This Sermon was given shortly after some senior ministers left the Church in 1974 in England. Mr Armstrong deals with the vital role of God’s Government and how a major part of our job today is to be sure we remain firmly beneath it. If we do, then and only then will we also qualify to administer that identical, loving Government in the coming Kingdom of God.

This sermon was given after Mr Armstrong had recovered from total heart failure. He warns that the Church was in mortal danger of falling into a Laodicean attitude and calls for fasting and heartfelt prayer. He tells all of us to wake up, and put some life back into the Church and speaks directly to many ministers sitting in the audience at Pasadena who he said disagreed with him and were instead promoting their own false ideas – particularly intellectualism. The parallels with the state of the Church today is spine-chilling.

Begins: “My! I didn’t expect over 30 or 40 people here tonight… but the Church is off to a new start…” This bible study was given the evening before the sermon Creation and the Gospel which continues the subject matter of this bible study: To start from the very beginning, and go through the entire story of the Scriptures.

Begins: “Well, greetings everybody once again this afternoon; and to all of you people up in Canada listening at Vancouver…” This sermon was given after the bible study Creation and Prehistory which starts from the very beginning, and goes through the entire story of the Scriptures.

This Bible Study begins by Mr Armstrong recording a video clip to be used in the Feast Opening Night film. A little of this is missing on this particular recording. He then goes over the scriptures that deal with Zerubbabel’s temple and shows how much of this material was actually talking directly to us in 1978 as Mr Armstrong was led to put the Church “back on Track”. Such scriptures also talk of the same tasks that we today in the 21st century should be concerned with as we are once again led individually “back on Track.”

In going through the New Testament to see why it is that we have believed that the Bible says exactly the opposite of what it does say, and why it is that we today are practicing customs that are the very anti-thesis of the things that Jesus did, and He said that we should do as He did, and Peter said that we should follow His steps – He set us an example. Why is it that we are believing things today that were never believed by Christ, never taught by Christ, never taught or believed by the Church as it started out in its purity under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Apostles who were under the direct direction of Jesus Christ, the head of the Church. So now here we are, blowing the dust off our bibles, getting back to see, through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John what Jesus did teach – and He did not teach what most of us have been taught since little children to believe He taught.

Why is it, my friends, that you have not heard the true gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather a message of men, a gospel of men, about His person, but not the message that Christ Himself brought and preached? Now do you know that that message was not the message of Christ either – so far as that was concerned – it was not Christ’s message as all. Actually it was the message of God the Father.

Why is it – let me ask once again, my friends – that you have not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather a false gospel – a gospel that masquerades as the gospel of Jesus Christ, that which in fact is merely a gospel about His person and which represents Jesus Christ as a sort of smart-aleck young man who knew more than His Father and came to do away with His Father’s law – to knock it in the head, and to institute a new and different kind of religion. Now Jesus did not introduce any new and different kind of religion whatsoever. He did come to bring a message that the world had not understood or known, although it had been declared – at least in its broad outline to the prophets of old.

My friends, one of the most shocking things that can possibly happen is to wake up to find out that the gospel of Jesus Christ is not what we have believed at all and that we have not heard it. And that what we have believed is exactly the opposite of what the Bible says and what Jesus actually taught. Here’s one reason – as we’re going through the New Testament again, summarizing the teaching of Jesus, the example that He set.

Why is it that nearly everybody today seems to believe the Bible says exactly the opposite of what it does say? Why is it people do not know what it says – they misunderstand? Why is it you have not been hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Did you know that what has been recognized as the greatest sermon ever preached was actually not a sermon at all, but merely a matter of Jesus Christ talking to His disciples? And, what He told them in that so-called sermon on the mount – the greatest sermon ever preached – had to do with world conditions and with the world tomorrow. Let’s look at it.

And now my friends, prepare yourselves to hear the most wonderful sermon ever preached. At least that’s what people have always called it. The Sermon on the Mount has been called the most wonderful sermon ever preached – but do you understand it?

You have heard, my friends, that Jesus Christ came to do away with His Father’s commandments. That God’s Laws, the Laws of God, are not good and that the Laws of God are contrary to our best interests, that they are bad for us and Jesus made us free to break the Laws of God and to do what we please and what seems good in the sight of man.

Listen. I know that there are very few of you now listening who do not have some serious trouble, sickness or worry in your family. Perhaps you think that no one else has the problems, the troubles, the hardships that seem to beset you.

Yes, there is good news, if only we can understand it, and heed it. As I mentioned, however, yesterday, there are serious troubles – financial troubles, family troubles, every other kind of trouble, some kind of tremendous problem bearing down on the family of practically every one of you now listening. If it isn’t hitting you personally, its hitting somebody in your family.

Listen. Where did we get Christmas? Where did it come from – did it come out of the Bible, or did it come out of paganism?

