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SIDE A
Jones: [Begins mid-sentence] I said they’re accused of being drunk. Are you drunk tonight? Are you reckless tonight? [Acts 2:14-17; also Ephesians 5:18, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit”] The early church, they used to say “Maranatha! The Lord is at hand!” [1 Corinthians 16] They went from house to house breaking bread [Acts 20]. Let’s read some of the attributes. I want to tell you, it’s either we get this or we ought to go back and join the law.
Congregation: [Slight laughter]
Jones: Hmm? Some of you ought to go back to the nightclubs, ‘cause that’s where your heart is anyway. You ought to go back to that television. It was an effort to turn it off tonight. There your heart is, there will your treasure be also [Matthew 6:21, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Also Luke 12:34]. You’re gonna have to get above it. Amen!
Congregation: Amen.
Jones: Some people said, [unintelligible], I’m walking with God, it’s such an effort– I [unintelligible word] all the time and cry for women. You better get to the place where you get victory over some of the things, ‘cause you’re don’t get your heart with God, where your heart is, that’s what gonna matter in the long run. Oh, I know, surely there’ll be temptation. When you begin to walk with God, there’ll be all sorts of things. If you were tempted in morals, you’ll have an awful fight. But if you’re ten, fifteen years old and you’re still burning with lust (voice rises to ministerial fervor) there’s something wrong [1:00] with you!
Congregation: [Speaks in response]
Jones: If you’re ten or fifteen years old in the Gospel of Christ, you ought to be overcoming some things. [pounds pulpit, in full throat] Come on now, children, [pounding obscures speech], to the master stature, to the fullness of Christ Jesus. I want to get this thing that makes you a new creature, and I’m either going to get it or I’m not going to fool around being a hypocrite for nobody! [voice drops] I don’t want to have the charge said to me, Woe unto you, scribes and hypocrites [Matthew 23:13-14]. I don’t want to hear them say– hear them say with a loud voice in the synagogue, wanting to be seen by men, raising their voice that they might hear you. I don’t want that charge made against me, do you?
Congregation: No.
Jones: I’m not through, telling you blessings. I hope I’m through, anyway. Unless some of you resist it too much, then I might preach ‘til I get you to [unintelligible word]. [pause] [Reads Acts 2:40] “And with many other words did he testify, and he exhorted, saying save yourself from this untoward generation.” Who? This terrible generation of religion that had a– actually encompassed [2:00] the whole earth. Everyone was in the royal order of Sadducees or Pharisees or something. That untoward generation was religioning. There was nothing more mean than religion. [voice begins rising in intensity] If you don’t have the spirit of Christ, don’t substitute a form of government–
Congregation member: Yes.
Jones: I’d rather be an outright harlot and drunk any day than to have a form of government. Amen! How many in here with our hearts are far miles from me, and length span away from this love of God and going through a– a song and a dance and so much religious zoology. I want the presence of God, or I don’t want it at all!
Congregation: Calls of assent.
Jones: [Reads Acts 2:41] “Then they gladly received his word and what– they that gladly received his word were baptized. And the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” I tell you, when we get it, something’ll happen to you.
Congregation: Calls of assent.
Jones: [Reads Acts 2:42] “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship.” This doctrine wasn’t a passi– uh, a passive thing. It was an active thing. It was charged [unintelligible word] the word doctrine came from, [3:00] and it’s [unintelligible word] word meaning learning. They learned about the ways of God– Wake up children! If you’re sleeping, now, wake up! [words obscured under pulpit pounding] If you need healing, come up here, I’ll get you healed. Because God’s able to take their burdens away tonight. Don’t you believe that?
Congregation member: Amen.
Jones: He’s able to remove these terrible slumbering spirits. The reason we can’t endure the preaching is because we’re just a little bit cold. We got too much of the world involved in our lives. We’re entangled with the affairs of man. We’re gonna have to get victory over it. Sure I’m not a good preacher, but that doesn’t make anything to do with it! Paul said he spoke with contempt, there wasn’t anything particularly popular about his words. He didn’t have any brilliant passing words of man’s wisdom, he came to them simply in the boldness of the Holy Ghost! [2 Corinthians 10:8-11] [Claps hands] And you that [unintelligible words] or you’ve got to sleep all the time, you need to get healed and you need to call on God. He is the [unintelligible] the top of the peak of [unintelligible words].
Congregation: Light applause
Jones: [speaks heatedly, pounds pulpit] And I don’t care if there’s not a dozen of ya come back next time, because for three years I haven’t taken any money for the gospel, and I’m free from all mammon [Luke 16:9-13]. I’m the first of all! Either you endure sound doctrine [4:00] when I preach, or you don’t hear it!
Congregation: That’s right.
Jones: [Voice drops] You’ll be happy if he just don’t come back. [Claps once] I’ve met about a hundred and fifty thousand people since God, uh, gave us uh, the little simple gift that we have. They come and they go. I’ve met a lot of people– I don’t know where they all went, but, it’s just good to be still keep preaching Jesus.
Congregation member: Amen.
Jones: Amen. Or O-meen.
Congregation: Murmurs
Jones: I tell you, when you realize that Jesus Christ, the riches of Jesus Christ are unsearchable and inexhaustible, you’ll keep an active learning phase [Ephesians 3, esp. 3:8, “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”]. He said they were learning, they were– they continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine [Acts 2:42]. Not a static church that looks backward, not a church that looks to the sunset, but a church that looks to the sunrise. When God’s people really get filled with the Holy Ghost, they’re always looking forwards! They’re looking for a new truth, and new horizons. They’re not afraid. Some people said, I have a– One old sister used to say, I haven’t grown, I haven’t [5:00] moved one sixteenth of an inch in twenty years since I got the Holy Ghost. Well, that’s a terrible thing to say! If you don’t know any more today than you knew yesterday, you’re not really filled with the Holy Ghost. [Voice rises] Because the Holy Ghost will charge you! The Holy Ghost will teach you! The Holy Ghost will lead you and guide you into all truth! [John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”] If all you know is Acts 2:4 [“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”] and Acts 2:38 [“ Then Peter said unto them, 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.”] and a little message about the Atonement and the resurrection and pie in the sky and gold in the sweet by-and-by, you don’t know nothing of what’s going on!
Congregation member: That’s right.
Jones: Did you hear me? You just don’t know what’s going on! [in full throat, partially obscured by calls from congregation] ‘Cause God was [unintelligible words] But God is a God that’s at hand! [numerous references to the kingdom of God at hand, including Mark 1:15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”] He’s a God that’s [unintelligible words] in you! Hallelujah! He’s the [unintelligible words] power I’m speaking of. If you’re not ready tonight, [Claps once] if your soul’s not going tonight, [Claps once] you’re dead! [Claps once] You haven’t got the Holy Ghost! You’ve got a bondage! You’ve got a bond. Well, I’m gonna resurrect the– [Claps once] the kingdom for you.
Congregation: Calls of assent [6:00]
Jones: [voice calms, congregation responds antiphonally throughout] [Reads Acts 2:42] “And they continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrines. And they continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine. And fellowship. And in breaking of bread, and in prayer.” You know why? I want to be in a church that has a feeling that you’re with a band of brothers and sisters, don’t you? We’re so starchy when they come in, somebody got a [unintelligible words], [short laugh] somebody got a [unintelligible word] of stewardship, any more of you got to be told when to lift your hands, and when to praise the Lord. But I want to get to the place where we stand up, like a few of you did tonight, when we sang something. One stood up, and another stood up, and they were anxiously praising God.
Congregation: Calls of assent
Jones: And I wanna be in a church where people are not afraid of the altar, not afraid of slobbering a few tears over one another. Not afraid of giving on another a holy kiss [Romans 16:16, “Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.” Also 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26]. C’mon.
Congregation: Murmurs [7:00]
Jones: Some of the Pentecostal people, they amuse me. They’ll be fixing to die on every other scripture, but they’ll say, That holy kiss, that’s a custom. They’ll say, That was a custom back there. Or foot-washing. That was a custom back there.
Congregation: Laughter
Jones: Oh, it’s wonderful how we can make a custom out of one thing and a law out of another.
Congregation Laughter, then murmurs throughout
Jones: Who do we say we are? [Jesus engaged in foot-washing at Luke 7:36-50, John 13:3-17] You need to wash somebody’s foot today, most of you. You got too much starch today– you need to wash somebody’s feet. And not some little grandma that you love, but you need to go to that fella that you don’t like at all. I never will forget one of those sister foot– foot-washers in our church. She was so starchy and so icicle-y, she said, I’m not going to wash feet. And she said, well– Finally we talked her into washing feet, she did, she’s gonna wash the foot of a friend. She went to the friend, the friend wouldn’t have her wash– She wouldn’t let her wash her feet. She said, You’re not supposed to wash my feet. Lord told me somebody else supposed to wash my feet. And so that poor old sister just sat there, and set there, and the blackest Negro woman amongst you– she hated ‘em, she hated ‘em–
Congregation Laughter
Jones: –so bad she couldn’t, she couldn’t stand [8:00] them, [Claps once] she just couldn’t stand to look at ‘em. The blackest, ugliest, dirtiest, this old [unintelligible words] up and sit down and said “wash my feet.”
