The Church Now Fruitful
The sermon emphasizes the church's transformation from spiritual barrenness to fruitfulness, highlighting God's desire to save those who are perishing.
Clement of Rome preaches about rejoicing in barrenness and offering sincere prayers to God. He explains that the church, once barren, now has many children through faith. By referencing the outcasts who have become numerous believers, he emphasizes the importance of salvation for sinners. Clement highlights Christ's mission to save those who are perishing, calling us to turn from destruction and embrace salvation.
Text
Rejoice, you barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, you that travailest not; for she that is desolate has many more children than she that has an husband. In that He said, Rejoice, you barren that bearest not, He referred to us, for our church was barren before that children were given to her. But when He said, Cry out, you that travailest not, He means this, that we should sincerely offer up our prayers to God, and should not, like women in travail, show signs of weakness.
And in that He said, For she that is desolate has many more children than she that has an husband, [He means] that our people seemed to be outcast from God, but now, through believing, have become more numerous than those who are reckoned to possess God. And another Scripture says, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners. This means that those who are perishing must be saved. For it is indeed a great and admirable thing to establish not the things which are standing, but those that are falling.
Thus also did Christ desire to save the things which were perishing, and has saved many by coming and calling us when hastening to destruction.
Sermon Outline
- The Church's Transformation
- The Parable of the Desolate
- The Call to Salvation
- For the Perishing
- A Great and Admirable Thing
- God's Desire to Save
Key Quotes
“Rejoice, you barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, you that travailest not;” — Clement of Rome
“For she that is desolate has many more children than she that has an husband.” — Clement of Rome
“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” — Clement of Rome
Application Points
- We should sincerely offer up our prayers to God, showing strength and faith in our spiritual journey.
- God desires to save those who are falling, and we should seek His redemption and love.
- The church's transformation from barrenness to fruitfulness is a testament to God's power and love.