…known as the Greatest Sermon ever preached, and yet they actually don’t believe a word of it, they don’t believe it was practical. They don’t think that it was a good standard to live by at all. They believe just the opposite of what Jesus said in that sermon – why?

Is there anything to prayer? Did you ever stop to think about that? Is it just a superstition?

You know, I used to say, well, all of these churches can’t be wrong, you can’t tell me that they’re all wrong, these are the churches of Christ – of course they are. Of course, they may be a little divided – one believes one thing, another another, along certain lines, but then does that make any difference? These are all really Christian churches – don’t they all call themselves Christian?

Do people today believe what Jesus preached in the Sermon on the Mount? If you’d read that again, you would be shocked and surprised how few people believe it – and how many people seem to think that Jesus was all wrong – at least that’s the way they live – that’s the way they talk. Do they do what He said?

My friends, in today’s world, I wonder if you understand the difference between the True Church of God, and I mean the Church that Jesus Christ said He would build? You know, Jesus Christ said, “I will build My Church.” Where is that Church?

Now, once again my friends, what is the difference between the Church, the True Church that Jesus Christ said He would build, and that He did build – the Church that He said the gates of hell shall not prevail against – and the other churches, denominations, sects, organizations, and cults and everything of the kind that we have so many of in this world in this day? As I have said before, the Church of Jesus Christ is the Church that is obedient to Christ and obedient to God. It doesn’t lean to its own reason – it doesn’t say, “well, this is the way it looks to me.”

…that our generation has been living though. Why such terrifying world conditions as we face now? I’ve been asked that question more often than any other.

Now, in continuing, I want to get back into this theme we’ve been in, going through the New Testament – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – to see what Jesus Christ did preach and why you have not been hearing it. Why you have not been hearing the true gospel of Jesus Christ – but rather a man-made gospel about His person, which has been substituted for the gospel that God sent by Him and which He taught His disciples, and that which the early Church – as it started out in all its purity – did preach.

…is going to happen? Will Russia ever invade? Will Russia ever conquer the United States? My friends, a most unexpected event is going to happen in the meantime that is going to take the breath of Russia, as well as rock the United States back on its heals.

Well, my friends, lets get back into this series, going through the New Testament to see exactly what Jesus Christ did preach and why you haven’t heard it, because you’ve been hearing a message about the person of Christ, but not the message that He preached. God Almighty sent Jesus Christ to this earth, and He said, “I have spoken nothing of Myself. The Father that sent Me, He gave me a commandment what I should say and what I should speak.”

Well, now let’s get on with this series to see just why it is that you have not been hearing the true gospel of Jesus Christ. We’ve been hearing a gospel about the person of Christ. We’ve heard a lot about what a wonderful man He was.

My friends, what’s wrong with the world today? I’ll tell you what’s really wrong. It’s because our men, our leaders, our great men, the men at the head of government, the men at the head of great businesses, the men that really run the works, are too limited in their knowledge, in their wisdom, and in their ability.

Now, getting back again to this series, to see what Jesus Christ did preach. You’ve heard all about Christ. You’ve heard a gospel about Him, but have you ever heard His gospel?

What is prophesied, for tomorrow, for the United States? My friends, 90% of the prophecies of the Bible, and 1/3 of the Bible is prophecy, and 90% of that pertains to our pulsating present and the next 20 or 30 years of our history. And the United States, together with the British Commonwealth, is the very focal center of those momentous moments.

How do you know, my friends, that Jesus Christ is the Messiah that was prophesied to come? If you were asked for absolute proof, what would you give? How could you prove that the Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah?

My friends, what happens when a person dies? Does he go someplace? Does he go to heaven or hell, or some other place?

…most. It will rock this world in wonder and amazement. It’s going to result, finally, in world peace, and in a new and happy world tomorrow. But this very next world shaking event will not be peace, for men will bring this upon themselves and men know not the way of peace.

My friends, haven’t you always supposed that Jesus Christ spoke in parables in order to make the meaning more clear – sort of illustrated so that people would understand it better? Well you’ve been wrong. Once again, we are going through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament to see why it is that you have not been hearing the message of Jesus Christ.

…the message of Jesus Christ. Why have we not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ? Why is it that the gospel we have heard is the gospel of men, not the gospel of Christ – but a gospel of men about Christ. They have come preaching that He is the Christ.

My friends, why is it that Jesus spoke in parables so that the people could not understand? Now we have always supposed, of course, most people have, that the reason that Jesus Christ spoke in parables was to make the meaning more clear – sort of illustrated so people would understand better. But we have been seeing that He did exactly the opposite – but why?

My friends, why does God permit wars? Why does God permit suffering on this earth? Why does He permit poverty?

…and all of that. People still believe that just like Adam did. They wouldn’t believe God. But we are mortal and we are dust, while we have a mind that far exceeds and excels anything that we find in the brain, for instance, of any other animal life we find on earth, such as dogs, or monkeys, or cats, or elephants, or snakes, or fish or birds or anything that you can see.

