God Is Sweet Above All Things and in All Things to Those Who Love Him
The sermon emphasizes the sweetness of God and the need to seek Him above all things, while also highlighting the vanity of the world and the importance of spiritual renewal.
Thomas a Kempis preaches about the all-encompassing joy and satisfaction found in God alone, contrasting the fleeting pleasures of the world with the eternal delight of being in God's presence. He emphasizes the wisdom in forsaking worldly desires and focusing on spiritual growth, recognizing the profound difference between finding joy in the Creator versus the created. Kempis acknowledges the ongoing struggle with the sinful nature within, calling for divine intervention to overcome and fully surrender to God's transformative power.
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THE DISCIPLE
BEHOLD, my God and my all! What more do I wish for; what greater happiness can I desire? O sweet and delicious word! But sweet only to him who loves it, and not to the world or the things that are in the world.
My God and my all! These words are enough for him who understands, and for him who loves it is a joy to repeat them often. For when You are present, all things are delightful; when You are absent, all things become loathsome. It is You Who give a heart tranquillity, great peace and festive joy. It is You Who make us think well of all things, and praise You in all things. Without You nothing can give pleasure for very long, for if it is to be pleasing and tasteful, Your grace and the seasoning of Your wisdom must be in it. What is there that can displease him whose happiness is in You? And, on the contrary, what can satisfy him whose delight is not in You?
The wise men of the world, the men who lust for the flesh, are wanting in Your wisdom, because in the world is found the utmost vanity, and in the flesh is death. But they who follow You by disdaining worldly things and mortifying the flesh are known to be truly wise, for they are transported from vanity to truth, from flesh to spirit. By such as these God is relished, and whatever good is found in creatures they turn to praise of the Creator. But great -- yes, very great, indeed -- is the difference between delight in the Creator and in the creature, in eternity and in time, in Light uncreated and in the light that is reflected.
O Light eternal, surpassing all created brightness, flash forth the lightning from above and enlighten the inmost recesses of my heart. Cleanse, cheer, enlighten, and vivify my spirit with all its powers, that it may cleave to You in ecstasies of joy. Oh, when will that happy and wished-for hour come, that You may fill me with Your presence and become all in all to me? So long as this is not given me, my joy will not be complete.
The old man, alas, yet lives within me. He has not yet been entirely crucified; he is not yet entirely dead. He still lusts strongly against the spirit, and he will not leave the kingdom of my soul in peace. But You, Who can command the power of the sea and calm the tumult of its waves, arise and help me. Scatter the nations that delight in war; crush them in Your sight. Show forth I beg, Your wonderful works and let Your right hand be glorified, because for me there is no other hope or refuge except in You, O Lord, my God.
Sermon Outline
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The Sweetness of God
- God is sweet above all things to those who love Him
- He gives tranquility, peace, and joy
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The World's Vanity
- The world is full of vanity and death
- Those who follow worldly desires are lacking in God's wisdom
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The Difference Between Creator and Creature
- Delight in the Creator is eternal and true
- Delight in the creature is temporal and fleeting
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The Need for Spiritual Renewal
- The old man within us still lives and lusts against the spirit
- We need God's help to overcome our sinful nature
Key Quotes
“My God and my all! These words are enough for him who understands, and for him who loves it is a joy to repeat them often.” — Thomas a Kempis
“What is there that can displease him whose happiness is in You? And, on the contrary, what can satisfy him whose delight is not in You?” — Thomas a Kempis
“O Light eternal, surpassing all created brightness, flash forth the lightning from above and enlighten the inmost recesses of my heart.” — Thomas a Kempis
Application Points
- We should seek to delight in God above all things, and recognize that worldly pleasures are fleeting and empty.
- We need God's help to overcome our sinful nature and follow Him by disdaining worldly things and mortifying the flesh.
- We should seek to experience the sweetness of God in our lives, and recognize that He is the source of true joy and peace.