The 4th Man, And Other Famous Sermons Exactly as Oral Roberts Preached Them from the Revival Platform

Oral Roberts

• Publisher: Papamoa Press
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9781789123388
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Oral Roberts was one of the two giants of the American Charismatic movement—also known as the Healing Revival—the Christian revival movement that began in 1946 and last throughout the 1950s. One of the most recognized preachers worldwide, Oral Roberts' preaching and healing ministries reached masses, and the common people loved his passion and compassion and his outstanding ability to make clear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The 4th Man was Oral Roberts' most loved and requested sermon from the tent crusade days. Through this sermon, Roberts shares how Jesus—revealed in every book of the Bible—will stand by you in the fiery furnaces of life.
The 4th Man, and Other Famous Sermons, which was first published in 1951, contains five of Roberts' best-known sermons preached from the Revival Platform: The 4th Man; Samson and Delilah—Battle of Champions; Why I believe Jesus is Coming Soon and What His Coming Will Mean to You and Me, A Reed or a Rock—Which?; and Demon Possession.

ONE—THE FOURTH MAN

Like a glittering diamond on a couch of velvet, the city of Jerusalem is set among the hills of Judea, in the exact geographical center of the earth. It is the city of God the King. In Jerusalem the temple of Jehovah stood in its magnificent glory, upon its altars were offered sacrifices, blood was shed for the forgiveness of the people of God. Prophets walked the streets of Jerusalem proclaiming the way of the Lord; Priests chanted their rituals and the law of God went forth in the land.

God placed His name in Jerusalem and met with His people there.

Far away from Jerusalem was another city: the greatest city the pride and skill of man ever built. Its walls were three hundred feet high and wide enough at the top for eight chariots to run races side by side. Inside the walls of Babylon was the palace of Nebuchadnezzar which was more like a fortress for it was surrounded by walls seven miles around. Nearby were the famous “hanging gardens,” that Nebuchadnezzar built for his wife and that became one of the wonders of the ancient world. The beautiful river Euphrates wound its way through Babylon adding much to the wondrous beauty of the city.

The heathen temple Bel was situated in the very heart of the city, its spires towered six hundred feet skyward. On its altars were offered animals which had been strangled to death and which later were sold in the meat shops of Babylon. This is why young Daniel and his companions declared: “We will not defile ourselves with the king’s meat.” They refused to eat meat from animals which had been sacrificed to idol gods.

Nebuchadnezzar was the proudest king that ever sat on an earthly throne. His armies had conquered the world and at the time the three Hebrew children were captured and brought to Babylon he was the undisputed ruler of the world.

One day Nebuchadnezzar led his crack legions across the burning, shimmering sands of the desert and laid siege to Jerusalem where the people of God had turned away from the paths of righteousness and were violating His sacred laws.

With their battering rams the Babylonians tore down the walls of the “city of the great king,” plundered and sacked Jerusalem, destroyed the temple and as trophies of their victory led captive the very flower of the nation. Among the captives were the three Hebrew children: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Standing on one of the hills overlooking their ruined city, these young Hebrew princes said in their melancholy, “O Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, if we forget thee let our right hand forget its cunning and our tongue cleave to the roof of our mouth.”

Weeks later they passed inside the gates of Babylon, captives to a heathen king. They were led down to the banks of the Euphrates where the curious Babylonians came to gaze on them. “Play for us on your instruments,” said the Babylonians, “sing for us some of the songs of Zion.” They replied, “How can we sing the songs of our God in a strange land?”

Scarcely had they become accustomed to the splendor of their surroundings until they heard the sound of all kinds of music and everywhere about them the Babylonians fell prostrate to the ground, clasping their hands together and crying,

“Great is Nebuchadnezzar our God!

There is no God in the earth but Nebuchadnezzar!”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were astounded. The Babylonians were worshiping Nebuchadnezzar, a man, as God. They stood their ground refusing to bow. “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me,” their God had commanded. The Lord Jehovah was the only true God, whether in Babylon or Jerusalem, or in heaven or earth.

