======================================================================== BE THOU SUPREME O JESUS CHRIST by Annie Poonen ======================================================================== Summary: This sermon emphasizes the power and significance of hymns in connecting with God, reflecting on the hymn 'Be Thou Supreme, O Jesus Christ' and the deep spiritual impact it can have. It explores the themes of surrendering to God's will, seeking His presence through worship, and the desire to have Jesus as the most important figure in one's life. Topics: "The Power of Hymns", "Surrendering to God's Will" Scripture References: Psalm 100:2, Philippians 2:5, Romans 12:1, Colossians 3:16, Galatians 2:20, Psalm 95:2, John 4:24, Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DESCRIPTION ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This sermon emphasizes the power and significance of hymns in connecting with God, reflecting on the hymn 'Be Thou Supreme, O Jesus Christ' and the deep spiritual impact it can have. It explores the themes of surrendering to God's will, seeking His presence through worship, and the desire to have Jesus as the most important figure in one's life. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CONTENT ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Praise the Lord. Sandeep suggested that I speak on some hymn which has blessed me. So, there are a lot of hymns which have been a blessing to me, but today I want to talk about a hymn which we sing often in NCCF and in other churches, that is, Be Thou Supreme, O Jesus Christ. I'm sure you all love it. I was thinking of the time when Jesus, after the Last Supper, and he told the disciples about his death and they went together. They sang a hymn together and then they went to the garden and he was betrayed and led to be tried and crucified. So, I often think of that hymn. Yeah, I love hymns. So, I was thinking, I wish I knew what that hymn was that Jesus sang. I wish I could learn that, but I know that I can at least have the spirit of that hymn in my heart. I said, Lord, I know that when the disciples and you sang that hymn, it must have been a hymn of surrender to the Father's will, a hymn of thankfulness for the life you gave, comforting, encouraging, and uplifting him. And many hymns have been like that to me, that spirit of that hymn, those hymns speak to me. And growing up as children in a home, we used to have family prayers morning and evening. We'd sing a chorus like God is still on the throne or some chorus. Then my dad would read a portion of scripture and he'd pray. Evening, we did the same, but we did it by ourselves. And starting with a song was my way of having my quiet time. So, later when I went to college, though we were in a shared room, there were four of us in a room, I used to take my hymn book and read out some hymn. Or if I found a place in the terrace or some corner where I could be by myself, I'd sing softly some hymn which came to my mind and read the word of God. And I felt that singing those songs were so meaningful for me. Like it says in Psalms, I'll enter your courts with thanksgiving in my heart. Singing those songs was like a quiet way with reverence and love. I could enter into that room where I could see our Heavenly Father. It was like a private entrance I could have softly and reverently. I could go into the Father's presence and then I could talk to him and he could talk to me. So, that hymn was like the door for me or the key for me to enter that. And so, even though the song was a short one, sometimes the feeling of that song, the spirit of that song itself was enough to satisfy the hunger that was in my heart. You know, when we go to college, those student days, most of us can remember those days, days of loneliness when we feel we miss our loved ones and temptations are there which young people face, pressure of studies. And we see worldliness around us but we don't want to conform to that worldliness. We don't want to live like other people are living and we want to have the strength and boldness to be a disciple of Jesus. So, that was a cry in my heart and very often these songs uplifted me. Sometimes we had fellowship meetings where some of my good friends, I keep in touch with some of them who used to sing together. But very often, I used to sing by myself or read that hymn and got refreshed spiritually. And later on, our children and us, we used to sing together and looking back, we'd remember those happy times when we would choose the song and we'd sing together. And I remember my children loved to play a song which I liked. If I chose something and somebody else chose another, they'd say, okay, let's sing a song which mommy chose. So, they understood the feeling and the hunger that was in my heart to commune with the Lord in song. You know, nowadays when we, I'm not talking about singing, but nowadays when I see some of the paraphernalia that comes with songs, the instruments and the jazzy tone and the loudness, I just shut my eyes and I say, Lord, let me not be distracted with all that. Not even look at the person who's standing there and singing or leading the song, but let me think of you. I shut my eyes and I think of the Lord and I want to make that song, that song which I hear or sing a time of worship to the Lord. So, I want to say just a few words about that song, which has been a blessing to all of us. Be thou supreme, O Jesus Christ, thy love has conquered me. Beneath thy cross I die to self and live alone to thee. You know, sometimes after I sing these songs, I make it a prayer in my own words. I use it, those are my own words to make it as a prayer. So, this is the prayer which I prayed about this first verse. Lord, this is my honest prayer, dear Lord Jesus Christ. I want you to be the most important person in my life, in my entire life. You are the most precious one for me. The first line is that, be thou supreme. And then the first verse says, Lord, thy love has conquered me. Beneath thy cross I die to self and live alone to thee. Lord, I come to the cross and see your great love for me, that you died for me. I want to respond to that great love and die to myself. I want to live henceforth for you and you alone. Then the chorus, be thou supreme, O Christ, O Jesus Christ. Nor creed, nor form, nor word, nor holy church, nor human love compare with thee, my Lord. So, there I say, Lord, nothing compares with thee, nothing compares with you. My church background, my traditions, not even my loved ones, even my closest earthly loved one, even those don't compare with you, my Lord. And that's my, I say, Lord, that is my honest prayer to you. The second verse says, be thou supreme, O Christ, Jesus Christ, my inmost being filled. So shall I think as thou dost think, and will as thou dost will. And then I say, Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit. Fill my innermost and deepest part of my being, so that hereafter I won't think as I think, but I'll think only as you would want me to think. My will become, will become more and more like yours, dear Lord Jesus. And then the chorus, which I just said. The third verse says, be thou supreme, O Jesus Christ, thy love transfigure mine. And through this veil of mortal flesh, Lord, let thy splendor shine. I say again, dear Lord Jesus Christ, I want you to be the most important person in my life, my entire life. You're the most precious one for me. Change me, change my life so that, yeah, that first three, so that even though I have this weak, frail and human nature, your splendid divine life will shine little by little through me. I don't know if I read that verse. Be thou supreme, O Jesus Christ, thy love transfigure mine. And through this veil of mortal flesh, Lord, let thy splendor shine. Then the last verse, be thou supreme, O Jesus Christ, my soul exalts in thee. To be thy slave, to do thy will is my felicity. And that verse, Lord, dear Lord Jesus Christ, I want you to be the most important person in my life. That is my honest prayer. My entire life, you're the precious, most precious one for me. My soul leaps for joy thinking of you. I surrender everything. My greatest lasting joy is to be your slave. That alone will give me supreme and greatest happiness and joy. Be thou supreme, O Jesus Christ. No creed, no form, no word, no tradition, no hope, my church, nothing. Not even the greatest human love, the best human love, not even those compared with you, my Lord. Amen. God bless you, brothers and sisters. ======================================================================== Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/zfci613dk8A.mp4 Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/annie-poonen/be-thou-supreme-o-jesus-christ/ ========================================================================