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A new message is
updated most weekdays usually by Noon Eastern Time (USA).
(Click refresh or reload for current message) Friday, July 8,
2022
"To
Save Sinners"
Message
summary: Christ said, “I have not come
to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”
(Luke 5:32). The process of salvation begins when we
acknowledge our sin and realize our need for God’s
forgiveness. Today, we challenge all of you who read this
message to examine your life. Have you acknowledged your
sinfulness and come to the Savior for forgiveness of sins?
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
"It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all” (1 Timothy 1:15). On this date (July 8) in
1741 Jonathan Edwards stepped behind the pulpit of the
church he served in Enfield, Connecticut and methodically
delivered what many consider the single most famous sermon
ever preached in America. He didn't have the benefit of
sound amplification, powerpoint slides, let alone flashy
lighting like they have in many churches now.
Here is a description of
Edward’s preaching style: By all accounts his delivery was
not sensational or emotional. It was not due to theatrics.
One observer wrote, "He scarcely gestured or even moved, and
he made no attempt by the elegance of his style or the
beauty of his pictures to gratify the taste and fascinate
the imagination." Instead he convinced "with overwhelming
weight of argument and with such intensity of feeling".
The sermon had a title that it is hard to imagine being used today, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”. But the astounding conviction from the Holy Spirit that came over the assembled listeners that day had a powerful and lasting impact. People wept and cried out to God for mercy and many were saved. The next several years America experienced a sweeping revival known initially as "The Great Awakening” (later called First Great Awakening). The Meeting House itself where Edwards preached burned down in 1775 and only a small, engraved stone now marks the spot where it once stood. Brooksyne and I have prayed at that very spot and reaffirmed our commitment to faithfully serve God in our generation. Sadly most of the churches influenced by that great awakening have long since fallen from the faith. In America from the early to mid-1800’s there was another period of revival known as the “Second Great Awakening” and some consider a period later in the 1800’s as the "Third Great Awakening". Many are crying out to the
Lord for another Great Awakening as the only hope for
stalling our country’s rapidly increasing slide into
apostasy. Among the foundational characteristics of any true
revival or awakening will be the acknowledgment of sin and
our need for Jesus, our redeeming Savior, to forgive and
cleanse us from our sin.
Some of our readers will recall an old hymn: Such love, such wondrous
love
Such love, such wondrous love That God should love a sinner such as I How wonderful is love like this. In our age of emphasis on human worth and self-esteem we tend to avoid labeling people, especially calling them a sinner. The label "sinner" is very politically incorrect, and seen by many as offensive, intolerant and judgmental. Our short daily text is
considered by many commentators to be part of an early
church creedal statement. "It is a trustworthy
statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am
foremost of all” (1 Timothy 1:15).
There are 5 trustworthy
statements in the subsection of books known as the Pastoral
Epistles (1&2 Timothy and Titus) that would have been
familiar to the early church as summaries of key doctrines.
Bible teacher Kenneth Wuest notes that "trustworthy" is a
word worthy of unqualified acceptance. The Amplified Bible
states, "The saying is sure and true and worthy of full and
universal acceptance". The trustworthy statement here in 1
Timothy 1:15 has been called "the Gospel in miniature". You
can stake your life (in time and eternity) on this
trustworthy statement! (Precept Austin online commentary).
Throughout the Holy
Scriptures "sinner" is a designation often used to describe
the fallen human race. The desperate appeal from the tax
collector to Jesus was, "Lord, have mercy on me, a
sinner" (Luke 18:13). A short, concise Bible verse
many of us have memorized puts it this way: “All have
sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans
3:23).
Christ said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). Indeed the process of salvation begins when we acknowledge our sin and realize our need for God’s forgiveness. Today, we challenge all of you who read this message to examine your life. Have you acknowledged your sinfulness and come to the Savior for forgiveness of sins? If so proclaim with us,
That God should love a sinner
such as I
How wonderful is love like this. Be
encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen
& Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, we come to
you as sinners; poor and needy, weak and
wounded, sick and sore, weary and wounded
by the fall. How eternally grateful we are
that Jesus stands ready to save us and
empower us through His mighty Holy Spirit.
As we arise and go to Him He embraces us
with His loving compassion, and complete
pardon for our sins. In Him we have
unending blessings both now and
forevermore. Amen.
Prayer
inspired by the hymn, “Come Ye Sinners”
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
"Such
Love" Video
Congregational singing
"Come,
Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy"
Video
The Worship Initiative
"Chain
Breaker" Video Zach
Williams
Lancaster
County Amish Country Drive Video
I came across this recently published
video that merely takes you on a country
ride through Lancaster County.
Interestingly we are familiar with
almost every part of the ride as for
many years we have had various
chaplaincy locations in this part of the
country. Through the years we have
posted many photos from this area.
Years ago we had an
opportunity to visit the very site
where Edwards preached the sermon,
"Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God"
on July 8, 1741.
The meeting house burned
down in the years following the
message but this small stone marks the
location where Jonathan Edwards
preached.
Click on photo to enlarge If you care to do so you
can read Jonathan Edward's sermon here. Warning: It's not "seeker
friendly"
Here's
another farm scene from yesterday
about 3 miles west of us on Beatty's
Tollgate Road. The bluff in the
distance is on the other side of the
Susquehanna River in York County.
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Stephen & Brooksyne Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version. Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity." © Copyright 2022 Stephen C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA |