The Happy Man 06 Gratitude of Redeemed

Psalm number 116, the psalm our brother read from last night, Psalm 116. Two colored brothers met, and one said to the other, be you in the Lord's army? He says, yes, I'll be in the Lord's army, instead I'll be a Baptist. Oh, you'll not be in the Lord's army at all, you'll be in the Lord's navy.

Another fellow met the other day, and he said to his friend, he says, he says, can you tell me what is an apostle? An apostle, said the other one. No, I don't know what an apostle is. I said an apostle is an epistle's wife.

And of course, only, well, we understand. Psalm 116, verse number one. I love the Lord.

The three or four letters at the end of the psalm. Praise ye the Lord. Got it? I love the Lord.

Praise ye the Lord. When it says praise ye the Lord, that means in particular. You know what I saw just now? You know what I saw just now? Well, somebody just yawned.

And you know something? They didn't even cover their mouth up. Hadn't they been sitting so far back, I might have seen their tonsils. Now, I won't look at them just now at least, and not for a little while.

And don't you come up and say, I'm sorry, Mr. Boswell, I yawned because it may not have been you at all. So there you've got the four little words, I love the Lord, and it closes with four little words. Praise ye the Lord.

When it says praise ye the Lord, that means in particular. When it says praise the Lord, that means in general. Psalm number one starts off as a solo.

Then we find the psalm beginning to develop into a duet, a trio, a quartet, quintet, and it comes right on to Psalm 150. And you've got the whole choir and all the heavens orchestra there. And it says that everything has got bread, praise the Lord.

And have we great cause to praise him? I'm sure we have. Now tonight, I want to talk to you for a little while with this psalm open, as a man before conversion and after conversion. A man before conversion and a man after conversion.

Dr. James Neustadt, who is a chest specialist working in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, was ministering with me at a conference some time ago in another part of Ontario. And he opened this psalm like this. If you remember him, some of you do, he's a tall fellow, much taller than I am.

That was an earlier conference. The next week we were together at Edmonton conference away out in Alberta, and they took a picture of us and they called us Muffin Jacks. He was away up here someplace, and I am where I am.

You see, there it is, such a contrast in height. But a ministry dovetails very much one into the other. I just finished on the theme, the great need among us today for each and every believer to fall in love with Jesus Christ.

He got up following me and he read these four words. I love the Lord. And the meeting was divided, the schedule was divided into three sections.

He looked at this section and said, I love the Lord. Do you? Do you? And do you? Now what did you answer? If you don't love the Lord, you're going to praise the Lord. No doubt about that.

You just can't love him without knowing him. But to know him is to love him, and to love him is just to praise him. Your heart simply overflows.

Now I want to give you the theme tonight under four little peas. We've been looking at quite a number of peas. I want to give you a few more tomorrow morning in the study class.

So good to see such a nice number coming out at 10 o'clock in the morning and recognizing you're such a busy crowd of people. It means you see you're taking time off for that brief hour. And tomorrow we shall continue your studies in the joint love letter.

But now here we have four peas. One, we're going to look at this man firstly under conviction. We're going to look at him under conversion.

Then we're going to look at him under consecration, and then we're going to look at his consummation. Did you get them? Four little peas. Conviction, conversion, consecration, and consummation.

A friend of mine was preaching at the higher field meetings in Glasgow, Scotland, and he spoke of seven different agents, like salvation, sanctification, justification, and so on. Then he had to leave that conference and go and talk at another conference. So the man who followed him got up and said, our brother has been speaking on seven different agents.

He went over them all. Now he says he's left and gone to the station. I do hope he reaches his destination.

Here's him when I've only got four. Here they are then as a convicted man. Now look please, and I want you to get this.

God's greatest dealings with mankind have been essentially the same in all ages. We're saved by grace through faith, and that not of ourselves. It's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should go.

There is no real conversion to God apart from conviction of sin. A person must recognize his or her need of the Lord Jesus before they come to him and yield their lives entirely to him. So as a convicted sinner, in verse number three, the very last phrase that Sam has said, I found trouble and sorrow.

