The sermon discusses the necessity of faithfulness in relationships and the proper use of God's provisions in our lives and missionary work.
This sermon emphasizes the importance of faithfulness, constancy, and stability in relationships, drawing parallels between human vows and God's faithfulness. It highlights the need for believers to be faithful witnesses, declaring deliverance to the captives, and not rely on false assurances or sponsors for missionary work, but on the unchanging nature of God.
Full Transcript
I'm going to give you a brief introduction of what I'm going to talk about in this lecture. I'm going to give you a brief introduction of what I'm going to talk about in this lecture. And I say, after all these years, how little of God's provisions I have used.
How little of God's power I have employed. Just a beggarly amount of this and that. Beggarly love.
I don't know how anybody can be satisfied with a kind of meager, not long-lasting, shallow love. Suppose our marriage vows went something like this. Actually, they say, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, for better or worse.
All right. Suppose they went like this. As soon as you get unemployed, until you lose your front teeth, until you have a nice, flowing hair, I will be faithful to you.
Will you marry under those circumstances? And your husband will come home drunk in one day. Once wife is already talking. And the front teeth fall.
I am free. I am free from my vows. Let me look around for some pretty face.
Not with somebody with dentures. No. We want stability.
We need constancy. We need to be assured that in tough times, our family will hold together. You see, that's the natural longing of every sane, balanced person.
But, if Christ had not been born, if the word of God had not testified against your sins, if the word of God had not testified against your sins, we would have been a bunch of ravaging beasts. There wouldn't have been one virgin. There wouldn't have been one virgin.
But we are producing such a scene again. Why? Because we are not faithful witnesses. Because we are not declaring deliverance to the captives.
It has become a kind of habit today in some quarters. What is it? You find sponsors if you want to go for missionary work. Go around the country.
Tell them how wonderful a person you are. And you will do this and you will do that. And some rich people may give you some assurance of support.
And on that basis, we will permit you to go. On that basis, we will permit you to go. Look at that.
Jehovah-Jireh does not exist on the scene. The God of Abraham is dead. The one who said, I am the same yesterday, today, forever, is no more.
What false kind of basis on which we are basing Christian missionary work today. No, make no mistake. Very often, the governments of this world make this mistake.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Introduction to God's provisions
- Reflection on personal usage of God's power
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II
- The nature of love and commitment
- Comparison to marriage vows
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III
- The need for stability in relationships
- The longing for constancy
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IV
- The impact of Christ's birth on humanity
- The importance of being faithful witnesses
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V
- Critique of modern missionary practices
- The role of faith in support and provision
Key Quotes
“How little of God's power I have employed.” — Joshua Daniel
“We need constancy. We need to be assured that in tough times, our family will hold together.” — Joshua Daniel
“What false kind of basis on which we are basing Christian missionary work today.” — Joshua Daniel
Application Points
- Reflect on how you are using God's provisions in your life.
- Commit to being a faithful witness in your community.
- Evaluate your approach to supporting missionary work with a focus on faith rather than personal gain.
