Interesting Read of the Day - Behold the Man
Friday, September 30, 2011 at 12:06AM Behold The Man - Sermon by James S. Stewart
I admit it: I was not familiar with the preacher James S. Stewart. But now I am. I was looking at the BBC website, and came across an article about a preacher named John Stott, who died over the summer. I then read a bit about Mr. Stott and his life, and noticed that Billy Graham considered him a friend. I then went to Youtube to pull up a few Billy Graham videos. I then googled the "best preachers ever." There, unexpectedly (at least by me) at the top of the list was James S. Stewart.
So, I eventually ended up at this sermon by Mr. Stewart, and thought it worth sharing. Why?
- It is wonderfully written
- It is convicting
- It is inspiring
Like most people in these days of digital delivery, I tend to think of sermons as either heard or watched, not read. But this written sermon is as good as any sermon I've sat and listened to:
But the extraordinary thing was this, that neither with laughter nor with force, not with the massive arguments of her philosophers nor by the might of her thundering legions, could Rome stop Jesus. What actually happened was that Jesus stopped Rome, and on the dust and ashes of her broken splendour set the foundations of the empire of God which was to be.
The one name before which the Anti-God movement of to-day trembles is the name of Jesus of Nazareth. There is no modern Caesarism which can shoulder Christ off the page of history, or break His grip on the souls of men. After nineteen centuries, we still baptize our children in His name; when love and marriage come, His is the blessing we invoke, and His the altar at which we plight our troth; when all is over, it is beneath His cross we lay our dead, and it is in His message of eternal hope that we find comfort. Ten thousand times He has broken the chains of evil habit, and set the prisoners free. He has put energy and victory into wasted lives and souls rotting with sin. And there are those in this Church now who would unhesitatingly ascribe “every virtue they possess, and every victory won, and every thought of holiness,” not to their own resolution or resources, but to the saving might of Christ alone. The mystery of Jesus is the mystery of a power.
If you are so inclined, I highly recommend finding a quiet spot, turning off the TV and reading - preferably slowly - this sermon by James S. Stewart. Powerful stuff.
Reader Comments (1)
I can understand how you could be such a fan of Mr. Stewart - this is definitely a powerful read.