Good Sermons.

[joelkaki]

I started a thread on this a while back, but it seems to be gone now, so I'm restarting it.

Anyone know of any good sermon transcripts they can post here? I know we have some pastors here also. If any of you don't mind, could you post a sermon transcript here if you have one? I enjoy reading sermons.

Joel

[Jaltus]

Most of them won't fit in the word limit.

[Epoetker]

www.puritansermons.com

[joelkaki]

Most of them won't fit in the word limit.


They don't have to be in one post--you can continue onto another post.

Thanks for the link, epoetker, looks like some good stuff there. I haven't had time to check em all out yet, but what I looked at looked good.

Joel

[joelkaki]

Here is a very good one by John Piper:

"GOING HARD AFTER THE HOLY GOD
(Philippians 3:2-16)



Our theme for the week of prayer has been, "Going Hard after the Holy God." Last week we focused on the Holy God. Today we focus on "going hard." The phrase is adapted from A.W. Tozer, whose little book, The Pursuit of God, has a chapter entitled, "Following hard after God." Tozer wrote this book in 1948 but if anything it is more relevant today. After showing how Moses and David and Paul and all the great hymn writers were even thirsting after more of God he writes


How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon the initial act of 'accepting' Christ … and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls. We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found him we need no more seek him. This is set before us as the last word in orthodoxy, and it is taken for granted that no Bible-taught Christian ever believed otherwise. Thus the whole testimony of the worshipping, seeking, singing Church on that subject is crisply set aside. The experimental heart-theology of a grand army of fragrant saints is rejected in favor of a smug interpretation of Scripture which would certainly have sounded strange to an Augustine, a Rutherford or a Brainerd (pp. 16-17).


So Tozer rejected the false logic which says: if you have found God in Christ you need no more seek him. I reject that, too. And I join Tozer in replacing it with these words, "To have found God and still to pursue him is the soul's paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart" (p. 15). Or as St. Bernard sang it:


We taste Thee, O Thou Living Bread,

And long to feast upon Thee still:

We drink of Thee, the Fountainhead

And thirst our souls from Thee to fill.


Matthew Henry is right: "Wherever there is true grace there is a desire for more grace. When Paul said, "Don't be drunk with wine but be filled with the Holy Spirit" (Eph. 5:18), his aim was to make God-aholics out of all believers. The Spirit is not deadening, He is addicting. The evidence that you have him is that you want more of him. Continued indifference to growth in grace is a sign of no grace.

This morning I would like to show from Philippians 3 why we must go hard after God and how we can go hard after God. I want to persuade you that the pursuit of God is not optional even after conversion and I want to give practical help in the performance of this duty.


First: why do I insist that you must go hard after God, or, which is the same thing, why must we go hard after Christ? There are at least six reasons given by the apostle Paul in Phil. 3:7-14. I'll only mention four. The first two answer the question why by referring to the future rewards of the pursuit. The last two answer the question why by referring to the past causes of the pursuit. First, we must go hard after Christ in order to know him. Verses 7 and 8: "Whatever gain I had I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Paul went hard after Christ, forsaking all the things people normally boast about; and he did it in order to know him. Notice verse 7 is past tense -- probably referring to conversion ("I counted all loss"). But verse 8 is present tense: he continues to renounce everything that hinders his getting to know Christ.


Why? Because knowing Christ is a value that surpasses everything else. The evidence of conversion is whether you become a Christian Hedonist. Christian Hedonists always go hard after the highest value. They sell everything joyfully for the buried treasure and pearl of great price (Mt. 13:44-45). We must go hard after Christ, because not to means that we don't want to know him. And not to want to know Christ is an insult to his value and a sign of spiritual stupor or deadness in us. But when you go hard after Christ, to know him, the reward is your joy and his honor.


Paul prays for us in Ephesians 3:18-19 that we "may have power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." There is so much of Christ yet to be known! His wonders are inexhaustible to all eternity. You who claim that he is your pearl of great price and your treasure chest of holy joy and yet who do not go hard after him to know him, are caught in a contradiction that cannot go on. You must go hard after Christ, or eventually surrender your claim to own him as the Lord of joy. When a man falls in love he is driven by an inner compulsion to know his beloved. And therefore he goes hard after her and spends time with her. When a student admires his professor and treasures his wisdom and that professor invites the class to his home the student goes! I had a great teacher in seminary. And when he offered a course in his home called "Hermeneutics for Eggheads" I signed up immediately. It didn't matter what the title meant. It was my teacher's course. It was my teacher's home. That's all I needed because I wanted to know him. The first reason to go hard after Christ is to know him.


Second, we must go hard after Christ to confirm our justification. Justification refers to the wonderful act of God in which he forgives all our sins and imputes to us his own righteousness through our faith in Christ. Start with the second half of verse 8: "For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith." Notice: present tense, "I am counting all things as refuse"; I am forsaking them; I am pursuing Christ. Why? In order that I might gain Christ and share in God's righteousness. What does it mean to gain Christ and share God's righteousness? Paul is a Christian and is straining forward to this. So surely it means at least gaining Christ's acceptance when he comes to judge or when we die. To lose Christ would be to lose everything. To gain him would be to enjoy his fellowship forever. Paul is speaking as a Christian and looking into the future and doing what he must do to gain Christ and be found clothed in God's righteousness and accepted into heaven. What must he do? He must pursue Christ. He must count all things as rubbish and go hard after Christ.


But wait! Isn't justification by faith? Yes. Verse 9 is clear: the righteousness Paul pursues is based on faith. But he is pursuing it! As a Christian he counts all things as loss in order to have this righteousness. (Compare the words for "pursue" and "'obtain" in Romans 9:30 and Phil. 3:13.) Conclusion: the faith which justifies is a faith which forsakes earthly values and pursues Christ. If justification depends on faith, and if forsaking the world as refuse is necessary for having the benefits of justification, then it is plain: saving faith is not merely a one-time decision for Christ. Saving faith is an ongoing preference for Christ over all other values. The pursuit of Christ is the evidence of genuine faith in Christ as our treasure. Therefore, we must go hard after Christ in order to confirm our justification.


There are at least two more reasons we must go hard after Christ, which look not to future rewards (like knowing him, enjoying justification, and the two I have left untouched: sharing his power, v. 10, and being raised from the dead, v. 11), but which look to past causes. The first of these is found in verse 12: we must go hard after Christ because we are so imperfect. "Not that I have already obtained or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own." We must go hard after Christ because we are so deficient. A failing student should pursue a special tutor. Nearsighted people should pursue an optometrist. People with strep throat should take antibiotics. Alcoholics should pursue a support group. Young apprentices should follow their master at his work. Not to go hard after Christ means that either you don't trust his power and willingness to change your imperfections, or that you want to cling to your imperfections. In either case, Christ is scorned and we are lost.


The final reason why we must go hard after Christ is that he has gone hard after us and indeed, has by faith made us his own. Verse 12 again: "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ has made me his own." This sentence explodes the false logic Tozer referred to which says that if Christ has found us we need no more seek him. If he has laid hold of us, we need not press on to lay hold of him. Paul reasons exactly opposite to this: I press on in order to gain Christ because Christ has already gained me. Paul's conversion was not a cage to hold him back but a catapult into the pursuit of holiness. The irresistible grace of Christ overcoming Paul's rebellion and saving him from sin did not make Paul passive; it made him powerful!"





continuing....

[joelkaki]

continued....

"The best commentary on Phil. 3:12 is Phil. 2:12-13; "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for God is at work in you." Go hard after Christ, because Christ is at work in you! "Strive for … the holiness without which no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14), for the Lord is working in you what is pleasing in his sight (Heb. 13:21). The reason the Bible can make our salvation depend on our pursuit of holiness without turning us into self-reliant legalists who have no assurance is that it makes our pursuit of holiness depend on the sovereign work of God in our lives. Work out your salvation because God is at work in you. Your work is his work for his glory when done in dependence on his power. The most fundamental reason why you must go hard after Christ is that Christ is in you, moving you to go hard after him.


Now we turn from the why of our pursuit to the how. Here we will focus all our attention on verse 13 which tells how Paul presses on: "Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my own (or: I do not regard myself to have obtained); but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on …" There are three steps here in the way Paul goes hard after Christ. The first has to do with the way he views himself. Literally it says: "I do not regard myself to have obtained." Paul's pursuit of Christ rises out of a profound dissatisfaction with the way he is. Could it be that there is a connection between how little earnest pursuit of God there is today in the church and how much we are told to think well of ourselves? It is a wonderful thing to have been taken possession of by Christ. But it is a thousand times more wonderful when we realize that he has taken possession of people who remain sinful.


The first step in going hard after the holy God, then, is to develop a holy dissatisfaction with your spiritual life. Stand in front of the mirror of the Word and recognize that you have not yet arrived. The hearty admission of our spiritual imperfections is the starting point for the pursuit of God.


Let's pause and clarify this. Many people today would say, "Piper, you are utterly out of touch with real people. People do not need a negative appeal to think more about their guilt. The malaise of American culture inside and outside the church is an epidemic of guilt and bad feelings about ourselves. Don't tell people that what they need is to develop more dissatisfaction about themselves. Do you really think the people in your congregation like themselves?"


No, I don't. But I think real humbling guilt is extraordinarily rare. And I think 99% of our bad feelings about ourselves is rooted in pride. For example, suppose you go to a dinner party and find out when you get there that you are dressed wrong, and then you spill your coffee and then you don't know which fork to pick up first and then the joke you attempt falls flat, and when you are leaving you call your hostess by the wrong name. How do you feel about yourself when you get home? Rotten. You hate yourself. You're depressed. You don't want to show your face. You feel like quitting your job. What's the use when you're such a klutz? Now I ask where does all that low self-image come from? Whence all these depressing, immobilizing, self-denouncing feelings? Is the answer: God's offended glory or your offended pride? People who are depressed and immobilized and angry because their behavior has injured the glory of God are very, very rare. But people who are depressed and immobilized and angry because their behavior has prevented them from having a reputation of being cool and competent are very, very common.


When I plead with you to develop a holy dissatisfaction with your spiritual life, I am asking for something rare, not common. I'm not asking you to feel worse about your inability to appear cool and intelligent. I'm asking you to feel worse that you possess so little of Christ. The first step in going hard after God is to feel bad about the right things. Develop a holy dissatisfaction with your spiritual life!

The second step in going hard after God is to forget those things which lie behind (v. 13). I take this to mean that anything in your background which hinders your pursuit of God you should put out of your mind. Don't take this to mean that memory has no place in our spiritual artillery. It does. Some battles are won by remembered mercies (Psalm 77:11; Hebrews 11). The point is not: never look back. The point is: only look back for the sake of pressing forward. Never substitute nostalgia for hope. Memories of successes can make you smug and self-satisfied. Memories of failure can make you hopeless and paralyzed in your pursuit of God. Never look back like that. Give humble thanks for successes; make humble confessions or failure; then turn to the future and go hard after God.


The final step in going hard after God is to strain forward to what lies ahead (v. 13). Paul provides his own illustration of straining forward in 1 Cor. 9:25-27, "Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath but we an imperishable. Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." The way to go hard after God is with all the discipline and self-denial of an athlete. I doubt that there has ever been a Christian who reached heights of knowledge and joy and obedience without plan and discipline and self-denial. God does not promise his riches to aimless people. Paul did not run aimlessly or beat the air. He lived with spiritual goals in view and controlled his passions for the sake of those goals.


Here's an example of how Jonathan Edwards followed Paul's example. Sereno Dwight writes,



He carefully observed the effects of different sorts of good, and selected those which best suited his constitution, and rendered him most fit for mental labor … In this respect he lived by rule, and constantly practiced great self-denial; as he did also with regard to the time passed in sleep. He accustomed himself to arise at four or between four and five in the morning: and in winter spent several of those hours in study which are commonly wasted in slumber. In the evening he usually allowed himself a season of relaxation in the midst of his family.


Whether you follow Jonathan Edwards or not, I urge you, on the basis of Paul's example, to be like an athlete. Set yourself a goal to know more of the word of God, to grasp more of the will of God, to love more of the wonder of God; and then make a plan of prayer and study and worship and go for it with all your might.

In sum, the word this morning is this: Develop a holy dissatisfaction with your spiritual attainments, put out of your mind anything in the past which hinders your pursuit of God, strain forward like an athlete in 1984. For imperfect as we are, it is God who is at work in us to will and to do his good pleasure. We do not run in our own strength and, all the more therefore, we can be assured that going hard after the holy God will bring us to know him deeply and enjoy the sweet confirmation of our justification. "



© COPYRIGHT 1984, 1998 John Piper.

[joelkaki]

I know reading sermons like this can take some time because they are long, but I love reading them anyway. I hope that maybe some of you do as well.
Preaching is an aspect of worship that is sadly lacking today, and people need to hear better preaching; preaching cannot be emphasized enough. I enjoy reading the sermons as well; you can't be in church listening to a sermon all the time.



Joel

[Jaltus]

This is one of my own sermons:

Imagine that Jesus was on earth today, and that he was teaching somewhere in the United States. Of course, a large crowd would be gathered about, and he would be outdoors. All sorts of people would be around him: black, white, Hispanic, Arab, you name it. He would be talking to them about whatever was on his heart, when suddenly some people run up to him shouting.

“Did you hear, did you see it?”

Jesus turns to them, already knowing what is on their hearts.

“The twin towers have been attacked, and hundreds have been killed.”

The crowd gasps. You can feel raw emotion coursing through the crowd. Fear. Anger. Confusion. Worry. At the same time, Jesus knows what the crowd is thinking.

“Do you think those killed in this accident were any more evil than you? Well they were not. If you do not turn to God, you will die.”

