<TITLE>04. Par 14-19</TITLE>L-14 Here sometime ago, an outstanding minister, wrote me a letter, and a less than a half a page, and I counted twenty-two "I's" in it. "I, I, I. I have this. I have that. I have..." And after all, you haven't got nothing that God didn't give to you. So you ought to see where Jesus comes in.
I went to a city where they was going to have a meeting one time. And the pictures of the minister all over the city, "The man of the hour. God's man for this, the man with a feeling for the people." And I never seen Jesus' Name anywhere.
I thought, "Why, maybe Jesus isn't coming to the city. Maybe it's just the man." So that's about right.
But just, "I, I, I." This Pharisee had it, and it's--it's still loose.

L-15 So we notice that he walked up and down the--his floor and he would say, "Now, I have such influence in this city. And they all regard me as a holy man, because I pastor, you know, the biggest church in the city. And I--I'm sure that everybody regard me highly. I do my religions every day. And I--I think it's about time that I showed some--some of my religion, and I think I'll just have a--a dinner. And I'll bring over Doctor Levy Pharisee. And I'll bring over Doctor Ezra Pharisee. And I'll bring over... I'll have them all over. But it looks like that I need a keynote for that--for that dinner somewhere. If I only had a--a keynote, trump card, what they call it. If I just had that, that would just be what I would need. Now, where could I find such a--a something for a great entertainment to just really show these other pastors what a great man I am? And you know, by doing something like that, it'll perhaps throw a lot more influence of this city my way. And maybe by that, many of them will come over and join my church."
It's too bad, that kind of a spirit still exists (That's right.) in too many of our churches today.

L-16 So after while I see him as he rubs his little chubby hands and walking on his great Egyptian rug in his fine place. Those Pharisees were rich. They had plenty money. And they lived in the best of homes. That didn't mean they were right with God, not at all. And they were smart, educated. That didn't mean they were right with God.
I've seen lots of people that had smart degrees of--out of all kinds of seminaries and colleges, and knowed no more about God than the first a-b-c of the Bible. That's right. When it comes to heart... They're educated, but they don't know Christ.

L-17 As I said the other night, to--to know Him is Life, not to know the Book, not to know the church, not to know the catechism, but to know Christ is Life, the Person Christ. And he...
They got a cut out of all the offerings, and all the sacrifices; they got the tithings of the people. And they were rich people, many of them, lived in fine homes, and they could afford to throw a great big (As we'd call it today,), a big dinner like that. And there was many poor people in the day.

L-18 Now, a lot of my information I get on my text tonight, I've got it from Josephus and many of the historians, of the way that they lived in that day. And I've been there also to see the modern days and the old ancient customs. And many of them are right yet today. And their great fine homes and things...

L-19 And I can see him as he walks back and forth, up-and-down the floor in his big fine robe trailing behind him, like that, and all of his religious hats on, and his garb. I can see him say, "Ho, ho, why didn't I think of that? Well, that's just what I should do. Well, I ought to have thought of that a week ago. That's what I'll do. You know, Pharisee Jones just hates that Galilean anyhow. He--he just thinks because that He bawled him out one day and told him that he was a snake in the grass... And I tell you, does he hate Him. Hum. And I'll invite Him over. And I will have also, Pharisee Levy; I'll bring him over, and does he hate Him too. My, how he hates Him. So why didn't I think of that, just exactly the thing." So that's why the courier was up there.


<A HREF="P5">Next Page</A>