Comments on: The King, the Carrot, and the Horse http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/14/the-king-the-carrot-and-the-horse/ for friends of University Bible Fellowship Wed, 21 Oct 2015 04:34:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1 By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/14/the-king-the-carrot-and-the-horse/#comment-2951 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:40:41 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4242#comment-2951 Hi Mark, I couldn’t find which sermon of Spurgeons it is from. I first read it a few years ago when it was cited by Tim Keller in his excellent book The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith (New York: Dutton, 2008), 60-62.

Since then, it seemed to be quoted in countless blogs, for it addresses our heart’s utmost desire: Do I truly want Jesus? Or what Jesus can give me?

]]> By: Mark http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/14/the-king-the-carrot-and-the-horse/#comment-2950 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:16:50 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4242#comment-2950 I love this story and I am looking to use it.  Could you provide me with the source of the quote?  Which Spurgeon sermon is it found in?  Thank you for any help! 

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/14/the-king-the-carrot-and-the-horse/#comment-2949 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:39:55 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4242#comment-2949 Noah, Lina, Brian, I think that everyman’s sinful default is to be like the Nobleman, especially yours truly. Without God’s mercy and grace working a miracle of grace, we cannot will ourselves to be like the Happy Thankful Farmer. But by the work of the Holy Spirit, God transforms us to be his grateful people and children.

]]> By: Brian Karcher http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/14/the-king-the-carrot-and-the-horse/#comment-2948 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:00:08 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4242#comment-2948 Hi Lina, thank you also for sharing. Your words remind me that it is God who changes our hearts. I am finding that my heart is moved toward God these days by “no expectation” discussions and meetings.

]]> By: Brian Karcher http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/14/the-king-the-carrot-and-the-horse/#comment-2947 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:58:15 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4242#comment-2947 Hi Noah, thank you for sharing. We do need to be reminded often of God’s love and ask ourselves, “Why am I doing this?”

]]> By: Lina http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/14/the-king-the-carrot-and-the-horse/#comment-2946 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 04:25:01 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4242#comment-2946 Thanks for the posted Dr. Ben. Thanks Noah telling me about it this article. Its quite interesting and so true as Christians we must be careful and always examine our heart when we serve him. The only way when we are careful it when we are honest before him through the word of God. I am like the Noblemann but May God change my heart to be like the gardener out of love and respect gave his best gift to the king with no expectations.

]]> By: Noah http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/14/the-king-the-carrot-and-the-horse/#comment-2945 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 03:22:55 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4242#comment-2945 Honestly, I’m like this Nobleman man now and then. The story made me think of my actions towards God, even with my simple contributions, asking myself, am I doing this and that because I want Him to pass me on this damn board exam? or because I love Him that I wanted to please and glorify him? This question plays tricky in the heart and mind of every Christians. 

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/14/the-king-the-carrot-and-the-horse/#comment-2944 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:40:06 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4242#comment-2944 Yup. Even though I know some things are mud pies in a slum, every day I am still tempted to dive in for a sumptuous and comprehensive mud bath!
On a different note, I’m thinking that this Spurgeon tale is not that easy to grasp and nail down, though I still love it.

]]> By: David L http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/14/the-king-the-carrot-and-the-horse/#comment-2943 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:31:11 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4242#comment-2943 Yes, good point, I think that is true. At least for me it is! I find myself wanting larger mud pies all the time. And I think that is part of the deceitfulness of sin, those mud pies look like rubies and pearls to our natural eyes

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/14/the-king-the-carrot-and-the-horse/#comment-2942 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:09:49 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4242#comment-2942 Thanks, Dave. I’d agree in theory and principle. By Piper’s definition I am a Christian hedonist (Psalm 16:11): I do long for eternal pleasures in God. But, as CS Lewis puts it, the practical reality is that we Christians sell ourselves short:

“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Perhaps, Paul expresses a similar dilemma in Rom 7:14-15,18-19. So yes, we want to choose both. But don’t you think that our sinful default causes to become like the nobleman offering his horse for a “larger mud pie,” rather than the farmer giving his carrot with total joy, gratitude and contentment?

]]> By: David L http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/14/the-king-the-carrot-and-the-horse/#comment-2941 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:40:57 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4242#comment-2941 Hmmm, ok doc, great illustration. What if my answer is BOTH! So we definitely should love God for who He is and what He has done. And yet Jesus also tells us to seek treasure that will last forever, and that the kingdom of God is like a treasure that a man found in a field and re buried and then sold everything he had to buy the field and gain that treasure. in other words what John Piper would call Christian Hedonism. Now, what is the treasure? God Himself! So Piper would say that God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. Therefore, is it wrong to serve God for the ‘selfish’ end of eternal gain? In Jonathan Edwards’ resolution number 22 he says that he is, “Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power; might, vigor, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.”

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