SSMCSUNGAI WAY-SUBANGMETHODISTC H U R C H

JORY LEONG 6 MARCH 2016

The Life of

DAVID

BRAINERD1 Cor 1:27-29

Isa 55:7-9

SUPERHEROES

Captain America Steve Rogers

Spiderman Peter Parker

Batman Bruce Wayne

Ironman Tony Stark

Superman Clark Kent

Bersihman Rev Dr Ng Swee Ming

The Life of

John Wesley:

“Let every preacher

read carefully over the

Life of Brainerd”

William Carey:

“A sacred text”

John Newton:

“No book of this kind

has been more

welcome to me than the

Life of Brainerd”

1. He was weak but God was strong

Sickness

May, 1744“Rode several hours in the rain through the howling wilderness, although I was so disordered in body that little or nothing but blood came from me”

September, 1747“In the greatest distress that ever I endured having an uncommon kind of hiccough; which either strangled me or threw me into a straining to vomit”

1. He was weak but God was strong

SicknessDepression

December 16, 1744“Was so overwhelmed with dejection that I knew not how to live: I longed for death exceedingly… I was so much oppressed that my soul was in a kind of horror.”

1. He was weak but God was strong

SicknessDepressionLoneliness

May, 1743“I have no fellow Christian to whom I might lay open my spiritual sorrows, and with whom I might take sweet counsel in conversation about heavenly things.”

1. He was weak but God was strong

SicknessDepressionLonelinessHardships

May, 1743“I live poorly with regard to the comforts of life: most of my diet consists of boiled corn, hasty pudding. I lodge on a bundle of straw, and my labor is hard and extremely difficult.”

1. He was weak but God was strong

SicknessDepressionLonelinessHardships

February 21, 1746“My soul was refreshed and comforted, and I could not but bless God, who had enabled me in some good measure to be faithful in the day past.

April 17, 1747“Though my body was so feeble, & wearied …., yet I wanted to sit up all night to do something for God. To God the giver of these refreshments, be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Kingdom Math

Trust in God

STRENGTH

x

Our Weakness

=

God delights in using the

small, poor and weak

things of this world to

extend his kingdom. He

takes seemingly

insignificant talents, acts

of service and generosity

supplied in obedient faith

and supernaturally

multiplies their effect many

times over. We call this

principle "Kingdom Math”.

27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Moses

Jonah

Jacob

Noah

Rahab

David

JeremiahSolomon

John

TimothyAbraham

Lazarus

Sarah

Naomi

Gideon

Thomas

Peter

James

John

Paul

God can use anyone.

A disciple of Christ is one who

is God-dependent, not self-

sufficient.

1. He was weak but God was strong

2. He made mistakes but God made plans

Yale, 1741 - students were fined for their evangelical zealTutor: “has no more grace than a chair”Rector: “why did you not drop down dead”

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither

are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are

my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts

than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:7-9 (NIV)

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither

are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are

my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts

than your thoughts.

7 Let the wicked forsake their ways and the

unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the

LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our

God, for he will freely pardon.

1. He was weak but God was strong

2. He made mistakes but God made plans

Brainerd’s life is a vivid, powerful testimony to the truth that God can and does use weak, sick, discouraged, beat-down, lonely, struggling saints, who cry to him day and night, to accomplish amazing things for his glory.

WHEN THE DETOUR BECOMES YOUR NEW ROAD

Laura Story & Martin Elvington

May 2004

“You know, Laura, I think the detour you are on is actually the road.”

2011: No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Songs

2012: Grammy Award for

Best Contemporary Christian Music Song