Character of Jesus

Is It Possible?

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, prayer, promises, repentance, salvation, Sovereignty of God 1 Comment

Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to Thy saints at Jerusalem… – Acts 9:13

Ananias lifted up both his hands in amazement. “O my Lord, I should have thought anybody would pray but that man! Is it possible?” …I remember a circumstance which occurred a little while ago. There was a poor man about sixty years old; he had been a rough sailor, one of the worst men in the village; it was his custom to drink, and he seemed to be delighted when he was cursing and swearing. He came into the chapel, however, one Sabbath day, when one nearly related to me was preaching from the text concerning Jesus weeping over Jerusalem. And the poor man thought, “What! did Jesus Christ ever weep over such a wretch as I am?” He thought he was too bad for Christ to care for him. At last he came to the minister, and said, “Sir, sixty years have I been sailing under the standard of the devil; it is time I should have a new owner; I want to scuttle the old ship and sink her altogether! then I shall have a new one, and I shall sail under the colors of Prince Immanuel.” Ever since that moment that man has been a praying character, walking before God in all sincerity. Yet, he was the very last man you would have thought of. Somehow God does choose the last men; He does not care for the diamond, but He picks up the pebble-stones, for He is able, out of “stones, to raise up children unto Abraham.” God is more wise than the chemist: He not only refines gold, but He transmutes base metal into precious jewels; He takes the filthiest and the vilest, and fashions them into glorious beings, makes them saints, whereas they have been sinners, and sanctifies them, whereas they have been unholy.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0016.cfm

Joy in Heaven

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, confession of sin, prayer, promises, repentance, salvation Leave a comment

…behold, he prayeth. – Acts 9:11

Our text is prefaced with “Behold,” for doubtless, our Saviour Himself regarded it with joy. Once only do we read of a smile resting upon the countenance of Jesus, when, lifting up His eye to heaven, he exclaimed, “I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes; even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight.” …”Behold,  I have won the heart of My enemy, I have saved My persecutor, even now He is bending the knee at My footstool; behold, he prayeth.” Jesus Himself led the song, rejoicing over the new convert with singing. Jesus Christ was glad, and rejoiced more over that lost sheep than over ninety and nine that went not astray. And angels rejoiced too. Why, when one of God’s elect is born, angels stand around his cradle. He grows up, and runs into sin: angels follow him, tracking him all his way; they gaze with sorrow upon his many wanderings; the fair Peri drops a tear whene’er that loved one sins. Presently the man is brought under the sound of the gospel. The angel says, “Behold, he begins to hear.” He waits a little while, the word sinks into his heart, a tear runs down his cheek, and at last he cries from his inmost soul, “God have mercy upon me!” See! The angel claps his wings, up he flies to heaven, and says, “Brethren angels, listen to me, ‘Behold, he prayeth.'” Then they set heaven’s bells ringing; they have a jubilee in glory; again they shout with gladsome voices, for verily I tell you, “there is joy in heaven among the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0016.cfm

Poor Sinner, Thou Art Heard

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, confession of sin, prayer, promises, repentance, salvation, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

“Behold, he prayeth.” – Acts 9:11

Prayers are noticed in heaven. Oh! I know what is the case with many of you. You think, “If I turn to God, if I seek Him, surely I am so inconsiderable a being, so guilty and vile, that it cannot be imagined He would take any notice of me.” My friends, harbor no such heathenish ideas. Our God is no god who sits in one perpetual dream; nor doth He clothe Himself in such thick darkness that He cannot see; He is not like Baal who heareth not. True, He may not regard battles; He cares not for the pomp and pageantry of kings; He listens not to the swell of martial music; He regards not the triumph and the pride of man; but wherever there is a heart big with sorrow, wherever there is an eye suffused with tears, wherever there is a lip quivering with agony, wherever there is a deep groan, or a penitential sigh, the ear of Jehovah is wide open; He marks it down in the registry of His memory; He puts our prayers, like rose leaves, between the pages of His book of remembrance, and when the volume is opened at last there shall be a precious fragrance springing up therefrom. Oh! Poor sinner, of the blackest and vilest character, thy prayers are heard, and even now God hath said of thee, “Behold, he prayeth.”

So, then, poor sinner, thou art noticed; yea, thou art heard by Him that sitteth on the throne.~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0016.cfm

Prayers are Noticed in Heaven

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises 1 Comment

And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

Poor Saul had been led to cry for mercy, and the moment he began to pray, God began to hear. Do you not notice, in reading the chapter, what attention God paid to Saul? He knew the street where he lived; “Go to the street that is called Straight.” He knew the house where he resided; “inquire at the house of Judas.” He knew his name; it was Saul. He knew the place where he came from; “Inquire for Saul of Tarsus.” And He knew that he had prayed. “Behold, he prayeth.” Oh! It is a glorious fact, that prayers are noticed in heaven. The poor broken-hearted sinner, climbing up to his chamber, bends his knee, but can only utter his wailing in the language of sighs and tears. Lo! That groan has made all the harps of heaven thrill with music; that tear has been caught by God, and put into the lachrymatory of heaven, to be perpetually preserved. The supplicant, whose fears prevent his words, will be well understood by the Most High. He may only shed one hasty tear; but “prayer is the falling of a tear.” Tears are the diamonds of heaven; sighs are a part of the music of Jehovah’s throne; for though prayers be

“The simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try;”

so are they likewise the

“Sublimest strains that reach The Majesty on high.”

