Transcript of message from TV Broadcast 804 -- taken from Closed Captioning Text

-- Brother Phil Enlow: You know, I was just thinking...the condition of the world. Jesus...or the prophet Isaiah described in chapter 60, I'll just refer to a Scripture you know, the condition of the world. Particularly, I think he was referring to the condition when Jesus came into the world.

And he described it as darkness and gross darkness upon the people. There was an almost total ignorance of God in the earth. And men just took their natural lives and lived them as they saw fit. They lived them as other men lived them. The values and the darkness, the sin of this world just controlled the way people thought and the way people lived.

And, of course, you grow up...we grow up in the world and we just sort of look around and...well, I guess, they have the same problems I do. They're just like me. I'm no better or no worse. And we evaluate our lives by the darkness that we see around us. But Jesus came into the world because He saw that things were not as men saw them, that there was a desperate, desperate, desperate need in the hearts of men.

But I'll tell you what, there is a reality, there is a light beyond the darkness of this world. We're seeing an almost different kind of darkness in the world today. It's a darkness of people who had light and said, no, in many cases. But I believe there's still some of the other kind, where you just don't know.

You know, there was a man once named John Newton, and he was a slave trader, oh, a couple of hundred years or so, or more ago...and lived a wicked life, just a horrible, wicked life. And then God suddenly got a hold of his life and opened his eyes to his own wickedness. And instead of hardening his heart against that knowledge, he humbled himself and said, yes God. Oh God, help me, deliver me.

Now why didn't he do that before that? It's because he didn't see. He didn't know. He didn't have any clue what was wrong with his own life. But God had mercy on that man. And that man later penned the words, "Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound--That saved a wretch like me!" Something had caused that man to suddenly understand that he was a wretch. I'm sure he'd been full of pride, full of self-confidence and he'd loved things that his flesh desired, and he ran after those things and his life was just...I've got a handle on it. I'm a ship's captain, I'll have you know!

Just...well we're all human. We understand what human life is like and the human psyche is like. My God, we walk in pride. But oh, I'll tell you what, there is a mercy of God that is at work whenever a soul comes to that knowledge that he came to. I once was blind, he said...once "...was blind but now I see." Only Christ can penetrate that darkness. That's what the message of the Gospel is about.

It, first of all, requires that God would absolutely bring you to the point where you have no confidence toward God. You know that you are in desperate trouble without Jesus! You know, we know just from looking around that our life in this world is...what is it? The Scripture calls it a vapor. It appears for a little while and then it's gone. I'll tell you what, I don't care who you are, I don't care what you will accomplish in the eyes of this world, when your time comes you are leaving here! You life will be over! What will you have then?

That's the thing that God would cause people, would arrest people with that simple knowledge. This life that you value so highly, you cling to so desperately, you run after whatever you think will somehow gratify, and satisfy, and whatever you think you need...but oh, I'll tell you what, you weren't made for what this world is living for. God made us for Himself. It's the rebellion and the sin and the unbelief in the hearts of men that have brought about all the wickedness and all the darkness of this world...listening to the wrong voice.

But oh, I praise God that we have a message that can confront that condition. But I'll tell you, if at the heart of what we do, we do not have a message that causes people to look in the mirror and say, oh God, what a wretch I am...I can't even look at myself anymore. I was so full of pride, but now I see that I'm a wretched, lost, hopeless sinner before a holy God and I'm gonna have to stand before Him. He gave me this life and what have I done with it? Oh God...if you're here this morning, I pray that God will convict your heart of your need. Oh praise God! That's God mercy.

( congregational amens ).

That's God's mercy. Everyone here who's ever entered into faith has to come that way. If you come and you just sort of slip and slide past that and you admit, oh yes, I've made some mistakes, Jesus, come into my life. There's nothing to that. Churches are full of people who've made shallow decisions supposedly for Jesus. But God has never shown them their sinfulness and their need of Christ. And that's the need. Oh I pray, if you're here and you don't have Jesus today, that you will...you won't sleep!

