Did not Mary Queen of Scots fear the prayers of John Knox more than she feared the English soldiers? Of course she did! Why? Because he was a powerful man in prayer ... Is not that the kind of man we need today? Where is the power, where is the influence, where is the authority? These reformers were only men like us ... but they were men of prayer, who lived in the presence of God and who knew they could do nothing without Him.
What is the test of preaching? I tell you; it is power! ‘Our gospel came to you’ says the apostle 1 Thess 1:5 ‘not in word only, but also in power’ ... Do you think John Knox could make Mary Queen of Scots tremble with some polished little essay? They were preaching to the congregation ... to change people. ... Prophetic! Authoritative! Proclamation! Declaration! ... Was John Knox a matey, friendly, nice chap with which whom you could have a discussion? Thank God he was not! Scotland would not be what she has been for four centuries if John Knox had been that kind of man. ... thank God prophets are made of stronger stuff! ... such a man was John Knox with the fire of God in his bones and belly! He preached as they all preached, with fire and power, alarming sermons, convicting sermons, humbling sermons, converting sermons, and the face of Scotland was changed. ...
Should I try and draw certain lesson for ourselves? The conclusion of all this is that righteousness and righteousness alone, exalts a nation, and there is no righteousness without a preceding godliness. The times are cruel; the world is in a desperate plight; there is an appalling moral breakdown before our eyes ... Our position is not hopeless, for God remains, and with God nothing shall be impossible. The conditions could not have been worse than they were immediately before the Reformation, yet in spite of that the change came. Why? Because God was there and God sent it. So the only question we need to ask is the old question of Elisha face to face with his problem: ‘where is the Lord God of Elijah’? And I want to ask that question this evening: Where is the God of John Knox? He who can give us the power, the authority, the might, the courage, and everything we need. ... let us go in His name with boldness unto the throne of grace, and as certainly as we do so we shall obtain the mercy that we need for our sinfulness and unfaithfulness, and we shall be given the grace to help us in our time of need, in our day and generation. The God of John Knox is still there, and still the same, and thank God, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Oh, that we might know the God of John Knox!
Remembering the Reformation in 'Knowing the Times'.
[This lecture was given in Scotland in 1960 to commemorate 400 years of the Scottish Reformation]
What is the test of preaching? I tell you; it is power! ‘Our gospel came to you’ says the apostle 1 Thess 1:5 ‘not in word only, but also in power’ ... Do you think John Knox could make Mary Queen of Scots tremble with some polished little essay? They were preaching to the congregation ... to change people. ... Prophetic! Authoritative! Proclamation! Declaration! ... Was John Knox a matey, friendly, nice chap with which whom you could have a discussion? Thank God he was not! Scotland would not be what she has been for four centuries if John Knox had been that kind of man. ... thank God prophets are made of stronger stuff! ... such a man was John Knox with the fire of God in his bones and belly! He preached as they all preached, with fire and power, alarming sermons, convicting sermons, humbling sermons, converting sermons, and the face of Scotland was changed. ...
Should I try and draw certain lesson for ourselves? The conclusion of all this is that righteousness and righteousness alone, exalts a nation, and there is no righteousness without a preceding godliness. The times are cruel; the world is in a desperate plight; there is an appalling moral breakdown before our eyes ... Our position is not hopeless, for God remains, and with God nothing shall be impossible. The conditions could not have been worse than they were immediately before the Reformation, yet in spite of that the change came. Why? Because God was there and God sent it. So the only question we need to ask is the old question of Elisha face to face with his problem: ‘where is the Lord God of Elijah’? And I want to ask that question this evening: Where is the God of John Knox? He who can give us the power, the authority, the might, the courage, and everything we need. ... let us go in His name with boldness unto the throne of grace, and as certainly as we do so we shall obtain the mercy that we need for our sinfulness and unfaithfulness, and we shall be given the grace to help us in our time of need, in our day and generation. The God of John Knox is still there, and still the same, and thank God, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Oh, that we might know the God of John Knox!
Remembering the Reformation in 'Knowing the Times'.
[This lecture was given in Scotland in 1960 to commemorate 400 years of the Scottish Reformation]