A Christian is a temple of the Holy Spirit, a truth illuminated by 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. The sermon emphasizes three aspects of this indwelling: recognizing the Spirit's presence, respecting His person, and receiving His power. This involves anointing our hearing for His voice, our hands for His service, and our walk for His guidance. It is a sin not to be filled with the Spirit, which manifests in speaking to one another in psalms and hymns, giving thanks, and submitting to one another. Furthermore, our eyes, as part of this temple, must be directed towards Jesus, as vision without mission is merely visionary, and mission without vision is drudgery. Ultimately, the Christian life is about allowing the indwelling Spirit to energize our service and direct our gaze towards Christ, leading to definite action and the evangelization of the world.
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Now these days we are thinking of the question, what is a Christian? And for those of you who just come in, we have been finding out a Christian is one who belongs to Christ, who witnesses for Christ and who suffers with Christ. We're taking this in the acrostic form. We found a capital C, a Christian is, a child of God. Then H. Christ is a mayor of God. Then Christ is redeemed by the precious blood. The Christ is one who is redeemed by the precious blood, by the durable Lord Jesus.
And then we found the Christian is an influence. Then we found the Christian is a soldier. And now we're looking at the fact that Christian is a temple. So please open your Bibles, will you again? one Corinthians chapter six one Corinthians chapter six and we're going to read it once more verses nineteen and twenty of this wonderful theme the Christian as a temple with a wonderful Old Testament picture too you found back in Ezekiel chapter forty one I don't mean to turn to that now but in your own quiet moments You can find the story there regarding the temples.
Verse nineteen. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own. For ye have bought for the price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit. with your gods. We found that wonderful joy last night, the fact of the indwelling spirit. I want to give you three little arms that you can very well remember. There's another arm, by the way.
Here are the recognition of his presence. I'm referring now to the Holy Spirit. The recognition of his presence. I wonder if all of us in this very fine group on this beautiful morning recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in dwelling each one of us here. The Bible is crystal clear if we have not the Spirit, we are none of His. When my all adventured on Christ the Holy Spirit entered, and I was born of God. Now with that thought still before your heart, the recognition of his presence, where in your body and in my body had been claimed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, just as in connection with the priests of old, there was the ear, the tip of the ear was anointed with their blood.
the thumb of the right hand and the great thumb of the right foot. The blood had to be applied first, then the oil. And the oil is a picture of the Holy Spirit. This brings before me the fact our hearing must be anointed for the Spirit's voice. Our hand, my friend, must be anointed and filled with the Spirit's service, the Spirit energizing our service day by day. and a walk must be energized by the Spirit. We must know what is my frame for the Spirit to be in dwelling on, energizing us, and we are walking in the Spirit.
And if we are, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. One then, the recognition of the Spirit in dwelling the believer. Two, we must respect His person. Respect his person. Remember, he is the Holy Spirit. So everything that is impure, everything that is suggestive, everything that is suspicious, everything is given to jealousy or malice or envy or backbiting, these are the works of the flesh and are going to grieve.
the Holy Spirit. So today as we are recognizing his presence, we must also respect his person. He is the Holy Spirit. Then in this connection on we receive his power. Acts one verse number eight says, And ye shall receive power as the Holy Ghost has come upon you. Ye shall receive power. Now this is very vital. The recognition of his presence, respecting his person and receiving his power. Keep that before you now. And let us turn over just for one minute to Ephesians chapter five.
Ephesians and the fifth chapter. And looking in at verse number eighteen. Now as you got that place, I'll repeat for you a verse from Psalm number nineteen. It's the very last verse. It says this, Let the meditation of our heart and the words of our mouth be acceptable in thy sight, our strength, our God and our Redeemer. Now remember last night dealing with the temple, we came to the letter P, and the first thing was the tongue. the tongue.
Oh, how we need the Spirit energizing our tongues. Isn't that true? The tongue is only a little member. It can be a valuable member. And it can be a very valueless member. What a little member it may be, but what a big fire it can commence and start. William Higgins was one of the greatest Pleachers ever came out of Northern Ireland. He was a dock worker working in the shipyard. The God called William Hagen to full-time ministry. Now I heard him say when I was just a boy back in Scotland, regarding gossip, he said, if I could get the tongue that started the gossip, I would nail that tongue with a person right through to a tree.
Nail them right through by the tongue. If I could get the ear that listened to that gossip, I would nail that ear alongside of the tongue. Oh, my friend, how many characters have been torn to bits behind somebody's back. I've had letters sent to me from other people. It's one thing I'll never do. I'll never try and vindicate myself. Now, never retaliate. I got that when I was a boy and a teenager. Hold thy peace, and I will fight for thee, saith the Lord. Now, I've done all down to my ministry.
Now, I have led a saint coming from other evangelists. and some from their wives and from other people who in a derogatory way, a detrimental way, have criticized the Lord's servant and his ministry and God's laid hold upon them and smitten them. And they've written to apologize. I've never known a thing about it, so I've got the letter. But there's no need for us to try and vindicate ourselves, nor to stand up. Beloved you're the Lord, child. You belong to him. And so, my friend, the little member of that tongue can set a great fire of blade just by dropping a little word.
So may we know our tongue, my friend, energized. And remember, out of the heart the mouth speaketh. So that's why I bring Psalm nineteen while in here now, that the meditation, the heart and the words of my mouth may be acceptable in thy sight for the now as I stand here, minister, or out on the campus in conversation, in the home, wherever it may be, my strength, my God, and my Redeemer. Now notice our bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost. who is in us now look at verse number eighteen of Ephesians five and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess but be being filled with the Holy Spirit it's in the present tense by the way be being filled with the Holy Spirit now here's the only time to get this injunction Regarding the indwelling, regarding the sealing, regarding
the anointing, regarding the baptism, regarding the earnest, these all come from God's own blessed hand. And their honor is the very moment we own the Lord Jesus as our Lord and as our Savior. For not only do we know the joy and forgiveness of sins, but all this forgiveness we receive the Holy Ghost. I want you to get that. How often in our gospel teaching we preach the forgiveness of sins and forget at that very moment we receive the Holy Spirit. May God give us grace to flood home with all the force of the Spirit, that double aspect of the Gospel.
The minute I renew the joy, forgiveness of sins, that very moment the Holy Spirit enters into my life. But now here is a command, here is an injunction. And this, my friend, is just as binding upon us as baptism, the Lord's Supper, to come up from among them, not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers, This is just as binding upon us as God's people as the other commandments. What does it say now? Be being filled with the Holy Spirit. I wonder, do we know the joy of this? We may know it doctrinally. We may know it scripturally. We may know it theoretically.
But do I really know this as a living, vital reality experience in my own heart today? Now remember it is a sin not to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And notice what saints are going to make verse now. Be being filled with the Spirit. See how it works out. I'm going to become a wonderful preacher. I'm going to move the mess. I'm going to see the souls coming through for Jesus Christ. I'm going to use might as far as land. I am going into the office and the office is going to be transformed.
People are going to bow down before me as they did with sinning abode. I am going to move the masses like a G.L. Moody. You see that? Those of us say the very next verse. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual psalms. Sing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. There's one of the evidences of filling the Holy Spirit. It takes your tongue both to do, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.
Then, verse twenty, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus. First of all, there shall be heart melody, There shall be thanksgiving, and there shall be submission, submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord. Then there comes a right relationship between husband and wife, between parents and children, between the employer and the employee, and between brethren. Let first my soul to know what God is doing during these days right here on this campus. It's amazing to know what God is doing.
Rights have been wronged, confessions have been made. Reconciliation has been sought between others. Friend, the Spirit of God is working. I believe we're in the very beginning of revival. And that's where it starts. Revivals are the money in gathering of precious souls. That may be the outcome of revival. The revival starts with you. Revival starts with me. You don't find a doctor and a nurse working in a graveyard trying to revive dead people. They don't need revival, they need resurrection. But you won't find a doctor and nurse working hard in that hospital. The patient's got health, they've got life right enough, but the life is alien.
They're in ill health. There's some income in my friends endangering their health and the work in trying to restore, to revive, to bring back to normal health and strength. May these days of conference just prove that to you and prove that to me. Days of spiritual restoration. Day whose spiritual revival. Oh, how we need these to be in us. Yes, beloved. So then we have now speaking to ourselves. Our time is going to be yours for God's glory. I love that. Then we go to our Father's morning, shall we? Down the next place where the letter is E. And now we have our I. Remember, we are the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in us.
And the Christian is a temple. The Christian is a Christ one. One who belongs to Christ. And now not only must he speak through our tongues, but he must look through our eyes. Now my good brother Andy did not know the theme this morning. But think of those lovely hymns again. It shows. And you'll find how to fit right in with a message I'm just about to give. I want to talk this morning on vision. The Bible says, well, there is no vision, the people perish. The mystery vision is the blending together of correct information with spiritually God and inspiration that leads to definite action.
