Song – Softly and Tenderly

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Song – Softly and Tenderly

Sermon by  Thomas Thornhill Jr


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SERMONS FROM SONGS

#274, Hymns for Worship

 

Tonight, the 5th Sunday, we want to consider a song we sing from time to time.  This is an old, well established and popular hymn.  It was both composed and written by William Lamartine Thompson (1847-1909) in 1880.  He born in Liverpool, Ohio and his father was a member of the Ohio State legislature.  His education was in music.  His early career was secular and patriotic music.  But around age 40 he turned to hymn writing.  Some of his hymns include “There’s a Great Day Coming”, “Lead me Gently Home” and “Jesus is All the World to Me.”

A story is told that Dwight L. Moody, a famous denominational evangelist when he was dying allowed an audience with Thompson, even though most visitors were not permitted.  He is quoted as saying, “Will, I would rather have written ‘Softly and Tenderly’ than anything I have been able to do in whole life.”  (This demonstrates the power of songs and WHY it is a mode of teaching that God commands us to engage in – Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 14:15, Hebrews 13:15, etc.) and WHY it is profitable to examine the message of songs that we sing.

“Softly and Tenderly” is an invitation song in which our Lord is gently inviting us to “come home”, whether it be becoming a part of His kingdom for the first time, or returning to Him when you have wandered away.

