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8382--Seven-Steps-to-a-Free-Spirit-_128k
00:00:00 Speaker: Seven. Um, biblical principles are ruled, uh, in your moving toward a clean, a clean and free spirit. Salvation is a gift. You can be saved and have a bad spirit. You can be saved and filled with the spirit and be unchanged. You can know the Lord and quote John chapter three verbatim in the Greek, and never be any different next year than you are this year, except that there are some compelling factors in your life. Now, it is my prerogative in God to nail you down mild because this is this is what happens. Now, there's so many things that I would like to say that I have to discipline myself to stay right on the track of what we're talking about. The first day we talked about before pluses of the Christian life, which was the manifest presence, the, the, uh, the anointing, the charismatic anointing, the joy of his presence and a free spirit. And then yesterday afternoon, we spend our time talking about what a free spirit is and what it's like, and how you can recognize a man or a woman that has one. And it's not hard. You can see it, you can feel it when you meet them. And all the joy of of meeting men and women whose spirits are free. Now, you know, in Hollywood or TV programs, most of them are on a plot. Uh, the plots are usually geared around worldly things, and often, as I've watched one cloud or read books by for English literature courses or whatever, the often the plots are out of revenge or hatred or greed or lust, or one of the things that are deep in a man's spirit. A Presbyterian pastor and I, he called me. His name is Richard. And he said, would you meet me for lunch? And I said, I would. And we met for lunch. And we sat down and he looked across the table before the waitress even got there, and and I and I knew that he was in trouble. He'd been under some very, very deep disciplines of God, and he looked across the table at me and he said, Bob, how far did man fall? And, uh, and I knew he wasn't just asking a theological question. I knew he was asking a deep, personal question, and I could feel my spirit start to to rise up, you know, and, and I, I felt like I was going to burst into tears and my wife calls me Jeremiah, the weeping prophet everywhere, and I'm always half on the verge of tears. That's my I guess that's my temperament. But anyway, um, uh, tears of rejoicing, not self-pity. But anyway, he said across there and and finally I looked at him and I said, Richard, I don't think we really know how far man departed from God till we start our journey back. You understand what I'm saying? See, you know, we think we're doing pretty good. And yesterday we learned what it meant to be cleansed from the filthiness of the flesh. And so we get our life all morally cleaned up. See? And we don't steal, rob or or do nasty things, and we don't beat our wife and, uh, and, and, you know, we have all wonderful things. And we say, my, uh, aren't we doing great? Aren't we doing well? And then along comes some from smart aleck that says, the Lord wants to clean up your spirit, and then you start all over again and you feel like you just fell out of your your high perch into kindergarten again. How many of you thought you're coming along pretty good? And then you found out you're really only in kindergarten. But see, there's such a dimension. There's so many things that needs to be known in God. Now, if God, if man is as as slippery as I think he is, you see, when, when, uh, when I. I'm sure you know that Adam didn't transgress. Uh, Adam wasn't deceived. He transgressed. Eve was deceived. Adam was not deceived. He did what he did intentionally. But Eve was deceived. And after they after they had fallen into sin and and the judgment of God came on the situation. There was one of the most famous things, and I would to God we had more psychiatrists and psychologists and others who honestly believed Genesis one through three for the roots of all human problems. Rest in those three chapters. And when God came to Adam, he said, Adam, what did you do? Adam said, oh, Lord, wasn't me. The woman you did. Eve what did you do? She said, oh, Lord, wasn't me, it was the devil. Now I believe in the devil, you know, I, I heard a man tell once about the devil sitting on the curb crying, tears running down his face. Say, what's the matter, devil? He said, oh, all of those Christians blame things on me I didn't get a chance to do. Oh, yes. See, I think man would be nasty if there wasn't any devil once we inherited that nature, you see. Then you don't blame all of it on the devil. The devil did this and the devil did that, and I, I really am a little bit leery of that kind of theology. I honestly am, and I can't go into that. But I believe in the real devil. No real demons and all that business. Very real. But, uh, but you see, when it comes to it, when it comes to having God dealing in our spirit, then then we we have some, um, these seven things. Now we want to talk to you about seven steps or seven things that you have to consciously put into operation. Now, if you will take the seven things that I'm sharing with you today, what will happen will be this you will you will be prevented from slipping out from under things, and you will be brought face to face with certain responsibilities. And then God will begin to operate in your spirit and begin to clean it up now. Hosea. Many other scripture says, my people perish. You see, many times it's God who is working, and we escape out from under it because we are absolutely listen to me. We are professional escape artists. Who? Aren't you? I'm talking about. See, we are professional escape artists. You see? And so we learn to slip out from under and double deal and manipulate and skid around and blame it on God and put it in the past and put it in the future. Double deal and do anything to keep from, from from coming face to face. Now, when I was in university, one of the things that burned me up was that people would say, say, well, you know, the reason you're a Christian is because you're a little bit weak minded. And they said, the reason you're a Christian is because you need a crutch, you see, and you need pie in the sky and and you need an escape mechanism, see? And so life is too tough for you to face. So you have this psychological mechanism called heaven. And then soon as things get bad, you can, you know, you can take a psychological escape trip to heaven and say, all things are terrible here. But one of these days I'm going to walk the streets of gold, see? And so we can just slip out from under the facing of the responsibility of the moment. And so when, when the when, uh, this this philosopher professor, give me a little bit of a hard time. We talking about this? I went home and I thought, Lord, you know, I these things run around my head. And finally I began to see that that. Listen now, please. I'm not casting aspersions. I don't think that I am. But then I began to see that Christianity, as it is often presented, is an escape mechanism. But discipleship, pure and simple, is one of the most brutal things you'll ever run