<TITLE>04. Par 13-15</TITLE>L-13 Now, the men here in the city wants to become religious. The first thing he will hunt for is one of the biggest churches he can find in the city, with all the crucifix hanging all around, and the great stained windows, and the plush pews, and everything; that's where he thinks he finds God, because it's big. And--and maybe he may be a dignitary, and maybe the celebrity does go there, but that don't mean that God's there. Usually God's choice is a little old mission down here on the corner somewhere where they're beating a tambourine, clapping their hands. Sometimes that's where God's at. That's right.
See, but the human side, the humanistic spirit, they look for that big bright shining something, and jump at everything they see shining. But all that glitters is not gold. You can remember that. And then...

L-14 They... That's what's happened to the world today; they have turned down the real simple Gospel of Jesus Christ and went out for something great scholarly, educated, smart, shrewd, that studied psychology and got the bachelors degree and all other things, you know.
And the great, fine, millions of dollars in churches... I want to ask you something. Why you building churches with millions of dollars and preaching Jesus Christ is coming soon? I don't get that, do you? I can't see it. If Jesus is coming soon, what do we care about it? Let's--let's go get people saved; that's the main thing. Jesus never did say, "Build big churches." No, He never. He never did say have seminaries. I ain't got nothing against churches, big churches; they're all right. I haven't got nothing against seminaries; they're all right. But Jesus never commissioned us to do that. He never said build big churches or have seminaries. He never said build hospitals or schools; but they're all right. Remember, I have nothing against them.

L-15 But the very principle that He said for us to do, we've let down and took secondarily. We have built great hospitals and schools and great places and--and seminaries, and educated our preachers to make them so they can speak with very fine swell words and use the psychology and stand stiff and say "Amen" just as polite as it can be, and all of that. And what has it got us? A big bunch of backslidden people (That's right. That's right.) nothing but a bunch of cold, formal indifferent churches as cold as zero weather, spiritually speaking. I don't say that for jokes 'cause this is no place to joke. But I say that for the truth. That is the truth.
And how it's got us into the place, how we want the big things though. My, yes, we--we want a... Some man's got a business and he wants to get with the businessmen that... He will go to the biggest church there is in the city and take his seat back there, put his name on the book, and many times just exactly like Israel did when they chose Saul (See?), head and shoulders above everything else you know. And that's the way you get into trouble.


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