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[00:00:00] Romans ten from verse one.
[00:00:19] Brethren, my heart's desire and my supplication to God is for them that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For being ignorant of God's righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to every one believer. For Moses writeth that the man that doeth the righteousness which is of the law shall live thereby. And the righteousness which is of faith saith us, say not in thy heart who shall ascend into heaven, that is, to bring Christ down, or who shall descend into the abyss, that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. But what saith it? The word is nigh thee in thy mouth and in thy heart. That is the word of faith which we preach.
[00:01:27] Because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart, that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
[00:01:42] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
[00:01:52] For the scripture, whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame.
[00:02:01] For there is no distinction between jew and Greek. For the same lord is lord of all, and is rich unto all that call upon him.
[00:02:11] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
[00:02:17] How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him whom they have not heard?
[00:02:26] And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent, even as it is written? How beautiful are the feet of them that bring glad tidings, good things.
[00:02:42] But they did not all hearken to the glad tidings. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath believed our report, so faith cometh of hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.
[00:03:01] Now we'll sing another hymn, 477, 477, when we walk with the Lord in the light of his word.
[00:03:18] Now this evening we come to this matter of follow up, the follow up work. Once a person has been led to or pointed to Christ, I might say that in this world we take a tremendous amount of care over people who are about to give birth. We are not only very careful in prenatal care, but we're very careful in what happens at the time and afterwards.
[00:03:50] But not so often amongst God's children. The matter of spiritual birth, far greater miracle in many ways than natural birth, is not looked upon with the same as in the same need of care and attention and sensitiveness in every way. Yet, in fact, it is of tremendous care. And many difficulties stem from someone who had a poor birth.
[00:04:24] Somehow or other they were born, but there was some lack somewhere. There was something that was overlooked, and how much we find in christians as they get older goes back to their birth. So it is a very, very important matter when, first of all, to see that a person is really born of God, and then when they are born of God, to make sure that we care for them and set them on the right path. Now, we can't go back over all that has been said before. You'll have to listen to it on the tape if you wish to hear all that we've said about soul winning as well as evangelism in general, soul winning in particular, and in the way of witnessing to people and finding people and so on, and testifying to them, and especially last week on actually pointing them to Christ. How to really point a person to Christ.
[00:05:26] Well, now, this evening we talk about the necessity of good follow up work. When you have pointed someone to Christ, you must not just leave them there, you must follow them up.
[00:05:47] First, we must give them immediate care. There are certain things we're going to talk about this evening which ought to follow on a person's spiritual birth immediately. And then in the following months, there are other things that we have to do in the following weeks and months. So we have these two things to think about this evening, and then we shall go on to talk a little about the problems connected with those involved in heresies and in other religions.
[00:06:22] We know, of course, that it is God's work alone that will endure and that he is able to keep those that he saves. We know that it is often said with great pride that when God brings someone to birth, then you don't have to bother about them at all. You can just tip them out into the big bad world and somehow or other they'll grow. Well, the wonderful thing is this, that often God will take care and watch over those whom he has brought to birth so that they do grow. But, you know, God has set the solitary in families.
[00:07:02] And God's idea is not that when we are spiritually born, we should be turfed out into the world like spiritual orphans to somehow or other struggle through ourselves. But his thought is that we should be born in a family where there is a certain amount of care and a certain amount of nursing and a certain amount of direction and help at the beginning. So I do not think that it is enough to say that God's work alone endures and that once God says he is able to keep and nurture those he brings to himself, we have a very serious duty. We need to fulfill our responsibility. It's not enough to lead those that have been newly saved with the initial fundamentals of our salvation.
[00:08:01] You remember the three first the need of the saviour, and then the work of the savior, and then how to receive the savior. These are the three initial fundamental things that we must center upon when pointing a soul to Christ. It's not enough to leave the one who's come to Christ with just those bare initial fundamentals. We have a duty to care for them and to love them. Now, if you turn to the word of God in one corinthians, chapter four, one corinthians, chapter four and verse 1416, I write not these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
[00:08:54] For though ye have 10,000 tutors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I begat you through the gospel, I beseech you, therefore be ye imitators of me.
[00:09:15] Here is Paul's great concern that those who have been begotten again of the Lord should be cared for. He says, I'm like a father. I'm not like a tutor. A tutor is often a person who gives you some lessons and is only too thankful when he sees the back of you.
[00:09:38] Not all tutors are like that, but many of our teachers at school were only too glad. I'm quite sure. When the day came for us to leave the school, they had seen us all through. It was their duty to teach us. It was their duty to care for us. They were our school teachers. They were our teachers, but they were frankly quite glad to feel that we'd gone.
[00:10:01] But a father, a good father, has us all the time on his heart. He knows not only the best, but he knows the worst. And he is the one who's always there to watch over us and care for us. When a child gets into trouble, the teacher can wash his hands of all responsibility. He might say, well, I've taught the child it's the child's own responsibility. But the father can never wash his hands of the responsibility for his child. He has to say, it is my flesh and blood. It's my child. And although I may not be personally responsible, yet I am responsible for this, my son or my daughter. In the same way, Paul says, you may have many tutors and there are many teachers in Christendom only too ready to stand on the platform and teach us wonderful things and truthful things and good things and even helpful things. But we have very few fathers in Christ, those who know the best about us and the worst about us, and those who take responsibility for us through thick and through things.
[00:11:10] This is what follow up work is.
[00:11:14] It's a nasty word, really, follow up work. But it's a word that has come into our christian parlance. I suppose we have to use it, follow up work. All it means is that we have to take some kind of responsibility in love for those that we have led to Christ or pointed to Christ. Then again, if you turn to Galatians, Galatians 419 and 20, my little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ be formed in you. But I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. Here is father speaking again.
[00:12:03] He is in travail again for his children, and he calls them this time not just children, grown up children, he calls them little children. They're in such a mess in Galatia. They've got themselves tripped up, and they're divided, and they're fighting it out with one another in one way, and they're going back into all forms of legality and bondage. And Paul says, oh, you poor things, you are like little children. He's not taking a superior attitude. He says, I'm in travel as if I'm giving birth to you all over again, until, because I want to see Christ fully formed in you. I don't want you to go back. I want you to go on to all that is inherent in God's purpose for you. And then this lovely little thing. I wish I was present with you now. I would change my tone because I'm so perplexed. He's been writing some quite hard things. If you read back and you read on to the Galatians, he's being, it's white hot anger in this letter. But now he says, you know, if I could only be with you, I change my tone. Having scolded you, I would change my tone and show you just how much I care for you, how in my heart I'm traveling for you, because I'm so perplexed now. This really is the kind of follow up work we need, the people whose hearts are genuinely and rightly perplexed for those who go on, who don't trip them up or stumble them or load them with over much knowledge, but those whose hearts are in travail for those whom they have pointed to Christ and who are often perplexed about. They've got such a concern, such a loving concern for those who are younger in the law that they can get better. You will never be perplexed about a person in this way that will lead you into travail that Christ may be fully formed in them unless you love them, unless you've really got responsibility for them. There is, of course, another perplexing, the perplexity that comes from criticism.