~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0016.cfm

Repent and Seek the Mercy of God

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, confession of sin, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God 3 Comments

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. – 1 Titus 1:15

Paul, who persecuted Christ, was forgiven. He says he was the very chief of sinners, but he obtained mercy. So shall you… It strikes me with wonder when I see how many of the very greatest of sinners have become the most useful of men. Do you see John Bunyan yonder? He is cursing God. He goes into the belfry and pulls the bell on Sunday, because he likes the bellringing, but when the church door is open, he is playing bowls upon the village green. There is the village tap, and there is no one that laughs so loud there as John Bunyan. There are some people going to the meeting house; there is no one curses them so much as John. He is a ringleader in all vice. If there is a hen roost to be robbed, Jack’s your man. If there is any iniquity to be done, if there be any evil in the parish, you need not guess twice, John Bunyan is at the bottom of it. But who is it that stands there in the deck before the magistrate? Who is it I heard just now-“If you let me out of prison today, I will preach the gospel tomorrow, by the help of God!” Who was it that lay twelve years in prison, and when they said he might go out if he would promise not to preach, replied, “No, I will be here till the moss grows on mine eyelids, but I must and will preach God’s gospel as soon as I have liberty?” Why, that is John Bunyan, the very man who cursed Christ the other day. A ringleader in vice has become the glorious dreamer, the very leader of God’s hosts. See, what God did for him, and what God did for him He will do for you, if now you repent and seek the mercy of God in Christ Jesus.

“Come, and welcome, sinner, come.”

~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0202.cfm

Persecutor, Christ’s Sovereign Will Is Over You

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, the unbelieving life Leave a comment

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God… – Ephesians 2:19

We have seen a horse stand still in the street, and the driver, who had not very much patience with him, has so belaboured him, that we wondered how the poor horse could stand still under such a torrent of blows; but we have observed at last that the horse is obliged to go on, and we wondered what he got by standing still. It is just the same with you. If the Lord means to make a Christian out of you, you may kick against Christianity, but He will have you at last. If Jesus Christ intends your salvation you may curse Him, but He will make you preach His gospel one day, if He likes to do so. Ah, if Christ had willed it, Voltaire who cursed Him, might have made a second apostle Paul. He could not have resisted sovereign grace, if Christ had so determined. If anyone had told the apostle Paul when he was going to Damascus, that he would one day become a preacher of Christianity, he would no doubt, have laughed at it as ridiculous nonsense; but the Lord had the key of his will, and He wound it up as He pleased. And so it will be with you-if He has determined to have you as one of His followers-

“If, as the eternal mandate ran
Almighty grace arrest that man,”

Almighty grace will arrest you; and the bloodiest of persecutors will be made the boldest of saints. Oh, how foolish must you be, to persevere in a rebellion which is harmful to none but your own soul, which is not injurious to Him whom you hate, but which, if He pleases, He can stop, or if He doth not stop, He can and will revenge. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0202.cfm

Persecutor, Consider This

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, promises, Sovereignty of God, the unbelieving life Leave a comment

Why persecutest thou Me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. – Acts 26:14

I ask you, what have you ever got by opposing Christ? Suppose you say you don’t like religion, what have you ever got by hating it? I will tell you what you have got. You have got those red eyes sometimes on the Monday morning, after the drunkenness of the Sunday night. I will tell you what you have got, young man. You have got that shattered constitution, which, even if you had now turned it to the paths of virtue, must hang about you till you leave it in your grave. What have you got? Why, there are some of you who might have been respectable members of society, who have got that old broken hat, that old ragged coat, that drunken, slouched manner about you, and that character that you would like to let down and run away from, for it is no good to you. That is what you have got by opposing Christ. What have you got by opposing Him? Why, a house without furniture-for through your drunkenness you have had to sell everything of value you had. You have got your children in rags. and your wife in misery, and your eldest daughter, perhaps, running into shame, and your son rising up to curse the Saviour, as you yourself have done. What have you got by opposing Christ? What man in all the world ever got anything by it? There is a serious loss sustained, but as for gain, there is nothing of the sort.

Take heed, ye that hate Christ and oppose His gospel for as certainly as the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and His religion is true, you are heaping on your head a load of injury, instead of deriving good. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/0202.cfm