Learning from F W Boreham's Sermon Notes

The Tree and Temple

These notes were found in F W Boreham’s desk.

The title of this sermon is, Tree and Temple

F W Boreham’s sermon is a textual sermon based on the text in Ephesians 3: 17:

…“that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,”…

-King James Version

Preached:

Look at how many times F W Boreham preached this sermon! He preached it once at Mosgiel, New Zealand, towards the end of his ministry and three times at Hobart-twice at the Wednesday Evening meeting and once on a Sunday morning. At Armadale he preached this twice (on ‘Jan 7 1917 and Mar 18 1923’), only six years apart. If these sermon notes were in his desk when Dr Boreham died, it is quite likely that he had preached this sermon in his retirement years.

These notes reveal that F W Boreham was expected to deliver a sermon or Bible Study at the Wednesday evening meeting which was the custom in Baptist churches although in his autobiography he said that in his years at Armadale he would often encourage people to share their stories of faith at the Wednesday night meetings.

Reading:

The Scripture reading for this sermon is Ephesians 3: 1

“For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,”

And Ephesians 3: 14-21

14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Sing:

This may have been a usual heading in FWB’s sermon notes to list any songs that seemed to be appropriate to match this reading and sermon.