[00:14:09] You don't like so and so. So you are deeply perplexed about them altogether. And you talk about it and you chew over their, their character and their faults and their failings, and you become more and more perplexed. You, you confess that you're perplexed by them. And really, it's all talk. It's another kind of perplexity. This perplexity is the perplexity of a father's love for his children. And then if you turn to one, Thessalonians one, Thessalonians, chapter two, verse seven.
[00:14:51] Here is Paul speaking again. But we, he's speaking now for Paul, Sylvanus and Timothy.
[00:14:58] But we were gentle in the midst of you, as when a nurse cherisheth her own children.
[00:15:08] Even so, being affectionately desirous of you, we were well pleased to impart unto you not the gospel of God, but also our own souls, because you have become very dear to us. Here is follow up work of the best and most spiritual nature, although some people would not think it to be so spiritual. You see, here Paul is saying, we are affectionately desirous of you, and he uses a word that implies that the soul's in it as well. It's not merely that in a spiritual way, we are consumed, confirmed for you, but that we have not only given you the gospel, preached the gospel by the spirit of God, but we've given our souls to you because you've become very dear to us.
[00:15:57] The whole atmosphere is of love and of care for those dear brothers and sisters at Thessalonica. So this is the kind of follow up we need. We have a duty to those that we point to the Lord. And I have only to remind you what our dear brother Bakh Singh said to us. That the whole work in India began really essentially when Bak Singh realized that he was wrong in his first basis of work. His first basis of work was as an evangelist. He went everywhere in evangelistic campaigns, and his attitude was that of the modern evangelist. When we have preached the gospel, thats our job done. We leave it to the others. But then he suddenly realized that he had a responsibility, and the others with him had a responsibility for those. They were pointing to Christ because they saw that they werent going on as they ought to.
[00:16:58] And so began that whole work from this loving care and concern for those who were being pointed to Christ.
[00:17:07] Some, of course, who we point to, Christ will need only a little care. Oh, it's a wonderful thing when someone is so strongly born of God that before long you have to take your hands off altogether and lead them to it. They are, they go on straight from the beginning with the Lord and they grow up. They will go through their difficulties and troubles, but there's a sense in which once they're really born and on the way, they're all right. There are others that will need a little more care than that. They will have to be watched over and prayed about and cared for. And then, I'm afraid there are those who need much and long and patient and thoughtful aftercare, sometimes running into years and years. And these are the most difficult cases of all, because sometimes you mustn't even let them know that you're caring for them. You've just got to watch them all the time, see the mood, see what's happening and so on. And behind the scenes there has to be the prayer and the concern for such people. There are all different kinds of people, and you cannot make any hard and fast rules, such as follow up should only last for a month or, or six weeks at the most. After that, leave them. If they're not standing on their own feet, that's too bad. They'll have to learn. Throw them in at the deep end. You can't do that.
[00:18:39] Some can be left almost immediately and will soon be taking responsibility. Others need much more care. And there are some, I'm afraid, who seem to become spiritual invalids and they have to be more or less cared for for many, many years. And this is not mid 20th century. I'm not going to embark on it tonight, but I could take you through a tour of New Testament churches and show you that this was exactly the condition of the New Testament church. Everywhere you go you find these different conditions. Some are dwarfed spiritually, some are in error, some have just not grown as they ought to. Others are going right on, straight on with the Lord. And so we have these different kinds of cases as far as possible when we have pointed a soul to Christ in the immediate follow up work stress, what I call the five basic essentials of going on with Christ.
[00:19:48] Now, those of you that I've pointed to Christ, you will know these essentials, because on the whole, I think most of you, I've given them to. Now, it's no good loading a person who's just come to the Lord. And you've spent a while with them, and you've explained to them these other things, and you've had a little time of prayer, and they've prayed out loud, and you're quite sure they've found the Lord. You've made sure afterwards that they really know what they've done and that they're clear. Now, you've got just a few minutes. Now, these few moments are the most important in one sense of all, for you are launching someone, in one sense, upon a new life.
[00:20:26] Now, you cannot give them a Bible study.
[00:20:30] To do so, I think, would entirely unsettle them. In some unique cases. You may be able to do it, but generally speaking, you cannot do it, but there are five essentials. You may not be able to give them all the essentials, but there are five essentials. And I personally would memorize one scripture in your mind for each of these essentials so that you could write it. Supposing you had that little booklet with the witness of God or the way of salvation or something else beginning with Christ, you could just turn over and on the back, you could put this word down and the scripture verse so they can look it up and so on. The first, I would say, is witness.
[00:21:15] This is most important. Lindsey Glegg has never, ever pointed someone to Christ without telling them that they must go and tell someone straight away. Sometimes it's only their minister, someone. It's only the person who led the meeting. Sometimes it's their father or mother or husband or wife. But he always says, the first thing he ever says is, now you've got to go and tell someone because of God's word, where it says, you can believe in the heart. But it's when the mouth confesses Christ that we are saved.
[00:21:51] This is very important, and I think sometimes it is a weakness because we see someone who is a bit wobbly and we feel sorry for them, and we think, well, I know how hard it is to witness. I won't tell them. I won't tell them. After all, we must lead them to the Holy Spirit. But that means that that person gets off to a very weak start.
[00:22:11] You see, when a person confesses Christ, however shakily, however poorly that moment that person has taken, it's the first stage of their stability, of their establishment in Christ.
[00:22:27] The first point at which a person opens his mouth and says to someone, I've become a Christian.
[00:22:35] That moment they have started on the path of being established.
[00:22:41] So it is all important when the person has come to Christ to explain to them that they need to witness. Maybe it's only to go downstairs and tell someone else.
[00:22:52] But if we can only get them just to see the simple point. First of all, now, I would give this scripture that we read in romans ten. I would point this out to them. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth, Jesus as Lord and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. I would say, have you believed in your heart? And I'm sure they would say to me, yes. Then I would say, now you must confess with your mouth. You're going to find it hard. But don't worry, the Lord is with you. Now, there are many other scriptures at the peasant. I don't think I could do it. Well, then you think there are so many scriptures you may be able to point to. You can't have a Bible study otherwise you'll defeat the objective. But there are other scriptures. As the one where the Lord Jesus says, if thou shalt confess me before men, I will confess you before my father's face in heaven.
[00:23:47] Lovely. There are many others that you can probably think of straight away.
[00:23:53] And this is the verse essential. The second is Bible reading. And I would personally say, explain to them the necessity of reading the scripture. I always say to them, don't get me wrong, I don't mean that you're to read huge portions of scripture, but I think you should read something each day of God's word, because God's word is the bread of life. And God will feed you through his word, and he will speak to you through his word. Now you need the word of God. Now, the scripture I would turn to, but I think I possibly would read it in a modern version, is two Timothy, chapter three, verse 16 and 17.