Congregation: Laughter
Jones: And her fingers were on their feet [Claps once] ‘til they stunk, but she washed the feet, and she got the victory when she washed the feet.
Congregation: Laughing, cheering
Jones: [Claps] [Speaks quickly and insistently] One of my best members– I didn’t speak that to race. I’ve got a principal, and a doctor, and a dentist in my church, who is– are– are Negro. My best and most intelligent people, and some of my most forthright of our constituency, about ten percent are Negro. And by far, the ten percent of our Negro congregation has got more intelligence than some of our so-called white people. But in our church, we don’t call ‘em white or Negro, we call ‘em by name. Hmm?
Congregation: Murmurs.
Jones: You don’t need to call me white or this or that or the other. Call me by name, if you want to get me. Just call me by name. Or just show your love and beckon me. I’ll come. We don’t have– there’s no race in God. [Speaks more forcefully] There’s neither male nor female, bond nor free, Jew nor Greek, Scythian nor barbarian [Colossians 3:10-11, “put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.”]. But if [9:00] you don’t want to wash somebody’s feet, God’ll let you sit by the dirtiest and the ugliest and the most uh, a– antagonistic situation. That’s who you’re gonna have to sit by! [Voice rises] I believe in foot-washing. I haven’t seen anybody– I haven’t seen anybody that, uh– that has uh, humbled themselves enough to get out of it. I believe in foot-washing! I believe in a holy kiss! I believe in old-fashioned hands! I believe in everyone [unintelligible words]! I don’t believe in people standing back and lookin’ on in kind of a doleful, [unintelligible word] non-spirited, find-me-an-undertaker, my friend is an undertaker, but I believe in getting up to the altar and pullin’ people through and getting over them and sending your love across in their heart, and putting your hand on their back! I believe in [Words obscured by pulpit pounding]
Congregation: Agrees
Jones: [Calms] What did I say you should tell me about? Oh, you better not tell it.
Congregation: Laughter
Jones: I just about [unintelligible word]. But fellowship’s a good ship to be on. So he’s told me about another kind of a ship, I won’t tell you about that. If you know what kind of a ship I’m talking about, when [10:00] there’s not fellowship, it’s an awful ship. Mmm? [Grows more intense] It’s an awful ship when there’s no fellowship. [Claps once] You need fellowship to get through the storms of life and the opposing forces of hell. You need fellowship. [Unintelligible words] We don’t know enough about one another, we’re afraid to touch one another. We’re afraid to say to our neighbor who we are. [Shouts] We oughtn’t be able to look around and see who our friends are. We ought to be the first helping [unintelligible words] to take their hand if that person’s a [Unintelligible word].
Congregation member: Yeah.
Jones: [Rises to full throat] Because we’re members one of another! And before we leave tonight, I hope you’ll growtogether and you’ll get to know one another, and you’ll tell somebody who you are and give them the love of God, because we gonna have to go in together! We’re either gonna go in together, or we’re not gonna go in at all. We’re either gonna pray, Our Father in heaven–
Congregation member: Yeah!
Jones: –and that’s gonna include the Russians and the Negro and the [unintelligible word] and the Baptist and the Trinitarian and the [unintelligible word]– we’re either gonna say Our Father, or there’ll be no Father! He’s not my Father, but he’s our Father!
Congregation: Yeah!
Jones: [In full throat] Our Father! Which art in heaven [Lord’s Prayer, Luke 11:2-4]. [Claps twice] He’s the light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world! [John 1:9, “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”] [Claps once] I want you to know [11:00] I am a brother to the Quaker, I’m a brother to every religion under the sun, if they love Jesus!
Congregation: Amen!
Jones: [voice moderates] If for Calvary you’ll stand, you’re my brother, take my hand. I said, they broke bread. They used to have a custom in those days, they’d take a piece of bread, and you had to break it with somebody, just a little bit [unintelligible word] with you. If you didn’t do it, too bad for you. Oh, I’d love to be back there with you. I’d give my eye teeth to be back there in that kind of a situation. I wouldn’t go back there from a revelation standpoint. This is the greatest hour in the world to be alive.