He's talking here now as a convicted sinner. Notice the context of that same verse. The sorrows of death content me.

The pains of hell hold upon me. I found trouble and sorrow. Now here is a man who is unprepared to meet God.

He's not ready to go into eternity, and the dark reality of eternity is now gripping his heart. And with this telling him in the face, he says, I found trouble and sorrow. So it says that every man and woman, and boy and girl, there is never coming to a personal relationship with God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

For Christ said, No man cometh unto the Father but by me. Unless we come to God through Jesus Christ, there is no salvation, there is no peace, there is no joy, there is no forgiveness. We must come to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Now, look at this man. He finds trouble and sorrow. He finds the sorrows of death compassing him, the pains of hell laying hold upon him.

Now, look down, please, to verse number six. Right in the middle of the verse, it says, I found trouble and sorrow. But then he goes on here to say, I was brought low.

I was brought low. Now, this may be a very humiliating experience, but, beloved, it's a surest way of blessing. It's a principle running right through Scripture that if we humble ourselves, we shall be exalted.

But if we exalt ourselves, we shall be humbled. The Bible says, Every eye shall see Christ, every knee shall bow to Christ, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the glory of God the Father. Again, the Bible says in Psalm number 72, They shall come from the north and the south, the east and the west, the high and the low, the educated and the literate, the bond and the free, the rich and the poor, and they shall come and all bow down before him, and his enemies shall lit the dust.

We must either bow the knee in this day of grace, acknowledge him as our Lord and Savior, or we must do it in the hour of judgment. But every knee is going to bow to him. Every eye is going to see him.

Every tongue is going to confess that he is Lord, the glory of God the Father. Friend of ours, coming across from Britain in one of those great transatlantic liners, young man coming to us for the very first time from England, he was accosted by a trio on the boat asking him to play a game of cards. They wanted Paul to play the card, and he, gentlemanly, well-mannered, well-groomed, well-educated, good-looking, let us peel on or bear that out, but it's John Williams.

And so here it is, he's coming across for the very first time, and here this young man was asked by these friends to play this game of cards. In his own sweet, polite way, he declined, saying, I've never played cards in my life. My mother always taught me cards of the devil's Bible and never to touch them.

She said, I always had a great regard for my mother's judgment. But he said, if you don't mind, I'll read your fortune from the cards. They couldn't quite understand why he wouldn't play cards, yet he would read their fortunes.

He asked for the five of spades. And he held up the five of spades, and he looked, there are two here, one in the center and two at the bottom. The two at the top here, every eye shall see him.

The two at the bottom, every knee shall bow to him. The one in the center, every tongue will confess that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father. This will stay up here one day, and the Lord being not come will dig my grave, for me it will be very much better.

This will stay down here one day, and he will dig your grave for you, what then? Needless to say, he never saw in playing cards the rest of the voice. Every eye shall see him. Every knee will bow to him.

Every tongue will confess that he is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Happier you, who have bowed the knee in the day of grave, and owed him as your Lord and as your Savior, what joy is your joy? Going round Edinburgh Castle, there was a lady, and she was being guided around by the guy there at the castle, going into one place, the other historical places there, and seeing many interesting things. When they came to the Jewel Room, where all the wonderful gems and precious stones are, you got to stoop, you got to bend to get in to see those wonderful gems.

When the city came to this particular main door, she said to the guy, Is this the only way into the Jewel Room? He said, Yes, madam, it's the only way. She flung her head and said, Well, I won't bother seeing them, and she passed by. She was too proud to stoop.

Beloved, many are going to miss the splendor of yonder glory, because of being too proud to bend the knee to the Son of God, and acknowledge him as their Lord and Savior. The Bessama said, I was brought low, and he helped me. Verse 10.

The very last sentence says, I was greatly afflicted. I was greatly afflicted. Now notice please what it says in verse number three, I found trouble and sorrow, I was brought low, and then it says, I was greatly afflicted.

The sermon said, before I was afflicted, I went astray. The hymn writer's saying, Afflictions only seem severe in mercy of the saint. This taught the prodigal's mad career, and caused him to repent.

My little mother used to say, sometimes God's got to break somebody's back before he can reach another path. I just finished conducting a wedding. I just had conducted a wedding in Brantford, Ontario.

The following Wednesday, I got a long-distance phone call. Would I go back to Brantford on a Saturday to conduct a funeral service? A man had been at that wedding on the Saturday from Flint, Michigan. He was leaving on Wednesday morning for his office.

He just kissed his wife goodbye, went up, shut the door, and he dropped, and he went to heaven. For him, it was absence on the body, present for the Lord, which was very far better, and he'd been in need of a Brantford to drop the body back to Brantford. God give liberty and real power in that particular funeral service.

The following Wednesday, I got another letter, this time from the widow. Saying the letter was going to be filled with a mixture of joy and sorrow. She says, I do miss my husband, and I sorrow not as others which have no hope because we're going to be reunited one day.

She said, I want to share a joy with you. Our eldest son would say that the funeral service on Saturday afternoon, what a joy fills our heart, but what a sorrow to think that God had to take the father before he could reach the son's heart. God had to take the father before he could reach the son's heart.

Affliction so may seem severe in mercy, offer said. Now get the picture because I must hurry. I found trouble and sorrow.

I was brought low. I was greatly afflicted. Now please notice, the trouble, sorrowful, humiliated, and afflicted soul cries out in verse number four, Then called I, upon the name of the Lord, O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

Here's a cry of bringing from the convicted sinner now. He recognizes the trouble and sorrow. He recognizes humiliation.

He recognizes the affliction, and from it all he cries, O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. You see, he goes to the right source. He calls upon the right person.

He calls the right name. For the Bible says, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. If thou shouldst confess to thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in thine heart God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

O beloved, listen now. This trouble, sorrowful, humiliated, and afflicted soul, having called upon the name of the Lord, he's led into rest. He's led into joy.

He's led into exultation. And he's led into glorious comfort. Yes, beloved, the Lord heard, and he responded immediately.

You'll hear the cry ring from your heart tonight. If there should be one in this very fine, intelligent congregation who recognizes your need of the Lord Jesus, from the corner of your own heart, you can cry, Lord, save me. Lord, have mercy upon me.

Whatever the cry may be, his ear is open. His heart is yearning. He's coming towards you.

Oh, just cry tonight. Lord, whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This can be your great joy tonight.

Then call thy upon the name of the Lord. O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Now go to verse number eight and let your heart exult.

Now it says, that thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, my feet from falling. Oh, friend, there's a language now of a converted man. The language of a sinner claimed by race.

My friend, the pangs of conviction have gone and gone forever. And he says, thou hast delivered my soul from death, there is salvation. Mine eyes from tears, there's the song.

My feet from falling, there's the strength. Isn't it wonderful? Did you get those little essays? My soul from death is salvation. Isn't that just wonderful? He removes the tears now of contrition, the tears of repentance, the tears of sorrow, the tears of grief, and he removes the tears and in that place he brings the song.

It's the song of a soul set free. We were singing a moment ago, he lifted me up, yes, up onto the mighty grave. He put a new song into my mouth, even praise unto my God.

When the children's worship was done on the land of Egypt, there was no singing or praising there, plenty of grumbling and grousing and complaining, but no song. Once they left the land of bondage, crossed the Red Sea, standing on resurrection ground, they looked back at the old seer, they looked back at all the enemies dead upon the seashore, then sang the children of Israel, the Lord has triumphed gloriously, the Lord is all the glory, the Lord is all the triumph and praise, the Lord has triumphed gloriously, the horse and the rider is passing the depths of the sea. Little Pharaoh remember, little puny Pharaoh, so boastful in his own estimation, very egotistical, and he said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will destroy, and the Lord just blew a little puff of wind, and he went down into the ocean with all his mighty men with him.

Ah, do you see what I'm getting at my friend?

You see you're dealing with the almighty God, the almighty God, and my friend when you call upon him, Lord save me, Lord remember me, he hears that cry immediately, he responds straight away, then your heart's going to cry, Lord you've delivered my soul from death, John 5, 24 comes in here, verily, verily I say unto you, here is my word, and believe it on him that sent me, ha, everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment but is passed from death unto life, you've come from a condition of spiritual death, you've got into a state of spiritual life, my friend I want you to get that tonight, not only do you become the possessor of eternal life, which is actually wonderful, but salvation brings you right out of a state of death into a state of life, it brings you out of a state of

darkness into a state of life, it brings you out of a state of hatred into a state of love, it brings you from bondage into liberty, that's what salvation means you know, it says in Religion chapter 1, verse number 4, it says, isn't it now, amen, I want you to get this my friend, deep down in your own heart tonight, let it really reach you, I love this, when I come to verse number 8, it says, now did you get the picture, he is your redeemer, he is your comforter, and hallelujah, he is your keeper, some people say I would be saved, but I don't think I could keep it, no you could not keep it, neither can I, thank God he's the one that does the keeping, and then it says, now come with me please, verse number 10, it says here in verse number 10, isn't this lovely, you see you believe with

your heart, and you confess with your mouth, Jesus as Lord, oh am I going to fast for you tonight, am I hurrying through too much for you tonight, friends I would love to dwell on verse number 8, I love to spend all night on verse number 8, now I want you to get this, are you in the good of verse number 8, do you know the salvation, do you know the song, do you know the strength, do you know him as your redeemer, do you know him as your comforter, do you know him as your keeper, oh my friend if not why not tonight, why not tonight, no better opportunity than right now, for you to open your heart to the Son of God's love, and know him as your Lord, and as your Saviour, verse number 10, I believe therefore have I spoken, you believe with your heart, and you confess with your mouth, Jesus as

Lord, maybe tonight someone's not in the good, not in the joy of their salvation, or truly have believed on the Lord Jesus, truth is said come into my heart Lord Jesus, but you've never told anyone about it, and you wonder why there's no joy, you hear others talking about joy, or talking about peace, talking about an appetite for the Word of God, and you wonder why, it may be just here, you've never opened your mouth or confessed, Jesus Christ as Lord, and I want to tell you something, confession with the mouth is bundled up with God's plan of salvation, and the Lord Jesus says, if you confess me before men, I will confess you before my Father, which is in heaven, Psalm 107 verse number 2 says, let the redeemed of the Lord say so, there's the whole thing, and if you have believed on your

heart, then say so, illustration, happened in Calgary, Alberta, we're having a gospel crusade there, we've been here the year before for 8 weeks, and I took a young man back with me, who's now in Africa, I hope to see him in the beginning of next year, called Colin Anderson, we were there for 7 weeks, this particular time, and this particular night, while others were waving their wings in the inquiry room, a married sister, and her younger sister, a college girl, left auditorium in tears, the married girl was crying, because of the conviction, regarding her young sister, she longed to see her faith, so they said to her Grace, why don't you go back tonight, why don't you get the matter settled, she said no, let us go home, that was one Wednesday night, the following Wednesday, we were

speaking in the highest rules of the auditorium there, we'd just finished speaking, when the phone rang in the principal's office, would we go to this particular house, so Mr Anderson and I went along to this house, when we got there, from some part of the house, we don't know where, but this girl came running, she just jumped right at us and said, Uncle Jim, Uncle Jim, I've got something to tell you, I said, you don't need to tell me Grace, I can see it, I can see it, she said, I want to tell you, well go on, I'm saved, wonderful, when were you saved, she said, last Wednesday night, I said, I've been as miserable as anything for a whole week, I've been the most miserable girl in the world for a whole week, you were saved last Wednesday, yes, I said, why were you saved, why were you so

miserable, she said, because I didn't tell anybody until today, I said, I told my colleagues at school, I was saved, and something happened inside me, a joy flooded my soul, then I told my sister, then I told my brother-in-law, now you want to tell Mr.

Anderson and you, and my friend, I turned that girl to where you jolly well deserve to be miserable for a week, you had to believe and your heart never told anybody about it, I can understand that can you, oh I'd love this to come down to your heart tonight, I really would, the joy of the Lord will flood your soul, you believe with your heart, not believe with your mind, not believe historical facts concerning Jesus Christ, but you believe and you receive him into your heart, and once you receive him you receive life, and life eternal, isn't that beautiful, look at verse 13, it says here, I will take the cup of salvation, see that's why there will be more Scots people in heaven than any other nationality, because salvation is free, and you take, you take, you're saying, I will take the

cup of salvation, salvation is receiving, sometimes I will be saved, but I couldn't give this up, or I couldn't give the next thing up, I want to tell you frankly, you're not asked to give anything up to receive Christ, you can't give those things up on your own strength, a little girl, her mother had stored a few old rags together, and made a doll, a little rag doll, an old fashioned rag doll, all the comfort, all the joy, all the satisfaction, that little treasure got out of that doll, every place she went the doll had to go with her, all that doll was out, she couldn't give that doll up for anything, for anyone, that doll was her constant pride and joy, one day the father was kissing her goodbye, to go away to the village city, he started holding on to her doll, he went into one of the

big departmental stores, he bought a big, I know a walkie talkie doll, with real hair, you know one of those little mammy dolls, and he brought it home, there she is holding on to the little cross doll you see, what a joy she got out of that doll all day, but now, he unties the string, he unties the parcel, and then he holds up the doll, look daddy, look, and whenever the little girl saw the doll, she rushed across, oh, thank you very much daddy, and receiving a new doll, she dropped the old doll, true, what she could not give up, and what brought joy and satisfaction to her, for so many months and years, now when she received a new doll, it simply dropped, and I tell you friend tonight, that very thing you think you could never give up, that thing you just feel, I could never leave that

aside, you haven't got the strength and the ability, once you receive Christ, he gives you the strength, once you receive Christ, he gives you the power, and if there's a willingness within your heart tonight to receive him, he'll give you the strength to let go, and the thing you thought you could never give up, will automatically drop, because Christ has come into your heart, I will take that cup of salvation, oh isn't this just wonderful, now switch back to verse number one will you, I love the Lord, do you, do you, now let's be honest about this, now this is for the Christians, I've been talking now regarding a convicted man, under deep conviction, I've been talking now about a converted man, he's come through conviction, right into conversion, and I repeat with all my heart, there's

no real conversion to God, apart from conviction of sin, I've no time for a mere believerism, I've no time for a mere cheap evangelism, there must be a death or resection of Jesus Christ as Lord, you're not asked to receive Christ as Saviour, not in one verse or scripture, you're asked to receive him as Lord, and there's no real salvation, apart from submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and it is not Lord at all, it's not Lord at all, this mamby-pamby wishy-washy evangelism is going around today, my friend listen, there's a cheap evangelism regarding sin, and the condoning sin, we must face sin, but in the life of the believer, but in the life of the unbeliever, their cheap thoughts about sin, is their light thoughts about God, that's called catastrophe, he is Lord, he is Lord,

when you're born again, you're no longer your own, you belong to him, you're his and you're his forever, what a wonderful joy that is, and now then that as a believer, you look up and say, I love the Lord, and I would suggest coming to you, that this is my friend, the first evidence of new life, you'll love him because you know him, you can't know him without loving him, I love the Lord, you know something, I very seldom talk of my love for the Lord Jesus, it's far too spasmodic, it's far too erratic and cold in contrast to his nexus love, it's always so warm and loyal, sincere and true, but I can say humbly, and I trust with all sincerity tonight, I love the Lord, I love the Lord, it's a principle element in consecration, because you recognize all that he's done for you, not of a heart

