I should like to have stood where John stood
or James. Oh, what a glorious privilege was theirs.
But remember, along with that wonderful experience
that they had, that experience also carried with
it a responsibility and an obligation. The greater
the light that one receives, the greater is the
responsibility. And so for a few minutes, we're
going back again to the Mount of Transfiguration.
And while you're relaxing, I want to read this
portion of the Word of God. And after six days
Jesus taketh Peter and James and John his brother,
and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
and was transfigured before them. And his face
did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white
as the light. And behold, there appeared unto
them Moses and Elijah talking with him. Then
answered Peter and said unto Jesus, Lord, it
is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let
us make here three tabernacles, one for thee
and one for Moses and one for Elijah. And while
he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed
them. Behold a voice. out of the cloud which
said this is my beloved son in whom i am well
pleased hear ye him and when the disciples heard
it they fell on their face and were sore afraid
and jesus came and touched them and said, Arise
and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up
their eyes, they saw no man, say Jesus only.
But a few minutes ago, Jesus seemed to be no
longer just Jesus of Nazareth. Only a few minutes
ago, the glory did shine from his countenance.
His garment shone with the glory. The Bible describes
it. as his raiment, white as the light. In that
moment, the moment of his glory, he was no longer
just the Jesus of Nazareth, but they beheld him
as the very son of the living God. But now the
glory was gone. But a few moments ago, Moses
and Elijah were there. Only a few moments ago
was heard the incoherent suggestion of Peter,
Let us make your three tabernacles. But now all
this has passed, and waiting in the quiet hush
of the solemn morning hour upon the mount, we
see what... follows the transfiguration. Moses
and Elijah are gone. Gone also is the flashing
glory of the Son of the Living God. The splendor
of that night is gone. Silenced is the speech
that fell upon the astonished ear of... Peter
and James and John. Imagine for just a few minutes
the disciples as they looked around them. The
silence after the speech. Everything is relative.
Everything. What could possibly follow? The voice
of Almighty God. Do you realize that those three
men actually, literally heard God speak? Oh,
beloved, how often I try to visualize the face
of Jesus. I have never looked... upon that wonderful
face. I felt his presence. There are times when
I have imagined that I have felt the touch of
his nail -scarred hand. But I have never really
looked upon his beautiful face. That is yet future.
But I can imagine, can't I? I can... Dream a
little, can't I? And alone very often. I have
imagined exactly what Jesus will look like when
I see him face to face. And then I have imagined
what the actual voice of... God really sounds
like. Some have likened his voice to thunder.
No, beloved, I have never thought of the voice
of God sounding like thunder. Not really. Because
he's my Heavenly Father. I could never imagine
the voice of my Heavenly... bother sounding like
thunder. I have always imagined that if you would
take all the beauty of all the musical instruments
and combined the sound into just one beautiful
sound. One of beauty. One of absolute authority.
Combined with perfect love, tenderness, and compassion.
You'd have the voice of my Heavenly Father. You
would have the voice of God. And... bending there.
These three men, Peter, James, and John, literally
heard that voice as he spoke, saying, This is
my beloved son. Hear ye him. And I believe that
as God spoke, every... angel in God's great universe,
did bend low and listen, even as Peter and James
and John did listen. How often we've used the
phrase, the silence was deafening. One could
well use that phrase after God had spoken. The
silence that followed was almost deafening. What
could possibly follow after God had spoken? Imagine
that silence. There was almost loneliness. after
the celestial visitors had gone. All the glory
for the moment. They had just beheld the glory
of the Lord, Jesus, in his great majestic splendor.
Standing on either side of him, the celestial
visitors, Moses, Elijah. They recognized both.
They knew it couldn't last. We talk about the
blunder of Peter when he said, Let's keep it
like this. This is so wonderful. Don't let's
ever leave. And yet, I'm not so sure he blundered
as much as we should really give him credit.
It was the natural mind that knew that it couldn't
last. And yet, Peter wanted it to always last.
