I Am Set for the Defence of the Gospel

[0:00] Please take our time now and use it. And just I pray that every single person that's here that's under the sound of my voice would have their heart open to the word of God and would be available to you to move and to speak and to direct and to teach.

[0:18] And Lord, whatever needs to come across tonight, whatever needs to be picked up, may it be done. And may you be pleased with our response and with our attention. And we love you. Thank you for this holy Bible.

[0:29] We don't need to come together to eat. We need this book. And so please help us to get something from it tonight now. Please take this time and do something with it. Lord, we're asking you to do that. So please, in Jesus' name.

[0:40] So Paul says, I'm set. I'm set. I'm fixed for the defense of the gospel. And I want to give you three quick reasons why he is in this position. And just follow along.

[0:51] Some of this stuff, we're going to cover some verses. I think you're going to say, well, you know what, I know that or I've heard that before. And for some of you, the repetition is going to help you. It's good. You're just going to get more grounded in it. And if you know these already without even turning, then just have grace and bear with me.

[1:07] And see why, as this builds, why Paul was so set. The first reason I want you to consider is because the gospel, I'm set for the defense of the gospel.

[1:19] That gospel was delivered to him, like to him personally. It was his responsibility to preach the gospel. It was his responsibility to deliver that gospel all over to the world, to the known world.

[1:33] It was his duty and calling of God. And so there's a good reason why he'd be set. If God entrusted you with something, you'd like to think that, well, that would be pretty important to me. And I'd hold on to it and I wouldn't let it go.

[1:44] And I wouldn't let anybody undermine it. I would stand for it. I'd be set for that thing. And that's what Paul was. He was set for the defense of the gospel. Now, I'm not going to turn you to all these places.

[1:56] But in 1 Corinthians 9, verse 17, if you need to write it down, it says that Paul said that a dispensation of the gospel was committed to me. To me.

[2:07] Not to Peter. Not to James or John. Any of them. But to me, the gospel was. I'm going to read from Ephesians chapter 3. And I'm just getting there and turning and reading.

[2:18] So you don't need to turn. But if you want to, go ahead. Ephesians 3, 1 through 8. Paul says, For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, which is given me to you, word, how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote afore in a few words.

[2:37] Whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of man, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel, whereof I was made a minister.

[3:00] According to the gift of the grace of God given unto me is this effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.

[3:16] The gospel was committed to Paul. He's been commissioned by Jesus Christ with delivering this message. In 2 Timothy chapter 4, he said, that by me the preaching might be fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear.

[3:32] So Paul was set to defend what was placed in his possession and what he had the responsibility to deliver to, both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise.

[3:46] As we studied a long time ago in Romans chapter 1, he was debtor to preach the gospel. And now when we're in Philippians reading this passage, he's in jail. He's locked up.

[3:58] He's in bonds. And he's rejoicing. What's he so happy about? Because he says it in the passage. I'll go back there. He says Christ is preached. And so he's locked up.

[4:12] He's not getting out and getting anywhere and getting round about, but he's hearing word that people are preaching Jesus Christ. And now he's rejoicing. Now I want to consider something about this. And in this chapter, in this passage I read with you, in verse 12, he references unto the furtherance of the gospel.

[4:29] That was very important to Paul. The things that, what's happened to me, I'm tossed in jail, but it's actually a good thing. Why? Because it's happened, things have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.

[4:42] So if the gospel's getting more play on the airwaves, then I'm content. I'm actually very, very happy. Why, Paul? Because that's what I'm called to do. I'm called to deliver that gospel.

[4:54] And it's getting out there by me being locked up. He's excited about this. Now in the passage it says that there, in verse 14, that the brethren are, they're bold, they're much more bold to speak the word without fear.

[5:06] And that word that they're speaking is identified in verse 15 and 16. They're preaching Christ. Preaching Christ. And then he says in verse 17, set for the defense of the gospel.

[5:18] So Paul's rejoicing because the gospel, or because the preaching of Jesus Christ, is going forward. Now for clarity's sake, I just want to look at a few simple thoughts that reveal why this is so important to Paul.

