Found

Let's begin chapter 3. We might begin at verse 5. Paul here is going over, not all of us, but his past life and we might say his credentials as far as Israel and the religion of his forefathers, if we may call it that, the law and the oracles of God, circumcised the eighth day. Of the stock of Israel. Of the tribe of Benjamin.

And he proved the Hebrews as touching the law, a Pharisee. He could declare his pedigree according to his birth and according to the teaching of his fathers. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church.

You'd be one that would be able to pound all the sacrifices and so on of the law of the man. But, it says, and this of course was highly thought of, sad to say, those religious leaders, Sanhedrin, the chief priests and the rulers, but especially he's carrying out the orders of his superiors in his religion. And that was persecuting the church.

Those early ones that were perceived. Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless, not faultless, but blameless, he always did that, what the law prescribed. But, he says, what things were gaining to be.

See, that was all gain to him. He gained the approval of his superiors and no doubt had he continued, he would have rose to higher heights. And that was what he thought gained to be.

Those, I have counted, lost for Christ. No, that's what he had to do to get saved. That is, he had to get to that place that all that he had done, supposedly, was just dross.

It was a waste of life. I had to find that out. Not that I was religious.

And it wasn't too hard for me to see, when I heard the gospel, when I found out that Satan and the flesh cannot please God, I understood a teacher. Some people, you know, they wonder why there's no collections. Well, I never could boast of giving much.

I don't know why it passed the box. I can't remember on a Sunday night. Maybe I put in a dime or something like that.

I don't know. But anyhow, that's neither here nor there. Yet, I can say that people were, that I had counted everything but loss.

But don't be ashamed. And whatever loss there be, and of scorn and reproach, and all that the world might offer, I would see why what they think. I'd have to die and go to hell.

What would my friends do me? What would brothers and their fathers do me? What would fame do me? What would riches do me? You know, it takes God to show you that. But you may understand that and still not be right. He says, what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for Christ.

God brought into the place to esteem, like Moses long ago, he esteemed the reproach of Christ, far greater treasure than the riches in Egypt. And he might have been heir to the throne. Now he goes on to say, yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count things of dung, you know what dung is, awful, that I may win Christ and be found in him.

That's what I was thinking about. Be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is bought by faith. Now for a person that's saved and begins to read the whole of the truth, we can say, well, there's times when we're discouraged, there's times when we're bereaved, there's times when we have birth, and, but I think of it, no matter what I would be, for instance, in World War II, I was across the sea, I was in England, I went through a good part of France, that is on the way to Berlin, and a good part of Berlin, of Belgium, and I finally landed in Britain.