into when you commit yourself to discipleship. Suddenly you are face to face with yourself. Now, the seven things that I'm going to share with you today are designed for God to pin you down so that he can show you to you, and you aren't going to like it. Oh, brother. You foxy. You've been slipping out. But see, when God finally gets you around, get you in a corner, nails you down, then he'll come by the Holy Ghost. Now listen. If you haven't read fifteen steps out, consider yourself illiterate. A little book out there I wrote on how fifteen steps coming out of the confusion after this class today. You ought to buy that. And if you don't have a dollar fifty, I'll give you one. I mean that, but you ought to read that after this class today especially. But see, in there's a chapter entitled God Showing Ourselves to Ourselves. Now it is my conviction. Now, listen, you can accept or reject what I'm saying now, but it is my conviction that God does not often show us to us because we can't stand it. It takes a certain degree of spiritual maturity, a certain grip on God. For the Lord to be permitted by the Holy Ghost to come and reveal you to you. Now, I've played Holy Spirit and tried to reveal other people to others. You know I'm trying to reveal yourself. You know, I'm saying now you you need to see yourself. There's. Brother Bud's over here. We we met a year ago. And, uh, when I met him this time, it's been a year. And he began to share with me. He said, brother Bob, you don't know what God has been showing me about me during this year. Pride and arrogance and self-conceit and all of the things that are that are in there. Whoop whoop woop. In your what? In your spirit. These things are down in your spirit, you see. And so after we've cleaned up the outward life and we have a good hold on God and a good understanding of what it means to come into God's presence. You see, it's an important thing to learn the concept of grace and what it means to come into God's presence. Because you see, when we come into God's presence, it's there that we are dealt with. It's quiet in here. Are you alright? Are you breathing alright. But you see, now you see. Because what we want to do now, if. If God can keep us from escaping out from under the very things that we always are escaping out from, then he puts us into a situation and gives us certain biblical revelation. You forgive my repeating, but I tell you, some of you aren't hearing it right now. God will bring us around, put us in a corner, and then after he gets us in the corner and and then strengthens us certain degree spiritually, then he begins to reveal you to you, the church. When you see that, it's about all you can stand. How many of you would understand? When I said when I would say this? Good ministries in funny vessel. What are you laughing about? Do you know what I mean? See, they said, oh, that Brother Mumford. He's a wonderful brother, you know, he has a wonderful teaching ministry. But my, he's so mean. See how many of you have said, well, you know. Oh, that Brother Smith, he's a wonderful brother. But see, in other words, there can be wonderful ministries. Shut up within the human being, but it's in the human spirit, in the human personality that was never changed into the image of Christ. So the ministry that's within has only limited effectiveness, because in order to have the ministry that Brother Smith offers, you have to put up with all of his funny, quirky things. Doesn't bother me. Bother me. Follow me. How many of you have gone to me and said, oh, that's a wonderful preacher, but I wish he wouldn't shout so loud. She said, oh, that's a wonderful man, but I wish he wouldn't. You know, two and a half hours is a little long. But not just obvious things, but you see, there are things that are less obvious. You see, there's lust and hatred and greed and covetousness and all these things that are in a man's spirit. And many times they reside there for many years Without anyone being able to corner that man or corner that woman and say, you are the most stubborn person I ever saw. I said, I'm not stepping out of nature like a Missouri mule. Who, me? You can't do that. Well, then the the the alternative to people not being able to come to you and say you are the most stubborn thing I ever saw is for you to live your whole seventy or eighty years as a stubborn Missouri mule and never, ever be changed. Hard headed. How many of you know it's very difficult for some people to admit they're wrong? That's one fault I've never had. Oh. You see now? Now. Alright, so. So here's the slippery, this very slippery human nature. Alright, now what I want to give you is some principles, see? So that if you will, if you will embrace these principles, the joy of embracing what I'm saying is, is that you get nailed down and you can't escape. And you said, yes, that's me. That's really me. I am stubborn, I am angry, I am cantankerous, I am greedy or whatever the thing. See you. Everyone has particular. Let us put off the sin that doth so easily beset us. And when you deal with that, it's so varied. But it's almost always something that resides within the spirit of a man that has never been dealt with. Lo, these many years. All right, let's take the principles. We'll have to slip right along. Number one, let's take number one. And, uh, the first one is this. Number one is the acceptance of an authority. Now, I'm trying to lay some principles in your mind. And you forgive me for being very didactic, but I want you to. I don't want you to miss it. I want you to make the notes, and I want you to have it. See? What does it mean to accept an authority? Whenever we're going to get into a discussion, we must have a final authority, you see. In other words, we got to accept you and I. If we're going to discuss something, we're going to we're going to take you and I going to agree on a certain authority that will settle the issue. Why do we do that first? Because once we get into the discussion, you're going to slip out from under the thing. When you see you're wrong, You're going to backpedal, double deal and slip out from under. See now, how many of you know what authority we must accept? What is it? The word of God here is the authority that we're going to accept as the final authority on whether or not I'm stubborn. Right. And if this thing says Mumford, you're stubborn, I won't. I say, yes, you will. There it is. See that? Now, if you don't accept this as the authority, then there is no possibility of anybody nailing you down. How many of you know you can always get some psychiatrist to agree with you? Anybody? Any idiot can get another idiot to say amen. Try. If you push enough doorbells. Brother. What do you think, brother? What do you think? You always get somebody to agree with you. But I tell you something. This thing knows where to lay the responsibility, where it counts. I was, I was pastoring, and when I was leading worship. And I looked out over my little flock and I said, oh God, how come these people are so stunted in their growth? See? And the Lord said, you did it. I'll rebuke you, devil. Jesus name. Hallelujah! Couldn't be me, right? And I said. Lord, I love these people. I've given them my lifeblood. How could I have stunted their growth? Lord said, just look at you. You're a strong leader, Secretary, treasurer. You preach, pray, prophesy, visit, carry, cry, nurse them, did everything and there they are, whole crib full. Now he knows just where to lay the blame, right? God never lays the blame anywhere but where it honestly is now. You see, I had to listen. Number one, we're going to learn to accept this thing. This is the final authority. I don't care how you feel, what you think, how many prophecies you have. This thing says if you don't take care of your family, you're worse than an infidel. Yeah, but the Lord told me to leave my nine children and go to to Colombia. I said, yeah, I know. I'm just going to give you a lay a little authority on you. Put a brick in the middle. See, there's an authority, a final authority. Because anyone reading Hawaii. I believe it is. The hot burning sands of Hawaii shall not be determined. Right? Hallelujah. But you see, when you accept the authority and somebody lays chapter and verse on you, do you know what I found? You listen. I've had people honestly say this to me when they once they were aroused and once they were angry or upset. I said, yes, but the Bible says I don't care what the Bible says. Oh, I said, I found you a Billy goat. Oh, see? Because well, you see when, when the Bible. See, the Bible knows how to just knows how to slip right in between the crack of your armor. And he knows just how to slip right under the crack of your armor and get you in the fifth rib. Are you going to accept this as the final authority? When this thing nails you, are you going to be nailed? Now, let me tell you the little trick we preachers have. How many of you know what the double corner is on a on a checkerboard? You ever played checkers? You get down to the double corner and I said, aha! You can't get me there. See? Well, I was a preacher, and, uh, my, my pastor was. They were putting a lot of pressure on me. Forgive me, preachers, for doing this, but, um, I won't be around after the meeting. But he said, see, when when my when I my pastor when my church wanted to put pressure on me. When I failed, I said to my church, well, listen, church, I'm only human. And then when I wanted to do something and I wanted them to obey me, I said, don't you resist the prophet of God? They said, Mumford, which one are you? I said, I'll tell you which one I am. I am whichever one that's convenient for my advantage point at the time that I need it. Don't touch the Lord's anointed. But I'm only human. Right. You can never get me there. I can slide out from under anything. Are you there? Do you see this slippery thing? And you see, most of us are professionals at learning how to avoid coming head on with the issue. And as long as we avoid coming head on with the issue will never be changed. Took a lady and her husband. I gotta be careful now lest I ever expose or hurt anyone. But this woman was was really a strange thing. Prophetically, I brought him right to the point where she was. She was going to have to admit certain things and, uh, brought her right to the place where God could have healed her and her ministry. And she slipped out from under the thing and went on down her own road. And today I've watched people. I've backed people right into the corner. And I said, right before we get started, are you going to accept this as the authority? Will you church? Will you say Amen or oh, me? Are you going to accept it? Is this thing when somebody nails you down with this thing, are you going to. Are you going to learn to embrace it and say yes to God? That's me. All right. Now let's take the second one. If we're going to if we're going to, uh, admit to this, there's a lot more needs to be said, but we're we're going to have to pick it one one at a time. Alright. Number two, let's look at Ezekiel thirty three, please. And we're reading a portion from from Ezekiel chapter thirty three. And I will give you the um, the latest report from um, the convention. The convention at Portland. Ezekiel thirty three beginning to read at verse thirty. Alright. I hope you have a Bible trust you didn't bring a half a sword. Accept the authority. When the word nails you be nailed. Said yes, you got me. That's right, I am rebellious, I am stubborn. That's right. That's me. You know, there's one thing that grinds me and that's to have to admit that I'm wrong. You see, when any of those things are in the human spirit, they've got to be dealt with. They've got to come around to the place. Now, when a man is like that, then you must have an authority. Now, once the authority is there, we're reading Ezekiel thirty or thirty three, verse thirty, and I'm reading quickly. Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people are still talking against thee, by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one on one to another, us every one to his brother. Now I quote, saying, come, I pray you, and hear, what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord? Verse thirty one and they come unto thee as the people come up. And they sit before thee as the people sitteth. Alright. Uh. And they hear thy words. But they will not do them. For with their mouth they show much love. But their heart goeth after. What? Where is that? Where is that? In the spirit. In the human spirit. See, their heart goes after covers, and lo! Look! Verse thirty two, and lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song, as one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on your guitar. Oh, brother Mumford, when you sang and played, that was the most wonderful thing I ever heard. In fact, it brought tears to my eyes. I said, Great. What are you going to do about it? Oh, you nasty man. I don't want to do anything about it. I just want to hear the pretty words. Yeah, I've met people after the convention. Brother Mumford. Oh, that was deep. I said, what did I say? I don't know, but it was deep. Man, that's a terrific message, you know. But you know what you said. But, man, it was very good church. The humor that I use is to keep you from crying. I think you know that, don't you? And the words that I speak unto you, they are hard words, but they're mixed with all the love and compassion that that God has ever worked in me. How many do you think ever come to church with the purpose in their heart of doing what they hear? How many Do you know this is the snare of religion? To come to church and hear it and not have any intention of doing it? One of the things that I went first when among the Catholics, we got several that's here today. I see my brother back, but I went to the Catholics and and I taught them on worship for about two hours in the, in the in Passionate Fathers monastery. I was teaching on worship. Whole pile of I don't know how many folks were there. Sixty. Seventy maybe. And I taught them on worship and and these were brand new Catholics and they never heard anything like this. And and when I got all done teaching, the Lord said, alright, now lead them in it. I said, well, I'm not used to that. I just, you know, I'm not supposed to do it. You're just supposed to teach it. The Lord said, no, lead them in it. So I said to the Catholics, there's about sixty, seventy of them. I said, all right, now that I've taught you what it means to lift your hands and worship and pray in the tongues and sing in the spirit. Let's do it. They all looked at each other, nuns and priests and no novitiates and and others there, and some university students. And they all looked at each other and they said, all right, let's try it. So we all stand together and we sang a chorus that they knew, and in their hands begin to go up. And a chorus of the music of the song in the spirit made the hair stand right up on my arm. They began to sing and worship and glorify God, till I thought the lid of that seminary was going to blow off. And I said, well, isn't this amazing? You preach it and they do it. That's a shocker. Are you there? How many of you know that? It's very easy to get into some kind of religious rut. Young boy took a pastorate and he preached on the love of God. Second week he preached on the love of God. Third week he preached on the love of God. And the lady came and said, love, love, love. That's all you say. He said, honey, you didn't do what I told you the first time. You don't expect to love anybody. You just expect to hear it. Oh, brother Mumford, that was the most wonderful message on love I ever heard. But you preach too long. But see what happened. You missed the whole impact of the thing you preach on giving. But you're supposed to do. Come on. Give. Preach on forgiveness. Where are you supposed to do? Forgive when there's a shocker? You don't think of it as I've been in trouble trying to get these things into operation because I thought, oh, I think I'll do it. They said, what are you doing? I said, I'm I'm trying to do what the man said. I said, oh, don't be silly. That's just Brother Mumford. You don't have to do that. Do you know what happens? Listen to me. The light becomes darkness. Please. Now, I'm going to say something to you. And I hope I'm not misunderstood. I don't like to go to fundamentalist and Pentecostal churches too much. Do you know why? Because they have no intention of doing what I preach. They're full fat. Satisfied? And we knew that in nineteen oh nine. I said, all right, all right, listen, it's going to take as much adjustment for the fundamentalist to get in what God is doing as it is for the Catholics or the Presbyterians or the Episcopalians. You're going to have to do some changing. My brother, if you think you're going to get in heaven because you don't wear lipstick, I got news for you. Believe me, I won't care whether you wear it or not. I'm just saying that is not a criteria to know whether or not you're doing the Word of God when somebody preaches. I'm finding number two is called this. I forgot to tell you what it was. Number two, it's called this the compulsion of truth. When I hear the Word of God to the best of my ability, I'm accepting it as something that is compelling. It's on tithing contract. I try to tie preach on worship. I try to worship, preach on, preach on praise. I try to praise, teach on what else? What else do you teach on loving everybody? I said, I'm going to try I love you, I love you. And the very trial it gets you. Failure and failure teaches you how. And after a while, you learn. How many of you know. Loving one another is something you have to practice. Doesn't come automatic. I had several books in Berkeley. I was talking about the lady the Lord gave me in my church to practice on. Oh, she disliked me and the feeling was mutual. That woman just grind me. And I said, I'll excommunicate her. Lord said, no, you won't. I'll take her letter. I'll, I'll I'll let the air out of her tires. She'd come in and she'd say, hello, pastor. I'd say hello. Well, I wouldn't have minded. But Lord, I said, Lord, what are you going to do about that woman? I'll tell you what. I'm going to fix the fix. Come on. I'll fix you when you get fixed. Then I'll fix the. Weather. She kept coming. Finally, she got on the Sunday school bus. She criticized me. She criticized the church. She criticized everybody. She criticized. And by the time the school, the Sunday school bus got to the church, everybody come in. They're wild. And I said, now, Lord, nobody has to put up with this. Lord said, that's right, lover. You know my reaction, I rebuke you. No, lover. I said, God can't, I will, I will. And one day I discovered, I said, God, I know you, lover. What a what a what a miraculous discovery that was really. Now, finally, I decided God loved her. Then if he loved her. I had to. Then I understood what it meant for God to love somebody through me. And from the next morning, next Sunday morning, she came into church. I said, hello, dear, I love you. And God broke my spirit and melted her. Church. You can't hear. Listen, I can talk all. See, that's why I want all the time. Say, look, uh, Matthew seven says these words. He that heareth my sayings and doeth them. When the hard times come. That house will stand. Do you hear me? You heard Brother Ike this morning. Lost his business, lost his family, lose, you know. And and because he has done the sayings of God. When the storms come, the house stood, and he said, Glory to God, praise the Lord anyhow. But you see, that's because the house stood. But I've seen so many houses that have collapsed because they heard the sayings and didn't do them. There's a compulsion of truth. You've got to do or you've got to begin to move in what God is saying, teaching, sharing with you. Alright. Um, I want to give you one other verse on that. That's John seven and seventeen. I think you know that it's there. But let me just give you quickly, uh, John seven and seventeen. These are important. Now, if you're going to go from this convention and change into the image of God, you have to see John seven seventeen amplified and living letters and some others are very good translation. But here's, John seven seventeen. He said, Brother Mumford, how come God doesn't give me a greater revelation of himself? Oh, Lord, I want more truth. God resists you in searching out truth until you understand John seven and verse seventeen says these words, if any man has a will to do his will, he shall know. Katina Keavy. What does that mean? That it means when God speaks, there is an inward disposition to do what God says. Young man came to me in in Princeton, new Jersey, and he said, brother Bob, I want to talk to you. So he talked for a little while, and he's telling me how how it's so hard to hear. And finally I leaned across the table, eyeball to eyeball, and I said, son, you already know the will of God, and you don't want to do it, brother. He just burst into tears. He fell his face on the table. He began to weep. He said, yes, brother. That's right. God. For see the whole thing. There has to be an inward disposition to do the will of God. If you're going to grow and change and come on into God. Now, it's not always pleasant. How many of you know that it's easy to develop hard a hearing? I have a little daughter. She's a blonde. And, uh, and, uh, she she she she's allergic to work. She breaks out in little boils or something. You know, anytime the work comes around, she just melts into the wall when there's dishes to be done. And she's starting out the door. I said, Beth. Beth? She didn't hear. But when? When she's three blocks away. I said, hide those Oreos. She's standing right there. She heard Oreos three blocks away, Right. How many of you know that in the evasive nature of man, we can hear what we want to hear, and we can develop a heart of hearing what we don't want to hear. Okay. Smile. Alright. Are you there? Do you understand what I'm after? Do you understand that what I'm sharing is a revelation of God's dealings in this man? Okay. I know that all good teaching comes out of the depth of the experience, as God works it in your own life. Number three. Um, number three, I, uh, is, um, this one you won't like. Let's turn to first Corinthians, chapter three, first Corinthians chapter three. And, uh, we'll we'll nail this one down and, uh, this one. Now each of these are progressive. If you don't accept the authority, you never will have compulsion of truth. You see this? You know, the thing that that broke my heart was when the senators were trying to find a code of ethics, and I just. I'm not knocking now. I could have bawled. Here's these senators running all around trying to find a code of ethics when they have no authority. But he believes anything. So how can you have a code of ethics? The only ethic you could come up with is please don't steal the white House. The only thing you could come. And then if stealing isn't wrong, what's the difference? See? All right. Number three is first Corinthians chapter three, verse one through three. All right. And here's what we're going to reveal. And you know the verses, brethren, could not speak unto you as spiritual under carnal, even as babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with meat. You haven't been changed. You're not growing. for you were not able to bear it. Why? For ye are yet carnal, for there is envying and strife among you, and divisions are ye not carnal, and walk as men. For one saith, I am of Roberts. Another saith, I am of Branham. And another saith, I follow Sam Fife. And another saith, I am a mumford ite. And the third saith, c. And the fourth saith, and the fifth saith. Now I have watched people who are unchanged, and usually they are people who have followed one ministry. One ministry can bring anybody into maturity. Are you there? No. One ministry can bring you into maturity. But you see, what happens is we become very selective in what we eat and how we eat. Now let's take number three. Number three is called the reception of a ministry. Now, this is the third thing that's got to come. Now, if we're going to, we're going to be changed. You're going to have to learn how to receive ministry from other men and ministries besides your favorite, as we say down south. Got a favorite? I'm of Paul. Paul said, oh, don't you know Paul was Paul plants another waters. God gives the increase. Now, how many of you know this that in the ministry of Jesus Christ, there are a lot of people that we don't like. How many of you know that when some people come through the door, you don't like them, and they didn't even have to open their mouth. Said that Mumford and his wavy hair and his big bulging eyes. Who could ever receive ministry from him? But it's a truth. Do you know, some people that I've wanted to help have turned me off flat because they don't like me? And do you know something? I found out that the enemy has a special kind of a trick that causes division between you and the man who can help you. Oh, brother. Listen, I went back to the ship after I got saved. And who do you think come out the first morning? I just got back. Just brand new Christian, about three weeks old. Got back to the ship and, uh, and I, we were going to church the first Sunday morning, and we walked in and sat down and and out comes the chaplain that I had been drinking with three weeks before. I said him, he's going to preach love on your life. I started to get up, and the young Baptist boy grabbed me by the by the the Navy collar in the back said, sit down. He said, you better learn to listen and hear the Word of God from where it's coming, and not pay so much attention to the vessel through whom it's coming. I said, yeah, but he doesn't even have a degree. Some people won't listen to you if you have them. Others won't listen to you. If you don't, then somebody won't listen to you if you have too many. One guy I was in a meeting once and I just finished working on, on my degree and the young man preceding me. And he got up and he preached for about twenty minutes on on how the Holy Ghost. You don't need degrees or studying or anything. All you need is the Holy Ghost and he rant and rave on for a while. About twenty minutes. And after he was all done, they said, This is Reverend Mumford from the Episcopal Seminary. Whole place was just, you know, but look, church, how many of you know when God puts food on the plate, you learn to eat the spinach and the squash and what's some other nasty things? Look at her. Look at her. Hey, little girl, about eight years old, going. Ooh. Look. Spinach and squash and, uh. What's that? Okra. Oh my lord. And, uh. What else? Liver. Oh. I've been. I've been fifteen years trying to learn how to. To eat liver in Jesus name. And I still get it in and chew it. And it gets all big in there. And I start to gag, and I. I pray rebuke the devil. Lay hands on my stomach and try to get it in. I still don't like it. But I have learned. Listen. I have learned how to feed from all kinds of ministries black, white or galvanized. Educated, uneducated. Catholic or Protestant. I have learned that God will pour his word through some mighty strange vessel, and I'm learning how to feed from the hand of my father and not pay so much attention to the vessel that is there. I know you heard me about a clean spirit and holiness, and I'm not placing approval on any kind of loose, loose living or anything. I'm just trying to show you that if we're ever going to grow up, we're going to learn how to feed on a multiplicity of ministry, because usually we are guilty of what he says we heap to ourselves teachers who will do us. Oh, I like to sit under that Mumford. He always talk about the deeper life. Well, maybe you need a good shot of the shallow life. How many of you need once in a while to get hit over the head with a good personal evangelism course and say, we're so deep. We don't believe in personal evangelism? Well, Jesus, wasn't that deep. Right. He was a personal worker, wasn't he, brother? See? And so you need to feed on all of these various diets. And and I'm a teacher. And when I would get an evangelist as a pastor, I would usually want to get an evangelist that was that was full of joy and would would, you know, would would preach to our people a different diet than I'd ever given them. If you sat under Mumford teaching continually, you'd be terrible. You don't know what would happen to you. You come out of there, bent the wrong way. You need a