A Castaway
F.B. Meyer explores the haunting fear of becoming a castaway, emphasizing the importance of self-examination and community support in the believer's journey.
F.B. Meyer reflects on the profound fear that even the most devoted servants of God, like Paul, can experience regarding the possibility of becoming a castaway after preaching to others. He emphasizes that this dread can haunt individuals, driving them to introspection about their spiritual state and effectiveness in ministry. Meyer shares his own struggles with this fear, questioning whether he might be a castaway if he does not see the fruits of his labor. He challenges the congregation to consider their own spiritual condition and the reality of being a castaway, urging them to remain vigilant in their faith.
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I invite your attention to a few words found in 1Co_9:27 : "Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." Paul was too eager and too practical a man to dally with a bogy dread. Since then he intimates that it was his daily fear lest, after having preached to others, he might himself be a castaway, I suppose that there were but few hours in his life when this dread did not haunt him.
After he had founded so many churches, written so many epistles, and exercised so wide, spread an influence, in his quiet moments he was perpetually face to face with this awful nightmare, that the day might come when he would be a castaway; and the thought drove him almost to madness.
When he was traveling over the blue AEgean, when he was sitting making his tents, when he was engaged in dictating his epistles, the thought would come back and back upon his heart: "I may yet be a castaway." Have you ever feared this? I am not sure that a man ever reaches his highest development without something of the element of fear, and I ask you now if in your life you know something of this haunting dread?
May I confess to you that it has become a great dread of my own? and if many days pass, and no one writes to tell me of help derived from my ministry, and no one comes to join our church, and no one seems to be influenced by my life or word, I sit myself down and say: "Good God, has the time come at last to me when for some reason I, too, am to be a castaway?" And reverently, humbly, but most searchingly, I ask you, my hearer, whether it may not be possible that this very moment you are already a castaway.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Introduction to the concept of being a castaway - Paul's personal fear of becoming a castaway - The significance of this fear in his ministry
- II points: - The haunting nature of fear in a believer's life - Personal reflections on the fear of being ineffective - The impact of this fear on spiritual growth
- III points: - The importance of self-examination - Recognizing signs of being a castaway - Encouragement to seek God's assurance
- IV points: - The role of community in combating fear - The necessity of accountability - The power of prayer and support
- V points: - Conclusion and call to action - Encouragement to remain steadfast - Hope in God's grace and mercy
Key Quotes
“Lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” — F.B. Meyer
“I may yet be a castaway.” — F.B. Meyer
“I ask you now if in your life you know something of this haunting dread?” — F.B. Meyer
Application Points
- Regularly examine your spiritual life to ensure you are aligned with God's will.
- Engage with your community for support and accountability in your faith journey.
- Pray consistently for guidance and assurance in your ministry and personal life.