What Manner Of Person Ought You To Be? - Johnny Elmore

Tonight, I want to talk on a theme that I have discussed over

several television stations and has been mailed out actually by

the thousands to viewers in in the viewing world.

I guess you could say I always like to have a lesson that has

Points that I can take, hold of if I can see in a lesson where a

person is going, I can assimilate the information much

easier. And so I've always tried to have

definite points that a person could grasp whole Tov and take

home with him. And I hope that's the case

tonight. Not like one young man, spoke

one time and a elderly man told him, he said your your Reminded

me of the earth before creation, he said, well how is that he

said, well, it's without form and void and so I hope that that

will not be the case in our lesson tonight.

The question was asked after the Apostle Peter had predicted the

end of the material universe, as we know it, he said, but the day

of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the

heavens shall pass away with a great.

Noise than the element shall melt with fervent heat the

Earth, also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

And based upon that premise, that is that the Lord will come.

The heavens will pass away the element smell.

The Earth shall be burned up with its Works.

Peter asked this question? What manner of persons ought you

to be? That's a serious question.

If we knew that tomorrow would be The end of the world.

As we know it, what kind of life should you have lived today?

Of course, I can't say with any degree of assurance that the end

of the world will be tomorrow because we don't know that Peter

said it would come as a thief in the night that it would be,

unexpected sudden with no warning.

However, I can't say that it will not come tomorrow either.

Therefore, because the day of the Lord could be together,

Today or tomorrow? Or at any time?

Peter's thesis is we ought to be living holy and godly lives.

What manner of persons ought we to be?

Well, we ought to be new creatures in Christ, Jesus

taught it very plainly when he said, except a man be born

again. He cannot see the kingdom of

God. That is, he cannot apprehend it

or grasp it. John 3 and verse 3.

And the fact that one is He born again, suggest a new creature,

it's suggest conversion, it suggests change.

And yet many people seem to feel that they're good enough as they

are. And they expect to be saved

without any change or without any conversion.

But to be ready for the great day that Peter describes, one

must be converted. He must be changed.

He must remove his affections from the things of this world

and sin of them upon Christ and his way, now the disciples that

Jesus selected to help him. And his ministry were great men.

They were some of the greatest who ever lived.

But, you know, one time, they quarreled over, who would be the

greatest in the kingdom. And so, Jesus, sat them sat a

little child down in the midst of them and he said, verily, I

say unto you except ye be converted, and become as little

children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

In other words, they had to be changed.

You see one, cannot please God, without conversion without

change a person who is still in love with sin is not fit for the

Society of heaven. And I love always submitted that

a person who is still in love with sin would be miserable if

he were suddenly placed in such holy company.

As that of Heaven. How do I know that?

Why Sinners are miserable here in this world in the midst of

those? Who are singing praying

preaching and praising, God. And they're not going to be

changed simply because they've moved from one country to

another. Peter also said, repent, and be

baptized every one of you. In the name of Jesus Christ for

the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the

Holy Ghost. Notice Peter said repent.

That means to be changed and be baptized so that you can have

your sins forgiven or remitted. Again, in Acts 3:19, he said

Acts 3:19

repent, ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be

blotted out now, the revision renders that repent, ye

therefore and turn again. Baptism, is the Turning act by

which a person is transferred out of a state of alienation,

with God into a state of reconciliation with God, a

person can't go to heaven with his sins.

They must be blotted out. Peter says they have to be

remitted. That is one must change.

His purpose is our aims and change his state of being.

Now, there are many today who feel like they're good enough.

And that's a very dangerous ground to occupy because a

person who feels like he's good enough is not going to make any

effort to change, but if he could only be made to realize

that he's lost and in danger of Eternal destruction, then he

would cry out for salvation and if so he should realize that

it's Peter said neither is there salvation in any other for There

is none other name under Heaven. Given among men whereby we must

be saved, acts 4, and verse 12. The Apostle Peter said,

therefore, If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature, old

things are passed away, behold. All things are become new.

Now, it makes no difference, how morally good a person is if he's

not in Christ he's not a new creature because he said that,

if any man be in Christ And he's a new creature.

Now the Lord has taught us the importance of being in Christ in

the example of Cornelius and acts the 10th chapter.

Here was a man that the Bible describes as a devout man one

that feared God one that gave much alms a man who prayed all

way. And also this man had seen an

angel and yet with all of this good record, the angel said to

him, send men to Joppa. Call for one Simon, whose

surname is Peter, and he shall tell thee, words whereby thee

and thy house shall be saved. Now, certainly a person who

needs to be saved is lost, isn't he?

And so he needed here. Words whereby, he could be saved

now. Why called for Simon Peter?

