The Good Shepherd
AN OUTLINE OF THE LAST SERMON
PREACHED BY
THE REV. RUSSELL CONWELL BARBOUR
at
The First Baptist Church,
Nashville, Tenn.,
August 6, 1944
Rev. Barbour had developed the
habit of preparing his Sunday messages by meditation and study throughout
the week and on Sunday morning he would write out an outline of his message.
The following outline was written on Sunday morning, August 6, 1944. It
was written on some used sheets of paper. We are presenting the outline
just as he penned it. He was preaching from this outline when he became
ill in the pulpit.
... For the Spirit searcheth all things, even the deep things of God. I Corinthians 2:10 Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O God-- Psalm 130:1 (1) Two men used the same words. Depth is a dimension of space. Symbol of spiritual life and quality-- (2) Deep has two meanings
Truth is deep but not shallow. Suffering is depth and not height. Both are deep. There is depth in God and there is a depth out of which the Psalmist cries to God. Why is truth deep and why is suffering deep and why is the same spatial symbol used for both of them? These questions will guide our meditation. I.
(1) All visible things have a surface.
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(2) When we act according to what
things or persons seem to be we are
disappointed.
(3) Below the surface. Truth that does
not disappoint. II. Science Has Worked (1) Questioned the common assumptions
(2) Demanded to know underlying (3) It occurred: III. (1) To notice how little in our spiritual world is more than surface-- (2) Cannot stand a serious blow (3) Tragedy of spiritual life
Depth of thought is a part
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(1) Live on surface.
Look up-Look down (2) Take ourselves as we appear (3) Earthquake shake up-Deeper level
of our nature.
Illustration--Hit and Run Driver
The Road to Our Depth Speak of Road to Depth
(2) They were not what they thought themselves to be-- Disrupted Surface (1) Love to live on surface
(2) Pain is too great. (3) Prophets--uncovering depths of social judgement. VII.
(1) Demons
(2) Dangers
Depth of Suffering-Internal Cross
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