HomeARC ML 2421
THE DANGERS OF REJECTION!--And Bible Study on John Chapter 1, verses 1-9 1/88 DO 2421
1. (David: John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, & the Word was with God, & the Word was God.") Who was the Word? (David: Jesus.) Was He with God in the beginning? (Children: Yes!) How was He God? (Techi: Because They're all one.) Amen. How is He one, if He's yet the Father & the Son, but They're still one?--Like we're one, one Family! You're brother & sister, & we're father & mother, & we're all one, one in heart, one in Spirit!
2. (David: Verse 2: "The same was in the beginning with God.") He said that again, He's really trying to impress you with it. He's talking about the Word. (David: "All things were made by Him; & without Him was not any thing made that was made.") Everything was made by Whom? (Techi: Jesus!)--Right. In the first Chapter of Genesis it says, "In the beginning" what? (David: "God created the Heavens & the Earth.") And this says Jesus created the Heavens & the Earth. Well, He is God, God's Son. (Techi: Also they use different names.) He is God, He was God, so it's the same thing.
3. (David: Verse 4: "In Him was life; and the life was the Light of men.") Jesus is the only Light & the only Life, right? The Devil & his crowd are all death. So praise the Lord! Thank the Lord we have Jesus, amen?
4. (David: Verse 5: "And the Light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.") What's the darkness? (Techi: The World & the Devil.)--Right, & evil. We witness to people & try to explain it to people, but if they don't want it, they don't comprehend it.
A RECENT REJECTER'S TESTIMONY!
5. Just recently, we heard a report from someone who tried to witness to an important man. This guy had a lot of witness, they've been witnessing to him for some time now, & he almost received the Lord. He's kind of like the rich young ruler (Mk.10:17-22), just almost, but then he decided, "Well, no, not now, not now. I have a lot of other religions to study too. I've got about 20 different religions to study. Some day the time will come & I'll decide which one I want to accept." I told Mama, that might have been his last chance!
6. I wouldn't be surprised that something's going to happen to him now. The Family has been faithfully witnessing to him, he's had his chance! He really had his chance, he's probably going to get it now.--I mean get the judgement of God somehow! He said, "Oh, I've got lots of time that I can decide."
7. What happened to the rich man who said, "I'm rich & increased with goods & I've got so much"? What did he decide to do? (David: He wanted to build bigger barns.) Because he had such a big rich harvest he wanted to build bigger barns. What was wrong with that? (David: He didn't want to share.) Right! He wanted to keep it all to himself. The rich man figured he was going to live a long time, he was going to save it all up for the future. So what did the Lord say? (David: "Thou fool, this night will thy soul be required of thee! Then whose shall all these things be?")--Luk.12:16-21.
8. That guy they witnessed to has got so much knowledge in his head. He knows so much & has got so much in his head, but what good is it going to do him if something happens to him? He's had his chance! What good will all that worldly knowledge do him in Hell? (Techi: Will he go to Hell?) Why not? He certainly deserves it! It depends on how bad he's been as to what kind of Hell he gets. But he sure had his chance to get saved with different Family members asking him to receive the Lord.
9. At first he seemed very receptive, he was almost receiving the Lord, he was just about to receive Him, & then he hardened his heart. Sad, huh? But that's what happens to some people. He's like the stony ground. He's not even shallow ground, he didn't receive the seed at all, but he just had it thrown to him & it landed on him, the stony ground, the wayside, so it was there, he could have received it, but he didn't! He hardened his heart, hard ground, so the Devil is going to snatch it away now.--Luke 8:12.--Unless the Lord is still merciful & wants to give him one more chance. But when we read that report I kind of had the feeling that was his last. When some people have a chance like that, they almost see & almost get the point, almost receive it, but then they harden their heart. He said, "Oh, there are a lot of religions, I've got 20 different religions to think about. I need to study more & decide which one to choose." Isn't that horrible?
10. Our people gave him the illustration, "It's like electricity. Here's the socket in the wall, it's got the power, all you have to do is plug in!" He said, "Oh, I've got 20 sockets I could plug into!" They should have then said, "Yes, but only one of them is alive, only one of them has got the fire & can really save you, the only live One, Jesus! All the rest of them are dead, no power, no life, no electricity!" That's a good illustration, isn't it? He said, "Oh, I've got 20 sockets to plug into!" [DELETED]
JOHN 1:6-9--THE "LIGHT WHICH LIGHTETH EVERY MAN!"
11. (David: Verse 6: "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.") Which John was that? What is he called? (David: John the Baptist.)--Right! There are several Johns in the New Testament so you've got to remember which is which.
12. (David: Verse 7: "The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.") Amen. What was John? (David: He was a witness!) Just like us! (Techi: To prepare the way of the Lord.) He was a witness so that what? (David: "That all men through him might believe.") In other words, did that mean everybody was going to believe? (Techi: No.) All men that would receive it. (Techi: All the sheepy men.) And women too! (Techi: Men is a term in the Bible for everyone.) Right, when it says men, man & mankind, it includes the women & the children.
13. (David: Verse 8: "He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.") How come Jesus said, "Ye are the Light of the World?"--Mat.5:14. (Techi: Because we have Jesus in us.) Right, exactly right. We're not Jesus, we're not the Light, we're not that Light... (Techi: But we are light because we have a part of the Light.) We're like the candles, He's the Flame. He burns in us & burns us & we burn Him, in a way, to show His Flame. He's the Light. We bear the Flame like candles, lamps!
14. (David: Verse 9: "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the World.") Amen! How about that? Now there is a very interesting verse! Which what? (David: "Which lighteth every man that cometh into the World.") Doesn't that sound like the Lord's going to give everybody their chance sooner or later? Everybody that cometh into the World, everybody that's ever born! Everybody that's ever born or lived is going to have their chance! (Techi: Even the atheists.) They all have their chance to receive or reject the Light. If they haven't had it yet, they'll get it in the Millennium!
15. (Techi: I never thought of that! The Lord's certainly going to have to be pretty busy giving everyone that's ever lived or is living their chance in this World!) Not only the Lord, but us, just like we are now! We're going to be witnesses in the Millennium, showing the Light! (Techi: I thought we'd have to do it before Jesus comes back. I thought we're going to have to be awfully busy to give everybody their chance before the Lord comes back.) Wait a minute, when does Jesus come, before or after the Millennium? (Techi: Before. I thought we were going to have to do it before Jesus came back.) No, we can't reach everybody, can we? We haven't been able to reach everybody, have we?
16. Some people will even get the Light when they see Jesus coming! They'll see & believe then. The Lord even says some of the Jews will see & believe then, when they see Him. It says they'll weep for Him as for an only son.--Zec.12:10. (Techi: Whom they have pierced.) Yes. They wouldn't believe on Him when He was here, but then when they see Him coming as King, the way they expected Him to come, then some of them are going to believe. Even then the Lord's going to give some a chance, think of that! That proves that some people are going to get saved even after the Lord comes.
17. During the Millennium that's going to be our main job, right? Besides running the World, we've got to make sure everybody hears about the Lord. In fact, what does it say about the Millennium? It says, "Nobody will say, 'Know the Lord', for all men shall know Him."--Jer.31:34. They can see Him in His glory up there in the Heavenly City. They won't have to say, "Know the Lord," they'll all know Him. What they'll have to do is what? (David: Receive Him!) That's right!
REBELLIOUS REJECTERS & RECEPTIVE RECEIVERS!
18. But even then there are going to be some rebels, think of that! Even when they see Him! (Techi: How can anyone be so dumb?) Well, take the Devil for example, he knows. (Maria: Like that man that the Family talked to, he's a perfect example! He seemed so sweet, he seemed like he had such a sweet spirit, but when it came to that final decision, he's in rebellion.) The righteousness of the Devil. He showed his rebel-ness! (Techi: Rebellion.) Right, his rebellion. (Maria: Stubbornness too. In 1st Samuel what does it say?) (Techi: "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, & stubbornness is as iniquity & idolatry!"--1Sam.15:23.) (Maria: So they've got it, no matter how nice they look on the outside!)--Yes!
19. If they rebel, if they refuse to receive, if they're offered the Lord & they reject Him, they're rebels! What is witchcraft? The worship of whom? (Techi: The Devil!)--Exactly! Rebelliousness & stubbornness is what? (David: Witchcraft.) Fighting against the Lord, right? So if they're fighting God, who are they working for? (Techi: The Devil!) Right, they've made their choice, & that fellow made his choice right when they witnessed to him. At first they thought that he was a real sheep, but they found out that he wasn't.
20. (Maria: Some people are really receptive up to the point that they have to actually make the decision.) They act like they're receptive. (Maria: Then it shows how rebellious they really are underneath.) (Techi: But sometimes they really are, aren't they? They're really receptive until that point.) Yes, but when they are finally brought face to face with a decision, if they're receptive, what are they going to do? (David: Receive Him.) Receptive means willing to receive. But if they refuse, they're not receptive. (Techi: If they're receptive only up to that point, then it's not real receptiveness.)
21. Just like if a guy's going to [EDITED: "make love"] & [EDITED: "the woman is initially"] receptive [DELETED] & then [EDITED: "she says"], "Oh no no, I don't want to!" Then [EDITED: "she's"] not a real bride. [DELETED] [EDITED: "She's"] not a real part of His Church! It doesn't matter how nice [EDITED: "she is"] & how nice [EDITED: "she acts"] [DELETED], if [EDITED: "she didn't make love to"] Him in, that's it, [EDITED: "she's"] no wife!--[EDITED: "She's"] not the Bride! And that's just what he did.
22. He had them spend all that time, hours & hours they've been working on him, & what was his final attitude?--"Nothing doing! I've got 20 plugs I can plug into! I've got to wait till I've studied all these religions to decide on which one I want to take!" Isn't that sickening? The perfect answer to that, the first thing that came to me was to say, "Yes, but only one of them is alive! Only one of them has got the power to save you!" (Techi: 20 religions!) (Maria: And when he considered all the Christian groups, he said he'd decide which one he wanted. Those are just excuses.) Yes, they're just excuses to put it off!
23. At the Soul Clinic we used to keep little report cards of the witnessing that day, we had to have them at the end of the day. One guy asked, "Well what do we do with a guy who says, 'Not now'?" Fred used to answer, "That's a rejection, that's a no!" That's the same as "Maybe later," that doesn't do a thing, that doesn't save them. (Techi: But sometimes they do after, but it's usually just an excuse.) (David: At least it's a rejection for the moment.) Yes. And the more they reject, the harder their heart gets. (Techi: So you think something's going to happen to that guy?)
HARDENED HEARTS & SEARED CONSCIENCES!
24. It reminds me of the little boy that my Mother used to tell the story about. It's a true story about an Englishman. When he was little they called him "chicken" because he was afraid to hurt anybody, he didn't want to hurt anybody, he didn't want to fight, he was good when he was little. But then as he grew up, apparently his heart got harder & harder & he joined a whole band of pirates. And when the shipload of pirates finally got captured & he was one of the leaders, where do you suppose they found him? They said they found him sleeping down in the ship somewhere, sound asleep with his head lying right on the chest of a man he'd just killed!--Sound asleep, using the dead man he killed for a pillow! When he was brought back to England he was hung as a pirate.
25. So you see, if they keep rejecting & rejecting, they harden their hearts. God's Word says what about hardening their hearts? There's a Scripture about it. "He that being often reproved & hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed & that without remedy!"--Pro.29:1. That's just like that guy.
