LORD, MAKE US TO SEE OUR NEED

“The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass” (Isa. 40:6-7).

Unless the Lord is pleased to teach us and reveal to us what we are by nature (Eph.2:1-3), we will never see our need for Christ and the gospel of His free grace (Rom.3:24). We will never understand our need of Jesus Christ and His great salvation, unless the Holy Spirit is pleased to move upon our heart (John 6:44-45). Only when He reveals unto us our sinful condition, will we seek His salvation in Christ Jesus the Lord (1 Tim.1:12). Only when He speaks to us about our righteousness as being filthy rags, will we seek His righteousness that is performed and provided freely by His grace (1 Cor. 1:30). Only when God reveals to us our total ruin, will we seek redemption through the spotless blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:7). Only when God is pleased to show us how unworthy we are, will we seek Him who is Worthy (Rev. 5:12). Lord, make us to know and see what our need is, so by thy Spirit and grace we can seek thy mercy where it can be found (Phil 3:9; 4:19).

FAITH

Faith in Christ does not cause God to justify us. The obedience of Christ has done that. But faith, resting upon Christ alone as Savior, obtains peace with God, the peace of perfect, complete justification. Faith does not merit justification with God; but faith receives justification. Faith is not the basis upon which we are justified; but faith is the instrument by which justification is received. Faith is essential; but it is not meritorious. Faith receives Christ; but it does not merit Christ. Faith receives the forgiveness of sin; but it does not merit forgiveness. Faith receives grace; but it does not merit grace. Faith receives justification; but it does not merit justification. — We were justified in the court of heaven by the decree of God the Father and by the death of God the Son. Then, in the experience of grace, we are justified in the court of conscience by the declaration of God the Holy Spirit. Pastor Don Fortner

Faith is not the Savior. It was not faith that was born at Bethlehem and died on Golgotha for us. It was not faith that loved us and gave itself for us, that bore our sin in its own body on the tree, that died and rose again for our sins. Faith is one thing, the Saviour is another. Faith is one thing, and the cross is another. Let us not confound them nor ascribe to a poor, imperfect act of man that which belongs exclusively to the Son of the living God. Horatius Bonar

Natural men will do anything and everything except rest in Christ; and even the believer has to labor to rest in Christ due to his remaining sin. “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into His rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief” (Hebrews 4:9-11). Pastor John Chapman

How to Hear a Sermon

Quite often, after a sermon is over, people are heard to say, “Preacher, you sure stepped on my toes today,” or, “My, my, the preacher sure skinned us today.” Somehow, I feel that this type of response to the preaching of God’s Word indicates that there is something wrong with either the preaching or the hearing. When one can lightly pass off the profound mysteries of the gospel of God’s mercy with such meaningless comments, either he has not heard the glorious good news, or it has not been properly presented.

When the Master preached to His disciples, they said, “Didn’t our HEARTS burn within us while He opened to us the Scriptures?” When Peter preached at Pentecost, it is said, “They were pricked in their HEARTS and cried, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’” When Paul turned to the Gentiles with the gospel, the Scripture says, “They were glad and GLORIFIED THE WORD OF THE LORD.” This is so different from departing from the assembly with the flippant remark, “Well, he sure stepped on my toes.”

There is a duty to be performed BEFORE the sermon, DURING the sermon, and AFTER the sermon. My responsibility is to get a message from the Lord, bathe it in prayer and preparation, and seek the fullness of God’s Spirit. Your responsibility BEFORE the sermon is to pray for me and prepare your heart to hear the Word. Coming into God’s presence is no light matter; it is a most serious business. DURING the sermon let everyone hear with attention, interest, and an open heart. AFTER the sermon let every individual seek to apply the Word to both heart and life by retaining the preached Word in thought and conversation.

The Bereans heard the apostles and then SEARCHED the Word to see if these things be so! Our Lord condemned the Pharisees, saying, “My Word hath no place in you” (Jn. 8:37). Let’s give His Word the place it merits – FIRST PLACE! He has graciously promised to bless that Word to His glory and to our eternal good!