variety of teachers now. Now, I want you to know I was going to go through the scriptures on this, but I don't think I'll take all the scriptures on. Let's just let me give you the principle. How many of you know, to some people, Paul was not an apostle. You. Some people did not think Paul was an apostle. Now be very careful. What made him an apostle, besides the fact that God called him to be one? Anyone other than God made him one. What made him an apostle? No, no. Listen, church, please grab this. Don't miss this. What made him an apostle was when people received him as one. Receive a prophet in the name of a prophet. And you get what the prophet can offer you. They said, oh, there's Mumford, come to town. That stupid guy. I knew him when he was in the Navy. You don't think he's gone? Do you know there are people who won't receive teaching from me? See, you think I'm great because I'm not in my hometown, right? But you see, the truth is, you'll sit. Now, look, I went to Princeton, new Jersey to start a Bible class. Uh, Lord led me there. I can't give all the details. But anyway, the Lord sent me to Princeton, new Jersey to work with the Princetonians degree, Princeton University, Princeton Theological Seminary. And there we were. I walked in there. It was about twelve people in the first meeting. And these were all seminary students and, and, and doctoral candidates and all this. And I walked in and I thought, Lord, what am I doing in here? And they sat me down in the middle of the room and across the room. Listen, this is how I was introduced to the Princeton prayer group. This is Bob Mumford, a man whom God has set in the body as a teacher. Now, brother, we receive you as a teacher. Now teach us church. Church. God release teaching ministry in me that I didn't even have. Do you know what I'm saying? They received me as a teacher and consequently, God anointed me to be one. There are some people who do not receive Jesus to be the Son of God. What do they get? Now, some people could have spit on Paul's name, and some of us worship him like he was a super saint. And I think both are wrong. But what made Paul an apostle when he came to town, we said, Apostle Paul is here. We're going to receive his ministry. Paul, what is God saying to you? But there were some who said to me, he's not an apostle. I'm not going to that meeting. I'll stay at home and watch Bonanza. So they did. I'm getting too heavy, aren't I? I don't want to get too heavy. I won't get too, I bet you. Do you hear what I'm saying? Do you see what's happening across the land? I am not placing approval on any man or ministry. I'm not saying that all the enemy wants to do is get a good man to say a bad thing, and then we're all hung up. I'm not tracing blanket approval on any ministry. I'm just saying you've got to learn to hear and receive a ministry. When God sends the ministry, you've got to learn to receive from him. Someone said, I can't receive from Wendell Wallace. He's black. Who's being robbed. You are. If you can't receive from him. But I can't receive from a man. He has too many degrees. He doesn't have enough. I don't like the way he wears. I don't like people who wear blue shirts. Should wear white. How many of you know there are people who are robbed on all kinds of this kind of foolishness? Alright, number four, I'd like to say more about that. I watched twelve years. Maturity was I've been across this land many times and I've watched where the immaturity was. And every time I found a bunch of immature people, they were always revolving around one man. We are Lutheran. Our granddaddy was a Lutheran. We've always been Lutherans and we're going to die Lutherans. I said. You already did. I don't have anything against Luther. God knows I love the Lutheran Church. But if you think all God's truth is wrapped up in the Lutheran church and the way of Luther. I got news for you. See, I'm the only guy that could teach like this and get away with it. I don't know if I'm getting away with it. But it's the truth. We are then the class in Anaheim. I had about six Catholics in the class, and and I was teaching. I remember I was teaching all these Catholics sitting back there and they're all aglow, and they're receiving one lady punch as a friend of mine who's a Protestant gal, and she says, oh, that brother man, he's really got it. You know, if he keeps this up, he's going to be a Catholic. Man, she saw I was on the right track. I'll just keep following that out and you'll be a Catholic. What is that? That's what it really feels. You see that the only revelation there is is right here. Do you see how that will keep you? Alright. Number four, I can hurry along now a little bit. Those are the three worst ones. Number four, and this is very important if you're going to if you're going to grow in God. Number four is called. Did I give you a number for that one. Did I give you a what did I call that one. Oh, reception of a ministry. That's right. You gotta learn to receive ministry and eat everything that's on your plate. Right. And you can't, like an immature child, be so selective of what you're going to eat and what you aren't going to eat. You're going to learn to eat your summer surprise, you gag on it. But I said, Lord, I can't stand that guy. Well, you learn to stand him and I'm going to sit under his ministry and I'm going to suffer, but I'm going to listen. I said, do you know something? I never heard that before. How many of you know there's some things you haven't heard before? That's a shock. Isn't it really a shock to realize that there's so much truth floating around. But because we've been so provincial, we don't understand. Alright. Number four is called intellectual humility. If you ever going to grow up, one of the things that you have to have is called intellectual humility. I'm going to I'm going to wait on God when I don't understand it. Now, I tell you something, church, there is some of you've heard me say this. There's three ways of going through a door. The first way is to sit there and say, well, if God wants me in there, he knows my address. The second way is called the Mumford Way. That's when you tear the door off the hinges and say, Go to God. Open this up, Lord. Open up that old door off the hinges. And then you always get into things that are over your head, right? But there's a third way called. What is that knock and what? Now, I'm suggesting to you that when you come to portions of the Word of God, if you really want to grow up, if you come to portions of the Word of God, don't start being a doorbell pusher. What do you think? What do you think you're going to wind up in the nut house? I'm asking you to do this. Put your head on the altar and say, God, I'm willing to wait for you to open that verse to me. Lord Jesus, you're the author of this thing. Lord Jesus, what are we doing now? What are we doing, Lord? You remember that second Corinthians three eighteen. Lord, I want to know what that means. Lord, won't you show me what? Second Corinthians three eighteen wrote Lord, and you know what will happen. Someone will mail you a book in the mail, and it'll give you exegesis. Or you'll