Go ye, and tell that fox
Category: Evangelism & Soul Winning
Key Passage: Luke 13:31-33
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: April 20, 2025
Take your Bibles, if you would, and turn to Luke, chapter number 13. Luke, chapter number 13. By the way, praise the Lord just for a full house.
Don’t get bothered by that. We’ll go to a football game, and you can’t hardly even get down the road to get to your seat. Don’t let it stop you from going to church because it’s full. By the way, God’s going to change that real soon. August 24th, we’re going to start on a change on that, making more room. But in the meantime, don’t let that stop you from coming to God’s house. Do we have any Tennessee Vols fans out there? Anybody? Come on now. How about that?
How about an amen or something? Come on now, you know. Yeah, yeah, you know. We’ve been a team for years. We finally went to a game, and I think there were 92,000 people there. And, man, you’re just crunched in there. And then people walking by that’s had a little bit too much, and they’re falling all over you. And then we get a little bit tight in church. Well, I’m not going to go to church, too tight in there, but they’ll go to the ball game and spend money to go there, you know.
Let’s just come on to church. How about that, you know? And Luke chapter number 13. You say you’re preaching before you’re supposed to be preaching. Amen, we’re about to get to it. But Luke 13, and we’re going to start just a couple of verses, three verses, really. We’re going to focus on the middle verse, verse number 32. But we’re going to start in verse number 31 of Luke chapter number 13.
Would you please stand if you’re able to? We like to do that to show the Word of God respect. They did that in the book of Nehemiah, so we’d like to do that here if you’re able to. Luke 13, and we’re starting in verse number 31. If you’re there, would you say amen? Good deal.
Verse number 31: “The same day there came certain of the Pharisees saying unto him,” that is unto Jesus, “Get thee out, and depart hence, for Herod will kill thee.” Watch what Jesus says. And he said of them, “Go ye, tell that fox, behold, I cast out devils, and do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day, I shall be perfected.” I like that. The third day.
Some will contemplate, but it really doesn’t work timelines. Someone will say, well, three days are going down the cross. No, I don’t think he’s talking about this. It’s about a month or so before. We don’t know exactly, but it’s three days don’t add up. The third day there, he’s talking about that third day when he rose again. That’s what he’s talking about. He says, “And the third day, I shall be perfected. Nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet shall perish out of Jerusalem.”
Would you pray with me that God will speak to hearts as we focus on these few verses? Father, these people are here. They’re here on Easter, yes, but they’re here, I think, Lord, really, to hear from you, to celebrate your Son’s death, burial, and resurrection. So, Father, I pray that you should send your Spirit in a wonderful way, speaking to every single person here and the sound of my voice. Lord, would you do that? You can do it. Father, I do pray by what Jesus earned for us on the cross in his resurrection, that you would work in a marvelous way. And we’ll brag on you for what you do, Lord. And it’s in the name of Jesus we ask for these things, Father. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
Jesus was traveling. We don’t know exactly where he was. Verse number 22 tells us he was traveling through little villages and little towns. And he’s making his way over to Jerusalem. That’s where he would be crucified on the cross right outside Jerusalem. And he was making his way there. It was towards the end of his life here on earth during that time frame. And as he’s going that way, he’s in Galilee and Perea, and it’s a certain section he’s kind of north. Jerusalem’s down here, and he’s traveling down the Galilee-Perea section. That jurisdiction was Herod’s jurisdiction—that was Herod Antipas. It’s the same Herod that Jesus, when he was on trial, went to for a little bit—that same Herod. He’s in that jurisdiction, all right?
By the way, that’s the same Herod that killed John the Baptist. You remember about John the Baptist, got his head cut off? Remember that? What happened? Well, that same Herod, he had married his brother’s wife. We don’t know this part, but history tells us, that he went to visit his brother, and when he went to visit his brother, he met his brother’s wife, Herodias, and he fell in love with her.
By the way, you choose to fall in love or let yourself fall in love. And he did so. She was a married lady. And he divorced his first wife. Then he married Philip’s wife. And John the Baptist was a bold preacher. By the way, a preacher ought to preach sometimes. Somebody say amen. Not there, you know. And John the Baptist is one of those preachers, and he started preaching, and he began to preach against Herod’s sin of marrying his brother’s wife, and he was preaching against it. And Herod, I think he had a little bit of mixed emotions. I think he respected John the Baptist, but he feared him a little bit, but nobody likes their sin pointed out every once in a while. You know, some of you say, “Quit stepping on my toes all the time, preacher,” you know. And John the Baptist, he just kind of tore it a little bit, but then his wife Herodias, she kind of worked it out, and eventually Herod cut John the Baptist’s head off for preaching against their sin. Now that’s the Herod, all right? Trying to hurry on through these stories a little bit to get to the heart of the message. That’s the Herod we’re talking about.
