Participants: Ron Halvorsen
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000426
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01:01 So good to be with you every night.
01:02 I've been here since Wednesday night and drove a long way 01:06 all the way from Florida to get here and let me 01:08 tell you, it's a long way across the country. 01:11 But we're to be here and believe God 01:13 has a special message for us tonight. 01:15 And I want to look at the Cross 01:16 and I'm gonna ask you to reverently seek His face. 01:19 And so if you bow your heads right now, let's seek Christ, 01:21 seek His face, right now. 01:25 "Our Father which ought in heaven, 01:26 we humbly bow in your presence and pray 01:28 for the Holy Spirit to guide us and direct us tonight. 01:32 There's so much that needs 01:33 to be said and so little time to say it. 01:37 Everyone that here tonight is conscious 01:39 of the fact that time is short. 01:42 Jesus Christ is soon to come in power. 01:46 And I pray tonight what said and done 01:48 might be done and said to the honor 01:49 and glory of the kingdom of God. 01:52 Lead and direct us as we pray 01:56 in Christ name. Amen." 02:02 The message I'm gonna speak about tonight 02:03 is especially meaningful to me today. 02:07 Yesterday, I got news that a very lovely family 02:09 that had led to Christ in Carolina from South Africa. 02:13 They came all the way from South Africa and God 02:16 brought them out through a series of meetings 02:17 and in that series of meetings 02:18 they received Christ into their life. 02:21 But I found the man had a tumor on his brain. 02:23 They just discovered it last week 02:24 and he has two weeks to live. 02:29 Tomorrow morning he is going to fly all the way back 02:31 to South Africa and his dear wife 02:33 with three little lovely children. 02:36 I want to remember them in prayer. 02:37 But it was this message that touched their heart. 02:42 It was this message that changed their lives. 02:46 And that's why it's not going be 02:47 an ordinary meeting tonight. 02:48 It's not just gonna be another sermon tonight. 02:50 It's not just gonna be another 40, 30-40 minutes 02:54 space between good singing 02:57 because I'm dedicating for that couple. 03:01 I'm giving the sermon over to that couple. 03:04 For this was the message that turned their life around, 03:07 here in America, the Cross of Christ. 03:12 The cross has always been, above every other, 03:14 reckoned the death of shame. 03:17 The axe, the hemlock, the sword 03:24 has been used as execution, but execution with honor. 03:29 But the hemlock, the sword, the axe 03:31 have been used by executioners to kill. 03:36 And those men and women have died with honor. 03:41 Men who've died because of unmerciful men, 03:43 here are those who live on in the minds of millions, 03:45 but not so with the Cross of Christ. 03:49 You see, the Cross, its victim was nailed in agony 03:53 to the rough wood, suspended to the torn and gaze 03:57 for the multitudes, has always been a specimen of disgrace 04:01 and dishonor and degraded humanity. 04:04 More to be mocked he who hangs upon 04:06 the Cross as criminal than to be pitied. 04:12 Now Christ had allowed that idea 04:14 to find His way in the mind of men that Christ might be loved 04:17 not for His martyrdom, but He might be loved for His miracle. 04:22 The Cross of Christ stands and still meant glory, 04:25 and still meant glory in that Cross, the Cross of Christ. 04:29 Tonight, we must go back to the Cross of Christ 04:31 because there can be no meeting that refreshes the soul. 04:34 There can be no meeting like this to uphold the Bible. 04:36 There can be no meeting like 04:38 this to bring you closer to God 04:39 than to bring you to the Cross. 04:41 We can't go anywhere but through the Cross. 04:43 You can't go to heaven but through the Cross. 04:45 You can't see the glories of faith but through the Cross. 04:48 You can't understand your destiny but through the Cross. 04:51 And so I want to bring you to the Cross. 04:53 And I want to bring you through the Cross. 04:55 We need to go back over 1900 years ago 04:57 to the place called Calvary. 05:00 And the magic carpet that will take us back 05:02 in time and place and space...will be the Bible. 05:08 And there are two passages of scripture 05:10 that I want to read to you tonight that will force 05:12 upon your mind the meaning of this contemporary message 05:15 in a contemporary age that the importance 05:18 of the Cross of Christ. 05:19 One is taken from the Book of Galatians. 05:22 And if you have your Bibles turn 05:23 with me to the Book of Galatians 05:25 and I want you to notice in the Book of Galatians 05:28 the word here, in the Book of Galatians, 05:31 the six chapter and I want you to notice verse 14. 05:36 The Bible says, "But God forbid that I should glory, 05:40 save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, 05:43 by whom the world is crucified 05:45 unto me, and I unto the world." 05:48 And another passage taken from the Book of Corinthians, 05:51 the First Epistle of Corinthians 05:54 and I'm looking at the second chapter of the First Epistle, 05:57 and I'm reading from the second verse. 05:58 Notice what Paul, the Apostle says about the Cross. 06:02 He says, "I'm determined not to know anything 06:04 among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 06:11 On the south shore of China 06:14 over looking the Harbor Macau, 06:16 the Portuguese sailors once build 06:17 the massive cathedral to their God. 06:21 It was a fortress of their faith. 06:22 It was place where they brought their babies to be dedicated. 06:25 It was a place where they brought to be baptized 06:28 and to be married and ye even to be buried. 