[5:33] This thought of preaching Christ. It's mentioned as the gospel in verses 12 and 17. It's also mentioned down in verse 27 in this very chapter. But take your Bible and flip back to 1 Corinthians chapter 1.

[5:50] 1 Corinthians chapter 1. And we're just going to pop off a few references here that are pretty close together. And you'll be able to find them quickly. We'll start in 1 Corinthians chapter 1.

[6:02] And just catch how he uses some different terminology. Remember he's talking about the furtherance of the gospel. And he says some preach Christ. Well what exactly are they preaching about? Well they're preaching the gospel that he delivered.

[6:14] And I'll show you that here in 1 Corinthians 1. Notice verses 17 and 18. For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.

[6:31] Now if you've been around preaching all your life, you understand that the gospel is the death, burial, resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. You're probably not even thinking twice about it. I understand that. But not every time the word gospel shows up is it a reference to the death, burial, resurrection of Jesus Christ.

[6:46] And furthermore, there's other terms that Paul will use to reference that very truth. Here he says the cross of Christ. Verse number 18. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but not to us which are saved.

[7:00] It is the power of God. So the preaching of the cross, a reference again to what his gospel is, preaching the gospel. Look a little later in that chapter at verse 23. He says, For we preach, and now he gives it a little different terminology.

[7:12] He says, We preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block, unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God. Now earlier in Romans, he said that the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.

[7:28] Romans 1.16. Here he says, Christ is the power of God. But more specifically, it's Christ crucified. And if you just back it all the way up, he identifies that as being the gospel that he preaches.

[7:41] Now flip over to Romans chapter 2. And just let that little bit sink in, and we'll just keep moving and build some thoughts, one up top another.

[7:52] Romans chapter 2, verse 16. Paul is set for the defense of the gospel because this gospel was committed to Paul.

[8:04] It was his baby. Chapter 2 and verse number 16. Notice this. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to, next two words, my gospel.

[8:18] Nobody else in this book talks like that. Nobody says, my gospel. Except one man. The apostle Paul, right there in Romans 2.

[8:29] Why does he call it his gospel? Isn't that a little bit... This is the gospel of Christ. That's the gospel. I mean, that's what he said back in verse 16 of chapter 1.

[8:42] I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. And now he says, it's my gospel. Well, there's a reason why. Flip over to Galatians 1. A couple books to the right.

[8:53] Galatians 1. And let's read something very special that is only true with the apostle Paul in regards to this gospel. Making the point that it was committed to him.

[9:07] Galatians chapter 1. I don't want to read all of this. I will read one verse. Verse 6. And then we'll skip ahead.

[9:18] Verse 6 and 7. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel.

[9:29] Meaning, Paul preached his gospel to these Gentiles. And they were... They were, what's the word he used? Removed from that after they had received it to receiving something in addition to it.

[9:43] Which he says is another gospel. Verse 7. Which is not another, but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ. Now remember the statement that Paul is set for the defense of the gospel.

[9:57] And we'll reference that spot later. Look ahead to verse number 11. 11 and 12. This is what I want. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

[10:12] For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Skip down to chapter 2 and verse 2. And I went up by revelation and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them who are of reputation.

[10:33] What is the point here? This is Paul receives personal one-hand revelation from Jesus Christ. The gospel that he preached was received from Jesus Christ.

[10:45] Not from Peter, James, John. Not from Moses or Abraham or David or anybody in the word of God. Nobody. Not from Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. No. The apostle Paul gets revelation, chapter 1 verse 12, by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

[11:00] Jesus Christ. And then he preaches that gospel. He says it's my gospel. And he calls it the preaching of the cross or the preaching Christ crucified.

[11:11] Now turn back to 1 Corinthians 15, a very, very important passage. We should all be familiar with this and you should be able to turn to it on the spot if you need to know something about the gospel that Paul preached.

[11:26] 1 Corinthians 15. And we'll just begin at the first few verses. Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you.

[11:38] So he's already been there. He's already preached it. And now he's penning it, recording it in this epistle. 1 Corinthians 15. Which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand, by which also ye are saved.

[11:54] 2 Corinthians 15. If ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye believed in vain. For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died. Well, there's Christ crucified.

