A Great Kingdom for a Great King

I was stirred up recently by remembering one of Christ's servants of days past, William Carey. In fullness of zeal, Carey once preached a sermon that is no longer extant, but is hailed by the title "The Deathless Sermon." Why if all record of it is lost, is it said to be deathless? Because it was not the finely crafted sermon manuscript that mattered so much (for that is lost), it was the truth of the word of God and powerful application Carey brought out. The sermon had one text and two main points (listed below), this is all we know:

Isaiah 54:2-3

"Enlarge the place of your tent;
Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not;
Lengthen your cords
And strengthen your pegs.

For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left

And your descendants will possess nations
And will resettle the desolate cities."

Point 1 - Expect great things (from God)

Point 2 - Attempt great things (for God)

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Church, we must let the word of God speak into our lives in all of our believing, and hoping, and expectation. You might not fully agree with Carey's post-millenial missionary optimism, but can you hear the text above speaking? This is about Christ. His kingdom is great and his rule knows no boundaries. He is the sovereign Lord of all and we must look to him with great faith and expectation if we are to see the kingdom of this world become the kingdom of Christ.

If you say to me, "Young man, sit down; when God pleases to convert the heathen, he will do it without your aid and mine..." then you show yourself to be just as unbelieving and confused as the hyper-calvinists of Carey's day.

Now is not the time for shrinking visions or being overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. Christ says, "Stop your murmuring! Know that I am God. I will be exalted among all the nations. I will be exalted in all the earth."

Think of it, this section of triumph and the glory of Christ's kingdom (Isa. 54) flows with unstoppable force from his work on the cross (Isa. 53). 

Isa. 53:11-12

"As a result of the anguish of his soul, he will see it and be satisfied; by his knowledge the Righteous Ones, my Servant, will justify the many, as he will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great..." 

No wonder we'll need to pull up our stakes and enlarge the tent! He is bringing many sons to glory! Spare not! Don't sell Christ short. If you see a harvest field too vast for your own powers, what has Christ told you to do, settle for the little acre you can manage?! No. Pray for more laborers (Matt. 9:37)! Or perhaps, join in the labor if you're watching others struggle to push the plow. God uses men's mouths, and feet, and prayers. The Spirit of God indwelling and filling his people is how he has chosen to remain in this world.

Both points in Carey's deathless sermon are vital. We must see the surety of our Lord's kingdom (expect), and we must ourselves put all our soul into this evangelistic act of worship (attempt). If you have only expectation with no involvement, you'll be a lazy servant. If you have only attempting with no faith, you'll more than likely end up a worn-out, discouraged, fruitless basket case.