Chapter 14 - Preaching Between the Living
and the Dead
Chapter 14 - Preaching Between the Living
and the Dead
Some of the people rose up against Moses and Aaron. They said that Moses
and Aaron had taken too much upon themselves. They would take away from
Aaron his embroidered vest, strip him of his mitre, remove the glittering
stones that sparkled on his breast, silence the bells that jangled on the
hem of his garment, blot out the embroidered pomegranates near the bells
and destroy both him and his brother, Moses.
Suddenly the earth opened. An earthquake consumed these rebels. Then
the Israelites blamed Moses and Aaron for the death. God was furious. He
sent a plague that killed 14,700 people. (Numbers 16:44-50)
Moses said to Aaron, "Quick, take a censer. Put fire in it. Run to the
people. Hold it high." Aaron did so, and as he did, the plague was stayed
because he was standing between the living and the dead. Picture this old
man, probably 100 years old, running up and down between the living and
the dead and holding high his censer. This is exactly what the preacher
does when he walks to his pulpit. He is God's man standing between the
living and the dead. Oh, for a holy awe to grip us as we enter the sacred
place, open the sacred Book and preach the sacred message!
Several years ago at the Bill Rice Ranch I was riding on horse-back
to the morning cookout breakfast for which the Ranch is so famous. A young
man rode up beside me and said, "Dr. Hyles, I'm a young preacher. I'm trying
to decide what type preacher I should be a Hell-fire and brimstone preacher
or a deeper lifer (whatever that is)." He said that he had talked to a
deeper lifer and gotten his advice; now he wanted my advice about the future
of his ministry. Re said, "Could you counsel with me?"
I asked him, "Young man, is there a Hell?" He said, "Yes, there
is, but would you counsel with me concerning what kind of preacher I ought
to be?" I asked, "Is there a Hell?" "Yes," he said, "there
is a Hell, but would you give me advice?" I asked, "Is there a Hell?
Is there a Hell? Is there a Hell?" He said, "Dr. Hyles, aren't you
going to counsel with me? The other preacher did." I asked, "Is there
a Hell? Is there a Hell? Is there a Hell?" He rode off with a look
of bewilderment on his face.
Several weeks passed. I was talking to Dr. Russell Anderson on the telephone.
He said, "Dr. Hyles, I heard a young man preach the other day who said
that he had talked with you recently at the Bill Rice Ranch." I said,
"What was his name?" He said, "I don't know what his name was, but
he sure preached a great message. I asked if he knew the title of
the message. He said, "Yes, I do. The title was, 'Is There a Hell?'
It was the same young man. Re had made his choice. He had decided to
stand between the living and the dead. I ask you that question: Is there
a Hell? Is there a place where people are burning right now? Is there a
place where they plead for one drop of water to cool their tongue for they
are tormented by the flames? Is there a place where the worm dieth not
and fire is not quenched? Is there a place where He shall say to those
on the left hand, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared
for the Devil and his angels"? Is it true that the wicked shall be turned
into Hell, and all the nations that forget God? Is there a place where
those not found written in the Book of Life shall be cast into the Lake
of Fire? Is the rich man still weeping and begging? Is it true that my
unsaved father who died a drunkard's death is there? Is he burning alter
all these years? Was I standing between the living and the dead when I
talked to my father that Sunday afternoon, January 1, 1950, and pleaded
with him to get saved? He told me that he would, but he was going to wait
until the spring - but spring never came because he died and was buried
on May 13 of that same year! Is it true that there is a Hell? Is it true
that your loved ones without Christ are going to Hell? Is it true that
the one who carried you in her womb who is unsaved is going to burn in
Hell forever? Is it true that the only man you can ever call Daddy who
is lost is going to Hell? Is your unsaved brother really going to a place
of torment? Do those who hear you preach and reject the Gospel really die
without Christ and go to Hell to burn forever? Is it true that those millions
in Chicago within driving distance of my church who live without Christ
and die without Christ will burn in Hell forever? If it isn't true,
I'm going home! If it isn't true, I'm not walking to the pulpit again!
If it isn't true, let's eat, drink and be merry! If it isn't true, let's
call the missionaries home! If it isn't true, let's stop the buses from
rolling! If it isn't true, let's make a planter out of the baptistry, close
the church doors and quit the ministry! If it isn't true, let's make money!
If it isn't true, let's live it up! If it isn't true, I've gotten my last
lonely boarding pass on an airplane! If it isn't true, I've checked into
my last motel room! If it isn't true, I've made my last all night flight!
But if it is true, get the soul winning organized! If it is true, plead
for God's power! If it is true, get the buses rolling! If it is true, let's
set our preacher boys on fire! If it is true, let's fill the baptistries
every week! If it is true, let's quit trading the prayer closet for the
voting booth! If it is true, let's quit turning bus captains into precinct
captains! If it is true, let's keep our concern about the murder of the
unborn, but be more concerned about the salvation of the born! If it is
true, let's keep our burden for the right to life but have a bigger burden
for the right to eternal life! If it is true, let's get back to the old-fashioned,
window rattling, shingle pulling, barn- storming, Hell-fire and brimstone,
Bible preaching; to Christ- honoring, soul winning, Heaven populating preaching!
If it is true, let's dust off some of our old sermons on Hell and use them
again!
If it is true, "Let's talk about Jesus, the King of kings is He, the
Lord of lords supreme, throughout eternity; the great I Am, the Way, the
Truth, the Life, the Door; let's talk about Jesus more and more!" If it
is true, let's organize more soul winning campaigns than voter registration
campaigns! If it is true, let's get back to soul winning, which is really
the answer! Soul winning will sober more alcoholics than Alcoholics Anonymous.
Soul winning will clean more slums than social programs. Soul winning will
feed more hungry bodies than welfare. Soul winning will save America quick-
er than politics. Soul winning will do more for educating children than
Head Start Programs. Soul winning will keep folks from burning in Hell!
If it is true, let's get back to talking about souls more than about
offerings! If it is true, let's get back to talking about baptisms more
than about registrations! If it is true, let's do church work more than
school work! If it is true, let's make the Sunday school more important
than the day school! If it is true, let's make the Sunday school teacher
more important than the history teacher! If it is true, let's make the
deacon more important than the school board! If it is true, let's make
saving souls more important than basketball goals! If it is true, let's
make soul winning clubs more important than fellowship groups! If it is
true, let's find the answer in the Father's house instead of in the White
House!
All I ask is, "Dear preacher, is there a Hell?" Oh, for old-fashioned
preaching about warning people about the wrath of God, the old-fashioned
preaching that has a Hell that's hot and sin that's black and an eternity
that's long.
Several years ago a man was dying. I was called to his bedside, and
these were his dying words: 'Teacher, don't lie to me. I'm dying. Is there
really a Heaven? Tell me. Is it true that there's a Heaven?"
I ask you this question: Is there really a Heaven? Is there "a land
that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar, for the Father
waits over the way, to prepare us a dwelling place there"? Is it true that
in my Rither's house are many mansions? Is it true that He has gone to
prepare a place for me'? Is it true that He will come again? Is it true
that He will receive me unto Himself? Is it true that where He is, there
will I be also? Is it true that to be absent from the body is to be present
with the Lord? Is it true that John saw the Holy City, coming down from
God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband? Is it true
that "when we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun,
we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun"?
Is it true that at 3:37 p.m. on September 30, 1984, my Mama really went
to Heaven? Is it true that she is in Heaven now? Is it true that she is
with her two little girls who preceded her in death many years before?
Can she actually see Lorene, and is she with Hazel now? Is it true that
her blind eyes can now see? Are her shoulders really straight? Is she beholding
the face of the One she loved more than life? Is her face unwrinkled? Is
her brow unfurrowed? Can I really sing, "Tell Mother I'll Be There"? Does
she hear me preach? Can she walk? Can she run? Can she jump? Can she hear?
Is she watching me now'? Was she wrong when she said on her death bed,
"There's Lorene; there's Hazel; there's Uncle Harvey and Aunt Jimmie"?
Is she really free of pain? Was she right as we talked and held hands and
she said, "I'm going to Heaven, son," and we joined hands and sang, "0
they tell me of a home far beyond the sky; 0 they tell me of a home far
away; 0 they tell me of a home where no storm clouds rise; 0 they tell
me of an unclouded day"? Is there a Heaven? Is there a Hell? Will my mother
really never hurt again? Is there a city really being built there with
streets of gold and gates of pearl? Was I right when I stood beside my
mother's bed and told her of Heaven? Was I right at the airport when I
called her after she had died, temporarily forgetting that she was gone?
The operator said, "Sir, no one answers," and I said, "Oh, I forgot, operator.
Last Thursday she moved to a new address." Did she really move to a new
address?
Is my good friend, Dr. John Rice, really with Jesus? Is Brother Lester
Roloff beholding the face of his Saviour? Is Dr. Ford Porter talking to
Him now? Is Dr. Bill Rice actually with Him?
I ask you: Is there a Hell? Is there a Heaven? Do we really stand between
the living and dead? Is Jesus really the difference? Is the need of man
the old rugged cross? Was Paul's message to the Philippian jailer really
right when he said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be
saved"? Did God really so love "the world that He gave His only begotten
Son"? Then what else matters?
Oh, men of God, it is true! There is a Heaven! There is a Hell! There
is a Jesus! There is a virgin birth! There is a sinless life! There is
a vicarious death! There is a bodily resurrection! There is an ascension!
There is a coming back to the earth on the part of the Saviour! There is
a rapture! There is a tribulation! There is a millennium! There is a New
Jerusalem! It's real! There is a Hell! There is a Heaven! As we stand to
preach, we do stand between the living and the dead! May God give us that
awareness as we walk to the pulpit Sunday after Sunday, as we hold the
censer of the Word of God high to stay the plague, as we stand between
the living and the dead!