Well, he was one of the ones who stood over there on the mountain

and heard Jesus, give the Great Commission when he said all

Power is given unto me in heaven and in Earth go ye therefore,

and preach the gospel to Every Creature.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.

He that believeth not shall be. Damned Mark, 16 15 and 16 and

also Matthew 28 and verse 18. Now, Cornelius was a good moral

man from the standpoint of works, but he was not in Christ.

And the Bible affirms that there is no salvation out of And there

is no other name, given among men whereby we must be saved.

So what happened when Peter arrived?

Well, you remember that Cornelius, met him at the door,

he had his family and his friends all gathered there.

And he said, we've here to here all things that are commanded,

thee of God. And so, Peter began to speak.

And you remember what happened? Have that as he began to speak?

The Bible says the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius.

And his house they speak in tongues, which gave Peter

evidence of the fact that they had received manifestation of

the Holy Spirit, The Gift of the Holy Spirit.

And so, the Bible says, who can forbid water, that these should

not be baptized who have received the Holy Ghost as well

as. We now, the reason they received

the Holy Spirit was to evidence to Peter, who was a devout Jew

and a pretty hard-headed one at that that they too were

candidates for salvation, even though they were Gentiles.

And so when Peter saw that evidence, he said I couldn't

withstand God, I can't stand up in the face of God, say they're

not worthy because they received the like gift as we did and so

he says he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord

Jesus. Now observe if you will that

Cornelius, Good Deeds were not condemned but he had to enter

Christ and do his deeds in order to have the promise of Eternal

reward, that's because of the scripture.

We We quoted last night and Colossians 3 and verse 17, which

says and whatsoever you do in word or deed do all in the name

of the Lord. Jesus giving.

Thanks to God and the father by him, we have to do that and by

the authority of Christ. Now, in order to be very clear

about this, I want to illustrate what we're talking about.

Let's suppose that over here somewhere or some people here in

New can understand this illustration.

I think that's suppose that there are two Vineyards side by

side for both, say that these belong to mr.

A and mr. Beef.

And there's a band and hires out to work in this Vineyard and the

mr. A says, if you'll go work in my

Vineyard today, I don't know what the going wage is, but

let's say that he says, I'll pay you $50 if you'll work in my

Vineyard today and so the man goes over there and begins to

work. And as he works, he looks across

the road over here to mr. B's Vineyard and there's some

people over there that he recognizes and they the workers

called him to come over here, work with us.

So he goes across the road and he works all day and mr.

B's Vineyard then at the end of the day, he comes to mr.

A and he says I want my reward, I want my wages that I've

worked. Mr. Rice as well, you didn't

work in my venue. You go over there to the man

that you work for and he goes over to mr.

B, and asked for his wages. Mr. B says I didn't hire you go

to the man that hired you and so the poor man goes away without

any reward for his labor. That's a pitiful picture is but

that's the picture of the moral man.

He's doing good deeds. It's true but, you know, he's

not enrolled in the Lord's Vineyard, he's not Working for

the Lord, and the devil has an offered any reward and so his

loss, his Good Deeds, go on rewarded because the Bible says,

what's whatever you do in word or deed.

Do all in the name of the Lord. Now, since it's so important to

enter Christ and work in his kingdom or in his Vineyard, the

question tonight must be, how do we get into Christ?

How do we Her Christ, the Apostle Paul said, If any man be

in Christ, he's a new creature, old things are passed away,

behold. All things are become new.

Well, I want to try to tell you tonight, how to get into Christ

and I want to try to make it so plain that you can't help but

understand how we get into Christ.

I'm going to let this circle here represent, how we get into

Christ. Let's say that this circle

represents That Fellowship being in Christ where there is no

condemnation, Romans 8 and 1 say it.

All right, we have to hear the gospel don't lie because the

Bible says faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word

of God. That's in Romans, the 10th

chapter and verse 17. Not only must we here, we have

to believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, if you believe not

that, I am he, you will die in your sins.

We have to repent or turn away. From all known sin.

Jesus said, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

We have to confess Christ because Matthew 10 and verse 32,

says, whosoever, therefore shall confess me before men him will.

I confess also before my Father, which is in heaven and finally,

we must be baptized. But now look here, we find over

enrollments the tenth chapter in verses 9 and 10.

The Apostle Paul said that if Thou shalt confess with thy

mouth, My mouth, the Lord, Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart

that God has raised from the dead.

Thou shalt be saved for with the heart, man, believeth unto

righteousness. And with the mouth confession is

made unto salvation. Acts 11, I believe it's Verse 18

says, they love God grammed. Also to the Gentiles repentance

unto. Why?