turn on the radio and there it will be. Or the Lord will open it yourself or whatever. But you see, what happens is when we try. Would you permit me to say these words? Some people try to intellectually rape the word of God. They're going to force this thing to come open. It will resist you. And if you insist, it will deceive you. You learn to bow in humility before the eternal Word of God. And when you start forcing interpretations to coincide with your Baptist doctrine, you're asking for stunted growth. How many of you know we have denominational glasses that we put on? We see everything in the local church. Some people see everything with divine order. The Pentecostals see everything speaking in tongues. But you see, there's. But you see, when you stand with intellectual humility at the Word of God and not when the time is right, the Lord will open that to you, and all the flood of truth and joy that will come into your heart. Oh, yes. That's what that means. I have some verses. I've been waiting for eight years. You think that's too long to wait? Are you all right, dear church? You never heard anybody talk like that. But it's a fact. You can't force the word of God. The words that I speak unto you, Who they are. How many of you know you can get the whole word of God from the eyebrows up and it can hurt you, not help you. I used to be very impressed by people who could quote whole chapters, and then I began to realize, a tape recorder can do that. You say Mumford doesn't believe in memorizing the Word of God. You're misquoting me. I eat this thing. I love it, but I tell you something. I come to the word of God with humility, intellectual humility. I said, Lord Jesus, speak to me from this word. This is a love letter from the bride to the bridegroom. And I said, Lord, I know you'll open that to me. Lord, what does it mean? I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. There's so many verses that I thought that I knew. How many of you understand that? Many interpretations that have been handed us when we were on our little painted chairs are not accurate. They're twisted and and and shaded and double dealt because of denominational bias. Number five. What time is it? Two thirty. We gotta be out here at four o'clock. Four thirty. Alright. Number four. Number. What is this? Number five. Alright, let's let's review. We have accepting authority. Number two. Compulsion of truth. Number three. Reception of a ministry. Number four. Intellectual humility. Number five is called spiritual vision. The only way you'll ever let God nail you down is when you see what he's doing. How many of you know the verse that says without a vision, do you know what the Hebrew says? Without a vision, people cast off restraint. Let me tell you again, King James, very weak there without a vision. People cast off restraint. Now, look, you're standing in Egypt, and the Lord says, I have a promised land for you. What is that? What is that? Come on. Vision. See? Do you know why God says he leads you in Egypt? And he says a land flowing with milk and honey. Land where you kill the giants. Why is God saying that to you? Because it's the vision that's going to keep you alive while you come through the dealings of God. If you don't have a goal towards which you're working, you don't have a you don't have a chance of coming through in God. If you think heaven is the ultimate end. God help. I believe in heaven. Literal heaven. I don't hold any funny doctrines. I believe, I believe, I believe, but I'm telling you something. You've got to have a confidence that God is working something for my own good. Are you there? I said, God, I don't know what you're doing, but I believe it's good. We do, don't we? Honey, this is good, isn't it, Lord? You, Lord. I know this is good. Um. You know, I know that this slimy, cold thing that I'm holding in my hand. I know this is not a serpent. It's just long and black and cold, and his tongue sticks out. But that's not a serpent, that's bread. The Bible said it's bread while you stand in faith. Suddenly the thing that looked like a serpent turns into bread. But if you don't know that, if you don't have vision, you don't have a chance. The vision is this God is working to conform you to the image of His son. He has an eternal program towards which he is working. There is nothing here between us and the fulfillment of that vision. That's why Paul said, our light affliction is but for a moment. For the glory which shall be revealed in us. How could he talk like that? He had vision, right? What do you think is wrong with our youth today. No vision, no see. When we were kids, we were living for something and now they have it all. I can remember when I wanted my first nineteen thirty seven Chevrolet. Man, I worked for that. I thought, oh, Hallelujah, what keeps you going? What is it that in the middle of that thing you can say, Glory to God? That's all right. I've talked to a young man. He says, I'm going to be a millionaire before I'm thirty. Well, brother, you got a vision. You got something working for you. And it's very possible you could be. See, because he has a vision. Now, this is not the power of positive thinking. That's that's genuine vision. See, I saw a vision. Jesus wanted to change my spirit. He wanted to take what he saved as Mumford and change it into the image of his son. That's a vision. I wish I could say some things, but. Sir. Say it again. I will. See church. You know, I'm sorry to repeat some of these things, but they're so basic that some of you heard me tell about the guy that had the the the the Bible and the gun. See, the two brothers were evangelists, and one had a Bible, and the other one had a gun, and the other one would make the appeal and get them down to the altar. And he would say, now are you saved? The guy said, yeah. Are you sanctified? He said, yeah. And he said, are you ready to meet Jesus? And the guy said, yeah. And the other brother pulled out his forty five and said. No backslider. Now. Every pastor has a few people he wouldn't mind helping on to heaven. Every pastor does because they're always backslidden. In and out, up and down, in and out. And you know, they always are problem children from the beginning. But I tell you why. If if God's whole goal was to get us to heaven, then I'd just as soon take the gas pipe and get. But you heard me say yesterday, God's goal isn't to get you to heaven. It's not to get you to heaven. The goal is to get heaven in you. Paul, church. When that vision broke upon my soul, when that thing came to me as a revelation and a vision, I said, father, I want to embrace you, will you know why? Because I had something to live for. I had something to sink my teeth in. I had something that was a continual challenge to me, and it never grows dull. It gets better all the time. Oh, I thought, oh, he's changing me and I want to be changed now. I don't want a medium in the condition I am. Somebody said, oh, come, Lord Jesus. I said, not just yet. Give me a little more time to grow, Lord. I just need a little. How many of you know the rapture or the coming of the Lord is the harvest, and you're going to be harvested