Jason K. Allen's Blog, page 28

Five Reasons Sermons Fail

To preach is to occasionally lay an egg. Every preacher has felt it, and every preacher hopes to never feel it again. What did I do wrong? Why did the sermon flop? How do I avoid this ever happening again? These questions, and many more, hound the conscience of the preacher who’s delivered a still-born sermon.

Unfortunately, I’ve not only been on the receiving end of a sermon flop, I’ve been on the delivering end also. From observation and experience, here are five reasons why sermons flop:

Too Little Study

There is no worse feeling than ascending the pulpit unsure of the message in hand. Preaching is the ultimate act of public self-disclosure. Too little study makes even the most veteran preacher feel uncertain of his grasp of the text, unsure of himself, and hesitant about the sermon he’s going to deliver. That’s why it is impossible to preach without a settled assurance that you’ve studied the text, have rightly interpreted it, and are standing before God’s people ready to explain and apply it. Sufficient preparation is indispensable to faithful preaching. Insufficient preparation makes mortals of us all.

Too Many Notes

While this may seem to contradict the prior point, it does not at all. To be clear, the problem to which I am referring is not too much study, but too many notes. Sermon notes are not an end; they are a means to an end: a faithful sermon. Have enough notes to ensure you faithfully explain and apply the text. While it is better to err on the side of having too many notes over too few, there is a point when sermon notes provide a diminishing return. Bumbling through 20 pages of notes often confuses both the preacher and the listener, compromises personal connection with the congregation, and makes the sermon delivery a more clinical, emotionless exercise. Strive for sermons from the heart, not the hand.

Misplaced Confidence

It is impossible to deliver a compelling message if the preacher lacks confidence. Yet, that confidence must be theologically grounded, not personally derived. Our confidence must rest in the power of the Word and of the Spirit, and a from settled assurance that God has ordained preaching as his means to strengthen the flock and evangelize the lost. Our confidence must transcend our own gifting, experience, or even time spent in study. To be sure, preparation, personal holiness, pulpit experience, and a host of other factors might enhance one’s confidence, but they cannot replace the confidence we know as we are convinced of the power of the Word and Spirit.

Lack of Clarity

Nothing hinders a sermon like confusion in the pulpit. Whether insufficient study or just an inarticulate presentation, a lack of clarity will stymie most any sermon. Combat ambiguity at every point. Move from the abstract to the concrete, from the “we” to the “you,” from the passive tense to the active, from the general to the specific. Don’t settle for “The Bible says,” but instead, give book, chapter, and verse references. Don’t be inexact with your words, uncertain in your explanation, or generic in your application. As Howard Hendricks once observed, “A mist in the pulpit is a fog in the pew.” Our people need us to speak a clear, understandable, and authoritative word.

Unconfessed Sin

An argument with your wife, an outburst with a child, or a simmering frustration with a church member all can quench the Spirit and undermine the sermon itself. The accuser of the brethren loves to find fault with the pastor, especially during the preaching event. As he does, he not only attacks the preacher but, indirectly, yet profoundly, the congregation as well. Before we preach, let’s pray up—and confess up—ready anew to celebrate the grace of Christ.

Conclusion

The preaching act is one of divine communion. We are God’s spokesperson, heralding his Word to the gathered crowd. As we do, a lot rides on the sermon. So much so, in fact, that we must strive to preach to the best of our ability week in and week out. Fellow preachers, there are a lot of reasons why we often come up short, but let’s make sure we dodge these five.

*This article was originally published on 1/11/17*

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Lord’s Day Meditation: “Jesus Said Unto Him, If Thou Canst Believe” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “Jesus Said Unto Him, If Thou Canst Believe” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, September 23, Evening)

“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe.” (Mark 9:23)