  1. 1 – Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling
    1. The foundation of this hymn is the gentle calling of Jesus. It is not the sound of terror, but a gentle voice inviting us –
      1. 1 Kings 19:11-12 – it was in the still, small voice that YHWH spoke to him. His calling is through the gospel.
      2. Matt. 11:28-30 – come unto Me…
      3. John 10:11 – typically, a shepherd is gentle leading his sheep.
      4. 2 Thessalonians 2:14. God does NOT want to be harsh. He would rather be gentle and lovingly invite us – 2 Peter 3:9
    2. Calling for you and for me – the idea of a calling in an invitation.
      1. Matthew 9:13 – He came to call sinners to repentance.
      2. His calling is to ANYONE who will come. John 6:37, 7:37-38.  Titus 2:11, the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men…
        1. NOTE: As I was preparing this lesson and noting its background, there is an alternative title, “For you and for me” because that is repeated throughout this hymn and it is descriptive of what God has done for each of us.
    3. See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching – a portal would be a gate or a door, an entrance.
      1. John 10:7, Jesus declared, “I am the door of the sheep.” In this He was declaring He is the entrance into God’s kingdom.  He is waiting for you to come in.
      2. Revelation 3:20, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
      3. James 5:9 tells us, “Behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”
      4. He is also watching for us to come back to Him – Be reminded of the prodigal son as his father waited for him to return home – Luke 15:20ff. That Father is God waiting for us.
    4. Watching for you and for me – again, it is for everyone.
  2. 2 – Jesus is pleading
    1. Why should we tarry when Jesus is pleading – Not only is Jesus waiting, He is also pleading with us – a strong urging, an entreaty (even begging). While often Jesus gently invited, at other times He was pleading. John 7:37 – He cried out, “IF anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.”
    2. Pleading for you and for me – again, this is for everyone. Hebrews 3:15 notes that we must not harden our hearts.
    3. Why should we linger and heed not His mercies –
      1. God is merciful and extends that to us – Ephesians 2:4-5 notes that God is rich in mercy and made us alive in Christ (by grace you have been saved). As we address the love, grace and longsuffering of God, we are reminded of His mercy.  As we consider what He did in sending Jesus to die for us, we see the mercy of God.
      2. But we cannot linger (delay) in hoping for His mercy. There is always danger in delaying obedience.
      3. You never know if that opportunity will pass you by.
        1. Matthew 25:1-13 tells the parable of the ten virgins, 5 wise and 5 foolish. The foolish virgins failed to prepare while they waited.  ALSO, while they waited the bridegroom came – this is a picture of judgment and not being prepared.
        2. Genesis 19:16 – Lot lingered leaving Sodom. While God was merciful to him, it was a tragic event – including losing his wife because she looked back.
        3. Acts 24:25 – Felix procrastinated. There is no indication he ever called Paul back or changed.  In fact the text implies otherwise.
      4. Do not shut Him out!
    4. Mercies for you and for me – Like other things we have addressed, this is available to all. Romans 5:6-9 – God demonstrates His love toward us as sinners.
  3. 3 – Time is now fleeting
    1. Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing – it is passing by.
      1. James 4:14 notes that our life is a vapor. Psalm 144:4 notes Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow.
      2. Time, once lost, cannot be reclaimed. Hence, we are warned to redeem the time – Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5.  Why? Because we do not know how much of it we have left.
      3. Also with the passing of time opportunities are lost – opportunities you may never get back.
      4. Hearts can be hardened – Hebrews 3:12-15 – hearts can be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
    2. Passing from you and from me – while you are still here, you still have opportunity.
      1. But there is a day coming and we do not know when that is.
      2. Furthermore, this too applies to everyone.
    3. Shadows are gathering life’s end is coming – descriptions of the sunset of life and death as it comes. As Solomon searched for the meaning of life in Ecclesiastes, he called the pursuits of man “vanity” (or emptiness, vapor).  Among the reasons continually emphasized in his pursuits, the knowledge that we will all die.  Ecclesiastes 3:19-20, For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust.   Ecclesiastes 9:1-6, 10, 12:13-14.
    4. Coming for you and for me – Hebrews 9:27.
  4. 4 – The wonderful love of Jesus
    1. Oh, for the wonderful love He has promised – the foundation of the life of Jesus was His love for us. We addressed His mercy in verse 2. Here we find His invitation and His promise!
      1. 1 John 3:16 describes the love of Jesus – By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
      2. 1 John 2:25, And this is the promise that He has promised us – eternal life. Romans 6:23 notes that the gift of God is eternal life.  Titus 1:2 notes that the hope of eternal life was promised by God, who cannot lie, before time began.  1 Timothy 4:8, Paul noted,  For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.
    2. Promised for you and for me – the gifts of salvation are available to all – Titus 2:11, 1 Timothy 2:3-4
    3. Though we have sinned He has mercy and pardon – no matter the sins we have committed, we CAN be forgiven.
      1. The power of God’s grace is how much greater it is than any sin we might be guilty of.
      2. Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool.
      3. Psalm 103:12, As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
      4. Acts 2:38 – the remission of our sins, Acts 22:16 – our sins are washed away. While the word “pardon” is not found in the NT, it is implied in His willingness to forgive us which IS abundantly addressed. Romans 4:7-8, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.”
    4. Pardoned for your and for me – again, it is available to each of us.
  5. Chorus – Come home
    1. Come home, come home – again we are reminded of the prodigal son who had left home and needed to return. Whether you have never come to God after you sinned, or have left Him, He is waiting for you to come home.
    2. Ye who are weary, come home – sin takes a heavy toll on us.
      1. It is a burden. Described as lawlessness – 1 John 3:4; Romans 3:23 – causes us to fall short of God’s glory; Romans 6:23 results in spiritual death (separation from God), and enslaves us,  etc.
      2. The truth of sin is that it will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay. It is becomes a heavy burden with spiritual, physical and mental consequences.
      3. Jesus invites us to come and bring our burdens to Him – Matthew 11:28-30. He paid the price so that we could be forgiven! 1 Peter 1:18-19 says, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
    3. Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling – Yes! He is. That has been our theme throughout this song.
    4. Calling, O sinner, come home – this IS what God’s message is all about. Romans 8:1-2, There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Typically, I will lead these songs again at the conclusion of my lesson.  But since this is an invitation song, our song leader is going to lead it again.  This entire lesson has been an invitation to come home to the Lord.  If you are not a Christian, let us help you.  If you are a fallen Christian, let us help you.  However you are subject, let us help you.  Think about it!

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