When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
The sermon emphasizes the significance of the cross as a symbol of God's love and sacrifice, encouraging a response of humility, sacrifice, and surrender.
Isaac Watts preaches about the profound impact of the wondrous Cross where Jesus, the Prince of Glory, died, leading to a transformation in perspective where worldly gains are seen as loss and pride is humbled. He emphasizes the importance of boasting only in the death of Christ and sacrificing all worldly charms to His blood, reflecting on the love and sorrow that flowed from Jesus on the Cross, culminating in a call to die to the world and live fully for Christ, recognizing the incomparable love and divine sacrifice that demands our entire being.
Text
(Galatians 6:14)
When I survey the wondrous Cross
Where the young Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.
See from his head, his hands, his feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down;
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet?
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
His dying crimson like a robe
Spreads o'er his body on the Tree,
Then am I dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
Sermon Outline
- The Wondrous Cross
- The Death of Christ
- The Response to the Cross
- Humility and sacrifice
- Surrender and devotion
Key Quotes
“My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride.” — Isaac Watts
“Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.” — Isaac Watts
“Did e'er such love and sorrow meet?” — Isaac Watts
Application Points
- We should recognize the futility of our pride and surrender it to God's love and sacrifice.
- We should respond to the cross with humility, sacrifice, and devotion, recognizing the depth of God's love for us.
- We should prioritize our relationship with God above all else, recognizing that His love demands our complete surrender.