Subtopic: “ The Necessity Of Fulfilling Our Responsibility and Motivation To Love God”

Sermon Notes By Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr. For Sunday May 11, 2014

Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

St. John 14:15 “If ye love me , keep my commandments.”

1 John 4:7-11 “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. (vs8) He the loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (vs9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (vs10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation (means by which reconciliation of God and mankind is attained) for our sins. (vs11) Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.”

Premise

The Pulpit Commentary Vol.11, Pages 16-17, a comment on Jeremiah 31:3 – I. THE EVERLASTING LOVE OF GOD “There is a wonder about the fact of the everlasting love of God, since there are so many things that might well be thought likely to limit and stay the love of God to such beings as we are. 1. Our Unworthiness---God is holy, and must delight only in holiness; he is great; and can create innumerable beings of far greater powers than ours. Why, then, should he love such imperfect creatures as men?---why love those who are corrupt and sinful?---Psalms 8:3-4  “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; (vs4) What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” 2.Our Indifference --- Human love looks for a return of love; but men have treated God’s love with neglect. Through the long ages during which God has been visiting his children with ceaseless lovingkindness they have been coldly turning aside to their own ways, deaf to the entreaties of an infinite condescension or      ( pleasantness to inferiors). 3.Our Unfaithfulness--- For love to remain unbroken it is expected that it should be honored by fidelity. Unfaithfulness is naturally regarded as a reason for withdrawing the privileges of affection. But God’s children have been untrue to him. They have forsaken his ways, abused his blessings, flung insult on his mercy. How, then, can he continue to love him? It is , indeed, a marvel that, through these long ages of the world’s wild wanderings, God should still follow his unworthy children with ceaseless love, never refusing to bless them, always entreating them to return to him. and it must be a marvel to us that, through all the years of our unworthy lives, he has shown the same long-suffering, forebearing mercy to each of us. It is wonderful that God should ever love such unworthy creatures as we are, but it is “passing strange” that he should not cease to love us after all our provocations of his wrath, that he should love us with “an everlasting love,” and should “have continued his loving-kindness unto” us.

Subtopic: “The Need For Inward Power”

Sermon Notes by Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr. For Sunday March 16, 2014

Text:1 John 3:24 “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.22, Page 86 a comment on 1 John 3:24. “THE FRUITFUL INDWELLING OF THE SPIRIT IS THE SEAL OF GOD’S LIFE IN THE SOUL. “When by inspiration not of man nor by man we are led to a life which is above and beyond nature, “ we know that he abides in us.” The Spirit which he gave us when we believed (Eph.1:13) is the seal to us of God’s own life. His command used to be an outside letter, bidding us to live a life that was high above us. Now we have an inward force, inspiring a life that conforms to the letter! In a word, God’s Spirit in the soul brings about, in actual life, what the precept enjoins. By the Word we are taught that such a life was the right one to lead. By the Spirit we are also inspired that we cannot lead any other! Let us give note to the fact that :1 The God’s Law outside of our being is a great gift. The Spirit within is greater. It is a blessing to be shown the right way. It is a greater blessing to be disposed to walk therein. 2. As we all have the blessing of the Word, and since we know that there is a greater one obtainable, ought we not to seek for it? For observe: 3. The Gift of the Holy Ghost, albeit it is the greatest possible blessing, is precisely that of which we may make most sure, when sought by fervent prayer. 4. Let those who have the Spirit of God seek for a richer fullness of his indwelling power. The more that we allow the Holy Ghost to possess us, the easier will it be to obey; and just as it is the penitent’s duty to receive pardon from Christ by faith, even so it is the believer’s duty to receive the Spirit from him by faith.” 

Subtopic:" Getting From Where I Am To Where I Need To Be"

Text: 2 Cor. 3:17-18 "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (vs18) But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord".

Gal.2:20 " I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me".

