His Wife Hath Made Herself Ready
The sermon emphasizes the importance of a wholesome, practical holiness that involves fully entering into fellowship with God and living for the benefit of others in preparing for the Lord's coming.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the importance of practical holiness and active service in preparation for the Lord's coming. He warns against a morbid, isolated approach to seeking the Holy Spirit, advocating instead for a vibrant fellowship with God that extends into our daily lives and interactions with others. Simpson shares his own experience of being compelled to share God's message, illustrating that true preparation involves both personal spiritual growth and outreach to those around us. He encourages believers to let God perfect them and to focus on living for the benefit of others as a way to prepare for Christ's return.
Text
There is danger of becoming morbid even in preparing for the Lord's coming. I remember a time when I determined to devote myself to a month of waiting upon the Lord for a baptism of the Holy Ghost. Before the end of the month the Lord had shaken me out of the seclusion and compelled me to go out and carry His message to others. As I went He met me in my service to Him. There is a musty, monkish way of seeking a blessing.
There is also a wholesome, practical holiness which finds us in the company of the Lord Himself, not only in the closet and on the mountaintop of prayer but among publicans and sinners and in the practical duties of life.
The practical preparation for the Lord's coming consists first of fully entering into fellowship with Him in our own spiritual lives, letting Him not only cleanse us, but perfect us in all the finer touches of the Spirit's deeper work. Following that it will mean getting out of ourselves and living for the benefit of others and the preparation of the world for His appearing.
Sermon Outline
- The Danger of Morbid Preparation
- The Practical Preparation for the Lord's Coming
- The Importance of Living for Others
- Preparing the world for His appearing
- Letting God cleanse and perfect us
- Getting out of ourselves and living for others
Key Quotes
“There is a musty, monkish way of seeking a blessing.” — A.B. Simpson
“There is also a wholesome, practical holiness which finds us in the company of the Lord Himself, not only in the closet and on the mountaintop of prayer but among publicans and sinners and in the practical duties of life.” — A.B. Simpson
“The practical preparation for the Lord's coming consists first of fully entering into fellowship with Him in our own spiritual lives, letting Him not only cleanse us, but perfect us in all the finer touches of the Spirit's deeper work.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- Make sure your preparation for the Lord's coming is wholesome and practical, rather than morbid and self-focused.
- Fully enter into fellowship with God in your spiritual life, letting Him cleanse and perfect you.
- Live for the benefit of others and the preparation of the world for His appearing.