And once again, let me ask, why does God permit wars? Why does God permit suffering? Why does He permit poverty and unhappiness on this earth?

But my friends, the news today is not good. Most of the news in the world today is only of fear of war, preparation for war, human suffering, suicides, murders, gangsterism. Well, why does God permit all this suffering?

My friends, do you know what is the World Tomorrow? It’s the very thing that was the subject of the true gospel which God sent to mankind and which mankind has spurned and rejected and which we have not been hearing about for over 1800 years. Believe it or not, the trueKingdom of God has not been proclaimed, and people have not been hearing about it, and that was the message, the only true gospel which God sent by Jesus Christ.

Well, why do we have such bad news in the world today? Recently, I’ve been asking in a number of these programs, why does God permit wars? Why does God permit so much suffering in the world today?

…home there is sickness. In almost every mind there is fear and worry, and we’re having struggles and our problems and our troubles. Almost every life is empty and we try to invent every idea of a pastime or a pleasure just to crowd out our own emptiness and feeling of unhappiness and all that sort of thing, and pass the time away.

…to a lot of people, because they’ve not, as a rule, the largest, most powerful, and most dignified sects and denominations. Very often, my friends, these things are done in a wrong manner that only heaps ridicule upon them. But, actually, you know, when we look back into the life and the experience of Jesus Christ, to see what He did, to see the example that He set, to see the things that He did say, to see what He taught, and how He commissioned His disciples, and when we look into the early church to see just what the apostles and the elders and the leaders in the true church, as it was led by the Spirit of God, did do in those early years of the true church, we do receive some surprises.

…life, the ministry, and the experience of Jesus Christ – the example that He set. In finding out why it is that He taught exactly contrary to what the churches teach today. They call themselves Christian. They say they’re preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, but they do preach a gospel about Christ, about His person – they exalt Christ, but they do not preach the things that He proclaimed and that He taught.

My friends, why does nearly everybody believe exactly the opposite of what the Bible says? That is, why do they think it says exactly the opposite of what it does say? Why is it, as Bruce Barton said, “The Book Nobody Knows?”

And it’s a good thing that the news for tomorrow is good, because today’s news is very bad. Why do we have bad news today? Why do we have all these troubles all over the world?

But, my friends, why do we have wars today? Why do we have all this unhappiness? You know, I begin, I believe, every sermon, every broadcast that I might preach, the remainder of my lifetime, by asking and answering that question – Why does God permit wars?

But I can’t give you very much good news for today. Today’s news is never good. Did you ever notice that?

My friends, why is it that today we not only have bad news, but we hear a kind of preaching that’s certainly different from that which the people were hearing when Jesus Christ was on earth or during the ministry of the true Church of God under the apostles in the first century after Christ had ascended to heaven? Now, we’ve been going through the New Testament to see what Jesus did teach, and what He taught His disciples, what they preached. And we have been here in the 9 and 10 chapters of Matthew where Jesus had sent His disciples out on a practice mission.

And again, we could have good news today if we knew the way. There is only one reason why we are having all the troubles, the wars, and everything we have, that’s because we don’t know the way to peace, to prosperity, to happiness, to every thing we want. That way has been revealed, the way has been made known, and men have always rejected it.

Now, my friends, once again, why is it that we have not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, but a gospel of men about this person? Now we’ve been going though the New Testament to see what gospel Jesus did preach, what He taught His disciples, and the customs that He practiced. We have just seen during the past week how Jesus was sending His students – His learners (because the word disciple means a student or a learner) – out on a practice preaching mission.

Well, my friends, we could have good news today if we knew the way. The only reason that we don’t have good news is that men have rejected the way that would bring it about. We could have everything good if we wanted.

…fed these 5000 men, and a lot of women and children, the number of women and children was not numbered. The very next day, in the synagogue over in Capernaum, across the sea, that very same crowd that had taken the loaves and the fishes from the hand of Christ, and by the miracle that He performed out of compassion for them, rejected Him and turned away from Him when He offered them really spiritual food instead of just material position. They wanted Him to be a political messiah that would free them from the Roman yoke right then and there.

And now, in the preceding program, my friends, we were seeing a few rather strange things that are not generally understood today and certainly not taught in the churches today. Why is it that we do not today hear the same message that Jesus Christ preached – the gospel of Jesus Christ, but rather a different gospel today? A message about His person, certainly, but not the message that He preached.

And once again, I want to tell you that we could have good news today if we knew the way. But humanity, long ago, lost its way and it doesn’t know the way to everything it wants, to peace, to happiness, to prosperity, to all of the really good things of a really well-filled, interested and abundant life. We don’t find much of that on the earth today.

And again, I say, we ought to have good news today, and we could have it, and there is a way to have it if we only would be willing to find that way. My friends, you know that it is possible to believe in Jesus Christ, to accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior, to worship Jesus Christ and still be completely lost and unsaved. You know that a great many people are actually doing that.