1 John 3:2-3 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.(vs3) and every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure"

PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary page 75, on 2 Cor.3:18 concerning the "Glorious Transformation" "Faith in Christ and fellowship with Christ are the forces which produce assimilation to Christ. The image which is beheld seems to infix itself upon the mirror-like soul that receives it. The life of faith thus serves to carry on a gradual process of spiritual assimilation. The progression is denoted by the phrase, "from glory to glory", by which we understand, not earthly splendor, but spiritual excellence and perfection. And the agency is indicated by the expression here used, "as by the Lord the Spirit". Because he is the Spirit, the Lord has access to the heart, and renews, hallows, and glorifies the nature to which he makes himself graciously and divinely known. And there seems to be no limit to this most blessed process. In fact, the future state appears to offer the most amazing scope for its continuation :"We shall be like Christ; for we shall see him as he is".

Text; 1 John 5:4 " For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

1 Cor. 15:57-58 "But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.(vs58) Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."

PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary page 160 on 1 John 5:4   IN ITS CONFLICT -" Our text speaks  of overcoming, and overcoming is suggestive of struggle."Victory" implies combat. The Divine life in man and the life ungodly world are essentially antagonistic. Satan is "the prince of this world"---"the god of this world.""St. John  constantly teaches," says Canon Liddon, "that the Christian's work in this state of probation is to conquer 'the world.' it is in other words, to fight successfully against the view of life which ignores God, against that complex system of attractive moral and specious intellectual falsehood which is marshaled and organized by the great enemy of God, and which permeates and inspires non-Christian society. The world's force is seen especially in 'the lust of the flesh, in the lust of the eyes, and in the pride of life.' These three forms of concupiscence manifest the inner life of the world, and against them the Christian has to contend. It is the battle of truth against error, of light against darkness, and of love against hatred."

 IN ITS CONQUEST - Whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith". The Divine life in the children of God is by its nature mightier than the life and spirit of the unchristian world. There is conflict, but the conflict issues in the victory of the child of God. He is not overcome with evil, but overcomes evil with good. He is not led astray by "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the vain-glory of life," but rises superior to them. In proportion as he who "is begotten of God" participates in the life of God, he vanquishes the world and its temptations, both its seductions and its tribulations. And all the evil world, of which the apostle wrote, is destined to be completely conquered by the life of God working in and through men."

IN THE SECRET OF ITS POWER- " This is the victory that hath overcometh the world, even our faith. And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" Notice: 1 The nature of this faith. It is not mere intellectual acceptation of a theological proposition or propositions; " not that heartless assent which never touches the practice nor molds the affections." This faith is quite as much a moral as an intellectual act; it is of the heart as well as of the head; and it infuses courage, molds character, and directs conduct."

Text: Isa: 33:6 "And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times and strength of salvation: The fear of the Lord is his treasure."

St. John  8:31-32  "Then said Jesus to those Jews  which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples in deed; (vs32) And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free".

 Premise

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.10, page 550, a comment on Isa.33:6. "The true source of stability and of strength is in heavenly wisdom--- that "knowledge" of God which means, not only a perception of the truth but a love of it, a delight in it, an acceptance of it as the one thing that will cleanse the heart, and that should regulate the life.

A Quote From The Writings of Charles H. Spurgeon's 2200 Quotations, page117, concerning           " knowledge"  "The knowledge of God is the great hope of sinners. Oh, if you knew him better, you would fly to him! If you understood how gracious he is, you would seek him. If you could have any idea of his holiness, you would loath your self-righteousness. If you knew anything of his power, you would not venture to contend with him. If you knew anything of his grace, you would not hesitate to yield yourself to him".

Subtopic: "Even Our Faith: The Love Component"

Text: Deut: 10:12 "And now Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,"

Gal.5: 6 "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

1 John 5:4-6 "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.(vs5)Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Premise

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.10, page 290  a comment on Gal.5:6 "Faith inspires love, as love also in truth inspires faith. We believe in and trust the goodness of Christ, and so we are moved to love him. If we did not believe in his love we should never return it. Faith having once roused love exercises itself in promoting the object of love. We trust in the unseen God, we also love him; then we try to please him, to enjoy his favour, and to live in his presence---- object of love; but objects we should never seek if we were not supported and urged on by our belief in and trust to what is beyond our sight and experience."