The Bulb and the Soil
The sermon emphasizes the importance of relying on God's power and provision to keep His commandments, rather than relying on one's own strength or will.
John Henry Jowett emphasizes that those who love Jesus are the ones who keep His commandments, but questions how one can keep them without the necessary resources. He compares it to receiving a bulb without the soil needed to grow it. However, he discovers that abiding in Jesus allows for the production of abundant fruit, as God provides both the commandments and the power to fulfill them. Jowett highlights the importance of resting in God and allowing Him to work through us to live a holy and obedient life.
Text
"_He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them,
he it is that loveth Me._"
--JOHN xiv. 15-24.
Yes, but how can I keep them? Some one sent me a bulb which requires a
certain kind of soil, but he also sent me the soil in which to grow it. He
sent instructions, but he also sent power. And when I am bidden to keep a
commandment I feel as though I have received the bulb but not the soil!
But is this God's way of dealing with His people? I will read on if
perchance I may find the gift of the soil.
"He that abideth in Me ... the same bringeth forth much fruit." That is
the gift I seek. For the keeping of His commandments the Lord provides
Himself. I am not called upon to raise fruits out of the soil of my own
will, out of my own infirmity of aspiration or desire. I can rest
everything in God! I can "abide in Him," and I may have the holy energies
of the Godhead to produce in me the fruits of a holy and obedient life.
The good Lord provides both the bulb and the soil.
It is the tragedy of life that we forget this, and seek to make a soil-bed
of our own. And thus do we suffer the calamity of fruitless labour, the
heavy drudgery of tasks beyond our strength. "Come unto Me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Sermon Outline
- The Problem of Keeping Commandments
- God's Provision for Keeping Commandments
- The Tragedy of Self-Reliance
- Forgetting God's provision
- Seeking to make one's own soil-bed
- Fruitless labor and heavy drudgery
Key Quotes
“He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me.” — John Henry Jowett
“He that abideth in Me ... the same bringeth forth much fruit.” — John Henry Jowett
“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” — John Henry Jowett
Application Points
- Recognize your need for God's power and provision to keep His commandments.
- Abide in God and rest in His holy energies to produce a holy and obedient life.
- Come to God for rest and relief from the burden of trying to keep commandments on your own.