A certain man had a demoniac son, who was afflicted with a dumb spirit. The father, having seen the futility of the endeavours of the disciples to heal his child, had little or no faith in Christ, and therefore, when he was bidden to bring his son to him, he said to Jesus, “If thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.” Now there was an “if” in the question, but the poor trembling father had put the “if” in the wrong place: Jesus Christ, therefore, without commanding him to retract the “if,” kindly puts it in its legitimate position. “Nay, verily,” he seemed to say, “there should be no if’ about my power, nor concerning my willingness, the if’ lies somewhere else.” “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.” The man’s trust was strengthened, he offered a humble prayer for an increase of faith, and instantly Jesus spoke the word, and the devil was cast out, with an injunction never to return. There is a lesson here which we need to learn. We, like this man, often see that there is an “if” somewhere, but we are perpetually blundering by putting it in the wrong place. “If” Jesus can help me–“if” he can give me grace to overcome temptation–“if” he can give me pardon–“if” he can make me successful? Nay, “if” you can believe, he both can and will. You have misplaced your “if.” If you can confidently trust, even as all things are possible to Christ, so shall all things be possible to you. Faith standeth in God’s power, and is robed in God’s majesty; it weareth the royal apparel, and rideth on the King’s horse, for it is the grace which the King delighteth to honour. Girding itself with the glorious might of the all-working Spirit, it becomes, in the omnipotence of God, mighty to do, to dare, and to suffer. All things, without limit, are possible to him that believeth. My soul, canst thou believe thy Lord tonight?

 

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The Gospel and Your Recreation

Many Christians do not enjoy rest and recreation because they cannot. A host of factors contribute to this. For some, material excesses force them to work nonstop to pay the bills. For others, an overdone drivenness pushes them to work too much—compromising their health, family, and spiritual lives.

Still others, seeking to raise perfect children, shuttle their kids to and from sports leagues, practices, lessons, etc., disrupting norms of family life. Ultimately parents are most responsible for stewarding their children’s hearts, not their batting averages, violin proficiency, or GPA.

In light of this, how can we enjoy our recreation to the glory of God? How does the gospel affect our recreation? Consider the following four ways.

Recreate for the Glory of God

First, let’s reflect on these Scriptural charges:

“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17).
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31).

 

As John Piper argues, we glorify God through our recreation by making him an explicit part of it. Piper observes:

“Therefore, as we pursue our recreation, let’s pursue it to the glory of God. Since God wills recreation, he also wills to be in on it. It is crazy to think that God would create in us certain desires, ordain the innocent means of satisfying them and then spoil the whole thing if we pause to ask his blessing on it. On the contrary, he will not spoil the fun; he will enlarge it and purify it, so we don’t go home feeling crummy about how we acted. He will transform the game into a little slice of joyful life and turn the field into a diamond of grace.”

Rightly Prioritize Your Recreation

As one wit observed, the average American “worships his work, works at his play, and plays at his worship.” Our recreation is not to be job-like, and it certainly is not to be worship-like.

Our recreation should not displace our families or our work, and certainly not our worship. We can, however, pursue our recreation with joy, understanding that God has given it to us for our health and wellbeing. And, whether it is fishing, exercising, or some other sport or craft, how we engage it reflects on our Christian life. As Joe Thorn observed,

“We abuse the gift of recreation when we live for it, rather than use it to live. Recreation is abused when it dominates our thoughts and time; when it overtakes its proper boundaries. It is used well when it is received with thankfulness, enjoyed in faith, and experienced as a means to a better end.”

Think Evangelistically about Your Recreation

I am all for churches building Christian Life Centers and using them for intercongregational activities, but our recreation can be a unique arena for the gospel. For many of us, our recreation is our most consistent interaction with unbelievers. How we conduct ourselves, how we engage people, and the general witness we share and reflect can all be powerful gospel witnesses.

This is when evangelism tends to be most effective, anyway. Usually, it is not through cold calling a list of church prospects. Usually, it is through engaging unbelievers, on their terms, as we go through our day-to-day lives.

Rest from Your Striving

Moving more specifically to our spiritual lives, the author of Hebrews teaches us that the Sabbath day had a typological dimension—it foreshadowed the rest we have in Christ. When we become believers, we no longer carry the burden of trying to earn our salvation through keeping the law, through our personal morality, or through our religious works and good deeds.

On the contrary, Christ has accomplished our redemption for us. We now serve out of love and unto love. We now practice our Christianity from a position of acceptance, not in order to be accepted. Thus, we can rest in Christ and be spiritually, eternally satisfied in him.

