The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder Lacerre Bradley, Jr. This is Lacerre Bradley, Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. With today's broadcast, we complete 72 years on the air with the Baptist Bible Hour, and we're bringing you a special anniversary broadcast. Our theme, Joy in Dark Times.
On one of our programs this past year, you heard this. The message we bring you today was preached at Cincinnati Promotive Baptist Church, June 30th of this year. Today, Emily and I celebrate our 60th anniversary. We were married here at Cincinnati Church in 1964, and rejoicing in the Lord and thankful for his many mercies which we have enjoyed over the years.
We've known joys and sorrows. Our first little girl, whom we named Elizabeth, only lived 18 hours. When she died, Emily said, I want to hold her. But the nurse said, it's against our rule to hold a baby after it dies.
I had to go through three levels of authority, insisting it is our baby and that my wife should be allowed to hold her. Finally, they put our beautiful baby girl in Emily's arms. There were tears in her eyes, but she said, I've got the sweetest peace I've ever known. My comfort had not come yet. I had to go buy her a dress to be buried in.
As I looked for a dress in that store, my heart was so heavy and my grief so deep, I thought I could never imagine being happy again. But ultimately, I found comfort through promises like Isaiah 41-3. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee. And through believing that our little girl is with the Lord, I found comfort and peace. And today we look back over the years and can say with the hymn writer, Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. Disgrace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home. And then came times of rejoicing when Leanna, Peggy, and Trevor were born. We're very thankful for them and for the ones that they married, and today we further rejoice that we have 21 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and more on the way.
And we love them all very much. One of the blessings that enables us to rejoice in dark times is the realization we are never alone. Isaiah 46 verse 4 says, And even to your old age I am key, even to whore hairs will I carry you. I have made and I will bear, even I will carry and will deliver you. So the promise is, even to old age. Not only does it say, I will not desert you, I will not forsake you, but I will carry you. What a promise! When you're weak and fragile and you feel like you just can barely get along, the Lord said, I will carry you.
Seems so incredible, how could a woman forget her nursing child? But even if they should forget, I will not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands, thy walls are continually before me. Your name graven on the palm of God's hand, a way to express to you that you have a connection with Him.
He's not going to forget about you. And then he says, Isaiah 43 verse 2, When thou passeth through the waters, what? I will be with thee, never alone. You're passing through the deep waters, the cold waters, never alone. And Psalm 23 verse 4, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Do you believe His promises?
On we could go. The Bible's full of them. How then can we sit idly by and mourn and grieve and complain and say, I feel so much alone? God says, if you're one of Him, you're never, you're never alone. I've seen the lightning flashing and heard the thunder roll. I've felt sins break a stashing, trying to conquer my soul.
I've heard the voice of Jesus telling me still to fight on. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. No, never alone.
No, never alone. He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. What a comfort to know nothing, absolutely nothing can separate us from the Father's love. He is there doing what is His pleasure to the glory of His name for the benefit of His people. He's the Creator, the Creator of the end of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary, and there's no searching of His understanding. Now look at the things that are stated about God just in this passage.
He's the Creator, He has great power, He's strong in power, He's the everlasting God, He does not faint, He is not weary. If I'm speaking to somebody today who feels to be fainting, discouraged, may feel hopeless, I point you to the one who has all power and who delights to hear the cry of those that are in great need. And then somebody today may feel faint and discouraged about your own salvation. You've been waiting for a feeling, you wanted to have some kind of impressive experience that would satisfy your own mind and convince others. But I urge you today, look to Jesus.
Don't be depending on how you feel and how you would like for all of this to sort out. Hear what Jesus said in John chapter 3 verse 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life. Just as Moses lifted up that serpent and those who were bitten by serpents looked upon it, Jesus says in like manner, the Son of Man is going to be lifted up.
He was, He was lifted up on the cross. He says, the one now that believes in Him. Look, look to Jesus, look to Him. He says, this one shall not perish but have eternal life. See, there's hope for those who feel faint because our strength, our hope, our help is in our God. Realizing we have been saved from wrath to come should give us great joy even in the darkest of times.
Now the next way these people are identified is that they had truly repented. Verse 9 says, for they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had unto you and how ye turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God. That's evidence that you're one of God's elect, that you turn from your idol. So it might say, I've never had an idol.
Oh now let's wait a minute. It doesn't have to be an idol of gold or silver or stone, the idol of your own heart. You can make an idol out of material things. You can make an idol out of a person.
Many ways that you can be guilty of idolatry. Well these people turn from their idols to serve the living and true God. And the next description, verse 10, waiting for His return and to wait for His Son from heaven whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us.
