Classic Sermon Outlines (continued)
Surnender to God's Call cheerful giver, a cheerful offerer. In all acts of obedience to the calls of God and assistance to the work of God we must be free and forward as those who know that we serve a good Master and His work is honorable and glorious.
B. His Resolution.
1, It ts firm and fixed. The prophet gives not only a free consent; but he is firm and fixed in it; he does not hesitate or waver, but is ready both to swear by it and to perform it; and he will not be beaten off it no more than the people of Israel, when they said, "Nay, but we will serve the Lord"
(Joshua 24:21); or Ruth, when she said, "Entreat me not to leave thee, or to turn from following after thee" (Ruth 1:16).
2. It is to abide by the service to the end, even through great difficulties. Here am I, not only ready to go, but resolved in the strength of divine grace to encounter the greatest difficulties and to abide by the service to the end. Send me and I will adhere to it whatever it cost me and will never draw back. And good reason have we thus to serve Christ for with such a steady and unshaken resolution did He undertake to save us. Those who thus set out with resolution may depend upon God to bear them out.
C. His Referring Himself to God.
His expressing himself thus, "Here am I, send me," intimates this: Lord, employ me as Thou thinkest fit; cut out what work thou pleasest for me. | will never prescribe, but ever subscribe. Here am I, ready to go to whom and on what errand Thou wilt, whatever objections may be made against it. Lord, I am at Thy service, entirely at Thy disposal. Let the will of God be done by me and done concerning me.
1. To have God's will done by him.
2. To have God's will done concerning him.
CONCLUSION
Matthew Plenry
SERMON TWELVE
CHRIST THE SUFFERING
SUBS Lie Was
All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
—ISAIAH 53:6
IT WAS a great mystery that so excellent a person should suffer such hard things; and it was natural to ask, "How did it come about? What evil did He do?" His enemies looked upon Him as suffering justly for His crimes; and though they could lay nothing to His charge they considered Him smitten of God. Because they hated Him and persecuted Him, they thought that God did likewise and that He was His enemy and fought against Him. They that saw Him hanging on the cross enquired not into the merits of His cause, but took it for granted that He was guilty of everything laid to His charge and that therefore vengeance suffered Him not to live. It is true, He was smitten of God, but not in the sense in which they meant it.
It was for our good and in our stead.
I. MAN'S GUILT.
A. The Extent of It.
It is certain that we are all guilty before God; we have all sinned and have come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). "All we like sheep have gone astray," one as well as another; the whole race of mankind lies under the stain of original corruption and every individual stands charged with