Looking around, Jesus knows that the crowd does not understand.

“You know that earthquake that hit San Francisco in 1989, the one that struck during the World Series? Do you think those people were any more deserving of death than you? Of course not. But unless you repent, you will die.”

Seeing that they still did not understand, he continues.
“There was a man who had an apple tree. He planted it and watered it, but nothing grew on it. So he said to his groundskeeper. ‘that’s it, I‘m cutting down this tree. It has been wasting this spot in the garden for 3 years. Cut it down.’ The groundskeeper said, ‘Why don’t you let me take care of it for one more year. I’ll use special fertilizer and use plant growth food on it. If it bears fruit next year, great. If it does not, then cut it down.’”


Obviously, Jesus is not living in the United States right now. However, when he was in Israel, similar things were happening. Tragedy strikes all the time, it is not unique to our nation or even to our time period. However, the response that we have to tragedy is important. And looking at this passage, we learn that:

A proper response to tragedy is to turn to God.

This passage talks of two different types of tragedy, but Jesus ends by talking about both in the same way, that when tragedy strikes, it is time to turn to God. That is because a proper response to tragedy is to turn to God. This passage mentions two actions by which we turn to God.

First, we repent. Second, we bear fruit.

In verses 1-5, two separate events are mentioned. One is a murder, Jews going to sacrifice at the temple are murdered in the midst of their normal, Jewish duties. The other is an example of a natural occurrence, a building falling on people, killing 18 of them. in other words, these tragedies span all that can happen, from man-made destruction to what we call acts of God. But instead of condolences, instead of saying that God is in control of all of this, Jesus calls for repentance.

In fact, he specifically uses the word repent two times in the narrative. He says it in nearly identical phrases in verses 3 and 5. But why in the world did Jesus take this tragic occurrence and turn it into a call to repentance? And why does he automatically assume that the Israelites thought that these two occurrences meant that those people were more sinful than anyone else?

In response to the second question, in John 9:2-3 we read, “His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he is born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’”

The basic assumption of that time was that if tragedy or misfortune occurred, it was due to sin. Was it sin then, were the disciples right in John 9:2? No, because Jesus disagreed with them. Why did it occur then?

Let’s go back and answer the other question first.

The first question was, why did this become a call to repentance?
The way that I see it, this is the way that the reasoning could have gone: The response to a disaster in that time was to blame those who died for some sin. Knowing that this was not true, Jesus turns the table and instead of letting the people get away with a “Holier-than-thou” attitude (you know, since they sinned they died, and I am alive so I am better), instead of letting them get away with that, he reverses it on them and says, “You are just like them, a sinner.”

In times of tragedy, our current natural response to God is how could you let this happen? Look at the news media in the midst of the World Trade Center attack, asking any religious leader they can find, if there is a God, why did he let this happen?

Already we are asking the wrong question. The true question should be why doesn’t this happen more often?

What? How could you say such a thing!
My answer to the accusation is this:
Man is sinful. Romans 3:23, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Genesis 6:5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
Genesis 8:21 "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.

From birth, each and every human is sinful. There is not a time when we are not sinful.

In direct contrast, God is Holy and Righteous.
In fact, the word Holy occurs 31 times in Exodus, 29 times referring to the Lord, something set apart for Him or by Him, and the Sabbath day which He Himself made Holy. The other two times refer to the Israelites, which God calls His Holy people, set apart for Himself.
Psalm 77:13 Your ways, O God, are Holy,
Rev. 15:4 You alone are Holy.

God is also merciful.
Deuteronomy 4:31 God is a merciful God.
Nehemiah 9:31 You are a gracious and merciful God.
Jeremiah 3:12 I am merciful, declares the Lord.
Daniel 9:9 The Lord our God is merciful.
Hebrews 2:17 says that Jesus is merciful.

God is also Just.
Deuteronomy 32:4 all His ways are just.
Psalm 99:4 you have done what is just and right.
Daniel 4:37 all His ways are just
Romans 3:26 so as to be just and the one who justifies
II Thessalonians 1:6 God is just.

We know that man is sinful, but God is Holy, God is Merciful, and God is Just.
The bottom line is that because man is sinful and God is Holy, we deserve judgment from God. But because He is merciful, most of the time He spares us. However, sometimes tragedy occurs, and that can only be called justice, for what guilty man did not deserve His punishment?

Doesn’t that make God almost evil then? But look at Jesus response!

His initial response to tragedy is to turn to those around Him and call for repentance. Knowing that a common response to someone dying is that all who learn of that death think of their own mortality, here Jesus is, Holy God incarnate, immortal and yet predestined to die, standing in the midst of a group of sinners, and He is telling them the most important thing they will ever hear, the gospel message. Can’t you see Him standing there? The anguish in His voice, the pain on His face, the strained tone of voice He is using?

Repent! Don’t you realize how close you are to death? Not even physical death, but spiritual death, the death that matters? Can’t you see how close you are to your own destruction?


So to those of you who do not know God, to those of you who have not come to a personal relationship with Christ, I beg you, come to Him now, get to know Him. See His love for you, the love that caused Jesus to lay down His very life for you, and then to rise again so that we might live with Him forever. There are not many second chances in life, and there are no second chances when you die. Why not look to Jesus so that you can have that second chance, for life is short, and the only sure thing about this world is that nobody makes it out alive.

To those of you who already know Christ, who already understand His love, you need to be doing something. This world is a fallen one, and as Christians it is our calling to share Jesus with everyone we can. Tragedy shows us our own mortality, the fragility of life. If we are true Christians, true followers of Christ, then we should be out sharing His love, His life, and His death with all who we can.

Tragedy is a call to repentance.



To be continued...

[Jaltus]

However, the passage does not end there. In verses 6-9, Jesus tells a parable after He asks for repentance. He tells a heartwarming story of comfort and love, right?

Wrong.

He tells a story of cutting down a tree that is not producing fruit.

You see, the second response to tragedy that we should have, is to bear fruit…to be more Christ-like.

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us about the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
That is the kind of fruit that a Christian should be bringing forth. But why does it matter?

We already have talked about how transitory life is, how short it is and how little control we have over life. After all, what are thoughts of mortality? They are thoughts that arrive after finally coming to the understanding that you do NOT control your own fate.

Naturally, thoughts of death become thoughts of eschatology. After all, the Christian hope is the hope of life after death. It is not this world that matters, but the one to come. Therefore, all that we do in this world should be aimed toward the next one.

I know that many people think that good works done in Christ only have value if they are done selflessly, but if that is the case, then why does Jesus mention getting rewards so often? If you need proof, think of the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew chapter 5.
“Blessed are the….fill in the blank….for they will be given…..fill in the blank.”

Maybe you don’t think of that as reward? How about verse 12 which concludes that section, “Rejoice and be glad, because GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN…”

So part of the motivation for good works comes from knowing that there will be future reward. Who can say that they have not gotten shivers thinking of Jesus saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servant,”?

Ok, now you know why bearing fruit flows from thoughts of tragedy, but why did Jesus use this parable to communicate this to us? Lets look back at the setting:

Jesus was teaching the crowd….. the disciples were there….men ran up to tell Him of this horrible thing that happened. Jesus tried to make them see that tragedy should cause them to repent. However, it seems as if they did not get it. Therefore, He continued and told them a parable, something that they were familiar with, something that they would expect Him to do. If telling them straight out was not working, then how about communicating the way He normally did?

There was a man who had an orchard. He had this one tree that never produced fruit, so he told the head gardener that he was going to have it chopped down. The gardener asks him to wait a year, so that he can take especially good care of it for one year. If it bears no fruit at the end of all that, then chop it down.

The message is plain, and at the same time a little scary. Before, Jesus directly said repent or perish. This time, he is taking it a step further and saying have a fruitful life or perish.

Bearing fruit does mean that you must be faithful and work for God as much as possible.
Bearing fruit can be done even if you are doing it for the reward.
Bearing fruit is not born out in the way we judge things, for God is the one who owns this world, and it is only by HIS standards that we are judged, not by the world’s standards.

It was not the gardener who decided whether or not to cut the tree down, it was the owner. And it will not be the gardener who decides if the tree is fruitful or not in the end.

God is ultimately the one who decides if a tree is fruitful.
God is ultimately the one who decides if a life is fruitful.

How, then, can we live fruitful lives, lives pleasing to God, lives honoring to God?

Remember that God is Holy. And remember that He calls us to be Holy as well. This means putting off the sin nature. This means truly embracing the new creations we are to become.

Obviously there is no such thing as a perfect human being on the earth today, but it is how the race is run. The ends do not justify the means. Live a life worthy of God, constantly seeking His will, constantly looking to improve.

Also, to continue our reflection of God’s character, we should be merciful. Now this could include all sorts of things, but I believe that the call here is not to forgiving your enemies, though that is a valid way of showing mercy. in context, showing mercy would mean giving away the one gift you can never run out of, giving away the gospel.

Jesus called you to repentance. He saved your soul. Now He is asking you to do the same.


When I first heard of the planes crashing into the WTC, my first thought was one of disbelief. But when I heard about the Pentagon, my thoughts and prayers immediately centered on my brother who works in Washington DC. I was concerned for his safety, but at the same time I was reassured by his salvation.

Times of tragedy make us think of mortality. The deaths of loved ones….of friends….even of strangers half a country away can be a powerful reminder of who God is, and of how fragile life is.

That is why when Jerusalem mourned, when Israel mourned the murders that Pilate committed, Jesus knew that the appropriate response was not anger, though it may have been there. It was not hatred, though it may have been there. It was not even sorrow, though it may have been there. The proper response to tragedy is to turn to God. Through our own personal repentance and through bearing fruit, we can turn to God in this time of crisis, and in so doing, perhaps we can help bring this nation to repentance.

Those who committed these atrocious acts could not bring this great country to its knees….but with God’s help, perhaps the church can.

[Solly]

Church has begun taping my Romans series, and they might be transcribed in time, so there is a possibility of posting them here.

[joelkaki]

Thanks, Jaltus for posting that. I enjoyed reading it. I like the fact that you had a distinct point you wanted to bring across in your sermon. I've heard so many preachers preach for hours on end and you still can't figure out what they are trying to tell you.
Are you an ordained pastor, seminary student/graduate, ? Thanks, and if you have any more you want to post, please do. Oh, and one more question for Jaltus and other pastors who may be on here:
Do you preach from bare-bones outline, filled in outline, manuscript, no notes, or otherwise? Just interested to know.

Joel

[joelkaki]

Hope they transcribe those soon, Solly. Thanks for offering. How far along are you in Romans presently?

Thanks,
Joel

[Jaltus]

Thanks, Jaltus for posting that. I enjoyed reading it. I like the fact that you had a distinct point you wanted to bring across in your sermon. I've heard so many preachers preach for hours on end and you still can't figure out what they are trying to tell you.
Are you an ordained pastor, seminary student/graduate, ? Thanks, and if you have any more you want to post, please do. Oh, and one more question for Jaltus and other pastors who may be on here:
Do you preach from bare-bones outline, filled in outline, manuscript, no notes, or otherwise? Just interested to know.
I finished my M Div and am now doing Ph D work in NT.

I preach from a manuscript, since I am still a newby. I like teaching much more than preaching, which is a good thing since God called me to teach and not preach.

[joelkaki]

I am going to post a sermon I wrote on Jeremiah 9:23-24.
Would any reading this give some comments/critiques. Strengths/weaknesses, etc. And please, don't try to be nice. Don't say anything you don't mean, and don't not say anything you really think. I really want all of your comments. If it was a piece of junk, then say so; I won't be offended; it will just push me to study more. And bear in mind that this is not a transcription; it is what I have written beforehand. In actually speaking, I would only use a greatly reduced outline. There would actually be a little more than what is written, since I have the tendency to expand while I speak. So without further adieu, here it is:

" Jeremiah 9:23-24


What do you glory in? Glory is an idea that we are fairly familiar with. We hear people say all the time that they wish they could have had their moment of fame and glory. Or maybe, “He went out in a blaze of glory.” We all want to glory in something. We all want to praise something, to boast in something. What do you glory in? What do you boast in? What is it that you truly praise? Do you praise your accomplishments, your talents, your skills? Do you glory in those? Or do you glory in something else? Do you glory in what the Martyrs for the Christian faith gloried in? Those men and women went to the executioner’s block, to the rack, to the flames, singing psalms and hymns of praise to God! The gloried in knowing God, and all the rest was trivial to them. Today I want to look at a text that talks about this very thing.

23 Thus saith the Lord, ‘Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: 24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth: for in these things I delight’, saith the Lord.

This word, “glory,” is very important. The word “Hallelujah!” comes from it. It is praising, celebrating, boasting. Let’s see what this verse has to say about this “glorying.” We need to keep our glorying focused on what God wants it focused on. There are two things that I want to consider about this “glory.” First of all, readily apparent from the text, I want to point out that...

1. God Forbids Us To Glory In Earthly Things. (Vs 24)
The very first words in this text should communicate something of the importance of what is being said here: “Thus saith the Lord.” These are the very words of the Almighty and Sovereign Lord, Creator, and Sustainer of the universe, to you. Lord here is the Word YHWH (Yahweh). This is Jehovah, the Great I AM, the Covenant Lord, the one who is faithful, the one who is so far above us that we cannot even imagine what He is like. This is not the same as me walking up to you and saying, “Thus saith Joel!” This is Jehovah God Himself, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “Thus saith Jehovah!” So we need to pay attention to what is being said here. Let’s look at the next two words, “Let not...” God Himself through the prophet Jeremiah is forbidding us to do something. Jehovah God, who is alone righteous and perfect and holy, forbids us to do something. This is not just, “It’s OK if you do it, but I just don’t like it all that much.” NO! This is LET NOT! Do not do this. God forbids us to do this.
Now what is it that God forbids us to do? He forbids us to glory in earthly things. He forbids us to glory in wisdom, might, and riches, which are representative of earthly things. There are those who are considered wise by the world’s standards. There are even those who are considered wise by the church’s standards. But God here forbids us to glory, to shout “Hallelujah!” about a wise man being wise. Let’s look at a New Testament passage to further bring out the force of this. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 3:19-21 to see what the Bible says about the world’s wisdom:

19 For the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness,” 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise that they are futile. 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours.

Now can you see why the wise should not glory in their wisdom? You may have been blessed with wisdom and discernment. Don’t glory in it, don’t boast that you are something special, something great. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. The greatest thought, the deepest, most profound, amazing that you have ever had is foolishness with God. God knows your thoughts, and my thoughts, and everyone’s thoughts. All of our wisdom put together cannot even come close to the wisdom of God, for our wisdom is foolishness with him. I believe this 1 Cor 3 text to be speaking especially about wisdom apart from the Word of God. It is the wisdom of the world. We cannot boast in that. Because God is so much higher than our puny little ammount of wisdom, we cannot boast in men. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. But now think for a moment about wisdom inside the church. Maybe you know much about the Bible , doctrine, or theology. Maybe you are wise according to Biblical standards. Can you glory, can you boast in that fact? No! Our goal is not to become “spiritual eggheads” so we can boast and glory in our knowledge and wisdom. We cannot glory in wisdom.
But moving on, notice that we cannot boast in might either. Let’s look at another text, also in 1 Corinthians, to see more about this. 1 Corinthians 1:25.

25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world, and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in his presence. 30 But of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 that, as it is written, ‘He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.’

Not it seems pretty clear here that Paul had Jeremiah 9 in view when he was writing this passage of Scripture. The weakness of God is stronger than the greatest strength, the greatest muscles, the greatest might, of any human being. How then could we possibly glory in might? How can we glory in our own strength, our own might, our own power? We can’t! Paul clearly expands on Jeremiah 9 here, for he whows us why we cannot glory in wisdom or might. Since God’s power, God’s might, God’s strength is so much greater than our tiny little amount of might, it is ridiculous to even think of us boasting or glorying in our little amount of strength. When you see yourself standing next to the sovereign and wonderful Almighty God, it is abundantly clear why we can’t glory in our might. Our might gets us nowhere without God. So do not glory in your might, or anyone else’s might.
Going back to Jeremiah 9, we can see that we also cannot glory in riches. It makes me sad to think of the many, many respectable businessmen who have done nothing with their lives except make more and more money. They gloried in their riches. The Enron people gloried in their riches, and do you see where it got them? But we cannot glory in riches. Thus says the Lord: Let not the rich man glory in his riches. You might say, “Well, I am not rich, so I guess I can glory in riches as much as I want.” Such was the attitude of Tevvye in Fiddler on the Roof when he said, “If money is a curse, then smight me with it, and may I never recover.” That is not what God is saying here. The point is that we are not to glory in earthly things period, whether it be wisdom, might, or riches, or anything else. It those things are your sole focus in this life, then you will lead a meaningless life that ends in utter meaninglessness. But now looking again at 1 Corinthians 1, notice it says that God has chosen the weak things of the world, the base things, the things which are despised, and he has chosen the things that are not. Whether you are wise, mighty, rich, or not does not matter! God has chosen the weak things! God can use you! Don’t start to fall into the trap of glorying in earthly things. Don’t seek such fleeting and temporary things.
Let me give you an example of someone who gloried in earthly things, specifically money, from the Bible. Remember Judas Iscariot? Do you remember what he did? He gloried in 30 pieces of silver. He betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, for thirty pieces of silver. He gloried in that money. Now remember what happened to him. He hanged himself! He had a horrible end, and he had an awful death. Why? Because he gloried in earthly things more than the Lord of Glory. Now if that is not a warning I don’t know what is. What Jeremiah 9 is saying not to do is serious, and it has serious consequences. So do not glory in wisdom, might, or riches. Do not glory in earthly things. But now let us move on to the next point from the text:

2. God Commands Us To Glory In Knowing Him.
God is here telling us that it isn’t that we can’t glory in anything at all. We don’t have to be emotional robots who glory in nothing, praise nothing, get excited about nothing. Rather, there is something that is OK to and indeed is our responsibility to shout “Hallelujah!” about. Thre is a definite contrast between that which we should not glory in, and that which we should glory in indicated by the word “but.” What is it that we are to glory in? That we know God! That is the greatest thing in all the world to glory in! The world’s wisdom, the world’s might, the world’s riches do not even begin to compare with knowing God. God is so far above men, that we cannot fully comprehend Him and His being. But he has revealed some to us, and we can glory in that. We must constantly be shouting, “Hallelujah!,” not because we are wise, mighty, or rich, but because we know God! We must be excited about that. It is not some ordinary thing, like understanding and knowing how your friend is or how your friend acts. God has allowed us to know Him, not just to know about Him, but to have a personal relationship with him, the Almighty and Sovereign Jehovah God of the Bible. Paul echoes this in Galatians 6:14.

But God forbid that I should boast except in th cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..."

[continuing]

[joelkaki]

[continued]

"Jesus Christ paid the penalty for the sin which separated us from God. He is the only Mediator between God and man. We can only have a relationship with the Father through Him. We have nothing to boast in ourselves about. We can only boast in Christ. We are not woth boasting about. But knowing the Father through the Son is the greates thing in all the world to glory in. God’s weakness is greater than the greatest man, and that is something to glory in. We can know the Almighty God whose weakness is greater than the strongest man. Now I am not saying that we should walk around and boast, “I know God and you don’t.” That would be totally contrary to the point here. That really puts the focus back on ourselves and off of God, for it would seem to indicate that there is something special about us which allows us to know God. And that is wrong, because if it was not for the fact that God is greater than every man, none of us would ever have been saved. Our wills were in rebellion against God. With all our might, wisdom, and riches, we could not have escaped death, because by nature we ran away from the source of life. That is why we must glory in knowing Him, because it is His work that we know Him. Nothing we did got us closer to Him. It was his might, his strength, his wisdom, the riches of his grace. And those of us that aren’t wise, aren’t mighty or rich, if those things couldn’t get people salvation, then us with nothing certainly couldn’t. All glory must go to God. He is the one that chose the weak things of the world, and called them to be his own. We can glory in that. Christ accomplished our salvation on the cross, and we can boast in his greatness and richness toward us. That is something to lift up our voices and shout “Hallelujah!” to God about. Butr now let’s look at some further things about God that should make us want to glory in Him more, and give all glory to Him more:
We should glory in knowing that God is the one that exercises lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. Lovingkindness has three basic ideas: strength, love, and steadfastness. It is not just sentimental love here. It is not just his might and ability to fulfill an obligation to His people. This word (checed) combines all three of these ideas. God exercises steadfast, strong love toward us. Would you feel safe and comforted if the enormously strong Goliath, hater of the the God of the Bible, was standing next to you, and if he knew you followed the God of the bible? Would you glory in that? Probably not! You’d be shaking in your boots in fear that he was going to crush you. So mere strength does not convey this idea. Now what if someone was trying to kill you, and your friend who really loves you, but is really sick, so sick that he cannot even get out of bed was with. If that person who loved you was with you, would you feel OK about the situation? Would you be saying “Hallelujah! He’s here! I’m safe now!” I rather doubt it. You see, the great thing about God that we can truly shout “Hallelujah!” about is that He loves us with an everlasting, saving love, and He has the strength, might, and power to back it up. So we can glory in the fact that the Lord exercises lovingkindness--strong, steadfast love. And if that is not enough to cause to be glorying in God, then here is another thing:
The Lord, YHWH, the covenant keeping, Almighty, Sovereign, Omnipotent God of the Bible, exercises judgement. Sometimes this may not be the part we want to think about as much as the love. Nevertheless, we must glory in it. God judges. God has wrath, and He judges sin. He passes sentence. He hates sin, and he judges sin. Sometimes we don’t want to think about God’s wrath, His judging people. We sometimes just want to skip over the fact that people go to Hell and endure His wrath. Especially in our relativistic, watered-down gospel age, we don’t want to think about God judging for sin. But you know what, that is as essential to the gospel as anything else. If God did not judge sin, if He did not pour out His wrath for sin, then you have no substitute, and therefore no salvation. You are still dead in your sins. If God didn’t judge sin, Christ did not become sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him. But all glory and praise and honor be to God! He exercises judgement! He is just! He does pass sentence! He punished Christ for our sins so that we could have salvation through him. We can glory that the Lord exercises judgement. The evil that happens in the world will not go unpunished. He is just. And if his steadfast, strong love, and his exercising of judgement is not enough for you to glory in, here is another thing:
Righteousness. God is completely righteous. He never does anything wrong. He is always right. He never makes a mistake. We can glory in that and rest in that. No matter how wrongly people treat us, God is still righteous. That is his nature, His character. That is something to shout Hallelujah! about.
Those parts of God’s character aare great. But here is the part that really grabs me: In the earth. Too often se get the idea that God just sits up in heaven watching what goes on. But that is not what is said here. God exercises lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. God is actively involved in our lives and he is actively involved in the world around us. God works in the earth. He works all things according to the counsel of his will. Nothing escapes Him. He is omnipotent, omniscient, sovereign. We can glory in that. God works in the earth. He rules from heaven, governing the earth. He controls all that happens. He is in complete and total control. He is all-powerful, and He exercises that power in our lives and in the world around us. That should not only comfort us, but also cause us to glory in knowing Him. A while back, we were distributing tracts around Poteet High School in Mesquite, and I had the opportunity to speak to a number of middle aged kids who were walking down the sidewalk. One of them was a young guy wearing black baggy jeans, chains all over them, with a black T-shirt, black-painted fingernails, and a little spike of blue hair right in the middle of his forehead. And holding a Satanic bible. God was at work, bringing that kid to the right spot to speak with us, and we can only pray that, if it be God’s will, that what we said, and the tract that we gave him will influence his life. Then there was a young girl in the group who told me that she had stopped belieiving in God when her brother died. Now I don’t know all the circumstances surrounding her brother’s death, but I do know this. God was exercising either lovingkindness or judgement in that. He was exercising righteousness. That boy had his own right timing from God. God may have been punishing Him for sin. If he was a believer, God was demonstrating lovingkindness in bringing that boy to eternal glory in heaven. But we know God was at work in that situation. I tried to confront the the sister whom I spoke with with the truth of of Romans 8:28, that if she and her brother loved God, she could know it was working out for her good. I sensed a smirk on her mouth while saying this, but I know that God has chosen the weak and foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, so it it be His will, she will come to love God, and I pray for that. If it weren’t for God’s strength and steadfast love, there would absolutely be no possibility of her coming to know God. But God does exercise His attributes in those situations. And we can shout Hallelujah! about that.
But there is one more thing that I want you to see from this text: For in these I delight. God delights in exercising His attributes in the earth. If God himself delights in these things, then we must also glory in them. Let’s glory in knowing God."


You may notice, I had no formal conclusion. Rather, the last point I made kind of concluded it. But that could part of your critique, if you thought that was bad.
Also don't hesitate to say if you thought I was drawing things out of the text that weren't really there, etc.
If you disagree with the theology, you may say so as well, but I am not going to debate theology here.

Thanks for doing this, whoever does it, it is appreciated.

Joel

[Jaltus]

If I have not posted back on here by Saturday evening, PM me and I'll make sure to do so.

[joelkaki]

OK, thanks Jaltus.


Joel

[vlandsponger]

http://jesusisreality.org/

go to goods from the word...not written, but audio sermons...

[Jaltus]

The first thing I noticed is that you did not address the context of the book nor where you were specifically in the book. Even if this is part of a series in Jeremiah, you would still need cotext issues to be dealt with (read my artilce on the front page if you do not know what cotext is).

The next thing I noticed is that you do not have one major idea, but rather two ideas in this sermon. Every sermon needs to focus down to one major point which should generally be introduced in the introduction.

I'll have more later.

[joelkaki]

Thanks, Jaltus. I'll look forward to you responding with more.


Joel

[PuritanD]

Joel,

I am honored by your request and hope that one day I will be able to ask the favor in return.

I have read your sermon and for what it's worth here are some thoughts:

1) I agree with Jaltus that there seems to be a lack of clarity in exactly what the main idea of your sermon is.

2) I know that it is a manuscript and you may speak it differently. Being such though, it is fairly wordy. Sermons need to be as concise as possible. There were a few instances where I saw a double use of adjectives like, "many, many." When a sermon gets wordy, it is difficult to follow along as a listener.

3) Was your exegetical idea, "God desires for us to give Him glory?" If so, I think that I got it. If not, what was it? It is important to make sure you keep this in mind that this is the main point that you desire to share with your audience.

4)Your exegesis is remarkable and the use of other texts fit perfectly. In fact, I did not realize the correlation between Jer 9 and I Cor. It was a perfect fit.

5) I know that the sermon was based on 'glory' but it seems that you might have over used the term, slightly. It is okay to use some synonyms for the term. The cause of redundancy can turn off a listener due to the difficulty of keeping track of what you mean by the term.

6) You did not give a clear definition of what glory is? You are then allowing the audience to define it for you, which is probably what you do not want.

7) You have some great modern examples of those who glorify in their riches. Yet, is the only way we give glory to God is by saying, "Hallelujah?" If there are other ways, how? I felt that I wanted to glory God but had no idea as to how to accomplish this task.

