Taken from C. H. Spurgeons Sermon - 1876 WHO IS ON THE LORDS SIDE? **************************** Then Moses stood at the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the Lords side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. Exodus 32:26 THE CONTEXT: Moses had just come down off the mount with the Ten Commandments and discovered the people naked and worshiping a golden calf. He burnt the golden calf, and ground it into powder and made the children of Israel drink it. Moses stood at the gate of the camp and said, Who is on the Lords side? Let them come unto me. All the sons of Levi came unto him. Moses ordered them to execute the idolaters. 3,000 of the people perished as a warning to the rest, and that cursed image-worship was stamped out of the camp; at least, for a time. ____________________________________________________________ TODAYS BATTLE GROUNDS: 1. Belief in God against atheism and other forms of unbelief. Infidelity assumes many forms: - doubt as to whether there is any God at all; - daring defiance of God, if there be a God; - indifference, which utterly neglects God, not caring about Him one way or another. _________________________________________________________ 2. Obedience to the commands of God? OR A determination to please ourselves? ___________________________________________________________ 3. Christ and His righteousness? OR Your self-righteousness, salvation by your own works, prayers, almsgiving, or by anything of your own? _____________________________________________________________ 4. The gospel of the grace of God? OR The superstitions and falsehoods of men? _____________________________________________________________ 5. Scripture? OR Tradition? ____________________________________________________________ WHAT BELIEVERS MUST DO TO SHOW THEYRE ON THE LORDS SIDE: ****************************** 1. THEY MUST OWN IT! Be bold and brave proclaimers. Righteousness ought not to be claimed of men who are ashamed to own it. Oh, for more of the true spirit of chivalry amongst those who call Jesus their Lord and Master! It is a shame that they should ever blush to own His name! To swim against the stream, to speak unpopular truth, to declare that which God has taught you, even though nobody believes it, to stand against the whole world for God and His Christ, - this is being a Christian; and the time shall come when this shall be reckoned the noblest kind of man whom God Himself has made. SO, IF YOU ARE ON GODS SIDE, OWN IT! _____________________________________________________________ 2. THEY MUST RALLY TO THE STANDARD! If you are a Christian, you should unite with other Christians. Test the various sections of the professing Church by the Word of God, and cast in your lot with that part which holds the truth most fully and clearly. Believers ought not to be solitary stones, lying by themselves; they should be built up into a holy temple in the Lord, ... builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. SO IF YOU ARE ON GODS SIDE, OWN IT, AND JOIN WITH THOSE WHO ALSO ARE ON THAT SIDE. _____________________________________________________________ 3. THEY MUST BE WILLING TO BE IN A MINORITY! In the days of Luther, who can ever tell what a pivot and hinge that one lone man was for Germany and Europe? And in Scotland, what force there was in one brave man, John Knox, whose preaching and prayers Queen Mary feared more than an army of soldiers. Run not with the multitude to do evil; rather choose the narrow way, that leads unto life, though few there be that find it. If the rightness of any course could be decided by the counting of heads, the devil would mostly be in the right; but we do not reckon in that way. We test every question by the Word of God, not by the votes of men. If the Lord has said anything, believe it, even if no one else does. If the Lord has revealed any truth to your conscience, hold to it, even though, to all other, it should seem to be a lie; and, verily, I say unto you, you shall have your reward. _____________________________________________________________ 4. THEY MUST BE AGGRESSIVE! Remember, the sons of Levi, directly declared that they were on the side of Jehovah, and Moses called them to come forth to smite and slay His enemies. So must you, if you are a follower of the Lord. There is nothing the devil likes better than to be left alone. We dont just preach what we believe and leave other peoples doctrine alone. The Lord Jesus Christ did not let the devil alone. The gospel does not let error and falsehood alone! When the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world, one part of His work was to destroy the works of the devil. We must not let falsehood, and sin, and error alone. Christ said, Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. _____________________________________________________________ 5. THEY MUST LET LOVE TO GOD OVERMASTER ALL NATURES TIES. Never do a wrong thing, or even a questionable thing to please father, or mother, or wife, or child; and never allow any wrong to go unrebuked in the dearest friend you have, for faithful are the wounds of a friend. Our one weapon is the two-edged sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God; the force we use is the force of the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. They who are faithful to God must also be faithful to the members of their household. this may involve persecution for themselves; but they must be willing to bear it, for Christs sake, and they must not yield an inch, or an iota, in any matter of principle, or any question of truth and right, even to the beloved of their heart. Can you do this? If so, you are worthy to be reckoned among those who are on the Lords side. ____________________________________________________________ 6. THEY MUST DO AS THEY ARE BIDDEN! They must be prepared to obey all Christs commands to the letter, and also in the spirit of them, right to the end of life. I am ashamed of the way in which some professing Christians ignore so much of the Bible, shutting their eyes to Christs commands. Whatever the Lord teaches me in His Word, I will follow. I have not an atom of respect for any authority, in matters relating to divine truth, except the authority of God; and I would strongly urge all people to try all catechisms, creeds, customs, doctrines, practices, and everything else, by that infallible test: TO THE LAW AND THE TESTIMONY; IF THEY SPEAK NOT ACCORDING TO THIS WORD, IT IS BECAUSE THERE IS NO LIGHT IN THEM. _____________________________________________________________ THE BELIEVERS ENCOURAGEMENT: 1. IT IS THE CAUSE OF RIGHT AND TRUTH! 2. YOU ARE ON GODS SIDE! 3. JESUS THE CRUCIFIED IS WITH YOU! 4. ALL THE SAINTS OF GOD ARE WITH US AND SO ARE ALL THE HOLY ANGELS! We run the Christian race, and wrestle for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus; and we sing a new song of praise unto the Lord as He leads us to contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. We stand boldly for Christ and Him crucified, and we speak, serve, or suffer, as best shall glorify the Lord Most High. _____________________________________________________________ Taken from C. H. Spurgeons Sermon - WHO IS ON THE LORDS SIDE?
Posted on: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 19:03:09 +0000
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