[12:06] There's the preaching of the cross. But Christ died, and this is very important, for our sins. And the message he preached to them was that the sins that they've committed have been paid for by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary.

[12:22] And Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures, fulfilling all righteousness, and fulfilling everything the word of God had said previously about him.

[12:37] He rose again, Paul said in Romans 4, for our justification. And what's the other passage? Romans 1, where he's declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.

[12:55] So that was a very necessary element to our completed salvation that proved this sacrifice was holy and that it was without sin. He was the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.

[13:07] Now, there's no mention in Paul's gospel about the Ten Commandments. There's no mention about circumcision.

[13:17] There's no mention of baptism. He strictly calls it the gospel, my gospel. And he defines or rather declares what that is here. Now back in Philippians when he's locked up and he's rejoicing, there's a reason that he's rejoicing.

[13:35] It's because the gospel that is being preached, whether they're preaching it because they want to add insult to injury or whatever their motivations makes no difference to Paul as we read that, the gospel that they're preaching is his gospel.

[13:53] They're preaching Christ and he's rejoicing. They're doing it of contention, supposing to add affliction to his bonds.

[14:04] But he's like, no, that's the gospel I delivered unto you and you're preaching it. And it's the furtherance of the gospel. So Paul says, I therein do rejoice and will rejoice.

[14:19] They're not preaching the law. They're not preaching circumcision or Jewish traditions. They're not preaching the message of John the Baptist. They're not preaching the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

[14:30] They're not preaching signs and healings. Those that are out preaching are preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. So while their motives and their interest may differ from some others, the bottom line is that Christ is being preached and that's the message that Paul was called and that Paul was commissioned to spread.

[14:49] And he's in jail and it's spreading. And he says, this is a win. This is what I'm here for. This is the only thing I care about is that gospel.

[15:01] I don't want them to fall back under the law. So he's set for defense of the gospel because it was committed to him. So he is set to defend that because he's entrusted with that gospel and he rejoices to see it spread.

[15:18] He realizes that that gospel is the power of God unto salvation. I don't care who preaches it and why they're preaching it. That will never disannul the power that's in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[15:32] In Acts chapter 20 when his life, he learned that his life would be threatened if he went to Jerusalem. He said, none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself so that I might finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

[15:54] That was his commission. It was committed to Paul. That's number one why he was set for the defense of the gospel. There's another reason why he was set for the defense of the gospel and that's because of the attacks of the adversaries or the enemies of the gospel of Christ.

[16:11] The church at Philippi, I don't know if you're still there, you don't need to be, but in verse 28 they had adversaries. It's an evident token of their adversaries. They knew what adversaries were.

[16:23] When the apostle Paul talked about being in Ephesus, that city there, they had adversaries. He said, I fought with beasts at Ephesus. You could even remember and we'll touch on it later that uproar that took place where they're, great is the goddess Diana where they worshipped her and none other.

[16:41] That church knew what adversaries was, that city did. He's rebuked as we looked at briefly in the churches of Galatia for following after those that he said they're bewitching you, adding to the gospel of Christ, telling you that you're made perfect by the flesh when you receive the spirit or I got that mixed up, receive life or something by the spirit but made perfect by the flesh.

[17:07] They knew about adversity or rather adversaries. They knew about enemies of the gospel of Christ. He says in 1 Corinthians 16 verse 9, And a great door and effectual is opened unto me and there are many adversaries.

[17:23] And so the gospel of Christ has many adversaries. That's why Paul is set for the defense of the gospel because of the attacks of its adversaries. You can think of, you could probably just spit off a few.

[17:36] I'll tell you one, the adversary, the devil. The devil is an adversary of the gospel or an enemy of it. He is blinding the minds of them which believe not.

[17:48] Why would you do that, Satan? Lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine unto them. So he's busy. He's active. He's blinding minds to keep souls from receiving and believing the gospel.

[18:02] He's an enemy. Organized religion. All of them. From first to last. A to Z. They're all enemies of the gospel of Jesus Christ. You can think specifically from scriptural standpoint.

[18:15] The Jews religion. Paul says, I was part of the Jew. I profited in the Jews religion. But that religion is an enemy. In Romans chapter somebody help me.