Berlin, occupation duty, well, if I go in the bunk in England, there was a big building, the Americans had leased that camp for training, or before D-Days, before they crossed the Channel, and the particular barracks, the barracks was a great, they had been a great big gym, there was about, as I remember, about 250 enlisted men, and then there was a room or two in the back for the corporals and the sergeants, and even in the service, there was what we call a bunk, a two-tier bunk, wooden posts, and then these steel straps across, then what we called biscuits, three biscuits, about this size, you know, wouldn't be near as good as the baton cord biscuits, well, the way I did, I used the one, doubled in two, and put my head on, and I was in the bottom bunk, the fellow above me, right across was a stove, and you know what paid me, something that I never was used to in my entire life, let's say days, I wasn't no model, but I never got to gambling, never, things like that, and I never knew what grip gambling had on people, there are soldiers who get their money, and there they'd be around that stove, you see, got into the wintertime, and they were gambling, it was just like that, you wouldn't think of anything else, they were fascinated, and some of them, I believe, it wasn't 15, 20 minutes, and they lost the whole thing, some were smarter, they may call it luck, well, then maybe they'd think, well, I'm going to win, see, and so they'd pawn their watch, or something like that, you know, I thought to myself, in that bunk, this little old bunk finds me over in England, and I wish it was home to my wife, and Mr. Christian, the assemblies, and so on, but I thought, I'm in Christ, it finds me in Christ, if they send me to the North Pole, it'll find me in Christ, and if it finds me in a hospital bed, and says, Paul, you'll never get home, you've got something wrong with you, you've got in a service, and you're going to die, well, I said, I'm in Christ, I'm in Christ, I'm ready to go, I'll pray tonight, and that's the thing, are you in Christ, you're either in Christ, or you're in your sins, how precious to be in Christ, now, let us notice Danny, the prophecy of Danny, we've spoken a little about it the night previous, but let's turn back to the sixth chapter of Danny, here we go over this, we find what occasion this is recorded in the word of God, for your profit and mine, there was Belshazzar, he was a heathen king, but he had a lot of power, he had a lot of riches, remarkable thing about this man, Belshazzar, he had a grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, it records, he also was a powerful king, but God had brought this man, Nebuchadnezzar, down to sea, that with all his power, and he had a dream, and Daniel, a man of God, who was in captivity, he had a reputation, and he went in there, and he interpreted the dream, and he said, this means, oh king, the day is coming, when you're going to be dethroned, you're going to be brought down, you're going to be eating grass like the oxen, your fingernails and toenails are going to become like people's claws, and you'll be there out in the dew, and the wet, and the weather, and I have, was it a year or something like that, but you know, what happened, all this brought Nebuchadnezzar, what we would say in this day, in Christ, see, it wouldn't be the Old Testament, the expression of it, but he made plain, that now, he knew it was, who ruled, when he left his testimony, now this Belshazzar, of course, didn't have any weight with him evidently, although he knew it, he just dismissed it from his mind, and here he is, and he makes a great feast, and of course, they're getting warmed up, drinking wine and so on, and he happens to think of the golden vessels that have been taken out of the temple, and brought there, and so, in his impotence, and in his disregard of holy God to meet, as many are due today, drinking in a sin, like water, and so on, and he calls for those golden vessels, and they use them to drink the wine out of it, and while they're making merry at the height of it, all of a sudden, there's a hand, appears in the plaster of the wall, and that hand, writes something on the wall, and the king's countenance changed, no doubt, he turned, as he paled, from a flush of excitement, and his golden position, as he thought, and it says, that his loins, and his knees, they knocked together, and you see, now his countenance changed, what he thought, he was afraid, and well might he be afraid, I believe that man, that guilty sinner, had a premonition, it's all up with me, well, they couldn't be separate, you know, that's like our people, they know things are not well, but I believe, it's only those that know the truth, some of them say, they know what's happening, and what's going to happen, they know the handwriting on the wall, they know that at any moment, the Lord might come, they know, perhaps, behind the scenes, the man of sin is already here, waiting for that time, when he'll appear, after God's people are called home, a moment, and so they call to Daniel, it was the wisest of his men, they couldn't decide on the message, and Daniel comes before him, and he reminds him, first of all, of his grandfather, and he said, you knew why your grandfather brought down, you knew the change in your grandfather, but he said, it didn't affect you, it never made you to think, and he says, now, God is going to require your soul, in other words, and he goes on, and brings before him his sin, he says, what they were going on, he just brings it before him, to know that God knows, and God's going to judge him, for his heart is apart, verse 24 of Daniel 5, then was the part of the hand sent from him, and this writing was written, and this is the writing that was written, meaning, Tito, you've heard it, this is an interpretation of the thing, meaning, God, hath numbered thy kingdom, in other words, you're through, your kingdom, you're done, and he said, Tito, thou art waiting in the balances, and thou art found wanting, that's what I want, here's Belshazzar, there he is, in that condition, and Daniel says, Belshazzar, you're found wanting, how different than Paul, found in him, you know, that's the way it is with every sinner, they're found wanting, they're on a broad road, they're found wanting to experience the new birth, they're found wanting, looking back to that happy day, when Jesus washed their sins away, and in many, many cases, Sadducee, with the millions, they're found wanting in respect to the scripture, they're found wanting in the fear of God, they live and act as if there was no eternity, they conduct themselves as though there were no death pillars, and no beyond, either heaven or hell, oh, what a solemn thing, as we think of this sad, benighted world, cursed by sin, and God says, be sure, your sin will find you out, how like the natural man, to point to the other man's sin, why we see it, a dear man has been coming to me, the other day, on his way, and he said, Father, I know, he's been a good citizen, I've known him for years, and he says, is it terrible, he says, it's terrible, he says, the way that they spend their money in the taverns, and so on, and so forth, of course, it is, of