Sermons Archive
What Jesus Did! What Jesus Does!
A missionary facing a situation where he could not speak the language well? A missionary who was partially deaf? A missionary who had witnessed no conversions? Surely, that sounds like an impossible situation. What would you do? This is what John Hyde did. In 1908, John Hyde began to pray, “God, give me one soul each day.” He prayed when he first awakened and continued praying each day for God to give him one soul. It appeared to be an impossible request for an impossible situation. He would pray sometimes for a full day, skipping meals and pleading with God to do the impossible. At the end of that year, his records showed that he had been used by God to lead over four hundred people to Christ.
In 1909, Hyde changed his prayer, asking God to give him two souls each day. At the end of that year, records showed that almost eight hundred people had given their life to Christ the Lord through this man’s prayers. After this, he became known as “Praying John Hyde.” God was working in an impossible situation to glorify His Name.
The following year, 1910, he changed his prayer again, praying, “O God, give me four souls each day, and nothing less.” At the end of that year, the records of the mission revealed that more than sixteen hundred people had received Christ Jesus as Master over life as result of John Hyde’s prayers. [5]
John Hyde died in 1912. It is fair to say that John Hyde accomplished more for the cause of the Kingdom of God in those few short years than most Christians accomplish in a lifetime. We wouldn’t be wrong to say that he accomplished more in those few short years than most churches accomplish in their lifetime. This is what God is prepared to do through His people when they are facing an impossible situation that drives them to look to God to accomplish the impossibility
When A Church Makes God Sick
Christ’s fnal word to the churches of Asia opens with a serious charge to the Laodicean congregation.
Jesus warned, “Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my
mouth” [REVELATION 3:14 CSB]. I suppose this verse qualifes as one of the better-known verses of the
Apocalypse, even if few among the churches are willing to make application of the verse to themselves or
to their own congregation. The picture is graphic as presented in the original language. The Lord warns
that Laodicean congregation that they make Him sick. Cold? He could work among them to kindle a fame
to get a few coals burning again. Hot? He could employ them in His service. Lukewarm? They had
become worthless.
Lukewarm means we think we are warm enough to be useful. Lukewarm means that we are not hot
enough to be used. We pastors want to be “cool,” to be suave, to be someone who speaks with verve and
passion ensuring that people hang onto every word. Christians, in general, especially in the western world,
want to live with one foot in the world and one foot in the church. Far too many contemporary church
members want just enough religion to be comfortable with churchy matters, but not so committed that
they offend the world.