8) Your last idea does seem rushed and probably could have been developed even more. Also, you may want to do a better conclusion. Usually, the conclusion restates your main idea and reviews your main subpoints.

I think that overall, your exegesis is excellent and bringing in other texts. This is definitely the most important aspect to preaching. You may need to tweak your presentation a bit. I hope that I wasn't overcritically. It is something I am working on to balance it out. Inherently, I see and ponder the negative things more than the positive aspects.

Hope it is helpful,
PuritanD

[joelkaki]

Thank you so much, PuritanD. I will be looking over it again, maybe asking you a few more questions if you don't mind.


Thanks again,
Joel

Oh, and it was not overly critical. And if it was, that is fine, because I was asking for critique.


Joel

[joelkaki]

Joel,

I am honored by your request and hope that one day I will be able to ask the favor in return.

I have read your sermon and for what it's worth here are some thoughts:

1) I agree with Jaltus that there seems to be a lack of clarity in exactly what the main idea of your sermon is.

Yes, there was definitely that. I did not have a one sentence statement (homiletical idea) that summarized the sermon, which I should have. I did have the two points rather than one. You might say that the second point would have been the main point.
But having it down to one point should be something I work on.


2) I know that it is a manuscript and you may speak it differently. Being such though, it is fairly wordy. Sermons need to be as concise as possible. There were a few instances where I saw a double use of adjectives like, "many, many." When a sermon gets wordy, it is difficult to follow along as a listener.

Yes, it was rather wordy, looking back on it. But yes, part of that was it being a manuscript--it would sound quite different when spoken.


3) Was your exegetical idea, "God desires for us to give Him glory?" If so, I think that I got it. If not, what was it? It is important to make sure you keep this in mind that this is the main point that you desire to share with your audience.

No, that was not my exegetical idea. (I guess I wasn't very clear in this then--The point really was not to give glory to God, but rather to glory in knowing God.) Like I said above, I did not have an exact, one sentence exegetical (homiletical) idea. However, for this, it would probably be something like this:
"The only thing worth glorying in is knowing God." Or something to that effect. Perhaps you would offer something different if you disagree. I recognize the importance of having that one point, and need to do that most definitely. But I have only actually preached two sermons ever, this not being one of them.


4)Your exegesis is remarkable and the use of other texts fit perfectly. In fact, I did not realize the correlation between Jer 9 and I Cor. It was a perfect fit.

Thank you; do you think my conclusions were warranted from the text? I was at no point performing "eisegesis"?


5) I know that the sermon was based on 'glory' but it seems that you might have over used the term, slightly. It is okay to use some synonyms for the term. The cause of redundancy can turn off a listener due to the difficulty of keeping track of what you mean by the term.

Hmmm, I guess I did get a little high on that word. I guess I just wanted to pound that idea in, and got carried away and didn't approach it right.


6) You did not give a clear definition of what glory is? You are then allowing the audience to define it for you, which is probably what you do not want.

Extremely important point that I failed in. That is something I will need to change.


7) You have some great modern examples of those who glorify in their riches. Yet, is the only way we give glory to God is by saying, "Hallelujah?" If there are other ways, how? I felt that I wanted to glory God but had no idea as to how to accomplish this task.

I guess I wasn't very clear in this. While giving glory to God was part of what I was saying, my main point really was to glory in God. (in knowing God). That is something I need to work on; clarity and precision in what I am trying to say.


8) Your last idea does seem rushed and probably could have been developed even more. Also, you may want to do a better conclusion. Usually, the conclusion restates your main idea and reviews your main subpoints.

Yes, it did seem very rushed. I probably will develop it more. And a better conclusion would be much more appropriate.


I think that overall, your exegesis is excellent and bringing in other texts. This is definitely the most important aspect to preaching. You may need to tweak your presentation a bit. I hope that I wasn't overcritically. It is something I am working on to balance it out. Inherently, I see and ponder the negative things more than the positive aspects.

Hope it is helpful,
PuritanD

Thank you for all your comments; they are much appreciated, and very helpful.

Joel

[PuritanD]

Joel,

Your conclusions, I felt were derived from the text. I saw no apparent eisegesis in your sermon.

PuritanD

[joelkaki]

*Bump*


C'mon, surely you've got some sermons you could share, or at least add more critique on mine.

Joel

[yxboom]

I have created a new forum section called the Pulpit for sermons and devotionals. It has a significantly greater post count than what is allowed in the standard forums. However I haven't worked out the bug that only allows the increased post length to work on New threads and not posts so in time. I am moving the thread to that section.

[John Reece]

Jaltus,

Re your sermon (posted above): My words aren't good enough.

So

:thumb:

Also, I just noticed your revised signature line.

Another

:thumb:

[Jaltus]

One of the most classically misunderstood poems of all time is Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," generally understood to be about the importance of decisions due to these three lines:

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

However, that misses what the poem is truly about. Let me read it to you:

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I would ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

You see, the point of the poem is that the two roads were in fact the same, and it was only in the mind of the speaker that there was a difference. He says,

"Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black."

The difference only truly existed in the mind of the traveler, trying to give meaning to his decision.

In the same way, our passage for this morning is classically misunderstood as well. Psalm 1 is well known and well loved, but often the point of it is missed. Psalm 1 says,

1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

This passage seems to be about two different paths. Today we will explore this passage to find out if it is true.

Just as in Robert Frost's poem, the first misunderstanding with this text is at the very beginning. When the first verse is read, what do you think of or hear?

"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers."

Most people talk about this verse being a progression from walking to standing to sitting, and the connection is made to how one becomes more and more engrossed by sin. While that is a valid point, it is not what this passage is talking about.

Instead, it is the nouns that are important. Look at the words next to the verbs:

Wicked. Sinner. Mocker.

The point being made is that these are the kind of people to avoid. The issue here is repetition, not change. The basic concept is “do not spend time with those who are evil.” The three phrases are used in order to stress this fact, not to make new and exciting points about it. Hebrew poetry uses repetition to stress, so a large stress is place here. The wicked and the righteous should be taking different paths through life.

Notice also that this is what a blessed man is supposed to do. It is a negative statement made to define a positive person. The godly man or woman is not supposed to be with these kinds of people.

Does that mean we should all become hard core fundamentalists, separating every time there is a controversy? Does it mean we should not talk to Billy Graham since he deals with non-Evangelicals? Does it mean we should not witness since we would have to come into contact with “sinners?”

Obviously not! After all, according to Matt. 9:12, Jesus came to heal the sick, not the well, and we are to do the same thing.

This verse is not about who you spend your time with, but rather how you spend it when you are with them. Are you looking to learn about God from Atheists? Are you looking to grow closer to Christ by being around Unitarians?

In other words, if you want to know God, search for God, not for people who know nothing about Him. The issue here is that the blessed person is the one who looks for God in the right places, the one who spends their time doing important things. The blessed walks the narrow way, the wicked walks the wide.

In fact, verse 2 logically follows this thought:

"2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night."

The blessed man does not look for God from sinners, but instead he searches for God in scripture.

We are going to key in on two words in the verse in order to draw this idea out.

First, note the word “law,” and second note the word “meditate.”

In this context, law does not deal with what we normally think of as law. Usually, when the word law is mentioned, we either think it means the Pentateuch, or else we think it means the whole of the Bible. In this case, however, it is dealing with something different. Law is in this case limited in some sense to Psalms as a book. While it can mean more, this is the primary meaning. This can be seen in two ways. First, this type of Psalm is called a wisdom Psalm, showing as it does the gulf between the wise and the fool, or in this case the righteous and the wicked. The language should make us think in these terms. Second, as you can tell, Psalm 1 is placed at the beginning of the entire book of Psalms. Thus, canonically, it is the introduction to this book. So what it is telling us is that what follows is important.

One of the most famous introductions of all times, from Dickens’s classic A Tale of Two Cities, begins with, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The entire first paragraph carries on with all these contradictory statements, but what it is trying to do is set up a story of opposites, a story with conflicting elements. The introduction draws you into what follows.

That is a lot like what verse two is doing, it is drawing us into the rest of the book, showing us how God will use it in our lives if we are willing to meditate on it.

And there we have the second word, meditate. This word also does not mean what many think of when we say meditate. It does not mean to empty your mind of all else and concentrate solely on this. Instead, it deals with keeping it constantly in your awareness, practicing it, thinking about it, but not necessarily in exclusion of everything else. The word here actually refers to a lion’s growl or a person muttering.

If you ever walked into my office while I was working on a paper, you would hear some strange sounds. As I am reading something and disagreeing with it, I mumble my complaints and scoff at the book. This is what this verse is talking about. We are to be muttering the Psalms to ourselves, having them always a part of our thoughts. The word of God is so closely linked to the blessed person that the two are inseparable. Remember Hebrews 4:12? Perhaps the verse should have said that the double-edged sword could penetrate even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, the blessed man and God’s law. Scripture is to always be on the tip of the tongue, ready for every instance.

The danger for seminary students, as I am sure we all know, is to study scripture as a text book instead of as a life manual. We look at it for assignments. We dissect it for papers. We even quote it as backing for our arguments. What we do not do, or at least not well, is apply it. We see it as a tool instead of as a life jacket.

I think of Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away. He was stranded on this island for years all by himself. In order to maintain his sanity, he painted a face on his volleyball, named it Wilson, and talked to it. That volleyball become his anchor in reality. When the ball came loose from the bindings which lashed it to the raft Tom Hanks was on, Tom dove after the ball and called out for Wilson repeatedly, until giving up as it had drifted too far away.

The Bible should be the same thing for us, anchoring us to our Christian life, being what keeps us spiritually sane. The Psalms are intended for that use, to lift us when we are down, to encourage and exhort us when we fail, to focus on God when we are in the good times.

A way that I have found to do this is by playing Christian songs on my way to and from school, or wherever I am going. By keeping these playing while I drive, I unconsciously begin to have them always running in the back of my mind. Doing this with praise songs or with songs based on the Psalms is a wonderful way to keep the law always on our minds, and thus always in our hearts. Perhaps getting the Bible on tape would be a good way to do this as well.

But this is the picture that the author of this Psalm is trying to put into our minds, the idea of the blessed man and God’s law, which is why the composer follows up with the imagery of verse 3.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

The tree that is planted next to water has a constant supply of nutrients. It will never want for anything from its environment, as long as that water continues to flow. In the same way, the righteous live by meditating on the law. It is by constantly bringing the Psalms to mind, by continually having God’s word in our thoughts, by dwelling on scripture that our souls are fed.

Also notice that the leaf of this tree does not wither. Not only is the water a constant source of life, but it keeps the tree from being overly harmed by other problems. This is not a reward for the tree….rather it is a natural state of affairs. By being next to the water, able to constantly draw on it, the tree will continue to grow.

In the same way, inner prosperity is not the reward for the blessed, rather it is what makes that kind of person the blessed.

The latter part of the verse makes it clear: Whatever he does prospers.

A quick disclaimer at this point, this verse does NOT mean that the blessed man is the rich man, nor does it mean that if God really loves you, you will be blessed with material possessions. Rather, this verse is saying that the words and deeds of the righteous will prosper. Remember, as we talked about earlier, this is a wisdom Psalm, so we should expect that the text would deal more with spiritual things than with material things.

So while the righteous or blessed man can expect to prosper, the wicked are not so fortunate.

Verse 4 says: Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away.

Obviously, there is a chasm between the blessed and the wicked. While the blessed are trees that bear fruit, the wicked are chaff.

I am sure that by this point in our seminary careers we have learned at least a little bit about farming, no matter how much we did not want to.

As a born and bred city boy, let me tell you what little I have gleaned.

As the wheat was being harvested, the grain needed to be taken out while the useless part, the chaff, needed to be gotten rid of. In this case, the chaff is thrown up into the air by the person looking for the grain. The grain falls to the earth but the chaff is blown away, due to it being lighter and that it is more easily caught in the wind.

Thus, the wicked are being compared to completely useless stuff. In today’s world, instead of thinking of them as chaff, we would probably call them paper. Instead of throwing them into the air, we would recycle them (because if you throw them in the air it is littering).

Something else to notice about the wicked is how quickly and easily God deals with them. Compared to the treatment given to the blessed man, the wicked are essentially overlooked.

Throughout the Bible, the wicked can range from someone hurling insults at David to the entire Roman empire, but they all end up just the same and with the same amount of effort.

God is not one who is going to worry about dealing with the wicked. Their end is determined.

Essentially, this is a huge put down. Often the wicked are puffed up with pride, thinking highly of themselves and the works of their hands. The Psalmist, however, is saying that all they have done means nothing.

The offhanded way that Michael Jordan would be concerned about playing me one on one is the same amount of concern and respect that God shows here for the wicked. None.

With this stunning pronouncement about the wicked, the Psalmist continues by showing there final end.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

The "therefore" shows this is logically connected to the previous section and that it is the start of the conclusion of the passage.

In other words, this is where the rubber meets the road.

Now that the Psalmist has shown how useless the wicked are, and how insignificant they are in God’s sight, he shows where they will end up.

The words used in this passage show a setting in the temple. The righteous are able to enter the holy place, the place where God is fully worshipped through sacrifice and praise. The wicked, however, are barred from entering. Instead of joining in the ceremony, they are left outside in the court of Gentiles.

To us, this would be like being able to hang out in the parking lot of the church parking lot but not being able to actually go into the church itself. Our access to where we come into contact with God most deeply, most intently would be put out of our reach.

The two paths are being clearly separated here. Though in life the wicked seemed to walk side by side with the righteous, they were actually going a different way the entire time.

The path of the wicked leads to having no place at the judgment, the judgment which is the end of all things, the day of the Lord. While the righteous enjoy feasting in the new Jerusalem, the wicked will have no place with them.