Now, and he’s traveling through his jurisdiction leading on over to Jerusalem, and watch what happens. Now we’ve already read it, but go back to verse number 31 right there and try to see what’s going on here. Verse number 31. You’re there? You’re there? You’re there? 31? You’re there? Good. Here we are.
“The same day, there came certain of the Pharisees.” That was the religious crowd that really they gave in to Rome in a big way. Rome and them kind of worked hand in hand. It wasn’t a state religion, but a little bit close to it. All right? Rome had the Pharisees in their back pocket, all right? All right. Herod, a Roman leader. And the same day, there came certain of the Pharisees saying, unto him, unto Jesus, “Get thee out, and depart hence, for Herod will kill thee.”
They’re trying to get Jesus—he’s on his way to Jerusalem—and they’re trying to get Jesus off course, and they’re trying to come, maybe trying to intimidate him a little bit, and trying to push him out of following God’s will, and they say, “Hey, buddy, Herod’s going to kill you.”
There’s a little bit of a debate about maybe the exact motives. Some will say Herod really didn’t want to have to deal with Jesus. That when Jesus came on the scene more and more, remember he had killed John the Baptist, and Jesus started doing these miracles, and Herod—Herod thought, “Oh no, this is John the Baptist resurrected.” A little fear there.
Someone would say he was just trying to get Jesus out of his jurisdiction by sending the Pharisees along and say, “I’m going to kill you, so maybe just leave and get out of there.” But maybe he really was going to kill him. Look at verse number 33. Verse number 33 right there. We’ll skip 32. Look in verse number 33: “Nevertheless,” Jesus, he said, “nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet shall perish out of Jerusalem.” So maybe here it really was going to kill him. And he sent the Pharisees to warn him because Jesus said, “I’ve got to get down there because I’m prophesied. I’m not going to die in Galilee or Perea. I’m going to die down there on Golgotha, Calvary, right outside Jerusalem’s gates. Jesus, I better get going.”
But they’re threatening Jesus. They’re pushing Jesus. They’re trying to get him out of following God’s will for his life. Can I just stop? This is not the main part of the message, but can I just stop and say something here? If you do anything for the Lord, there’s always, always going to be a Herod. You just mark it down. You say, “I’m going to read my Bible every day at work.” There’s going to be a Herod. You say, “I’m going to pray.” There’s going to be a Herod. I’m going to go to church. There’s going to be a Herod. I’m going to tell somebody about Jesus. There’s going to be a Herod.
These young people down here, you say, “I’m going to go to my school, and I’m going to be a good testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ.” There’s going to be a Herod. There’s always, when God’s working, the devil’s always trying to stop God from working. There’s always going to be a Herod.
We sometimes fantasize, “I’m going to get saved, I’m going to live for the Lord, and everything’s going to be hunky-dory.” Friend, that’s fantasy. There’s not going to be smooth sailing if you’re living for the Lord. Amen? The Bible says, “Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try us, as though some strange thing happened to us.” If you’re living for the Lord, there’s going to be some trials. Now let me say this, even if you’re not living with the Lord, there’s going to be a lot worse. I mean, at least as Christians, when we have battles, there’s a reason for it. There’s peace going through it. There’s joy and there’s victory at the end of the day. But I just want to say there’s going to be some battles.
What does the Bible say? Who’s our adversary? Who’s our adversary? Not the guy sitting beside you. No, no, that’s not your adversary. Not your spouse, not your mom or dad. Well, everyone wants to mind. No, that’s not your adversary. Who’s the adversary? The devil. Now, what does the devil do? What does the Bible tell us? He’s walking about, what? Seeking whom he may devour.
Satan, he’s always seeking whom he may devour. He’ll try to get you to stop doing God’s will out of fear and intimidation. He’ll try to get you where, you know, maybe the love of money, the deceitfulness of riches, will steer you away from doing God’s will for your life. He’ll try any and everything he can. Maybe it’s just that want to be like everybody else. He’ll use every kind of lure in the world, trying to pull you away from doing God’s will. And Satan is using this angle. He’s getting the Pharisees coming over and saying, “Hey, Herod’s going to kill you.”