In Conclusion

One of the most driven and productive persons who ever lived was the Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther. Luther was a titanic intellect, a lion in the pulpit, and a relentless servant of Christ. Through his 95 Theses, his fiery preaching, and tireless pen, Luther challenged the Roman Catholic Church, ushered in biblical reformation and revival, and literally changed the world.

Yet, Luther’s secret, by his own admission, was not in his own gifting or determination. It was not even long days and short nights. It was the power of the Word and Spirit of God. Luther testified that he unleashed the Word and then he rested. Luther wrote:

“Take me, for example. I opposed indulgences and all papists, but never by force. I simply taught, preached, wrote God’s Word: otherwise I did nothing. And then, while I slept or drank Wittenberg beer with my [friends] Philip and Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that never a prince or emperor did such damage to it. I did nothing: the Word did it all.”

May we, like Luther, be content to fulfill what God has called us unto—nothing less, but nothing more— and then rest in his goodness and in the quiet confidence that he will take our meager efforts and multiply them to his ends. As we live with this confidence, we can work, rest, worship, and recreate, for his glory and for our own well-being.

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John Piper, in his article, “Softball, Sex, and AugustusStrong,” as found at http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/softball-sex-and-augustus-strong.

As found in Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1997), 95.

Joe Thorn, in his article, “Two Keys to Better Recreation,” as found at http://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/two-keys-to-better-recreation.

Timothy George, Reading Scripture with the Reformers (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press Academic, 2011), 20.

 

*This is an excerpt from Dr. Jason Allen’s new book Being a Christian. You can purchase or find more information on the book at LifeWay Christian Resources*

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Lord’s Day Meditation: “Accepted In The Beloved” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “Accepted In The Beloved” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, September 23, Morning)

“Accepted in the beloved.” (Ephesians 1:6)

What a state of privilege! It includes our justification before God, but the term “acceptance” in the Greek means more than that. It signifies that we are the objects of divine complacence, nay, even of divine delight. How marvellous that we, worms, mortals, sinners, should be the objects of divine love! But it is only “in the beloved.” Some Christians seem to be accepted in their own experience, at least, that is their apprehension. When their spirit is lively, and their hopes bright, they think God accepts them, for they feel so high, so heavenly-minded, so drawn above the earth! But when their souls cleave to the dust, they are the victims of the fear that they are no longer accepted. If they could but see that all their high joys do not exalt them, and all their low despondencies do not really depress them in their Father’s sight, but that they stand accepted in One who never alters, in One who is always the beloved of God, always perfect, always without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, how much happier they would be, and how much more they would honour the Saviour! Rejoice then, believer, in this: thou art accepted “in the beloved.” Thou lookest within, and thou sayest, “There is nothing acceptable here!” But look at Christ, and see if there is not everything acceptable there. Thy sins trouble thee; but God has cast thy sins behind his back, and thou art accepted in the Righteous One. Thou hast to fight with corruption, and to wrestle with temptation, but thou art already accepted in him who has overcome the powers of evil. The devil tempts thee; be of good cheer, he cannot destroy thee, for thou art accepted in him who has broken Satan’s head. Know by full assurance thy glorious standing. Even glorified souls are not more accepted than thou art. They are only accepted in heaven “in the beloved,” and thou art even now accepted in Christ after the same manner.

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The Gospel and Your Work

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” That question, which is so common today, would be shockingly irrelevant for the vast majority of humans who have ever lived.

In the premodern world, one’s work usually was not a matter of choice. It was essential to one’s identity. It was more a matter of who you were than what you did. Let’s consider farming, for example. Farming was not merely what one did; a farmer was who you were. It was just as much a matter of one’s identity as it was one’s activity. If your father and his forebears had been farmers for generations on end, you would most likely become the same. You would till the land and husband its resources like your predecessors did, and your descendants would likely follow after you.

