Notes of a message given on Sunday morning, by Pastor Alan Redpath on October 9, 1955.
As we approach another Keswick Convention many of us are deeply concerned that the Lord shall visit us with revival. Our hearts are hungry for Him, and continually the cry goes up to the throne: “Wilt thou not revive us again that thy people might rejoice in thee.”
I want to be clear that we understand what we are asking Him to do—not simply to give us converts. Evangelism is one thing; revival is another. Evangelism is the constant duty of the church. Revival …
“Come ye after me,” says Jesus, “and I will make you to become fishers of men.” Jesus had various methods of soul winning. He preached to the great multitude. He talked with the individual. In the temple and synagogue He spoke to the godly and religious. He went into the streets, the markets and the lanes proclaiming the Gospel to the wicked and irreligious. He opened the gates of Heaven, that He might entice His people into the Father’s house. He opened the gates of Hell, that they might see “the fire that is not quenched,” and “the worm …
Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For …
“Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing; nevertheless, at Thy word I will let down the net.”—Luke 5:5
If you have ever climbed a very high mountain, you have, for many miles before reaching it, gone up hills and down into valleys. From the hilltop you have a good view; in the valley you are among the shadows. Such is the road to success in life. Success followed by failure, followed again by success; day following night, night following day; sunshine after shadow, and shadow after sunshine.
“Neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God, of that which doth cost me nothing,” (2 Samuel 24:24).
The burnt offering is the Old Testament picture of entire consecration. It was voluntary. It was all upon the altar. It was made by fire, a sweet savor unto the Lord. I want to use this text as the basis for what is recounted in Nehemiah 2, for the principle of the burnt offering is the principle behind the preparation and equipment of this man, and all others, for the service of God.
My thought this morning is, How God Saves a Soul. What does God do for a man which results in that man’s being saved forever? The basis of what I am to say is found in Paul’s epistle to the Romans, chapter 1, verses 16 and 17.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live …
Study of both the Written and Living Word is required—“Scriptures able to make thee wise” (2 Timothy 3:15) and “Worlds were framed by the Word of God” (Hebrews 11:3). Two schools are needed—The Bible Institute and The School of Christ. From the first named it is possible to graduate since this deals primarily with the human brain; in the latter the lessons continue in life and beyond, since the teaching is for the heart.
The Bible is God’s university. You may get every doctrine you ought to have for yourself and others out of the Word of God. False …
“And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: but their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord …
In the fourth chapter of John’s Gospel we are treading on familiar ground. I don’t suppose there are many people who haven’t at one time or another received encouragement and blessing, and at the same time, a great challenge from this portion of God’s Word. But like everything else in the Word of God, you never exhaust it.
Of course, if you stand back from it and look at it as a whole, you will be impressed with the fact that this story pictures one of the greatest facts of the whole Bible. Have you ever stopped for a moment …
“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.
“For them must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once in the end of the age hath he appeared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin, unto salvation.”—Hebrews 9:24, 26, 28