This is a bit like the parable of the sheep and the goats at the end of Matthew 25. All along these people will have been side by side, living life. However, at the end, at the final judgment, the righteous will go one way and the wicked another.

Verse 6 clearly spells this out: For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

In the end it boils down to the choice between life and death, heaven and hell, God’s way or no way.

You see, all along we have been looking at this Psalm as a description of two paths, when it turns out that we have been wrong all along. There is only one path in view here, the path to God.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that all people go to heaven no matter what, and I am also NOT saying that the wicked will prosper. What I AM saying is that this decision between the two paths is a no-brainer.

If someone offered you a broken skateboard or brand new, fully loaded Porsche, which would you choose?
If someone offered you ice cream or dirt, which would you choose?
If someone offered you life or death, which would you choose?

The choice in each of these is obvious, just as is the choice between the way of the wicked and the way of the righteous. There should be no debate, there should be no questioning. It is a straight forward issue.

The verse makes it very clear that there is only one way. God watches over the way of the righteous literally means the Lord KNOWS the way of the righteous. This involves not just watching over, but being intimately acquainted with. God not only knows and watches, He Himself is inextricably linked to this path. You cannot have this path without God being there.

The path of the wicked will perish. The reason for this is simple, God is not part of their path, He has nothing to do with their path. Paul tells us that with God, all things are possible. However, the converse is true as well, that without God, nothing is possible.

Two roads diverged in a wood and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.

Perhaps, taken at face value, those words apply here.

Psalm 1 presents us with two paths, one leading to God, the other leading nowhere. One leading to glory, the other to ignominy. One leading to justification, the other to judgment.

Truly, this is not much of a comparison. Psalm 1 is not really presenting us with Two paths, the Path of the righteous versus the path of the wicked. Actually, it is telling us that there is only one path, the true path, the path that leads to God, and you are either on it, or you are not.

You are either the tree fed by the water, or you are starving.
You are either displaying fruit, or you are going to be burned.
You are either drinking in the word of God, or you are thirsty.
Now, answer this question, which path are you taking?

[joelkaki]

Thank you, Jaltus, for posting that. That truly sheds some new light on that Psalm, and gives much to think about.

Joel

[GrayPilgrim]

Christ Altogether Lovely

by John Flavel

Table of Contents

Christ is to be Loved

What is Meant by "Altogether Lovely"

He is Lovely in His Person

He is Lovely in His Offices

He is Lovely in His Relations

Application

Christ is to be Loved

"Yes, He is altogether lovely." Song of Songs 5:16.

At the ninth verse of this chapter, you have a question put forth by the daughters of Jerusalem, "What is your beloved more than another beloved?" The spouse answers, "He is the chief among ten thousand." She then recounts many of the things she finds so excellent in her beloved and then concludes with these words that I have read: "Yes, he is altogether lovely."

The words set forth the transcendent loveliness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and naturally resolve themselves into three parts:

1. Who he is.

2. What he is.

3. What he is like.

First, Who he is: the Lord Jesus Christ, after whom she had been seeking, for whom she was overcome by love; concerning whom these daughters of Jerusalem had enquired: whom she had struggled to describe in his particular excellencies. He is the great and excellent subject of whom she here speaks.

Secondly, What he is, or what she claims of him: That he is a lovely one. The Hebrew word, which is often translated "desires," means "to earnestly desire, covet, or long after that which is most pleasant, graceful, delectable and admirable." The original word is both in the abstract, and plural in number, which says that Christ is the very essence of all delights and pleasures, the very soul and substance of them. As all the rivers are gathered into the ocean, which is the meeting-place of all the waters in the world, so Christ is that ocean in which all true delights and pleasures meet.

Thirdly, What he is like: He is altogether lovely, the every part to be desired. He is lovely when taken together, and in every part; as if she had said, "Look on him in what respect or particular you wish; cast your eye upon this lovely object, and view him any way, turn him in your serious thoughts which way you wish; consider his person, his offices, his works, or any other thing belonging to him; you will find him altogether lovely, There is nothing disagreeable in him, there is nothing lovely without him." Hence note,

DOCTRINE: That Jesus Christ is the loveliest person souls can set their eyes upon: "Thou art fairer than the children of men." Psalm 14:2.

He is "Altogether Lovely"

Here it is said of Jesus Christ, which cannot be said of any mere creature, that he is "altogether lovely." In opening this point I shall,

1. Examine the importance of this phrase "altogether lovely."

2. Show you in what respect Christ is so.

What is Meant by "Altogether Lovely"

Let us consider this excellent expression, and particularly reflect on what is contained in it, and you shall find this expression "altogether lovely."

First, It excludes all unloveliness and disagreeableness from Jesus Christ. As a theologian long ago said, "There is nothing in him which is not loveable." The excellencies of Jesus Christ are perfectly exclusive of all their opposites; there is nothing of a contrary property or quality found in him to contaminate or devaluate his excellency. And in this respect Christ infinitely transcends the most excellent and loveliest of created things. Whatsoever loveliness is found in them, it is not without a bad aftertaste. The fairest pictures must have their shadows: The rarest and most brilliant gems must have dark backgrounds to set off their beauty; the best creature is but a bitter sweet at best: If there is something pleasing, there is also something sour. if a person has every ability, both innate and acquired, to delight us, yet there is also some natural corruption intermixed with it to put us off. But it is not so in our altogether lovely Christ, his excellencies are pure and unmixed. He is a sea of sweetness without one drop of gall.

Secondly, "Altogether lovely," i.e. There is nothing unlovely found in him, so all that is in him is wholly lovely. As every ray of God is precious, so every thing that is in Christ is precious: Who can weigh Christ in a pair of balances, and tell you what his worth is? "His price is above rubies, and all that thou canst desire is not to be compared with him," Prov. 8:11.

Thirdly "Altogether lovely," i.e. He embraces all things that are lovely: he seals up the sum of all loveliness. Things that shine as single stars with a particular glory, all meet in Christ as a glorious constellation. Col. 1:19, "It pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell." Cast your eyes among all created beings, survey the universe: you will observe strength in one, beauty in a second, faithfulness in a third, wisdom in a fourth; but you shall find none excelling in them all as Christ does. Bread has one quality, water another, raiment another, medicine another; but none has them all in itself as Christ does. He is bread to the hungry, water to the thirsty, a garment to the naked, healing to the wounded; and whatever a soul can desire is found in him, 1 Cor. 1:30.

Fourthly, "Altogether lovely," i.e. Nothing is lovely in opposition to him, or in separation from him. If he truly is altogether lovely, then whatsoever is opposite to him, or separate from him can have no loveliness in it. Take away Christ, and where is the loveliness of any enjoyment? The best creature-comfort apart from Christ is but a broken cistern. It cannot hold one drop of true comfort, Psalm 73:26. It is with the creature--the sweetest and loveliest creature--as with a beautiful image in the mirror: turn away the face and where is the image? Riches, honours, and comfortable relations are sweet when the face of Christ smiles upon us through them; but without him, what empty trifles are they all?

Fifthly, "Altogether lovely," i.e. Transcending all created excellencies in beauty and loveliness. If you compare Christ and other things, no matter how lovely, no matter how excellent and desirable, Christ carries away all loveliness from them. "He is (as the apostle says) before all things," Col. 1:17. Not only before all things in time, nature, and order; but before all things in dignity, glory, and true excellence. In all things he must have the pre-eminence. Let us but compare Christ's excellence with the creature's in a few particulars, and how manifest will the transcendent loveliness of Jesus Christ appear! For,

1. All other loveliness is derived and secondary; but the loveliness of Christ is original and primary. Angels and men, the world and all the desirable things in it, receive what excellence they crave from him. They are streams from the fountain. The farther any thing departs from its fountain and original, the less excellency there is in it.

2. The loveliness and excellency of all other things, is only relative, consisting in its reference to Christ, and subservience to his glory. But Christ is lovely, considered absolutely in himself. He is desirable for himself; other things are desirable because of him.

3. The beauty and loveliness of all other things are fading and perishing; but the loveliness of Christ is fresh for all eternity. The sweetness of the best created thing is a fading flower; if not before, yet certainly at death it must fade away. Job 4:21. "Doth not their excellency, which is in them, go away?" Yes, yes, whether they are the natural excellencies of the body, acquired endowments of the mind, lovely features, graceful qualities, or anything else we find attractive; all these like pleasant flowers are withered, faded, and destroyed by death. "But Christ is still the same, yesterday, today, and for ever," Heb. 13:8.

4. The beauty and holiness of creatures are ensnaring and dangerous. A man may make an idol out of them, and indulge himself beyond the bounds of moderation with them, but there is no danger of excess in the love of Christ. The soul is then in the healthiest frame and temper when it is most overwhelmed by love to Christ, Song of Songs 5:8.

5. The loveliness of every creature is of a confining and obstructing nature. Our esteem of it diminishes the closer we approach to it, or the longer we enjoy it. Creatures, like pictures, are fairest at a certain distance, but it is not so with Christ; the nearer the soul approaches him, and the longer it lives in the enjoyment of him, still the sweeter and more desirable he becomes.

6. All other loveliness cannot satisfy the soul of man. There is not scope enough in any one created thing, or in all the natural universe of created things for the soul of man to reach out and expand; but the soul still feels itself confined and narrowed within those limits. This comes to pass from the inadequacy and unsuitableness of the creature to the nobler and more excellent soul of man. The soul is like a ship in a narrow river which does not have room to turn. It is always running aground and foundering in the shallows. But Jesus Christ is in every way sufficient to the vast desires of the soul; in him it has sea-room enough. In him the soul may spread all its sails with no fear of touching bottom. And thus you see what is the importance of this phrase, "Altogether lovely."

How Christ is "Altogether Lovely"

Secondly, Next I promised to show you in what respects Jesus Christ is altogether lovely:

He is Lovely in His Person

First, He is altogether lovely in his person: he is Deity dwelling in flesh, John 1:14. The wonderful, perfect union of the divine and human nature in Christ renders him an object of admiration and adoration to both angels and men, 1 Tim. 3:16. God never presented to the world such a vision of glory before. Consider how the human nature of our Lord Jesus Christ is overflowing with all the graces of the Spirit, in such a way as never any of the saints was filled. O what a lovely picture does this paint of him! John 3:34, "God gives the Spirit [to him] without limit." This makes him "the most excellent of men and [his] lips have been anointed with grace," Psalm 45:2. If a small measure of grace in the saints makes them sweet and desirable companions, what must the riches of the Spirit of grace filling Jesus Christ without measure make him in the eyes of believers? O what a glory must it fix upon him!

He is Lovely in His Offices

Secondly, He is altogether lovely in his offices: let us consider for a moment the suitability, fullness, and comforting nature of them.

First, The suitability of the offices of Christ to the miseries of men. We cannot but adore the infinite wisdom of his receiving them. We are, by nature, blind and ignorant, at best but groping in the dim light of nature after God, Acts 17:27. Jesus Christ is a light to lighten the Gentiles, Isa. 49:6. When this great prophet came into the world, then did the day-spring from on high visit us, Luke 1:78. By nature we are alienated from, and at enmity against God; Christ comes into the world to be an atoning sacrifice, making peace by the blood of his cross, Col. 1:20. All the world, by nature, is in bondage and captivity to Satan, a miserable slavery. Christ comes with kingly power, to rescue sinners, as a prey from the mouth of the terrible one.

Secondly, Let the fullness of his offices be also considered, which make him able "to save to the uttermost, all that come to God by him," Heb. 7:25. The three offices, comprising in them all that our souls do need, become an universal relief to all our distresses; and therefore,

Thirdly, Unspeakably comforting must the offices of Christ be to the souls of sinners. If light be pleasant to our eyes, how pleasant is that light of life springing from the Sun of righteousness! Mal. 4:2. If a pardon be sweet to a condemned criminal, how sweet must the sprinkling the blood of Jesus be to the trembling conscience of a law-condemned sinner? If a rescue from a cruel tyrant is sweet to a poor captive, how sweet must it be to the ears of enslaved sinners, to hear the voice of liberty and deliverance proclaimed by Jesus Christ? Out of the several offices of Christ, as out of so many fountains, all the promises of the new covenant flow, as so many soul-refreshing streams of peace and joy. All the promises of illumination, counsel and direction flow out of Christ's prophetic office. All the promises of reconciliation, peace, pardon, and acceptation flow out of his priestly office, with the sweet streams of joy and spiritual comforts which accompany it. All the promises of converting, increasing, defending, directing, and supplying grace, flow out of the kingly office of Christ; indeed, all promises may be reduced to these three offices, so that Jesus Christ must be altogether lovely in his offices.

He is Lovely in His Relations

First, He is a lovely Redeemer, Isa. 61:1. He came to open the prison-doors to them that are bound. Needs must this Redeemer be a lovely one, if we consider the depth of misery from which he redeemed us, even "from the wrath to come," 1 Thess. 1:10. Consider the numbers redeemed, and the means of their redemption. Rev. 5:9, "And they sang a new song, saying, 'You are worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood, out of every kindred and tongue, and people and nation.'" He redeemed us not with silver and gold, but with his own precious blood, by way of price, 1 Pet. 1:18,19. with his out-stretched and glorious arm, by way of power, Col. 1:13. he redeemed us freely, Eph. 1:7, fully Rom. 8:1, at the right time, Gal. 4:4, and out of special and particular love, John 17:9. In a word, he has redeemed us for ever, never more to come into bondage, 1 Pet. 1:5. John 10:28. O how lovely is Jesus Christ in the relation of a Redeemer to God's elect!