So, look, here we were believe on the righteousness.

We repent unto life. We confess unto salvation.

But there's a Figure over here when we come to baptism because

in Galatians the third chapter and verse 26, we hear the

Apostle Paul saying therefore we're all children of God by

faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been

baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.

Now, how do we get in Christ? We were baptized into Christ,

not into some human denomination.

Not into some club or organization, but he said, we're

baptized into Christ. Just now when we were baptized

into Christ, then we have access to all of the spiritual

blessings. Because the Bible says that all

spiritual blessings in Heavenly places are in Christ Jesus.

In Ephesians, the first chapter and verse 3, well, led by the

spirits voice, then recorded in his word.

Baptized in water, he's born of water and the spirit and he

enters Christ. I want to illustrate it just a

little more. I don't know.

You folks don't have tornadoes are often over here but we do

Oklahoma where I live and sometimes they get pretty close

to. Let's suppose that I have a

fraidy hole out in my backyard. That's what we call a seller

storm cellar, and it's just four steps from the back door of my

house. In the last cellar.

And so here, only television on the radio, that there's a bad

storm coming, they've cited the Twister on the ground out,

Southwest of Ardmore, Oklahoma, where I live.

And so I said, we better get in the cellar.

And so, I step outside, and I take that first step.

I'll say why we're safe now. Am I safe new?

So, I take that second step now, say, Farva.

I've taken two steps. No, no, there has to be another

step. So I take that third step.

I'm safe. No, no.

You get blown away by their, there will be a thing left

standing of you if you stay there.

So, I take that fourth, step through that door down.

Now, I'm safe because I'm in the Sabbath.

Well, I saw the way it is with getting into Christ.

We Believe unto righteousness, we repent unto life, we can fast

unto or toward salvation, but then when were baptized for the

remission of sins, in the name of Jesus Christ, Then we get

into Christ where their safety. We read over there then in

Romans 8 and one, where the Apostle Paul says there is

therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

Who walk not after the flesh. But after the spirit I read also

there and second Peter 2 and 2. Where Peter says, as newborn

babes desire, the sincere milk of the word that you may grow.

Thereby, now I'm a new creature in Christ and Paul.

I said, If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature.

Well, after conversion. Of course, you have to be

faithful because in Revelation 2 and 10.

He said be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee a

Crown of Life. Peter was told by the Lord,

Jesus Christ. After his denial, when thou art

converted strengthen, the Brethren that ought to be our

goal. When we get converted, were to

strengthen each other. Strengthen the Brethren.

Yes, we ought to be New creatures in Christ but then we

ought to be Saints living. Holy lives.

Incidentally, did you know that members of the body of Christ?

Members of the church are called upon to be Saints.

Peter said, what manner of persons ought you to be in all,

holy conversation and godliness? While we are to be living, holy

lives, we ought to be Godly. The world seems to think of a

person today. Who is a saint as someone who's

been dead, hundreds of years and he's quote canonized.

And that means that someone who has been designated as a saint

by somebody over there in Rome, Italy.

But I submit that's not the Bible concept of the word.

Saint Noah saying is simply one who has been set apart to do,

God's Will, and that's what sanctification means.

To be set apart to do. God's will Pia Paul addressed

his letter in First Corinthians 1 and 2 to the Church of God

which is at Corinth to them that are Sanctified in Christ.

Jesus, Listen. Now, call to be Saints.

So we're not just candidates for sainthood.

We are Saints by virtue of the fact that we're in the body of

Christ. What manner of persons ought you

to be well, to be safe? That is people who are set apart

Sanctified using our bodies, our money, our talents, our efforts

for the kingdom of God. Now, the Apostle Paul said in

First Corinthians 6 and verse 9 know, ye not that the

unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Well, a lot of people don't know that today, that the unrighteous

shall not inherit the kingdom of God and that he goes, further be

not deceived neither. Fornicators nor idolaters nor

adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with

mankind, nor thieves nor Covetous nor drunkards, nor

revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Well, what happens to people who have committed these sins?

Listen now, carefully such Who were some of you?

Such were some of you, but your Sanctified, your justify, your

washed, your Sanctified justified in the name of the

Lord Jesus. And by the spirit of our God, in

other words, they had been saved through their obedience to the

gospel and they've been changed and now they're no longer these

kinds of people. They're forgiven.

Yes, we ought to be people who shun The Works of the flesh.

Paul get specific about what the works of the flesh are listen.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest made plain.