[18:27] 11. He says that those Jews are enemies for the gospel's sake. They're beloved for the father's sake but they're the enemies of this gospel.

[18:39] They're against it. They're fighting against it. They're attacking it. They're trying to silence the preachers of the gospel. So Paul says, I'm set for the defense of the gospel.

[18:50] You might remember that Paul was in danger most of his ministry. Was he in danger when he was working for the high priests? When he was going out with soldiers rounding up the Christians?

[19:04] When he was persecuting? Was he personally his life in danger when he was persecuting the church of God? But now that the tables have turned and now he's an apostle of Jesus Christ and preaching the gospel entrusted with that gospel and going out preaching it boy that guy's he's got a bounty on his head everywhere he goes.

[19:24] He's getting run out of town every city he goes into. Go through the book of Acts it's one after another after another. He doesn't even get into town but they're already there waiting for him to tear him down.

[19:36] He was in danger. He was beaten in Philippi beaten and locked up why? Because he he cast out a devil a spirit from a soothsayer that was bringing gain to their masters and he isn't preaching the gospel in Philippi he's locked up in jail.

[19:53] He went to Ephesus I mentioned that earlier and he goes to preach the gospel there and it turns out he causes a huge uproar where they start screaming and proclaiming who their true goddess is.

[20:05] And so there's there's adversaries and enemies and there's attacks but the apostle Paul was set. He was set. He was fixed. He was determined. He wasn't budging because he understood the scene.

[20:18] He understood what was going on. He knew what he possessed could deliver their souls from darkness to light from the power of Satan unto God.

[20:28] And he had it in his heart and he burned within him and he was set. He was fixed. He was unmovable in defense of the gospel because there were many adversaries. The apostle Paul was set for the defense of the gospel.

[20:42] It was committed to him so he had a duty to defend it. There were enemies of it and they weren't going anywhere. They were perverting it. They were undermining it. They were proclaiming it ineffective and that they needed to add more to it and so a defense was needed and souls were going to hell and the truth of the gospel needs to travel the world.

[21:01] So the apostle Paul was set for the defense and then thirdly he was set for the defense of the gospel simply because it works. Because it works. Like that's the greatest thing he's ever heard is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[21:17] He was burning his self out trying to please God until he finally came to understand that I would rather be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness of God which is of faith.

[21:37] The apostle Paul found out that that gospel works. It is the power of God unto salvation. Religion never saved a soul a day in its entire existence. All the religions of the world have never come together to save one soul from hell.

[21:53] And the apostle Paul has the gospel and it works. It'll save a sinner. The enemies of the gospel are going to be damned to hell with their damnable heresies and God will give them up to vile affections and one day God will send them strong delusion but in Paul's day and with his breath he was set for the defense of the gospel the preaching of the cross which he said to us which believe is the power of God because it works.

[22:27] He knew it worked. He experienced that it worked. He had peace and rest and now he would like I quoted earlier none of these things move me. He's not going to turn aside for anything because he found something real in his life and it's the Lord Jesus Christ.

[22:44] He found peace with God and being justified by faith and to be sanctified and washed from his sins in the blood of Jesus Christ. It's the only thing that works.

[22:55] So preaching Christ the apostle Paul says they preach Christ. Why does Paul? Because Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.

[23:06] It works. He found out that it works. Paul declared that he wanted to be found in him as I said. He also said that whosoever Jew or Gentile whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

[23:20] So the jailer said what must I do to be saved? And he said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. And he preached to him the gospel of Jesus Christ.

[23:30] Why? Because it works. He believed it. He found out. And so he's set for the defense of the gospel because it works. Now I gave you three thoughts there but before we close and turn away from this I want to transition just briefly into how these three truths apply and I think in a more of a modern day example of really the very thing that we're talking about but in action and reveals in a different way.

