Divine Madness
The sermon emphasizes the importance of experiencing God's intensities, which bring life and vitality, rather than relying on self-effort or the devil's power.
Norman Grubb emphasizes the need for greater intensity in the Christian life, drawing from his upbringing under C. T. Studd. He highlights the contrast between the intensities of God, which bring life, and the intensities of the devil or self-effort, which lead to death. Grubb explains that when we are intense in God, there is a quality of Divine life that sustains us, despite our imperfections. He encourages the congregation to embrace the yoke and burden of God with desperation, knowing that true life is found in surrendering to His intensities.
Text
I don't think there is that intensity that I was brought up under. I was brought up under C. T. Studd for 10 years. I think there is a need for greater intensity. There is joy in this life, but there is something more. But the mystery and the paradox and the glory of the Gospel is that the very intensities of God have life in them. The intensities of the devil or self-effort have death in them. That's how we break down. When we are made tense by self-effort or intense by the devil, down we crash in due course. When you are intense by God there is life in God's intensities. So there is a yoke and there is a burden, but there is a quality of Divine life in it, so we can't be too intense, we can't be too desperate.
I am not a quarter of what I ought to be, but insofar as I am or insofar as any of you are, there is life in it. That's this thing.
Karuizawa Japan Conference of 1954
Sermon Outline
- The Need for Greater Intensity
- The intensity of God has life in it
- The intensities of the devil or self-effort have death in them
Key Quotes
“When you are intense by God there is life in God's intensities.” — Norman Grubb
“The intensities of the devil or self-effort have death in them.” — Norman Grubb
“I am not a quarter of what I ought to be, but insofar as I am or insofar as any of you are, there is life in it.” — Norman Grubb
Application Points
- We must recognize the difference between God's intensities and the devil's or self-effort's, and trust in God's power and presence to guide us.
- We must let go of self-effort and trust in God's power and presence to experience His intensities.
- We must have faith that God's intensities have life in them, and that we can experience His power and presence in our lives.