All He Thinks Of
The sermon emphasizes the infinite and intense love of God for us, and the hope set before us to enter into full sympathy with Him and receive His love.
Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the profound love of God towards us, emphasizing that dwelling in love means dwelling in God and having God dwell in us. She reflects on the transformative power of God's love, which brings forth a new world and sets us free. Tileston encourages embracing the hope and certainty of God's unfailing kindness and peace, even amidst the uncertainties of life.
Text
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.
I JOHN 4:16
As flame streams upward, so my longing thought
Flies up with Thee,
Thou God and Saviour, who hast truly wrought
Life out of death, and to us, loving, brought
A fresh, new world; and in Thy sweet chains caught,
And made us free!
MAURICE FRANCIS EGAN
WHAT a blessed and glorious thing human existence would be, if we fully realized that the infinitely wise and infinitely powerful God loves each one of us, with an intensity infinitely beyond what the most fervid human spirit ever felt towards another, and with a concentration as if He had none else to think of! And this love has brought us into being, just that we might be taught to enter into full sympathy with Him, receiving His,--giving our own--thus entering into the joy of our Lord. This is the hope--the sure and certain hope--set before us,--sure and certain,--for "the mountains shall depart, and the hills be re-moved; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."
THOMAS ERSKINE
Sermon Outline
- God's Love for Us
- The Realization of God's Love
- The Purpose of God's Love
- To teach us to enter into full sympathy with God
- To receive and give love, entering into the joy of the Lord
Key Quotes
“God is love; and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“WHAT a blessed and glorious thing human existence would be, if we fully realized that the infinitely wise and infinitely powerful God loves each one of us, with an intensity infinitely beyond what the most fervid human spirit ever felt towards another, and with a concentration as if He had none else to think of!” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“This is the hope--the sure and certain hope--set before us,--sure and certain,--for 'the mountains shall depart, and the hills be re-moved; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.'” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- We should strive to fully realize God's love for us, and to enter into full sympathy with Him.
- We should seek to receive God's love and give our own, and thus enter into the joy of the Lord.
- We should trust in the hope set before us, and know that God's kindness and covenant of peace will not depart from us.