06:32 That Great Stone Edifice was built to the glory of God. 06:37 That Great Stone Edifice was built to the glory of Christ. 06:41 And through the years, it was a great fortress of faith. 06:45 But a typhoon came and swept through Macau 06:49 and it brought to ruins that great cathedral. 06:53 And the great cathedral crumbled into ruins 06:56 and all that was left was the front 06:57 wall of that great cathedral. 06:59 And on the front wall was a great bronze Cross. 07:02 And when Sir John Bowring went there in 1860, 07:06 he was moved by the spirit or 1825, he was moved to write 07:11 these words as he looked at the great cathedral and ruins 07:14 and the great bronze Cross. 07:16 He said, "In the Cross of Christ I glory, 07:19 Towering o'er the wrecks of time, 07:21 All the light of sacred story 07:24 Gathers round its head sublime." 07:30 But years come, friend, and the years go, 07:32 but the Cross of Christ still stands 07:34 and men glory in the Cross of Christ. 07:37 When Paul came to the intellectual City of Corinth, 07:40 when he came to that pagan City of Corinth, he said, 07:43 "I'm determined not to know anything among you, 07:45 save Jesus Christ and whom crucified." 07:50 Now to the pagan world, the Cross was foolishness. 07:54 How would God ever die upon a Cross? 07:57 Why would ever God die upon the Cross? 07:59 That's foolishness. 08:01 To the Greeks, it was a stumbling block 08:03 to their philosophy of God dying 08:06 for the salvation of the world and to the Jews. 08:09 It was a stumbling block to think the messiah 08:13 would be wrapped in blood and would die upon the Cross 08:17 and so it was foolishness, it was foolishness to the pagans. 08:20 It was a stumbling block to the Greeks. 08:23 It was--it was a hindrance to the Jewish 08:25 belief to experience the Cross. 08:29 But you and I who know the Cross, 08:30 you and I who've come in contact with the Cross 08:33 even in this 2000, let me tell you, even today 08:36 we who've come in contact 08:38 with the Cross know something better. 08:40 We know something more glorious because it's in the Cross 08:43 that we've found meaning to life. 08:45 It's in the Cross that our loneliness was met with someone. 08:49 It is in Christ that we found deliverance 08:52 at the Cross of Jesus and so we glory in the Cross tonight. 08:55 Can you say Amen here? 08:57 We glory in the Cross of Jesus Christ. 09:00 He says, "I glory saving the Cross of the Lord Jesus Christ 09:04 because the Cross makes God real." 09:08 God is not some absentee landlord. 09:12 He did not create the universe and then step back and say, 09:16 "Play it out." 09:18 He did not form man from the dust of the earth 09:21 and form him in a very image of God 09:23 and breathe into his nostrils breath of life 09:25 and give him life without leaving him alone. 09:28 He is with us always even unto the end of the world. 09:30 You see, it's a Calvary at the Cross 09:32 that God's love became real to us. 09:36 And the condition of salvation became real to us. 09:39 At Calvary, the Lord wrapped the world in light. 09:42 At Calvary, the Lord wrapped the world in love. 09:46 At Calvary, the Lord wrapped 09:48 the world in life, the Cross of Jesus. 09:54 When Haynes wrote his "Life of Abraham Lincoln", 09:58 he spent 5,000 pages 10:02 writing about Abraham Lincoln. 10:03 Can you imagine a book 5,000 pages? 10:08 Of the 5,000 pages about Abraham Lincoln, 10:11 only 25 pages were given over the life 10:17 and the events of the death of this great man. 10:20 The death there at booth Theatre. 10:23 given over to the events 10:27 that surround the death of Abraham Lincoln, 10:29 but not so with the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. 10:32 Not so with the death of Jesus on the Cross. 10:35 In fact one third of the Gospel of Matthew, 10:38 one-third of the Gospel of Mark, 10:41 one-third of the Gospel of St. Luke 10:43 are given over to the events that surrounded 10:45 death of Jesus on the Cross. 10:47 And one half of the Gospel of St. John 10:49 is given over to the death of Christ, why? 10:52 Because it's a centrality of Christianity. 10:55 It's the very crux of Christianity. 10:57 It is the very hub upon which all other truth circles Jesus 11:01 and His death on the Cross. 11:05 Tonight friend, I don't know 11:06 where you want your spiritual journey. 11:09 I don't know if you even know God. 11:11 I don't even know if you claim God, 11:13 but if you do or don't, I need to take you to the Cross. 11:16 We must go back to the Cross. 11:18 It could be the most important evening in your whole life. 11:23 We must walk Villa Dolorosa again in spirit. 11:28 We must climb the hill called Golgotha. 11:31 We must recall the pain and the suffering and the buffering 11:35 and the sorrow and the spitting and the nails 11:38 and here again the Christ of Calvary 11:40 if we are to understand why He died. 11:45 The Cross of Christ must be the centrality of our living. 11:51 I talk to young preachers all the time about preaching. 11:55 I had the privilege of teaching 11:56 homiletics in three universities. 11:57 And they come to me and they talk 11:59 about preaches say, "You know, I run out 12:00 of ideas about preaching." 12:01 How can you run out of ideas? 12:03 You run to the Cross. 12:04 When you don't think you have an idea, run to the Cross. 12:07 When you don't think you have something 12:08 to feed your congregation, run to the Cross. 12:10 And my dear brother in your witnesses 12:12 you say, "I don't know what to witness about?" 12:14 Run to the Cross because there is the power 12:16 of God unto salvation. 12:18 They are the great power of God from heaven. 12:20 Beat down upon that place and there comes 12:23 that power even into our lives today. 12:26 We must preach the Cross. 