What? There's a text, from the wrath to come. Jesus who delivered us from the wrath to come is coming back. And while we read that He's coming taking vengeance upon those that know not God and obey not the gospel. The next verse after that says, when He shall come to be glorified in all His saints and to be admired in all them which believe.
Isn't that wonderful to think about? Yes, these who are the elect of God and received the gospel and rejoiced in it are people who are looking for the second coming of Christ. Are you looking for it? Do you keep that in mind? Do you rejoice in the anticipation of it?
Do you pray? Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus. Yes, He's coming to be glorified and to be admired in all them which believe.
Oh, what a time that will be. We've been singing about Jesus, talking about Jesus, preaching about Jesus and think of seeing Jesus being in His presence. And no, we'll never have to leave Him. It's going to be an eternal state to live with Him in heaven. He delivered us from the wrath to come. We can't take any credit.
It's not anything that we have done. It's the mercy of God, the redemptive work of Jesus Christ at the cross to put our sins away and when we by faith have believed on Him, His righteousness is imputed to us and we as fallen, ruined sinners stand before Him perfectly. I ought to rejoice in that every day. We sing Amazing Grace and when you think about what the Lord has done and looking for His anticipation, no matter what trouble we're having, we ought to come back and say, Oh, how great is Thy grace and I rejoice in it and we look to that happy day when Jesus comes back. Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin.
How shall my tongue describe it? Where shall my praise begin? Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free for the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me. Wonderful the massless grace of Jesus, deeper than the mighty rolling sea. Wonderful the loveless grace of Jesus, for even me, broader than the stone for my transgression. Great upon that of my sin and shame, O magnify the precious name of Jesus.
Praise His name. I want to pause now in this anniversary program as we celebrate the completion of 72 years on the air and express my appreciation for all of you who have helped us to support the work through the years. I think back when I went to a local station and told the manager I wanted to buy time for a 30-minute program. She said, Well, you'll have to sign a 13-week contract. I said I was willing to do that, but I suppose she was skeptical about selling time to a 17-year-old boy. So she asked, Do you have the money to pay for it?
I said, Well, I've got enough to pay for the first one and I'm going to trust God for the rest. So here we are, 72 years later, and I want to give thanks to the Lord and praise His name for making it possible. Now, if you want the program to continue on your local station, we need to hear from you. We need your support. When you write and request it, we will send you our booklet, Things Can Be Better Today.
It deals with this issue of joy in dark times and hopefully will be a comfort to you. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour, Box 17037, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. Or you can go to our website and make a donation there.
That's BaptistBibleHour.org. Now the fact is we're going to have to cancel some of the stations currently carrying the program. So it's urgent if you want us to remain on your station. We need to hear from you now.
As you send your donation, mention the call letters over which the program comes to you or the website where you receive it. We ask for your prayers that God will guide us in the matter that is before us at present time. The burdens of life may be heavy and the waves seem dark, but remembering the marvels of God's grace provides real joy.
For some of you it's been 40 years, for some of you 50, for some of you 60, some of you 70 and more. You would indeed say he's a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. He's one who has never forsaken me. I've been able to rely upon him.
I've been able to claim his promises. I've been able to say I'm satisfied with Jesus. Hymn number 590 in our book says, The longer I know my Savior, the dearer He is to me. The harder I try to please Him, the better I want to be. Oh, wonderful, matchless Jesus, His child I shall always be. The longer I know and love Him, the dearer He is to me.
Is that not your experience? The longer I know and love Him, the dearer He is to me. Yes, you can say He has never forsaken me. When I've stumbled, when I've sometimes fallen down, when I've sometimes been sinking in the mire, He has lifted me up. If we are to have joy, even in dark times, we must be thankful. Keenly aware we are unworthy and deserve nothing. So then we're thankful for His abundant mercies.
I say there's another difficult thing. To be careful for nothing means do not worry. Worry is a sin. Jay Adams used to speak when he was on traveling and going to different congregations and he'd say, I want to ask, how many people here tonight are liars? Would you please raise your hand? He said no hands would go up and he might ask another question or two and he'd say, well I wonder how many here are worriers?
Hands go up all over the house and people with a big smile. That's me, I'm an old time worrier from way back. Not realizing that worry is a sin.
I didn't want to admit to any other sin but glad to confess to this sin. I am a worrier. Jesus says be careful, don't be full of care.
Do not worry. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Now here's a key to coming to be able to rejoice. You've got your burdens, you've got your needs, you make your requests known to the Lord. You sit and mull over them, you don't fret and fume, you take the matter to the Lord. And it's essential according to the text to do it with thanksgiving. How often do we forget that? We've got a burden and so we rest quickly to the Lord and say Lord here's my burden, here's my need and not one word of thanksgiving. He says to make your requests known with thanksgiving. The person that's thankful is a joyous person.
Thankful for everything that God's blessed you to have. One of our messages this past year was entitled, Come Home. We looked at the experience of the prodigal son and saw he had no joy as he left his father's house and wasted his substance in riotous living. In a time of famine he said that the hired servants of my father are much better off than I am and he decided to go to the father and confess he was not worthy to be called his son and would ask to be made just a hired servant. But as he journeyed toward home the father saw him and had compassion on him and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. Then he said to the servants, Kill the fatted calf and let us eat and be merry. Now he knew real joy. In spite of his unworthiness he was embraced by his father and sat at the father's table. It makes me think about it.
My hand had came to me one time after a speaking engagement. He said, well I'll tell you preacher, I have a lot of trouble with the Bible but the part that troubles me most is that story of the prodigal son. That boy didn't have a right to sit down to a feast. He wasn't entitled to that.
I said, that's the point. This is a display of grace. He wasn't receiving something for what he had earned and what he deserved. It was the love and mercy of his father and that's our position as we as poor sinners come to Jesus Christ. This message was for the Pharisees who criticized Jesus for receiving sinners.
So let's think about the lessons learned. The father delighted to receive one who came to him in true repentance. That includes a believer who has gone astray. David is one who sinned greatly.
He said in Psalm 51 verse 1, Have mercy upon me, O God, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies. The Pharisees blot out my transgressions. Verse 4, Against thee the only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight.
Or Peter who had denied his Lord but with great tears had genuinely repented and Jesus said to him in John 21, 12, Come and dine. And certainly there is a message here for those of you who have never come to the Father's house. You may not have indulged in riotous living as did the prodigal son, but you've chosen to go your own way and have attempted to find satisfaction in worldly pleasures.
You could well take to your lips the words of the Psalm that was popular a few years ago, I did it my way. That's been your attitude in life. But if you've been convicted of your sin, you see that your way is the wrong way. Maybe you haven't given much serious thought to where you will go at death, but the only place of safety is in the Father's house.
Well, somebody might say, I've gone too far. I can't believe I could be received. But look at the abundant love displayed by the Father.
He received the Son with great joy. The message I want you to hear today is come home, come home. I wandered far away from God, now I'm coming home. The paths of sin too long have trod, Lord, I'm coming home. Coming home, coming home, never more to roam. Open wide thine arms of love, Lord, I'm coming home. And considering the fact that we shall one day be with the Lord and join the heavenly chorus to praise Him forever should be a constant source of joy.
There are a lot of things that we participate in here in life that certainly will not be a part of what goes on in heaven. But friends, let me tell you something, there is singing in heaven. Revelation chapter 5 verse 8.
And when He had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors which are the prayers of saints. And they sung a new song saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for Thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. Oh, what a song! That's a song someday that you and I will be able to sing over there.
To sing, Thou art worthy for Thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by Thy blood. What a triumphant song! All the battles of this life will have been ended. All the troubles and heartaches will be over. All the tears will be wiped away.
Can you imagine that? Not singing as we often do here with a cracked voice, but in the resurrection, made like into the image of Jesus Christ, being able to sing a perfect tune, being able to sing a perfect and a holy song, being able to truly devote ourselves entirely to it, to lift up that triumphant chorus in praise and adoration to Jesus Christ. They sing in heaven.
Well, if they're singing in heaven, don't you think we ought to sing down here? How I love the great Redeemer Who is doing so much for me With the joy I tell the story Of the love that makes men free Till my earthly life is ended I will send songs of love Then beside the crystal sea More and more my soul shall be Praising Jesus and His law He is everything to me He is everything to me And everything shall we be I will never cease to raise A song of gladness in His praise Here and in the world above My soul shall sing of saving love Life and life and joyous He The precious bread who died for me Today we have brought you a special anniversary program as we celebrate the completion of 72 years on the air. I hope you will write and let us know that you have listened and if you can help with the support of the program it will be greatly appreciated.
The need is very great at present and remember if you will request it we will send you our booklet, Things Can Be Better Today. Our address is Baptist Bible Hour Box 17037 Cincinnati, Ohio 45217 and I hope you will visit our website where you can read the Baptist Witness and also make a donation. And now until next week at this same time may the Lord richly bless you all. Today is a glorious day and will be There will be no sorrow there No more burdens to bear No more sickness, no pain No more parting over there The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. Address all mail to The Baptist Bible Hour Cincinnati, Ohio 45217 That's The Baptist Bible Hour Cincinnati, Ohio 45217 What a day that will be When my Jesus I shall see When I look upon his face The one who saved me by his grace When he takes me by the hand And leads me through the promised land What a day, glorious day that will be
