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Sermon Texts Beginning With C
Come, Follow Me (63-0601)
| Come, Follow Me (63-0601) |
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E-1 Well, no, that was before Becky was born. And so I--I thought, "Well, you know... I--I just eat a bowl of oatmeal, costs a dime." Well, I'd just... They'd give me my ticket and just sign it (You see?), and I'd paid for it, give it back, and I'd turn it in, 'cause I had an expense account.
E-2 Mr. Fields, which was the assistant superintendent, he said, "Billy, turn in a dollar anyhow. At least that's what the rest of them's doing." He said, "You got to keep that together."
E-3 So here not long ago with a patrolman... Now they patrol by helicopters. See? So he came by and he stopped. He said, "Say, Brother Branham," he said, "this tree is growing." E-4 I went away on a trip; when I come back she was sawed down and moved out. Oh, what a suit that would've been on the company (You see?), for cutting that tree. You see? And so I thought, "Now, now," I said, "Lord, I'm not going to even mention that." See? Whether if there is anything that I--that I--on that--sometimes turning in, only eating a dime's worth and have to turn in fifty cents. See? I said, "If there is something on that, let that make it up (See?), that--that I--that I put that in. You see? That I..." And I quit dreaming about it. Being in public service company then (See?), 'cause it must've been something back in there. We have to watch what we do. We got to meet it someday. E-5 Kids, come over here. Your mother was over today, Trudy. I guess you didn't--you didn't know this. It was kind of a surprise, I can see. And you're fixing to graduate. And we've had this trip out here together. And I'll go into a meeting now. Immediately after this meeting, and we're going to go home. I thought it would be a good chance to talk to you all, and then also I thought it would be good to speak to the kids just a little bit before your graduation. Read a verse out of the Bible, and just talk to you from my heart for about ten minutes... I'll slip out of your way. See? E-6 Before I talk to you kids, I'd just like to talk to the adults just a minute...?... to all of you. It's... Now perhaps, maybe, a strenuous trip; it's been a... But the experience that I've learned from God, I wouldn't take ten thousand dollars for what I learned of the Lord since I been here. I truly believe I come in full obedience to the command of the Almighty, and I--I hope I can ever remain that way. And there's a...
E-7 When I come, one thing, was by a vision, that I was standing above Tucson up here when a blast went off. Brother Fred was there when it went off. And they took that picture, you know, in the sky. And I didn't think much about it, never noticed it. so it begin to impress me somehow the other day. And Brother Norman, Norma's father here, told me, said, "Did you notice this?"
E-8 Twenty-six miles high, why, vapor can't go for over four--four miles high, or five, moisture, any kind of fog or anything. You see? Planes fly at nineteen thousand. That's to get up above all the clouds. You see? And nineteen thousand is about four miles high. This is twenty-six miles high and thirty miles across it and in the shape of the pyramid, if you've looked at the picture.
E-9 In coming down the road the other day there was something happened that's spoke to me about the thing that I--I must do. And it's a--it's not my message. At one time Leo Mercier said, said, "Brother Branham, the time will come after this," said... about five or six years ago, maybe seven, said, "the Lord going change your ministry, Brother Branham." And said, "When He does, you'll probably just line up hospitals, and speak them out of the--the beds and things."
E-10 Now, that was in a spiritual hospital where people waited on Divine healing. And here the Divine Healer Himself came in and healed one and walked out. So you couldn't expect a mortal man, or a ministry to come forth would be any greater than that was. See? I couldn't agree with it.
E-11 We're aiming to go back home. Kids are homesick, all of them wanting to go back. So I'm figuring on taking them back, the Lord willing, maybe after service Saturday. And so... go back... From there I don't know. But I know as soon as that something happens within me to make me feel towards people different from what I do now... I'd rejected the--the people (See?), and I--I didn't want to have no more to do with them. You know what I mean--what I call Ricky and Ricketta. They'd... The things that they'd did. I'd preached with all the sincerity, and God had confirmed it in every way. And if they didn't want to believe it, why, let them alone then.