Congregation: Assents.
Jones: But wouldn’t you like to have the same spirit as that early church?
Congregation member: Yes.
Jones: [speaks loud and quickly] Wouldn’t you like to have the desperate hunger of that early church? How many really want it tonight? Do you want what God has for you? I– uh, I talked to an undertaker the other day, I had three funerals outside of our church community last week. I about decided, to let the dead bury the dead [Luke 9:60, “Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” See also Matthew 8:22], ‘cause everybody outside the church was calling me on, [12:00] as they wanted me to bury them. And it’s an awful thing to have to bury people all the time. It’s hard to keep alive burying people. [Laughs]
Congregation: [Slight laughter]
Jones: But, anyway, I met the undertaker. That’s true.
Congregation member: That’s right.
Jones: I wish that [unintelligible words] place [Claps once] where we stuff ‘em in the ground and praise God for the awakening and the reunion, instead of dressing ‘em up and look at ‘em for three or four days, and going through all that kind of a trauma. If I hadn’t had to look at my baby doll and all those precious loved ones– I can remember them in a living state. When the six of ‘em went out to meet God, and they danced their way around Elmwood Temple that night and they shouted like some of them have never shouted before, I’d like to just let them go on to glory, and they said the last weren’t there. But we dress up the dead– let the dead bury the dead! And instead of the church ought to get out of this. If you’re one of those– I didn’t mean to drop this in but I just say what I believe. If you’re one of them that sends a lot of flowers and goes– goes through all that, why don’t you give a little flowers while they’re alive?
Congregation: [Responds]
Jones: C’mon! Give ‘em their flowers while they’re alive, instead of dressing up uh, their carcass and– and, uh, and trying to praise the dead, we need to let the dead bury the dead, and go on and [in full throat] believe in the resurrection! They broke bread, and honey, in that– that undertaker told me, he said in the Mennonite church, [13:00] they used to come to communion – ‘scuse me – they used to come to communion and– and they’d be ready to take the Lord’s Supper, and the preacher looked up in kind of an authoritative way and he’d said, Sister Jones, and Sister Smith, uh, if you’ll please retire, or either come up here and repent, you don’t take the Lord’s supper because you can’t take it unworthily. He said, Sister Jones, you’re not speaking to Sister Smith, and uh, you think you’re better than so-and-so, or you haven’t paid your tithes. Uh-oh, we wouldn’t like that, would we? Uh-uh.
Congregation: [Laughing assent]
Jones: You haven’t done this, you haven’t done that, and brother and sister, they didn’t take holy communion until they got their lives straightened up. I’d like to be in an atmosphere where man didn’t do that, but where the Spirit made it impossible for a sinner to sit in the congregation of the righteous [Psalm 1:5, “Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.”].
Congregation: [Assents]
Jones: [Speaking earnestly] They broke bread and they had prayer. If you don’t begin by speaking to God in the morning, you’d better not speak to men. You’ll get in trouble all day long. Let me tell you, in the house of God, they used to drop on our knees – listen to a few of these points, it’ll help our services – we used to drop on our knees and we’d pray! Not only the preacher, but [pounds pulpit] every saint, every believer would drop on their knees and [14:00] dedicate their little corner or atmosphere they were sitting in. If you don’t begin your service with prayer, you don’t need to expect God to have any part [unintelligible words] with it.
Congregation: [Murmurs]
Jones: And fear came upon them. Reverence. Ah, we ought to get the attitude that old Martin Luther said: he walked through the world as if it were one big temple. We ought to have such a holiness and such a devotion, devotion and such a Christ-consciousness that everywhere we go, we reverence people and we reverence nature, and we reverence life. Youcan’t possibly be one person on the job and another thing in the church. Why, our vernacular in the church is “Praise the Lord” and “Glory, Hallelujah” and [high-pitched tone of voice] he-te-te-te-te-te-te [normal voice] and [unintelligible word] you meet ‘em downtown and say, Hiya. You ever meet ‘em downtown? You ever meet ‘em when they work on the– uh, on the office [unintelligible word] is around, and the– the preacher come along and say, Praise the Lord! Hiya. Oh my God. [Pounds podium once]
Congregation: [Laughs]
Jones: [Voice rising] If you can say “Praise the Lord” in the house of God, then you say “Praise the Lord” down on the street corner!
Congregation: Yeah!