( congregational amens ).

And I don't pray that 'cause I hate you, and God doesn't do things like that to people because He hates them. It's because He loves them and wants them rescued.

( congregational amens ).

If He lets you go, you'd just go. There's nothing in you that's inclined to serve God. There's nothing in you that's inclined to look in the mirror and say, boy I'm a terrible person. I'm in need. You know, there are some people, of course, who do have...they see the raw side life and they're into some sort of distress because of that. And I'll tell you, some of those people are easier to reach. They see the futility of this life, and the pain and all of that. But even so, that's not enough. You've got to come to the place where you see that 'you' are the reason, you're the problem.

( congregational amens ).

There's nothing in you that can provide a solution to that problem...nothing! Oh the message of the Gospel is first to shine that light of God, to give you the true knowledge of your situation, because men, as I say, walk in a vain show. All the pomp and circumstance and the glory of what men...who men are and what they've done is absolutely nothing! What do you think it's gonna mean on that day? What do you think it's gonna mean when suddenly Jesus comes and fire falls?

And I'll tell you that's the way it's gonna be. I know a lot of people don't teach it that way. But you look at the Word of God and you will see that the day that the Lord rescues His people is the day the destruction falls on this planet.

( congregational amens ).

And it's gonna come. And it's gonna come without warning. Praise God! But oh, God's heart is not looking forward to saying, oh boy, now's my chance. I can really pour out all my anger against this world. He says, oh no, my heart is full of love. Where there's a heart I can deal with, I'm gonna deal with it. I'm gonna reach out in my heart of love, 'cause Jesus didn't come into the world, even though it was in the condition it was in, He didn't come into the world to put His finger in their face and say, you rotten sinner, you...you horrible harlot, you...He didn't do that, did He? Boy He...He dealt with people a lot different than we would. We're awful quick to look down our nose at poor sinners, not realizing we're just as bad as they are except for the grace of God. There's no difference.

( congregational amens ).

Who are we to point a finger? Jesus came not to condemn the world--not "...to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved."(KJV). And that's God answer to your dilemma. It's not a list of do's and don'ts. It's not a religion to practice. It's Jesus and what He's done for you.

( congregational amens ).

Oh, wow! What a message! That's why Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel...Jesus Christ. Good News is what the Gospel means! It's good news to a sinner!

( congregational amens ).

It's nonsense to somebody who's never seen what they are. It doesn't make a bit of sense. You don't what you need to be saved from. But I pray God will show you. Oh God, I pray that He'll open your eyes because once you see Him, He's wonderful.

( congregational amens ).

I'll tell you what, the people who appreciate Him are the most are the ones that He saves from the most...or saves them from the most. There's one case where a woman who was evidently a harlot, but had heard the Word of God and it had brought repentance and conviction to her heart and she came into a man's house where Jesus had been invited in as a guest. It was a custom to wash their feet, provide a servant, you know, just certain common hospitality. And the man hadn't even bothered with it.

This woman comes in and she begins to worship Him. She falls down at His feet and her tears are flowing. The gratitude that she has for what God had done for her, the forgiveness, the love that she felt from Him...it opened up a door into heaven itself. God's mercy shone down upon her. And her very tears fell all over His feet. And she washed His feet with her tears, dried them with her hair, poured some expensive ointment all over His feet.

Oh I'll tell you, that Pharisee didn't like it a bit. Don't You know what kind of woman that is? What's the matter with You? He that's...the one that's forgiven much will love much. I'll tell you what, we've got some people here that God's forgiven you some things...oh God, oh God. The more I go on the more I appreciate His mercy toward me.

( congregational amens ).

Because the further I go, the more I see what I am and I know I have no basis of confidence in myself. I see that no matter how many times I fall, and I don't want to fall...but many times I come short. He doesn't throw me in the garbage. He loves me! Oh praise God! That's the Good News!

