care of everything men need. First men need life. Ain't no use to talk about what a dead man needs. He needs, first of all, life. Life, bless God.

He needs nobody on earth that can give a man. Chapter of John's Gospel. You're very familiar with it. But you'll turn if you wish to read it. The 8th chapter of John's Gospel. And ye shall know the truth which shall make you free.

And they answered Him, We be Abraham's seed, and we're never in bondage to any man. What you talking about? He shall be made free. We're already free. And Jesus said, No, you're not free. He said, I say unto you, Whosoever commit his sin is a long ways from being free.

He's the servant of sin. He's the slave of sin. And the servant abideth not in a house forever, but the Son abideth forever. If the Son, therefore, shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. There's just one way on God's earth a man can ever have liberty, freedom.

And that is to have a change of master. Freedom. Freedoms of sin is by putting, and they find rest, that if your bones rest, is not to sit down, but to do some other kind of activity. And whether that's so or not, is not speaking the truth.

There's never been but one right of God's earth, and that's Jesus Christ. And the way men join to Him, no freedom. No man's any better off if a bad habit drops off unless a new vocation takes it. That's not salvation.

This world's full of people. Salvation. And they ran one demon out of the house, and seven of his kinfolks came back, and where he had one devil to put up with before he got converted, now he's got eight.

And old man T .T. Martin used to say that a man who just thinks that being a Christian demon of the flesh is eight to one, sure for hell. For where he had trouble with one demon, now he's got with eight.

And his last stand is worse than the first. Liberty, my friends, isn't freedom. Liberty is freedom. No man is free unless he's free. That's true freedom. It sets you free. Except him. But if the Son shall set you free, you'll be free indeed.

Christ’s Peace in the Midst of Misery

There's a third thing that no one can do but Jesus Christ. Men need life. He alone can give it. Men need to be free. He alone can give them freedom. And men need peace instead of misery. And He alone can give peace.

He alone can give peace. In the 14th chapter of John, My peace I give unto you. My peace I leave you. Instead of misery, the peace that the Savior gives. Nobody can give peace except us. We can speak peace where there is no peace.

But God's Son can give peace. Old Mother Mary said unto some odd years old, Queen Mother of a little Baptist church, after the meetings had been going on some time, she began to lift her hand when we'd ask if there were troubled souls needing help night after night.

And then finally, instead of lifting her hand when we'd stand to sing an invitation, Mother Mary came the first time, got down on her knees right here where Danny's sitting. Everybody looked up. There was a Christian in that section of the city.

Mother Mary was a Christian. Somebody knelt down and tried to deal with her. She'd shake them off. After a while, long after most people had gone, she got up off her knees and went home. Next night she did the same thing.

And the next night she did the same thing. For that time it caused no small commotion and brought a crowd to see what was going on. And they were saying that I had disturbed her and I had done this and I had done that.

I had done things. I can't disturb anybody. I can't get that close to you. Only the Spirit can get inside where the turmoil is. And the pastor knelt down and said, Mother Mary, what's the matter with you?

She said, leave me be. The next night she got up off her knees. I think nearly everybody was gone. She came to me and said, Brother Bernard, I've been trying to serve the Lord these 46 years and I've never had a moment of peace.

Something wrong with that kind of salvation. And I said, can I be of help? She said, no. No one can help me. And then she said, accept. And she pointed the finger here. She was right there. Sunday morning came and I went out to want to do something in the Sunday school.

And I went out early. The crowd was already gathering. And as I got out of my car and started toward the little church building, here came pink-cheeked, white-haired Mother Mary. And she met me and she said, Dear Brother Bernard,.

She was a German. This morning, whilst I did wash the breakfast dishes, the Lord Jesus Christ did give me peace. You can't think a fellow's foolish to reckon himself to be a child of God, to whom the living Christ hadn't made real to you that your sins were gone.

Instead of peace, I had great bitterness, said Isaiah. Hezekiah wasn't. But thou hast in love for my soul. Tim will not bring peace. But bless God, he to be joy. Men need life. Nobody can give you life, my brother, except Him.