just like you are? And how much do you change after you've been harvested? Oh, I just not too anxious for the harvest. Yeah, I said, oh, Lord Jesus, confirm me into your image. Work in my life. Cleanse my spirit. Let me hurry. Now I know it's getting late. You've been very patient. Number five. Number six. Isn't it? Number six is Ephesians five seventeen. Uh. Spiritual vision, if you want a text, is, uh, first Samuel three one. Uh, in the days of Samuel, there was no open vision. Uh, just, you know, just so you have a little verse, there's a lot needs to be said there. But vision is extremely important. If you're going to go on in God, you have to believe that he has a goal for you, for the immediate means nothing. It's the long term program. God is working. Number. What is this number? Six Ephesians five seventeen. Would you read that one with me very quickly now Ephesians five seventeen and I want you to to look at it with me, please. And, uh, make sure we understand we ought to read verse sixteen to Ephesians chapter five. Let's read verse fourteen. Oh, glory! Wherefore he saith, awake thou that sleepeth in your religious slumber arise from the dead. There's various interpretation not well, let's don't bother that. And Christ shall give thee light. See then, that ye walk circumspectly not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time. Every day must be redeemed to the changing of my spirit. You can't put it off to tomorrow. Next week doesn't come. Today is gone forever. Today is the day when you can do the will of God. When the offering plate goes by. You have the chance of obeying the Lord then. And if that's gone, it's gone forever. Now is the accepted time. Today is the day of salvation. Redeeming the time because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Number six is this if you're ever going to change, you're going to have to know what the will of God is for you. Now, let me say very quickly now, why do I want to be in the will of God? Because the geographical and the the whole situation of the will of God for me is very important. I'll tell you why. Because when you're in the place which is the will of God for you, it's especially designed to change you. Why does God want you in Portland? Not in Seattle? Because there's some special things in Portland for you. Both good and not so good. See, the lady that you have to learn to love isn't in Seattle. She's in Portland. And the Lord wants you in Portland because that's where you're going to be changed. Now I'm a minister. Do you think that I can get on a plane and go to Hawaii and preach the gospel? You think I can't? Do you think I can leave the will of God and go to my. Go to Hawaii and God will strike me with a lightning bolt, huh? Do you think souls would be saved? And God would bless it? Sure he would. Well, then why are you so interested in the will of God? I'll tell you why. Because in my search for the will of God, I want to be in the place which changes me into his image. It's important for you to know the will of God for you. Number seven, I'm going to correct you. Number seven, let's take it. Ephesians chapter four and verse one, just turn back a page. And this is very important. Ephesians chapter four, verse one I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the calling, or the job to which you were called. What were you called to? You were called with loneliness and meekness and and long suffering. Do you see this forbearing? That's one of the bearings that the church runs on for forbearing. Alright. Forbearing. What does it mean to forbear one another in love? That means put up with all of God's funny children. You can't change them. So what do you have to do with them? Just put up with them. Good old Mumford. You and your teaching. What's the truth? How many of you know there's some people that aren't going to change because there's no one in Portland, but there's some you're going to have to forebear with them. They're saved. They belong to Jesus, but they aren't going to change. They aren't going to come into this thing. They don't want that. They're just going to they're just going to sit on their pew and don't you dare get there. Ahead of them belong to this covenant church. Thirty two years. This is my family pew. Alright. There's one body, one hope, one faith, one baptism, one God, one father of all, who is above all, through all and in you all. Number seven is this I gotta quit. It's this growth in body relationship. Now listen, there's one body. I don't care how segmented it is. How many churches are there really in Portland? They don't know it yet, but it's going to be a jolt when they find out I'm their brother. Oh no Lord, I said. Oh, yeah. God has funny kids like me going to be a joke to some people. There's only one church, one hope, one faith. Now listen, listen. Anyone can be spiritual all by themselves. Somebody said, you know that Brother Stan. He's very spiritual. And my question is, who is he spiritual with? I see when I, when I'm home alone and I singing in the shower. Oh, man, it sounds like Caruso. Oh, I love the tile vibrates. But then when I get out with some people who really know how to sing and not doing so good. Strange how when we're spiritual all alone. We can get so spiritually conceited and get so absolutely stilted. And then when God puts look, when God puts one of his dear kids on the top and one on the bottom and one on the side and one on the other side, and you're all hemmed in. Who I should talk. There's a binding spirit in this place. I'm going to change churches. That isn't binding. Spirit, dear. You're just being brought into relationship. God is delivering you from being a spiritual lone Ranger. Right. Ride across the prairies. Alone. all alone in one day. The Lord, said Mumford. You can't ride alone anymore. There's a thing called the body of Christ. And I'm going to relate you to your brothers and to your sisters. I'm going to show you they're black and they're white and they're educated and they're uneducated. And I'm going to teach you that across Portland is a beautiful thing called the body of Christ. And you can't grow this way. Only you have to grow this way also. Now, the thing the reason why God demands that we grow this way is this is what changes us. It's when we relate to each other, we start changing. Do you believe that? Yeah. You start relating this way. And, brother, the sparks begin to fly. The problem start. And I said, honey, don't jump out of the boat. Don't escape. Don't run from it. Dig your teeth in. Believe God, accept the authority. Listen to the ministry. And I said, God, if there's some changes in our prayer group, let it begin in me. The very ones who are so concerned about the prayer group are usually the ones that destroy it. The man who is, or the woman who is individualistic enough to get one started is usually too individualistic, fit in with the thing after it get going. Isn't that nasty? Blessed is the man who is called to work with preachers. You know why? Because preachers are strong headed, individualistic, and their leaders get twenty five leaders in one place. What? Do you have problems?