( congregational amens ).

There's nothing you can do about your sins. That's why God put them on His Son. He charged His Son with your sins. When He went to the cross, He didn't go there for anything He'd done. He'd done nothing...sinless, spotless, innocent. For Him to humble Himself for you, to be tortured to death...the most ignominious death and the most suffering that they could think to inflict upon Him. Whatever they could think to do to Him, they did. To be crucified, tortured, naked on a cross...held up for the ridicule of all the world to see, and He did that for you and for me. My God! I praise Him!

( congregational praise ).

I praise the Lord for what He's done.

( congregational praise ).

He is offered to me as my hope. I believe in Him. I trust in what He did for me. I believe that the Father accepts what He did for me, that because of Him my sins can be completely gone. I can be free.

( congregational amens ).

Praise God! And so can you! Praise the Lord. Praise God! That's the good news of the Gospel. It is the power of God. This is not something where you just embrace a little doctrine, a little bit of religion, and you delude yourself into something that isn't so. This is a real miracle that God wants to perform in somebody's heart. It'll change the way you look at life. It'll change everything in your life and if you haven't had your life changed, maybe you need to go back and look and see...have I really understood the Gospel, have I every really bowed my knee to Jesus Christ? Is He the Lord of my life?

( congregational amens ).

Because that's what it costs...He has come to give me a life, another life. Now the life that I got from Adam, from being born into the human family, that's gonna die. And it's getting older and the aches and pains are growing, the stiffness is growing. I may not have my right mind before it's over. But I'll tell you what, I got something else. I got it, not because I deserve it, because God's mercy shone into my heart and my life and I saw what I was, and I said, Lord, I turn from that. I end that life. I'm done with it. I want Yours. Come in, take over, fill this life, change it, change my heart. Praise God! He did! He came into my life. And so no matter what happens down here, I've got something that's gonna last forever.

( congregational amens ).

And I've got it because He gave it to me, because the Father had that kind of love for me. That's the message of the Gospel that Paul wasn't ashamed about. He knew no matter how deep in sin somebody was, no matter how high up on a throne they were, everybody needs the same Gospel, the same Good News, because without Jesus you have nothing!

( congregational amens ).

Like the song we sing, without Jesus you have nothing at all...nothing. Your life is worthless in terms of eternity. I don't care who you are or what you think you are. Oh I pray that God will just bring people into a knowledge of what they are, because the minute you see it, then He'll begin to open up your eyes to see the love that He has for you anyway!

( congregational amens ).

Because even though you don't know what you are, He does! He knows things about me that I don't know yet! And the amazing thing is, He loves me anyway! Praise God! I don't have any...I can't fathom that. It's just not like anything we know down here. It's a divine miracle that God loves me and that He loves you.

( congregational amens ).

Praise God! Praise God! But that's the cost...to have the new life that He wants is to give up your own...to see what it is and then to say, Lord I'm done with it. You know that's what baptism is all about. You know what you do in baptism? You come to bury...you come to be buried. You're saying by that, here's my old...here's my life, Lord. That's where it belongs. I'm renouncing everything that has been before this point. It's done, it's over. That life is through. From this moment forward as I rise out of the water, I receive everything that you have for me. That's the life I embrace and I go forward with that life. Praise God! Praise God! That's what it's about, is exchanging one life for another...giving Him what you cannot keep to gain what you cannot lose.

( congregational amens ).

Oh praise God! Praise the Lord. I don't where the Lord intends this to go this morning, but I'll tell you what, we need to pray, because the conviction that falls upon people who need this has everything to do with people praying for them and interceding and saying, oh God, don't leave them in the condition they're in! They're blind...they don't get it, they don't understand what we see and we only see it by Your grace.

