Summary of a published sermon by Cornelius Williams, prepared from the sermon's captions. This page carries the summary and scripture index only — no transcript is published for this record. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
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Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon's captions — published in summary form; watch the full sermon at the source.
The text: lifted up
Williams's text is Jesus's word to Nicodemus, a text of salvation and deliverance. Before the lifting, Jesus gave him the new birth: except a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Then the pattern: as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. And Jesus's own word carries it further: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Jesus came down just to be lifted — and that comparison, Williams insists, was not merely poetic; it was prophetic. If he had not died, we did not have a chance.
Scriptures: John 3:5; John 3:14-15; John 12:32
Why men need lifting
Every last person needs a lifting — at the bottom, in the middle, and at the top. Job sets the ground: man that is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. Williams goes back to Numbers 21 to show the lifting at work. Israel, delivered from Egypt, complained against God's provision of manna, loading the light bread; God sent fiery serpents among them, and the people began to die. They confessed — "we have sinned, we spoke against God" — and asked Moses to pray. God told Moses to make a serpent of brass and set it on a pole, and whoever lifted up his eyes to the serpent lived: the poison stopped. Some affliction, Williams says, is not the devil but God driving his people to their knees — and worshipping God in the wilderness, in the sickness, when you do not feel like it, is where strength and lifting come from.
Scriptures: Job 14:1; Numbers 21
Draw means drag
No man comes to the Father except the Spirit draw him — and "draw," Williams preaches, literally means to drag. God is making every effort to drag his people out of trouble, depression, addiction and affliction — to pull them to the cross, to grace, to freedom; he does not just pull a man out, he pulls him up. He closes calling the house to stop fighting the pull: lift up your hands and your eyes to the lifter, as David said, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills" — and the service moves into an altar call as the Holy Ghost is poured out.
Scriptures: John 6:44
Watch the sermon
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Scripture references as spoken: John 3:5; John 3:14-15; John 12:32; Job 14:1; Numbers 21; John 6:44.