Please the Lord Now
Sanctify the present moment, and you sanctify your whole life.
Mary Wilder Tileston emphasizes the importance of seizing the present moment for spiritual growth and sanctification, rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. She highlights the significance of small acts of obedience, love, self-restraint, meekness, and patience as opportunities to serve and please God. By focusing on sanctifying the present moment, individuals can sanctify their entire lives and experience true growth in holiness.
Text
For to-day the Lord will appear unto you.M
LEVITICUS 9:4
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 CORINTHIANS 6:2
DO not let your growth in holiness depend upon surrounding circumstances, but rather constrain those circumstances to minister to your growth. Beware of looking onward, or out of the present in any way, for the sanctification of your life. The only thing you can really control is the present--the actual moment that is passing by. Sanctify that from hour to hour, and you sanctify your whole life; but brood over the past, or project yourself into the future, and you will lose all. The little act of obedience, love, self-restraint, meekness, patience, devotion, offered to you actually, is all you can do now, and if you neglect that to fret about something else at a distance, you lose your real opportunity of serving God. A moment's silence, when some irritating words are said by another, may stem a very small thing; yet at that moment it is your one duty, your one way of serving and pleasing God, and if you break it, you have lost your opportunity.
H. L. SIDNEY LEAR
Sermon Outline
- Sanctification in the Present Moment
- Controlling the Present Moment
- The Opportunity of Serving God
- The little acts of obedience and love
- The importance of being present in the moment
Key Quotes
“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“DO not let your growth in holiness depend upon surrounding circumstances, but rather constrain those circumstances to minister to your growth.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“The only thing you can really control is the present--the actual moment that is passing by.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- Focus on the present moment and sanctify it, rather than worrying about the past or future.
- Offer acts of obedience, love, self-restraint, meekness, patience, and devotion to God in the present moment.
- Be mindful of your thoughts and actions, and do not let your growth in holiness depend on surrounding circumstances.