But, oh God, we who see it, long that they see it. Not so they'll feel bad about themselves, but so they'll realize they need You, and they'll cry out, and the longings and the things that have been...that they begin to feel in their hearts, You can go in and fill those things. The love that they've lived without all their lives, some of them, they'll know what love is all about, because they'll see that Jesus died for them. Praise God! I'll tell you what...you know when we come to Christ, He goes to work on us, doesn't He? The Lord been working on anybody here this week? Yeah...just like all of us.

( laughing ).

That know Him. I thank God that He does.

( congregational amens ).

You know just the fact that we turn our lives over to Him doesn't instantly mean we're where we're supposed to be, does it? You discovered that yet?

( congregational response ).

You know we don't understand just how much, how married we are to the old ways and the old you and the old thoughts and the old...I praise God for His mercy. I see Him working in me. I see Him working in you and sometimes it's pretty painful, isn't it?

You know, sometimes the kindest thing that the Lord can do is to let us really fall in the mud real good. You know why He does that? Because we're going along trusting in ourselves, and He says, I want to set you free. I love you. I'm concerned about you. And if you're like me, it kind of destroys your pride and your confidence. You thought you had a handle on it.

But you know, it's sort of like Peter. Peter thought he had a handle on it, didn't he? He said...Jesus warned him. He said you better pray, and Peter said, I'm too tired, Lord, I'll do it later. But the Lord knew, didn't He? I'll tell you what, I want to be more like somebody that when the Lord says, you need this...I need you to go this way, I need you to do this...I'll tell you, we put ourselves in the Lord's hands, He takes over our lives and He begins to work. And you know something, He doesn't quit. Praise God!

( congregational amens ).

You know, Don read that Scripture recently "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." That's the wonderful thing! This isn't just a one-shot flu shot to get you to heaven. Come to Jesus, invite Him into your life and boom, you're all fixed up. This is a journey, a life time journey of learning how to lay down our way and take up His.

And oh, I'll tell you, the more we do, the more peace, the more joy, the more rest...and I just appreciate God. I thank Him for the times that He lets me fall in the mud. I praise Him for it. You know, it kind of destroys my confidence for a little bit and it destroys my pride. But thank God for that!

( congregational amens ).

My pride needs to be destroyed, because if I am doing anything and it's on the basis of some sort of self-confidence that...well, I can handle this. And the Lord's saying there, well, let's see. You know, you're not really trusting in Me, you're trusting in what you are and what you think you can do, what you know. And the Lord says, you better do this, and I don't do it...next thing you know I'm face down in the mud. Praise God!

( congregational amens ).

That's because God loves me.

( congregational amens ).

And you know the glorious thing is that when it's all done, He loves me again. He never stopped loving me, but I begin to realize...Lord, you still love me. You knew all about that, Lord. How could You love me? You knew that was going on. You know all of our life we're gonna be discovering things where we thought things were one way and they're really another. Praise God!

I'll tell you, the same revelation that a sinner needs...that they're a sinner and they need a Savior, we need about ourselves, we as Christians. That may be what's going on in your life right now. God wants to open my eyes to see what I really am, because I...you know I've got my own little self image here. And, of course there's a lot of pride mixed in with that. And if you're anything like me--and you are--it's that way with you, too. We've got a pretty good self image, even spiritually as Christians. Oh God, bring us to the place where we have no confidence in ourselves!

( congregational amens ).

But instead of no confidence...it's not that we're left with no confidence, it's just no confidence in this guy. It's a confidence that is replaced in Jesus Christ.

( congregational amens ).

Because salvation isn't just getting rid of my sins, it's making me into a new creature and it's a process that He takes throughout my entire life. That's been said here this morning and that's exactly the truth. And so, I just rejoice in Him this morning.

But I want to exhort me and all of us, my God, let's pray, 'cause I'm sure, I'm confident in a crowd this size, there are people who don't know what we are talking about here this morning. They have no clue. And they don't even know they need a Savior. They don't even know what salvation is all about. They don't know what it is to be lost and to sense the terror of being hopeless and helpless and a sinner before a holy God.

