Registering a Verdict

John Henry Jowett

The sermon emphasizes the importance of making a definite decision in life, avoiding the peril of wavering, and making a vow unto the Lord.
John Henry Jowett emphasizes the importance of making a definitive decision to serve the Lord and obey His voice, highlighting the danger of indecision and the need to avoid a life of constant wavering and uncertainty. He compares those who never decide to a jury that never reaches a verdict, stressing the significance of making a choice and not drifting aimlessly through life. Jowett encourages making a vow to the Lord, pulling together our thoughts, and decisively choosing to follow God at a specific moment in our lives.

Text

"_The Lord our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey._"

--JOSHUA xxiv. 22-28.

Here was a definite decision. Our peril is that we spend our life in

wavering and we never decide. We are like a jury which is always hearing

evidence and never gives a verdict. We do much thinking, but we never make

up our minds. We let our eyes wander over many things, but we make no

choice. Life has no crisis, no culmination.

Now people who never decide spend their days in hoping to do so. But this

kind of life becomes a vagrancy and not a noble and illumined crusade. We

drift through our days, we do not steer, and we never arrive at any rich

and stately haven.

It is therefore vitally wise to "make a vow unto the Lord." It is good to

pull our loose thinkings together and to "gird up the loins of the mind."

Let a man, at some definite place, and at some definite moment, make the

supreme choice of his life.

Sermon Outline

The Peril of Wavering
The Consequences of Indecision
The Importance of Decision
Drifting through life
Never arriving at a destination
Making a vow unto the Lord
Girding up the loins of the mind
Making a supreme choice

Key Quotes

“The Lord our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey.” — John Henry Jowett

“We do much thinking, but we never make up our minds.” — John Henry Jowett

“Let a man, at some definite place, and at some definite moment, make the supreme choice of his life.” — John Henry Jowett

Application Points

We should make a definite decision in life, rather than spending our days in hoping to do so.
Pulling our loose thinkings together and making a vow unto the Lord can help us avoid the peril of wavering.
Making a supreme choice in life can lead to a noble and illumined crusade, rather than a vagrancy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the peril of wavering?

The peril of wavering is spending life in indecision, never making a choice, and drifting through life without arriving at a destination.

Why is it important to make a decision?

Making a decision is important because it allows us to make a vow unto the Lord, gird up the loins of the mind, and make a supreme choice in life.

What happens when we don't make a decision?

When we don't make a decision, we spend our days in hoping to do so, and our life becomes a vagrancy rather than a noble and illumined crusade.

How can we avoid the peril of wavering?

We can avoid the peril of wavering by making a definite decision, pulling our loose thinkings together, and making a vow unto the Lord.

John Henry Jowett

John Henry Jowett (1863-1923) was a British Congregational minister regarded as one of the finest preachers of his generation. He pastored Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York and Westminster Chapel in London.

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