E-12 Now, you kids, let's just... let's have a little word of prayer.
E-13 Bless us together. Forgive our sins. And if anything that we've done since we've been out here that's displeased You, we pray You forgive us for it. For we realize today that we have no guarantee of tomorrow. We don't know what tomorrow brings. We must be prepared today to meet tomorrow.
E-14 Today, while I was chopping weeds real early this morning, I found a place in the Bible I thought would be a good thing to read at this time. And it's a--may not be too dashing appropriate, but I thought just for a--just a few minutes to talk. I want to read this out of the 18th chapter of St. Luke. All four Gospel writers write of it. The 18th chapter and the 18th verse:
And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life?
And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and... mother.
And he said, All these have I done and kept them from my youth up.
Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him,
Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shall have treasures in heaven: come, follow me.
I think the word "Come, Follow Me," that would be the best advice I could give if I was talking to ten thousand kids, or if I was talking to just what I am. It's a command, and the greatest thing that I think was ever offered anybody, and especially a young person, "Follow Me."
E-15 You're going to follow somebody. Now, you just... You can remember that: you're going to follow somebody. And the way you follow the person, be sure that--who this person's following. See? We... Paul one time said, "Be followers of me as I am of Christ." In other words, "Just as I follow Christ, you follow me."
E-16 Those people are people like we are. Those kids out here with these hot rods running up and down the street, and carrying on the way they are, smoking cigarettes and drinking liquor, and girls dressed immorally and things, them's girls and boys like we are. See? They're human. They love, they eat, they drink, they sleep, they breathe, they got to die. They're people just like we are.
E-17 Now, you girls and boys know better than that. You know; you've been taught better than that. You've got better parents, sounder training than to do a thing like that. You know better. But they don't. See? Because the churches that they go to are modern churches, modernistic. And they--they just live for the day, more popular, and, oh, my, what's... The morals become virtue to them. See? So they... what... E-18 Let's look at this fellow for a few minutes that we read about. No doubt that this kid was born in a good home, like you kids are. He was brought up with good parents 'cause it proved it. When Jesus presented to him the commandments of God, he said, "I've kept these since a youth." It showed that he had--he had been--he'd been brought up right. He wasn't just a snatch-out, and... you know. He--he'd been brought up to know what's right: kids like you all are. Probably come up under a God-fearing mother and daddy to treat--to--to teach him right when he was a kid. Well, that's good.
E-19 Maybe as a little baby his mother had high ambitions of him being a great man someday. His father was worth money that could school him and--and to give him an education that he could... He'd come out with a good education and be able to be something in the world.
E-20 And the father and mother with the--praying constantly that--that their son would not turn out just an ordinary man, that he'd be an extraordinary man. All parents want that. Did you hear Jesus refer to that commandment, "Honour thy father and mother," then stopped. See?
E-21 But here's what it is: what's in the kid's going to come out. No matter where it is, it's got--it's going to come out. If it's evil in there, it'll come out in the Indian camp. If it's good in there, it will come out in any camp. See? It's what's in the kid, the makeup of the kid, what's on the inside of you. And what you are now is what you're probably be the rest of your life. You're on a changing spot.
E-22 So mother and father expected this young man to--his ambitions to be great, enough money to carry it out, and then no doubt prayed that this--this young lad would--would get that opportunity. You see, they--they had done all they could do. He'd maybe had hiving fine horses, and--and maybe he's very popular amongst the women. And what would go for men would be for women, vice versa. See? 'Cause we're talking about human life, souls, both men and women. E-23 And the boy wasn't no modern Ricky. He was a fine kid. I believe when Luke wrote about it, or Mark I believe it was, Jesus looked at him and sighed, because He loved him. See? There's something about the kid: was a nice personality hooked with this kid. Where'd he come from? Out of a nice family who'd taught him the commandments of God and seen that he kept them. And he did it from his youth up. And the boy had an ambition; he wanted Eternal Life. He said, "Good Master, what could I do to inherit Eternal Life?"
