Every Man for Himself - Edwin Eby

And thank you so much for leaving lesson I come. It has been some

time that that I've taken revivals. It's life is busy, and so I

have not And it's been a little while since I was able to go for

a week and loss forgo with me on revivals. My pattern in the past

has been go and she would fly in maybe the last day or two.

So she has enjoyed a lot in her time ever with Elsie, and we've

enjoyed that. Thank you for that. Yeah, bless the congregation. Thank

you for the for the generosity and the gifts you gave us, and for

yes, it's just and that you allowed me to come here and chisel away

a little wee bit at at that thing that's between the east and the West.

I thank you for that. Let's keep working at chiseling away that because

God has many gifts, and you know, we might as soon be one

of my nephews ever in the Midwest church in in Minnesota said, you know,

Uncle, time might assue be coming when when we really know who our

true friends are in the world which we live. And so God, bless

you for that. Our lights are on a little how there it's dark gray

bored and batting with some red trims, and it has lights both sides.

You come south on Greenmount or north on Green Mount, where just in case

you do, there's lights are there and you may stop. You can stop

there and visit us in case. And so I've yeah, I've enjoyed this

time together very much. And we'll just take that book that you gave us

with the pictures and we'll put it on the shelf there in my office,

and some of the people at church will ask to see it, probably,

And so God bless you. Maybe there is some way that there will be

somewhere connections. God, God be with you. You hear I have a

pattern I preach. I do not say everything, and the congregation holmes,

they know that. But I heard today that I may have made a serious

mistake in speaking to the young ladies last night. I am the Bible says

I will that the young men marry, and they're not going to marry women

or men, so they're going to marry women. So I did not teach

last night when I said tell him to stay away, I was not teaching

that not to marry. And someone told me that they misunderstood that I want

you to be married. What I was telling you is if he wants to

ruin your rose, tell him now about ruining your rose. So I want

to make that clear. God wants you, probably most of the time,

for most of his people to be made, so I don't want to confuse

that God would have marriages to happen. My point, which I probably was

not clear enough, was that don't let him spoil your race. I hope

you can understand that point. So we could go on here a little,

but we'll leave that for a few more thoughts tonight. The word is so

wonderful, it has so much in it. Let's stand together and sing the

first and the last verses of seventy seven in the In Life Songs. I

stand amazed in the press Jesus the Naza, and wonder how he could love

me? Sing he condemned clean, Oh, how marvelous, so wonderful.

And my song shallver be, Oh marvel so wonderful his mother, say your

love for me, when with the ransom in God his says life, shall

see twelve be my joy through the age to say this is love for oh

marvel so wonderful, pans shower overby, Oh hongerful, so underful, save

for you may bee seated, thank you leaving for the thoughts. See I

did not read on Crimsons fifteen. I was in and out of it some.

But there was wonderful again to just hear those words of red and thank

you for that. And maybe our thoughts this morning could stir up your pure

minds somehow and and help us to see the risen Lord Jesus. It was

a very dark night and it was cold. On April fourteen, nineteen twelve,

a large boat was making its way passenger and mail boat was making its

way from Southampton, England to New York City. Was a brand new ship

and deemed to be unsinkable, cruising at about twenty knots at about eleven thirty

pm. This boat was over nine hundred foot long and ninety two foot wide

and sixty five foot high. No on board were over two thousand, three

hundred passengers and mail and other items, and its captain was a man by

the name of Edward John Smith. Mister Smith was a proud man and he

was determined to make record from Southampton, New England to New York City on

this brand new ship. And he was a man with much experience at sea,

and though he had been given four warnings at least four warnings prior to

this time, he kept his ship going through the dangers of warning of ice

and treacherous seas only about five to seven miles away. This SS Californian had

shut down for the night to await the dawn when danger could be avoided,

but mister Smith pressed on. At about eleven thirty a warning cry came from

the crozyness iceberg straight ahead the engineers and those were involved. He immediately reversed

the huge engines and in thirty seven seconds they were able to turn the ship,

and scientists now believe if they would have had on, perhaps catastrophe would

not have happened. But they turned the ship to the side and the huge

iceberg ripped six compartments wide open out of sixteen waterproof compartments, and it was