Secondly, He is a lovely bridegroom to all that he betroths to himself. How does the church glory in him, in the words following my text; "this is my Beloved, and this is my Friend, O ye daughters of Jerusalem!" Heaven and earth cannot show anyone like him, which needs no fuller proof than the following particulars:

1. That he betroths to himself, in mercy and in loving kindness, such deformed, defiled, and altogether unworthy souls as we are. We have no beauty, no goodness to make us desirable in his eyes; all the origins of his love to us are in his own breast, Deut. 7:7. He chooses us, not because we were, but in order that he might make us lovely Eph. 5:27. He came to us when we lay in our blood, and said unto us, "Live"; and that was the time of love, Ezek. 16:5.

2. He expects no restitution from us, and yet gives himself, and all that he has, to us. Our poverty cannot enrich him, but he made himself poor to enrich us, 2 Cor. 8:9. 1 Cor. 3:22.

3. No husband loves the wife of his bosom, as much as Christ loved his people, Eph. 5:25. He loved the church and gave him self for it.

4. No one bears with weaknesses and provocations as Christ does; the church is called "the Lamb's wife," Rev. 19:9.

5. No husband is so undying and everlasting a husband as Christ is; death separates all other relations, but the soul's union with Christ is not dissolved in the grave. Indeed, the day of a believer's death is his marriage day, the day of his fullest enjoyment of Christ. No husband can say to his wife, what Christ says to the believer, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you," Heb. 8:5.

6. No bridegroom enriches his bride with such honours by marriage, as Christ does; he makes them related to God as their father, and from that day the mighty and glorious angels think it no dishonour to be their servants, Heb. 1:14. The angels will admire the beauty and glory of the spouse of Christ, Rev. 21:9.

7. No marriage was ever consummated with such triumphal proceedings as the marriage of Christ and believers shall be in heaven, Psalm 14:14,15. "She shall be brought to the king in raiment of needle-work, the virgins, her companions that follow her, shall be brought unto thee; with gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought; they shall enter into the king's palace." Among the Jews, the marriage-house was called the house of praise; there was joy upon all hands, but nothing like the joy that will be in heaven when believers, the spouse of Christ, shall be brought there. God the Father will rejoice to behold the blessed accomplishment and confirmation of those glorious plans of his love. Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom will rejoice to see the travail of his soul, the blessed birth and product of all his bitter pains and agonies, Isa. 53:11. The Holy Spirit will rejoice to see the completion and perfection of that sanctifying design which was committed to his hand, 2 Cor. 5:5, to see those souls whom he once found as rough stones, now to shine as the bright, polished stones of the spiritual temple. Angels will rejoice: great was the joy when the foundation of this design was laid, in the incarnation of Christ, Luke 2:13. Great therefore must their joy be, when the top-stone is set up with shouting, crying, "Grace, grace." The saints themselves shall rejoice unspeakably, when they shall enter into the King's palace, and be forever with the Lord, 1 Thes. 4:17. Indeed there will be joy on all hands, except among the devils and damned, who shall gnash their teeth with envy at the everlasting advancement and glory of believers. Thus Christ is altogether lovely, in the relation of a Bridegroom.

Thirdly, Christ is altogether lovely, in the relation of an Advocate. 1 John 2:1, "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the Propitiation." It is he that pleads the cause of believers in heaven. He appears for them in the presence of God, to prevent any new alienation, and to continue the state of friendship and peace between God and us. In this relation Christ is altogether lovely. For,

1. He makes our cause his own, and acts for us in heaven, as if for himself, Heb. 4:15. He is touched with a most tender understanding of our troubles and dangers, and is not only one with us by way of representation, but also one with us in respect of sympathy and affection.

2. Christ our Advocate tracks our cause and business in heaven, as his great and primary design and business. For this reason in Hebrews 7:25. he is said to "live for ever to make intercession for us." It is as if our concerns were so attended to by him there, that all the glory and honour which is paid him in heaven would not divert him one moment from our business.

3. He pleads the cause of believers by his blood. Unlike other advocates, it is not enough for him to lay out only words, which is a cheaper way of pleading; but he pleads for us by the voice of his own blood, as in Heb. 12:24, where we are said to be come "to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." Every wound he received for us on earth is a mouth opened to plead with God on our behalf in heaven. And hence it is, that in Rev. 5:6 he is represented standing before God, as a lamb that had been slain; as it were exhibiting and revealing in heaven those deadly wounds received on earth from the justice of God, on our account. Other advocates spend their breath, Christ spends his blood.

4. He pleads the cause of believers freely. Other advocates plead for reward, and empty the purses, while they plead the causes of their clients.

5. In a word, he obtains for us all the mercies for which he pleads. No cause miscarries in his hand, which he undertakes, Rom. 8:33, 34. 0 what a lovely Advocate is Christ for believers!

Fourthly, Christ is altogether lovely in the relation of a friend, for in this relation he is pleased to acknowledge his people, Luke 12:4, 5. There are certain things in which one friend manifests his affection and friendship to another, but there is not one like Christ. For,

1. No friend is so open-hearted to his friend as Christ is to his people: he reveals the very counsels and secrets of his heart to them. John 15:15. "Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knows not what his Lord does; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you.

2. No friend in the world is so generous and bountiful to his friend, as Jesus Christ is to believers; he parts with his very blood for them; "Greater love (he says) has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends," John 15:13. He has exhausted the precious treasures of his invaluable blood to pay our debts. O what a lovely friend is Jesus Christ to believers!

3. No friend sympathizes so tenderly with his friend in affliction, as Jesus Christ does with his friends: "In all our afflictions he is afflicted," Heb. 4:15. He feels all our sorrows, needs and burdens as his own. This is why it is said that the sufferings of believers are called the sufferings of Christ, Col. 1:24.

4. No friend in the world takes that contentment in his friends, as Jesus Christ does in believers. Song of Songs 4:9. "You have ravished my heart, (he says to the spouse) you have ravished my heart with one of your eyes, with one chain of your neck." The Hebrew, here rendered "ravished," signifies to puff up, or to make one proud: how the Lord Jesus is pleased to glory in his people! How he is taken and delighted with those gracious ornaments which himself bestows upon them! There is no friend so lovely as Christ.

5. No friend in the world loves his friend with as impassioned and strong affection as Jesus Christ loves believers. Jacob loved Rachel, and endured for her sake the parching heat of summer and cold of winter; but Christ endured the storms of the wrath of God, the heat of his indignation, for our sakes. David manifested his love to Absalom, in wishing, "O that I had died for you!" Christ manifested his love to us, not in wishes that he had died, but in death itself, in our stead, and for our sakes.

6. No friend in the world is so constant and unchangeable in friendship as Christ is. John 13:1, "Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end." He bears with millions of provocations and wrongs, and yet will not break friendship with his people. Peter denied him, yet he will not disown him; but after his resurrection he says, "Go, tell the disciples, and tell Peter." Let him not think he has forfeited by that sin of his, his interest in me. Though he denied me, I will not disown him, Mark 16:7. 0 how lovely is Christ in the relation of a friend!

I might further show you the loveliness of Christ in his ordinances and in his providences, in his communion with us and communications to us, but there is no end of the account of Christ's loveliness: I will rather choose to press believers to their duties towards this altogether lovely Christ, which I shall briefly conclude in a few words.

Application

1. Is Jesus Christ altogether lovely? Then I beseech you set your souls upon this lovely Jesus. I am sure such an object as has been here represented, would compel love from the coldest breast and hardest heart. Away with those empty nothings, away with this vain deceitful world, which deserves not the thousandth part of the love you give it. Let all stand aside and give way to Christ. O if only you knew his worth and excellency, what he is in himself, what he has done for you, and deserved from you, you would need no arguments of mine to persuade you to love him!

2. Esteem nothing lovely except as it is enjoyed in Christ, or used for the sake of Christ. Love nothing for itself, love nothing separate from Jesus Christ. In two things we all sin in love of created things. We sin in the excess of our affections, loving them above the proper value of mere created things. We also sin in the inordinacy of our affections, that is to say we give our love for created things a priority it should never have.

3. Let us all be humbled for the corruption of our hearts that are so eager in their affections for vanities and trifles and so hard to be persuaded to the love of Christ, who is altogether lovely. O how many pour out streams of love and delight upon the vain and empty created thing; while no arguments can draw forth one drop of love from their stubborn and unbelieving hearts to Jesus Christ! I have read of one Joannes Mollius, who was observed to go often alone, and weep bitterly; and being pressed by a friend to know the cause of his troubles, said "O! it grieves me that I cannot bring this heart of mine to love Jesus Christ more fervently."

4. Represent Christ to the world as he is, by your behaviour towards him. Is he altogether lovely? Let all the world see and know that he is so, by your delights in him and communion with him; zeal for him, and readiness to part with any other lovely thing upon his account. Proclaim his excellencies to the world, as the spouse did in these verses. Persuade them how much your beloved is better than any other beloved. Show his glorious excellencies as you speak of him; hold him forth to others, as he is in himself: altogether lovely. See that you "walk worthy of him unto all well pleasing," Col. 1:10. "Show forth the praises of Christ," 1 Pet. 2:19. Let not that "worthy name be blasphemed through you," James 2:7. He is glorious in himself, and he is sure to put glory upon you; take heed that you do not put shame and dishonours upon him; he has committed his honour to you, do not betray that trust.

Never be ashamed to be counted as a Christian: he is altogether lovely; he can never be a shame to you; it will be your great sin to be ashamed of him. Some men glory in their shame; do not let yourself be ashamed of your glory. If you will be ashamed of Christ now, he will be ashamed of you when he shall appear in his own glory, and the glory of all his holy angels. Be ashamed of nothing but sin; and among other sins, be ashamed especially for this sin, that you have no more love for him who is altogether lovely.

6. Be willing to leave every thing that is lovely upon earth, in order that you may be with the altogether lovely Lord Jesus Christ in heaven. Lift up your voices with the bride, Rev. 20:20 "Come Lord Jesus, come quickly." It is true, you must pass through the pangs of death into his intimacy and enjoyment; but surely it is worth suffering much more than that to be with this lovely Jesus. "The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and the patient waiting for Jesus Christ," 2 Thes. 3:5.

7. Let the loveliness of Christ draw all men to him. Is loveliness in the creature so attractive? And can the transcendent loveliness of Christ draw none? O the blindness of man! If you see no beauty in Christ that causes you to desire him, it is because the god of this world has blinded your minds.

8. Strive to be Christ-like, if ever you would be lovely in the eyes of God and man. Certainly, my brethren, it is only the Spirit of Christ within you, and the beauty of Christ upon you, which can make you lovely persons. The more you resemble him in holiness, the more will you show of true excellence and loveliness; and the more frequent and spiritual your communication and communion with Christ is, the more of the beauty and loveliness of Christ will be stamped upon your spirits, changing you into the same image, from glory to glory. Amen.

[Jaltus]

You know what is scary? That sermon reminds me a lot of John Wesley's sermons.

Good stuff, GP.

[joelkaki]

Thanks, GP for posting that. Sermons like that, as well as those of men such as Jonathan Edwards, give me a sense of amazement. They are so logically ordered. Everything is supported and logically reasoned.

Keep posting more everybody, either of your own, or somone elses. I enjoy reading them.

Joel

[joelkaki]

Couldn't help posting this one. One of my personal favorites. The only bone of contention with it is that all of it is not really based on his base text, yet I still love what he says.


Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God
JONATHAN EDWARDS

Enfield, Connecticut
July 8, 1741.

"Their foot shall slide in due time."—Deut. 32:35.

"In this verse is threatened the vengeance of God on the wicked unbelieving Israelites, who were God's visible people, and who lived under the means of grace; but who, notwithstanding all God's wonderful works towards them, remained (as vers 28.) void of counsel, having no understanding in them. Under all the cultivations of heaven, they brought forth bitter and poisonous fruit; as in the two verses next preceding the text. — The expression I have chosen for my text, Their foot shall slide in due time, seems to imply the following things, relating to the punishment and destruction to which these wicked Israelites were exposed.

1. That they were always exposed to destruction; as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall. This is implied in the manner of their destruction coming upon them, being represented by their foot sliding. The same is expressed, Psalm 72:18. "Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction."

2. It implies, that they were always exposed to sudden unexpected destruction. As he that walks in slippery places is every moment liable to fall, he cannot foresee one moment whether he shall stand or fall the next; and when he does fall, he falls at once without warning: Which is also expressed in Psalm 73:18,19. "Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction: How are they brought into desolation as in a moment!"

3. Another thing implied is, that they are liable to fall of themselves, without being thrown down by the hand of another; as he that stands or walks on slippery ground needs nothing but his own weight to throw him down.

4. That the reason why they are not fallen already and do not fall now is only that God's appointed time is not come. For it is said, that when that due time, or appointed time comes, their foot shall slide. Then they shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God will not hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go; and then, at that very instant, they shall fall into destruction; as he that stands on such slippery declining ground, on the edge of a pit, he cannot stand alone, when he is let go he immediately falls and is lost.

The observation from the words that I would now insist upon is this. — "There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of hell, but the mere pleasure of God." — By the mere pleasure of God, I mean his sovereign pleasure, his arbitrary will, restrained by no obligation, hindered by no manner of difficulty, any more than if nothing else but God's mere will had in the least degree, or in any respect whatsoever, any hand in the preservation of wicked men one moment. — The truth of this observation may appear by the following considerations.