Satan’s looking for all angles. He’ll try them all: sickness. “Why are you trying to raise your kids for the Lord? They’re not living with the Lord. Why serve him anymore?” He’ll try every angle he can. And he’s always casting something. He’s always outcasting, trying to put some reason for you not to serve God. I promise you, friend, it’s going to happen. The term they use, “church hurt”—somebody at church is going to hurt your feelings. That’s just part of it. And half the time it’s the preacher.
And he’s going to try all those angles, and he’s trying to get you from serving God. He’s all about it. There is always, always, always, always going to be a Herod. By the way, if it’s not Sister So-and-so saying something, it’s going to be another brother or so. Somebody’s going to say something. That’s just part of it. There’s going to be a Herod. All right? That was supposed to be a side note. We spent too long on that.
But let’s keep going. Let’s look and see what Jesus says about it. Let’s get to verse number 32, all right? These guys are coming, just kind of intimidating Jesus. “Here’s going to kill you. You better get out of here.” And look what Jesus says, verse number 32.
“And he said unto them, Go ye, tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils and do cures today and tomorrow and the third day I shall be perfected.” Can I just say it this way? Jesus made a decision: I’m going to do God’s will. Praise the Lord for that crowd of people that say, “There’s always a Herod around, but I’m just going to serve the Lord.” Amen. By the way, everybody does that?
Remember, how many lepers were cleansed by Jesus? How many were cleansed? Ten of them were. How many came back to give him thanks? One. By the way, that cleansing represents salvation, cleansing us from sin. Only one came back. Now, that one was made whole.
Then there was the rocky or stony ground. That plant came up, but after a while, it didn’t have much earth down there, and it withered away. There was the thorny ground, and it came up, but what happened? It got choked out. The cares of the world choked him out.
Praise the Lord for that one good ground. Amen. I like that. Let me read what the Bible says about that good ground: “But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.” Herod’s always going to be around, but friend, there is always going to be that remnant that says, “You know what? I’m just going to do God’s will.”
There was an old preacher years and years ago in Wales. His name was Christmas Evans because he was born on Christmas Day. Actually, if I remember, it was 1766, I think it is. Yes, it was. Christmas Evans, and when he was nine years old, his dad died. Then his mom, just a widow, she was very, very poor. She really couldn’t support him. So he went to live with his uncle. He lived with his uncle for six years, and his uncle was a farmer, but a very wicked man, mean, hateful. About years later, Christmas Evans became a preacher years later. Years later, he told about his uncle, and he wasn’t trying to be mean. He said, “You’d have to look really, really far to find a more wicked man than my uncle.” That’s the way my uncle was.
Christmas Evans began to go out and sin as a young man and live a sinful life, and he began to get in a lot of trouble. He got stabbed, almost died. Fell out of a tree with a knife at his hand, almost killed him that way, almost drowned one time, just all kind of things. And yet, when he was 17, he went to work for a farmer just as kind of like a servant boy in Wales. And there was a revival a little bit down from that. Some of his buddies went to that revival. God got a hold of his heart. Christmas Evans got saved.
He couldn’t read or write, and he got him a Bible. “I got to read the Bible. I hunger for the things of God.” So he got him a Bible and he got him some candles and a couple of his buddies. They would stay up late trying to figure out how to read the Bible, and they learned to read and write. And that preacher kind of took him under his wings and began to learn the Bible. But his old friends weren’t happy about it. Man, his old friends, “Man, he used to party with us and go do all the things. What’s the wrong with you?” And he was bold about living for the Lord. And so six of his old buddies met him and began to beat him up. I’m just talking about bloody pulp. Took a stick and beat him with it. And they had beaten him and put one of his eyes out. Couldn’t see out of the rest. He’s known as the one-eyed preacher. Yeah. But it said, “I’m going to keep serving God.”
He became one of the greatest preachers Wales ever had, Christmas Evans, the one-eyed preacher. Friend, if you do anything for God, there’s going to be a Herod. There’s just going to be. But Jesus said, “All right, all right, he’s going to kill me. You tell that old fox, I’m going to do God’s will for my life. I’m going to keep serving God.”