Need liberty. Need to be set free. Nobody sets you free except Him. Miserable man! Nobody can give peace but Him. From God. Need to find their way home to the Father's house. And I am so glad that the Lord Jesus can take an old sinner by his hand and lead him to God.

Christ Leads Sinners Home to God

In Hebrews chapter 2, and verse 10,. For it became Him all things, and by whom are all things. I want to be in on this. Many suitable saviors. As my Savior through suffering. Praise God. He's the one who can get men acquainted with God.

I believe when a man is united to Christ, he's latched on to God, brother. If you'll pardon the slang expression. I can't lead you to God. He can. Oh, it is now near two weeks. I had a great thrill. I was in Richmond, Virginia at meetings.

And the dear pastor took me out on two different days. The bloodiest battlefields in the Civil War. The trenches are still there. The breastworks are there. And they preserved some of those battlefields.

And I've always loved to read history. Especially about the Civil War. And I read all the epitaphs and walked over it. I had a great time. During the Civil War, on picket duty in the northern lines. He was caught asleep on picket duty.

Court-martialed. Sentenced to be shot. Later they kept on investigating the case. And they found out that somebody had missed some orders. And he'd been on picket duty three days and nights without any relief.

And his body just couldn't take it. He'd fallen asleep. And so they began to put the machinery into circulation to recall his court-martial. But his death sentence had been signed by the officer in charge.

In the meantime, this officer had been killed in action. I know it's so now. But it fixed it so there was just one man living who could counter-man the orders of that court-martial. Since the man who'd signed this death sentence was dead, nobody on earth had authority his sentence of death except the President of the United States.

And they fixed up the papers and this man armed with the necessary papers journeyed to Washington. But on his way, he was seized upon by some marauders. And they stole everything on his purse and papers and all and left him half dead.

And finally he got able to travel again and he got to the city of Washington but he had no identification. He had no way of entree into the President's office. And there he was. He went from place to place and nobody had any proof.

He was telling the truth. And you just don't walk into the President of the United States' office in times of war. And he had no way that he had a right to see President Lincoln. And his time was about up and he'd lost all hope.

He was walking off of the White House grounds and he was crying. He hadn't got to see the only man living that could save him from death. And he ran into a little 10-year-old boy walking along crying.

He wasn't watching. He stumbled into a little 10-year-old boy. And the little boy said, Mr., you're crying. He said, yes. He said, what's the matter, mister? The man said, well, son, you wouldn't be interested.

He said, well, what you crying for? Tell me about it, mister. And he told everybody else. Nobody believed him. And he told that little 10-year-old boy a story. And the little boy said, Mister, you want to see the President?

He said, yes. He's the only man that can save me. And the little boy said, Well, come on. I'll take you to see the President. And he did. Ted Lincoln, the playboy, the mischief maker of the White House, holds you by the hand.

And they walked through door after door and they all opened. Ted Lincoln said, and pretty soon a door opened and sitting over there was that lovely Abraham Lincoln surrounded by men. And the little 10-year-old boy marched right through him, right up to the desk of the President of the United States holding on to the soldier.

And he said, Dad, here's a man wants to see you. My Lord Jesus Christ earned the right when he died on the cross. Anybody on God's earth is of Almighty who can be joined to Him. Just come unto to Him.

Turn yourself over to Him. God, He'll take you by the hand. I think we can offend the little Lord who alone can do mighty works by our heads. I wonder if there are troubled souls here tonight that need the Lord to grant you life.

You need Him to set you free. You need Him to give you peace. You need Him to lead you home to God. Are there any people here tonight in that state? You wouldn't be ashamed to let me know that God has been pleased to trouble you?

You wouldn't be ashamed to say, Here's one. I'm desperately in need of the Lord. Would you lift your hand if earnestly and earnestly and right gladly? You wouldn't be ashamed. If you're in need tonight, I'm in that shape, preacher.

I'm not ashamed to admit it. Put your hand up before you. That's all I'm asking you to do. I'd like to know. Anybody else? Just a saying. Hands picked. A song, yeah? And after a saying, I want just one more word before we go.

Will you stand?