A Sweet Gospel Assurance (Lk. 7:36-50)

In this part of the sermon: He explores various scenarios, from healing for the disabled to marriage proposals and news of pregnancy, to illustrate the deep human longing for words that bring relief and joy…

Martin asks the listener to imagine him asking them, in a personal setting, what the sweetest, most welcome words they could ever hear are, setting up the sermon's central theme.

want you to imagine with me that I've been invited into your home, and you and I, each one of you individually, there's just you and me, sitting in the living room or perhaps out in the backyard, sitting across from the kitchen table. And I look you straight in the eyes, and I say, I want you to think for a moment upon this question, and then answer the question, not in terms of what you think I might want you to say in your answer, but I want you to answer the question with absolute, transparent honesty. And the question is this. For all of you, children, young people, adults, I hope you can ...

4:39 - 5:33 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He explores various scenarios, from healing for the disabled to marriage proposals and news of pregnancy, to illustrate the deep human longing for words that bring relief and joy…

He uses the example of two boys with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, suggesting the sweetest words for them would be a promise of never needing their wheelchairs again, illustrating a deep longing for physical relief.

most welcome words you could ever hear in this life? Of all the words that your ears could possibly hear, what do you think are the sweetest, most welcome, most desired words your ears could ever hear? As I've been reflecting on that question, I've been asking myself, what do you think are the sweetest, most welcome, most desired words your ears could ever hear? As I've been asking myself, what do you think are the sweetest, most welcome, most desired words your ears could ever hear? And the question is this. What do you think are the sweetest, most welcome, most desired words your ears could ...

5:33 - 6:34 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He explores various scenarios, from healing for the disabled to marriage proposals and news of pregnancy, to illustrate the deep human longing for words that bring relief and joy…

He illustrates the longing of godly single women for marriage, suggesting the words 'I love you. Will you marry me?' from a proven, godly man would be among the sweetest, representing a desire for companionship and family.

Or by an unusual advanced surgery or by God sending a prophet and directly announcing that the Lord was going to heal them? They would be very welcome words. Or I think of the godly single women in our church who have tried to think about who they are in terms of biblical categories, and they have a wholesome, godly yearning that they may know the blessing of marriage and motherhood. And for them, perhaps they are a message from Christ to Perhaps they might answer and say, well, the most wonderful words I could hear in this life would be the words of a noble, upright, godly, proven young man w...

7:05 - 8:15 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He explores various scenarios, from healing for the disabled to marriage proposals and news of pregnancy, to illustrate the deep human longing for words that bring relief and joy…

He describes the joy of a woman who has experienced lengthy barrenness hearing the words 'you're three months pregnant' from her doctor, illustrating the profound relief and fulfillment of a deep yearning.

I'm not going to ask for show of hands, but I'm sure there are some young women here who would say, I don't know if they would be the most welcomed words, the sweetest words I could hear in this life. But I've seen him from afar and admired him, and lo and behold, he's shown an interest in me, and respecting those god-ordained channels to approach her, the moment comes when he looks straight into her eyes and says, I love you. Will you marry me? sure would put him in the top five. But perhaps there's a woman here who's known the heartbreaking pain of lengthy barrenness. And you know what it is...

8:16 - 9:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Imagine what it must have meant to hear him say to her, Your sins, the cumulative weight and the high and ugly mountain of them, your sins are remitted, they are cancelled, they are forgiven, and they remain in that very…

He contrasts the 'enraptured wonder' of singing Wesley's hymn 'And Can It Be' with the 'squint of skepticism' of those who, like the Pharisee, question the reality of spiritual things, highlighting the difference in spiritual perception.

What transpired, what was going on in her that was not going on in the Pharisee? And in those who reclined at table with the Lord Jesus, who in two instances in this brief passage, see and hear things that make them carp and criticize and become cynical about who Jesus is and what he is doing, while all the while she's wrapped up in the wonder of what he is doing. No new thing under the sun, is there? Some of you sat here tonight and sang with a sense of enraptured wonder those words of Wesley.

25:05 - 25:44 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes the woman's actions—her weeping, washing Jesus's feet with tears and hair, and kissing his feet—highlighting the profound grief and passionate affection that…

He describes the oriental custom of reclining at low tables during meals, helping the audience visualize the scene of the woman approaching Jesus's feet from behind, making her actions more vivid.

Perhaps some of you have seen pictures and artists rendering of scenes like this where in the oriental fashion there was a low table and couches around it, often in a U shape. And one would not sit upright to eat but recline in a semi-prone position and the head on the elbow and the food would be eaten in that posture. And the picture is that this woman approaches him from behind and comes near his feet. And when Luke gives us the picture, he says that she is found standing at his feet weeping.

27:08 - 27:45 Read in full sermon