of gratitude, not a heart of love, my friend, you surrender your whole life to his authority, you're coming from your heart, you're crying, take my love, O Lord, I pour at thy feet this treasure store, take my self, and I will be ever only all for thee, or as many would only see this at the initial step in salvation, that I no longer belong to him, ever save him from many a pitfall, from many a danger, and from many a snare, from many a doubt, and to recognize the fact that no longer at all, just like in the marriage service, you belong to one another, you said, I will tonight, will have committal, you belong one to the other, you don't go flirting around with some other man, or flirting around with some other woman, if you do, you ought not to, you belong to, you're in possession of

another, and when you're born again, you're married to Jesus Christ, death meets heaven, or, the marriage bonds down here, but you're bound to him eternally with love's strong cord, a bond that can never be broken, neither death nor life can separate us, from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord, isn't this just wonderful my friends, oh aren't you glad you're in Christ, aren't you glad you're a child of God, have the night to say, I love the Lord, I love the Lord, the principal element in consecration, and the first evidence of new life, I love the Lord, do you love him tonight, it's because you're born again, because you're a child of God, you love him because you know him, now look please, at verse number 12 I think it is, verse number 12, the other direction of my soul,

it says here, what shall I render, what shall I render, you know this does not do something in your heart, he's just so happy now, he's just simply bubbling over now, the child of the Lord is so real to him now, why, he's come through conviction into conversion, he's a consecrated man, he says I love the Lord, and now his whole heart goes up and says, what shall I render, what can I give to the Lord, some people have got the gimme's, you know what I mean by the gimme's, gimme this and gimme the next, and gimme gimme gimme, but their heart is in touch with Jesus Christ, what can I give the Lord, what shall I render unto the Lord, for his benefits toward me, some people often ask me, why is it in your public gathering, you never have a collection, or a free will offering, passing the basket

and so on, I look and say, my job's to catch the fish, then I find the coin in the fish's mouth, did you get that one, did you get it, that's it my friend, that's it, and I want you to think of this through tonight, once you're born again by the Holy Spirit, and brought into a family of God, your heart's only open, your purse opens, everything opens up, and you see your, his spirit and soul and body, your time, your talent, all your treasure belongs to him, and now from my heart I tell you, what shall I render, what shall I render unto the Lord, I know what would happen if you knew, that those boxes back would have to be overflowing, that's true, out of love for the Lord, what shall I render, what can I give to the Lord, you're not giving it to the evangelist, or giving it to the Bible

teacher, or to the conference center, you're giving to the Lord, oh how wonderful, isn't this just true now, isn't it real, isn't it vital in your heart, that curse it is, what shall I render unto the Lord, please go down to verse number 17, I think it is, I will offer thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the Lord, isn't this precious, you see he's just bubbling over now, and now he's a worshipper, he's worshipping, I said the other night, now do you see this, a thankful heart full of heaven's choicest gifts, whenever you've got a thankful heart with it, there's a praiseful disposition, the two go together, what shall I render unto the Lord, I will offer the Lord the sacrifice of thanksgiving, I will call upon the name of the Lord, and now he is a worshipping

heart, one who knows how to adore, how to worship, and as a result of that wonderful contemplation, in Psalm 45, the charting of the night, he's contemplating his Lord, he said my heart in judging a good matter, my heart bubbling up, my heart is overflowing with good matter, I feel things I made touching the king, my tongue is a pen of a ready writer, dark hair and the children of men, grace is all inside it, he's it all, don't get it and love me, he's the spirit of the fair, and oh I'll be loving thee, cause of this and that you say, what shall I render, I will offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, are you a thankful Christian tonight, really, you thank the Lord with all your heart, for all he's done for you, for all he's doing for you, and all he'll yet do for you, the wonder of God, now

look at verse 16, he says here, Lord I am thy servant, I am thy servant, and the son of thy handmaid, thou hast loosed my bond, isn't it wonderful, see what I'm getting at children of God, now you look up and say, Lord I am thy servant, we're saying this in these morning gatherings, Lord I am thy bond slave, I am thy servant, Lord I am thine, I'm thine, oh Jesus Lord and saviour, I give myself to thee, for thou and thine atonement, give thyself for me, I own no other master, my heart shall be thy throne, my life I give henceforth to live, oh Christ, I fall thee alone, and tonight I ask you very lovingly, whose servant are you, remember Jehovah said, let my people go, that they may serve me, the slaves of sin, cannot be the servants of the Lord, oh no, let my people go, because we've been