Jones: [Speaks quickly] I’ll tell you this, though, I’m not ashamed of the [15:00] gospel of Christ! I am ashamed of this dumb fighting! I am ashamed of contention! I wouldn’t get in argument, theology with anybody! I think it’s a crime to discuss theology or politics and fuss and argue over it. If Christ can’t convince people, then we ought to leave it alone. But I tell you, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. We met a drunk the other day, a few of us met a drunk on the street corner, and he was, uh, in a terrible depression, and the traffic counters were moving and people were running around crying and horns were beeping, but he needed God right then! So we stopped on the street corner and we laid hands on him and people looked at us like they thought we were crazy, but we prayed that the powers of hell would loose him right there, down on Market Street and Alabama in the city of Indianapolis! [Pounding pulpit] We oughtn’t to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Congregation: [Murmuring, agreeing]
Jones: [Voice continues to rise] We oughtn’t to be ashamed to witness for God! We oughtn’t to be ashamed of the power of God’s authority, the power of God and the salvation!
Congregation member: Yes!
Jones: Do you feel like praying for somebody when you’re on the street ‘car– you had to walk all the way? Tell ‘em “I’m a minister of God! I’m a believer in Jesus Christ! I’ve come to you in the name of Lord offering you peace, health, or strength!”
Congregation member: Amen!
Jones: [Voice moderates] How many’ll do that? Well, I won’t ask any [16:00] hands.
Congregation: [Murmurs, then slight laughter]
Jones: You ready to go home? Too bad. [Reads Acts 2:44] “And all that believed were together, and had all things common.”
Man in crowd: Watch out now.
Jones: They were together. There was togetherness. There was accord, there was warmth, there was [unintelligible word]. We have now in the Temple four ministers– Brother [Archie] Ijames, the tall Negro minister who’s with us. Brother [Jack] Beam, Brother [Russell] Winberg. It seems like when one gets a song, the other gets it. What one– what comes into one’s mind comes into the other. They’re not– I’m not the pastor, but we’re four pastors. And we get along beautifully. I’m so thankful for just a little bit of it. Just a little bit of it, the touch of togetherness that creates a fellowship in the heart. And we need that. I won’t elaborate on it. It speaks for itself. [Reads Acts 2:45] “And they sold their possessions and goods, and parted [17:00] them to all men, as every man had need.” Now what’re you going to do with that? Any opinion?
Congregation [silent]
Jones: No, I didn’t think so. [Reads Acts 2:46] “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the Temple, and breaking bread from house to house”– Where did they go? Where did Pentecost fall in the first place? In a holy cathedral? In a shrine of Jewish worship? In a synagogue? No, it fell in a house. God meant to sanctify every natural thing. The first church met in a house. I think some of you’d be better off if we went back to meeting in the house, too.
Congregation: [Laughter]
Jones: [Voice becomes more passionate] Don’t you? I think some of you’d be better if we went from house to house breaking bread. We’d be better off than what we’re doing, setting up churches and [unintelligible word, sounds like “glory sessions”] on every corner, fighting [unintelligible word] we sing– What were they, the three-cornered uh, harmony they’d sing. Uh, that will be blowing from me. Brother, how’d that song go?
Congregation member: [Speaks quietly in background] One church was singing [unintelligible words], [18:00] another church was singing [unintelligible words]
Jones: [speaking calmly] It’s true. And it’s pitiful. Communism has– has sold itself to the position of the group mind.
Congregation member: Yes.
Jones: There’s only one thing that’s going to counter communism. It has its Messiah. It has its Bible. It has its Kingdom. And the only thing that’s going to stop it – and that’s going to have to come about quickly – is for us to sell what we have, and impart them to every man that had need. Some people look at me, and I now have seven children. And some people look at me, and say “That’s all right. That’s what Brother Jones is called for.”
Congregation member: [Laughs]
Jones: That’s the biggest damnable lie that the devil ever dropped in their hearts.
Congregation member: Yeah.