[24:04] Just like the gospel was revealed to Paul it was committed to Paul it had many enemies that opposed it and Paul wrote letters and Paul attempted to expose them and to defend the gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth and then also he knew it worked that it was the only way of salvation he was convinced of that just because of all those three things that Paul had for the defense of the gospel I'd like to consider those three points as principles that apply beyond just the apostle Paul and the gospel that was delivered to him and he was set in defense for that gospel I think there's probably many examples if we really went through history and dug into it and considered men that God have used but I just want to point out one man that has influenced not only me but he's influenced the majority of you in here tonight whether you realize it or not and this man you might say was set for the defense of something as well and his name was Dr. Peter Ruckman who is set for the defense of the King James Bible and I'm not trying to equate him with the apostle Paul and to the delivery of the Holy Spirit

[25:18] I'm not trying to put him on that level I'm showing you that as a principle of what we saw in Paul I think very clearly we can apply it to the life of that man now I know his name gets trashed and I know it's a I'm not afraid to say his name from the pulpit and to stand by him for what he believed because he has been a blessing and a help to me very much so but he was set for the defense of the King James Bible and I think all three points that we saw from the scripture about the apostle Paul I think they apply very much the same in regards to what we say about or what we can study about Dr. Peter Ruckman Paul had something committed to him and I think we can apply that very stand that Paul had to the gospel that Dr. Ruckman took toward the King James Bible first of all it was revealed to him now I'm not saying that Jesus Christ parted the clouds I'm not saying he had a vision I don't mean to say any of that but what he says is that I didn't learn this from Bible college he says the Holy Ghost revealed that to me as a matter of fact when he was in Bible college studying for the ministry when his heart back in those days was set on evangelism and traveling and preaching in churches all over the world that was his desire the faculty of his school was against his belief in the King James Bible so much so that they taught in the classes errors in the Bible and tried to prove it and he wrote some of his essays and theses against the faculty of his own school and he went after them why?

[27:02] because he believed this Bible was true he had studied it and found it to be pure the Lord showed it to him and he stood in defense of the King James Bible even against the men that were training him for the ministry now I learned the King James Bible was the perfect word of God just as a child growing up but I had no idea it was just the normal church noise like everything else it didn't mean anything to me personally until I became a young man and decided I wanted to live my life for God that I decided I need to learn what I believe and why I believe it because I quickly found out that not everybody believes what I was taught and so I needed to figure out by way of defense I need to know where the rapture was in the Bible I need the first thing was that book I needed to know why the King James Bible was the word of God why did my parents believe that and teach that I'm not going to swallow it just because they said so I need to know for myself I need the Lord to reveal and so I started reading

[28:04] I started studying I started getting my hands on anything I could and it didn't take long I wasn't fighting it it didn't take long for that thing just to be like wow by the grace of God and through faith I believe that these words are the words of God and I'm not going to challenge them or try to change them or believe anybody that does now this is something that was revealed to Dr. Ruckman not by a professor not through a seminary but by the Holy Spirit of God matter of fact he makes this claim it's kind of funny he says many people over the years of ministering and preaching and teaching many people come to him and say people called me a Ruckmanite before I ever heard your name and he said he's like tell me about it and they said well they said you're following that man Ruckman and they say who are you talking about I've never heard of such a man and his response to that was oh those brothers are getting me confused with the Holy Ghost and he has just a big laugh about it because you tell them that you're confusing Dr. Ruckman with the Holy Ghost of course they hated his gut so that would be just you know the biggest blasphemy or tragedy that they could have been guilty of but going back to this thought of being set for the defense like Paul with the gospel that was delivered to him like so

[29:20] Dr. Ruckman had a book revealed to him back in the day when new versions were coming out on the scene when all of the professors and all of the churches and just literally nearly everybody who was anybody was getting coerced or you might say seduced by big money publishers to promote and to preach and to teach from in their 2,000 person auditorium teach from our Bible teach from our version we'll fill your pews with this version if you'll use it and endorse it and on it would go and in that day when they were they were plugging every other version that could come out as soon as they could get it out he saw that those universities and those young men that God was raising up to be preachers of the gospel and of the truth with a Bible in their hand they walked into their Bible college with a King James Bible but they left with an ASV or an RSV or an NIV because the professors put that in their hand and attacked this book and so Dr. Ruckman said oh no not on my watch you're not and he had it in himself that he was not going to let that fly now just merging this right into the second thought as Paul said the gospel had many adversaries many enemies even so the King James Bible has many many many enemies and many of them in the body of Christ born again by the same spirit and savior that's you and I but yet attack the words of God that we believe to be pure and so just like Paul he wrote and he sent letters and he expended much time and much money and much energy defending the King James Bible from its numerous attackers he got himself a nickname and I want to read something to you this is from a little tribute to him from his funeral he called himself the Lord's