believed that it could float. Was five ripped, but it tore open at

least six let's seawater flooded in. The engineer went down and came back and

reported to Captain Smith that the water was coming in so fast that all the

pumps in Belfast could never pump it. Out, and he told him that

this ship will sink in two hours or less. And Captain Smith, proud

men that he was, knew that it was the truth, and so he

prepared and unleashed the emergency lifeboats. He ordered that rockets would be sent to

somehow distress rock to somehow get the attention of the Californian, which was not

so very far away. But earlier in the day the crew had mocked the

Californian, and the Californian had shut down for the night and turned off its

radio equipment. The band continued to play its music. The alert of the

ship sinking was sounded across the ship, but only a few believed it.

The early of the sixteen lifeboats that could have transported passengers to the Californian and

perhaps saved many were left down one by one. Most of the early boats

less than half full, but as people began to realize the truth and panic

for panic, lifeboats became crammed and over full. But alis most of the

safety of the lifeboats was all ready gone. At two o five am,

the lifeboats had all been launched. Mister Smith had done his duty, proud

man that he was, and there were yet fifteen hundred souls on board,

and Captain Smith, the proud man that he was, walked onto the bridge

with a bullhorn, and he announced every man for himself, And that is

the title of my message tonight, every man for himself. Mister Smith was

last seen on the bridge, and there's lots of stories about what happened to

mister Smith, but at that was at two five About fifteen minutes later,

at two twenty am, the bow of the boat had taken in so much

water in the pivot point from the front of the ship to the back.

It broke in the center and the bow sunk. The giant propellers on the

stern had lifted above the water. The pressure was so much that the bow

broke and it slipped to the bottom of the sea, taking six minutes to

complete its path, deadly path to the seafloor. And when the bow broke,

that freed the stern, and the stern was able to right itself just

momentarily until it also stood upright in the black, dark, icy waters of

death. And then it slid into the sea, and pressure from the ocean

against the compartments and the heat of the boilers, it exploded into terrible catastrophe.

And then too it went down, and the water is covered over,

and fifteen hundred people, men, women and children face and are waiting the

judgment of our advocate, Jesus Christ. There was a minna night lady on

that boat. I don't know if he knew that little part of the story

or not. Her name was Anne something, and she had not planned to

be there, but she an Baptist minnait lady went down in those waters.

And now I'm in Roman chapter fourteen, and I'm in verse eleven. For

it is written, as I live saith the Lord. Every knee shall bow

to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one

of us shall give account of himself to God. Fifteen hundred souls to meet

their judge, every man to himself when the waters of death. Yes,

but more importantly, fifteen hundred souls, every man to himself to meet Creator

and judge. And that is an unforgettable story. But proud man that Captain

Smith was. He least admitted in the end what the Bible says to us

tonight, every man to himself. So then every man shall give account of

himself to God. It's one of Paul's solemn verdicts. And if we were

to study and unpack Romans chapter fourteen, and one of the things we would

find is that Paul says that whatever food one eats or does not eat,

and whatever days they observe and do not observe, and whatever judgment makes of

one to another, in the end, it's each man for himself. There's

another dark knight, very dark knight. And this scripture is over in Matthew

chapter twenty six. I believe it is. Then you don't need to turn

there. You know this story. This is night when Jesus had left the

garden and had been drawn in to Palette's hall. And as Pilotte answered and

questioned Jesus, he asked a very unique question which indicated that he still was

like too many of us, He still did not accept the truth every man

for himself. And he said this question, what then shall I do with

Jesus, who is called the Christ? In other words, Okay, I'm

cursed if I do, and cursed if I don't. In his situation,

what what am I going to do with Jesus? Well, that's a question

that you and I have to answer tonight, because nobody else is going to

answer that question for us. Everyone is going to answer that question himself.

Now, there's some words over there in Romans that are unique, because there's

some words in Phililippians which say almost the same words, but a little bit

different. In Philippians it says every he should bow and every tongue should confess.

