Respond to the Call
The sermon emphasizes the importance of answering God's call and making sacrifices to obey His commands.
Mary Wilder Tileston emphasizes the struggle of surrendering everything to Christ, as seen in the story of the rich young man who walked away sorrowful because he couldn't let go of his possessions. She challenges the congregation to consider if they are truly willing to give Christ everything or just a part of their lives, highlighting the tremendous test of complete surrender that not everyone can endure.
Text
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Matthew 19:22
We too, in our own way, have often a quite impression that we are keeping all the commandments sufficiently, and inheriting the eternal life. One day a tremendous duty opens before us, and we are aghast at its hardness. What shall we do? What shall we answer? Is Christ deserving of everything from us, or only of part? It is a tremendous test which all cannot stand.
ANTHONY W. THOROLD
A great necessity is a great opportunity. Nothing is really lost by a life of sacrifice; everything is lost by failure to obey God's call. The opportunities of generously serving Jesus Christ are few; perhaps not more than one in a lifetime. They come, they do not return. What we do upon a great occasion will probably depend upon what we already are; what we are will be the result of previous years of self-descipline under the grace of Christ, or of the absence of it.
HENRY PARRY LIDDON
Things are not to be done by the effort of the moment, but by the preparation of past moments.
RICHARD CECIL
Sermon Outline
- The Call to Sacrifice
- Recognizing the need for sacrifice
- Understanding the cost of obedience
- Responding to the call of God
Key Quotes
“Nothing is really lost by a life of sacrifice; everything is lost by failure to obey God's call.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“The opportunities of generously serving Jesus Christ are few; perhaps not more than one in a lifetime.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- We should be willing to make sacrifices and obey God's commands, even when it's difficult.
- We can prepare ourselves to answer God's call by living a life of self-discipline and obedience.
- We should not take opportunities for granted, but rather make the most of them to serve God.