12:28 We must live the Cross as long, 12:31 I mean, it must be centrality of our preaching as long 12:33 as sin can those of blush of shame to the cheeks of men 12:37 and women, as long as tears glisten 12:39 in our eyes for repentance, 12:41 we must preach the Cross. 12:44 Now if we want to go back to that day, 12:48 we would arrive in Jerusalem. 12:50 We would arrive in Jerusalem and upon viewing 12:52 the City of Jerusalem, 12:54 I mean, it was a magnificent city Jerusalem. 12:57 It was called the pearl of the Middle East. 13:01 Upon viewing the city from the height, 13:03 you would see the golden temple gleaming in the sun. 13:08 You would notice the palace. 13:09 You would notice the streets, the crooked streets. 13:13 It truly was a fortress of faith in that day 13:16 and it's become a fortress of war today. 13:19 I mean the faith of three great religions 13:22 Judaism, Mohammedanism, and Christianity. 13:25 And when we enter the City of Jerusalem, 13:27 we find you to stir that morning. 13:28 I mean it was an exciting morning. 13:30 It was an exciting time. 13:34 The sun had been up for sometime over the City of Jerusalem. 13:37 And the whole city was in a festive mood. 13:39 I mean it was Passover. 13:40 Now I don't know if you can understand 13:42 and comprehend Passover. 13:44 We're living in a modern time. 13:45 We think of thanksgiving, but Passover. 13:50 Passover to the Jewish people 13:53 was the greatest event in a history. 13:57 How that being in Egyptian bondage in changing Egypt 14:03 and then God delivered them from that bondage. 14:06 God brought them out of that bondage 14:07 and God set them free. 14:09 And God took another them out of slavery 14:10 to bring them across the river 14:12 and bring them into the wilderness 14:13 and then to bring them to the promise 14:15 that was made to Abraham. 14:17 I mean it was the Passover 14:19 that was when they took the blood of the lamb 14:21 and pasted on the doorpost. 14:23 And when the death angel flew over the land, 14:25 it could not hurt those under the blood of the lamb. 14:29 So significant was it to the Jewish people, 14:32 it was the highest and holiest 14:34 of all their temple worship, of all their worship. 14:39 And pilgrims had come 14:40 to the City of Jerusalemon that Passover. 14:44 And they were in a festive mood. 14:45 They were there for the seriousness of bringing a lamb 14:48 or bringing an offering to the temple 14:50 and that offering to cover their sins 14:52 and to bring them into a relationship with their God. 14:56 Tens of thousands there, even a million 14:58 some say or two were coming to Jerusalem for the Passover. 15:04 They had come far away as Caesarea. 15:07 They had come far away as Cyrene. 15:10 They had come as far away as Rome itself. 15:12 Pilgrims and visitors poured into the gates of the city 15:15 moving towards the temple. 15:16 But as they moved, the long blind men 15:18 drooping along on their wooden cane 15:22 and on their white cane drooping away in darkness. 15:27 Merchants were shouting in their ways 15:29 and Roman soldiers standing on every corner. 15:31 And the people are moving towards the temple. 15:34 I mean lame man hobbled on crooked crutches 15:38 and blind man stag it to the streets. 15:40 It was a difficult procession making towards the temple, 15:43 but that was making outside 15:44 going towards the exit of the city. 15:46 There were three men staggering on the way to three Crosses 15:49 and everyone knew that it's a significance of it. 15:52 Everybody knew the symbolism of it. 15:54 They knew what was going to happen. 15:56 Those three men were condemned to die. 16:00 It would be like standing in the very code of death row. 16:04 Seeing a prison to going down 16:05 through death raw knowing the end was an inevitable. 16:08 They knew that those three men would hang upon the Cross. 16:11 And they would die because crucifixion was a Roman 16:16 way and penalty for death, of death. 16:20 Pilate washed these hands of Jesus. 16:23 Herod condemned. 16:25 The Jews have rejected Him. 16:27 And the Romans would now crucify Him. 16:30 When I look at the Cross, I see plainly the sin. 16:32 Can you imagine the sin? 16:34 I mean the angry mob ripping the clothes, 16:36 the robe off the back of the son of God. 16:38 I mean taking long leather thongs 16:40 with lead imbedded in the ends of those leather 16:43 thongs and beating the back of the son of God 16:46 who bore the burden of the whole world. 16:48 Amazing to see the crown of thorns 16:51 crushed upon his brow, blood dripping in His eyes. 16:57 All night long, they had reviled Him. 16:59 All night long, they had mocked Him. 17:00 All night long, they had bitten Him. 17:03 And he staggers onto the way to this Cross. 17:10 He is alone to suffer, Jesus. 17:14 He is alone to bleed, Jesus. 17:17 He is alone to die, Jesus. 17:20 My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me? 17:26 Godforsaken of God. 17:30 The cry of Calvary. 17:33 Godforsaken of God. 17:39 That was the cry, the cry of Calvary. 17:44 I mean listen to me. 17:46 In that very moment, 17:47 the sins of the world will lead upon Jesus. 17:51 The world's lies burnt into the lips of Jesus 17:53 as if He had spoken them. 17:55 I mean at that moment, my God why have thou forsaken me. 17:58 At that moment, the world lustful desires burnt 18:01 into the mind of Jesus as if He had fought 18:04 them and spoken them and the world's 18:06 unpleasing language burned 18:07 into the tongue of Jesus as if He had spoken them. 18:10 He was made sin for us. 18:15 The spotless lamb of God, the spotless woman, 18:18 one of heaven who came down 18:20 to the womb of a virgin into this world, 18:21 he is now hanging on the Cross and the sins 18:24 of the whole world like standstill. 18:28 He pulls down upon Himself 18:32 the sins of the whole world, 18:35 to die with His enemies. 