Notice how Jesus worded it. We’re just going to dissect some of these words here. I like what he said, first of all. Verse number 32, go back there too. We’re going to stay there. Keep going back to 32. Look what he says. He says, “Keep it a secret, but I’m going to keep doing God’s will for my life.” Is that what he said? What are you saying? He said, “Go ye and tell that fox.” In other words, he was open about it.
“I’ve made my decision. I’m going to live for the Lord. I’m not ashamed of Jesus. He wasn’t ashamed of me. He shed his blood across the Calvary, and I’m not going to be ashamed of him before the world, even when they’re against me.” Somebody say amen right there. Whatever happened to old Christians said, “I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back.” Yeah. That’s what Jesus was saying.
And I was studying for this, it reminded me back in the beginning days, I think the second building of our church, we were in a storefront over here, and we had a couple. They came, and they were saved, but just backslidden. Sunday night, the man came forward, and he rededicated his life. Before that, he drank. He had told me, he said, “Preacher, I don’t drink much. It really doesn’t bother anybody.” And his wife came behind him after he was gone. She said, “Preacher, it affects everything in our house. It’s messing up our world, this drinking.” God spoke to his heart. He came on that Sunday night and he said, “I’m getting right with God.” As far as I know, even to this day, he’s been in the hospital, but even to this day, he hasn’t touched a drop since.
Man, they started getting in church. They were coming to church every time the doors were open—Sunday morning, Sunday night—they were coming. They were excited about just a storefront startup church, and they were in there. They got involved, and some of their old friends, they didn’t like that. They started criticism. “Wow, you used to hang out with us anymore because you’re too busy in that church. You think you’re too good for us.” By the way, if you live for the Lord, you’re going to hear those things. It’s just part of it.
We had a big day. We were calling an All Out for Souls Sunday. We were just focusing everything in church on salvation. Later on we were going out, we were sending letters out to lots of people. We did everything just to get people saved. They got involved in that day. This couple that got in our church, they were burdened for that couple that was talking about them. They wanted to see them get saved. In fact, the lady, the wife, fasted—I didn’t know; I found out later on—she had fasted for them to get saved. And they came that Sunday.
That Sunday morning, that lady, her name was Linda, she got her salvation settled. Praise the Lord. The man, I just say the first name, the man’s name was Jack. Jack, he just wouldn’t get saved. For years it went on like that. That family stayed in their church faithful, but this other, the ones friends that brought them in. Linda got her salvation settled, but Jack just never would. For years, even to the point, even in this building. I remember that man, that man, his name was Jack, would sit somewhere over here typically. And you ever heard of white-knuckling? Anybody ever heard that term, white knuckle? That means, well, they’re just holding on to the back of the pew. We got chairs. We had blue chairs, I think, back then. But I’d see him at an invitation, he’d just be holding on. You’d just see those knuckles hanging on, you know. And finally one day, and I think it was after service, I said, “Jack, come on now, God’s been working on your heart.” Jack said, “You’re right.” By the way, Jack’s in heaven today. I think Linda is too. They lived up in Nashville. Been years since then. Preached one of them—I don’t think both of them—funeral.
Here’s what I’m getting at: that first couple that got in church, if they hadn’t been allowed to be proud, were living for the Lord, and if they hadn’t taken a little bit of Herod’s put-down, that other couple wouldn’t be in heaven.
I like it when someone says, “I’m going to live for the Lord,” but they’re not just, “Oh, I’m going to be quiet about living. I’m living for the Lord.” Jesus said, “Hey, you go tell that guy, I’m going to do God’s will for my life.” Amen.
Now let’s keep going on what all of Jesus did. He said, “Go tell him.” Notice what he said. Tell that old what? Fox. However many of you, when you’re in Sunday school, you used to sing that: “The devil is a sly old fox.” Come on, sing it with me. “The devil is a sly old fox. If I could catch him, I’d put him in a box. Lock the door and throw away the keys for all those tricks he played on me.” Glad I got salvation. Now you know why I’m the preacher, not the song leader, right?
But notice, sly old fox. It’s kind of like Jesus is saying, “You go tell that guy, I know his scheming tricks. I know what he’s up to. I know what he’s trying to do. You go tell him he thinks he’s smart. I can see right through what he’s doing.” I like it. A week or two ago, some of our people going through something, they said, “Preacher, I know what it is. It’s the devil.” I said, “You’re exactly right. He’s trying to stop you.”
