Classic Sermon Outlines
CLASSIC SERMON OUTLINES — Matthew Henry
B. The Misrepresentation of Proposed Friends of God.
1. The misrepresentation stated. Some are morose and sour in their profession—peevish and ill-humored. Others are melancholy and sorrowful in their profession, mourning under doubts and fears about Ble spiritual state.
2. The reply. (a) God is sometimes pleased for wise and holy ends, for a time, to suspend the communication of His comforts to His people. (b) It also may be the result of sin in the life. They run themselves into the dark and shut their eyes against the light.
C. Scriptural Difficulties.
1. Repentance. We must mourn for sin and reflect with regret upon our infirmities, but we must remember also that repentance is not caused by godliness; pleasure accompanies it; after repentance there is pleasure attending it.
2. Earnest labor. Agonizing is a part of godliness. In this there is comfort. We are enabled for it and encouraged in it.
3. Self-denial. The sensual pleasures we are to deny are comparatively despicable and really dangerous.
4. Tribulation. It is but light affliction at worst and as those afflictions abound for Christ so our "consolation also aboundeth by Christ."
CONCLUSION
Let us all then be persuaded to enter into and to walk in these paths of wisdom that are so very pleasant.