18:39 I see three things at the Cross. 18:43 I see sin at a trifle place. 18:47 I see the love of God and at the Cross 18:51 I see the only way of salvation. 18:53 Now at the Cross I see sin in its rightful place. 18:58 Sin made the Cross a necessity. 19:01 Sin made the death of Christ that necessity. 19:05 You see, it was sin and you know, man calls sin an accident, 19:08 God calls it an abomination. 19:12 Man calls sin a blunder. 19:13 God calls it blindness. 19:17 Man calls sin a chance and God calls it a choice. 19:21 And man calls it liberty and God calls it lawlessness. 19:25 And man calls it luxury and God calls it leprosy. 19:32 The Cross we understand sin. 19:35 When we've been to the Cross, we see sin as a new light. 19:40 At the Cross, we recognized sin in a different way. 19:45 At the Cross, 19:48 we see people in a different way. 19:53 That's why everyone must go to the Cross. 19:57 That's why whenever I'm discouraged 19:59 I like a belying to the Cross. 20:01 That's why when I fall and sin against God, 20:03 I make a belying to the Cross. 20:05 That's why moments of--in moments of this prayer, 20:08 in moments of sorrow, in moments of pain, 20:11 I make a belying right to the Cross. 20:15 Because I see it and I see sin in this rightful place. 20:21 You see sin is the one world that scribes all human tragedy. 20:25 You can call it by any psychological name, 20:27 any sociological name, any long name, but it's the same. 20:30 Sin is a tragedy. 20:33 The crowns were made of thorns. 20:37 The day of it is horrible night. 20:40 Sin put Christ on the rugged Cross. 20:42 Your sin and my sin put Him there and you know something, 20:46 I discovered from the realm of Bible that if it was one sin, 20:49 Christ would have died. 20:50 If one person had sin against God, 20:52 if one person had broken the law of God, 20:54 if one person rebutted the character of God, 20:57 he would have come and blood and suffered 21:00 and died that is unconditional love. 21:08 I hear people all the time say why love unconditionally? 21:10 Give me a break. Impossible. 21:15 There're only two times, you love unconditional. 21:17 One is at your birth because you know nothing. 21:22 And the other is at your death, 21:24 or you have nothing, 21:26 or you have a lot of things but nothing. 21:33 But He unconditionally loved me. 21:37 An amazing thing I found out as a gang leader Brooklyn, 21:39 New York, he loved me even while I was a sinner. 21:43 And by the way when I confess my sin, 21:45 he wouldn't love me anymore. 21:48 I just learned to love Him more. 21:50 He didn't change His mind. 21:53 He changed my mind. 21:55 He didn't change his character. 21:57 He changed my character at the Cross of Jesus. 22:03 I tell you sin put them on the rugged Cross. 22:05 Your sin and mine wouldn't say, "Look at this sin. 22:08 I want so big--I mean those people were involved 22:11 that day terrible tragic day." 22:15 look at Caiaphas, I mean he was surrounding the Cross. 22:19 He was there in the shadow of the Cross. Caiaphas, 22:21 what was his sin? 22:22 Was it adultery? 22:23 Was it murder? Was it stealing? 22:25 Was it--all those things 22:26 that we and all that Christians know? 22:29 And yet it was all of them because the Bible says 22:31 to break one of the least of these commandments 22:34 as to break the law. 22:36 But it wasn't that those sins of the flesh. 22:42 It was sin of the spirit. 22:45 The sin of self-seeking, 22:48 the sin itself righteousness, 22:51 the sin of pride, it was the sin of a church 22:53 that brought Caiaphas to condemn Christ. 22:59 Pride is a dangerous sin. 23:03 Don't believe it? 23:05 My Bible says, "It was pride 23:07 that caused satan to fall from heaven." 23:11 My Bible tells me that he was cast out from heaven 23:14 because he had pride. 23:17 Pride for Satan to fall down. 23:18 I mean pride brought Caiaphas to say he is guilty. 23:21 Pride caused Caiaphas to fall into sin. 23:24 He thought his religion. 23:26 He thought his religion was good enough for him. 23:28 He didn't need a savior. 23:33 There are so many people, 23:34 who don't think need a savior. 23:37 You can get by all right. 23:42 That was Caiaphas. 23:47 Pride. How many people 23:49 I've met ministry around the world 23:51 preaching on the continence of the world? 23:53 Have I met who thought that was too proud 23:57 to come humbly to Christ? 24:00 Too proud, to kneel humbly at the Cross, 24:03 too proud to put the hands out and put the hands 24:06 and humble Him that made the world, too proud. 24:11 And what's your sin, is it pride? 24:17 Then you need to bring it to the Cross. 24:19 I mean one of the sins that Pilate. 24:21 Have you ever thought about that? 24:22 I mean Pilate then it actually put the nails 24:24 in the hands of Jesus. 24:25 I mean He wasn't dead pound with a hammer, 24:28 the nails and the hands of Jesus to lift up the Cross. 24:30 He washed his hands of Jesus. 24:36 And you know why? 24:38 The biggest reason I find that people don't come to Christ. 24:43 The biggest reason people don't come to the Cross. 24:46 The biggest reason is they were afraid. 24:50 He was afraid to the crowd. 24:55 I mean He was afraid of his position. 25:01 He was afraid what the government would think of Him. 25:03 He was afraid what the crowd would think of Him. 25:05 He was afraid with the Pharisees 25:07 and Sadducees would think of Him. 25:08 And so afraid of the people. 25:11 I find now fault in him. 25:15 Can you imagine one who finds no fault in Christ 25:20 would wash his hands 25:24 of Christ? 25:29 Listen to me--all the waters of the seven seas 25:36 cannot wash away the deed of that night. 25:40 He washed his hands, 25:43 but only God could wash His heart. 25:48 I see sin in its rightful place. 25:56 Afraid of the Cross, afraid of position and family. 