Now, you didn't get that, did you? That was rather a mouthful. I'll go to the floor. Thank God for the taste. Now may I help you right here? The mystery vision is a blending together of correct information with spirit-begotten inspiration that leads to definite action. I'll qualify that as I go on this morning. But vision... is only of value when it becomes the inspiration of vocation. I go a little slower.
Vision is only of value when it becomes the inspiration of vocation. Had you just said that being with us in the prayer meeting for the brethren this morning, because if we could listen in your prayer meeting too, you'd probably hear the very same prayer. But you know I'm so thrilled. As one brother got up after another, there was a real burden for others. A burden that the ministry we've been having during these past days might be put into practice in our lives day by day. And that's what I mean. You during these days of conference, right through these many weeks you've been together, may anointed by the Spirit you've had here, who have been reclaiming the Lord Jesus and all his solidity, dignity and glory and beauty.
Your heart has been strained to mood as you gaze upon the Lord Jesus. That bread and mind, sisters, that is not enough. This now must lead to vocation. This must lead to definite deliberate action. If not, it's just like rain in the middle region. It won't do the earth much good. If you just get your mind informed, and it doesn't lead to definite action, Now listen carefully. Vision without mission is visionary, whereas mission without vision can be drudgery. Is that good just that?
Vision without mission is visionary, whereas mission without vision can be drudgery. And the desire of my heart by your heart this morning is this, that we're going to have the vision is going to lead to definite vocation by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Now notice, the late Dr. Fullerton said so many years ago, is the whole duty of the whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world.
Did you get that? It's the whole duty of the whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world. Now these days have come for the glory of anything. It should lead us out. Indentment, spirit-energized service. keeping that before your heart. Now let us think of the eyes again. Turn back in your Bible, will you, just for a moment, to Proverbs chapter four and verse twenty-five. Proverbs four and verse number twenty-five. Now this will keep you awake, you see, by turning over these stages.
Verse number, limit verse twenty-three for the connection here. Keep thy heart with all diligence, but out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a fur-ward mouth and perverse lips, foot far from thee. Verse twenty-five. Let thine eyes look right on. Let thine eyelids look straight and before thee. Now Lamentation chapter three. The Lamentation and the third chapter and verse number Fifty-one. Lamentations, chapter three, verse fifty-one.
My eye affects his mind heart. Mine eye affects his mind heart. What my eye sees is going to affect my heart. So the Bible says, remember, keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Remember Henry Pickering's little book or object lesson. Through eye gate to heart gate.
Did you get that? Through eye gate to heart gate. And what mine eyes hear is going to affect my heart quicker than anything else I might hear. Dear very Perry said to me yesterday, I'm sorry, I've gone home this morning. He said, Jim, you know, every good of you take all these little letters from the acrostic and just put them right there on a card. Each word for each letter. Now that's rather a tall order. But he says, you know, these year few are not quite so young at parts of the palms anymore.
I didn't quite like that. I said they may not be very young, but they're still young in heart. They're still young in heart. And they say they don't get it just as quick as they once did. Well, that may be true too. But you know, what was he meaning? you may hear the word, but it doesn't grip you in the same way. You can see it with your eye. What your eye sees is going to affect your heart. Now you all know the verse I'm going to quote. Hebrews chapter twelve and verse number two. Now according to the revised version, looking off unto Jesus, the off and finish of these days, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame.
Look at the picture. Looking off, looking away from all else unto Jesus, he alone filling the vision, he alone occupying my heart's affection, as I continue to behold him, so am I going to be changed from glory to glory into the same image. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. You remember that wonderful scripture in John I, verse twenty-nine.
Behold the Lamb of God. which takeeth away the sins of the world. Now he wanders this morning to get the telescopic view of the whole wide world, not just their own little airtight compartment, their own little Gospel Chapel or Gospel Hall or Bible Fellowship Chapel. The Bible says, Christ says, the Baptist said it, John the Baptist. Behold the Lamb of God, which takeeth away the sin of the world.
But verse number thirty-six says the same chapter. John seeing Christ walking said, Behold the Lamb of God. And the disciples went following John and they followed the Lord. The first one is just a mere glimpse of faith that brings salvation. The other is a continual gaze that brings practical sanctification. I look to him bearing away my sin, the burdensome rolls away, oh happy day. But now I see him no longer upon a cross.
I see him no longer in an empty grave. We stood in that grave just about one year ago now. I can't sing. I proved that to you. I remember with all my heart starting to sing when others were with us in the tomb. I serve as the Savior. He's in the world today. You ask me how I know he lives. He lives within my heart. And we came up, beloved, from that grave. It was pouring of rain. The great crowd of people standing outside. As we came up, they began to sing again, Lord, the grave you lay, Jesus, my Savior, waiting the coming day, Jesus, my Lord.
And up from the grave you arose, for the mighty triumph, all he foes, and up there in Gombotham, For another group of people standing, and when we came to hallelujah, the old John didn't say, hallelujah, Christ arose. Oh, pray me, never felt the way. Never felt. The Lord is alive, he's living. And this morning we present to you not a dead Christ, not a cold, not a religion. We present to you a living world. But this morning, we lift our eyes, we cry. Look, he's faint. The sight is glorious. See the man of sorrows now. From the fight we turn victorious.
Every needle in shall bow. Crown him. Crown become the mighty victors brown. And as eyes of the eye of faith come seem to behold him. The ever-living, ever-present, the omnipotent, omniscient Lord. What happens? It says in Deuteronomy chapter three, verse eighteen. as we continue to behold Him, not in vision, not by entrance, not by dreams, that rule the revealed Word of God. That's why here, child of God, we urge you to read and to study the Holy Scripture.
If you want to know what Christ looks like, go to the Holy Scripture. And as you do so, and as you behold Him, you'll find yourself being transformed to the moral likeness of your beloved Lord Jesus Christ. Now, you go with me now to John three sixteen. For God, think with me, come on. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life. Get the picture. God shall love the world.
Acts one verse eight. Ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And ye shall be witnesses unto me, unto Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the other most parts of the earth. The other most parts of the earth. The focus underneath, the scope, the other most parts of the earth, the power, ye shall receive power. Christ went out. The Holy Spirit came down and they went out.
They went everywhere preaching the word. Acts fifteen. And this is God's great purpose in his age. This is great program in his age. Not the education of the world. Not the civilization of the world. It's the evangelization of the world. What it's saying? God in his age is gathering from among the nations a people for his name. He's gathering out a bride for his son. but it's from among the nations. Now I'm going to come with me for a moment.
In your mind, in Matthew twenty-eight, verses eighteen through twenty, and I'll repeat them for you, but follow very carefully. The Lord Jesus now standing on resurrection ground. He's trying to over sin and death and hell and Satan The mighty conquering Lord stands with his own gathered around it. And he says, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. All power invested in our adorable Lord Jesus. Then he says, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel.
Disciple the nation. baptizing him in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching that there are all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even to the consummation of the age. Beloved, let me ask you very tenderly, have you ever taken time Only ten minutes on your knees with a two-mad verse of Master's Gospel. And have you answered all these verses and made them a real in your life?
And have you ever encircled that personal pronoun, I? I command you. That dear man of God, the late Dan Crawford said, Often quoted by E.P. Gibbs, there's no more without the goal. Go and know I am with you. And each and every believer here this morning is saying to you and is saying to me, as my father said to me, Even so, saying, I use.
Right into that world, it may not be the part of land of Africa, China or India or South America, maybe right back my friend to that office, right back to that school, right back onto that campus, right back into that home, into that hospital, into the land, into the factory, onto the farm, to our own family and to our neighbors. And he's saying, as you go, lo, I am with you. But remember, my friend, may God get this across your heart with my heart.
Don't just see a face of clay. And don't allow the face of any manner will, my friend, irrespective of their social status, their intellectual or scholastic achievements scare you. The Spirit said to Jerry and I, Don't be afraid of their faces. Lo, I am with you and I am with your mouth. I want us this morning to get this, that we may not just see a face of clay, but see a soul for whom Christ suffered. and let him die. And from our heart pray, Lord, lay some soul upon my heart.
I love that soul through me. And help me, Lord, to humbly do my part, to win that soul for thee. No wonder that Saint Leibitre Michael wrote so many years ago. Oh, for a passionate passion for souls. Oh, for a heart yearns. Oh, for a love that loves unto death. Oh, for a love of that bird. Oh, for a love that bird. A little poem just flashed in my mind as I was quoting that. I have it here in my testament. Stir into flame. Remember Paul said to his young son Timothy, Stir at the gibberish within you.
The devised version is beautiful. Stir. into flags. Stir me, O stir me, Lord, I care not how, but stir my heart in passion for the world. Stir me to give, to go, but nurse to pray. Stir the red blood, banner be unfurled. O land that's still in heaven darkness lie, O desert where no cross is lifted high. Stir me, O stir me, O stir me, Lord, to all my heart, is filled with strong compassion for these souls. Till thy compelling must drive me to pray, till thy constrained love reaches a pole far north and south, in burning deep desire, till even waves are caught in love's great fire.
Stir me, oh stir me, Lord, till prayer is pain, till prayer is joy, for prayer turns into praise, Stir me till heart and will and mind give all of holy life. To you through all the day. Stir till I learn to pray exceedingly. Stir till I learn to wait expectantly. Stir me, O sternly Lord. Thy heartless fillers, thy loved intent is fire. Till thou dost give thine only son, thy best beloved one. even to the dreadful cross that I might live. Stir me to give myself so wholly back to thee.
Thou canst give thyself again through me. Stir me to give myself so wholly back to thee. Thou canst give thyself again through me. Now Isaiah chapter six, remember those words. And the year King Isaiah died, I saw the Lord high and lifted up. His train filled the temple. He saw him in all his pre-incarnate blurry, called John twelve. He saw my train there sitting upon the throne.
The throne and earth was empty as I had died. Saw the throne in heaven filled. He saw him revered and worshiped. He saw his majesty, he saw his power. He saw his purity and his holiness. And it will glimpse into the future when the holy has to be filled with the glory of the Lord. He's seen, my friend, the cherry of him, fill the faces that peace and its life. The herds of calling, holy, holy, holy, O Lord God of hope. Then he said, Woe is me, for I am undone. I am a man of unclean lips. Then he heard the voice saying, Whom shall I send?
And who will go for us? He had the vision. He heard the voice. And then he volunteered. What did he say? Here am I. Send me. When did he have the vision? He was angry to close. In the year the King Uzziah died. As long as you as I, my friend, was there, he had no vision of the Lord in his glory. I have seen the King. My eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Horses. Beloved, may I quote to you a little poem?
There is a man often stand between me and my glory. His name is Self, my carnal Self. stand between me and mine glaring. Oh, mortify them, mortify them. Put them down, my Savior, and exalt thyself alone. May I very lovingly, as you had the vision of your adorable Lord this morning, as you just look in for a moment, is there some desire in your life? Is there some God coming in between us obscuring the vision of your adorable Lord Jesus?
So much so you have not yet heard his voice speaking in your inner mood as being, and you certainly have not volunteered, and the valent victory service has not taken place where you are concerned. Isaiah said, Are the lords of hell's dominion over my soul? Has he during these days been putting his finger upon the other Lord that Uzziah? In the quietness morning hour we're going to pray.
The dearest idol I have known, for ere that I will be, help me, dear Lord, or tear it from thy throne. and worship only thee. There is a man that often stands betwixt me and thy glory. Here it is. His name is self, my carnal self. Stand betwixt me and thy glory. Oh, mortify him. Mortify him. Put him down, my Savior.
and exalt thy self alone. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full at his wonderful things. And the things that earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory. and great. Three hundred and thirty-seven. We'll go on from there this evening with our accosting on the temple. I hope to finish it tonight if I possibly can, but it's a wonderful theme.
I trust today our tongues may be so energized by the Lord Himself, the Spirit. Our eyes may have a clear vision of our adorable Lord Jesus that shall lead to definite vocation. Is that three-thirty-seven, Mrs. Willing? Three-three-seven. Then see a three-five-seven. I'm so sorry. Three-hundred-and-thirty-seven. Oh, so are thou really in trouble? No light in the dark, as you see. There's light for a look at the Savior.
and light more abundantly. In Seattle some time ago I was giving a series of talks on the CBNC on the radio each morning. I am heard of this hymn. I'm not lying at the studio when the phone rang. The lady asked if I go to certain hotels that particular morning. Nine days. There was an author of this hymn with a wonderful talk together. She loved the Lord. She had seen him. day to day. Thank you. You just sing the beautiful answers, please, on this grand little hymn. It's become a real favorite in many of our hearts, all together.
The love, the weary and troubled, delighting, the darkness speaking. There's light for the Lord and the Savior, and light men of thunder and dream. He can give life to me. and the things of him make a great dream. In the light of his glary and gracious number three, his work shall no failure be called him.
He leaves him at all where he went, They murder our world as it is dying, His perfect salvation shall end. They turn your eyes upon Jesus. Let's look in His wonderful face. and sing for them near the spring breathing in the light of his merry embrace.
Now let us just bow together in prayer and very, very softly begin to sing that chorus once more. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, who put in his wonderful taste, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace. Oh, precious Lord Jesus, how lovely thou art.
Come and abiding, rule in my heart. Break every peter. Thy face, let me see. Then I shall ever be precious to me. Through Jesus Christ our wonderful Lord, to whom the glory boasts known forevermore. Amen. Please be much in prayer regarding the meeting tonight. You say, well, Jim, I can't go the far off land to be good out of the cross that your father would have got it for you as an individual. God bless. Thank you for coming.