That's now, every knee should bow and every tongue should confess. But

then Paul says, after death the judgment, and then he makes it very

very different, and he says, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall

confess. See. And so now we are in Philippians, but later we

will be in Romans. So it's a very personal question that requires very personal

action. We can resolve a lot of things, or decide to commit to

a lot of things, but at the end of the day, it's our

move to act, because it's not Christ's move, it's our move. God

did not send but me. It's our move. Christ has provided, it's

our move. And so this question, what shall I then do with Jesus

is a very personal and important question. And we have this human choice.

Every niece should bow and every tongue should confess. That Jesus Christ is the

Lord to the glory of the Father, but not everyone is. Not everyone

does. And so one question, as it has to do with Romans fourteen

about every man for himself and Captain Smith's declaration every man for their self,

I must ask us this evening, what shall you do with Christ? See?

Pallet could not dodge that question that night, and Captain Smith came to

the place where he knew that no one could dodge the question, and that

meant every man for himself, and Paul writes every man shall give account of

hisself on a dark knight of Matthew twenty six. Palette could not dodge that

question anymore, and he was in a fearful dilemma that night. He was

standing between his Roman reputation and truth, like that very first night between you

know which place shall I go? Bart Tomaez had to decide which place well,

so Pilot on the Roman side that dark, dark knight. Pilot faced

leadership difficulties with the turbulent nationalistic Jews, and there was a constant battle raging

between the religious Jews and the civil affairs. And if Palot released Jesus,

he would receive the undying hate of the Jews who were determined to have Jesus

killed, and no doubt they might even appeal to Caesar. In Rome and

John nineteen, they accused him of not being Caesar's friend, and Jesus had

just stated that he was a king. In the King James, it's not

very clear. But in other versions, if you read it, Palot had

said, are you a king of the Jews? And in the King James

it just says thou sayest it. But in other versions I think what really

happened that was Jesus said, you said so, yes, The answer is

I am King of the Jews. So if Pilot released him, it was

one thing, and if he didn't it was another thing. And if Palette

was known to openly or secretly support coopty Tit in his province, how would

it appear to Rome? And this pride of station, and this fear of

peers, and this luxury and ease of which not just Palette faces, but

tonight we often face. It stands right up against and in the face of

every man for himself. And oh how Palette loves the pomp and the attention.

And he may well lose have lost his position that night as governor,

because the Caesars were quite unpredictable in that kind of case. So what would

he do? What should he do? What did he do? On the

truth side that dark, dark night, Palette had asked him, are you

the king of the Jews? And Jesus said, yes, it is true.

And also Palette knew that for Envy's sake, they had him there.

And so Palot did this little tricky. He threatened Jesus with what he believed

was his own power, and he said, don't you know that you're standing

at my hands? And Jesus said, you have no power at all,

except it be given thee from above. And the Bible says that from that

point Pilot was convinced in his heart, but cod see, And so he

asked this question, Well, then what shall I do with Jesus. Truth

was in the face of self, And so you and I often find ourselves

in the events of life. To take sides and do not trust this man,

Jesus, and to not surrender may damn his soul forever. And he

understood that truth somehow inside of him. On the other hand, if he

left Jesus free, it may cost him his honor and his friends and his

job. And so while in all of that agony, Powate tried again to

shift the question to Herod, and he sent him over there, and Haro

just send him back. And that's the way a lot of our life situations

go, these ones that we don't make the right decision, and the ones

that we do not keep in mind that it's every man to himself. We

try to shift it over there. And had been called out of bed,

and if you are like me, I do not like to be routed out

of bed. But he had been routed out of bed to deal with this

situation going on with the Jews and the sand Heedron and his good wife,

evidently trying to also get some sleep, had this dream, troubling dream,

and she was all torn up by this dreamed and she sent to her husband

and warned him, saying, have nothing to do with this. Just man,

see pilot probably, And like Captain Smith, there are situations where we

are thrust into and we are forced to make a decision, and inside we

know the answer, but outside are all of these things. And Palette did

not want to take responsibility. And the Bible says that Pilote and Herod became

strange friends that day, not with bonds of love, with bonds of a

common enemy. And that happens today too. It's really strange how friends,

how enemies become friends given the situation. Did you ever watch that happen?

And oh if Pillette had listened to his wife, but we know that he

did not. So he read with the question what shad then do with Jesus?

