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THE KING’S BUSINESS
(b) By holding fast to the truth (v. 2).. An orthodox church. (c) By patient endurance (v. 3). A suffering church. * Positively: (a) A want of ardent personal affec tion in service. (b) A want of joy in service. (c) A want of self-forgetfulness in service. II. The sin of it. (a) When love is gone, all is gone.
Them e: Sin Will A lways R eturn to Plague th e Sinner. T ext : “Thou art the man” (2 Samuel 12:7). I n tr o d u c tio n . The circumstances. I. Sin has a fearfully blinding power. (a) Through passion. (b) Through habit. (c) Through searing the conscience. II. God can pierce the blindness and bring guilt home. (a) By His knowledge of the heart’s secrets (Psalm 90:8) —Achan. (b) By His control of circumstances. (c) By His power of evoking con science—Judas, Felix. III. He is pledged to bring guilt home to every sinning soul (2 Corinthians 5:10; Ecclesiastes 12:14). IV. Sense of personal guilt is therefore inevitable. (a) Either in the life that now is, (b) Or at the judgment. C o n c l u s io n . Men should welcome the preaching that shows them their sin; for the exposure and conviction are inevitable somewhere. Bet ter far be convinced of sin now while par don is possible, than when probation is ended. Reckless, hardened hearer, “Thou art the man.” Self-righteous hearer, thou art the man. Professedly Christian hearer, grinding the face of the poor, driving a sharp bargain, making the worse appear the better reason, indulging in any secret sin, like David, having merely the form of godliness, “Thou art the man 1” The, God of all Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). The God of all Grace (1 Peter 5 :10). The God of Glory (Acts 7:2). — ¡D. L. Moody. T he C hristian’s Sevenfold Position God has conferred upon believers a sevenfold position which cannot be sinned
Take the heart out of religion, and nothing is left but dry bones. “My son, I give me thy heart” is the cry of God’s heart. He can take nothing less and keep His
■ throne. III. The cwre of it. (a) “Remember.” (b) “Repent.” (c) “Do.”
C o n c l u s io n . Christians, can our blessed Lord see this sin in this church? Let every one. examine himself, applying these tests: Is it with warm personal affection and heart felt joy we are doing work for Christ? If the sin of having left our first love lies at our door, let us heed the warning of our ■Lord, and remember, and repent, and do our work for Christ in the glow of per sonal affection. “This God Is O u r God” The God of Peace (Philippians 4:9). The God of Love (2 Corinthians 13:11). The God of Pardon (Nehemiah 9:17). The God of Salvation (Isaiah 12:2). The God of Patience and Consolation (Romans 15:5). The God of Hope (Romans 15:13), /
BIBLE READINGS
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