This is my last message in The Moody Church News as Senior Pastor of the church. I want to use Paul’s words in the last chapter of 2 Corinthians as the basis for this message. Of course, I must point out that the conditions in the Corinthian church do not parallel those in The Moody Church! How I praise God for the unity of heart and the devotion to the Word that we have in our fellowship.
But the spiritual principles Paul deals with do apply to us, just as they did to the believers in Corinth. In Paul’s “farewell …
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is transgression of the law.” —1 John 3:4
That is the Authorized Version, and of course that is true, but it is not all the truth. The Revised Version and several other translations make it clearer: “Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”
You see, sin is not necessarily simply the transgression of the law of God, for where there is no law, still, men sin. Sin is lawlessness. That is, sin is self-will; the will acting in independence of God.
In a letter to the Board of Elders dated Sunday, May 7, 1978, Pastor Wiersbe submitted his resignation as Senior Minister of The Moody Church. The letter stated in part: “I feel the Lord would have me engage in a wider ministry of Bible conference teaching and writing. Let me state clearly and sincerely that my decision is not because of any problems in the church…Be sure of my continued support of The Moody Church ministry. My family and I plan to retain our membership at The Moody Church and stand behind the work there…” He indicated his last speaking …
This past year has been a difficult one and a demanding one for many people. Here we are, starting a new year, and perhaps wondering just what lies before us. It seems that so many things we used to depend on are no longer dependable. The very foundations of life are shaking. How easy it would be to throw up our hands and just give in; but we know that giving up never made any situation better. I think the answer to the problems of life today are found in some of the things that never shake and that never …
“One of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he …
Recently, I took a cab from The Moody Church to downtown Chicago and immediately began a conversation with the driver. He was from Damascus, Syria; he intends to return to the Middle East permanently next year. When I found out he was a Muslim, I asked whether he knew the Qur’an by memory. “Yes,” he said as he picked up his copy from off the dashboard, “I read it every spare moment.”
Then he picked it up a second time. “I forgot to kiss it,” he said as he put the book firmly to his lips. “Do you always kiss …
“And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus, fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. But so much the more went there a fame abroad …
“And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that …
“Until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts.”
The above phrase is taken from 2 Peter 1: 19, and it is to this phrase that we will direct our attention; but to get the proper setting, let me quote the entire verse: “We have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well to take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.”
The war has not only brought dark clouds of heart sorrow, but clouds of doubt to men’s …
“And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee. And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not. (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. …