Boy, I like how Jesus just called him. “You tell that old fox. I know exactly what he’s up to.” He’s not so sly. The Bible says, “We are not ignorant of the devil and his devices.” We know what he’s doing. His goal is to keep you from serving God. By the way, if you’re out making a bunch of money not serving God, he’s all right with that. You’re out ruining your life on drugs, he’s all right with that. The big thing, he’s after: you’re not serving God. That’s what he’s after. He’s a sly old fox.
Jesus here, you go tell that old fox, “I know what he’s up to.” Well, then, keep reading back there, verse number 32, keep reading right there. Jesus says, “Behold, I cast out devils and do cures today and tomorrow.” Now, just stop for a second.
Think about all those people, those lame, that Jesus made them walk again. Think about the blind that Jesus made see. We have a dear lady in our church who has lost sight in whatever eyes or other eyes going. And I think of all the five senses, boy, the worst one would be so bad just to lose your sight. And can you imagine all the blind people Jesus made see again?
Think about that. I’m not sure the timeline; I haven’t checked this out. It just came to my mind. But think about that widow lady that lost her only son. And they’re carrying him out in that casket over there in the Sea of Nain, and Jesus stops. And, “Hold on, hold on this whole funeral procession. Hold on.” And he reached in and he touched that boy, and he came back to life. What about that? Now think about all the people Jesus wants you to touch their lives. Think about all those people that God, if you serve God, that God will use you to make a difference in their life. Friend, it’s not just about you. It’s about those people God wants to use you to help. Jesus says, “Behold, I’m casting out the devils. I’m doing the Father’s will for my life,” and the Father has a will for every single person here. It’s not just about you. It’s about the people God wants you to touch their lives.
Think about that. Herod, there’s always going to be a Herod, and he’s going to try to keep you from doing God’s will for your life. I don’t think they mind. I mentioned it before. They’ve said they don’t mind it, but Matt and Michelle Razor, will y’all raise your hands, please? Matt and Michelle Razor. I’ve been coming to our church for about 500 years. Is that right, Brother Matthew? Pretty close. I don’t know. Over 20 years, probably. Close to 25. Close to 25. Some of our oldest members—not that they’re old, been in our church longer than anybody. I better get that thing right. Michelle said, “I’m going to get you.”
But, you know, Brother Duane Delfutt, on a Saturday, we were out knocking doors, trying to tell people about Jesus, and he was having a horrible day. I mean, you ever have one of those days, everywhere you walk, there’s this cloud raining on top of you, you know? They say it’s a bad day when your horn gets stuck behind the Hell’s Angels, you know. Just not a good day, you know. And Brother Duane would have one of those days, you know. And they say it’s a bad day when you find out your bad-tasting toothpaste is really Preparation H. Now, that’s a bad day. Some of you are going to catch that after a while now, you know.
It was Easter Sunday morning. It was one of the—everybody he talked to didn’t want to listen there, closing the doors on all. It’s just horrible. And we had a blue church van at the time, an old Dodge van, and he was making his way back. Brother Duane, he was making his way back to that old Dodge van, and he saw some kids out in the front yard playing. They’re a little bit older. I don’t know how old the kids are, but he said they’re growing adults now for sure. But he said, “I’m going to stop and tell these kids about Jesus.” And he did. Front yard, they’re out there playing, and he starts telling them about Jesus. And all of a sudden, Dad comes out. Brother Duane thought, “My goodness, I mean, you know, when it rains, it pours.” Just trying to do what’s right, trying to tell somebody about Jesus. And now that Dad’s going to come get me. And Brother Matt came out, and he, of course, as a good dad would do, he found out what he was talking to his kids about. But he found out he was telling his kids about Jesus. And he said, “Man, you keep telling them.” He was happy about it. In fact, I believe that day his kids got asked Jesus to be their Savior, remember, right? Amen. And through that, Matt and Michelle Razor got in our church. Been in our church almost 25, 25-something years.
A friend, I’m talking about what about all those people? Herod’s trying to keep you from doing God’s will, but what about all those people God’s wanting you to influence for the Lord? What about your coworkers? What about your grandkids? What about your neighbors? What about your loved ones? They’re not serving God. They need someone just to see them faithfully serving God. That’s what it’s about. And Jesus said, “You tell him, I’m going to keep on casting out devils. I’m going to keep on doing cures today and tomorrow.” That’s what he’s saying. Friend, there’s somebody out there God wants to use you to reach.