Now, as we have been going though the New Testament to see what Jesus Christ did preach and why it is that we haven’t heard it today, and why we’ve been taught to believe exactly the opposite of His message, and how it came about that men rejected His message. They crucified Him and then they began to accept His name, they went forth in the power of the authority of His name, with the prestige of His name, but they rejected His message. The message of Jesus Christ was the message of the Kingdom of God – the good news of the World Tomorrow.

And now, continuing my friends, the actual life and the ministry of Jesus Christ to see why it is that He taught something entirely different than that we hear today. You know that’s the most astonishing thing of this time. That what we have accepted as the gospel of Jesus Christ is something all together different than the gospel that Jesus Christ Himself taught, or the gospel that the apostles taught the world, or the gospel that the Apostle Paul took to the gentiles.

And once again, why don’t we have better news today? If mankind had listened to the message that God Almighty sent by Jesus Christ, if the world believed it and followed that way, we would have good news today. But instead, we have to tell you about the good news of the World Tomorrow.

My friends, why is it that today we are in such religious confusion? Why is it that there seem to be more than one Jesus Christ being proclaimed today? And why is it that the message that Jesus Christ brought is not known today and people believe exactly the opposite and they can become very much riled up and explosive if anyone tells them what Jesus Christ taught, what He believed, because they believe just the opposite – they are conformed to this world which has a different doctrine today?

Now my Friends, if you have a Bible, open it and see some surprises! And see how the Bible does not say what you thought it said. And how we have been taught to believe exactly the opposite.

And now, get out your Bibles and look with your own eyes and be surprised! See how the Bible says exactly the opposite of what you thought! And how the teaching of Jesus was not the teaching of the so-called Christianity of this day.

Yes, it’s a wonderful thing that news is going to be good, tomorrow. There is a reason why it isn’t good today. And it isn’t good because we haven’t made it good.

And now my Friends, get out your Bibles and see some things that are going to astonish you! Why is it that you have been brought up to believe exactly the opposite of what the Bible says. That is, to believe it says just exactly the opposite that it does.

And now, once again, will you get out your Bibles. Will you open them up and see how you have believed that the Bible says exactly the opposite of what it does? At least in so many very fundamental places and fundamental precepts, fundamental teachings and doctrines.

Why is it, my friends, that today we hear a so-called way of salvation proclaimed that’s exactly the opposite that Jesus Christ proclaimed that we should receive eternal life? Why is it that we hear doctrines promulgated today exactly the opposite of those that the Apostle Paul taught the Gentiles? Because he taught exactly as Jesus Christ had taught His disciples.

My Friends, get out your Bibles and have a shock! Because I think there is nothing more shocking than to learn that the Bible says exactly the opposite of what you’ve been taught you think it says. Why have you not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Why is it, my friends, that so many people today, especially those of higher education, look upon Christianity as a superstition? Why is it they feel we have outgrown this superstition now? Why is it that they can’t see anything practical about it?

And now, once again, here comes some surprises. My Friends, its time to blow the dust off your Bibles and see what they say, and I ask you see it with your own eyes. Will you get a Bible now?

And now, once again, my Friends, there is no greater surprise than to open your Bibles and see what it does say because it doesn’t say what most people think in this time, this day and age – it says just the opposite. No wonder people don’t understand it. People try to interpret it.

And today’s news could be good if we knew the way. If we knew the way to Peace, to happiness, to prosperity, to everything good. There is a way and we just reap what we sow.

And now, once again, what about this world today? Its not a very happy world and there is a reason. The World Tomorrow is going to be a world of peace.

My Friends, you wouldn’t believe, would you, (I know most of you wouldn’t from the teaching we have just absorbed and come to believe), that it is possible for millions of people to really seek Jesus Christ? To really seek Him and to believe on Him and still be lost? I’m going to show you by the very teaching of Jesus that that’s exactly what is happening and that’s what the majority are actually doing – that is who do seek Him at all.

But my Friends, what’s wrong with the world today? It seems that everything’s wrong with it – but do you know why? Why is it in this world in which we live, this upset, chaotic, war-fearing world, why is it that the churches are not proving to be the stabilizing influence that could save this world?

Then, once again I say, what’s wrong with this world today? The thing that’s wrong is that the churches have not had the true medicine to save this world. They haven’t provided the stabilizing influence, they haven’t had the knowledge, they haven’t set the example to change this world into what it should be, and to lead this world into the way of peace and into the way of happiness and all that we ought to have.

My friends, once again, let me ask, where is the True Church that Jesus Christ did build? We look about us and we see churches on a great many street corners today, our land is literally dotted with churches – many, many different denominations. Now there must be a right and a true church – which one is the right one?