26. There's another verse like that: "Their conscience seared as with a hot iron."--1Tim.4:2. Does a scar, skin that has been seared or burned, have very much feeling? It hasn't got as much feeling as the rest of your skin. It's not as sensitive as the rest of your skin. See all my different scars? You can feel a little bit, but they're not as sensitive, you can't feel as well. You can't feel as much on a scar. A scar hasn't got as much feeling as tender skin.
27. When you get seared with a hot iron, a burn, that's one of the worst kinds of scars. The Lord's speaking of how people grow harder & harder. The more He pricks'm with His hot iron of the Spirit... (Techi: Kicking against the pricks!--Acts 9:5.) Right, exactly, & they just harden against the Spirit, & their heart, their conscience, becomes like a scar, like a seared scar, hard & without feeling.
28. (Techi: It's like at first when you get a hurt it's much more sensitive. It's like people are sensitive at first like that guy Chicken, but then it just keeps hardening again & then it doesn't have any feeling.) That's exactly right! A callus is a good example of that. See, the skin gets tougher & tougher & harder in order to resist the friction or whatever it is, to resist it so it won't hurt. The Lord says they become darkened in their understanding, they become alienated from the life of God.--Eph.4:18. What does that mean?
29. At first they can understand, but then because they resist, they become darkened in their understanding, they don't even understand any more. Then they become alienated from the life of God. What does that mean? (David: Separated.) The Lord came real close to them, touched them with life, but they hardened themselves against His touch just like a callus! They become darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God & past feeling! They don't even feel like it any more!
30. (Techi: Like people try to harden to get away from their conscience hurting them. Like maybe for instance, after someone got witnessed to, like that man, then their conscience starts paining them, then they just harden themselves to it.)--Right! Even if the Lord gives him another chance it will be harder, even more tough & more resistant & more rejection! So why should the Lord give him another chance? See?
31. God's Word says, "My Spirit will not always strive with Man!"--Gen.6:3. In other words, there comes a point where God is done trying to talk you into receiving it! It could even be the first time people ever hear, if they understand & realise what they're doing & just put God off & refuse, postpone, procrastinate, reject. (Techi: "Not now!") That's a rejection & that's all the chance they ever deserve, even if it's only one time! That man has had several times, lots of times! He's been witnessed to apparently by lots of Christians & Christian groups. (Maria: He's even read the Bible himself.)
32. Anyhow, he's had his chance & unless he hurries up & receives the Lord, I have a feeling something's going to happen to him. I don't think they should even waste any more time on him! Why waste time on people like that?
REJECTERS WHO MET THEIR FATE!
33. Like that bum that tried to stop me from going to the mission when I used to go there & preach the Gospel to the bums: He was full of the Devil! He stopped me on the street panhandling for a quarter. So I gave him the quarter to show love, that I was concerned, & to ask him if he wanted Jesus. He said, "Well, I want to argue about it!" I said, "I don't have time to argue. Either you receive Jesus right now, or I've gotta go!"
34. He said, "Then I'm going to go down & throw myself in the Miami River & commit suicide! Nobody loves me, nobody cares, you won't even talk to me!" I said, "I talked to you! Do you want Jesus or not?" "Not now, not now!" I said, "All right, then go to Hell then! Go down & throw yourself in the river!"--And I pushed him aside & walked on to the mission. I don't know whatever happened to him, but anyhow, he had his chance. If people reject the Lord like that I'd say, "Go to Hell then! If that's what you want to do, then go!"
35. Well, we had a good lesson tonight about people that harden their hearts. (Techi: Harden their heads, harden their necks, harden their hearts!) It's all symbolism. (Maria: And when they get so hard, they're dead!--Like when you die, you get stiff & hard as a board!) Then they're really hard, it's too late to receive the Lord. When they've already had their chance, it's too late. (Techi: It's like that guy, "I'm on the downgrade & I can't find the brakes!")--Right! He had his chance.
36. It's also a lot like that famous lawyer in St. Louis that my Grandfather dealt with. He was a brilliant lawyer, the greatest lawyer in the whole city. He'd become a rich man, had a nice family, home & everything. Then he got to drinking instead of coming to church & listening to my Grandfather preach. He'd heard him preach a lot of times & we tried to get him to receive the Lord, but he hardened his heart & he got to drinking & he went down, down, down.