RELIGION WILL BE TRIED

These three young men came face to face with an inescapable fact: true religion will be tried. Whether these boys live in Jerusalem or Babylon they will be tried. The devil will be after them.

A Methodist Bishop was traveling across the United States on a preaching mission. His train pulled into a little town for a brief stop. He saw the colored porter standing nearby. “Porter!” the Bishop called.

“Whatcha want, boss?”

“I would like to ask you about the religious condition of the people in your town. Is there anyone here who has old-time religion?”

“Yes suh, plenty of folks ‘round heah have religion.”

“Is the devil after any of them?” the Bishop asked.

The porter smiled and quick as a flash replied, “Yes suh, the devil is after them that’s got it.”

The devil is after the people who have old-time religion. I know. He is after me.

It matters not where you live or where you travel, your religious convictions will be tried. Thousands of people are severely tried even while attending our campaigns.

One night a beautiful young girl responded to my call to the unsaved. She was gloriously saved. She returned to her chair with shining eyes and a burning heart. She said to her boyfriend, “O it’s wonderful what Jesus has done for me tonight. Come on and go with me to the prayer tent. I want you to receive Jesus as your Saviour too.”

He laughed in her face.

She didn’t know what to do or say. When he continued to laugh and poke fun at her she turned to him, looked him full in the face and said very quietly, “All right, if you won’t go to heaven with me, I am not going to hell with you!”

This young woman was made out of the right kind of stuff. She knew where she was going. She wanted others to go with her. But one thing sure: she was going, even if she had to go alone.

A few months ago I received a beseeching letter from a woman whose husband was up-and-down and in-and-out in his religious experience. It seemed that he had been reclaimed in one of our meetings and for a few months thereafter, he was very religious. But now he was beginning to backslide again.

She wanted to know if I would let him join my party and travel with me all the time. “I just know he’ll stay saved if he could be around you all the time,” she wrote.

I thought about it for a moment. Then I realized that religion is not a thing of environment, it is an attitude of the heart. It is inner peace and power brought into the spirit by the power of God when a person repents of his sins and gets right with his God. If one will cultivate the spirit of Christ in his heart it will give him vast strength, great principles to live by, and an ever-increasing faith.

But religion gives power to a man’s life only when he wants to serve God as a matter of principle, when he makes it his attitude and desire. Although he might receive very definite help from another Christian yet his own religion is sufficient to enable him to live victoriously and courageously in any circumstance, condition or environment. Isn’t that right? If you believe that, say, “Amen.”

So I reasoned that if the woman’s husband lived where he could attend church and practice his faith in God that he should have no difficulty keeping his religion for his religion would keep him. A man just has to practice his faith, that’s all. What good would it do to let him join my party. We are on the front lines in this battle for God. It is dangerous up here where the devil is contesting every step I take and fighting me from all sides. What would this man do up here where the battle is really hot if he can’t stay saved even in the quiet and safety of his own home?

No, the only answer to his problem is to dig down to the bedrock of real heart-felt religion and anchor his soul forever on the Rock of Ages. When he really wants God’s way and daily practices his faith in God he will find that circumstances and environment will have absolutely no power over him; his faith will open up a path for him in the wilderness, create an oasis for him in the desert, and will make him feel like “running through a troop and jumping over a wall.”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to bow and were reported to Nebuchadnezzar. The informers said, “O king, there are three young men in your kingdom who refuse to bow to your image!”

Enraged, he cried, “Bring them to me.”

Shortly, S...

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• ONE-THE FOURTH MAN
• TWO-SAMSON AND DELILAH-BATTLE OF CHAMPIONS
• THREE-WHY I BELIEVE JESUS IS COMING SOON AND WHAT HIS COMING WILL MEAN TO YOU AND ME
• FOUR-A REED OR A ROCK-WHICH?
• FIVE-DEMON POSSESSION
• REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER