“ Great comfort. ” The text for this sermon is verses 3-9, not 1-2. God is purifying us in the fire of trials to make us to live for His glory, because we are meant to live like that.
“ Darkness and love. ” In moments like these as described by this text I am encompassed by such a darkness. I believe everything is said in this sermon, but when the heart is so hurt, what I need is not enough. I need desperately the assurance of God's love. Not so much that the circumstances may change, but the assurance of His love. This gives me power to believe and to go on.
“ Great help. ” Christ did all for our salvation. So, when we are suffering or descouraged we must not choose the world's way of dealing with these, but to run to Christ, who can help us.
“ Dependence. ” We totaly depend on the revelation from God to understand who we are, who is God and what we have to do. Men who want to depend only on their mind will experience tragedy. We must see things in the light of faith.
“ Great perspective. ” Seeing marriage in the light of God's sovereignty and plan for holiness of life. Bringing in marriage a vertical perspective, instead of a horizontal one, a viewpoint centered on God not on ourselves.
“ Great danger. ” The tragedy of depending on our power and of not seeing our absolute dependence on the power of God, which must lead us to prayer. The danger of trying to do God's work in our power.
“ Great passion for love. ” In His love for sinners, God sent His Son to save us and to restore us the capacity to love Him with all our hearts, as He intended us to live.
“ Painful grace. ” The grace of God makes us to feel and to recognize the sinfulness of sin, makes us to cry unto God for deliverance. It is a painful, but blessed work of grace!
“ Great Sermon! ” Thank you and Thank God for a solid Word of God. It is a blessing to know you are ministering in Philadelphia with conviction and passion regularly.
“ Need for revelation. ” The need for revelation and illumination so we can know the wisdom of God, which we cannot know without this. Man cannot attain the wisdom of God untill He communicates it to him.
“ He knows our needs. ” Christ know better what is the greatest need of the human being. In this case, not physical healing, but eternal salvation. Christ demonstrates His divine prerogatives.
3/31/13 11:39 AM
