Higher and Higher
The sermon encourages listeners to constantly cry out for a deeper relationship with God, seeking to be drawn closer to the cross of Christ.
D.L. Moody shares a poignant story of a dying child who, in his final moments, repeatedly asks his father to lift him higher, symbolizing the human desire for spiritual elevation and closeness to God. The father's efforts to lift the child reflect God's willingness to raise us up in our spiritual journey. Moody encourages believers to continually seek a deeper relationship with Christ, echoing the child's plea for 'higher' as a metaphor for striving towards holiness and divine connection. The sermon emphasizes the importance of yearning for a closer walk with God, especially as we face life's challenges. Ultimately, it serves as a reminder that our ultimate destination is to be with the eternal King in heaven.
Text
I remember a few years ago, a little child died, and just before his soul went home he asked his father to lift him up, and the father put his hand under the head of the child and raised it up. But the child only said, "That is not enough; that is not what I want; lift me right up." The child was wasted all to skin and bones, but still his father complied, and lifted the dying child out of his bed. But the little fellow kept whispering, fainter and fainter, "Lift me higher, higher, higher!" And the father lifted higher and higher, till he lifted him as far as he could reach.
Yet, still the barely audible whisper came, "Higher, father, higher," till at last, his head fell back, and his spirit passed up to the eternal King--high at last.
So, my dear friends, let your constant cry be higher, higher, more near the cross of the Son of God.
Sermon Outline
- The Call to Higher Living
- The Father's Response
- The Ultimate Goal
- Nearness to the cross of Christ
- Union with the eternal King
Key Quotes
“Let your constant cry be higher, higher, more near the cross of the Son of God.” — D.L. Moody
“Lift me higher, higher, higher!” — D.L. Moody
Application Points
- Recognize your spiritual condition and desire a deeper relationship with God.
- Seek to know God more intimately and be drawn closer to the cross of Christ.
- Make the constant cry of your heart 'higher, higher, more near the cross of the Son of God'.