In other words, which are these adultery fornication,

uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry, witchcraft hatred

variance, emulations wrath Strife, heresies envyings

murders, drunkenness revellings and such like Paul did name all

the sins, but he said anything like that at the, which I tell

you before. As I've told you in time past

that they, which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of

God. That's in Galatians 5:19 through

Galatians 5:19–21

21. Now if you want to be the kind

of a person who would please God at the coming of our Lord, Jesus

Christ, the Bible calls upon you to come out from the world and

be separate over in 2nd Corinthians 6 and verse 17.

He said wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate,

saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing, and I will

receive you and I'll be a father to you.

You will be my sons and daughters saith the almighty and

then in the Acts chapter 7 and 1.

Acts 7 · chapter mention

He said having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us

cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the Flesh and of

the spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God.

Well, it's clear that while we must live in this world where

not to be of the world, see there's a difference in being in

the world and of the world. We ought to live holy lives

which is what a saint is a Christian who lives.

Is a holy life. I visited a congregation in

South Carolina. A few years ago, there was a

brother there in this congregation who had, if I'm not

mistaken, 18 children and all of them were members of the church

and he got up and spoke that night.

And he said, he said, you know, brethren we're all going to see

the Lord when he comes, but he said, unless you live a holy

life, You're not going to see God because over here in Hebrews

the 12th chapter and verse 14, the Bible says follow peace with

all men and Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.

Revelation 1 says that when Jesus comes every eye shall see

him but you won't see God if you don't live a holy life.

But then we also ought to be workers in the vineyard of the

Lord. Jesus told a parable in the

twentieth chapter of Matthew and verse 14, the Kingdom of Heaven

is likened to a man that is an householder which went out early

in the morning to hire labourers into his Vineyard.

Now the steward. Well, evidently the householder

went out. About 6:00 in the morning and

began to hire laborers in his Vineyard.

And in this Vineyard which was a plantation of vines that was

hedged in by walls and ditches and cleared of stones and

cultivated they had grapevines and so needing more help.

He went back at 9:00, he went back at 12:00 at noon.

He went back at 3:00, still trying to hire labor, into his

Vineyard and finally, at 5:00 in the afternoon, when Son was way

over Yonder in the western Horizon, the eleventh hour.

He was trying to hire labourers into his Vineyard and in this

Parable, all who had worked receive the same reward at the

end of the day. Jesus said that's the way the

Kingdom of Heaven is that's the way the church is.

God wants laborers in his Vineyard.

He has no need for idlers or loafers and if you want God the

householder to reward you. Then you must enter his Vineyard

and then you have to work till set of sun that is until your

life is over. And, you know, here's the

beautiful part to me this is beautiful part.

If you hear that call at the 11th Hour, That is the sunset of

life. Even if life for you upon this,

Earth is almost over. God called you to work in his

Vineyard and fuel. Enter and work.

Then you'll receive the same reward as the others, which is

eternal life. Isn't that beautiful?

You know, I'm thankful that I can preach a gospel like that,

some years ago, I was preaching on television and a lady called

me and said, I wish you would visit my mother who is in a

nursing home. She said, she likes to hear you

preach, and I think it would do her so much good if you would go

see her. So I went over to see her.

She was sitting out on the porch, in a rocking chair.

She looked beautiful like a beautiful picture of a Godly

lady. And so I began to talk to her

about the gospel about the church about Old Time, Gospel,

preachers and meetings. Finally this lady spoke up.

She said, brother Elmore, I'm going to be fair with you.

She said, I've never been baptized.

I said, oh my I said, well, you need to do that because she was

up in her in her 80s and she said, well I want to, but she

said, I've had a had a heart attack and she said that has

prevented it and I said, oh well we need to take care of that.

She said we'll just as soon as I'm able, I want to do that.

And I said, well now listen as soon as you are able, you give

me a call. And we'll take care of that.

And I figured, you know, probably that would be the end

of it because I thought well probably she will never call me

again. One day, not long, after that,

the telephone rang and her daughter said, could you baptize

my mother? Well, I took that dear old soul

into the baptistry and baptized into Christ and she was so happy

that she could obey the gospel. And of course, within a very

short time, she was called upon to test the stern realities of

Eternity, T but I'm thankful that I can preach a gospel that

offers hope and Jesus gospel does offer hope.

Now I want to say one little thing right here.

I don't have any evidence that these people rejected that call

time and time again, and then at the 11th Hour, they came to

Jesus but I would do that. I would obey the gospel.

If I were in the 11th Hour of my life here upon this Earth.

Are you working for the Lord? Are you zealous of good works as

commanded and Titus? 2:14 are you ready unto every

good work? Tightest three in one.

Are you full of good works? Acts 9 + 36?

Are you careful to maintain? Good?