I never forget my freshman year Bible college. I mean, I was working at nighttime, and that job was like forever away up in Chicago, and I was working 40 hours, and there’s toll roads. Anybody hates toll roads out there? Oh, my goodness. And I had this old Toyota car, and I was from Florida—born in Tennessee, grew up a lot in Florida—went from Florida to Chicago, right outside Chicago, to the Bible College, and it gets cold in Chicago. And I’ll be driving that little Toyota down the toll roads, the interstates, and it would be snowing outside. The heater worked, but it’s like snow would be coming in the vents of that old car. I’m like, “I got snow inside here,” and the heater would never catch up. It was just freezing inside the car, you know. And I’ll just rub my arms.
And I got a call from my old friend. And I was a teenager with the Calvary Baptist Church in Lakeland, Florida. And the janitor of the church—the janitor of the church, he was an alcoholic years before, to the point, this is the story he would tell, he was to the point there was times he didn’t have money to buy another bottle, so he would literally go inside his house and find a bottle of rubbing alcohol and drink it to get a little buzz. Yet God saved him, changed his life, and he became the janitor of our church. Praise the Lord, Jesus is still changing lives. Amen. And he became the janitor.
Well, he had a grandson up in Georgia, this young, maybe 18, 20. His life was messed up, but he wanted to get it right. And he said, “If I just get down to Grandpa’s house, God’s changed his life. He’s saved. I don’t want to get any…” He broke up with the girl he was with, and he got in his pickup truck, and it was just old, and he started driving. Didn’t have any money. Didn’t start driving to Florida until he ran out of gas, parked on the side of the road. I don’t know if he took the tags off or what; I never asked him. I thought about that recently. But he just left it there and hitchhiked to Florida, saying, “Man, I want to get down there where Grandpa is. I can live with Grandpa, go to church with Grandpa. I want to get my life right.”
He came to our church. Well, our church is a larger church. He didn’t fit in at first. I had long hair and all the rest of that stuff, but it just didn’t fit in real good. But I was 16, 17 years old, and I knew David was sincere. And I said, “David, man, we started hanging out.” I had a bus route. I was a bus captain as a teenager. You know, a teenager trying to keep kids behaving on the bus typically doesn’t work out, you know. Never getting called into the pastor’s office. A big church, 900 people saved on Sunday morning. He got called me in his office. “You’ve got to keep those kids on your bus behaving.” I’m thinking, “I’m trying, man. They don’t listen to me,” you know. I thought, “Come on the bus, you do it,” you know. But anyway, I said, “David, help me out on this bus ride.” And we became good friends. And it was just a good friendship. And David just grew in the Lord, got his life straightened down.
And David called me my freshman year. I was a little discouraged. David said, "Hey, Paul, I’m about to marry so-and-so, a good Christian girl, church girl. He said, “We’ve got to have a Christian buddy. I married a Christian girl.” And he said this, I’ll never forget it. He said, “Paul, I want you to be my best man. He said, ‘I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for you. You befriended me when I needed it.’” Man, still kind of gets me going, you know. I’m not going to cry because I don’t have a pink shirt on today, amen, like last week.
Hey, there’s some Davids in your life. There’s some Davids in your life. Herod’s going to try to get you off track. Herod’s going to be after you. There’s going to be some Davids that God wants you to reach. Yeah. Yeah, they’re out there. And that’s what he’s saying: “No, I’m going to keep casting out devils and doing cures.”
Then that last line, we’ve got to finish it up. He’s awaiting, amen. Ms. Mona and the Dumpers are going to get me because she’s got ham in the oven. We’ve got to get this thing done. I’m teasing with her, but not about the ham. She does have ham. We’ll give you the address later on. We’ll all meet down there at our house. They would be gracious, actually, by it. They’re wonderful people.
But notice the last thing he says there, and he says, “The third day, I shall be perfected.” Now, when he says perfected, that does not mean that he’ll become sinless. Perfect. Jesus already was that. He knew no sin, became sin for us. Notice that. He knew no sin. He knew no sin.