If that's your case today, I pray that God will reveal that to you and then He will pour in His love and you will come to the place that John Newton came...amazing grace. It's "Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound--That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see." Oh praise God, what a wonderful Gospel we have.

( congregational praise ).

And I'm not ashamed of it. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a sinner before a holy God, but that He loved me in spite of my sins, that Jesus is my answer! He is the hope for the hopeless today! I don't care who you are, Jesus is the answer to your life. It's Him coming and living His life in you and you yielding to Him and saying, Lord, not my way, Your way...not my thoughts, Your thoughts.

I'll tell you what, if you've got a problem in your life today, it isn't one Jesus put there. It's because you're trying to do it your way. There's something you're hanging on to and you're clinging to, and the devil's using that to undermine your life. I pray, in spite of everything that...in spite of the discomfort of having to face what I am...God don't stop!

( congregational amens ).

God give me the grace to humble myself, and my brothers and sisters to humble ourselves and say, Lord, Your way is the way to peace, 'cause every time He opens our eyes to what we are...and instead of hardening our hearts, we say, yes, Lord. Yes, it's just exactly like You say and I'm sorry. Oh God, come in and change my way of thinking, my way of doing. I'm sorry.

What does He do? Oh, He comes in. And there's such a great sweetness and such a great joy that comes from realizing what I am and that He loves me anyway. And then it's so much easier just to praise Him, and to say, oh God, I love You, I praise You, I worship You. You are worth everything. This world is worth nothing. Oh God, get us through this place.

But while we're here, help us to do Your work. Help us to be vessels that You can use, because it's not what we can do here in the natural that has any bearing on anything. My God, it'll burn up. But God, help us to live for You. Help us to be the same kind of light that Jesus was. The Father lived in Him and that was the light of people around Him. But God wants to live in us. Jesus wants to live in us, so we can be lights, too.

I pray that God will get me out of the way, 'cause I swear, I get in His way all the time. Some of you probably know what I'm talking about. But oh, He's patient. His patience never runs out. His love never runs out for His children. His faithfulness never fails. He is 100 percent committed to getting you and me through, and so that's where my trust is in, 'cause there's nothing I can do. But He can do it...a perfect job if I just put my hope in Him, and I believe in Him today, and I gladly confess He is my Lord and Savior because I need one.

( congregational amens ).

There's nothing in me that can hope to have what He has laid before me. But what I could never retain, He has given me through His grace and I praise Him. I owe Him my life, and you owe Him yours, too. That's the Gospel. It's Jesus, the answer to the need of the world.

And so I pray, wherever you're at. If you're a Christian and you're struggling, you need to look to Him and praise Him and ask Him to work in your life. And when you ask Him to work in your life, and you fall in the mud, don't you say, "What happened?"

( laughter ).

If you'll stop and think about it, you know what happened! Because God...the Lord saw you were trusting in yourself and you needed some help there, and so He showed you because He told you 100 times, but you didn't listen. So He says, all right, I'll stand back and show you. You do it your way, and we'll see how it works out. You've seen children do that?

( congregational response ).

Yeah...like all of 'em. That's the way...that's just human nature. Mama says, don't do this, don't do this, don't do this, and her motive is because they're gonna get hurt. And they go ahead and do it anyway. And they come bawling.

( feigned crying ).

What happened? Well, you did it your way.

( laughing ).

You need to learn. But I'll tell you, if you're without Jesus and this disturbs you this morning, that's a wonderful thing. You need to Praise God! You need to cry out to Him to open your eyes completely to see what's going on here, 'cause if you don't, you're lost. This is wonderful news to a sinner, but I'll tell you, it's a horrible thing to turn your back and say, oh no, I want my way and not God's. I pray there's nobody here that will resist the dealings of God with your life. You will never be sorry for putting your hope and trust in Jesus Christ!

( congregational amens ).

He is the only reason to live and I praise Him this morning, don't you?

( congregational amens ).

Praise God! Give Him praise this morning!

( congregational praise ).

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