In the post-Industrial Era, work took on a different aspect, and the sense of calling and pride in one’s work—which often accompanied it—gave way to more practical considerations. Hence, many men took factory jobs in the twentieth century, not because they felt called to manufacture widgets on an assembly line but because they wanted to provide a steady income and health insurance for their families. The end of their work was no less noble, even if the means to provide for their families wasn’t particularly a matter of pride.

For Christians, though, as we will see, God created us to work. It is the context in which we spend the bulk of our adult lives, and it is the primary arena in which we can glorify Christ. And as we work intentionally for God’s glory, our work lives can become a potent gospel witness.

Reconsidering Vocation

During the Middle Ages, a class distinction emerged between the clergy and laity, which recognized the former as more noble, desirable, and beneficial than the latter. During the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther, along with other Reformers, reasserted the biblical concept of vocation and argued that God extends two calls on a person’s life. One, a general call to follow Christ; another, a call to a specific vocation, or work. We know our vocational call by gifting, ability, and opportunity, and we both honor God and serve man as we fulfill it. Thus, our vocational lives are a key component of our Christian identity and Christian witness. Consider Gene Veith on this point:

The ability to read God’s Word is an inexpressibly precious blessing, but reading is an ability that did not spring fully formed in our young minds, it required the vocation of teachers. God protects us through the cop on the beat and the whole panoply of the legal system. He gives us beauty and meaning through artists. He lets us travel through the ministry of auto workers, mechanics, road crews, and airline employees. He keeps us clean through the work of garbage collectors, plumbers, sanitation workers, and sometimes undocumented aliens who clean our hotel rooms. He brings people to salvation through pastors and through anyone else who proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost. The fast-food worker, the inventor; the clerical assistant, the scientist; the accountant, the musician—they all have high callings, used by God to bless and serve His people and His creation.

Therefore, as a Christian, even if you are independently wealthy, you are still called to lead a productive life. Endless days of sun tanning, golfing, and, as John Piper has lamented, “sea-shell collecting,” are vacuous if they become the end goal of your life. In order to glorify God through your work and in retirement, your steady productivity is imperative. The point is not that it is dishonorable to retire. The point is that even in our retirement we are to live in a way that is productive, Christ-honoring, and given to our families and our churches. In other words, regardless of our life-stage, we are called to honor Christ through what we do and how we do it. God has indeed made us, by gifting and by calling, for certain tasks. As we fulfill those tasks, we flourish, our families are strengthened, others are well served, and Christ is honored. We need, then, to discover and pursue our vocation. As Keith Welton encourages us,

“Our hands are the instruments of our heart. They express outwardly what we believe inwardly. Our work ought to show we have a higher calling. It ought to say that something greater than earthly reward motivates it. The quality of our work should glorify God.”

See Your Job as a Gospel Platform

Finally, understand that, as an adult, your job is where you spend the bulk of your daylight hours. Do not fall into the mind-set that your Monday-through- Saturday life is secular, divorced from your Sunday life. Understand your work life, when lived with a redemptive purpose, is an awesome platform for the gospel of Christ.

Popular Christian author Tim Keller made this very case in his book Every Good Endeavor. In it, he rightly observed, “Christians who grasp a biblical theology of work learn not only to value and participate in the work of all people but to also see ways to work distinctively as Christians.” Let’s make sure we cultivate this mind-set in our lives and in our work.

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Gene Edward Veith, God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2011), 14–15.

[2] Keith Welton, in his article, “Six Ways God’s at Work in You—at Work,” as found at http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/six-ways-god-s-at-work-in-you-at-work.

[3] Timothy Keller and Katherine Leary Alsdorf, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work (New York, NY: Riverhead Books, 2012), 149.

