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1. How does your calling make you feel about God?
2. Sermon "A Question that Should Startle Every Person Who is not a Christian" (at bottom of ezine)
3. New sermons, outlines, and illustrations (Some great poems too!)!
4. You could have your own sermon web page on Preachology.com!!

Hello,

Mark Hollingsworth here. I hope you are looking forward to a great Lord's Day tomorrow! I'll be preaching in a local church here in town tomorrow. Please pray for me!

John Henry Jowett wrote on being "Called to Preach." So I'm asking questions...Is our call based on man or God? ...What are the circumstances of your calling? How do you feel about your calling? How does your calling make your feel about God?

I think you will find that all great preachers have preserved this wondering sense of the greatness of their vocation. It was most impressively true of Dr. Dale, a distinguished Yale lecturer, and my illustrious predecessor in the pulpit at Carts Lane. The members of my old congregation have often tried to describe to me the mingled dignity and humility with which he proclaimed the gospel of salvation. They say that at times he spoke with a sort of personal diffidence born of a great surprise that he should be counted worthy to "bear the vessels of the Lord." They tell me that it was peculiarly manifest at the table of the Lord, and at other times, when, in the handling of the most august themes, he was leading his people into the innermost secrets of the holy place.

All this was equally true of another man, very different in mental equipment to Dr. Dale, Robert M'Cheyne, who, in Scotland, brought the riches of grace to an almost countless multitude. Andrew Bonar, M'Cheyne's intimate friend, has told us with what full and delicate wonder he carried his ministry in the Lord. In their conversation he would frequently break out into deep and joyful surprise. The glory of his ministry irradiated common duty like a halo, and God's statutes became his songs. I do not marvel that Andrew Bonar can write these words about him: "He was so reverent toward God, so full also in desire toward Him . . . he never seemed unprepared. His lamp was always burning, and his loins always girt. His forgetfulness of all that was not found to God's glory was remarkable, and there seemed never a time when he was not himself feeling the presence of God."

How do you feel about your calling?
How does your calling make you feel about God?
Are you still in wonder?
What do you think?
More on the subject next time!!

2 Tim. 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Happy Lord's Day tomorrow!!
...from the Hollingsworth Family.

YOU are a blessing to me and the ministry! Keep on keeping on!!

2 Tim. 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears...

There are new sermons and some great poems on my website...take a look!

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This is a sermon by my Dad, the former Dr. James E. Hollingsworth, Jr. (One of my heroes and pillars of the Faith!)

A QUESTION THAT SHOULD STARTLE EVERY PERSON WHO IS NOT A CHRISTIAN

Hebs.2:3 "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?"

Intro: If you leave here today without Christ, I hope you will hear this ringing in your ears--"How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?" I hope whe you lie down to sleep you will hear this through the night! It is not only a foolish thing, but a wicked thing to neglect this salvation.

I. THE GREATNESS OF THE SALVATION.

1. We see the greatness of the salvation first of all in the way in which the salvation was given. God sent His only son, down into the world to proclaim this salvation. Read Hebs. 1:1-3. Have you ever thought how God sent His only Son down to proclaim pardon to the vilest sinner, if we neglect this salvation we are pouring contempt upon the Son of God, and upon the Father that sent Him? If God had spoken this salvation by the lips of Prophets or by angels, it would have a right to demand our attention. But when God sent His only Son and we do not heed it, we are guilty of the greatest of sins. " He that despised Moses" law died without mercy under two or three witnesses," but how much sorer punishment you and I shall receive if we neglect this great salvation!

2. In the second place, the greatness of this salvation is seen in the way in which it was purchased. This is a costly salvation. It was purchased by the shed blood of the incarnate Son of God. When God in wondrous love went to that extent that He sacrificed His very best, when God went to that extent that He gave His own and only Son to die on the cross at Calvary, that He might purchase your salvation and mine, if you and I neglect so great salvation we are pouring contempt on the precious blood of the Son of God. "He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses, but how much greater punishment shall he merit who tramples under foot the Son of God, and counts the blood of the covenant wherewith He was sanctified we neglect--just neglect, so great salvation?

To be lost it is not necessary that you are a murderer; thief; lier; harlot; blasphemer and etc. All that is necessary is that you simply neglect. More people are lost by neglecting than any other way. Here is a dying man with a table within reach. On the table is a bottle of medicine that has power to save the dying man's life. the man has strength enough to put out his hand and take the bottle of medicine and drink it. What is necessary for the man to live? Simply to take the medicine. What is necessary for the man to die? Simply not to take it. Just to neglect to take it!

Here is a man in a boat on the Niagara River, away above the Falls where there is scarcely any current. A man sits in the boat, being carried on very slowly by the gentle current. The man could paddle with the oars to the bank, but he just sits there slowly drifting. Before he knows it he is in the swift current just upon the rapids and is carried on to the Falls. The oars are no good to him now, the current is too swift; he could not save himself if he wanted to. But on the shore there were men who have seen his peril; they have run along the bank and have thrown a line good and strong. It falls right into the boat, at the man's very feet. What is all that the man has to do to be saved? All he has to do is to lay hold of the rope and they will pull him ashore. What is all that he has to do to be lost? Simply for him to neglect to lay hold of the rope that lies before him, and the swift current of the river will carry him on to certain death. This is a picture of every man and woman in this building out of Christ. You are in a boat in a perilous stream, being carried towards the cataract of eternal perdition; but God has seen your peril and the Gospel rope has fallen at your feet today; all you have to do is to lay hold and He will pull to safety.

3. The third thing, the greatness of this salvation is seen by a consideration of what it brings. It brings pardon for all our sins, it brings deliverance from sin. When you think that God has put at our disposal in Jesus Christ all His wealth, and is ready to make us heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ, who can measure the guilt of neglecting and of turning a deaf ear to this wonderful salvation?

II. THE ONLY SALVATION.

A second main thought is that our folly is great in neglecting this great salvation because it is the only salvation that is offered to us. As the Apostle Peter puts it in Acts 4:12, "There is none other name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." "It is salvation in Christ or it is no salvation at all." A man is in a burning building. If there were one way of escape by a fire escape, and another by a great broad stairway, he would have a perfect right to neglect the fire escape for the easier escape by the stairway. But suppose there was no way of escape but the fire escape, how great would be his folly in neglecting it? Men and women, you are in a burning building, in a doomed world. There is just one way of escape; that is Christ!

There are people today that say give up your Bible and your Christ of the Bible and we turn to them and say, "What have you got to give us in place of our Bible; What have you got to give us in place of the Christ of our Bible? Now we know by personal experience that the Bible and Christ bring forgiveness of sins and peace of heart. Now we know that they bring deliverance from sin's power; joy unspeakable and full of glory; assurance of eternal life; makes us sons of God and heirs of God. What have you got that will bring us the same?

III. TO MISS SALVATION...ALL THAT IS NECESSARY IS MERELY TO NEGLECT IT.

"How shall we escape if we neglect--just neglect, so great salvation? Hebs. 2:3 If you leave here today without Christ, I hope you will hear this ringing in your ears---"How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?" I hope when you lie down to sleep you will hear this through the night! It is not only a foolish thing, but a wicked thing to neglect this salvation!!