E-24 See, of all you got in the world, yet you--the soul on the inside of you tells you there's something that you need that you haven't got. Just by wealth... Or it doesn't always have to be wealth. It could be popular--some pretty girl, she's got her beauty that she can think of. Maybe she's very popular in school.
E-25 And this young kid must've had a nice personality because he presented himself to the Lord Jesus kneeling. He bowed upon his knee. He said, "Good Master, what could I do to have eternal life?"
E-26 "Follow me." Now see, he had to follow someone. Now, he had to either follow the influence of the people he was associated with--the influence of some young lady, some influence of a gang of boys that he was associated with, his colleagues in school, or follow Jesus Christ. In all of his goodness, yet he knew he didn't have Eternal Life. E-27 But there's something else that goes with that. There's something goes with that. That Word tonight never dies. It's still a challenge to every young man, every young woman. "Follow me." See, words don't die. Whenever you speak anything, just remember, whether it's in your car in the secret, whether it's in the pulpit, whether it's down on the street corner with your boyfriend or girlfriend, wherever it is, it never dies. It's--it's got to live forever.
E-28 When I seen that girl that I--the other night in the vision: young pretty girl, Hollywood actress, and I seen her dying, reaching, trying to get to help. And she died in a heart attack. Miss Monroe. And then that's been two years ago, and I seen her dying. And two days later she did die. E-29 Not only that, but everything that we say is alive. Every word that we speak cannot die. Coming through the room is words now, forms of people. Television picks it up. You can speak right here, and they hear you around the world at that same second. Even before you can hear it in this room it goes around the world by electronic. And God's great screen picks that up. And every move and every act that you make, you've got to meet it at the judgment. See? So, young fellow, it's a good thing to stop, think about these things (See?), 'cause you're going to meet it again. See? E-30 Let's trace this young man, the opportunity he had. And put yourself in his place--and the girl, just the same as it is, Becky, Marilyn. Just like... Just the same as you was standing in his place, and you could hear that voice which is still alive... It's still alive. It's still moving. Science says in twenty years from now they'll pick up His literal voice that He spoke two thousand years ago. It's still alive. Like a pebble dropping in the ocean. The wave never ceases. It goes to the shore, thousands of miles, and turns back. E-31 When a voice is once spoke into the air like that, it never dies. There ain't nothing you can say at the judgment; it's right there. There'll be the voice of Jesus Christ bidding that young man, "Follow Me." And him turning away on the screen, sorrowful, because he had great possessions. See? We might not be even--always has to be money. It can be other things. See? Anything that we hold dearer than we do that call (See?), it becomes like a money to us. It becomes something that corrupts us.
E-32 Now, let's follow him a little bit. What happens when he turns away? He didn't listen to that voice of Christ. He went with his friends. Which, you kids, you're all fine kids, and you're bound to have friends. But watch what kind of friend you have. If that friend's following Christ, go with that friend. Follow Christ too. But if it don't, don't do it.
E-33 When... An old man and an old woman like me, my wife, your mothers and dads, there isn't hardly anything that they can think of. They can't--don't want to get out and--and run up and down the streets, you know, as young fellows would, and young women. Dates, and who's going to be your wife, or your husband, or... see, they don't have that in their mind. They--they got children, they're interested... That's going to be you all tomorrow, if there is a tomorrow. (See?)
E-34 And the man, from being raised to--to honor the neighbor, and do unto others as have others to do unto you... See, by rejecting that call of Christ, finally... Look like a boy been raised in a home like that, that would never have got away from him, but it did. It did. And there laid a man at the gate by the name of Lazarus, begging him for food in vain. He would've eat the crumbs that he swept off, not even to the beggar, but to the dogs... And was full of sores... But the man had been so polished in society then he had no more feelings. He'd become numb, because he had rejected that offer of Christ.