1. There is no want of power in God to cast wicked men into hell at any moment. Men's hands cannot be strong when God rises up. The strongest have no power to resist him, nor can any deliver out of his hands. — He is not only able to cast wicked men into hell, but he can most easily do it. Sometimes an earthly prince meets with a great deal of difficulty to subdue a rebel, who has found means to fortify himself, and has made himself strong by the numbers of his followers. But it is not so with God. There is no fortress that is any defence from the power of God. Though hand join in hand, and vast multitudes of God's enemies combine and associate themselves, they are easily broken in pieces. They are as great heaps of light chaff before the whirlwind; or large quantities of dry stubble before devouring flames. We find it easy to tread on and crush a worm that we see crawling on the earth; so it is easy for us to cut or singe a slender thread that any thing hangs by: thus easy is it for God, when he pleases, to cast his enemies down to hell. What are we, that we should think to stand before him, at whose rebuke the earth trembles, and before whom the rocks are thrown down?

2. They deserve to be cast into hell; so that divine justice never stands in the way, it makes no objection against God's using his power at any moment to destroy them. Yea, on the contrary, justice calls aloud for an infinite punishment of their sins. Divine justice says of the tree that brings forth such grapes of Sodom, "Cut it down, why cumbereth it the ground?" Luke 13:7. The sword of divine justice is every moment brandished over their heads, and it is nothing but the hand of arbitrary mercy, and God's mere will, that holds it back.

3. They are already under a sentence of condemnation to hell. They do not only justly deserve to be cast down thither, but the sentence of the law of God, that eternal and immutable rule of righteousness that God has fixed between him and mankind, is gone out against them, and stands against them; so that they are bound over already to hell. John 3:18. " He that believeth not is condemned already." So that every unconverted man properly belongs to hell; that is his place; from thence he is, John 8:23. "Ye are from beneath:" And thither he is bound; it is the place that justice, and God's word, and the sentence of his unchangeable law assign to him.

4. They are now the objects of that very same anger and wrath of God, that is expressed in the torments of hell. And the reason why they do not go down to hell at each moment, is not because God, in whose power they are, is not then very angry with them; as he is with many miserable creatures now tormented in hell, who there feel and bear the fierceness of his wrath. Yea, God is a great deal more angry with great numbers that are now on earth: yea, doubtless, with many that are now in this congregation, who it may be are at ease, than he is with many of those who are now in the flames of hell.

So that it is not because God is unmindful of their wickedness, and does not resent it, that he does not let loose his hand and cut them off. God is not altogether such an one as themselves, though they may imagine him to be so. The wrath of God bums against them, their damnation does not slumber; the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them; the flames do now rage and glow. The glittering sword is whet, and held over them, and the pit hath opened its mouth under them.

5. The devil stands ready to fall upon them, and seize them as his own, at what moment God shall permit him. They belong to him; he has their souls in his possession, and under his dominion. The scripture represents them as his goods, Luke 11:12. The devils watch them; they are ever by them at their right hand; they stand waiting for them, like greedy hungry lions that see their prey, and expect to have it, but are for the present kept back. If God should withdraw his hand, by which they are restrained, they would in one moment fly upon their poor souls. The old serpent is gaping for them; hell opens its mouth wide to receive them; and if God should permit it, they would be hastily swallowed up and lost.

6. There are in the souls of wicked men those hellish principles reigning, that would presently kindle and flame out into hell fire, if it were not for God's restraints. There is laid in the very nature of carnal men, a foundation for the torments of hell. There are those corrupt principles, in reigning power in them, and in full possession of them, that are seeds of hell fire. These principles are active and powerful, exceeding violent in their nature, and if it were not for the restraining hand of God upon them, they would soon break out, they would flame out after the same manner as the same corruptions, the same enmity does in the hearts of damned souls, and would beget the same torments as they do in them. The souls of the wicked are in scripture compared to the troubled sea, Isa. 57:20. For the present, God restrains their wickedness by his mighty power, as he does the raging waves of the troubled sea, saying, "Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further;" but if God should withdraw that restraining power, it would soon carry all before it. Sin is the ruin and misery of the soul; it is destructive in its nature; and if God should leave it without restraint, there would need nothing else to make the soul perfectly miserable. The corruption of the heart of man is immoderate and boundless in its fury; and while wicked me live here, it is like fire pent up by God's restraints, whereas if it were let loose, it would set on fire the course of nature; and as the heart is now a sink of sin, so if sin was not restrained, it would immediately turn the soul into fiery oven, or a furnace of fire and brimstone.

7. It is no security to wicked men for one moment, that there are no visible means of death at hand. It is no security to a natural man, that he is now in health, and that he does not see which way he should now immediately go out of the world by any accident, and that there is no visible danger in any respect in his circumstances. The manifold and continual experience of the world in all ages, shows this is no evidence, that a man is not on the very brink of eternity, and that the next step will not be into another world. The unseen, unthought-of ways and means of persons going suddenly out of the world are innumerable and inconceivable. Unconverted men walk over the pit of hell on a rotten covering, and there are innumerable places in this covering so weak that they will not bear their weight, and these places are not seen. The arrows of death fly unseen at noon-day; the sharpest sight cannot discern them. God has so many different unsearchable ways of taking wicked men out of the world and sending them to hell, that there is nothing to make it appear, that God had need to be at the expense of a miracle, or go out of the ordinary course of his providence, to destroy any wicked man, at any moment. All the means that there are of sinners going out of the world, are so in God's hands, and so universally and absolutely subject to his power and determination, that it does not depend at all the less on the mere will of God, whether sinners shall at any moment go to hell, than if means were never made use of, or at all concerned in the case.

8. Natural men's prudence and care to preserve their own lives, or the care of others to preserve them, do not secure them a moment. To this, divine providence and universal experience do also bear testimony. There is this clear evidence that men's own wisdom is no security to them from death; that if it were otherwise we should see some difference between the wise and politic men of the world, and others, with regard to their liableness to early and unexpected death: but how is it in fact? Eccles. 2:16. "How dieth the wise man? even as the fool."

9. All wicked men's pains and contrivance which they use to escape hell, while they continue to reject Christ, and so remain wicked men, do not secure them from hell one moment. Almost every natural man that hears of hell, flatters himself that he shall escape it; he depends upon himself for his own security; he flatters himself in what he has done, in what he is now doing, or what he intends to do. Every one lays out matters in his own mind how he shall avoid damnation, and flatters himself that he contrives well for himself, and that his schemes will not fail. They hear indeed that there are but few saved, and that the greater part of men that have died heretofore are gone to hell; but each one imagines that he lays out matters better for his own escape than others have done. He does not intend to come to that place of torment; he says within himself, that he intends to take effectual care, and to order matters so for himself as not to fail.

But the foolish children of men miserably delude themselves in their own schemes, and in confidence in their own strength and wisdom; they trust to nothing but a shadow. The greater part of those who heretofore have lived under the same means of grace, and are now dead, are undoubtedly gone to hell; and it was not because they were not as wise as those who are now alive: it was not because they did not lay out matters as well for themselves to secure their own escape. If we could speak with them, and inquire of them, one by one, whether they expected, when alive, and when they used to hear about hell, ever to be the subjects of misery: we doubtless, should hear one and another reply, "No, I never intended to come here: I had laid out matters otherwise in my mind; I thought I should contrive well for myself — I thought my scheme good. I intended to take effectual care; but it came upon me unexpected; I did not look for it at that time, and in that manner; it came as a thief — Death outwitted me: God's wrath was too quick for me. Oh, my cursed foolishness! I was flattering myself, and pleasing myself with vain dreams of what I would do hereafter; and when I was saying, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction came upon me."

10. God has laid himself under no obligation, by any promise to keep any natural man out of hell one moment. God certainly has made no promises either of eternal life, or of any deliverance or preservation from eternal death, but what are contained in the covenant of grace, the promises that are given in Christ, in whom all the promises are yea and amen. But surely they have no interest in the promises of the covenant of grace who are not the children of the covenant, who do not believe in any of the promises, and have no interest in the Mediator of the covenant.

So that, whatever some have imagined and pretended about promises made to natural men's earnest seeking and knocking, it is plain and manifest, that whatever pains a natural man takes in religion, whatever prayers he makes, till he believes in Christ, God is under no manner of obligation to keep him a moment from eternal destruction.

So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked, his anger is as great towards them as to those that are actually suffering the executions of the fierceness of his wrath in hell, and they have done nothing in the least to appease or abate that anger, neither is God in the least bound by any promise to hold them up one moment; the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them, and swallow them up; the fire pent up in their own hearts is struggling to break out: and they have no interest in any Mediator, there are no means within reach that can be any security to them. In short, they have no refuge, nothing to take hold of; all that preserves them every moment is the mere arbitrary will, and uncovenanted, unobliged forbearance of an incensed God.

Application
The use of this awful subject may be for awakening unconverted persons in this congregation. This that you have heard is the case of every one of you that are out of Christ. — That world of misery, that take of burning brimstone, is extended abroad under you. There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell's wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor any thing to take hold of; there is nothing between you and hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up.

You probably are not sensible of this; you find you are kept out of hell, but do not see the hand of God in it; but look at other things, as the good state of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you use for your own preservation. But indeed these things are nothing; if God should withdraw his hand, they would avail no more to keep you from falling, than the thin air to hold up a person that is suspended in it.

Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider's web would have to stop a falling rock. Were it not for the sovereign pleasure of God, the earth would not bear you one moment; for you are a burden to it; the creation groans with you; the creature is made subject to the bondage of your corruption, not willingly; the sun does not willingly shine upon you to give you light to serve sin and Satan; the earth does not willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts; nor is it willingly a stage for your wickedness to be acted upon; the air does not willingly serve you for breath to maintain the flame of life in your vitals, while you spend your life in the service of God's enemies. God's creatures are good, and were made for men to serve God with, and do not willingly subserve to any other purpose, and groan when they are abused to purposes so directly contrary to their nature and end. And the world would spew you out, were it not for the sovereign hand of him who hath subjected it in hope. There are the black clouds of God's wrath now hanging directly over your heads, full of the dreadful storm, and big with thunder; and were it not for the restraining hand of God, it would immediately burst forth upon you. The sovereign pleasure of God, for the present, stays his rough wind; otherwise it would come with fury, and your destruction would come like a whirlwind, and you would be like the chaff of the summer threshing floor.

The wrath of God is like great waters that are dammed for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given; and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is its course, when once it is let loose. It is true, that judgment against your evil works has not been executed hitherto; the floods of God's vengeance have been withheld; but your guilt in the mean time is constantly increasing, and you are every day treasuring up more wrath; the waters are constantly rising, and waxing more and more mighty; and there is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, that holds the waters back, that are unwilling to be stopped, and press hard to go forward. If God should only withdraw his hand from the flood-gate, it would immediately fly open, and the fiery floods of the fierceness and wrath of God, would rush forth with inconceivable fury, and would come upon you with omnipotent power; and if your strength were ten thousand times greater than it is, yea, ten thousand times greater than the strength of the stoutest, sturdiest devil in hell, it would be nothing to withstand or endure it.

The bow of God's wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart, and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being made drunk with your blood. Thus all you that never passed under a great change of heart, by the mighty power of the Spirit of God upon your souls; all you that were never born again, and made new creatures, and raised from being dead in sin, to a state of new, and before altogether unexperienced light and life, are in the hands of an angry God. However you may have reformed your life in many things, and may have had religious affections, and may keep up a form of religion in your families and closets, and in the house of God, it is nothing but his mere pleasure that keeps you from being this moment swallowed up in everlasting destruction. However unconvinced you may now be of the truth of what you hear, by and by you will be fully convinced of it. Those that are gone from being in the like circumstances with you, see that it was so with them; for destruction came suddenly upon most of them; when they expected nothing of it, and while they were saying, Peace and safety: now they see, that those things on which they depended for peace and safety, were nothing but thin air and empty shadows.

The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment. It is to be ascribed to nothing else, that you did not go to hell the last night; that you was suffered to awake again in this world, after you closed your eyes to sleep. And there is no other reason to be given, why you have not dropped into hell since you arose in the morning, but that God's hand has held you up. There is no other reason to be given why you have not gone to hell, since you have sat here in the house of God, provoking his pure eyes by your sinful wicked manner of attending his solemn worship. Yea, there is nothing else that is to be given as a reason why you do not this very moment drop down into hell."

[continued]

[joelkaki]

[continued]

"O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in: it is a great furnace of wrath, a wide and bottomless pit, full of the fire of wrath, that you are held over in the hand of that God, whose wrath is provoked and incensed as much against you, as against many of the damned in hell. You hang by a slender thread, with the flames of divine wrath flashing about it, and ready every moment to singe it, and burn it asunder; and you have no interest in any Mediator, and nothing to lay hold of to save yourself, nothing to keep off the flames of wrath, nothing of your own, nothing that you ever have done, nothing that you can do, to induce God to spare you one moment. — And consider here more particularly,

1. Whose wrath it is: it is the wrath of the infinite God. If it were only the wrath of man, though it were of the most potent prince, it would be comparatively little to be regarded. The wrath of kings is very much dreaded, especially of absolute monarchs, who have the possessions and lives of their subjects wholly in their power, to be disposed of at their mere will. Prov. 20:2. "The fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion: Whoso provoketh him to anger, sinneth against his own soul." The subject that very much enrages an arbitrary prince, is liable to suffer the most extreme torments that human art can invent, or human power can inflict. But the greatest earthly potentates in their greatest majesty and strength, and when clothed in their greatest terrors, are but feeble, despicable worms of the dust, in comparison of the great and almighty Creator and King of heaven and earth. It is but little that they can do, when most enraged, and when they have exerted the utmost of their fury. All the kings of the earth, before God, are as grasshoppers; they are nothing, and less than nothing: both their love and their hatred is to be despised. The wrath of the great King of kings, is as much more terrible than theirs, as his majesty is greater. Luke 12:4,5. "And I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that, have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom you shall fear: fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell: yea, I say unto you, Fear him."

2. It is the fierceness of his wrath that you are exposed to. We often read of the fury of God; as in Isa. 59:18. "According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay fury to his adversaries." So Isa. 66:15. "For behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire." And in many other places. So, Rev. 19:15, we read of "the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." The words are exceeding terrible. If it had only been said, "the wrath of God," the words would have implied that which is infinitely dreadful: but it is " the fierceness and wrath of God." The fury of God! the fierceness of Jehovah! Oh, how dreadful that must be! Who can utter or conceive what such expressions carry in them! But it is also "the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." As though there would be a very great manifestation of his almighty power in what the fierceness of his wrath should inflict, as though omnipotence should be as it were enraged, and exerted, as men are wont to exert their strength in the fierceness of their wrath. Oh! then, what will be the consequence! What will become of the poor worms that shall suffer it! Whose hands can be strong? And whose heart can endure? To what a dreadful, inexpressible, inconceivable depth of misery must the poor creature be sunk who shall be the subject of this!

Consider this, you that are here present, that yet remain in an unregenerate state. That God will execute the fierceness of his anger, implies, that he will inflict wrath without any pity. When God beholds the ineffable extremity of your case, and sees your torment to be so fastly disproportioned to your strength, and sees how your poor soul is crushed, and sinks down, as it were, into an infinite gloom; he will have no compassion upon you, he will not forbear the executions of his wrath, or in the least lighten his hand; there shall be no moderation or mercy, nor will God then at all stay his rough wind; he will have no regard to your welfare, nor be at all careful lest you should suffer too much in any other sense, than only that you shall not suffer beyond what strict justice requires. Nothing shall be withheld, because it is so hard for you to bear. Ezek. 8:18. "Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet I will not hear them." Prov. 1:24-32.

How awful are those words, Isa. 63:3, which are the words of the great God. "I will tread them in mine anger, and will trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment." It is perhaps impossible to conceive of words that carry in them greater manifestations of these three things, viz. contempt, and hatred, and fierceness of indignation. If you cry to God to pity you, he will be so far from pitying you in your doleful case, or showing you the least regard or favour, that instead of that, he will only tread you under foot. And though he will know that you cannot bear the weight of omnipotence treading upon you, yet he will not regard that, but he will crush you under his feet without mercy; he will crush out your blood, and make it fly, and it shall be sprinkled on his garments, so as to stain all his raiment. He will not only hate you, but he will have you in the utmost contempt: no place shall be thought fit for you, but under his feet to be trodden down as the mire of the streets.

3. The misery you are exposed to is that which God will inflict to that end, that he might show what that wrath of Jehovah is. God hath had it on his heart to show to angels and men, both how excellent his love is, and also how terrible his wrath is. Sometimes earthly kings have a mind to show how terrible their wrath is, by the extreme punishments they would execute on those that would provoke them. Nebuchadnezzar, that mighty and haughty monarch of the Chaldean empire, was willing to show his wrath when enraged with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; and accordingly gave orders that the burning fiery furnace should be heated seven times hotter than it was before; doubtless, it was raised to the utmost degree of fierceness that human art could raise it. But the great God is also willing to show his wrath, and magnify his awful majesty and mighty power in the extreme sufferings of his enemies. Rom. 9:22. "What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?" And seeing this is his design, and what he has determined, even to show how terrible the unrestrained wrath, the fury and fierceness of Jehovah is, he will do it to effect. There will be something accomplished and brought to pass that will be dreadful with a witness. When the great and angry God hath risen up and executed his awful vengeance on the poor sinner, and the wretch is actually suffering the infinite weight and power of his indignation, then will God call upon the whole universe to behold that awful majesty and mighty power that is to be seen in it. Isa. 33:12-14. "And the people shall be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut up shall they be burnt in the fire. Hear ye that are far off, what I have done; and ye that are near, acknowledge my might. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with the everlasting burnings?" Isa. 33:12-14.

Thus it will be with you that are in an unconverted state, if you continue in it; the infinite might, and majesty, and terribleness of the omnipotent God shall be magnified upon you, in the ineffable strength of your torments. You shall be tormented in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb; and when you shall be in this state of suffering, the glorious inhabitants of heaven shall go forth and look on the awful spectacle, that they may see what the wrath and fierceness of the Almighty is; and when they have seen it, they will fall down and adore that great power and majesty. Isa. 66:23,24. "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me; for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched, and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh."

4. It is everlasting wrath. It would be dreadful to suffer this fierceness and wrath of Almighty God one moment; but you must suffer it to all eternity. There will be no end to this exquisite horrible misery. When you look forward, you shall see a long for ever, a boundless duration before you, which will swallow up your thoughts, and amaze your soul; and you will absolutely despair of ever having any deliverance, any end, any mitigation, any rest at all. You will know certainly that you must wear out long ages, millions of millions of ages, in wrestling and conflicting with this almighty merciless vengeance; and then when you have so done, when so many ages have actually been spent by you in this manner, you will know that all is but a point to what remains. So that your punishment will indeed be infinite. Oh, who can express what the state of a soul in such circumstances is! All that we can possibly say about it, gives but a very feeble, faint representation of it; it is inexpressible and inconceivable: For "who knows the power of God's anger?"

How dreadful is the state of those that are daily and hourly in the danger of this great wrath and infinite misery! But this is the dismal case of every soul in this congregation that has not been born again, however moral and strict, sober and religious, they may otherwise be. Oh that you would consider it, whether you be young or old! There is reason to think, that there are many in this congregation now hearing this discourse, that will actually be the subjects of this very misery to all eternity. We know not who they are, or in what seats they sit, or what thoughts they now have. It may be they are now at ease, and hear all these things without much disturbance, and are now flattering themselves that they are not the persons, promising themselves that they shall escape. If we knew that there was one person, and but one, in the whole congregation, that was to be the subject of this misery, what an awful thing would it be to think of! If we knew who it was, what an awful sight would it be to see such a person! How might all the rest of the congregation lift up a lamentable and bitter cry over him! But, alas! instead of one, how many is it likely will remember this discourse in hell? And it would be a wonder, if some that are now present should not be in hell in a very short time, even before this year is out. And it would be no wonder if some persons, that now sit here, in some seats of this meeting-house, in health, quiet and secure, should be there before tomorrow morning. Those of you that finally continue in a natural condition, that shall keep out of hell longest will be there in a little time! your damnation does not slumber; it will come swiftly, and, in all probability, very suddenly upon many of you. You have reason to wonder that you are not already in hell. It is doubtless the case of some whom you have seen and known, that never deserved hell more than you, and that heretofore appeared as likely to have been now alive as you. Their case is past all hope; they are crying in extreme misery and perfect despair; but here you are in the land of the living and in the house of God, and have an opportunity to obtain salvation. What would not those poor damned hopeless souls give for one day's opportunity such as you now enjoy!

And now you have an extraordinary opportunity, a day wherein Christ has thrown the door of mercy wide open, and stands in calling and crying with a loud voice to poor sinners; a day wherein many are flocking to him, and pressing into the kingdom of God. Many are daily coming from the east, west, north and south; many that were very lately in the same miserable condition that you are in, are now in a happy state, with their hearts filled with love to him who has loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood, and rejoicing in hope of the glory of God. How awful is it to be left behind at such a day! To see so many others feasting, while you are pining and perishing! To see so many rejoicing and singing for joy of heart, while you have cause to mourn for sorrow of heart, and howl for vexation of spirit! How can you rest one moment in such a condition? Are not your souls as precious as the souls of the people at Suffield, where they are flocking from day to day to Christ?

Are there not many here who have lived long in the world, and are not to this day born again? and so are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and have done nothing ever since they have lived, but treasure up wrath against the day of wrath? Oh, sirs, your case, in an especial manner, is extremely dangerous. Your guilt and hardness of heart is extremely great. Do you not see how generally persons of your years are passed over and left, in the present remarkable and wonderful dispensation of God's mercy? You had need to consider yourselves, and awake thoroughly out of sleep. You cannot bear the fierceness and wrath of the infinite God. — And you, young men, and young women, will you neglect this precious season which you now enjoy, when so many others of your age are renouncing all youthful vanities, and flocking to Christ? You especially have now an extraordinary opportunity; but if you neglect it, it will soon be with you as with those persons who spent all the precious days of youth in sin, and are now come to such a dreadful pass in blindness and hardness. — And you, children, who are unconverted, do not you know that you are going down to hell, to bear the dreadful wrath of that God, who is now angry with you every day and every night? Will you be content to be the children of the devil, when so many other children in the land are converted, and are become the holy and happy children of the King of kings?

And let every one that is yet out of Christ, and hanging over the pit of hell, whether they be old men and women, or middle aged, or young people, or little children, now hearken to the loud calls of God's word and providence. This acceptable year of the Lord, a day of such great favour to some, will doubtless be a day of as remarkable vengeance to others. Men's hearts harden, and their guilt increases apace at such a day as this, if they neglect their souls; and never was there so great danger of such persons being given up to hardness of heart and blindness of mind. God seems now to be hastily gathering in his elect in all parts of the land; and probably the greater part of adult persons that ever shall be saved, will be brought in now in a little time, and that it will be as it was on the great out-pouring of the Spirit upon the Jews in the apostles' days; the election will obtain, and the rest will be blinded. If this should be the case with you, you will eternally curse this day, and will curse the day that ever you was born, to see such a season of the pouring out of God's Spirit, and will wish that you had died and gone to hell before you had seen it. Now undoubtedly it is, as it was in the days of John the Baptist, the axe is in an extraordinary manner laid at the root of the trees, that every tree which brings not forth good fruit, may be hewn down and cast into the fire.

Therefore, let every one that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over a great part of this congregation. Let every one fly out of Sodom: "Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed."


I'm sure a lot of you have read this one before, but I post it because it the great message it conveys. Would that men would call people to such repentance today, and that the people would respond today as they did to this sermon when it was preached. By God's grace only does this happen. And I know there are men that do so proclaim His Word. But sadly, many do not.

Joel

[seer]

Here is an excellent sermon by an old Puritian

http://www.puritansermons.com/erskine/eerskin01.htm

[Revolg]

Hebrews 12

Example of Christ's Endurance

Everybody has their trials and tribulations in life that affect relationships, jobs, and even their walk with our Lord Jesus. The word of God tells us to "lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us." We need to perservere in our faith and walk with the Lord always. When issues come up, who should we be looking towards? Put Jesus in it and you have the right answer. It is that important!

"1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a could of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin."

We in our lives are surrounded by those who would testify our faults (great a cloud of witnesses), that they'll be able to see the burdens we do carry. The author tells us to 'lay aside every weight' and to 'run with patience the race that is set before us.' We are exhorted to look to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. It's because He is in our hearts and walks with us always (Matthew 18:20; Matthew 28:20). His claim to be omnipresent is nothing short of declaring Himself God Almighty. Only God can possibly die for us and for the joy of dying for us was on His mind (Hebrews 12:2b). The author of Hebrews makes a plea to consider him that endured the contradictions of sinners against Himself (Meaning He took our sin to the cross). The Jews of His coming opposed his plan for humanity, misconstructed what He had said, and then ridiculed his claims. This passage really sticks out like a sore thumb when it comes to looking to Jesus and finishing the race with Him! Do remember that we will be mocked at, claimed inferior, called fundamentalist Christians, and hated for His name's sake which is above all names! If any man suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, and always glorify God on this behalf (1 Peter 4:16). If you are a Christian you will perservere to glory and if not you will be faint in your mind. You will be weary without Jesus to look to. Consider him that died for you today (Hebrews 12:3).

Eric

[joelkaki]

Thank you, seer and revolg, for posting those. I always enjoy reading another one.


Joel

[Sardine]

Hi Joel,

Have just subscribed to this Theology Web and have come straight to the sermons - I much appreciate them and all I can say of yours that comes to mind is I wish I had read this, years ago. It is valid for me too, this very day. Your language is swift, and the imagery clear - the points you were making were reconciled as you wrote, and really the conclusion of your sermon was the beginning. It didn't require a standard conclusion.

Keep it up, keep sharp :read:

[Jaltus]

Welcome to TWeb, Sardine.

The drinks are in the fridge and the nuts are everywhere!

[joelkaki]

Hi Joel,

Have just subscribed to this Theology Web and have come straight to the sermons - I much appreciate them and all I can say of yours that comes to mind is I wish I had read this, years ago. It is valid for me too, this very day. Your language is swift, and the imagery clear - the points you were making were reconciled as you wrote, and really the conclusion of your sermon was the beginning. It didn't require a standard conclusion.

Keep it up, keep sharp

Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me.

Joel

[JackS]

You guys might like my web site.

historicsermons.com where the Great Awakening comes alive.

I do sermon re-enactments. My first is "The Method of Grace" by George Whitefield.

[joelkaki]

*bump*

BTW, JackS, that sounds great! More people need to come into contact with Puritan Sermons.

Joel

[JackS]

Thanks Joel,
It's slow going right now. I need to get in the studio and get some more recorded, but I currently commute 7 hours to work, so I am only home on weekends. This also makes setting up new places to do the sermon difficult to say the least. In His time.

[joelkaki]

Come on, I know some of you have some good sermons out there, your own or otherwise. Come on, feed me, feed me.


Joel

[joelkaki]

*bump* (again, *sighs*)


Joel

[JohnStevenson]

My own web page offers a host of sermons, Bible Studies and the occasional chart at http://JohnStevenson.net

I was just informed today that I'm preaching next Sunday on 1 Thessalonians 2:17-ff, so that will likely be the next addition.