Hath the Lord as Great Delight in Burnt Offerings and Sacrifices
To receive God's blessings, we must intelligently understand and faithfully accept His appointed means of sanctification, which is Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes that many seek sanctification and the salvation of others without understanding the essential role of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. He points out that ineffective methods, such as compromising with worldly desires to win others to Christ, often hinder true spiritual progress. Simpson encourages believers to maintain fidelity to God and to testify boldly, as this approach is more likely to attract others to faith. He also critiques congregations that struggle financially due to unscriptural practices, urging them to seek God's guidance in their requests for blessings. Ultimately, he stresses the importance of allowing God to direct the means by which prayers are answered.
Text
Many a person prays for sanctification but fails to enter into the blessing because he does not intelligently understand and faithfully accept God's appointed means-Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit. Many a prayer for the salvation of others is hindered because the very friend who has prayed takes the wrong course to bring about the answer and resorts to means which defeat his object. There are wives pleading for the salvation of their husbands who hope to win them by avoiding anything that may offend them, yielding to all their worldly tastes in the hope of attracting them to Christ.
Far more effective would be an attitude of fidelity to God and fearless testimony to their husbands, such as God could bless.
Many a congregation wonders why it is so poor and struggling. it may be because its financial methods are wholly unscriptural and unworthy of even ordinary self-respect. When we ask God for any blessing, we must allow Him to direct the steps which are to bring the answer.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Understanding God's Means
- The Dangers of Unbiblical Methods
- Allowing God to Direct the Steps
- Financial methods that are unscriptural and unworthy
- The consequences of taking the wrong course to bring about an answer
- Faithful acceptance of God's appointed means
- Fearless testimony to others
Key Quotes
“Many a person prays for sanctification but fails to enter into the blessing because he does not intelligently understand and faithfully accept God's appointed means-Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Spirit.” — A.B. Simpson
“Far more effective would be an attitude of fidelity to God and fearless testimony to their husbands, such as God could bless.” — A.B. Simpson
“When we ask God for any blessing, we must allow Him to direct the steps which are to bring the answer.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- We must allow God to direct the steps that bring about the answers to our prayers.
- Faithful acceptance of God's appointed means is essential for receiving His blessings.
- An attitude of fidelity to God and fearless testimony to others is more effective than trying to avoid offending them.