| | Almost a year ago, my husband and I took a jaunt down to Milwaukee where we ended up in several used bookstores. While there I found the book "The Yoke of Christ and other sermons" by Elton Trueblood. As titled, the book consists of 18 sermons given by Trueblood. I read the book not long after I'd gotten it, but had been wanting to reread some parts of it so I picked it up again last week. I know when I read it previously the very first sermon, 'The Yoke of Christ" really made an impression upon me, so that was something I wanted to reread, and I'm planning to post on that tomorrow [edit 7/4/09 - now posted here)], but today I would like to post from an excerpt from the preface of the book. Trueblood speaks about the purpose of preaching and is explaining the difference between a lecture and a sermon.
It is not a sermon unless it is given in the hope of making a practical difference in the lives of the people who listen...It seeks to produce, to effect change, to alter the course of events. Always, in one way or another, the purpose is new life.
It is because the chapters in this volume have been written with such an object in view they are called sermons. All are intended to influence decision in the critical period in which we live. This volume is concerned, therefore not primarily with philosophy and not primarily with theology, but the tremendous difference which the Christian gospel can make when it become relevant to the daily lives of ordinary men and women. This theme provides the reason for the particular selection of addresses and for the order in which they appear.
In the development of the central theme, an effort has been made to keep in mind both the reasons of the head and the reasons of the heart. This is because Christianity is not best served by a sharp division of labor between those who are called scholars and those whose lives are devoted to practical mattes. The Christian scholar is a better scholar if he accepts from practical responsibilities in Christian work, and the practical worker is more likely to perform his ministry adequately if he is also concerned with some intellectual inquiry.
* * *
As I blog, I pray that the Holy Spirit works through my words, and God would use them to make a practical difference in your lives as individuals, and ultimately in the life of the Church as a whole. I am hungering and praying for revival in each of your lives and in the life of the Church. (And I know some of you have are experiencing that revival even now.)
I don't know if or when that may happen. As I've looked ahead to the task ahead, I've become discouraged because I know that God has me in this thing for the long haul. I've set my hand to the plow and His love is constraining me and I can't let go. Though He has assured me the fog is lifting on His Church, for all I know that time may not actually come until after I die and I won't see it with earthly eyes. He alone knows.
Over the past few days I've found myself asking: How long? How long do I pray? How long do I speak?
Of course, I already know the answer...
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
–Philippians 3:12-14.
Regardless of whether I see transformed lives or regardless whether I see Him widespread revival in my lifetime, I am called to run the race marked out for me and continue on each and every day in the work He has given me,
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.
19 God, the Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet like the deer's;
he makes me tread on my high places.
Habakkuk 3:17-19
So by His grace working in me, I will sit upon my watchtower, I will continue there speaking to Him and speaking to you until He comes once more to revive His Church, until He comes to take me to glory or until He comes take all of us to glory together.
* * *
Lord Jesus, I am weak. You must be my strength. You have told me to be strong in the grace You make available. Be my strength for this day. Let me trust myself to You this day and not to worry about tomorrow. Your grace is sufficient. Your strength is made perfect in my weakness.
Sunrise after sunrise I must trust Your mercies will be new every morning. Each and every morning I need new mercy and new strength because I am weak and prone to faint. Thanks be to God! Great is Your faithfulness! Your mercies are new every morning!
The Lord is my portion, says my soul,
therefore I will hope in him.
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.
Lamentations 3:24-24
Sunset after sunset I must trust Your mercies will be new every evening. Each and every evening I need new mercy and new strength because I am weak and prone to faint. Thanks be to God! Thanks be to God! Great is Your faithfulness! Your mercies are new every evening!
The Lord is my portion, says my soul,
therefore I will hope in him.
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke in his youth.
Father, Thank You I can come to Your throne of grace through the shed blood of Jesus. I have been groaning. I thank You that Your Spirit intercedes for me with groanings which cannot be uttered. I thank You that He's groaning for me now and He's groaning alongside me. Keep me abiding at Your throne of grace every moment because every moment is my time of need. Keep me abiding at Your throne of grace for it is only there I will find mercy and grace to help in my time of need. Every moment is my moment of need. Strengthen me to hope in You. I have no other hope. Strengthen me to wait on You. Who else can I wait on? Strengthen me to wait quietly for Your salvation.Strengthen me to take up Your easy yoke. Be faithful to fulfill all Your promises to me for this day. Amen.
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Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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| | Posted 7/3/2009 12:05 PM - 140 Views - 6 eProps - 7 comments
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