 

*This is an excerpt from Dr. Jason Allen’s new book Being a Christian. You can purchase or find more information on the book at LifeWay Christian Resources*

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Lord’s Day Meditation: “When My Heart Is Overwhelmed” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “When My Heart Is Overwhelmed” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, September 22, Evening)

“When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2)

Most of us know what it is to be overwhelmed in heart; emptied as when a man wipeth a dish and turneth it upside down; submerged and thrown on our beam ends like a vessel mastered by the storm. Discoveries of inward corruption will do this, if the Lord permits the great deep of our depravity to become troubled and cast up mire and dirt. Disappointments and heart-breaks will do this when billow after billow rolls over us, and we are like a broken shell hurled to and fro by the surf. Blessed be God, at such seasons we are not without an all-sufficient solace, our God is the harbour of weather-beaten sails, the hospice of forlorn pilgrims. Higher than we are is he, his mercy higher than our sins, his love higher than our thoughts. It is pitiful to see men putting their trust in something lower than themselves; but our confidence is fixed upon an exceeding high and glorious Lord. A Rock he is since he changes not, and a high Rock, because the tempests which overwhelm us roll far beneath at his feet; he is not disturbed by them, but rules them at his will. If we get under the shelter of this lofty Rock we may defy the hurricane; all is calm under the lee of that towering cliff. Alas! such is the confusion in which the troubled mind is often cast, that we need piloting to this divine shelter. Hence the prayer of the text. O Lord, our God, by thy Holy Spirit, teach us the way of faith, lead us into thy rest. The wind blows us out to sea, the helm answers not to our puny hand; thou, thou alone canst steer us over the bar between yon sunken rocks, safe into the fair haven. How dependent we are upon thee–we need thee to bring us to thee. To be wisely directed and steered into safety and peace is thy gift, and thine alone. This night be pleased to deal well with thy servants.

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Lord’s Day Meditation: “Let Israel Rejoice In Him” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “Let Israel Rejoice In Him” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, September 22, Morning)

“Let Israel rejoice in him.” (Psalm 149:2)

Be glad of heart, O believer, but take care that thy gladness has its spring in the Lord. Thou hast much cause for gladness in thy God, for thou canst sing with David, “God, my exceeding joy.” Be glad that the Lord reigneth, that Jehovah is King! Rejoice that he sits upon the throne, and ruleth all things! Every attribute of God should become a fresh ray in the sunlight of our gladness. That he is wise should make us glad, knowing as we do our own foolishness. That he is mighty, should cause us to rejoice who tremble at our weakness. That he is everlasting, should always be a theme of joy when we know that we wither as the grass. That he is unchanging, should perpetually yield us a song, since we change every hour. That he is full of grace, that he is overflowing with it, and that this grace in covenant he has given to us; that it is ours to cleanse us, ours to keep us, ours to sanctify us, ours to perfect us, ours to bring us to glory–all this should tend to make us glad in him. This gladness in God is as a deep river; we have only as yet touched its brink, we know a little of its clear sweet, heavenly streams, but onward the depth is greater, and the current more impetuous in its joy. The Christian feels that he may delight himself not only in what God is, but also in all that God has done in the past. The Psalms show us that God’s people in olden times were wont to think much of God’s actions, and to have a song concerning each of them. So let God’s people now rehearse the deeds of the Lord! Let them tell of his mighty acts, and “sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously.” Nor let them ever cease to sing, for as new mercies flow to them day by day, so should their gladness in the Lord’s loving acts in providence and in grace show itself in continued thanksgiving. Be glad ye children of Zion and rejoice in the Lord your God.

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The Gospel and Your Money

Did you know that Jesus spoke more about money than any other topic? That’s right. In fact, sixteen of Christ’s thirty-eight parables reference our handling of earthly treasure. In the Gospels, one out of every ten verses when Jesus is speaking addresses money. As John Piper observed, “Jesus spoke more about money than he did about sex, heaven, and hell. Money is a big deal to Jesus.”

I learned long ago that what is important to Jesus ought to be important to me. If this principle is true, then we must think intentionally about money, just as he did. If Jesus died to redeem every aspect of us—as we mentioned before—then the gospel affects our pocketbooks. As his gospel transforms our life, he transforms our view of money—and its use.

So, why did Jesus focus on money? Because money is a gauge, an indicator that reveals a thousand data points about our hearts. Our view of money uncovers our motives, our ambitions, our insecurities, our greed, and our internal value system. Few things reveal our hearts like our money does.

Money can also be corrosive—at least the love of money can be. The love of money will decay our hearts, pollute our ambitions, and stain our Christian lives. Yet, money is also a tool, when rightly utilized, that can bring about much good. Money rightly stewarded can provide for our families, support our churches, bless Christian ministries, care for the needy, and generate a host of other biblical and practical goods.

