Great Sermon Outlines: M’Cheyne on Isaiah 44:3-4
Robert Murray M’Cheyne (1813-1843) was a beloved minister in the Church of Scotland, spending his ordained pastorate entirely at St. Peter’s Church in Dundee. M’Cheyne traveled to Palestine in 1839 (with Andrew Bonar, and others) on a mission to view the spiritual condition of the Jews—of which resulted the notable work Narrative of a Visit to the Holy Land and Mission of Inquiry to the Jew, along with direct missions work to the Jews by the churches of Scotland. Only a few short years later, M’Cheyne contracted typhus fever while visiting churches in England, and died the 25th of March, 1843. At only 30 years of age, M’Cheyne would leave an incredible legacy as a gifted and godly pastor, preacher, and poet.
This sermon can be found as ‘Sermon IX’ in Additional Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne, (Oliphant, Anderson & Ferrier, New Edition, p74, c 1870s).
I Will Pour Water
[St. Peter’s, July 1, 1838]
“For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.” [Isa. xliv. 3,4.]
I. Who is the author in a work of grace? It is God: “I will pour.”
1. It is God who begins a work of anxiety in dead souls.
“If ever we are to see a time of wide-spread concern among your families—children asking their parents—parents asking their children—people asking their ministers, ‘What must I do to be saved?’—if ever we are to see such a time as [Jonathan] Edwards speaks of, when there was scarcely a single person in the whole town left unconcerned about the great things of the eternal world, God must pour out the Spirit: ‘I will pour.’”
2. It is God who carries on the work—leading awakened persons to Christ.
“If ever we are to see souls flying like a cloud, and like doves, to Jesus Christ—if ever we are to see multitudes of you fleeing to that city of refuge—if ever we are to see parents rejoicing over their children as new-born—husbands rejoicing over their wives, and wives over their husbands—God must pour out the Spirit. He is the author and finisher of a work of grace: ‘I will pour.’”
3. It is God who enlarges his people.
“Ah! if ever we are to see you who are children of God greatly enlarged, your hearts filled with joy, your lips filled with praises—if ever we are to see you growing like willows beside the water-courses, filled with all the fulness of God—God must pour down his Spirit—he must fulfill his word; for he is the Alpha and Omega, the author and finisher of a work of grace: ‘I will pour.’”
First Lesson: Learn to look beyond ministers for a work of grace.
“God has given much honour to his ministers; but not the pouring out of the Spirit. He keeps that in his own hand: ‘I will pour.’”
Second Lesson: Learn good hope of revival in our day.
Third Lesson: Learn that we should pray for it.
“We are often for preaching to awaken others; but we should be more upon praying for it. Prayer is more powerful than preaching. It is prayer that gives preaching all its power.”
II. God begins with thirsty souls: ‘I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.’
1. Awakened persons.
“They wander from mountain to hill seeking rest, and fining none—they go from well to well, seeking a drop of water to cool their tongue—they go from minister to minister, from sacrament to sacrament, opening their mouth, and panting earnestly; yet they find no peace.”
1. This is Jesus [ed. He is the thirst quencher, the great Physician]
2. Learn that is must come from his hand.
3. Oh! long for a time of refreshing, that weary souls may be brought into peace.
2. Thirsty believers.
Signs:
1. Much thirst after the Word
“When two travelers are going through the wilderness, you may know which of them is thirsty, by his always looking out for wells…So it is with thirsty believers; they love the Word, read and preached—they thirst for it more and more. Is it so with you, dear believing brethren?”
2. Much prayer.
3. Desire to grow in grace.
“Some persons are contented when they come to Christ. They sink back, as it were, into an easy chair—they ask no more—they wish no more. This must not be. If you are thirsty believers, you will seek salvation as much after conversion as before it.”
III. God pours floods on the dry ground.
They dry ground represents those who are dead in trespasses and sins.
1. They do not pray.
“Oh! it is sad to think that the souls that are nearest to hell are the souls that pray least to be delivered from it.”
2. They do not wish a work of grace in their souls.
3. Those who do not attend to the preached Word.
“I have heard anxious persons declare that they never heard a sermon in all their life till they were awakened—that they regularly thought about something else all the time.”
“You deserve the flood that came on the world of the ungodly; but he offers floods of blessing. You deserve the rain of Sodom; but, behold, he offers floods of his Spirit.”
First Lesson: Learn how much it is in your interests that there should be a work of grace in our day.
Second Lesson: Learn, Christians, to pray for floods.
“It is God’s word—he puts it into your mouth. Oh! do not as for drops, when God offers floods.”
IV. Effects
1. Saved souls will be like grass.
Psalm 72
2. Believers shall grow like willows.
1) Then there would be less care about your business and your workshop—more of prayer and sweet praises.
2) There would be more change in your heart—victory over the world, the devil, and the flesh.
3) In affliction, you would grow in sweet submission—humility—meekness.
3. Self-dedication
Jonathan Edwards:
“I have this day been before God, and have given myself—all that I am and have—to God; so that I am in no respect my own. I can challenge no right in myself—in this understanding, this will, these affections. Neither have I right to this body, or any of its members—no right to this tongue, these hands, these feet, these eyes, these ears. I have given myself clean away.”