Jones: I’m twenty-eight years old. By nature, [19:00] I’d like to take my wife [Marceline Jones] and have a big time– I used to, not anymore. I love my family. You can get yourself harnessed to the gospel of Christ if you want to. You can obey. He said, He that loves me keeps my commandments [John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments”; see also John 14:21-24, John 15:10, 1 John 5:2-3]. You can learn to do it. I’m not perfect. God, I wish I were. I wish I had ten times more God than what I have. But I don’t know how people can pass up scripture after scripture, and not do it. God for some time has been putting it upon our hearts to sell what we have and give it to the corporate community of our church. Our Temple now’s starting our restaurant, a mission that will feed people without cost and no charge. We’re starting a grocery, where there’ll be no charge for food. We ask people to give as God blesses them. Not with charge for anything, because God is free and everything you have is free. And it’s been provided. Our aged home – the nicest in the state of Indiana – has been established on a basis from each according to his ability to each according to his need [Acts 2:45]. [20:00] And the devil will try to kill you every way he can. We have rehabilitated– I’ve been a chaplain at our state prison, a woman’s prison there for some time– uh, part-time relationship last year, and we’ve taken about five prisoners from that prison. And we had some fortunate experiences, but the other day after taking one girl for three years, uh, two years rather, taking her in free for almost a time when she [unintelligible word], she went into my mail, because when I had people working for me, I trust them. She went into our mail and forged four hundred dollars’ worth of cheques this week. And it’s down into– I don’t know how much it’s going to get into– that’s what Brother Kleinman was telling you about. When we’re trying to adopt ten more children, to bring them into our church homes, Brother Beam signed to get one, and it’s taken five thousand dollars to get them over, and no cooperation. I tell you, you never anything like it in all your life, the richest churches in our town says [mimicking voice] “Oh, well, they’re– they’re good to people but they’re kinda fanatical you know.” They’re building their big mosque and using their mausoleums and– and their cathedrals and their gravestones. [21:00] That’s the truth! I don’t know what’s in on Columbus but in Indianapolis they’re building million and a half churches [voice rises sharply] I tell you: that’s of the devil. I said, that’s of the devil!
Congregation: [Responds; murmurs]
Jones: [Voice continues rising in intensity] Building great big shrines and great big cathedrals and plush cushions for us to sit on and fine cathedral windows when people are starving to death. I tell you, I’d risk being a [unintelligible word] any day than to be in that kind of an outfit when Jesus come. I wouldn’t be in it!
Congregation: [Agrees]
Jones: [speaks loudly] Did you hear what I said? Our church is [unintelligible words], but we bought that synagogue for fifty thousand dollars, a great big synagogue, it cost them a half million to build. We bought what somebody else had. We’re putting our restaurant in it, we’re putting our commissary in it, we feed and clothe fifty to a hundred people a week and we’re putting our grocery in it, and we’ll have that thing all used for the kingdom work of God. And if we can’t use something in that thing, we’re either gonna [unintelligible]. We’re– We’re tired of heating unnecessary parts. Because I believe that everything ought to be used for the glory of God. No time to waste any of God’s money. Can you say amen?
Congregation: That’s right. Amen.
Jones: And if you’re wasting God’s money today by putting it in [22:00] some church that’s just doing a rat race or formality and feeding some preacher, keeping him plush, and just building a form, you are a– you’re doing a work that is wrong. You’d better get out of that thing and, uh, uh, become a part of the active work of the Spirit. If you don’t have anybody you can believe in– I can believe in this man because he’s a real man of God. But if you don’t find anybody you can believe in, then you go to doing the work of the gospel.
Congregation member: That’s right. (Pause)
Jones: Say, bless the Lord. [Reads Acts 2:46-47] “They continued daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house. They did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Said they had joy and they had gladness. They look at us, we’re gloomy, we’re tired, we’re clock-watchers. Tonight there’s some clock-watchers in here [23:00] looking for a loaf and a fish [Matthew 14:15-19, Matthew 15:33-37, Mark 6:33-44, Luke 9:11-17, John 6:5-13].It’s no good. Looking for a reed to be shaken in the wind. That’s not what you need to be looking for [Matthew 11:7, “And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?” See also Luke 7:24]. You need to be hearing what the word of God has to say. I know, if there wasn’t a few people healed here every week that I come or, uh, a person, uh, different ones called out by discernment, I know I’m not telling you any riddle. I know some of you wouldn’t come to hear me preach. But brother, sister, you’re not gonna be saved by the signs. You’re gonna be saved by the foolishness of the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ [1 Corinthians 1:17-27, esp. 1:21, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”].
Congregation: [Agrees]
Jones: And we need to realize it. When God comes in, there will be joy. If you’re not as drunk as they were on the day of Pentecost, if you’re not as reckless, if you’re not selling what you have, if you’re not trying to dispose of your worldly possessions and give and to share and to have brotherhood and fellowship, there’s something lacking in your heart. Why, it’s common. We should be. They thought they were drunk on that day of Pentecost because there’s nothing better than an old drunk. You ever see a drunk? I remember one time, a fellow telling about a drunk, that– that he knew, and he come up to him in the early part of the evening – a [24:00] preacher – and he said he came up to him in the early part of the evening and he was telling this drunk, and he says, Ohhh, he says, Brother John, he says, if you get down there where my brother lives, tell him I’m– I’m about to starve, my hogs are about dead, and the barn’s about to fall down, and he says, My God, if you don’t send me some help ‘fore long, I’ll surely be in the poorhouse. And the preacher John just happened to be a little bit later on in the evening, about four or five hours later, he happened to meet the same man. He was just a little bit, uh, you know, that way of an old crow, and, uh, the– uh, the fellow looked at him. He says, Hey! Preacher John, he says, you seen my brother, tell him if there’s just anything I can do for him, to call me up.
Congregation: [Laughs]
Jones: [Speaks more passionately] Amen? That’s what you do when you get drunk.
Congregation member: Uh-huh.
Jones: You came from your woeful, complaining, gloomy, down-hearted, defeated spirit, saying “I’m about to die,” that you may not have a dime, you may not have nothing – like Jesus said, having nothing – [in full throat] yet possessing all things! You have a faith! A faith. A power. You want to know what it is? [25:00] God is gonna come in [2 Corinthians 6]. Why, some people today, they were crying this week, were crying when, one said [unintelligible word] to another “you have to take her to law. The only way you’re gonna get your money back– take her to law.” My Bible says “Go not to law.” [1 Corinthians 6:1-7]. And I wouldn’t go to law if she took two thousand dollars. If God can’t fight my battles, then I’ll not fight ‘em at all. I’ll– it– the mercy of the Lord. Even now, this young girl, because I’ve shown mercy to her, it may be the thing that’ll change her life, or at least it’s not gonna hurt her. But we cannot help by going to law and wrestling with men. And some people worry about their money and worry about tomorrow and try to lay away for tomorrow. Bless their heart. The Kingdom is gonna be to those that have faith to face it, for those that’ll be like a little child. It says, except you become as a little child, you will not enter into Kingdom [Matthew 18:3, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.”]. Some of you don’t like to hear this tonight. Some of you don’t like strong preachin’. But you’d better get ready [taps pulpit] to hear a lot more of it, if you want to grow up into the kingdom of God.
Congregation: [Murmurs]
Jones: I know some of you are about to [unintelligible word] you don’t know what to do. Some of you haven’t looked me in the eye for the last five minutes, but I’m gonna look at you straight now.
Congregation: [Laughs]
Jones: Because I want to [26:00] tell you, straight is the way and narrow is the gate that leadeth to life and through that Jesus Christ [Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”]. Without wholeness, no one shall please the Lord. Not just buttons and bones, but a familiar, heart-felt holiness and that’ll change you and clean you. I may not be a lot of things, but there’s one thing I know I am tonight – a messenger, sent by God to save the [voice grows to ministerial fervor] [unintelligible words].
Congregation member: Amen.
Jones: [Pounds pulpit, speaks forcefully] I know that as well as I’m standing here. I know that there’s weaknesses in my life but I know I’m a forerunner, and I know some of you are forerunners. I know we’ve been ordained for this hour, to get people back to the faith that was once delivered to the saints [Jude 1:3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”].
Congregation: Yeah!
Jones: [Pounds pulpit, In full throat] Repent! [Voice moderates] And repentance is going to start at the house of God. Judgment begins at the house of the Lord. [Claps once] Before we can go to the taverns, before we can go to the den of thieves, before we can get the money-changers out of the– and the vice world saved and delivered, the church is gonna have to be delivered [Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:44-45]. [Deliberate] You bow your head tonight, you haven’t been drunk for the spirit of God. [27:00] I hope you get drunk [Acts 2:14-17; Ephesians 5:18]. If you’re mad at me tonight, you’re not got the Holy Ghost. I said, if you’re mad at me tonight, you haven’t got the Holy Ghost. Don’t go away from here mad. [Pause] No sense [unintelligible word] just go away. But don’t go away mad. And I wish some of us would go away. I wish all the simple [unintelligible word], and all the hypocrites, and double-minded people would go away. And I would that God would be there, hungering and those that are really [unintelligible words] with God would get together and they’d shake their dust, shake their dust on worldly pollution, and church corruption out of their system and begin to serve God with all their hearts and all their minds and all their strength.
Congregation: Amen.