It was so marvelous. That is the reason he cried
out, trying to hold on to something that he knew
would pass, and he didn't want it to pass. He
was trying to hold on to it just as long as he
possibly could, and his only suggestion was,
please, to make it last a little longer. Let's
build three tabernacles here, one for Jesus and
one for Moses and one for Elijah. He was trying
to hold on to something that he knew couldn't
always last. And now, the celestial visitors
were gone. The loneliness of it all. When they
opened their eyes, the usualness of everything
was almost frightening. Lifting up their eyes,
the scripture says, they saw no one save Jesus
only. Beloved. You have in those two words God's
perfect speech. Oh, sure. We had that sermon
that Jesus preached, the sermon that was the
masterpiece. No sermon has ever been able to
compare with it. That was glorious as he spoke
the truths from his own lips. and showed to man
the way of life eternal. But in just two words,
we have God's perfect speech. Jesus only. The
center of all things. Suddenly they realized
that they were in the very presence of one who
could transmute the usual into the unusual. He
takes the common places of life, splashes them
into splendor. Oh, it's glorious. What makes
the difference when a man or a woman comes and
accepts the Christ as his personal savior? As
you come, beloved, I'll tell you what makes the
difference. Jesus. And when you come to him,
come not seeking some emotional experience. Not
that. That's the reason there are many women
who have never had the glorious satisfying experience
of really believing that they have been born
again. It's because they have sought some great
emotional experience. It isn't that at all. It's
Jesus only. And he comes to abide within. There
are those who sought that wonderful experience
of sanctification. Beloved, do you want to know
in a final analysis exactly what sanctification
is? Nothing more or less than more of Jesus only.
I believe in that wonderful experience of being
filled with the Spirit when literally Actually,
the physical body becomes the temple of the Holy
Spirit. I believe that. He is with you, but he
shall be in you. But, beloved, seek not some
outward emotional manifestation. In the final
analysis, it is... Deal more of Jesus only. Always
remember, God's perfect speech is Jesus only.
The center of all things. I promise you something.
You'll never stumble. You'll never fall. You'll
never go down in defeat. I promise you. As long
as you keep your eyes on Jesus. In taking the
lid off of my heart for just this moment, I will
tell you a truth. The thing that has brought
me through the years of labor. The long years
of toil. Is the fact that I've kept my eyes on
Jesus. Had I fixed my eyes on man. Had I fixed
my eyes. on some human being. I would not be
where I am today. I would have fallen a long
time ago. Because I have learned with the years
how really thick our human nature is. So thick.
And the longer one lives, and the more intelligent
one becomes the more one realizes how uncertain
is man in his thinking in his values in his loves
in his likes in his daily living Human nature
is fickle. Jesus knew it. For Jesus knows you,
he knows me better than we know ourselves. You'll
have your heart broken. You'll become discouraged.
You'll become disillusioned. If man is the center
of your life, But I promise you something upon
the authority of God's word. If you keep your
eyes on Jesus, you'll never be disappointed.
You'll never be disillusioned. You'll go right
through this old life. And one day, you'll go
all the way from earth to glory and stand in
his marvelous presence. And look full into his
wonderful face. The face that you see by faith
this hour. And the greatest moment of your life
will be that moment. The moment that was experienced
by Peter and James and John. When looking up,
they saw no man. Save Jesus only. Sure. I'll
watch something. Something to me is very marvelous.
How many days or perhaps a matter of a few weeks,
I cannot tell you. But something happened. There
was another experience prior to the experience
that Peter had there on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Enjoy it with me if you will, please. It's recorded
in the 15th chapter of Matthew. Let me read just
a very familiar portion of this word to you.
And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples
to get into a ship and to go before him. unto
the other side, while he sent the multitudes
away. And when he had sent the multitudes away,
he went up into a mountain apart to pray. And
when the evening was come, he was there alone.
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea,
tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary.
And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went
unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples
saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled,
saying, It is a spirit. And they cried out for
fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them,
saying, Be a good cheer. It is I. Be not afraid.
Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou,
bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said,
Come. And when Peter was come down out of the
ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid.
And beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord,
save me. What something that's very marvelous.
As long as Peter had his eyes on Jesus, he walked
safely. But the very second that he got his eyes
on the boisterous sea. The very minute that he
saw the wind of boisterous, he became afraid.
The very second that he got his eyes on circumstances,
on conditions around about him, he became filled
with fear. He began to And the very second that
fear filled his heart, he began to sink. And
yet Jesus was there. He was right there. It depends
on where you are looking. You're going to sink
as sure as can be. There can be no victory if
your eyes are on circumstances. See something.
As surely as there is a mountaintop experience,
you're going to have to come down from the mountain.
And the higher the mountain, the longer will
be the walk down. Oh, their experience was glorious
as they stood there. But remember, they had to
come down from the mountain. Be with me in our
next heart -to -heart talk. God bless you.