[31:21] Junkyard Dog and the thought was this he said my job is to guard that book you mess with that book and I'll bite the seat of your britches out and that's the that's the calling that's the that's what he believed of God that his job was to do was to defend and be set for the defense of the King James Bible and when Jerry Falwell fell off the bandwagon he pointed it out to everybody in the nation that he doesn't believe the book he stands in the pulpit and says the Bible is the word of God but he doesn't believe it because he attacks it and critiques it and he supposes that he corrects it when all the John Hagee or all the big name men throughout the course of the last 50 years stood in their pulpits or hidden behind their lectures in their colleges and seminaries he called them out why?

[32:13] because they were attacking the words of God because they were undermining its truth and they were stealing faith from young men and young women that were the next generation of preachers and teachers for you and I today they were stealing the words of God and telling them oh we should go to Egypt and find a text there and follow that because this is older and therefore it's better and the reading doesn't say God it says he but that's better it doesn't say Jesus Christ or it doesn't say the son it says a servant and that's better and on and on they attacked and removed things and changed things and Dr. Uckman took it as his personal responsibility if they attack the book he attacked them and he got he got attacked for attacking for his rude crude language blah blah blah blah blah blah but they say when you throw a stone into a pack of dogs the hit dog is the one that yelps and that's the case with the Bible correctors and all the big shots in the ministry it's when he goes shooting off at them because of their their falling away to the enemy in regard to the Bible he'd shoot back at them and they'd start yelping there's something written here of his tribute it says that he was a man of many talents but from the time he was saved in 1949 till his home going his main purpose in life was to lift up and magnify his Lord and Savior

[33:40] Jesus Christ and to defend that infallible perfect precious old book the authorized King James 1611 version against the apostate scholarship who continually tried to destroy people's faith in that blessed old book he stood in defense of the King James Bible and just like Paul he had it revealed to him by God he had many enemies the third thing I said about the gospel Paul knew it worked and the same thing for Dr. Ruckman he was convinced that he had the truth so he preached it and he taught it against his will if you ever read a biography that he wrote he did not want to be a teacher he said I spent all my life I spent so many years more than most people I spent in the classroom and I forget the amount of years in different places he said I had very little respect for teachers I thought they were the most drab boring people in the world

[34:42] I wanted to be out there doing it I didn't want to be sitting in here talking about it he said this he likened a teacher to somebody on crutches training people to be sprinters he said that's just not it for me but the Lord kept pointing him and drawing him and saying I want you to teach I want you to teach young men to believe my book and to preach my book and to minister and so he surrendered to it why?

[35:09] because he knew it worked he knew it was the right book and so he taught and he traveled and he wrote and he published a defense that the King James Bible was the perfect and preserved words of God in English that man stuck his neck out all by himself and many of you don't even realize what that's like I'll give you this is the little tiny sliver of a glimpse that I have for this this is so tiny it doesn't compare but it was real to me a couple years ago I wrote a book and I had a thought and I wrote a book I put years into it and I got to a specific chapter that I just felt like man I think this is it but I'm not sure because nobody teaches this and I feel I don't want to be that stupid naive idiot that's just blabbering something that's not true I'm the one that's going to look like a fool it's my name and so I was very reserved and I passed it around to some men and to some very accomplished men some other writers and some pastors and things and just got their take on it and it really helped me to just kind of hone in on what exactly

[36:13] I was trying to say but I was scared like I felt like I'm sticking my neck out I'm nobody you know nobody knows me but I feel like I'm sticking my neck out by publishing this and having at the beginning 300 copies printed up and trying to get people to buy them and then read them and then know how stupid I am because I don't know what I'm talking about and I thought I felt so insecure about it took me a while to get settled on it to you know really just own it it took a while and this man though a thousand fold stood for the King James Bible and practically nobody else would or at least nobody of any caliber would and nobody in a big arena would all the big shots were selling the other ones and getting endorsements down the road that way but he said no never the King James Bible is just fine it's the truth and he went at them he knew it worked he took a stand against all modern scholars he took a stand against all higher education and all the big shots in Christianity because he was set for the defense of the King James Bible now I feel like