Where is the True Church today? Which is the True Church – there is so many, many different denominations. Is any one of these that you see, the Church that Jesus said He would build? Jesus Christ said “I will build My Church”.

Well, its about time that we began to learn which is the right church of all these churches, of all these church denominations. You know we go along taking them for granted – and very few, except to be a little bewildered once in awhile, stop to ask which is the right church and how can we find it? Can all of them be right, and all of them disagree?

Now we’ve just been seeing that there are millions of people today just like those of a little over 1900 years ago, who believe on Jesus Christ and yet they don’t believe Christ at all. They don’t believe Jesus Christ – but they do believe on Christ. They’ve heard the scripture quoted “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved,” so they think that is all there is to it.

And as I said before, when men have guns, they begin to use them. And when nations have hydrogen bombs, sooner or later some madman and some tyrant is going to let go and use it. It’s just a case of how many months or years do we have, and it isn’t going to be very many.

My Friends, if someone would ask you, “What is a Christian?”, how would you answer? Do you know just what a Christian is? We hear the general definition that a Christian is one who follows Christ.

Why is it my Friends that today we believe exactly the opposite of that which Jesus Christ taught and that which the Church, as it was inspired by the Holy Spirit in Apostolic days did believe – even the churches of gentile-born converts raised up under the Apostle Paul. Why is it that today we practice customs exactly opposite to those they practice? We do not follow the customs that they followed – that Paul taught the gentiles – that those that he had abhorred – that he warned them against – that had been practiced by the pagans for many centuries before Christ. Why?

Suppose that Jesus Christ were to walk into your church just like He walked into the Temple or the synagogues more than 1900 years ago, looking just like any other common man. Suppose that you heard Him teaching doctrines that were directly contrary to and antagonistic to those believed by your church. Would you believe your church today?

…the Gospel that Jesus preached. They recognize it. The world doesn’t recognize it because the carnal mind is enmity against God, and Jesus is the Word of God.

“…God has CUT THE WORLD OFF, except those that the Father calls. But there is this judgment coming; and they’re going to have it easier than we do, when their time comes…”

This bible-study by Mr Armstrong is not very audible for the first half our apologies. It covers background information behind the first 5 chapters of Romans, and shows how both Gentile and Jew became off-track in regard to God’s spiritual law.

As with all such bible-studies, much more is covered than mere words from the book itself. A recap of previous chapters begins the study, putting the three chapters into context, and then Mr Armstrong deals with the primary subjects: God working through Israel; Presenting our bodies a living sacrifice; and what it means to be subject to the higher powers within this world.

This sermon was given from Tucson, and deals with an overview of prophecy particularly Matt 24 and Rev 4. Mr Armstrong also comments extensively on how he brings the gospel message to the leaders in communist countries, using the two broad ways of life: Give, and Get.

This sermon was the first transmission to link multiple Feast sites in the USA, Canada and UK. When you consider how today we do something similar with nothing more than a telephone line and a laptop via the internet, it indicates how much some things in the world have changed. However, the basic message why we are here on this earth, and the very purpose of human life remains just as relevant today as it has ever been.

This short bible study was given by Mr Armstrong in Jerusalem in 1980 after a visit to Golgotha where Christ was crucified. It goes through the events found in John chapters 18 and 19, and is particularly applicable as we prepare for keeping the Passover.

This is the first 1hour 25 mins of a bible study where Mr Armstrong reviews 1st Corinthians just before continuing with 2Cor 8. In it he says the following: “Now, if you go back and think those men who went out from us were thinking carnally. They didn’t have minds that went to the very depths of the spiritual knowledge of the Bible. I’m not sure that every one of them is gone yet. Some of them were very straight doctrinally. You can be straight doctrinally and still have a material, carnal mind. Did you know that?” Click Here for Transcript as supplied by deaf department at the time…

This bible study deals with much more than Ephesians. It particularly examines repentance and the vital purpose of fogiveness within the Plan of God.

This Bible Study shows how we only have temporary life today, but are offered Real Life by God. The “process” of sin – following temptation – is covered, as is “the Law of liberty” – into that real life. Mr Armstrong examines a current “news” paper, and shows how meaningless such chemical “life” portrayed within it really is.

This sermon is preceded by a snippet of Mr Armstrong’s comments concerning Zerubbabel building the Temple together with a small amount of music. It was sent to the Church for general distribution sometime during 1981. The sermon contains an overview of the Church in prophecy though the prophesied shattering we have recently experienced was not understood at the time.

This sermon deals with the way God has always placed His Truth within His Church through apostles. This Way this Government flows down from God through Christ through the apostle sent with that Truth to a people specifically drawn and selected to be part of His Church at this time.

This sermon does not just examine the fact that God is now building His Temple spiritually, prior to the return of Christ, but that Mr Armstrong personally was the one that God was (and is still today) using to do so. The sermon is particularly long (2h 15m). Although the audio quality is good throughout most of the file, our apologies for the fact that in two sections it is poor: the first 3 mins, and the last 20 mins.