37. I think his name was Lou, I've forgotten his full name. This actually happened. One night a bartender or somebody called my Grandfather & said, "Lou just got thrown out of the bar because he'd already drunk too much, & he landed in the gutter & hit his head on the curb & he's asked for you, he's dying!" And so my Grandfather went. By this time they'd taken him to the hospital. He'd hit his head, cracked his skull apparently, & was dying. So my Grandfather talked to him about the Lord. But oh, Lou was too smart. He had too much head-stuffin' & law & all that stuff, he'd been too smart & resisted too long. (Techi: That's why common people are better.) Yes.
38. My Grandfather said to him, "Oh, Lou, you're not the man you used to be!" You know, he used to be a lot better & a fairly good guy & all that, but he'd gotten to be a drunk, he'd lost his family, his home, his money, everything, & just become a bum! My Grandfather looked at him & said, "Lou, it's so sad, you're really not the man you used to be." They were pretty good friends & he said to my Grandfather, "Lincoln, that's not the worst of it, I'm not the man I could have been!"--And he died. He'd rejected the Lord too long.
39. (Techi: That won't be said of you, Grandpa!) Well, I hope not. Maybe I could have done better, it seemed like I could have maybe. Well, maybe I just couldn't do any better, maybe that's just me. Maybe I've done the best I could. (Techi: Anyway, you couldn't be perfect, Grandpa, because then all of us would feel bad.) (Maria: The doorknob would be too high!) (Techi: We wouldn't have anyone to relate to!) Anyhow, you know I'm just a man & I need to be saved just like you do, right? I need the Lord as much as you do.
40. But that's a good lesson we learned tonight on the dangers of rejecting & getting harder & harder! (Techi: Where did that start from? What verse?) About "the Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the World," how the Lord will give everybody his chance sooner or later.
41. (David: And then remember the story about the guy in Grandmother's church who was also a lawyer & she kept witnessing to him?) Oh, yes! It wasn't in her church, this happened in Detroit, Michigan. I was there! Fred Shultz, that multi-millionaire friend of ours in whose home we lived there, he was our host & we stayed at his house while my Mother was preaching in his church. He was a real witness, a soul-winner, & he hadn't been able to get this guy to come to the Lord, one of the foremost criminal lawyers in all Detroit. He had a real pretty daughter I was kind of taken with. (Techi: Fred Shultz?) No, the criminal lawyer. He had a beautiful daughter that he nearly worshipped. She was beautiful & smart. When they introduced us, we were both kids like you, about your age.
42. (Techi: Oh, I thought you were a teenager.) Well, David is a teenager. I pointed at David. Honey, you're just like a teenager. Anyway, let's not stop & argue about who's a teenager, you're always an analyst, you've always got to analyse everything & figure everything out! (Techi: Like my Mama!) (Maria: No excuse, Honey, you're an improvement on me!) You're always trying to figure it all out scientifically. Lord help us! (Maria: Well, she's just curious...) That's good, Honey, I'm not saying it's bad, but it sort of slows things down! You've heard the story, but anyhow, I'll tell it to you again.
43. So this was Mother's last night & she always told her life story & her marvellous testimony of being saved from atheism, unbelief, & marvellously healed, what she used to call, "From deathbed to pulpit overnight!" She was healed that Saturday night & she walked to the church the next morning to give her testimony, think of that! She was five years sick, that's why she always said "in bed & a wheelchair," because she wasn't in bed the whole five years, but she was in bed about half the time, in & out of bed & sometimes in a wheelchair. She even was able to stand up & have her picture taken, that family group shot that you've seen of us. She even had my sister during that time but she got worse & worse at the end, she was in bed all the time then.