[00:24:37] Every scripture inspired of God is profitable teaching for a truth, for correction, for instruction, which is in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work. Now I should say to them, you see, you are like an empty house and God wants to furnish you. You see, it's just like great rooms everywhere. A wonderful new house. But the furnishings aren't, the curtains aren't up, the tables aren't in, the carpets aren't down. It's not a home yet. Now God wants to furnish you completely throughout. He wants to make you complete.
[00:25:25] You've begun, but he wants to make you complete. Do you know how he'll do it? He'll do it through his word. But it means you've got to read his word, just a little bit of his word every day. Now, surely you know how to go on from there. I don't have to say anymore more to you how much they should, how they should read God's word and so on. But there's a scripture that I think the person who's just come to Christ should be able to understand. All scripture is inspired of God and profitable form that the man of God may be complete, furnished throughout unto every good work. I should say to them, your life can't be filled with good works until you know the word, the power of the word of God in your life. Then God through the word of God, God will give you the power and the strength. He will change your life, and so on and so on. Of course, you can see I'm all along on it. And then the third thing I would say is prayer. The third essential is prayer. And I would turn them to Matthew, chapter 26, verse 41.
[00:26:36] Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing that the flesh is weak. I have a reason for using this scripture with a newly saved person, because most people who have just been saved, they think, oh, I couldn't pray. I just couldn't pray. I'm just not used to. I mean, you don't expect me to spend hours in prayer, do you? No. I should say, watch and pray. Just be careful. Be careful. Just pray. Because the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, see? And there's one who's going to lead you into temptation. But if you will only pray each day, if you will only commit yourself to the Lord, if you only talk with him, well, then the Lord will keep you from temptation. There is a wonderful chapter, some verses in Matthew, chapter six, which I think you all know, which I personally would probably turn to, because I always find that when a persons come to Christ, one of their problems is prayer. They say straight away, well, how do I speak to God? This is pagan people. How do I speak to God? Well, I say to them, you use examples, the same language you're using to me, just talk. Only, I always say to them, prayer. What we call prayer is conversation with God. When you speak to me, it's conversation with me. But when you speak to God, it's prayer. That's all. As simple as that. And in Matthew, chapter six, there's a wonderfully comforting bit. When ye pray, verse five. When ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and the corners of the streets. They may be seen of men. Verily, I said, they have received their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, having shut thy door, pray to thy father who is in secret, and thy father who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee. And in praying, use not vain repetitions as the gentiles do, for they think they shall be heard, for they are much speaking. I always think that's a very comforting word for a newly born again person. They think they should be heard for their much speaking. You say to them, you see, it doesn't need a lot. Just you talk to the Lord. Get into the habit of talking with the Lord. So here we have three essentials. Witness, Bible reading, prayer. Now, the fourth is vital. It's obedience.
[00:29:06] Obedience in all those that I've really seen go right on. This little word that I've said to them has always sunk in. I have always said, now, one thing that is more important than all the rest.
[00:29:23] Whatever the Lord Jesus says to you, do it.
[00:29:33] I think this is the most important thing of all to impress on a young believer. Whatever the Lord Jesus says to you, do it.
[00:29:45] Learn from the outset to be obedient. I am not the least bit bothered about makeup. I know some people are. I am not the least bit bothered about make up or smoking or drinking or films or theatres or even horse racing or any of those things. I know that there a lot about it in the word and so on. But I would never dream of saying to a person when they've come to the Lord. Now, of course, you do realize that you cannot drink anymore. Or you do realize, don't you, that the smoking will have to go. I mean, maybe not now, but I'm afraid to tell you, I've got to be straight with you, that in six months time you will have to have given up smoking. You see, I mean, this kind of approach, people, some people have got and believe in it because they believe it's honest and faithful. All strength to their arm. That's all I can say. But I can't indulge in that. I believe it's putting non essentials first and getting bogged down in details and losing sight of principle. The point is, get it indelibly written in a person's mind and heart that they must obey the law.
[00:31:00] And you needn't say a single thing about all those other non essentials. When the time comes, the Lord will say everything. Sometimes he doesn't say it as quickly as some christians would like it to be said, and I'm afraid they hurry up the process with their conversation and remarks and testimonies and all the rest of it. That's rather sad. But I believe the Lord has his time and his way and we all have to say this honestly before God. And I could give you many stories to back up what I say. What is what God allows one person, he does not allow another person, and no one can be a judge of one another in these matters. Yet we must stress this simple point of obedience.
[00:31:48] It's far more important for the Lord to get a heart that listens for his voice in their prayer and in their reading of God's word. And does it then to suddenly become, create a spiritual vacuum, giving up this, that and the other because you say so or because the others don't do it? Far more important to get them at the beginning to listen to the Lord and obey him. Now, what are the scriptures? Well, I think I would. I think you'd have to turn to two probably in this connection. Romans 14, I think of straight away, romans 14 nine.
[00:32:25] This is the positive side of it, the Lord's side of it. To this end, Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Then he goes on, of course, thou, why dost thou judge thy brother? That's by the way, perhaps that's not thou study now. But it does say he is the Lord of both the dead and the living. Now this is the thing to stress straight away, if we can only get a person when they're first saved, to accept the Lordship of Christ unconditionally. It is one of the major battles of the christian life settled at the start.
[00:33:04] There's a tremendous thing when a person starts off making Christ Lord. Well, I would say, here we are. He is Lord. He has risen and he is Lord. Now. Make him Lord. And then I think I would turn to one Samuel 15 and verse 22 hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord. I should say to them, if they brought up the question, what should I do about this or that or the other? I should say, now listen, your job is to obey the Lord. Let's not bother about these things. Your job is to obey the Lord. And then I should read this scripture and go on. Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. And to hearken than the fat of crimes. This is the thing the Lord wants obedience. Now, once that young believer just born, once that person learns at the beginning this lesson of obedience, you can be absolutely certain that'll go on.
[00:34:09] Now someone says, well, don't you think it's rather much to have two verses? Well, you could give them one verse. It may need a bit of explanation, but you could give them one. Of course. I hope you'll find other verses different to these, possibly when you deal with people. But there is one in Hebrews, chapter five, verse nine.
[00:34:30] I think this is a very, very wonderful one.
[00:34:34] And having been made perfect, the Lord Jesus became unto all them that obey him, the author of eternal salvation.
[00:34:46] Having been made perfect, the Lord Jesus became unto all them that obey him, the author of eternal Salvation. I would say, you see, obedience is inherent in your salvation.
[00:35:01] Obedience is inherent in your salvation. He will become the source, that's the word, or author of salvation as you obey him.
[00:35:13] That's important. And then the last and fifth essential, I would point out to them as important as the rest. I don't know which is more important than the other. They're all as important. That's why we call them all essentials. Fellowship.
[00:35:28] And I think I would turn to Hebrews ten, verse 25, and I would say, well, look, it says here, not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another. And so much the more as we see that day approaching. I would explain the vital need for a young believer to gather with the family of God. I should explain to him or her that he won't understand everything, and at the beginning he might find it a little difficult, but to persevere. His place is at the family and in the family, and gradually, as he comes in with the family, the Lord will take care of him, keep him and cause him to grow. There's another verse in acts 242. Of course, they continued in the apostles doctrine and fellowship and so on and so on. You could quote that if you want to. And there are many others about. I know one brother who always, but you must have a gift for simplicity here, who always turns a Christian to one. Corinthians, Chapter twelve, just after they're saved and shows them that we are like a body, we christians, and we're all one or part one of another. And now this one's been born into that as a member, the body, and they must have fellowship and they must grow in the body and so on. Well, of course, if you could be simple and don't sound like a theological tome being opened, as it were. That's wonderful, because if such a thing can dawn on a person at the beginning, it's a tremendous thing. Now, those are the five essentials that I think a young believer must have either immediately or certainly very soon. Another thing I would do immediately is make sure that they have a Bible or a portion of the Bible. Now, may I say a word of caution here. Don't give full bibles away ad lib.
[00:37:27] It is foolish when you know a person is really an artist.
[00:37:34] There may be a point in letting them have a full bible. Certainly let them have a gospel portion or a portion of God's word. But do make sure that the person goes with a Bible. Now, many people will say to you, oh, I have got a Bible somewhere, I don't know where it is. Either their mother's bible or a bible for me when they were young, people have got it with them somewhere. Others nowadays, a surprising number of people have no bible at all. We must give them some portion of God's word. Always make sure that they have got a Bible at home or a portion of the scriptures. That's important.
[00:38:15] Always get their name and address.
[00:38:19] Never let someone slip through your hands without getting their name and address. If they have come this far, that they've come to talk with you and pray with you, and you've had this time of fellowship, I'm quite sure they won't present you asking what their name is. You should have asked them long before. I should have thought, unless you're very, very English, you should have asked them at the beginning what their name is. And I would have thought you could, at the end, have got their address. This is just basic practicalities. You never let a person go through your hands without their name and address, not only for prayer, but for follow up. Once the person's gone, they've gone. And at that frame of mind, they may really want to give you they had addresses. They won't resent it, not if they've come all this way. Of course, if you've just cornered someone in the corner of a room and sort of given them the whole gospel from beginning to end, and they're escaping like a bird out of the snare of the fowler to be away into freedom, they won't want to leave their address with you, I am quite sure.
[00:39:22] But when a person is of their own volition, come forward and once to find the Lord, I'm sure they will give you their address. This is important because you can be sure that the enemy will be after that person. And often, you know, you can't explain everything in half an hour or so. When they have gone, the enemy's after them. And sometimes just that dropping in to see them, just that contact in them in the next days, means everything in the world to that young person. Try to get their name and address and any other details. It's often very helpful to know what they're doing, what kind of job they've got, because sometimes we can link them up with someone in the company who's got the same background or same job or something. Of course, when you find out other details, don't let it sound too inquisitive.
[00:40:14] That can be a little bit too much if you sort of pump them for every kind of detail. Just find out the basic facts.
[00:40:23] See those responsible for the follow up work. This is another important point. If you've led someone to Christ, do see those responsible for the follow up work. See that Derek and Ken had their names and addresses and the details that you know about them and what you've done. Do everything in fellowship. It's a foolish thing when you've got three people doing the same work. It's good to have three people necessarily looking after a person. But it's silly when all three send the same book or all three happen to visit at the same time. There might as well be a little bit of fellowship about it. It's not that everyone wants to clamp down on one another or dictate to one another, but these brothers are here just to oversee that very kind of thing, to watch over it and care for it. So do everything in fellowship. Tell them, for example, that you may be writing or that you may be visiting, or that you thought of someone. Supposing they live in Birmingham. You know someone in Birmingham they could be put in touch with. Do it in fellowship with those who are responsible for watching over this side of the work. Again, I would say this in the more long term follow up work we've talked about, the immediate now, the long term follow up work. Visit or write to those whom you have pointed to Christ. It is often the quiet, patient, loving follow up that the Lord uses in establishing them.
[00:41:58] And this is so true. How many of us? When you look back, think back. Just think back. Think back to the day when you were saved and just try to think what were the things that helped you? Was there some believer in your life who took a real interest in you and helped you in one way or another? I wonder how much you owe to that person's interest and care and love. Sometimes you may have felt a bit bad about them. Sometimes you got angry with them because you felt they were smothering you or trying to direct you or boss you about. But in the end, now you look back, you realize that you owe a lot to that dear Christian or Christians in the way that they watched over you. This is, I am quite sure, important.
[00:42:45] Sometimes some form of Bible study outline is helpful. People often ask me about scripture union notes. I personally am very careful about scripture union notes, although I know other people use them much. I have yet to find people who have not, in the end, been stunted spiritually by the notes for the simple fact that people read the notes and don't read the Bible.
[00:43:13] How many people I know who go through, rush through their scripture union notes and never read the portion? Or if they do, they read it so fast, it's the notes they sort of go through. This is not good. We've got to get people to feed directly on the word of God. We don't want forever to have them on Benj's baby food spiritually.
[00:43:33] It's sort of gone through a secondhand process and is now being given to them, if you know what I mean. We want to get them straight to the real milk and meat of God's word. We must teach them as soon as they're able to use their teeth.
[00:43:50] You must use your teeth spiritually. You must use your teeth in other ways, too. That's why many of us in the west have got bad teeth. You must use your teeth.
[00:44:00] If you use them, they're strong and healthy.
[00:44:04] And youngsters in the Lord must not be given weak, fluid foods forever and ever. They must be taught soon to dig for themselves and really, as it were, get God's word and feed on it. But an outline, some form of Bible study outline is good. Now, the SGM do two or three very helpful little booklets. We've got some of them upstairs. I did mean to bring them down and show you. One is entitled Everyday Life. Another one's called Christian Stewardship. Another one is called Christian Fellowship. These three books alone are books just of scriptures. And then under the actual scriptures, they give a whole lot of other scriptures all over the place, which you're to look up on this particular subject. I think they're most helpful because not at the very beginning, but when a person's beginning to take the first few steps, they learn to search through the scriptures. There's something fresh and real about them anyway, there we are. There are other kinds of Bible study outlines. Now, Derek and Ken have got a number of those. So if there are those, you know, who could benefit by them, I'm sure they'd be able to help you if you talk with them. Sometimes a book can help my. Can you think back into your experience when some dear believer sent you a book? I don't mean one of those sendings of books which are obviously in horror, horribly sort of thought out, you know, sort of thing.
[00:45:42] You've sort of got some secret failing and someone's obviously seen it and sends you a book that screams at you. And the result is that you have a very, very, very bad time indeed about it because the book has been sent to you and you just feel that whatever, everyone's seen it and looked at it. No, I don't mean that at all. But what I do means. Can you think back to books that really have been helpful? And there are many books that are helpful. I know many people who've been helped by this little paperback just at present going around called the cross and the Switchblade. When someone, for instance, from a background that is awful, has really been saved, that little book may help them inestimably. And then again, I think of another little book that's helped many people who move the stone about the Lord's resurrection. It's only a small book, but it can help many people. See, these are small books. They're well written books. And it's no good sending Hudson Taylor's life in two volumes to a young believer.
[00:46:45] I know, I'm not just being funny. I know believers who've done it.
[00:46:52] There's no more wonderful biography in the whole of Christmas Christendom than the two volume, not the single new volume, but the two volume, old fashioned two volume of Hudson Taylor's life. But it's no good sending it to a young believer. They just couldn't stomach it. They couldn't eat it. It's too.
[00:47:09] They couldn't digest it. It's too much. But do remember there is a little book, for instance, the man who believed God.
[00:47:16] It's a shortened version of Hudson Taylor's life. No, wonderful help. Again, I think of CT studd's life story. How much that could help someone who's young in the Lord. Oh, I tell you another one that helped many, many people. Many people, Isabel Coombs, by searching what a value that could be to someone who's just found the law. If you were to just say, look, I think this might be a little help be careful the way you do it. Don't appear to be superior, don't appear to be smothering or condescending. But, you know, just one of these little genuine evidences of love and care can help a person no end. And even if they don't read it straight away, it may just be that it will be used of God. Avoid smothering new believers. Now, I know this may sound rather silly, but in fact, I am amazed how. How most people, when they're first saved, cling to those who've led them to Christ.
[00:48:18] But you can always be sure that after three or four months, they fall out with the people who've led them to Christ. This is the normal procedure. It's the same with children as they grow up. You know, go through an adolescent stage where mother and father are just old fashioned and narrow and they can't tell you anything at all. All they want to do is possess you and direct to you and dictate to you and all this kind of. You get this kind of feeling and I've amazed in this company, I think, many of you who've come to me with problems about those who've led you to Christ, and you've said to me, oh, dear, you know, I feel as if they're trammelling me and so on, getting hold of me and telling me what to do. And it's not really true.
[00:48:57] The point is, you're beginning to find your own feet. That's what it is. And therefore, you see, as you begin to find your own feet, you resent more the sort of things that people say to you. You know, it can happen in so many ways. And we often bring the trouble upon ourselves because we go to these people that we love and admire respecting the Lord, and we say to them, what do you think I should do about so and so? And of course, they say, well, I think you should do so and so and so and so. And of course, they can't understand why we get so angry about it. We've asked and we've been told.
[00:49:34] But you see, it is the thought sometimes that those of us who are caring for the young ones, we must be spiritually sensitive and recognize when the time has come, as it were, to tip the birds out of the nest, let them find their own wings and fly. You see, we've got to do it. It has to be done in every sphere of life. There has to come a time when the new ones, the fledglings, have got to just be tipped out and we still got to watch them but we've got to watch them in a way that they don't think they're being watched. Do you understand what I mean? They've just got to not know that they're being cared for and watched and prayed for and so on. They've really got to think they're going to do it. If you have a wise and loving and unpossessive way and approach, you will find that those that you pointed Christ will come back to you again and again and again. It's the same, isn't it? In every home, possessive mums nearly always drive their children to the ends of the earth.
[00:50:33] They do. Nearly always. Those mothers who absolutely possess and dictate and domineer in every way. But those that learn how to help their children, the children nearly always go back to them, don't they? Again and again and again and again, right through life. So it is spiritually as well. Well, now there are all those things. Now let's move on and say a little bit about the problems connected with those involved in heresy's nominal Christianity and other religions.
[00:51:06] It's very important in this connection to establish whether a person wants merely to debate and argue seriously. Discuss order is at the point where he wants to find Christ.
[00:51:21] We must not always think that discussion is fruitless and empty.
[00:51:28] We must say that some Christians tend to feel as soon as non Christians start to discuss, there's no point in it anymore. And this can in fact put off the unsaved person. They feel that we haven't got a mind of our own. We are unable really to talk it over sensibly. But we must make a distinction between those who want to argue and debate, and there are those who want to argue and debate, those, in fact, who want to convert us.
[00:51:59] I know there are people who fling open wide their doors to Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses and Christadelphians, so on. I mean, missionaries, Mormon missionaries and so on. But of course, we have got to remember that these people are out to convert you.
[00:52:17] You may seek to say, to bring them to the Lord, but debate an argument simply for debate and argument's sake is fruitless and needs to be avoided. Scripture says quite clearly to turn away from all that wrangle and vain babbling, but serious discussion. When a person really is convicted or arrested and they want to know more, but they're not sure and they have a mind of their own, and they would say to well, I don't think so. And so this must not just be ignored and sort of pushed aside.
[00:52:56] And then, of course, there are the others, those who at the point where they really want to define the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, I think it is very important to know whether the people concerned are practicing adherents of whatever group they belong to, or whether they are nominal. Now, this is very important. For instance, the way to deal with a practicing Roman Catholic is quite different to the way you would deal with a nominal Roman Catholic.
[00:53:26] A practicing Muslim is quite different to a nominal Muslim, and it's the same as Christians. I mean, those really are Christians, and those are nominal. I mean, it's a vast difference between the two. So we must find out whether they are practicing adherence to their particular sect or religion, of their particular sect or religion, or just nominal. All these points affect our approach. Remember that many good and sincere people are found in these groups, even in the heresies, and there are not a few earnest seekers of truth. I have a feeling sometimes, though, and I've seen some Christians, that they feel that if a person is a Jehovah's Witness, he must be empty headed and evil.
[00:54:18] This is quite wrong. Whatever we may feel about rasalism, or whatever we may feel about Mormonism, or whatever we may feel about Islam, there are, in some cases, not only good and sincere people in it, but there are some whose very quest for truth has taken them into it. So sick of the rest that they found in nominal Christianity and Christendom, that they have turned the way into these other things. Now, you see, we have a people are often intuitively able to sense our feeling. And when we are approaching them as if they are evil and empty headed, they intuitively know it.
[00:55:02] This is a very important point.
[00:55:05] No one will be helped by a superior and pompous attitude. And there's no doubt about it that some evangelicals in particular, as soon as a person's even slightly connected with any one of the heretical sects, do seem to take an immediately superior and rather pompous attitude. Oh well, Sheffield, well be careful of that. Do not talk about these groups if you are totally ignorant of them.
[00:55:34] It is best to admit ones ignorance and to testify to the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ and God's word in your life.
[00:55:45] Much better. It is much more effective to say to a Jehovah's was. I'm afraid I don't know anything about what you believe, but I know the Lord Jesus Christ. I've had an experience of him. He saved me. And I've discovered that this book is the word of God. God.
