I’ve been reading through the sermons of G. Campbell Morgan in The Westminster Pulpit. Morgan was the pastor at the Westminster Chapel in London from 1904 – 1919. His sermons, I am finding, are just as timely today as they were over 100 years ago when he first gave them.
Today, I read a sermon of his based on Amos 8:11-13. It reads, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and the young men faint for thirst.
In this sermon, Morgan says, “Wherever a man has lost his capacity for the Word of God, cannot discern it, does not hear it, does not appreciate it, almost ceases – hear me carefully in this apparent contradiction – almost ceases to desire it, wherever that is true, there results in the life of that man, woman, community, a great ceaseless searching restlessness; and I believe that the restlessness of our own age is due to the fact that our age is in the midst of the famine of the Word of God.”
I don’t know if you think we are in a famine for God’s word presently or not, but I have noticed over the years that the general level of Biblical literacy seems to have declined. It also appears as though individuals are more dependent upon a pastor or podcast for their spiritual food than on the true Bread of Life come down from heaven for our own growth. Perchance, I am wrong this account, I don’t know. I am only me and can’t speak for everyone. I suggest taking the time to read the words G. Campbell Morgan on this topic if you are at all concerned about hearing the word of God.
You can access his sermon, “Famine for the Word of God” by clicking HERE.
Or you can download a .doc file of the sermon HERE.