26:01 In other words, you don't want to identify 26:04 yourself for the Christ as a Pilate. 26:07 He don't want to identify 26:08 yourself with Christ in the Bible teaching. 26:10 He don't want to associate yourself with the Bible truth. 26:14 You just afraid of it. 26:16 You may be ashamed even of it. 26:21 But it means the world hated Christ then it will hate you. 26:25 And some of us can't stand that. 26:28 The think of what the crowd would think of us. 26:30 What would they think down town where I work? 26:33 What would they think in my family if I go home and say, 26:35 I gave my heart to Jesus tonight? 26:37 I turned myself over the God. 26:40 I've returned to the God of my childhood. 26:47 Look at Herod. 26:49 What was the sin of Herod? 26:50 Have you ever thought? It was adultery. 26:53 I don't know we like to talk about those things today. 26:56 Now-a-days in society if you think alike that's enough. 27:00 I mean if you have two red cars 27:02 have something incoming you know, let's live together. 27:04 I mean that's the philosophy of a pagan world. 27:06 I mean that's the philosophy today. 27:08 Oh, you smile, I like your smile, let's live together. 27:14 Hey, but I've learned something. 27:18 The grass always looks green in someone else's yard 27:22 till you have to cut the grass. 27:25 Just threw that out. 27:26 That wasn't even my notes. 27:29 For what was his sin? 27:32 It was adultery. 27:34 Now I want to talk candidate to you tonight. 27:36 I know you like little sermons 27:37 with bubbling books and sparkling-- 27:41 you know like chilled out talks. 27:46 But I want to talk quite frankly to you. 27:49 Adultery solidifies your heart. 27:55 It's a light to your own conscience. 27:59 And it's a deception to the one loves you most. 28:03 Herod was an adulterer. 28:06 And God knew it. 28:10 And Herod didn't like it. 28:12 And so he said, "I can get rid of Him. 28:14 I put Him on a Cross." 28:18 Look at Judas and it was of the so called big sins of Calvary 28:22 I mean those things I think--I mean look at Judas, 28:26 Judas followed Christ. 28:28 In fact the Bible tells us three times. 28:31 Judas was a man whom Jesus called. 28:34 Judas was a man whom Jesus loved. 28:37 And Judas was a man whom Jesus want. 28:42 Judas was a disciple. 28:44 He went to church every Sabbath with Christ. 28:50 He walked with Him at night. 28:51 He sat with Him in a day. 28:53 I mean he saw the miracles of layman standing 28:55 and praising God and blind man seeing light of day 28:58 and dead man being raised to life. 29:02 He saw all of that. 29:05 He saw the power of God working through the life of Christ. 29:11 And yet He betrays Lord. 29:17 Thirty pieces of silver. 29:20 Modern coinages today, 29:21 that would probably about 400 dollars American. 29:28 In Nigeria, I don't know what that would be. 29:35 400 dollars, they crucified Christ. 29:40 Can you imagine for what cheap things do we crucified him? 29:43 What cheap things do we bargain with Satan helpful? 29:45 I mean he was one, look at him Judas and then the crowd. 29:50 That crowd is interesting as study the crowd, 29:52 I discovered something about the crowd. 29:54 They sat there as if it were a picnic. 30:00 They came to listen, they came to be entertained. 30:06 The crowd came just a look upon that sin. 30:09 And study the sin and enjoy it. It was a picnic. 30:11 They had a picnic lunch sitting 30:13 on the side of hill called Golgotha. 30:16 They watched Him there. 30:19 They weren't against Christ nor were they for him. 30:25 They were just there to celebrate death. 30:31 And they watched Him. 30:34 And they didn't do a thing. 30:37 They watched Him, quite interesting. 30:40 How many do I have known who come 30:43 and watch from a safe distance? 30:48 They watched him there, dying sin. 30:52 You see, sitting down they watched Him there. 30:54 What's your sin that hold you back 30:56 from following totally Jesus Christ? 30:59 What is the sin that brings you 31:00 to a relationship with Jesus Christ? 31:04 What is that sin? 31:07 Secondly, I can't go to the Cross 31:09 and not see the love of God. 31:12 I want to tell you my friend, 31:13 God loves you. 31:16 He loves you with such infinite love. 31:18 You can love like God loves. 31:22 You're incapable of loving like God loves. 31:25 You love for a corrupt nature. 31:27 You love for a sinful nature. 31:29 You love for a world 7,000 years of sin. 31:32 You love from getting the nature. 31:38 But He loves with the giving nature. 31:41 And as I said the other evening, 31:44 the value of the gift 31:47 is in the love of the giver. 31:52 And His love tells you there's no sin that He cannot forgive. 31:58 Someone said to me that evening 31:59 met me, they said, "How did you live 32:01 with yourself after became a Christian 32:03 I mean stabbing people and gripping people off 32:05 and I mean how did you live with yourself?" I didn't. 32:08 I said, "I live with Christ." 32:14 I could never live with myself. 32:18 But I was free to live with Christ and His righteousness 32:25 and His love and all that was placed upon my life. 32:32 And I was made righteous at the moment 32:35 through Jesus Christ, amen. 32:37 Can you say amen here? 32:38 Amen. I don't know. 32:39 You don't like preacher a lot down in the south. 32:41 I get little more amen. 32:42 Like I would give you a southern draw here, 32:44 I mean do something you people. 32:46 You are clapping even when they were singing. 32:51 Yes you know he's preaching like this. 32:58 I mean love--I mean look at it, every drop of blood 33:00 on His that was shred on Calvary, every whip that blasted 33:03 at his back, every sharp point of spear 33:06 that pierced Him in the side. 33:08 Listen, the first Adam was pierced in His side 33:12 and they came forth Eve, the bride of the first Adam. 33:19 And Calvary, the second Adam was wounded in the side 33:23 and then came forth blood and water and that forth a new Eve, 33:27 the Church of Jesus Christ, 33:29 Halleluiah! I'll do a dance on that. 33:35 Forgive me for that. 33:41 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son 33:45 to who so we believe in him should not perish, 33:50 but have a everlasting life. 33:53 You see here at Calvary love was pierced. 33:57 A Calvary love was bitten upon. 34:00 Calvary blood was shred. 34:03 Father forgive them for they know not 34:06 what they do. 34:12 Your faith forgiven. 34:15 You're forgiven. 34:17 Why do you carry around after you've been forgiven? 34:22 Why do you keep digging of the old man? 34:27 It's buried. You're forgiven. But I love you, 34:35 I've been doing the same thing 34:36 for 40 years. 34:44 Bury it, I'm crucified in Christ. 34:48 Neither less I will deviate 34:49 not I but Christ lives within me. 34:52 Christ in me, the hope of glory. Amen. 35:00 Finished. Wow, finished my salvation full and free. 35:07 Jesus paid the death for sinners 35:10 when He died on Calvary shed tears, 35:17 shed blood, shed life crucified with Christ. 35:25 I was in Hawaii preaching. 35:28 By the way I--the brethren always sent me to hot places. 35:33 You know they won't send to Philippine islands, 35:35 you know, where tens of thousand-- 35:36 I mean they send me to Holland, Brooklyn, and Los Angeles, 35:40 and I mean, so one night I was praying to God. 35:44 I said, "God, this is unfair." 35:48 I mean they got some conference president 35:50 send them over there. 35:51 I worked all my life hard. 35:53 Who's over there comes back with his trophies. 35:57 I said what--I said, "I'd like to go to exact place." 36:01 The next morning I got a telephone from Hawaii. 36:07 Man on the line says, "Well, hello Senior Ron." 36:10 He knew me said Ron, would you like to come to Hawaii? 36:13 Hold evangels to crusade seminar on revelation. 36:17 I said, "Oh, let me pray about it, thank you Lord. 36:19 Yes, I would love to go to Hawaii." 36:22 Then those quick answers. 36:27 And so I packed my things and i went to Hawaii. 36:29 By the way I wrote a book on prayer, 36:30 it's called "Prayer Warriors" 36:31 if you don't have it, you should get it. 36:34 And if you've ready, let me see your hands 36:36 with awesome intelligent people in North West 36:38 I could see that. 36:41 But it was out of that book "Prayer Warfare", 36:44 it's out of that book that I began to pray walk. 36:47 And so wherever I go now, 36:48 I pray walk and I do it-- Joshua was-- 36:52 He said the Joshua, whoever saw your feet touch, 36:54 I'll give you back to land. 36:57 He said to Jeremiah, "You want a take a city back for God." 36:59 He says, "First of all weep, let's get a burden." 37:02 Secondly he says, "Walk." 37:05 And then he says, "Weakness." 37:06 I can probably drive by a house sold a book. 37:10 Keep on going. Give me a break. 37:17 So I got to Hawaii, I started walking. 37:18 And whenever I get to a city I pray for the meanest, 37:20 toughest, honorest, curse, fighting, snottiest, 37:24 shoot men in town, women in town. 37:31 So I was preaching the first night. 37:33 The second night, and in walk to speak Samoan, boom. 37:40 I mean I'm big, but Samoan-- 37:45 This guy walks lumbering down, scars. 37:51 That look, don't mess with me man. 37:56 And right away I said, "Oh, Lord, 37:57 you're answering my prayer." 37:59 So I preached twice as good that night. 38:05 And so the next night, the next night, the next night, 38:07 finally I started shaking hands with them. 38:10 And then you know, I'm from Brooklyn, 38:11 I am a hugger, sorry I am a hugger. 38:15 So I finally get up there and I hug him. 38:19 This is hugging a Samoan. 38:24 I wish you'd been there when Jesus took over his heart. 38:27 I wish you would been here 38:28 when I preached on the Cross of Christ. 38:29 I wish you'd been here 38:30 when that man stood to his feet, walk forward. 38:33 And I wish you'd been there when I knowing to him 38:35 with the Lord to take away his drugs, alcohol and tobacco. 38:37 I don't need five day plan, eight day plan, 38:40 I need a five minute plan 38:42 the power of the Holy Spirit. 38:49 But I have some fighting habit. 38:51 I'm gonna--when I get over this you been fighting 38:53 till 12 years, Let Jesus fight it. Amen. 38:56 I wish you'd been here when he brought his crack 38:58 and his alcohol and his hashish and his-- big bags. 39:05 I put it in my trunk. 39:06 I was afraid to get arrested that night. 39:10 God took hold of his life. 39:12 Finished by the way sins 39:17 were so transformed by the power of God. 39:20 The first year as Christian, He let a hundred people 39:26 to the Lord Jesus Christ through baptism. 39:33 He's already baptized more than 400 people 39:36 in their kingdom of God. 39:37 Let me tell you one thing. 39:39 When Jesus Christ says finished. 39:41 It's finished in your life and there is a new life. 39:45 And don't try to reform yourself to get good enough. 39:49 Come to Christ and He has the power 39:54 to do what you don't have to do. 39:55 Finish shed tear, shed blood, shed lives. 39:58 At the Cross, by the way, I see the only way of salvation. 40:00 There is no other way. 40:03 It's not 27 fundamental believes though they're wonderful. 40:07 It's not because they're going to accept 40:09 the church, that's wonderful. 40:11 By the way, one person said to me, 40:12 "I want to follow the Lord, give my heart to Christ. 40:14 But I don't want to join the churches." 40:15 It like I want to get married and going to honeymoon. 40:21 But that's not what it's about. 40:25 It's about the way of salvation, the Cross. 40:32 I know no other way. 40:33 You see the Cross is the bridge back to God. 40:37 The Cross is the highway to heaven. 