emancipated, we've been liberated, we've been set free, now we look up and say, Lord we are thy blood vessel, make me a captive Lord, and I shall be free, force me to render up the strong, and I shall conquer thee, reign over me Lord Jesus, reign over all within, make me a loyal subject to thee, in everything, oh I know that's the cry of your heart isn't it, look at verses 14 and 18, they're identical, did you notice that, verses 14 and 18 are identical, said verse number 14, I will pay my vows unto the Lord now, in the presence of all his people, and I know during these days of conference, I mean before this week, you have made vows in your own heart, that you were brought safe to faith, and challenged before God, and you made vows in your own heart, and you said Lord I'm going to say my

vows, you've never done it, you've compromised haven't you, but during these closing moments of this conference, the wise thinking believer, some of you coming along saying, I wanted to talk to so and so, I wanted to talk to so and so, but somehow or other I had to come and talk, maybe to not let someone hear your burden, yet feel we can help you, don't go away, pay your vows now, now, in the presence of the Lord's people, will you my friend, now I must hurry, go to verse number 15, here you have the consummation, we've been looking at conviction, we've been looking at a conversion, we've been looking at consecration, but let me ask you very lovingly, are you a convicted sinner, are you a converted sinner, are you a consecrated believer, ...but leader all upon the altar for Jesus Christ,

everything wholly and completely surrendered to his authority, this is life, to a capital L.

And now the consummation, verse 15, ...Precious in the sight of the Lord, ...is the death of his faith. For a contract in verse number 3, verse number 3 is terrified, he is terrified, the very thought of it gripping his heart, but in verse 15 he's looking forward to it. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of a saint, the margin has the dead for his sake.

The very sparrow falling to the ground, quiet God attends every sparrow's funeral, valueless in the eyes of men, but valuable in the eyes of God. He attends every sparrow's funeral, a sparrow can't fall to the ground without the father noticing it. The passing in of his own beloved, this is precious in the eyes of the Lord.

You know I say this very lovingly and very humbly, when I'm asked to conduct the funeral service of a person I know does not belong to Jesus Christ, if I can get out of it I do. Do you know why? It's the hardest thing I ever do, is conduct a funeral service of someone whom I really know has never yet trusted Jesus Christ for salvation. But when it comes to the believer, I often say I would rather bury them than marry them.

I would, you know why? When I bury them I know they're happy ever after. When I marry them I didn't know what was going to happen. See where I'm getting at now? See my friend, I want you to get this, there's a real joy.

I was conducting a funeral service in London, Ontario recently for an outstanding businessman and Bible teacher. There's a service some say that didn't seem like a funeral service at all. I said that's interesting, tell me what is it? A triumphal entry.

Now isn't that just what it is? Is that just what it is? It's a triumphal entry, from the body present with the Lord, which is very far better. The Lord says the home going of his child is precious, it's precious. Oh heaven rejoices, friend of ours, dear sinner gone.

And he said you know, he's over 80 years of age, he's giving Bible studies, and he said you know a lot of people are talking about the Lord's coming, and looking for the Lord's coming, and going without dying. Oh he said I don't want to go like that. He said I want to pass through the article of death.

I want to have a personal interview with the Lord before the crowd comes home. Now isn't that precious? Isn't that precious? You see he knew the Lord, and he was a consecrated believer, and he loved the Lord, and he wanted to meet him. Contrast my words, because I know that I must.

Dear Rudy, when he lay dying, someone said to him, how do you feel Mr. Rudy, you're going into eternity. He said this is death, it is welcome. There is no dark valley, it is full of light.

This is my day of coronation, this is my day of glorious triumph. And with these words he went home to the presence of the Lord. Tom Payne, the infidel, who preached no God, no hell all his life.

When he lay dying, people gathered around his bed, heard him yell out it's dark, it's dark, it's dark. Somebody said hold on Tom. He said I haven't anything to hold on to, and so it is with every unbeliever.

A believer never dies alone. He may backfly, but he never dies alone. The Lord goes right through that valley with him, holding his hand.

He'll never let go. But it's wonderful you can go home with a full abundance of entrance into his immediate presence. Not a shame before he met his coming.

Oh the wonder of it all. A little girl one day, oh that story's about little girls, don't you? A little girl one day, she's been watching a nest, and she watched the nest being built, and she watched the little mother bird there laying eggs in the nest, and she counted those eggs, she watched them very carefully. Then she goes away on a vacation.

When she comes back, first thing in the nest, and they're just the shells, they're all broken. And she saw the tears roll down her face, she's just crying so bitterly. The mother says what's the matter with you darling? Oh it's just some nasty boys, some nasty boys have broken all the eggs, broken all the shells.

Of course it'd be a nasty boy, wouldn't it be? So the mother said wait a minute, I'll explain to you. So she took her aside and said now look darling, those little shells there, they had a little bird in them, a little baby bird. The little baby bird got far too big, far too big for the shell, so it broke the skin, smashed the shell.

And listen, do you hear little birds there singing on those trees? Hear the birds singing on the trees? Yes mommy, well those little birds one day were in that shell. There they are now singing a song in a beautiful spring and a beautiful fresh air. The tears were wiped away, great big smile came over her face.

Now believer isn't that just what happens when a Christian goes home? They leave the shell behind them, they go to join the choir in conservatory to sing the song of the soul set free, or the wonder of a new life in Christ Jesus. Conviction, conversion, consecration, and the consummation. But we may not die, any verses close tonight, and take it to be forever with himself.

Your heart saying, even so come Lord Jesus, come quickly. I feel burnt and like to sing a hymn. It's 222 I think, 222.

And now I must look at there to find the hymn I want. No the hymn is not there, must be 242, 242. Now in the land of what we've been listening to, we come to sing the same, Christ won't allow us to sing at all.

In fact we've overrun our time a little bit tonight. I trust you don't mind, and please remember if anyone's concerned about spiritual matters, you feel we can help you, then don't go away. There's no button holding, there's no one you pressing, but if you're concerned in any way you feel we can help you, there are many here would only let you happy to sit by your side, and to help you to understand more fully God's great plan for your life.

Hymn number 242, out of my bondage, sorrow night, Jesus I come, into thy freedom, gladness, and light, Jesus I come to thee. 242, thoughtfully and prayerfully. You can come as you're saying the same, just really from your heart say Lord I come, you can come right now, thank you.

Out of my bondage, sorrow and night. So beautifully what we've been listening to, and just see what you've been brought into as a child of God, what you've come from, and what you've been brought into. Now let me ask you, are you in the good of all this? I know you are by the expression on your faces, but there may be someone here who's not yet been able to say, I come.

Why not tonight? Even as a Christian, are you in the good of this? If not, why not? Verse two, out of my painful failure and loss, Jesus I come, into thy blessed will to abide, Jesus I come to thee. Out of myself to dwell in thy love, out of despair into raptures above, upward for any on wings like a dove, Jesus I come to thee. Before we sing the last verse, a little word of prayer, and as we sing the verse, keep in an attitude of prayer while Mrs. Willie plays the verse over again, then you're at liberty to go.

Keep in a prayerful attitude as you leave tonight. I believe the spirit of God is operating here. Be careful in your conversation, don't be too loud.

Remember you're still in the precincts of the holy temple. May the Lord indeed bless you in a real way. Father have thy way, welcome by thy holy spirit, we thank you for thy word, may it become a reality in all of our heart, may Christ become increasingly precious to each and every one of us, honor thy son in the salvation of precious souls, honor thy son by singing thank you father to lord, in the lives of thy beloved people, for thy glory through Jesus Christ our wonderful Lord.

Amen. The last verse, Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God our father, the sweet abiding fellowship of the holy spirit, be in joint force with all the loves I name here, and the whole wide world over, until that day when we shall see him face to face.