And he looked for his options for sneaking out. He thought that he

hated Barabbas, so surely that would get him loose. I'll just offer Barrabas

and that will get me loose. But the people raged on and demanded the

blood of Jesus because they said, we'll accept the robber and kill Jesus.

So he called for a bason of water to wash and clunge his hands.

But he was not guiltless. And when Brother Steve's there was at our church

a number of years ago preaching, I remember clear that he's talked about this

situation, and he gave a legend or a legend I believe about the later

life of Pilot. Maybe sometime in the past he's given it here. I

wish that I had that story, but I've not been able to recover the

tape, and so I don't have the story. But the point that I

do not forget is that his decision that night caused him lots of stress and

anguish, and he turned out a bad man, living and running from his

own fears. So he washed his hands that night, But washing his hands

did not make him guiltless. And while they change Esus to the pillars and

spent in his face, how could Palette be guiltless while the beating with the

cat and nine tails was going on and so on? And so it is

Romans chapter fourteen is correct. You and I must decide ourselves. So if

you're saved tonight, then you no doubt remember those troubling, rustling questions.

You don't forget those soon. What shall I do? Shall wait till tomorrow

night. I'll try to make sure that I don't do that again. And

I will this, and I will that. But the question cannot be evaded,

because Romans fourteen and Captain Smith in his pride what's true. It's every

man for himself. And you know the best thing to do is just admit

that truth and called Jesus the King, and even for saveman, and even

for save women. See, pilot did save his job that night, but

only temporarily. He lost his soul. He did do something with Jesus,

but it was the wrong thing. He rejected Jesus and lost his poor immortal

soul. And so Paul writes that there's a day coming all of us here.

And I used to have systematic asceeptology, but I don't have it anymore.

So I don't know for sure what our discussions would be on eschatology tonight,

but I've given up on systematic eschatology. I've agreed to just take the

things that the Bible says. I'm not getting ready to appreciate eschatology message.

Just relax. I'm just saying I don't know all of how the events or

the issues will come out, but I do believe when Paul says every man

for himself, it means that all of us, at some point sometime will

stand before God, saved or unsaved, and answer for that which has happened

in our lives. And I want to go home tonight free. And I

just thinking about that tonight, because every man for himself, it's really easy

for us to kind of come here as the people of God, and it's

good right to come here from the people God. And in that way we

are separate from those who are mealing around about us. So that's not wrong,

that's not my point. But it's really easy. And sometimes we follow

the trap to kind of coming into our churches and we sit here and and

and somehow here in these moments, and they're very good. Don't misunderstand me.

We forget a very important thing that this question or this truth every man

for himself, and using Pilot as an example of fighting and wrestling with that

question, that this question is universal. That word means inside this house,

and outside this house, and up and down this country and further around.

This question is universal to mankind. Palette cannot escape it. Captain Smith cannot

escape it. You and I cannot escape it. And we don't even want

to if we have given the correct answer to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's

universal. When I was a youngster, I don't know if you young boys

have a saying like this or not, but back in Pennsylvania we have this

little thing. When we would play we would say rich man, poor man,

beggar, man, thief, doctor, lawyer, indian chief. Well,

that just catches about everybody, right, we would use it instead of

ring around the rosy pocketful of posies and that kind of thing to decide who

would go into bat first or whatever that would and we would say rich man,

poor man, biggerman, thief, doctor, lawyer, Indian chief,

and then that was yeah, we would do so. I thought about that

this afternoon when I was putting a few of these thoughts together. Rich man,

poor man, beggar, man, thief, doctor, Indian chief.

And we have this pride on both sides. Some people are proud that they

are poor, and some people are proud that they're rich, and other people

are proud that they aren't either way, and this whole thing just runs around

us. But rich man, poor man, beggar, man, thief,

doctor, lawyer, Indian chief, this universal mandate every man for himself is

universal. And of course Paul was addressing that here, returning Revelation chapter twenty,

verse twelve. You knew this verse. And I saw the dead,

small and great stand before God, and the books were opened, and another

book was open, which is the Book of Life, and the dead were

judged out of those things which are written in the books according to the works.

Then we have scriptures like Jeremiah seventeen to ten. Old Testament scriptures.

I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give

every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.