This sermon was the first message Mr Armstrong gave to the Church after he had returned from Tucson to again live full time in Pasadena. In this message, he shows the condition of the True Church through the ages in relation to Satan as found within Revelation 12 and other prophecies. He also voices his own firm belief that Satan had just been cast down to the earth – and it was this unseen event that gave rise to the receivership takeover in the late 70’s. The use of the state by Satan to persecute the True Church is shown to be something that has continued throughout history. It is clear that with Satan cast down, we should not be surprised if such persecution happen in our time.

Begins: Brethren: after speaking here on last Sabbath, I spoke to a group of virtually 3,000 or 2,800 of our people up at Stockton, on the Day of Pentecost…” Mr Armstrong then mentions an incident in the Philippines, where unity in the Church needed to improve. He shows how the only way true unity can be achieved is to focus on Jesus Christ, the True Head of God’s Church, and do things God’s Way. This Way is also The Way the entire world would have gone had Adam taken instead the Tree of Life!

This sermon covers many topics, eventually going into the first chapter of Hebrews. It talks about how God reveals truth to us through our High Priest Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God.

Greetings everybody. Nice to be back here again. Last week I was up at Orr Minnesota speaking to many of our young juniors up there… I would like to just be able to talk to you a little bit today… All my life I have had to try to avoid getting sidetracked and jumping off onto some other thought that would flash through my mind as I go along, but to stay right on the subject. Well, I have been doing that lately, but today I just wanted to say what comes to my mind. That’s what I am doing. And I just want to talk to you, as one of you, and we need a time to talk like that and be together, because we are all one in Christ…

Good Morning everybody. Welcome to the second beginning of Ambassador College at Big Sandy Texas. Well you know it reminds me of starting in Pasadena in 1947. We had four students… now it had to be a different kind of college than any other. why did it need to be a liberal arts college? Why not just a bible college to educate people for the ministry? “recapture the true values” You know I grabbed at that. That has become the slogan of Ambassador College “recapture the true values”. People do not have a sense of value in the world anymore. They have a false sense of values. And I had a chance to start a college that would recapture the TRUE values…

This bible study was given a few weeks before the sermon on The Sabbath Question in which Mr Armstrong described how to keep the Sabbath. In this preliminary bible-study he introduces the subject in a very basic way, showing how the Sabbath was not merely something given to ancient Israel, but that we are also duty bound to keep it today as it was created by the Eternal God for all mankind.

Given just a few days before the day of Trumpets, this sermon first goes right back to the beginning, putting what Mr Armstrong has to say into the context of the big picture. And what he has to say is that statistically, 33% of those listening to him would not be in the Church in 10 years. (how true that was except it was nearer 90%). But the antidote is to take our calling seriously, to overcome Satan’s world, to grow in grace and knowledge doing it all through the power of God, received through prayer and to endure, to the end.

This sermon was given on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles in 1981 exactly one week to the day after Anwar Sadat was murdered in Egypt. Mr Armstrong comments on the assassination and goes on to describe the Plan of God as this world’s only source of true peace.

I would like to ask this afternoon, and also to answer “why the Church?” Why should there be “the Church?” There are churches all over the western world they are attended every Sunday by a good section of the population do most people realise why there should be a church? Or do they just take it for granted…

This Sermon deals with how we should be keeping the Sabbath holy. It examines a number of aspects including: The need to assemble on the Sabbath; Proper dress for services; Is it OK to go to a restaurant on the Sabbath? Driving long distances on the Sabbath; Making the Sabbath a delight; The need to have a balanced approach.

Mr Armstrong asks the question, “In how many really is the Holy Spirit really working? How many of you are being led by the Holy Spirit? And sometimes I think it is not half, and sometimes I wonder if it is any!” How profound this statement is when viewed today having witnessed the falling away that took place following his death! However, there is also encouragement because he points out that he, as Paul, was “sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” Certainly, this must also continue to be our view today.

Mr Armstrong stresses the vast difference between the natural and Spirit led mind. Without a mind that is Spirit led we will not make it and unless that new mind continually grows through prayer throughout life, our Spirit Life will miscarry.

Mr Armstrong ends the bible study by saying: “Knowledge is only something to live by and to be performed. Not knowers only, but doers! Are you walking in it? Are you doing it? If you are not, then you are never going to make it into the Kingdom…We’ve got to grow in praying and Bible study and in character. Brethren, we’ve got a job ahead of us let’s keep working.”