44. But anyway, she was giving her testimony, & at the end she was giving the invitation & she was begging the people to come, & she had this guy in mind particularly because Fred had finally managed to drag this lawyer out to church! That Sunday night was the last night of Mother's meeting there. And he was really under conviction, he was actually sweating! Fred was sitting next to him & people can really almost suffer when they're fighting the Lord like that! He was actually sweating, he was fighting so hard & resisting the Lord!
45. Finally he jumped up & ran down the aisle, up the aisle, the wrong direction, & out the front door of the church! And Fred thought, "What in the World is wrong?" So he ran after him & he found the guy out there leaning against the wall of the church, mopping his brow like this! He said, "She almost got me! I almost got hooked! But I won, I won! I didn't yield!" Three months later he [EDITED: "killed himself"]! (David: Didn't Fred say something?) Yes, Fred talked to him.
46. That reminds me of this man they've recently witnessed to. He thinks he won because he didn't yield, he didn't get sucked in by these fanatics that talk about Jesus. He thinks he won, but he lost! And that poor girl, she was that lawyer's only child. (David: What did she do?) They said she just cried & cried & cried! Because she just almost worshipped her father, he was her hero, just like you love me. (Techi: The girl that was pretty that you liked?) Yes. And boy, was I glad then that I didn't fall in love with her! (Techi: Did you almost?)
47. Well, when you're young like David, you see a lot of pretty girls & you kind of like them all & you're apt to fall in love with any. A lot of times you fall in love with this one & that one & you think you're in love, but it's what you call infatuation.--I guess that means you just love their fat! (Techi: Grandpa, we don't love your fat only!) You don't love my fat? Love me, love my fat! (Techi: I said not only!) I get it!
48. So, it doesn't pay to resist the Lord, right? And I'll tell you what, that would make a good study for our next lesson. I'll show you some Scriptures on that, you can read some Scriptures about people that have heard it all, had it all, seen it all, even some people who have practically tried it & they turned back. The Lord said it would be impossible to renew them to repentance. (Techi: Where's that?) Hebrews 6th Chapter & 10th Chapter.
IT'S ALL IN THE LETTERS!
49. My, there are a lot of lessons you haven't had from Grandpa! Well, they're all in the Letters, but of course there are so many Letters now, I suppose you could never read them all. I've already said it, everything, I've said it sometime, it's all in the Letters, books & books & books! I've written more than any other man on Earth, think of that! Someone figured it out once. He found the guy in the Guinness Book of Records who'd supposedly written the most, it told how much this guy had written, how many pages & all that, & he figured up that I had written more than that guy!
50. What I'm saying is that, of course, you haven't had a chance to read everything I ever wrote, all the books. You haven't read all those MO Books, have you? You have a hard time just keeping up with what's coming out right now, much less reading all those old things. (Techi: I'm reading Daily Bread 1 now.)
51. So we can have a lesson on that next time, OK? That turned out to be a longer lesson than we figured. Maybe we can get through in an hour's time now if we pray. So shall we pray, Mama?
52. (Maria: Thank You Lord for this wonderful time of good fellowship in Your Word! Thank You for Your Prophet & all the wonderful Words You give him to help us to understand & open up Thy Word to us. Thank You for the wonderful things in it, Lord, & that You helped us to behold wondrous things out of Thy Law! We thank You for it & we thank You for these lessons that will also be a help to many others, treasures in Your Word, new & old.--Mat.13:52. Help us, Lord, to hide them in our heart & make them part of us so that You'll be able to use them when the time comes for us to help & minister to others. And give us a good night tonight, Lord, keep us safe in Thy care.
53. (Thank You for a good day & for strengthening Grandpa, Lord, helping him, making him stronger today & helping him to eat so well today. Bless & keep us tonight, keep us safe in Thy care. Help us to do Thy Will, be a blessing to others & be fruitful in Thy service, in Jesus' name! TYL!)
54. Do bless & keep & help us sleep. Amen, Lord, bless this house & keep us all safely. And bless all Thy children everywhere, in Jesus' name, amen. PTL!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