That word “perfect” typically the Bible has to do with complete. He’s saying, look, the third day when I rise again—13 times the Bible says the third day, third day, third day—the third day when he rises again, he’s saying, “My work’s going to be done. It’s going to be completed.” Remember what Paul said over there in Second Timothy? He said, “Hey, I fought a good fight. I’ve finished my course. I’ve kept the faith.” He said, “My God’s will for my life is completed.” By the way, part of that was he completed your salvation. He completed salvation for every man, woman, boy, or girl in all the world. He’s completed salvation for you. When he was saying, “The third day, I’ll be perfected,” the third day, he had died and rose again. Three days later, he rose again. He said, “I finished the work. I finished it on the cross to cover, but now he’s raised it again for our justification,” the Bible tells us. So you can stand before God just as if you never sinned when we are sinners. He completed the work. It’s done.
That God has a will for you. Are you going to complete his will for your life? There’s always going to be a Herod. Jesus, the third day, he’s perfected. He’s earned salvation. Now he offers it to every person in the world.
Our ladies, we call it “Blankets of Love,” but I found out the hard way: don’t call them blankets, they’re quilts. Yeah. How many of you in our church, you’ve ever gotten a quilt from our Blankets of Love? Look at that. Look at that. That’s a good crowd, and that’s probably a third of our crowd. And it takes them hours and hours. Many ladies, all these hours of sewing. Ms. Brenda, I didn’t ask for a head count. How many hours do you think goes into one quilt? A year? Nine months to a year, and they’re sewing 24/7. Nobody sleeps. They’re just all the time. I’m teasing. Who knows how many hours, who knows, but about a year, nine months from the start to the finish, them working continuously on a quilt. And here’s the wonderful thing: so often, and I love my job, I get to call out the name, and I love when I call it this quilt. You know, we’ll show it off over here. Many of you’ve seen that. And this quilt is so… And I love it. If you get a quilt, you’ve got to promise me you start crying. I just add to it. A lot of our people do cry. And it’s just neat. You don’t have to, of course, but it adds to it.
But, you know, those ladies working for the only thing for a year, and one of those ladies, they’ll put the last stitch in there, and it’s completed. Now they can offer it to someone as a gift. And Jesus, on the third day, he completed your salvation. Now he offers it to you.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? All of us here, you say, “Preacher, there has been a time when I have accepted that gift.” Preacher, I have—I have accepted that gift. Jesus earned it on the cross. A third day, he completed it, and I have—I have accepted that gift. I’ve been saved. I’m a born-again Christian. If that’s you this morning, you slip your hand up. “Preacher, I’ve accepted that gift.” I see many hands, many hands. God bless you. Thank you so very, very much. You can put your hands down.
Maybe you hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, I want to accept it. I believe Jesus died and rose again. I know he died to pay for my sin, and I would like to accept that gift this morning.” If that’s you this morning, “Preacher, I would like to accept that gift.” If that’s you right there where you’re at, right while you’re seated, would you call on Jesus right now? Would you tell him, “Jesus, I would like to receive that gift? I know you died for my sins. I know the third day you rose again, you completed it, and I would like to receive that. I put my faith in you and you alone. Would you save me?” You say, “Preacher, I just accepted that gift. I never had before, but I just accepted that gift.” If that’s you this morning, would you slip your hand? “I just prayed. I just asked Jesus to be my Savior.” Do you slip your hand up? Good. Anybody else? “I just asked Jesus to be my Savior.” Anybody else? Just slip it up. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Anybody else? “I just asked Jesus to be my Savior.” All right. I see that hand too. Anybody else? “I just received that completed gift. Jesus completed it. He perfected it when he rose the third day, and I just received that gift.” Anybody else? Anybody else? Anybody else?
In just a moment, we’re going to stand. We’re all going to pray. When we pray, I’ll invite people to come to an altar if they’d like to pray. I’d love for you to come. When you come, there’ll be a man standing down front, and he’ll take the Bible, show you from the Bible, just kind of give you assurance of what the decision you made. We’d love to be a help to you. You come, we’ll be a help to you. That’s all. Ask your parents’ permission if you need to do that. Do that. We’d love to be a help to you.
Maybe you’re here today, and you say, “Preacher, I’ve had a Herod, but I’m going to commit to live for the Lord. I’ve heard it, and all my goodness is trying to intimidate me. He’s coming after me. He’s trying every angle he can. But I’m deciding, I’m committing today to serve the Lord.” God spoke to my heart about that. “I’m committing to serve the Lord today.” If that’s you this morning, just lift your hand up. “Preacher, that’s me. I’m committing to live for the Lord. I’ve heard it, but I’m going to live for the Lord. I’m going to do God’s will.” Just lift it up. Just lift it up all across the auditorium. “I’m going to live for the Lord. I’m going to live for the Lord. I’m committing to live for the Lord.” God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. That’s important. God bless you. Good, good, good.