And Daniels seven. There are quite a number of other scriptures, but I'll

just read a few of them. A fiery stream issued, will start at

nine. I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the anxious of

daze that said, whose garment was white as snow, and the hairs of

his head like the pure His throne was like the fiery flame, and his

wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him.

Thousands of thousands menstered under him, and ten thousand times ten thousands stood

before him, and the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

We could read from other scriptures Captain John Smith's repentance. If it was maybe

it was just duty, and Apostle Paul's words. Every man shall give account

of himself. Its universal. That's quite simple, but it is profound.

Every person that was born and every person that has died. In whatever way

you believe the events may take place, there's one thing certain every man for

himself. Not only is it universal, but it's inevitable. I don't know

if that's a word you use here very much. It just means you can't

get around it. You can't go over it, you can't get around it,

you can't go under it, you can't go beside it. Second Peter

three ten. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in

the night, in which the heaven shall pass away with a great noise,

and the elements shame out with fervent heat, and the earth also, and

the works that are therein shall be burned up. And we live in a

world that is ignoring this, as in the days of Noah, eating and

drinking and marrying and being married, which none of that is wrong, except

if it's not. In Jesus Christ, it's all sin. And Peter also

reminds us in the second chapter. And I know sometimes I've said this and

some of my friends and said, wow, Edwin calmed down just a little.

There's been all these things have happened in the years going by. But

I have to answer them. But the Bible says, do not say that

it might be true that things in the past have happened but things are not

continuing on as they were, And Peter says to say that is scoffing.

Rather, we should believe in every generation should believe, and it seems of

the inevitables that soon one day every man for himself. And you know,

there's something about believing and preaching about it that we probably should do a little

bit more of because it will move us and press us and push us to

holiness of life. And none of us are finished with that enough yet.

So it's universal. It includes rich man, poor man, bergerman, thief,

doctor, lawyer, indian chief. It's inevitable. The day of the

Lord will come. It's not might, it's not sometime. It will come.

And not only is it inevitable, it's personal. We are social,

blessed be we should be sociable. I'm a little sometimes concerned with the hyper

relationship world, social world that we live in at the expense of truth.

But I know that generations before us have exercised truth over relationships, which I

still believe is foundational. But exercising or overising truth at the expense of relationships

is catastrophic. But relationships emphasizing relationships above truth is also catastrophic. And I

believe that foundationally, truth stands and relationships is built on it, not the

other way around. But we're social being, and blessed be God wants us

to be social being. And if there's anything I could change, someone asked

me at the lunch table what it would change about my family raising if I

could, I would choose stronger social relationships with my family. I would,

I think, I would. I think the generation of which I'm part underestimated

the value of that. So we're social beings. But the point I'm making

here is we sometimes miss the gripping truth of every man for himself. We

love our wives, we love our children, we know of nothing else,

And yet they are not going to answer. That's a judgment. You cannot

blame it on your father, blame it on Laylan. You cannot blame it

on the situation. You cannot blame it. You cannot turn it, you

cannot change it. And we need to think about that. It's personal,

So it's universal, it's ineligible, and it's personal. No one else to

blame, no one else to answer but me, And so we do find

ourselves often in pilot's shoes. Which what then shall I do with Jesus,

and we weigh these things. But the answer is everyone shall give account of

his own works. It's not peer to peer. You tech people, you

know what peo to peer is. It's not peer to peer. It's when

you take that card and you yeah, this means many things. It's not

peer to peer. It's every man shall give account of his own And number

four, it is God supreme. Somebody ask me at the lunch table what

my belief is about this personal volition thing. I'll give it shortly what I

believe supremety. And the sovereignty of God is number one. And out of

that comes the sovereignty of human choice. And they're inseparable. But it's God

himself. And Paul even writes here in fourteen of Romans, who even included

himself. Yeah, every man shall give a count of his own. And

so enclosing, I ask you the question tonight, are you ready to give

a count of yourself? See? One of these days, out of the

eastern sky is coming to Lord Jesus Christ, and he's coming in power and

great glory, and after that the judgment. So I ask you tonight,

And I'd just like to sing one song, one verse of just as I

am tonight. Maybe yet, there is someone here who wants to do something

about this question of the