Whosoever Believeth Might Not Perish.
The sermon emphasizes the importance of understanding God's love for the world and our calling to share the hope of Christ with others in a perishing world.
Andrew Murray emphasizes the urgency of believing in Christ to avoid perishing, highlighting the dire state of humanity without Him. He urges listeners to understand the depth of sin and hopelessness in the world, both globally and locally, and to recognize their role as beacons of light amidst darkness. Murray calls for a heartfelt engagement with the plight of the unconverted, encouraging prayer and reflection on the meaning of 'whosoever' as the key to hope for the perishing. He stresses that true understanding of God's love and our mission requires time and dedication to grasp the condition of the world around us.
Text
Our text says 'that whosoever believeth might not perish'! Without Christ they must perish. Think of all the inconceivable sin and wretchedness the life on earth implies and then of all the hopelessness for the world to come. Read some missionary book, giving an account of some special mission field, with definite statements as to the need, and say to God you really want to know the world in which you are placed, of which you are part, for which you are to live. Unless we study the world and take its condition in, we cannot possibly know God's love for it, or our calling.
Or think of what Scripture says of the god of this world, of the terrible power that absolutely possesses and rules these souls, and holds them in darkness and misery, and find out wherein the power and awfulness of heathenism consists. Or look nearer home, to the ungodly masses in every Christian country. Take time to consider the state of the unconverted you know, the friends you love, the people you deal with, the thousand faces that are familiar, and regard them all as making up the perishing world, in the midst of which you are to be a shining light, a streaming fountain of life. Then you will begin to see that it needs time, and trouble, and heart, and prayer to take in the divine meaning of this word 'world', and that other word 'whosoever' which is its only hope.
(Excerpted from The Coming Revival, by Andrew Murray , pg. 62)
Sermon Outline
- I. The Perishing World
- A. The world's sin and wretchedness
- B. The hopelessness of the world without Christ
- II. The Need for Knowledge
- A. Studying the world and its condition
- B. Understanding God's love for the world
- III. The Power of the Enemy
- A. The god of this world's power and rule
- B. The darkness and misery of the unconverted
- IV. The Call to Action
- A. Being a shining light in a perishing world
- B. Sharing the hope of Christ with others
Key Quotes
“Without Christ they must perish.” — Andrew Murray
“Unless we study the world and take its condition in, we cannot possibly know God's love for it, or our calling.” — Andrew Murray
“Then you will begin to see that it needs time, and trouble, and heart, and prayer to take in the divine meaning of this word 'world', and that other word 'whosoever' which is its only hope.” — Andrew Murray
Application Points
- As believers, we must take time to study the world and its condition, and pray for a deeper understanding of God's heart for humanity.
- We are called to be a shining light, sharing the hope of Christ with others and bringing life to those in darkness.
- We must not take our salvation for granted, but instead, we must share the gospel with others and help them find hope in Christ.