Showing results for "Sinner" in Sermons

Perhaps the most famous sermon ever preached, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God has forever impacted Christianity. In describing the horrors and realities of hell, this message has been proven to inspire true change and spur listeners on to seeking hope and life in Jesus Christ. Originally preached during a time of great spiritual awakening, Jonathan Edward’s words embody the tones of revival and revolution that retain their potency for centuries.

Jonathan Edwards, often referred to as America’s greatest theologian, lived from 1703-1758, and was used by God in the American Great Awakening. This sermon is taken from Romans 3:19, “That every mouth may be stopped.” Edwards carefully and methodically showed that God is perfectly just to punish sinners. He began with God’s infinite majesty, then showed man’s infinite guilt, made many applications, answered objections, and ended with words of encouragement to both the guilty sinner and the forgiven saint.

In this sermon, James Smith states that God prizes the love of sinners above all things on earth. He claims that God wishes to have their love, that he may have their obedience; for he values the obedience, though imperfect, that flows from a loving heart.

This is the quintessential hellfire and damnation sermon. It is one of the most important sermons ever preached in America and reportedly caused mass conversions and repentances during the "Great Awakening" back in 1741. The vivid imagery Edwards used reportedly made some of those who heard it tremble and cry out for mercy. It is an important piece of American Literature, even for those those who totally disagree with the author's view of God as vengeful, angry and a bit cruel.

Ninteenth-century Scottish churchman and poet Horatius Bonar muses on the biblical journey from sin to sentence. Mainly remembered as a highly skilled hymnist, Bonar starts by describing a world created similar to the heavens, with perfection and beauty shaping its every detail. Once tainted by sin, the celestial path leads down and Bonar’s sermon focuses more on the darkness humanity finds itself in after falling from grace.