E-35 And you notice, when he said, "Father Abraham..." Now, he still remembered that Abraham was the father of the Jews. He said, "Father Abraham, send that beggar Lazarus down here with a little water on his fingers to put on my lips. These flames are tormenting me."
E-36 Then listen at him, he wants to be an evangelist then. The call that Jesus had given him to--to follow Him had--and to be a soul winner as a young man, returned to him again. He remembered it, that he had five brothers, and back on earth, and he didn't want them in that place. He said, "Send Lazarus then back to tell my brothers not to come this a-way." In other words, accept the call, "Follow Me." See?
E-37 Jesus also said a great striking word, "Though one raise from the dead and go back, yet they would not be persuaded. 'Cause they got Moses and the law, and if they won't hear that, then they won't hear though one would be raised from the dead. They will not be persuaded." E-38 Kids, you each one seem like mine. You each one seem like just my sons and daughters, and in one way you are (See?), spiritually speaking, that's right. The Lord God has--has put your souls into my care because you come listen to me. You believe me. See? And in one sense of the word you are my sons and daughters. That's right. And always remember, keeping the commandments of God is a great thing. Being raised in a good home is a heritage from God. And to be fine kids with personalities as you have, good. Wonderful to have an education. It's wonderful to even live in this free land. We've got many things to be thankful for. But there's one thing that you just don't inherit; you've got to accept it. That's Eternal Life. And you'll only do that by following Jesus by a born-again experience. Don't neglect that.
E-39 Little story one time I heard of a man who was... Oh, he was poor, and he--he always wanted to... It's a little fairy story like. It always stuck with me though. And one day he picked a flower. And the flower was magic, and the flower answered to him, and said, "You've been poor all your life." He said, "Now ask what you will and it'll be given to you."
E-40 He walked to the mountain, and the mountain opened up, and he went in. And the shelves was full of gold and diamonds, as the little fairy story goes. He laid the flower down on a--on a table, or a rock. And he run and grabbed a great big gem. And he said, "I must go show this to my friends. And now I'm a rich man. I have everything now. I must show this."
E-41 Years ago as a kid, as you all are, here, cattle ranch above here, above Phoenix, I was reading a piece of prospect--a paper about a prospector. Then there was no roads through here then, just little sand paths. They still do a lot of prospecting in here, you know.
E-42 There's nobody can try to do anything... You kids would never be able to do anything wrong, after being raised the way you are, unless you'd feel something tell you not to do it. Now, don't never still that voice that's warning you. And always remember, accept that Voice that said, "Follow Me." And you'll always come out right. I believe you will. I got confidence in you. But just always remember, that Jesus...
E-43 And the trinity of God--the trinity of the attributes of God as being Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, was represented in that one Man, Jesus Christ. So there He was the Word. And He was the Transmitter that said, "He that heareth My Words, and believeth on Him that sent Me, has Eternal Life." See? "Verily I say unto you, he that heareth My Words, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath Eternal Life."
E-44 Lord Jesus, youth, men and women for tomorrow, if there is a tomorrow, we must train them, Lord. We feel that burden to train them like there will be a tomorrow. If there is not, then today is the day.
E-45 So we pray, heavenly Father, that they'll catch the vision now, and see and hear that great eternal invitation of "Come, follow Me." May each one of them, Lord, turn aside from all the things of the world, this mortal, fringy, life. As they're here tonight and their golden blond hair, and some of them with their black hair, and dark eyes, and blue eyes, and setting in there very best of--that they'll ever be... And as the great writer said, "Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not nigh. Then thou shall have no pleasure in them." E-46 Bless you, kiddies. Really nice to say a few words to you, and I'll get back along. You're just fine kids, appreciate you. Brother Fred, the Lord bless you. God bless you, sister. |
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