Join us as we explore the profound teachings of Brother W.A. Bradfield, relaunching sermons that resonate even today. In discussing the five essential ‘musts’ every believer should consider, this episode offers deep reflections on living a life of faith, facing the inevitability of death, and preparing for the judgment. The conversation is not only a tribute to spiritual forebearers but also a call to action, urging listeners to make pivotal spiritual decisions.
00:00:00 Introduction to the International Gospel Hour
00:10:33 Preparing for God’s Call and Closing Thoughts
SPEAKER 03 :
Dear friends, the old hymn is so true. We are going down the valley one by one, the valley of life. Let’s look at what is ahead in our travels today from the International Gospel Hour. Please stay with us.
SPEAKER 01 :
Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour.
SPEAKER 02 :
For 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God’s Word through International Gospel Hour. You are about to listen to another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, starting now.
SPEAKER 03 :
Thank you once again to our J-Web for his kind words. J will be back with a couple of free online offers momentarily. But also, a greeting to all of you. And hello, everyone. I am grateful to see the number of people that tune in to our broadcast here from International Gospel Hour. We’ve been on the air or online since 1934. As I speak to you today, we’re in our 90th year, and to God be the glory. You know, through those years, there have been so many wonderful lessons preached and proclaimed, and it is an honor for me to reach back for lessons of preachers of days gone by. Many of their writings sit in church and school libraries, and they’re seldom referred to for study. But here on the International Gospel Hour, oh friends, we embrace those lessons. We relaunch. We revive those outlines of yesteryear. Sermons that still speak today. They still preach. Today I am blessed to reach back in time for another outline from the late Brother W.A. Bradfield. Brother Bradfield passed in 1972. He’s been gone many a year. He worked with the then Freed Hardeman College in Henderson, Tennessee. He preached many gospel meetings, revivals, things of that nature. And, oh, his preaching was simple, plain, but yet powerful. You know, Hebrews 11 and verse 4 refers to Abel, and the Bible says that Abel, that although he being dead, he still speaks. And Brother Bradfield will still speak today as we consider the subject, Going Down the Valley. Back in just a moment, but first, here is our J-Web.
SPEAKER 02 :
How about another free online publication? Subscribe to Truth, a monthly four-page worldwide publication edited by our friend and brother Roger Campbell. Each issue has four to six articles of excellent writing and biblical study. please send us an email at info at internationalgospelhour.com and leave us your name, email address, and write truth in the message blank. Again, please send an email to info at internationalgospelhour.com and leave your name, email address, and write truth in the message blank.
SPEAKER 03 :
Friends, let’s consider 2 Timothy 4, verses 6-8. The Bible says, For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved his appearing. The words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 4, verses 6-8 Friends, he talked about being near the end of his life, and indeed Paul was. And when you think about it, life is a cycle. You know, we live the young years, then we go middle age, then old age, if the Lord allows. We are here today and gone tomorrow. But with that being thought about and considered, there are some unconditional musts from the Scripture. And may I suggest to you we need to face up to these musts as we find ourselves, like Paul, going down the valley.
SPEAKER 1 :
1.
SPEAKER 03 :
We must live until we die. Romans 14 and verse 7 says, For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. We must live until we die. We should therefore live the best life possible, because we only have one time to live it. 2. We must die. Hebrews 9.27 says, And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, we should admit we will die, to get ready, and as a man lives, so shall he die. It may be tomorrow, friends. We do not know. Here’s a third must. We must answer the resurrection call. For in James 5, 28 and 29, do not marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth. those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. The grave is not the end, friends. There is life beyond. We will answer that resurrection call. Which one will it be? Here’s another must as we go down the valley. We must appear at the judgment. 2 Corinthians 5.10 says, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Friends, it will be a great day for some, but an awful day for others. There will be a terrible separation. You know, you think about it. Husband would be separated from wife. Brother will be separated from sister, etc., Therefore, we must appear before the judgment, and as we go down the valley, we need to prepare for those things. Here’s a fifth must. We must live eternally somewhere. In Matthew 25 and verse 46, and these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Those who have lived against God, We’ll go away into everlasting punishment. Hell, a lake of fire and brimstone. And to think of heaven as the paradise of God, there are no other alternatives. It will be one or the other, and we must live eternally somewhere. So, friend, as we go down the valley of life, we must live until we die. And we must die. And we must answer the resurrection call. We must appear at the judgment time. And we must live eternally somewhere. That tells me and tells you that we must make a choice now. Friends, we want to make certain that we are prepared. I think of the words of Joshua 24 and verse 15. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. He made a choice. He declared it. And friends, your choice is one of two ways. In Matthew 7, verses 13 and 14, Jesus said, Enter by the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate, and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. There are but two ways, the broad and the narrow. We will go either one of those ways. In Revelation 3.20, Jesus said, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and dine with him, and he with me. I stand at the door and knock. Have you ever seen that portrait, friends, where Jesus is standing at the door and knocking, and if you look, there’s no doorknob on the outside of that door? It means we can only answer from the inside and open the door for Christ. Would we not do well to do with Jesus now as we would have Him do with us on that day when this world ends? We are going down the valley, friends, and we must make decisions that are needful for our lives. You know, it does matter. And we want to pause here and offer through our good friend, Brother Rob Whitaker, a study simply titled, Does It Matter? A free online study of which we will help you to use that study. Here is our J-Web with the details.
SPEAKER 02 :
Does It Matter? is a free online video study. The most important question in all the world is, where will you go when you die? God has provided from the Bible all that one must know. Any questions about salvation, sin, and the church, they will be addressed from God’s Word. May we send you the link and give it a try? Just call toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, email, and just say, Does it matter? Again, call toll-free at 855-444-6988, and please leave your name, email, and just say, Does it matter? You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the Contact tab, and leave us the same information, name, email, and type Does it matter in the message blank. We will send the link right out to you.
SPEAKER 03 :
Dear friends, it does matter. When we’re going down the valley of life, There are these must that will come. Friends, we must be ready. That’s why it is so important that we know God’s will for our lives, that we believe in Him and repent of our sins, confess our faith in Christ, to be buried with Him in baptism, for our sins to be washed away, Acts 22 and verse 16, to be raised to walk in the newness of life, Romans 6, 4 through 6, and to walk faithful for God. To be added to His church, what a joy to be part of the church we read of in the New Testament. Friends, if we have prompted you with this broadcast to think of your life, and to think of things that you need to change, or any way that we can be of help, please let us know. Now, both of our offers were online studies, but we also offer by mail our free Bible correspondence course, And maybe that will be of help to you. If you’ll call us at 855-444-6988. That’s 855-444-6988. And leave us your name and address and just say Home Study. We’ll get it in the mail to you as soon as possible. That’s 855-444-6988. And just leave your name and address and just say Home Study. And we’ll take it from there. We send that study out all over the place. We’d be honored to send it to you absolutely free, and everything we offer here from International Gospel Hour is absolutely free. We’ll continue our studies together at another time, but for now, thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour broadcast. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