course, it is, how many homes are ruined, how many children are neglected, how many are raised in their environment, no wonder, sometimes, there's bitterness and discouragement, in their early teens, no wonder, it's the power of sin, it's the ungodliness prevails, it's the perilous times that we're in, and this man can see that, and then he said, he said, I've supported the church, he says, for over 50 years, and he says, I sent money to Billy Graham, another famous man, something, I always forget his name, I said to him, you know, he takes him one foot near heaven, I pity the dear man, you know, there's the human nature, he's wanting, he's wanting, you can tell that, you can tell the way he talks, you can tell him what he's depending on, does he want it, he's wanting Christ, he's not found in Christ, you can tell, you know, the prophet says, I listened, and they speak not right, it's just like, I illustrate it sometimes, you know, we're in a wooded country, now, I know something about trees, but I wouldn't be any expert to know what they were, what they were worth, and so on, and I sometimes illustrate it like this, there are these men, you know, they have the money, and they are in the logging business, and so they, they want to buy a tract of, we'll say, 50 acres of timber, or 100, maybe more than that, and they're just wondering just what that's worth, and they are looking for somebody that's more skilled than they are, that knows if it's a hickory, or if it's oak, or if it's a white oak, or whatever it is, or if it's, or if it's a bass, or maybe a, maybe a will, something like that, and so he advertises, I want an experienced man, and I'll hire him, if he knows timber, and is able to go out, and buy a figure, that I can cut it down, and maybe sell ties to the railroad, or something like that, and make some money on it, well, we'll say, I see that, I'm out of work, I raised in Wisconsin, I'm going to assert it, I'm going to answer that advertisement, so I appear, I said, yes, I says, I know timber, well, he's a wise man, he may think I look sharp, he may think I look honest, but you know, appearances are deceiving, there's many a smiling face, ties a miserable heart, yet he talked about a young woman, and the street, she was a street angel, but at home, she was a lone devil, the heart is deceitful, and desperate to weaken, above all things of the knower, so he takes me out, he says, well, he says, what do you think of that tree there, what tree is that, I said, well, it's a basswood, well, I missed it, I didn't know it, that's the pity of it, when they miss it, and they don't know it, the devil hasn't deceived, just like Solomon of Tarsus, he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, when it come to religion, he had an A1 reputation, when it come to what the qualifications of the people concerned, they say, well, he's far above me, he was lucky, if he had died that way, he'd been in hell when he didn't know it, that's the saddest thing that I know of, can you give me another try, well, I missed it again, about the third time, what's he gonna say, he says, I can't use you, I said, why not, you don't know trees, I'd say to him, say it, judge not, does he mean I'm judged, is that what they say, just exactly, well, is that judging, that's discerning, you wouldn't have to, if you tell me to loosen a car, or some machinery, with the best set of wrenches, as you would own, you wouldn't have to watch me five minutes to know, that I'm a greenhorn, when it comes to that, and you wouldn't be judging me, you know how important that is, here's this man, he's high in the world, in power and wealth, but he's low, he doesn't have the credentials to take him to heaven, that night, his soul was required of him, now, I was thinking, in connection to that word found, there's always the thing that interested me, when I heard the gospel prophet, I don't think there's anybody here tonight, that was even what I was, but I was kind of enjoying some thoughts about this today, notice now, back in Job, I want to read you a few verses, of course, that were spoken at my father's funeral, years ago, in the spring of 1943, the family, as a whole, my mother and I were the only ones who stayed, and they did not want Mr. Oliver Smith, the one that labored there, and was the most favorite of the latter years, to visit my father, didn't want him to preach the funeral, and so, I knew it was wise not to make a division, the family would last the rest of it, so we settled that Mr. Willie Warford speak, and another man, that my father, before he was saved, now, I didn't intend to say this, but just so I could start it, might as well finish, unknown to me, knowing that the influence, my influence especially, I didn't get a gospel preacher, I didn't get anything to say about it, and of course, after my mother got saved, she would too, so, unknown to me, when he wasn't feeling too well, he had quite a little sickness, he shook hands with two of my brother-in-laws, that married my two oldest sisters, and that was, that when he died, they would see to it, that a man called Henry Fry would preach his funeral, his oldest son is now approaching 85, and he lives in that, and he's been in the high school reading since it ever started, well, his father, I believe, was a saved man, and he was a farmer, and he would preach in different churches, and so on, well, anyhow, when it come for him to die, he died, he got saved, about three weeks before, so he knew he was going to die, we all knew he was going to die, he died at home, my mother took care of him, he had cancer, and my mother learned how to give him hypo's, and about a week or so before, I said to him, on a Sunday afternoon, I said, dad, it isn't a very pleasant thought, but have you thought anything about your funeral? I said, you know, you ought to see to it, that the truth is preached at your funeral, he said, I'll leave that up to you, Paul, and she said, well, you tell him, my mother was there, and she said, well, dad, you know, you know what you agreed with Fred, that Jake, Jake's dead, one of my brother-in-laws, well, he said, we'll just forget that, I said, what's that? Well, they shook hands, I said to him, that Henry Fry, at the funeral, well, I think my father was too sick, he never did anything about it, well, the result was, Henry Fry was the one who preached at the funeral, and Smith was out, but anyhow, Warwick preached, and Fry didn't do so bad, but now, let's get to the scripture, Jo 33, sometimes, you know, things like this, it's kind of prophet, some of you younger Christians, if the Lord don't come, you may be running into some things like that, in your family, see, and sometimes a little, a little experience helps, 33, this was really apt in the case, I could see the wisdom of Mr. Warwick, in using this scripture, verse, he opened the ears, verse 16 of man and sealed the instruction, that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man. Man's purpose is to have his own way, and if God don't intervene, he'll stay that way, and of course, if he gets his own way, he'll lose his soul, and hide pride from man. He keepeth back his soul from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword.

He kept my soul back from the pit too. I could have died in my sins and been in hell for the grace of God. He is chastened also with pain upon his back.

Now that was my father's case. He found out he had cancer around is what at around Labor Day in 1942 and he lived until the last day in April 1943 and he died a slow lingering painful death. He died you might say by inches.

Ah you know you say what I thought of God's mercy. Why does God allow this? You ever hear him talk like that? Their own wicked heart the old and the devil's back. You know that was the mercy of God.

My father if he had died in the winter maybe he got a stroller. Well he's gone. Good.

He's released from his suffering. He's better off. Better off in hell? Is he better off in hell than a man writing with pain in a sickbed and facing cancer and death and eternity? Is he God giving time to think? And he knew he was going to die.

God was in him. So he's chastened. He's chastened with pain upon his back and the multitude of his bones with strong pain.

So his life of horror spread and his soul came to me. You know they said to him, must have been our old, maybe I wouldn't save several weeks before he died. They said I'll tell you what we can do Mr. Elliott.

No I think there's a chance we can get saved. They said we can make a hole and put a tube in your stomach and then they can pour a liquid food in and you live a little longer. No he said we don't want that.

So and of course he couldn't get anything down at the last. They had a little I think it was brandy and sugar and warm water. And that would kind of cut the phlegm and all the stuff that he would cough up.

He'd get a little down. Just imagine if it was me. It was you.