[00:56:04] This has much greater effect upon these people than being afraid to admit that you don't know and pretending somehow or other, well, I'm a Christian. I mean, I know we, we. We've got the truth and this must be false. And anything that the Jehovah's Witness said, you say, oh, that's false. You see, this is a foolish way of approaching it. It's much better just simply to say, if you don't know anything about it, say so. If it's a Muslim and you don't think about Islam, say, I'm afraid I don't know anything about Islam, but I do know the Lord Jesus or something as positive in this way. You may know nothing about Buddhism, say, so. Don't pretend that as a Christian you know everything about it or a lot about it, and Christianity is far superior. This is silly. You'll only get into a wrangle into an argument. It's much better to say, well, I don't know much about you, but I have experienced the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you? You're able to. He's alive. He's able to say, I think much damage has been done by zealous christians talking heatedly and in an ill informed way about these things. I've heard so often people getting quite heated with these various sects, especially those in the six, and talking about them in quite an ill informed way. If the person is knowledgeable at all, they know that this Christian is just talking out of the back of his head, as we say.
[00:57:37] So this is rather important. Again, seek to be intelligently informed about these things. Read the literature, for instance, in the library. There's a lot of literature in the library about the various groups, quite an amount of it. I have not only put the literature written by christians about these groups, but I've put most of the stuff written by the groups about themselves or tried to. Some people felt it was very unwise and dangerous to put it there, but I don't think there's anything to be feared.
[00:58:10] It's error. And I think that if you know the Lord Jesus Christ, the anointing that is within you will teach you what is Antichrist and what isn't. These things are there. But do try not only to read what has been written on them, but try to read at least a little. If you've got some friend or someone else you're bothered about in one of these that they've written themselves. I think that, again, is rather important.
[00:58:36] If there is anyone who does know about these things, introduce themselves. For instance, supposing there's someone who's lived in, shall we say, Japan and knows a lot about shintoism. Well, and here is a person who's a practicing shintoist, but he is really seeking, well, introduce them. It's the obvious thing to do. Or if there's someone over here who was a christian scientist before he was saved, well, and here's someone who's a christian scientist and is seeking, well, introduce them. You see it as long as you know that person is really going on with the Lord and capable of helping them. These points, I think, are important.
[00:59:17] Above all, do remember, it is God's word, which the Holy Spirit uses, not mere talk or discussion. You can talk and talk and talk and discuss and discuss and discuss, and you won't get anywhere. It is the entrance of God's word, the unfolding of God's word that gives light. And it's by the word of God that faith comes, you see? So I am sure that we must remember, as we did when counseling others, use the word of God all the time. Use the word of God.
[00:59:49] Let us look at some of these groups just a little more before we finish. First, just, of course, there's no study. I'm just touching on them, the heresies in this, we include all these groups. Listen very quickly. Unitarianism, Christian Science, Russellism, that's Jehovah's Witnesses, unity school of Christianity, Christendom spiritism, Mormonism, and of course, there are a few others which I do not think can be called heresies, because they are not departures from the faith, theosophy, and a number of other isms which really should come, their forms of Buddhism, Hinduism, and so on. But the actual heresies are these things, unitarianism, christian science, rationalism, Jehovah's Witnesses, unity school of Christianity, Christendom spiritism, that is christian spiritualism, so called, and Mormonism.
[01:00:46] Now, when you deal with any with this background, and some others as well, keep faithfully to God's word.
[01:00:55] Do not quote God's word, but read it with them. Now, I am not talking about people who are just here to inquire or discuss. I'm talking about those who really are deeply convicted and interested. Read God's word with them. Don't just say God's word says, turn it up, Romans 323, and. And say, would you like to read that there?
[01:01:20] Get them to read it. The entrance of God's word gives light. Of course, just reading it won't do it, but you're giving the Holy Spirit an opportunity of getting that word into that person's heart. And light. Where there's darkness and error, there are evil spirits at work. It's the word of God that will drive them out. So do remember this again. Get them to read it. One of the problems in is the fact that they use scriptural words and phrases with non scriptural meanings.
[01:01:51] For example, Christ in you. Christ in you is used by a number of these heresies to mean inward, the realization of one's true self.
[01:02:04] Now, they were quite happy to use Christ in you because they had this connotation. They have this explanation. So if you speak of Christ in you, they immediately think of you speaking of the realization of your true self.
[01:02:17] Conversion is, of course, joining these things in their parlance. Often salvation, for instance, in some of them is a lifting up onto a new, what they call a new moral play. It's not what you and I know at all, but they use these scriptures. The Holy Spirit, particularly, is called divine immanence. Divine fluid is what christian scientists sometimes call the Holy Spirit. Divine fluid misses Baker Eddie Baker whatever to Baker Eddy what she called it, divine fluid. And there are other ways that are described. In other words, these scriptural words and terms are used with a non scriptural meaning. This is very important.
[01:03:12] Sometimes their literature is quite apparently, blatantly erroneous. Any Christian could see when he or she reads it that it is in error, but often on face value.
[01:03:26] It would take anyone in.
[01:03:28] If I were to give you some of the things I've been reading today, for instance, I think you'd be quite easily taken in because at face value, it uses all scriptural terms and so on, and seems to be all right. But it's what is meant by the terms they use. Keep, then, to the three basic points when you're dealing with them, these are the three basic points. The need of the savior, the work of the savior, and how to receive the savior. Keep to those points. You won't go far wrong with them if you do. I'll tell you why. With all these hereses, these heretical sects, sin is the one thing they can't bear.
[01:04:13] They go round this way, they go round that way. They go under it, or they go over it, but they. They have no time or place for sin. Sin is in the imagination. Sin can be ruled out by right thinking. All kinds of ideas they've got of getting rid of this doctrine of sin. Never let them bypass this point. My I've always discovered if a person's in real need with a heretical type of background, one of these backgrounds. Keep to this matter of sin.
[01:04:47] And in the end they crack up. I mean, when you think of it, when they say sin is in the imagination, what a wonderful statement that really is. And then when you've only got to take history and ask them how they can explain history, and they say, well, of course it's in the imagination. But then we say, what about the millions of people who've died? Was that all imagination?
[01:05:09] And so on and so on. You can pin them down. Generally speaking, if you take God's word and ask a few to the acid questions, you will find the whole facade will begin to crumble.
[01:05:21] It's God's word that does it. So never start on any other level than the need of the savior, which is our sinfulness.
[01:05:29] This is the thing that all these heretical sects cannot bear. And because they bypass sin, they have no taste for the work of the saints.
[01:05:39] There is no place for the atoning work of Christ. Oh, yes, it is explained in certain ones of it in certain terms, but it's so compromised, it's no longer the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Well, you've got it there. May I say one other thing in dealing with these sects, remember, don't use the term conversion.
[01:06:00] Don't use the term receiving God, don't use the term seeing the light.
[01:06:07] These are all terms which are used much in these circles. And they have another meaning, even salvation. Use the term new birth.
[01:06:19] They can't get out of it.
[01:06:21] Theosophy, of course, will. Like the lady who said when asked, here in this company, have you been born again? Oh, yes, she said again and again.