Jones: I cannot apologize for preaching an hour and a half tonight. You need it. Amen. Even though I ramble, even though it’s the– not the best discourse, it was needed. And we all need it. Somebody’s gotta preach to me. I’ve got a dear brother Ijames, that tall [28:00] prophet that, uh, [stumbles over words] precious Negro brother who’s a prophet from uh, God if there ever was one, my associate minister. If I’m [unintelligible word] a whipping, he’s gonna give it to me. Brother, you need to get lined up, he’s gonna line us up like nothing flat, and he don’t say anything [unintelligible word]. No, he just said “thus saith the Lord.” And some of us need to hear [cries overwhelm mic]
Congregation: Yeah!
Jones: [In full throat] Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand [Matthew 4:17, “Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”]. Repent, because the wrath of God is about to be poured out upon us [Revelation 16:1, “And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.”]. Repent, because the [unintelligible words] is in his hands and is separating the chaff from the wheat [Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17]. [Pounds pulpit] Repent, because the sheep are about to be separated from the goats [Matthew 25:31-32, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats”].
Congregation member: Yes!
Jones: [Tone moderates] Repent, because straight is the way, and narrow is the gate that leadeth to life, and few there be that find it [Matthew 7:13-14]. Brother, play something that’s on your heart.
[Piano music begins playing in background]
Jones: Hallelujah. [Glossolalia] [29:00]
[Piano music]
Jones: [Speaking slowly, quietly] I love you. You better know it. When someone loves you, they’ll tell you the truth. I went out last– tonight, we told those boys that were smoking and carrying on out there, about fifteen of ‘em behind the church. I said “I love you, and our church, and I know Brother Kleinman has the same spirit.” I said we had times of fellowship, and we’d be [unintelligible word] like crazy. I said in that [30:00] house of God, around the house of God, that thing can’t go on. And, you know, we wouldn’t be your friend if we didn’t tell you what was gonna be required of you. [Voice drops] You’re gonna have to line up. I’m gonna have to line up. Some awful impressive people missed the kingdom, almost. Moses went out of Egypt, left the spell of Egypt, but he smote the rock. My God, it was just on the border that he smote the rock [Numbers 20:10-12]. Where is that power tonight that would want them to do the same? I don’t get healed. Where I put my hand, who doesn’t prosper? [Genesis 39:3, “the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand’] Have you given your heart? Have you said yes? Have you just read a few scriptures and listened to a few preachers, tell you that sharing and breaking bread and going from house to house, selling what you have, that was for the Jews. But [31:00] Acts 2:4 is for today. Have you listened to men– it’s all right,take it easy, ones in the back. (Pause) Now you have to forget the moment. Bless the holy Lord. We get kinda restless, tired, bless their heart. Oh Hallelujah. [Hums along with piano] [Speaks softly] S’all right, you can take it easy, it’s all right, don’t bother him, if you want to bring him right on back, [unintelligible words] bit of a respite. [Sings “No One Ever Cared For Me Like Jesus”]
–like Jesus;/
There’s no other friend so kind as he./ [32:00]
No one else could take the sin and darkness from me./
Oh, how much he cared for me.
[Speaking again, with piano continuing in background] Keep your heads bowed for a moment so I can get the mind of the Lord. Oh, there’s such a famine for the hearing of the word. Not preaching of it, but the hearing of it. [Amos 8:11, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:”]. My God, people, they’ll not endure sound doctrine [2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears”]. [Pause] How many have faith, pray, pray. How many of you really love Christ, pray with all your heart that people will be inclined to the gospel. To do what thus saith the Lord. Is there a heart here, is there a heart here that n– needs something [33:00] from heaven that will lift your hand? Thank you, thank you. Three, four, five. You that need something from God, we really want to pray for you. You come up to this altar, I will pray personally. You need the baptism of the Holy Ghost. You need not only tongues but the power. Tongues are the power. You come up to this altar, God will fill you. You that lift your hand, we need converts from that life, we need those that are willing to go all the way with God. Jesus prays [unintelligible words]. [Hums] If you hum it, hum it. Hum that song. [Hums along with piano music] [34:00] [Speaks, as congregation sings along with piano music] [unintelligible words] Bless the Lord. [Pause] Lift your hands. Can you lift your hand now, believe the Lord? Who’ll take that? Blessed be the Lord. Blessed be the Lord. Take it all. Take this [35:00] spasm, I pray, in the name of Jesus, lift your hands just uh, lift them there. Lift your hands up, in the name of Jesus. By the power of the Holy Spirit, bring healing to this life. Father, you see the vacancy, we pray that thou would fill her with your presence and your power, in the name of the Son of God. Hallelujah. [Glossolalia] Blessed be the name of the Lord.
SIDE B
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