How then, should we view money? How should we evaluate earthly wealth? What does it mean for the gospel to redeem our pocket books? How can you honor God with your earthly resources? As we consider these questions, know the stakes are high. Remember Billy Graham’s observation: “If a person gets his attitude toward money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in his life.”

Don’t Love the Provision, Love the Provider

One of the reassuring realities of the Christian life is God’s scrupulous care and lavish generosity on his children. Not only is he able to care for us; he is committed to doing so. Not only is he willing to bless us; he delights in it. As Jesus taught:

“Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they? Can any of you add one moment to his lifespan by worrying? And why do you worry about clothes? Observe how the wildflowers of the field grow: They don’t labor or spin thread. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was adorned like one of these. If that’s how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, won’t he do much more for you—you of little faith? So don’t worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” (Matt. 6:26–33)

The sparkling reality of the Christian life is that God not only meets our needs but often far surpasses them. As he provides, we must worship the Provider. As he  gives, sure, we can enjoy the gift, but we should delight in the Giver most of all.

Pursue Contentment More Than Gain

This is key, as the apostle Paul teaches us: “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6). The reality is, discontentment is like a leaking basin that can never be filled regardless of how much water you put into it. Conversely, contentment is like an artesian well, never running dry regardless of how much you take out.

I love how Paul David Tripp frames this reality. He writes, “Love of money is really about contentment. Love of money is about humility. Love of money is about identity. Love of money is about worship that really roots at deep issues. Maybe the most subtle of the indications of love of money is an ongoing, chronic discontentment in me that, no matter what I have, I am still not content.”

Realize that in Christ, you have all you need. Be content in him.

View All That You Have through the Prism of Stewardship

Stewardship is a concept we are all familiar with, but perhaps not as much as we should be. To be a steward is to recognize that we are not the owners of our possessions—just temporary overseers. We will be judged by rightly stewarding—storing up for ourselves treasure in heaven.

As we conclude, ask yourself: How are you doing with the love of money? Are you content in Christ? How are you stewarding your resources? How you answer these questions will reveal a lot about what you actually think of the gospel.

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9Marks Expository Preaching Conference at MBTS: “Perseverance in Preaching”

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Lord’s Day Meditation: “Gather Not My Soul With Sinners” by C. H. Spurgeon

Lord’s Day Meditation: “Gather Not My Soul With Sinners” by C. H. Spurgeon (Morning and Evening, September 21, Evening)

“Gather not my soul with sinners.” (Psalm 26:9)

Fear made David pray thus, for something whispered, “Perhaps, after all, thou mayst be gathered with the wicked.” That fear, although marred by unbelief, springs, in the main, from holy anxiety, arising from the recollection of past sin. Even the pardoned man will enquire, “What if at the end my sins should be remembered, and I should be left out of the catalogue of the saved?” He recollects his present unfruitfulness–so little grace, so little love, so little holiness, and looking forward to the future, he considers his weakness and the many temptations which beset him, and he fears that he may fall, and become a prey to the enemy. A sense of sin and present evil, and his prevailing corruptions, compel him to pray, in fear and trembling, “Gather not my soul with sinners.” Reader, if you have prayed this prayer, and if your character be rightly described in the Psalm from which it is taken, you need not be afraid that you shall be gathered with sinners. Have you the two virtues which David had–the outward walking in integrity, and the inward trusting in the Lord? Are you resting upon Christ’s sacrifice, and can you compass the altar of God with humble hope? If so, rest assured, with the wicked you never shall be gathered, for that calamity is impossible. The gathering at the judgment is like to like. “Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” If, then, thou art like God’s people, thou shalt be with God’s people. You cannot be gathered with the wicked, for you are too dearly bought. Redeemed by the blood of Christ, you are his forever, and where he is, there must his people be. You are loved too much to be cast away with reprobates. Shall one dear to Christ perish? Impossible! Hell cannot hold thee! Heaven claims thee! Trust in thy Surety and fear not!

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