[01:06:32] She meant reincarnation. She was a theosophist. She believed that she'd been born again and again and again, you see? But generally speaking, all these sects do not believe in new birth. They have no place for it at all. Yes, they've got the word. They use the word conversion, salvation, receiving God on song, but never new birth. Pin them down to whether they're born again. Do you remember Jack Fowler's nephew? He was Jehovah's Witnessing, a practicing one. This was the point we pinned him down on, have you been born again? And in the end, he argued and argued and argued. But in the end he had to say is that there's no place for it in Jehovah's witness circles. I've never heard it mentioned. Of course, I said, you've never heard it mentioned because the Holy Spirit is never mentioned either. It's worthy. And because you must be born of the spirit of God, you see? Pin them down to these things. Sin, no place for that. The work of the savior and new birth. How to deceive the savior, new birth.
[01:07:31] There's a lot more, we might say another time when we talk about these things, perhaps in more detail. But this matter of sin is a fatal weakness in the armor of all the heretics. And if you hold on to that, and there's logic, christian logic in it, because if you get them there, they must logically take the next step to the work of the saviour, and from there the next step to the need to be born again. So start there first. Now, a little word about nominal Christians. Not the whole lot, but Roman Catholics, Anglo Catholics and the orthodox, Greek, Russian, Bulgarian, Armenian and all the others.
[01:08:13] Just a little word about what we call nominal Christians with all other nominal Christians should be dealt with, as we have already said last week. But I would like to say a few simple words about Roman Catholics. One very good thing about all the Roman Catholics, Anglo Catholics, all the Catholics of all varieties, and the orthodox churches, you never have to talk about sin.
[01:08:42] Wonderful point. If they've been to Roman catholic school and brought up roman catholic church by nuns or monks, they have had it ingrained into them from the beginning. Sin. Sin is the terror of the Roman Catholic, and in fact it is. Their teaching on sin is the means by which they bind. Every Roman Catholic to the priest must get absolution for sin, and therefore they are bound to mother church by this sin. Therefore you don't have to spend any time. So glorious thing, when I'm in Austria, we never have to mention sin. It's the only place I never preach about sin. You'll all be so happy, some of you. I never had to preach about it there at all. All I had to talk about straight away. And this is the point with Roman Catholics that are in real need. Speak about the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ. Stress it, emphasize it, show them the word of God. Let them see the glory of the work of Christ. They know they're sin. Let them see that a savior has died for them. They already believed he's died for them, but they've never seen the glory and the fullness of his atoning death and stressed the mediation of Christ, the unique mediation of Christ. When I was not this last time in Austria, but the time before, I was speaking on he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. And in the course of it, I was saying, it's on the son. He God the Son never says the son of God. To Roman Catholic, that's Luther. Or is God the Son? God the Son, as God the Son is the only mediator between God and the only one who is able to save us. And then I say, not the church, not the priesthood, not the Virgin Mary. You have to be very careful in Austria speaking that word. You may, but you. I saw one lady begin to cry and cry and cry. And afterwards she came out, could see she'd been saved.
[01:10:33] Now she's going right on with the Lord. Wonderful woman. Went back and saw her. Quite an aristocratic woman. She found, really found. And you know what had bound her, kept her back from coming to Lord. The mediation of the mother of God kept her back from the savior. That day the last link was broken and she came into a knowledge of Christ. As the only mediator, she knew her sin. Like all Roman Catholics, she longed for the salvation of God and was doing good works to somehow bring it near. But when she saw that the Lord Jesus was the only mediate, she was saved. Keep to God's answer then. Keep to the atonement of Christ. The unique mediation of Christ and their need of responsibility. That's very important. They're need of response because they've not been taught much about faith. Keep to that point of responding in faith. Often it is good to use a roman catholic version. I know some Protestants have a feeling about the Douay version, some other RC versions, but you know, on all essentials, generally speaking, it's all right. And you can use a Douay version or you can use a Monsignor Knox's version and you can lead a person to Christ from that Roman catholic version.
[01:11:46] Don't get into doctrinal wrangles with them. Don't attack mass, don't attack the priesthood, don't attack these, leave this to God. The thing to do is to get them to be obedient to God. And slowly the mists and fogs, smog of error will lift and they will see the clear shining of the sun.
[01:12:09] Then I'd just like to say a very brief word about Jews. Not that any of you have a lot to do with Jews. I suppose I have more to do with Jews than most of you. But I'd like just to say a little thing or two about Jews, because I do think it's important. And we may well see a great turning of the Jews to the Lord Jesus Christ in these days. One thing you need to know, your old Testament, prophetic prophecies, prophetic scriptures. Well, in dealing with Jews, do remember this, there's no good doing anything in the New Testament. Now if there's anyone in this room who doesn't think that you can lead a person to Christ from the Old Testament, you come and see me afterwards.
[01:12:46] I know some of our dear brothers and sisters from other parts who perhaps have been brought up not to use too much. The Old Testament may not quite understand that, but you know you can easily lead a person to Christ from the Old Testament. A jew of necessity, must be led to the Lord from the Old Testament, and he can be and gloriously and in fact, every jew that I know of who's been greatly used to God, from Edisham to David Baron, right down to Neumark, or Newmark as he's now called. All these great christian men now who were Jews, were all brought to Christ through the Old Testament. This is very, very important.
[01:13:28] Few thinking Jews can get Mount Isaiah, chapter 15 or psalm 22. They cannot get round it. Don't use the christian version. If you are have any contact with Jews, use the jewish Hebrew English version of the Old Testament put out by the British and Foreign Bible Society. A very good version. And the jew is brought up to respect the word of God in such a way that as soon as you open it and they see Hebrew, you've got them absolutely God. I know you've only got to open it and let them see the hebrew print. They're gone. They know they must not say a word. They're fighting to death. It's the word of God, the law. And from that moment you've got their hearing. Now they may not talk with you if they know what you're up to, but if I'm talking now about not those who are trying to win, but those who are really trying to find Christmas, now turn them to Isaiah 53 and explain it to them. Ask them, who is there? Who is it that's spoken of there? Is it, who can it be? Is it Israel? How can it be Israel? Point to parse, read it yourselves. Ask, can this be Israel as spoken of here? And then ask them, ask them. Then say, well, look, psalm 22. Tell me who's that there? Who's that? Could that be David? They'll have to say no if they think, and then, and only then, turn them to the New Testament and say, well, now look, look what the Lord Jesus said on the cross.
[01:14:59] Look what Paul says about the death of the Lord Jesus. See, this is the only way that a jew can be led to Christ. And I would never lead them from the New Testament. Christ I would turn them back to either psalm 32 or psalm 51, which are jewish scriptures they consider, and from those scriptures turn them to Christ.
[01:15:19] When blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven, whose transgression is covered, and so on and so on. Well, Jews. I've just mentioned that one other little point about Jews. Show them kindness and love. In every jew there is an inborn fear of Gentiles, and they equate all gentiles with christians because of the years and years of hatred and persecution. No Jew will ever think that a Christian will show him any love at all. So be very gentle with the Jew. Very loving and very kind. You will find they will respond very much to it. Now, we can't say very much more. What about the other religions? It's really an evening on its own. But I would just like to read this to you in closing, just this little bit from Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi was no Christian, but he's got something he can teach Christians. Listen to this. This, I think, is the best thing ever, piece of advice ever given anywhere to missionaries or servants of the Lord or soul winners in their dealing with other religions. Hinduism, Buddhism, Shinduism, Confucianism, the Sikhs, Muslims, so on. First, I would suggest that all of you, Christians, missionaries and all, must begin to live more like Jesus Christ. Second, practice your religion without adulterating it or toning it down. Third, emphasize love and make it your working force, for love is central in Christianity. Fourth, study the non christian religions more sympathetically to find the good that is within them, in order to have a more sympathetic approach to the people. Best bit of advice ever given to any missionary. I wish they'd taken it. Now, if you can take it, there are plenty of books upstairs and so on. There's a little book here. Of all the different religions, Buddhists, Hinduists, Confucianists and so on, the most difficult to win to Christ are Muslims. They are on their own.
[01:17:25] And that's why this book is an especial book written by a great authority on muslim work, how to lead Muslims to Christ. Now, there are Muslims amongst us. There have been quite a number of them at different times, and it really is important to know how to deal with them. If you're going to come into touch with Muslims, I do suggest that you read the life of Muhammad. It's upstairs in the library. I put it there. I have a copy. I put it there, and one or two other things. You won't find it so boring as you think. It's a most interesting thing. You won't agree with it, but I mean, well, not if you're a Christian.
[01:17:57] But I do suggest that you take an intelligent interest in these things. Too much has been said at various times about other religions as if the whole thing is satanic. Now I know we have really reached time. Just let me read these little things from my.
[01:18:16] It won't take a minute. These things which I noted down from my own studies. I think most of you know I had to study chinese and japanese religion and philosophy for some time, and these are just a few I've remembered. I read you listen, the master said, he who heard the truth in the morning might die content in the evening. What a lovely little scripture that would be from the confucian scriptures to back up what you said from the word of God to a person who may be just on the point of receiving Christ.
[01:18:50] You said to an educated Chinese, Confucius said, he who heard the truth in the morning might die content in the evening. He might well settle it as far as he's concerned. And there are many other things.
[01:19:05] There's nothing wrong. Nothing wrong. I'm a firm believer that we shall find Confucius in heaven.
[01:19:11] Quite firm believer.
[01:19:14] This is another one. The master said, this is good. You may rob a three corps army of its commander in chief, but you cannot rob even a common man of his will, a wonderful one for talking to a chinese congregational audience. And when finally you make the appeal and you say, let him that will cometh take the water of life freely, you can say, and Confucius said, you may rob a three corps army of its plows and cheap, but you can't rob a common man of his will. You've got to make up your mind.
[01:19:49] It was because of this unfortunate lack amongst missionaries who of course didn't know classical Chinese, therefore couldn't read the study. The analytical Confucius that so much damage was they just said it was all of Satan. And of course you can't say that again. The master said, the well bred are dignified but not pompous. The ill bred are pompous but not dignified. Isn't that true?
[01:20:10] And then again, here's another little one I just read to you. The wise.
[01:20:15] The wise man is intelligently, not blindly loyal. These are just a few things that from the analects are confused. I won't say all of it standard, but what I am saying is this. It's ridiculous to say that this book is of Satan.
[01:20:31] It's ridiculous. This book is the result of a man's quest after God. And in Romans chapter one, it says, we are able to understand the things that are the godhead by the things which are seen. And this, my favorite little book of all, I think I've often quoted it to you. The Tao Te Ching, the way of virtue, written by Lao Tzu, even before Confucius, the oldest of all the chinese scriptures. And you listen just to this. A violent wind cannot last a whole morning. Pelting rain cannot last a whole day. I think he's wrong on that. The last few days. Who hath made these things but heaven and earth? Inasmuch as heaven and earth cannot last forever, how can man? He who engages himself in the way is identified with the way.
[01:21:17] He who engages himself in virtue is identified with virtue. He who engages himself in abandonment is identified with abandonment.
[01:21:27] You see, you may not quite understand that, but there's a lot of truth in it, if you think about it. Be humble and you will remain entire. Isn't that marvellous? Be bent and you will remain straight. Be vacant or empty is our christian way of putting it. And you will remain full.
[01:21:47] Be warm and you will remain new.
[01:21:52] He who has little will receive. He who has much will be embarrassed.
[01:21:58] Rather like the words of the Lord Jesus, in one way, isn't it? You see? And then this, of course, was a contemporary of Abraham. He who knows others is wise.
[01:22:09] He who knows himself is enlightened.
[01:22:13] He who conquers others is strong.
[01:22:16] He who conquers himself is mighty.
[01:22:21] That's wonderful. Again, you see, I'm just reading you these because I want you to realize that you can't just say that it's all satanic.
[01:22:31] Not knowing this is a little bit of a concern, London. Not knowing that one knows is best.
[01:22:39] Thinking that one knows when one does not know is sickness.
[01:22:46] Only when one becomes sick of this sickness can one be free from sickness.
[01:22:55] The sage is never sick because he is sick of this sickness, therefore he is not sick.
[01:23:03] Well, now, I think we must end. But I think with all religions, remember, whether Hindus, whether Shintoists, whether confucianists, whether Buddhists, bring them back to sin, the need of a saviour and bring them to the work of the savior.
[01:23:26] Because there is one thing above and beyond all the rest, we can say there is much truth in the scriptures of these dear people, but the one thing they have not got is a saviour, and they know it.
[01:23:44] And when there is a loving approach and a sympathetic approach, an approach which can distinguish evil from good, not just swallow it all, say all wonderful, or say it's all evil. You will discover that many of these people will be prepared to sit down and listen to you. And in fact you'll be able to point them to the savior. It was Len Moles who used to use the buddhist scriptures in Tibet now and again because of some of the things they said about the end of the world. And he used to say, surely the end is near. And you know, do you know that the Muslims say that before the end that Jesus Christ will come back?
[01:24:22] And that all Muslims believe before the end of the age Jesus Christ. And the Buddhists believe that before the end of the age God will appear in the flesh Jesus Christ.
[01:24:39] So you see, there's something remarkable in all this. And whilst we must be very careful yet we must seek to bring it all and bring this in to the orbit of our pointing of soul to the Lord Jesus. Now we've gone over our time, so shall we turn to the Lord now? Lord Jesus, we do pray together that thou wouldst help us in all our follow up work that we may, Lord Jesus have loving and concerned and genuinely interested heart for all those who find thee. And we do pray Lord for all this problem of those mixed up with other things. Give us the right approach. Lord, we do pray help us in every way for we ask it in thy name. Bless this time, Lord. Write the lessons upon our hearts. We do pray for thy great name's sake. Amen.