40:40 The Cross being estrangement heal. 40:41 At the Cross the enmity has taken away. 40:43 The price is paid fully at the Cross. 40:48 Little boy was standing in a hallway 40:53 near Wall Street, New York. 40:54 If you ever go to New York, go down the Wall Street 40:56 at 3 o'clock, it's interesting. 40:58 Limousines half the length of street 41:01 and they're running you know stock brokers 41:03 and stock people and some of them made a million that day, 41:06 some lost a million and half to the Cadillac, 41:11 get home, get to the suburbs to the cocktail, chill 'em out. 41:16 The man with the cashmere coat running towards the car. 41:20 He notices the boy standing in a hallway. 41:23 Boy tided clothes and he's crying. 41:28 The man puts his hand on the door-- 41:32 I should say the driver is opening the door. 41:35 And the man turns around, sees the boy, he stops. 41:37 He remembers whey he was a boy. 41:39 Let's you forget. 41:42 And so he walks over to the boy. 41:43 The boy gets to the boy swiping away his tears. 41:46 The man comes up says, "Young man, may I help you?" 41:49 Boy looks him and he says, "Bug off Mister." 41:52 Something's wrong. No, nothing's wrong, nothing. 41:57 Someone said, "Why don't your Brooklyn accent?" 42:00 I said, "Why? When I get to heaven, 42:01 again I have to learn it again." 42:05 So nothing mister, nothing's wrong. 42:10 And he says, "I know there's something wrong. 42:11 I can--I can help you." Nothing. 42:17 He says look and he has turned around 42:18 and started but he couldn't I mean the kid 42:22 and then the boy, he turned back, he says, 42:24 "Listen, I can help you. What happened?" 42:26 He says, "I was going to the stall with a dollar in my hand. 42:29 My daddy told me to go to the store and get something. 42:31 And when I was running to try to keep warm, 42:34 the dollar flew away. 42:36 Down the drain. It's gone." 42:40 A dollar, I mean here's a man with cashmere coat. 42:43 I mean here's a man, millions he's talking. 42:46 And here's a boy, a dollar. 42:50 So he says, "Why don't you go back 42:51 and tell your daddy you lost it?" 42:53 That's only logical. He will forgive you. 42:56 He said, "You don't know my father. 42:59 He's home half drunk right now. 43:02 And I'm never gonna go home." 43:04 So the man said, "Well, we're going?" 43:05 he said to said, "To the store." 43:06 He took the boy by the hand took him around the corner, 43:08 put him in the store, walked in the store and then said, 43:11 "Go, get what your father wanted to get." 43:14 He brought it back, leaving on the counter, 95 cents. 43:20 The man took out his wallet. 43:23 I can't take out money left at home. 43:26 With not anything. 43:27 There's no money in it but anywhere. 43:30 Took out the wallet and looking 43:33 for the hundreds to find a dollar. 43:36 Later on the counter when he puts the things in a little bag, 43:41 gives him back a nickel. 43:44 He hands the package to the boy 43:46 and he puts the nickel in his other hand. 43:48 He says, "Now go home to your father." 43:50 The boy turned around ran as far as the front door. 43:54 He stopped, turned around, put the package down, 43:58 ran back, through his arms as far around the man as he could. 44:01 He looked up in his face and he said, 44:06 "I wish you're my father." 44:09 And then he ran back, took his package and out into the lane. 44:13 The man later go on his club, he said, 44:15 "You know what I did the rest of that evening. 44:18 I walked around the street 44:20 hoping that I might find another boy that lost a dollar." 44:26 I mean let's face it, we all blew it. 44:28 I may not all sin alike but alike we all sin. 44:34 And Jesus says, "I love you, come on home through the Cross." 44:42 You see, it's a narrow way the way of the Cross. 44:45 I mean it doesn't make you a narrow person, 44:46 it just a narrow way because 44:52 it's rough and rugged. 44:57 I mean the moral law, yes, it is narrow. 45:02 I mean all these things that you've heard it's now. 45:05 But there is a way that seems right onto man 45:07 but the ways of our death, way of the Cross is life. 45:10 God can offer you life tonight. 45:13 You say how do you know? 45:15 Because for 41 years, I've seen 45:16 him offering life to men and women. 45:20 I've seen tens of thousands literally 45:22 who've coming for newness of life of Jesus Christ. 45:27 You need to climb by the way 45:28 the Cross, it's a narrow way. 45:30 You know, why is it when we come to religion, 45:32 everybody wants a broadminded. 45:33 Have you ever noticed that? 45:35 I had one person tell me this get this come on. 45:38 We are all doing different ways, Brother Ron. 45:40 But we're all gonna get there. 45:41 Can you imagine? 45:44 You gotta go east. 45:49 No, you don't have to go east, 45:51 but if you're going to Chicago, you better go east. 45:56 The weather seem with right onto man but the ways, 45:58 there are no ways of-- I like narrow minded pilots. 46:03 Don't you? my wife, she's definitely afraid of flying. 46:08 In fact, the first time I got on a plane it was a miracle. 46:12 I mean I wrote it down, drawn it drown as a miracle. 46:16 I talked to her three months. 46:17 I was going to Boston. 46:18 We are going flying up from Atlanta Georgia to Boston. 46:21 I said, "Honey, it's safe to fly in a plane." 46:23 I said it safe, more people die 46:27 in the tub then on a plane. 46:31 Yeah, she said, "at least it's a foot off the ground." 46:38 So I kept persuading and profaning, 46:40 I talked her in to it. 46:42 It's wonderful to fly with my wife. 46:43 I mean this is spiritual event 46:46 because she prays from the moment 46:48 she gets on to when she gets off. 46:51 So I get along this plane in Atlanta, Georgia. 46:53 I'd like narrow minded pilots. 