Earth and Heaven
The sermon explores the transformative power of being in Christ and the interconnectedness of earth and heaven within God's divine plan.
Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the transformative power of being in Christ, emphasizing that when we are in Him, we become new creations with old things passing away and all things becoming new. She highlights how God's perfect peace transcends time and space, allowing us to experience the glory of His face. Tileston also discusses how as we yield our hearts to God's service, He works in and through us, expanding our understanding that life is part of a vast divine plan where earth and heaven are connected, leading us to the realization that this life is just the beginning of an eternal journey.
Text
If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:17
HIS perfect peace has swept from sight
The narrow bounds of time and space,
And, looking up with still delight,
We catch the glory of His face.
AUGUSTA LARNED
IN every moment of our days, when once our hearts are yielded to His service, God is working in us and through us. Hitherto, perhaps, our little world has only been large enough to hold self and the present, But, gradually, through tender leadings and unfold-ings, and, it may be, through pain and suffering, we come to learn life's lesson,--that it is God's world, not ours; that our existence is not finished and rounded off here, but forms part of one vast scheme to which mind and heart and spirit expand and grow, while all the horizon round them grows and expands too, until it touches the shore of the illimitable future, and we become conscious that earth and heaven are not so far separated but that the first is but the vestibule of the second,--imperfect, cloudy, full of broken frag-ments, but still part of the same Temple of God as that to which we shall pass in by and by.
H. BOWMAN
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Understanding our identity in Christ - The transformation of the old self - The new creation in Christ
- II points: - The relationship between earth and heaven - God's sovereignty over our lives - The purpose of our existence
- III points: - The role of suffering in spiritual growth - Expanding our perspective beyond the present - The hope of eternal life
- IV points: - Living in the light of God's glory - The importance of yielding to God's service - Embracing the vastness of God's plan
Key Quotes
“If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“It is God's world, not ours; that our existence is not finished and rounded off here, but forms part of one vast scheme.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“Earth and heaven are not so far separated but that the first is but the vestibule of the second.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- Reflect on your identity in Christ and how it shapes your daily life.
- Embrace challenges as opportunities for spiritual growth and deeper reliance on God.
- Seek to live each day with an awareness of God's presence and purpose in your life.