Begins: “Greetings everybody, nice to be with you again. And as was announced it’s going to be the last chance for about 3 weeks…” This sermon was given during the time when the Church was getting back on track, and makeup had just been recognised as not part of “The Way” God wants for us. Mr Armstrong deals extensively with this topic and several similar areas in this sermon. (Quoting from )

It is particularly illuminating to hear what Mr Armstrong says in this sermon. It shows how “off Track” the corporate Churches of God have drifted today. Mr Armstrong explains how so many want their own way instead of God’s revealed Way; He covers the fact we live in a unique time in world history; how he is the apostle sent by God; why makeup takes women away from God’s Way; how so many want to be like the world; and how Christ through him led the Church. (Note: And should be today but is prophesied to be on the outside knocking Rev 3:20)

Mr Armstrong deals specifically with the makeup issue and why makeup simply cannot be accepted within the True Church. The reason this is so, revolves around a correct understanding of just what sin is. The principle and attitude we are to have as God’s people is the all important aspect.

Mr Armstrong encourages us all to correctly examine ourselves prior to Passover. He talks about the bread for our healing, and the wine for forgiveness of spiritual sin, and then goes on to show how the area we all need to examine prior to taking the Passover, is our level of true repentance. He points out that even some evangelists had not at that time truly repented – but merely accepted the truth as part of their own righteousness.

This Sermon deals with how Christ precedes us into the Kingdom of God as our High Priest. It is one of the “Back on Track” sermons given by Mr Armstrong and covers the requirement of all of us to live “The Way” of God if we are also to rule with Christ in the future. The beginning of Hebrews and Romans 8 are covered in some detail. At the end of the sermon, Mr Armstrong brings out that being “on Track” implies we keep moving, driving ourselves, as the Track is something on which we travel.

This sermon is particularly applicable today where there is a good deal of controversy within society about race and “multi-culturalism”. God’s view of segregation is explained, and Mr Armstrong shows how the world’s current approach of ethnic integration is utterly off-Track to God’s true perspective on the subject.

Mr Armstrong speaks for longer than normal (1hr 52mins). He deals specifically with the purpose of our calling that we are to be the teachers of tomorrow and places the whole subject into its rightful context of the entire Plan and Purpose of God.

This sermon re-emphasises the inevitable direction the world is prophesied to go just before Christ returns. Only when man has reached the end of his rope, will he finally be ready to listen to his God.

“…That purpose is in two phases you might say. First was the physical stage, beginning with Adam. That is still going on. That is this world. The second is the spiritual stage, beginning with Jesus Christ and the Church. That too is still going on. And that is God’s REAL creation, the spiritual creation: “the world tomorrow” another civilization, another world that will follow this world…”

“…And we’ve got to become so sick, so fed up with this world, we never want any more of it again! That’s God’s purpose… But once we have gone through this experience (once we have learned from our experience and we’ve gone through this aversion therapy and we get fed up enough with this world and we don’t want anymore of it), God will make us in a condition of spirit where we can’t sin. God speed that day!…”

This sermon examines the imminent rise of a United States of Europe, not the EEC as it was then, leading to the Mark of the Beast, and the destruction of the English-speaking Peoples.

This sermon examines the subject of the mark of the beast. Though given in 1982, the subject is even more valuable today, as the urgency Mr Armstrong had at that time shortly before his death applies even more to us today. Mr Armstrong goes step by step through the subject, towards the conclusion that imposition of Sunday observance over the Sabbath is once again to be imposed by the Holy Roman Empire under the direction of the Pope.

We are told to examine ourselves this time of year prior to the Passover and this sermon from Mr Armstrong puts the entire subject into its true perspective. The background is the very Plan of God and the true reason for the existence of both the Church of God and of those within it.

This sermon was given when the Church was being put back on Track and deals extensively with the makeup issue and how some would only agree to change if they were backed into a corner by scripture. Mr. Armstrong points out that sin involves much more than breaking the letter of the law. It involves an attitude that flows contrary to God’s Life Style. We must instead hunger and thirst for that Life Style That Way the very righteousness of God.

“…What I want to give you is the history of the transition of the Church between the Sardis era and the Philadelphia era… Brethren I want you to know, there was no just sudden ending of the one and beginning of the other. There was a transition, when one gradually over a period of some few years merged from the one into the other…”

Mr Armstrong makes plain, that baptism in water though required does not make someone a Christian. It is the baptism (immersion) by one Spirit that places someone into the body of God’s One True Church (1Cor 12:13), giving us a totally different purpose, attitude and direction in life. This Spirit is the essential ingredient to create within us God’s mind and attitude as children of God. Increasing this character of God must continue throughout our human lives.

This sermon shows how Satan’s world is based on a series of wrong premises, and to understand correctly, we must first understand origins. He particularly looks at the seven laws of success, showing how they need to be applied within the context of God’s Law and with God’s Holy Spirit to produce true success.

Although this tape is dated 27 Aug 85, this was not a Sabbath. So it is probably from 27 Aug 1983 which was. In it Mr Armstrong launches straight into the subject, and shows how a Christian is defined as someone who is led by the Spirit of God (Rom 8:14) and all that that simple phrase really entails.

