Crescendo to Christ
Reading The Christian Ministry by Charles Bridges has been challenging, eye-opening, and encouraging. One recent chapter in particular has been incredibly refreshing… the chapter on “Doctrinal Preaching of the Gospel.” Check out how Bridges crescendos to Christ at the end of this chapter:
“So convince of the all-sufficient righteousness and unsearchable riches of Christ, the immeasurableness of his love, the preciousness of his promises, the fellowship of his sufferings, the power of his resurrection, the beauties of his holiness, the easiness of his yoke, the sweetness of his peace, the joy of his salvation, the hope of his glory - that the hearts of your hearers may burn within them, and they may fly, like doves unto their windows, for shelter and sanctuary into the arms of such a Redeemer, who is able and willing to save to the uttermost those who come unto God by him…”
””Preach Christ Jesus the Lord.” Determine to know nothing among your people, but Christ crucified. Let his name and grace, his spirit and love, triumph in the midst of all your sermons. Let your great end be, to glorify him in the heart, to render him amiable and precious in the eyes of his people, to lead them to him, as a sanctuary to protect them, a propitiation to reconcile them, a treasure to enrich them, a physician to heal them, an advocate to present them and their services to God, as wisdom to counsel them, as righteousness to justify, as sanctification to renew, as redemption to save. Let Christ be the diamond to shine in the bosom of all your sermons.”