Works Titus. 3 & 8. Are you fruitful in every good

work? Colossians 1 and 10?

Are you a pattern of Good Works? Titus 2 & 7, do men, see your

faith by your Works? James, 218 do men, see your good

works. And glorify your father, which

is in heaven. Matthew 5:14, let's get a little

Matthew 5:14

more specific. Do you?

Visit the fatherless and the widows and They're flexion James

James 1:27

1:27. Sometimes people say, oh I can't

stand nursing homes. I can't stay in the hospitals.

Well, I don't imagine the people who are there, like it either,

but the Bible says we're to visit.

Do you feed the hungry? Give drink to the Thirsty.

Take in strangers. Clothe the naked.

Visit those who are sick and in prison probably for

righteousness sake as Jesus commands, Matthew 25 35 and 36.

Do you give attendance to reading God's word?

I've often felt that if a person will will come to every church

service every gospel meeting, read the Bible every day, and

pray every day. You know, there's not much else

that needs to be done for him because he'll learn what it is

to be a Christian. But if you don't do that, I

don't know that there's anything that can be done for you.

Now, do you study to show yourself approved unto God Titus

a second Timothy 2:15? Do you desire the sincere milk

2 Timothy 2:15

of the word? Second Peter 2 and to do you

attend the services of the church?

Hebrews 10:25. Do you break bread on the first

Hebrews 10:25

day of the week Acts, 20 and 7. Do you pray without ceasing

first Thessalonians 5:17 You know, we ought to be workers in

1 Thessalonians 5:17

the vineyard of the Lord because the Bible teaches that at the

final day, we're going to be judged out of the books of God

according to our works. That's in Revelation, 20 and

verses 12 and 13. Then we ought to be expectantly

looking for Christ's return. In this passage that we read a

few minutes ago, he says, what manner of persons ought you to

be. Peter says we are to be looking

for and Hasting unto the coming of the day of God that's in

second. Peter 3 verses 11 and 12.

2 Peter 3:11

Now, the dictionary defines look for as to search for, to expect.

So are you expecting Christ? We may know about him, but are

you expecting him? The Will says in Hebrews 9:28.

Hebrews 9:28

So Christ was once offered to Bear the sins of many and unto

them that look for him. Shall he appear the second time

without sin unto salvation? Are we looking for Jesus?

That is expecting him. We may know all about the second

coming of Christ. We may be familiar with the

prophecies about he's coming. But are we looking for him?

Are we expecting Jesus with? Eager anticipation?

Could we say with Possible poll that we love his appearing.

Second, Timothy 4, and 8 and over there in the last chapter.

The last book, almost the last verse of the Bible.

We hear the Apostle, John's say, even so come Lord Jesus.

What manner of persons ought? We to be, we ought to be

expectant. We ought to be living as,

though, Jesus could come at any moment for truly.

He could. Lastly tonight, I want to say,

we are I ought to be prepared for death.

We ought to be living as though this were the last day of life

because it truly maybe the Bible constantly reminds us of the

brevity of Life. Psalm 103 and 15 says as for man

his days are as grass as the flower of the field so he

flourish it for the wind passeth over it and it is gone and the

place thereof shall know. It no more.

Then Job 14 and one man. That is born of woman is of few

days and full of trouble. He cometh forth as a flower in

his cut down. He fleeth also as a shadow and

continue with not then there's Peter who said all flesh is as

grass in the flower of man, and the glory of, man, as the flower

of the grass, and the grass withereth, and the flower

thereof falleth away, but the word of the Lord, endureth

forever, James said, what is your life?

It is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time and

then vanisheth away, have you ever gotten up early in the

morning? You see a little fog out on the

Over the Horizon and then soon as the sun comes up that fog

just vanishes James said that's the way you lie for use in

Daily. Observation teaches us that this

is true because death and Decay are written all around us.

Someone said the old will die and the young must die soon very

soon for some who are here this this evening in this service,

this old showed coil mortal coil, must be shuffled off and

the door of death must be entered in five seconds.

After death. My friends it won't matter what

kind of a house you've lived in. What kind of clothes you've

worn? What kind of a car you drove?

What your bank account was what your educational attainments

were? All of that's going to fade into

utter insignificance, and there's going to be only one

thought preeminent in your mind. And that is have I lived in such

a way as to perpetuate myself in the memory of God.

It's appointed unto man once to Die.

The Bible says and after this the Judgment Hebrews 9:27 and oh

Hebrews 9:27

you know, we're not going to be judged by what manner of persons

we had planned to be or what kind of persons we would like to

have been. Or what kind of persons, others

thought we were, but what kind of persons we really were?

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