This sermon was given on the Sabbath during the Feast of Tabernacles in 1983 at the Eugene Church in Oregon which was celebrating its 50th anniversary. Several former teens were there, then well into their 60s. In addition to talking about those early years, Mr Armstrong talks extensively on Why the Church of God exists, and how the Truth of God was revealed. This is an exceedingly long message with much useful information, but unfortunately the very end of the sermon is missing, and the recording ends abruptly after just under 2 hours.

In this sermon, Mr Armstrong gives a complete overview having just returned from the Feast and lays out the Plan of God, revealed by Jesus Christ, that we all must hold onto as our foundation the very Trunk of the Tree. He also states, God says, “Mark those that are causing division, and offenses, contrary to the doctrine that we’ve been taught through Christ, and avoid them.” There are just two ways we can avoid them, one is that if we all get out, we leave the Church and leave them in. The other is if we put them out… If only God’s people had listened and acted on this instruction when Worldwide first began departing from the foundation Christ laid!

This Sermon examines both the way the human frame is worth less than people in the world imagine, yet at the same time illustrates how it’s potential is infinitely more valuable than they imagine. Towards the end of the tape Mr Armstrong deals with the subject of abortion and also at what moment the spirit in man enters into a human being.

In this sermon Mr. Armstrong spoke about the mission of the the Church in 1983, and stresses how the Bible has been primarily written for the Philadelphia era today. He also shows how a number of vital truths have been restored to the Church during our time. In this context he examines how one was prophesied to come in the power and spirit of Elijah during the end-time in which we currently find ourselves, and makes very clear that such scriptures were being fulfilled by what God accomplished through him.

“The doomsday clock has just been set up by the atomic scientists from 4 to 3 minutes before midnight…” This is how Mr Armstrong begins his sermon, and goes on to show how the foundations of this world actually guarantee its destruction. And yet the churches believe they have to save the world now in the present chaos. But this is not God’s Way. The Way of God is to allow the entire structure of today’s society to come crashing down, and be replaced by The World Tomorrow a totally new structure resting firmly on correct, entirely new foundations.

“…the Law of Moses. That was the law of physical rituals, a physical law that was given to ancient Israel. It was only a substitute for the Holy Spirit. Today it’s the spiritual. We live according to the spirit. It’s altogether different…”

In this sermon, Mr Armstrong talks of God’s Way to unity via His Spirit both in the World Tomorrow, and within the Church. He also makes the profound statement (that had we listened and acted on it swiftly when the leaders within Worldwide apostasized we may not have had to go through much of the trauma we did!) “…Turn back to Romans, the last chapter of Romans, sixteenth chapter and verse 17… God says mark them and avoid them! Now there are two ways we can avoid them and only two that I know: One is if we leave them in the church and we all go out and we are no longer in the church, the other is that we put them out and we stay in. Now brethren I think we prefer to stay in, and so our choice is going to be to put them out!…”

This sermon is a very basic, but complete, sermon on prophecy. In it, Mr Armstrong takes us from pre-history right up to the Kingdom of God giving a complete overview of the subject. This overview includes the prophesies of the gentile kingdoms. Much other useful information is also contained. This is the first of two sermons on prophecy given about a month apart.

Like the previous sermon, that was given a month before, this sermon is also a very basic, but complete, sermon on prophecy. But in this case Mr Armstrong divides the subject into: The World; Ephraim and Manasseh; And the Church. However, he runs out of time before being able to adequately deal with prophecies that relate to the Church.

This Sermon examines the history of why the Church of God keeps these days. It shows how we must continually grow out of sin by putting on God’s righteousness.

This Sermon begins with Mr Armstrong talking of his brother’s music, and how more Psalms still wait to be learned by the Church than appear in the purple hymnal at present. In the sermon itself, Mr Armstrong talks of how within the modern world there is more opportunity to sin than ever before because of the inventions of the TV, movies, printing press and the like.

This was the last sermon given by Mr Armstrong on the Day of Pentecost. He sounds exasperated at times, insisting that many there including ministers simply were not “getting it”. Sermons were being given that indicated the minister believed that we are called now purely because God loves us and wants us to be in the kingdom for personal salvation. But Mr Armstrong emphasises, we are called now to be teachers prepared for the World Tomorrow. If it were not for this vital role ahead of us, there would be no reason to call us separately as the firstfruits.

This sermon was the last live message preached by Mr Armstrong before his death a few months later. Although given on the Day of Trumpets, the subject matter is timeless and places our existence into the framework of God’s overall Plan and the soon coming return of Jesus Christ to this earth. As always, the importance of correctly understanding the two trees figures just as strongly as ever within it…

This is one of the last messages Mr Armstrong gave. Recorded shortly before the Feast in 1985, he talks of how God opened his mind to the truth of the Holy Days, and their importance to us today particularly Tabernacles. This is then followed by the opening message originally given in 1984, but also played in 1985 to give a full 1 1/2 hour opening night service.