Maybe you hear this morning you say, “Preacher, I’ve been kind of out. I’ve not been doing God’s will, and something has hindered me. But today I’m going to be like Jesus. No, I’m going to get back in there. You tell it, you—you tell it. I’m going to cast the devils out. I’m going to do the cures. I’m going to keep serving God.” If that’s you, “I’m going to get back in there for the Lord.” Matthew, you just lift your head, just lift it up. God bless you. God bless you. Good, good, good, good. God bless you, good, good. God bless you, good, good. God bless you, good, good, good. God bless you, good, good, good. God bless you, good, good.
Would you please stand? Would you please stand? We’re going to have a word of prayer. If God’s tugging at your heart, would you be obedient? If you need an old-fashioned altar, you do that. If God’s leading you, stay there. You stay there. You stay there. But you’d be obedient to the Lord. You’d do exactly what he said he was tugging. You’d be obedient to him. Father, thank you for your plan. Thank you, Lord, for all the Davids in our paths. Lord, we know it’s you that cast out the devils, you that grow and heal people, but use us in that, Lord. Help us to keep serving you, even though the Herods are there. Father, for ones that raised their hand, they prayed and asked you to be their Savior, give them boldness to come. Let us help in the new journey for the Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Would you come? God spoke in the heart, would you come as our instruments to play? Just come, just spend some time on them. Be obedient. Be obedient. If you asked Jesus to be your Savior, maybe you need to talk to your parent and just say, “Hey, can I go talk to that guy?” We’ll give you some literature, help you in your new journey.
You got to hear it. Well, Herod can intimidate. He’s going to kill you. He’ll make you believe that. I said, “No, I’m just going to serve God.” Don’t you come tell the Lord about it or standing where you’re at. Just tell him, “Hey, I’m going to serve God all today. We need soul-now Christians, just going to live for the Lord, good, bad, or ugly. I’m just going to do God’s will for my life. I’m going to serve him.” There’s always going to be a Herod, always a Herod, always a Herod. That’s all right. He’s defeated. That old fox, he knows what’s coming one day. Hey, we’re on the winning side. Let’s just serve the Lord.
“Go tell him, Behold, I cast out devils and do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day, I shall be perfected.” I’m just going to complete God’s will for my life. Heard of a pastor, a good guy, and he’d served the Lord all so many years. His wife passed, and he got out of God’s will, backslid. What a sad thing. He didn’t complete. So no, Herod’s coming, but I’m just going to—I’m just going to the third day, the third day, the third day, I’m going to be perfected. I’m going to complete God’s will for my life. Determined to do that today. Been out of there? Hey, he’s a second, third, millionth chance. God, get back in there and serve him again today. He’s got—he’s got plenty for you to do. Someone said, “You’ll know when God’s done with you; you’ll be in heaven or hell. It’ll be all over.”
Amen. Amen. So glad you’re in God’s house on the Lord’s day. Amen. And I don’t know about you, but I’m glad for a risen Savior. Amen. I’m glad he said, “Hey, you tell that old fox, I’m just going to keep doing God’s will. The third day, I’m going to be perfected.” And let’s follow in his shoes. Glad you’re here. Easter egg hunt right afterwards. Out front, nursery, primary church—that’s kindergarten, first, and second grade—that’s going to be back here, and on the left. Then third to the sixth grade, there’s going to be back here in the back to the right. And then if you’re 80 years and older, the Easter egg hunt is going to be in the fellowship hall. And I’m teasing. I’m glad you’re here. The Dumpers say they have plenty of ham for everybody. And Ms. Mona Dumper should have everybody. Brother Dumper says, “Uh-uh, that’s mine. Uh-uh. Don’t take my food now,” you know.
And amen, so glad. Hey, the Lord’s pleased with you being in his house. He’s happy with you. He’s right where you ought to be. He’s happy with you. And it’s important for our country to keep having days like this celebrating our Savior’s resurrection. And let’s keep Christ first. Amen. Glad you’re here. Six o’clock tonight. Love to have you come back. Since we’re going to Brother Dumper’s house and eat, and it’s only appropriate that Brother Dumper would dismiss us in a word of prayer. Would you please, brother?
Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar ＂Go ye, and tell that fox＂ - Sunday AM 04⧸20⧸2025 [dFtI72P7XXk]