By Pastor William Y. K. Brown Ph.D
(Resident Pastor)
Seventh-day Adventist Church
Osu-Bethel.
Tel: 0244165628/0243310773.
wykbrown@gmail.com
SABBATH
THEME: “I GAVE MY LIFE FOR THEE”
SCRIPTURES:
John 10:10 – “. . . I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Hebrews 2:17-18 – “[17]Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. [18]For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”
1 John 3:1 – “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! . .”
REFLECTIONS:
Frances Ridley Havergal’s hymn, “I gave My Life for thee,” is the source of our message for meditation today. It is a song inspired by the Holy Spirit that, reflected adequately on and meditated upon, will definitely renew and strengthen our relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Beautiful words of appeal, a message of hope, an invitation to come to the Lord – all in this one song. In just four stanzas, the entire gospel and mission of Jesus Christ are presented. She wrote:
1. I gave my life for thee, My precious blood I shed, That thou might’st ransom be, And quickened from the dead; I gave, I gave My life for thee, What hast thou given for Me? I gave, I gave My life for thee, What hast thou given for Me?”
2. My Father’s house of light, My glory circled throne, I left for earthly night, For wanderings sad and lone; I left, I left it all for thee, Has thou left aught for Me? I left, I left all for thee, Hast thou left aught for Me?
3. I suffered much for thee, More than thy tongue can tell, Of bitterest agony, To rescue thee from hell; I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, What hast thou borne for Me? I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee, What has thou borne for Me?
4. And I have brought to thee, Down from My home above, Salvation full and free, My pardon and My love; I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, What hast thou brought to Me? I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee, What hast thou brought to Me?
Beloved, how have you reciprocated this kind gesture? Great favor, very undeserved. Anyone without hope in Jesus Christ needs to be prayed for. Consider the depth of love He has demonstrated to terrible sinners like you and me. He left everything, His kingdom, and came to a wretched and sin-infested planet to give us hope and eternal life. What Christ’s love has done is beyond our comprehension. How can you despise Jesus Christ for this amazing grace?
MY SONG OF COMMITMENT
SDAH 281 – “I Gave My Life For Thee”
LET US PRAY
– Praise and thank God for sending Jesus Christ to our planet; thank the Lord Jesus for His sacrifice; pray to yield your life to Him to give it value;
– Pray for everyone who is studying about Jesus Christ and His mission to humanity for the first time; pray for Bible students and preachers to understand and share the true gospel of Christ;
– Pray for Jesus and His sacrifice to bring hope to families in chaos, worried individuals, and those who have surrendered their lives to Christ;
– Pray for our leaders to learn of Christ; pray for our nation and its citizens to understand and appreciate the hope in Christ; pray for the sick to receive healing through the power of Jesus.
