How can God's people be happy? God wants His people to be happy, confident and diligent. The bases for this kind of living can be found in His Person, His people, His presence, His power and His threefold promise (He will save, will rejoice, will rest in His love). Blessed message!
King of kings. Christ Jesus, who was born on the earth, is not a weak child, but is the Divine King coming to us to save with mighty power!
Observation: the sermon is on verse 15, not 17.
Our assurance is in what Christ did for us. Full assurance depends on a full understanding of the Gospel. We must look for assurance not inside us, not to our emotions, experiences, but to what God made for us in Christ: He dealt with sin, death and Satan.
People with a forgiven past. I liked very much the idea that Christians have a past, a past in darkness; but it is behind them, it is forgiven, they are changed! Christians are the only people who can look to their past with peace, because it is forgiven!
Observation: We have not here the entire sermon!
Evangelistic sermon. I observed that Alan Cairns' sermons in 1978 were decidedly evangelistic in orientation. (The sermons last for 40-45 minutes). Those more recent are more oriented for the building up of the believers; this do not mean that they loss the constant appeal to the unbelievers. (These sermons last for aprox. 1 hour).
Christ the Perfect Mediator. Christ is the only Way to the Father, because He is the divine Truth and the Life. Christ depicted as the only Mediator between God and men, because He is God and man and because he purchased our salvation by His perfect obedience to the father and by His death as a sacrifice for our sins.
Good news. Glorious good news of God's invitation to us sinners to feast on Christ, on the basis of His finished work of salvation, freely! And the tragedy of rejecting His invitation...
Live what you believe. Our life will mirror our confession when we will keep eternity in view, when we will keep accountability to God in mind and when we will keep the Gospel in focus.
Great Sermon! Dr. Barrett, Every nerve and fibre in my body have been touched by this powerful sermon. It's a real eye opener for me, I had previously listened to a sermon by another speaker with alot of comedy in it. My face went from laughs to complete seriouness and my heart, mind and soul is shaken up to the reality and truths of our GOD. You delivered this message with such power and might, I felt like it was actually GOD speaking to me. Thank you, I feel blessed. May GOD continue to bless you as you teach HIS WORD. I will be listening to more of your sermons. Cindy Toolsie Toronto,Canada.
True comfort and hope. God gave me life spiritual when He called from darkness and sin, He gives me this life that the world, the culture, the mind, the emotions, the human nature cannot give; and He promised me that this life is eternal, that he will receive me in glory, that He will give me a glorified body and that I will enjoy His fellowship with Him forever. Blessed be God!
Total dedication. There are many years from the time I heard such a challenging sermons as this. It makes you think how much of your heart you have given to the Lord and for what you are living. It is not information, but God spoke to me through this message.
Lost opportunity. Serious, sobering, frightening message about losing the last opportunity to come to Christ. A message that makes you to think how serious are the problems that face the eternity of a soul.
The sole life-giver. Christ depicted as the only life-giving, life-sustaining and soul-satisfying. Moses gave us not the Bread from heaven, Mohammed gave us not the Bread Of life, nor Buddha. Only Christ, the divine Messiah gives eternal life.