If you wasn't saved. So the spices consumed the way that it cannot be seen. His bones that were not seen stick out.

Yea his soul draws nearer unto the grave and his life to the destroyers. If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand to show him the manners of rightness. Who's this messenger? Maybe a saved wife.

Maybe a saved daughter. Maybe a neighbor. Maybe a servant of the Lord.

A messenger. And he's got it so now he'll listen. He wants to be saved.

He hangs on to every word. He sees if I die this way my soul will be in hell. I'm lost.

None but God can save me. This messenger, one among a thousand, an interpreter. Then he is gracious unto him and saith deliver him from going down to the pit.

I have found a ransom. Now who's this? This is the Lord. The only one that can save a sinner from hell is the Lord.

And the only one that's fit to save a sinner from hell is the Lord. Now who's this? This is the Lord. The only one that can save a sinner from hell is the Lord.

And the only one that's fit to save a sinner from hell is the Lord. And the only one that's fit to save a sinner from hell is the Lord. And the only one that's fit to save a sinner from hell is the Lord.

And the only one that's fit to save a sinner from hell is the Lord. And the only one that's fit to save a sinner from hell is the Lord. And the only one that is able to do it is the ransom.

And the ransom was his beloved son. I have found a ransom. Now he can scan all of heaven.

He can scan all of earth. There is only one. Only one.

Blessed Lord Jesus Christ. My, we were singing about him in those two songs. We might, we should sing about him more.

Those songs, there's one thing you can tell about a Christian if he's any way, if he's any, any way with God. If I go to a funeral, and it's very seldom, but a few times, I have heard men in denominations and they would preach the truth. And you know it just thrills you.

You don't agree with the ritual. You don't agree with the people hiring. But I'll tell you one thing, when they speak well of Christ, when they lay out the truth, that's what honors God.

And that's what the people need. And that's what God will use. So the ransom.

I have found a ransom. God gave his only son to suffer and bleed and die on the cross of Calvary. So here's a thought I had.

If I would have never been found in Christ, you could never have been found in Christ if God had not given the ransom. And if the one whom God could speak from heaven and said, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. I have heard, maybe you've heard me tell, maybe you haven't, but I'm going to tell them again.

When I was deeply troubled that night, the 13th of December before midnight, maybe it was just after, I got saved in the morning, in bed on the 14th, and they prayed for me. I wept like a child. I wanted to be saved with all my heart, and I couldn't see it.

Mr. Smith, he thought it over a little, said, Paul, do you believe that God was satisfied with Jesus? You know, I forgot about my trying to believe. I thought, how could I know that? See, I was honest. I wanted to have the right answer.

God gave it to me. I've come to my mind just like a flash where there was a voice that was God spoke from heaven and he said, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. I said, yes, just like that.

Well, then Mr. Smith says to me, are you satisfied with Jesus? That wasn't so easy. I finally said, yes, but I wasn't fully satisfied. I wasn't saved.

But just before God saved me, it come to me just so clear. I'm satisfied with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus could save, only one could say that.

He says, I do all those things that please the Father. Oh, what a wonderful ransom. What a priceless thing.

What a place it was paid, a place called Calvary. Surely God would have us tonight. Once again, think of that place called Calvary.

There, outside the sea walls of Jerusalem, we think of that senior in 2000 years ago. We think of one that had been abused and scorned and cursed and mutilated and every known indignity he defined. He bore it with a murmur, but that's nothing compared to those three dark hours.

When the land is filled with darkness, there was none to see. The creator of the heavens, he caused the darkness. Why? Because upon that cross, his son was forsaken, forsaken, left alone to die.

Sometimes we sing, alone upon the cross he hung, that others he might save. Forsaken thus by God and man, alone his life he gave. Oh, the wrath, the awful wrath, he bore for sinners like me.

Now notice in the gospel by Matthew, Matthew's gospel. 13. 13 and 40.

Well, we have a parable here in seven parts, seven different phases of the parable. We'll begin at verse 44. Again in the kingdom of heaven is life unto a treasure hid in a field, the which when a man hath found, he hideth and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath by that field.

I believe this is no doubt Israel and the fields of the world, but I want to go down now to the next verse. Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly pearls, who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Now, who is this type of? It's a type of God's beloved son, the Lord Jesus.

What's the pearl? The pearl of great price is a church who will be the bride of Christ for all eternity. What do you say? Are you drawing in your imagination? Well, I don't think so. Why a pearl? Well, a pearl, a pearl starts, a little gritty substance, maybe a grain of sand or two is under the shell, we'll say, of a little, we call a man, oyster, you see.

And you know, that will cause irritation and suffering to that little man. And so, what is so constituted, it has a secretion, begins to spin out that secretion and cover that and ease that, you see. And of course, it keeps on until the pearl is born.

And of course, when it's found, there's a pearl of great price. You know, there's a picture. You see, there would have been no bride of Christ, there'd be nobody in Christ, there'd be no illustration of the pearl and that was found without the Lord Jesus selling all he had.

It tells us, that's why a legion says, husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. See, he gave his all upon a cross. And you see, a pearl is an organism.

The church is an organism. It's not an organization. Love, it annihilates our organizations.

But this is not an organization. Why? Because we are gathered in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's order, but no organization.

And it's an organism. An organism is a growing thing. And we can thank God tonight, you that are saved, you can thank God tonight that the door is open yet.

There are still those to be added to the church. You know, we had a call, was it this morning? I believe it was. You know, my wife says, maybe somebody got saved.

I would have been good. Well, somebody did, but not when he connects with me in Ontario. And not a man that's going to me, he wasn't able to.

He's dying of cancer. And he's a younger brother of Mrs. Augusta Diska. She was a camper.

We've known her ever since she was a girl. Her folks were saved. They had a family just like our family.

Five boys and five girls. And this is Harvey. He went to Sunday School at Heightsville.

He never knew anything different. He was always, I think, a good, sensible boy. I don't think he ever was aroused or out and so on.

He married a Catholic girl. He joined the Catholic Church. Everyone, she was devout in her religion.

They had three girls. But Harvey developed cancer. Harvey knew he wasn't saved.

And, well, I could tell you, I don't know all about, you know, but Alma, she just broke down. She was just, and she says, you know, I called him up, he's in the hospital. They hope he'll get home.

He's a little light and warm. He may get home in a little while. But it won't be long, and he'll be gone into eternity.

Oh, you can imagine that. And a remarkable thing about it. We visited once.

My wife and I, when we were having meetings in Minneapolis before I came up here. And he just recovered from surgery. I believe the second day they opened him up, couldn't do anything for him.

But he was conscious. We talked to him. I had an opportunity to talk to him about 15 minutes.

And then his wife came, and one of the daughters. But my wife and I could tell she wasn't opposed. She wasn't opposed.

Very word of prayer left him. I haven't seen him since. Well, you know, I believe that dear woman.

And she thinks, and the daughters, they think enough of Harvey. If Harvey can find peace. If he can know what's well in his soul.

And she says, I talked to Harvey. And you know, he was just bubbling over. He was so happy and so full of it.

My eyes said, we've been praying for him. You just rejoice. Well, I think we get home, and I'm around home.

We'll no doubt go to Harvey's funeral. And I wouldn't be a bit surprised at his funeral. I believe if he says to his wife, that's where I want it.

That's where it'll be in the gospel we'll preach. That's what I anticipate. But I know this much.

And I intend to go to see him when we get home. Back home and see him. But if I pass by Harvey's casket, and look upon his form, and think, well, thank God.

Death finds Harvey in Christ. He's found in him. Not a time to live to prove it.

But, oh, the consolation. It's worth everything to be found in him. So, that pearl found in Christ.

You know, I was thinking in contrast to that, if we, our brother, I believe it was Kent the other night, there in the 15th of Luke. You remember that prodigal son? You know, I was a prodigal son. In this respect, I thought, boy, if I can only graduate, and I can go out, you know, and I'll be a man, and so on and so forth.

Because I had no inheritance. There wasn't any. It wasn't like this boy.

But he desired that. He wanted his inheritance, and away he went. He thought it'd be great.

Oh, I can just do what I want to do. I can just go out and have a great time. It's water, the world's bright, you know.

I tell you, I'm glad I found her out at an early age. It wasn't what was cracked up to be. When I heard the gospel, I began to see, well, Paul, you better get to the place that you just say goodbye to.

You just take the world that you give me, Jesus. All its joys are but a name. I could see by the evidence of others, his love of my endeavor to eternal years of saving.

And I approved that for 55 years, and best yet, all God's people will approve it for all eternity. And so the prodigal son, he began to spend his living in righteousness. Yeah, let's lay it out.

You know, I'm not, I'm not familiar with these terms. They come off as some things, you know, and I don't even know what they mean. You know what I think? I'm maybe old-fashioned.

It's just the times. It's getting more rotten all the time. And even the government, it's FYC or DIK or EUB.

I don't know what they're talking about. Well, you see, why do you got to be up on it? Well, if you get so up on it, you aren't up on salvation. You better forget it.

You make sure you'll be found in Christ. You just let the wise heirs go. You get the wisdom that God gives, or you'll regret it for all eternity.

And that's important. And so he got to the place, that's what made me think of it. You know, the Lord Jesus, he sold all.

But the prodigal son, he spent all. You wouldn't think of somebody here tonight to get to that place and spend it all. You won't get saved, but you do.

That's just an illustration. And of course, when he spent all, well, he's getting more miserable all the time. Are you getting more miserable all the time? If you are, I want to say for your encouragement, that's encouraging.

And God desires that you might get so miserable that you can't stand to go on living the way you are any longer. You're brought to that place just to see why the hopelessness of it all, and the body of it all, to lose my soul, to lose your wealth is much. Most don't have anything to lose.

To lose your health is more, my father used to say, and he knew what it was to be sick a lot. He says, Paul, people don't realize the value of their health till they lose it. That's worse than losing your wealth.

Here's the first of all. To lose your wealth is much. To lose your health is more.

But to lose your soul is such a loss that nothing can be restored. So he spent all. But the Lord Jesus sold us.

He sold us. He gave all he had to rid a poor sinner of his debt. Ah, you know, that's wonderful.

I'm not sick. I'm fed all too. I was just as big a fool as a prodigy.

And of course, he hired himself out. He served the devil. Of course, he didn't know it.

And of course, sent him to defeat the swine. And he faintly would fill his belly with a husk of the swine he'd eaten. I always take that.

When a man finds out he's lost and goes to hell, he'd feed the swine. He'd say, if he's troubled by his soul, say, well, I'm a bouncer, better off lying. They're drunk around their nose in the dirt and all that, and dirty animals and so on.

But I'm worse off than they are. And I'm more corrupt than they are too. When they die, they'll be dead.

But if I die, I'll be in hell. That's counting the cost if your soul goes off. So he spent all.

Good thing. And then he came to himself. He woke up.

No more slumbering. No more putting it off. No more going on in sin.

He came to himself. Woke up. The realities of eternity.

And he says, I'll arise. And I'll go to my father. And I'll say, Father, I have sinned.

And I'm no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants. He wasn't just talking.

He rose. He rose and he went. When he was a great way off, the father saw him.

One has said that love's eyes are keen. And the father ran. My verdict is great, and I like that.

He said that's an illustration of the anxiety of God and the longing of God for the sinner, for the prodigal. You see, anyway, he gave his son. He gave his all.

He spent all to purchase that girl. Now, that's the thing I was looking for before I got saved. I can see that's the true church.

That's the church that only God can put you in. Baptized by one spirit in the body of Christ, Corinthians says. And I want that, but how am I going to get in? That's the thing that puzzled me.

Well, that's the way it goes, how he got in. In other words, if you want to put it that way, when the father ran and we got to him, kissed him. Softly and tenderly, Jesus called him.

Oh, what a tender kiss. What a kiss. I was thinking of my dear father.

You know, I was with him when he died. He went unconscious, I think, maybe a coma, perhaps 30 minutes before he died. And I talked a little to him, he just whispered.

I said, Dad, what would it be now if he wasn't saved? You know what he whispered back? Yes, he says, and so many don't know it. So many don't know it. And then I stooped down and I gave my father a kiss.

You know, my mood was going apart. But I had the assurance that my father died in Christ. And you know, even there were nine brothers and sisters at that time all unsaved, but every last one of them, they were glad.

And it was worth more than he had left in each one of his hours. That's poor comparison. Because he died, he death found him in Christ.

Now, friend, tonight, what is the point here? If you're either on the narrow way, or you're on the broad. You're near the death pillar, and so am I, than I ever was before. Each child of God is nearer heaven tonight than they ever were before.

Each one without Christ are nearer death and hell than they ever were before. And death is coming. We know not when the appointment.

It's like our dear brother Warren Gleason. You know, I thought about Warren. He was good to me before he was saved.

He was a man, you'd think he was a Christian a lot of ways before he was saved. And you know when he got saved? He got saved at home. He heard the gospel.

He had the tent. His wife was saved in 56, and he wasn't against it. Just think of it.

But when their father was saved, there he was. I think it's, it'll be four years now as we get toward spring. I'm not just sure of which month.

Whether it's February or March along in there. And the family was going to some party, and Warren was at the floor, and he got some kind of a spell, and he thought he was going to die alone in the house. And before his wife got home, he got saved.

Next, I think it was the next night, he got a phone call. I thought it was Dick first. He says, you know who this is? This is Dick? No, he says, this is Warren.

Boy, oh boy, did I prick up my ear, and I thought something's happened. And sure enough, you know, since that time, well, we're closer now, because every time we get up there, I knew he was in Christ. I could tell he was in Christ.

And now he's gone. We'll see his body tomorrow morning, and he'll be buried. Where is he? He's still in Christ.

He died in Christ. Blessed are they that die for the Lord. They rest from their labors, and their works will follow them.

Oh, friend of mine, don't miss it. Don't miss it. Found in Christ.

Another thing I was thinking about, I got some joy out of this, too. I thought, I wish I could get up to that. The 13th, is it the 13th, long after the 12th, when we have the apostles? God says of David, a man, he found David, he says, a man after my own heart.

You know, that's the kind of man I like to be. A man after God's own heart. So we find kind of the characteristics of David.

Well, David sinned, too, previously. But still, he was a man after God's own heart. He confessed his sin, and he longed with all his heart that he might be restored to the joy of the Lord.

So, may God bless this precious word, his precious word, and find you in Christ. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation.

The door is open, but enter wide to me. It may be closed before tomorrow. Let us pray.

Our gracious God and Father, we do thank thee for the gospel and the meetings we've had together. We are comforted to believe that many have heard the word of God, and souls have been spoken to, but as far as their salvation, that is thy word. Nobody else can save, and if sinners are as willing to be saved as God is to save them, they get saved in the spot.

We have experienced this as well as every child of God, and so we continue to pray that thy precious word may be kept, and souls will be saved. We thank you for all who have come. Thank you for all the joy and fellowship we have had together, and the hospitality of saints.

It always reminds us of better things to come. What will it be when we sometimes say to them, or whom, home? Oh, how soft and sweet it thrills upon the heart. Home, where the brethren meet and never, never part.

Oh, God grant we won't have to part from loved ones with no assurance of ever meeting in heaven, but that they might be saved. We ask it, and look to the east. Thou have come quite a ways, and the roads are slippery.

Do take them home in safety as thou hast brought them. We ask it in the name of the Lord Jesus, we're a saint. Amen.