Thought for July 8

 History:

• 1741: Jonathan Edwards preaches "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"
• 1776: First public reading of the Declaration of Independence
• 1797: William Blunt, TN Senator, expelled by impeachment
• 1853: Matthew Perry sails into Tokyo Bay
• 1889: Wall Street Journal begins publishing
• 1913: Patent for the Erector Set issued
• 1947: Reports of a UFO crash near Roswell NM
• 1969: Troop withdrawal from Viet Nam begins
• 2019: Jeffrey Epstein indicted for sex trafficking of minors
• Born: John Pemberton [invented Coca Cola], Ferdinand Zeppelin, John D Rockefeller, Nelson Rockefeller, Faye Emerson [I've Got a Secret], Roone Arledge [Monday Night Football], Anjelica Huston, Toby Keith, 
• Died: Vivien Leigh, Dick Sargent [Bewitched], Pete Conrad, Betty Ford, Ernest Borgnine, Ken Stabler, Tab Hunter

Thought:

Most preachers today would not preach Jonathan Edward's Sermon. The sermon is "Sermon on the danger of the unconverted." The sermon was printed and many copies were sold. You might read the sermon although the early English is somewhat difficult. Points from that sermon that stay with me are:

• Man in his flesh walks on a slippery slope capable of falling on his own at any time. As we live in our flesh, we are constantly ready to yield to temptation. And eventually, without God's intervention, we will fall. Paul would say, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
• Men are not immediately cast into hell only because of the grace and sovereignty of God. God is patient and merciful. We are always worthy of death, but His forbearance by grace allows us time to repent.
• We should not think that because we are still living that God does not know about our sin or that physical death is not near by at all times. We cannot do anything to protect ourselves from our earned condemnation other than in Jesus.
• Edwards paints a picture of man suspended over the flames of hell hopeless to escape and simply waiting for the day when this life cord will be cut and we will plunge into the pit. 
• But God in His mercy has invited us to come to Jesus---do not miss the opportunity God has provided.

Now I would not use some of the imagery that Edwards uses--God dangling us like a spider over the flames of Hell. But on the other hand, I think we often forget the unimaginable horror of hell that awaits the unsaved. For if I considered that daily, an urgency to share the Gospel would motivate me to do more. Forgive me Lord that I do not always think about the fate awaiting the lost. 

Looking at John 4:43-45 this morning. Jesus stayed 2 days in Sychar and many there believed. They told the woman at the well that after hearing Jesus for themselves, He is indeed the Savior of the world. This is an amazing story. Jesus uses a Samaritan woman to reach her city with the good news. WOW! So the Spirit asks me, what are you doing to reach your city. I cannot use any excuse because Jesus chose a Samaritan--one considered unworthy to even come into the Temple; a woman, a person not valued by the society; a person living in sin and perhaps shunned by the citizens of her city. If Jesus can use this woman, what excuse do I have other than unwillingness?

Then Jesus returned to Galilee. Interesting that the Synoptic Gospels have Jesus in Jerusalem only on a few occasions while most of the Book of John occurs in Jerusalem. Although Jesus said a prophet has no honor in his own country, the Galileans received Him because they had seen and heard what He did in Jerusalem at the feast. [4:45]. What had Jesus done in Jerusalem? Cleansed the Temple [John 2] and performed signs [2:23]. We don't know what signs these were, but the Galileans who were at the feast saw enough to receive Jesus when He returned to Galilee. 

Today--Have you ever wanted to be a hero? Save the game with the winning TD or basket or home run in the ninth? Have you ever pictured yourself intervening in a situation to save people from a fire, flood, accident? You can be a hero this week---people are in danger of an eternity without God. You can offer them salvation in Christ. I don't have any excuse. Do you?

Blessings

Larry