46:57 Going to Boston. 46:59 Atlanta, Boston, North East, so many degrees. 47:06 I got on-- she was strapped in by the way 47:08 before the announcement I never get. 47:10 I mean she was so tight on that. 47:11 If the plane--I mean the chair would go with her. 47:17 And then she held my hand. 47:18 I mean it was a beautiful experience. 47:19 Her nails right through. 47:20 I mean I was stuck. 47:23 I was going nowhere. 47:25 Narrow is the way to go and they are faster than Fords. 47:31 Got out--got over Boston. 47:33 I love narrow minded pilot. 47:34 I'm sure if he said, "will coming on runway number 17." 47:37 Pilot doesn't say, "Well, I don't like that, 47:39 I think I'll come in on number whatever." 47:43 And straight is the way, narrow is the way. 47:44 Calvary is a narrow way. 47:45 I mean that was so narrow, Christ had to go alone. 47:49 And that's why every one of us has to go alone. 47:51 I can't go on my wife or my husband or my children 47:54 or my preacher or my--I gotta go alone 47:58 because one at a time, we walk to Cross. 48:01 One at a time, we climb the hill. 48:03 One at a time, we follow the foot of the Cross. 48:05 One at a time, we open our heart God. 48:07 He saves us one at a time. 48:18 Look at Calvary, and you'll see love. 48:23 You'll see sin in it's rightful place. 48:26 And you'll see the only way of salvation. 48:30 It happened a well, long years ago. 48:34 The Hansen's house was on fire. 48:39 Well that quite little college town 48:43 had the local volunteer fire department, 48:48 they rushed out to the Hansen's house. 48:52 Ernest Hansen, 17 years old was taking care 48:54 of his brothers and sister. 48:57 Wow, I hope they're listening from Nigeria. 49:01 They are some big families. 49:04 And mom and dad had gone to the store. 49:05 And he was in charge, a 17 years old Ernest Hansen, 49:08 seven brothers and sisters. 49:11 When the fire broke out in the house, 49:12 he ran around collecting them through the smoke 49:16 and getting then to safety. 49:19 And as he was standing there were his brothers and sisters, 49:22 the fire engines came up and put water, 49:26 but it was unquenchable fire. 49:30 And just then Ernest looked around, 49:32 he realized that baby sister wasn't there. 49:37 He had gotten his other brothers and sisters out. 49:39 But baby sister was upstairs in the bed room in the crib 49:43 and he ran over the fire and he said, mister. 49:46 He says, "I got my brothers and sisters. 49:47 But baby sister is--" and said there is nothing we can do son. 49:52 But you don't understand, 49:55 with that he ran towards the burning building. 49:58 But you don't understand mister. 50:02 And he ran to that burning building. 50:03 Ernest Hansen, 17 years old. 50:09 The fire is-- he's beating out the fire in his hands, 50:13 crawling up to stairs through the smoke filled house. 50:17 Down the hallway to the room, 50:18 the bed room he pushed opened the door 50:21 and heard baby sister crying. 50:22 Could you imagine? 50:23 It was like the cry of angels. 50:28 Ran over quickly picked and up and wrapped it in a blanket. 50:34 He started out the building. 50:36 I mean the fire and the flames 50:37 and beating out the fire with his hand. 50:39 Fire caught his ear on fire, try to put it out. 50:42 But he was protecting the little baby in a soft like blanket 50:48 and everybody was watching the house, the door, and flames. 50:54 And all of a sudden, a little white bundle 50:56 was thrown out off the flame. 50:59 Fireman quickly took it and put out 51:00 the little tiny fire on blanket 51:02 in there was a little baby crying alive. 51:07 And then Ernest Hansen tumbled out 51:09 of burning building and burst into flames. 51:14 They rolled him the dirt and dust. 51:17 They rushed him to the hospital 51:24 and I mean one ear had been burned often, his hands 51:26 had been so mauled, he never used them again and His face 51:29 was terribly disfigured and his body. 51:32 Sometimes they thought he would die and sometimes 51:34 they prayed he would die. 51:37 Earnest, you don't understand mister. 51:41 But you know, we see a very strange scene 51:42 at the campus of Wala-Wala. 51:45 A beautiful, beautiful co-ed, lovely girl 51:50 walking along with her hand and her arm 51:54 in the arm of a terribly disfigured. 51:57 People turned away from his face, scar. 52:02 People say, "What is this beautiful girl 52:04 doing with that terribly scared disfigured man?" 52:08 And they'd say that's Ernest Hansen. 52:11 And that's baby sister grow into woman. 52:15 And he got his scars to save her life. 52:20 And she's is not ashamed of his scars. 52:26 Are you ashamed of his scars? 52:32 When he reaches out to you, 52:35 do you push his hands away? 52:40 When he looks at you, without eternal look 52:46 do you push him away? 52:48 For God so loved the world 52:53 that he gave his only son. 52:57 Scared, disfigured, 53:06 father which already in heaven, 53:10 may the people here tonight look into the scars of Christ. 53:13 Wounded in their head and hands and the feet and the sides. 53:19 Oh, we pray this people look into the face of Jesus. 53:25 And they will be changed. 53:29 Oh, God I don't know who this people are here 53:30 I wish I knew them but You know them by name. 53:34 I wish I could personally go to them and tell them 53:37 how much Jesus means to me and what a glorious day 53:40 when I put my hand on this God hands of Christ. 53:42 Everything I owe, I owe to you Lord. 53:47 The very cloths on my back oh God, 53:48 the very education that I have, 53:50 the very privilege it is to come here 53:53 to this place and speak for you. 53:57 Pray God now You'll go to the hearts of the people 53:59 here through your Holy Spirit. 54:02 Whisper to them and tell them 54:06 what You want to tell them. |
Revised 2014-12-17