[37:27] I could go on and on about this and I don't intend to do that I think you get the point but now let's try to just put it in your lap before we go home because you're not the Apostle Paul and likely the next Dr. Ruckman or the like is not in this room so if you're neither of those men what is it that you have to be set in defense for you could say the gospel and I'll say amen but not on the scale that the Apostle Paul was I mean it was committed to him and so yes to you in some sense you are debtor to preach the gospel but still on a different scale than Paul I'd say the same thing about the King James Bible yes you should be set in defense of the King James Bible you should believe that book and know why and be able to defend it to its attackers but again more than likely you're not going to put out 200 books and you're not going to be getting calls to travel the nation and the world even to be preaching and to be standing for this and to be answering questions and debating like that's not going to be your format or your calling so yes you could be in defense of the King James Bible probably not on the same scale as Dr. Ruckman but then I ask you this what has God committed to you what has he committed to you and I'll let you think on that is it anything worth defending maybe maybe I'll give you a thought here what about your children your children are they worth fighting for

[38:59] I think they are are they worth being set in defense for my children I don't want the world to get them I don't want them to be exposed to all the sin and filth I don't want their minds to be corrupted I definitely don't by the grace of God want to see them walk away from what is true and right and the best life there is but what about you you got children they worth fighting for what about your church the Lord's got you in a church that preaches and believes the Bible and whether you like it or not says the name of Dr. Ruckman once in a while is that something worth fighting for is that something you believe in your heart it's worth fighting for it's worth defending not everybody feels that way people have left this place and they're not they're not defending they're attacking so be it so be it that's nothing new well what has God committed to you to you here's one you have an opportunity to live your life for the Lord Jesus Christ you have a window from today until the day you die to live each day for Jesus Christ and to walk with him in the word of God and to fight your flesh and to maintain to the best of your ability through his spirit a clear and clean testimony and be a witness when the opportunities are there you have an opportunity to do something for Jesus Christ it's not a big opportunity it's a short one but that one has been committed to you and there's many adversaries there surely is and so just like the gospel is the truth and just like the King James Bible is right and it's the truth even so

[40:58] I believe living for Jesus Christ is right and that's the truth it's the only thing that you can do to please the Father is to live and please the Son and really when you get to eternity it's going to be the only thing that matters so Paul said I am set for the defense of the gospel I hope tonight you can follow his example and be fixed in your heart about some things specifically then some things that God has committed to you then you can say I'm not going to budge whatever that would be you could in prayer speak this over with him but say I am not going to budge and I'm never going to hand them over to the enemy and I'm not going to compromise rather I'm going to be set I heart is fixed until Jesus Christ calls me home because what God has committed to you be it the gospel or the King James Bible or your family or your church or an opportunity to live for Christ or any other thing it's too valuable and it's too important and if he gave it and committed it to you shame on any one of us that would neglect it that would overlook it and pretend and despise it and pretend like it didn't matter so Paul said

[42:21] I'm to set for the defense of the gospel I hope you too can be set for the defense of that thing God has committed to you let's be dismissed and we'll have a word of prayer after that I think there's still some desserts and fruits maybe we can enjoy if you want to hang around if not Lord willing we'll see you Sunday Father as we dismiss this service tonight I want to say thank you for the opportunity to get up one more time in this pulpit and to declare the truth that the apostle Paul declared of the gospel and then also to relate it for where we most of us where we got to know and understand and to have a clear and strong defense for our King James Bible Lord I pray that we'd be able to take something home with us tonight where it can be personal that we'd take a stand that we'd fix our feet that we'd be concrete on some facts here some things that we know that you've committed and revealed to us and Lord help us not to be flaky help us not to be soft help us not to be just carried about with every wind of doctrine

[43:28] Lord may each here be a Bible believer be firm and strong in doctrine and with a conviction to live their life for Jesus Christ Lord that's my prayer for this church and these people I pray that we'd see some fruit from that as you see fit we love you please dismiss us with your blessing and it's in Jesus name we ask Amen Amen you're dismissed