An Hour in the Garden
The sermon emphasizes the importance of solitude for Christians, highlighting the need to prioritize quiet reflection and fellowship with God in order to experience spiritual growth and a deeper understanding of oneself and one's relationship with God.
Charles E. Cowman preaches on the importance of solitude and being alone with God, drawing inspiration from the example of Jesus who often sought perfect solitude to pray and commune with the Father. He emphasizes the need for believers to have special seasons of solitude and fellowship with God, highlighting the power and privilege of being alone with spiritual realities. Cowman encourages practicing the art of being alone with Christ, expounding on the idea that in solitude, we can truly understand ourselves and experience a deep connection with God.
Text
"He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when evening was come, he was there alone" (Matt. 14:23).
The man Christ Jesus felt the need of perfect solitude--Himself alone, entirely by Himself, alone with Himself. We know how much intercourse with men draws us away from ourselves and exhausts our powers. The man Christ Jesus knew this, too, and felt the need of being by Himself again, of gathering all His powers, of realizing fully His high destiny, His human weakness, His entire dependence on the Father.
How much more does the child of God need this--himself alone with spiritual realities, himself alone with God the Father. If ever there were one who could dispense with special seasons for solitude and fellowship, it was our Lord. But He could not do His work or maintain His fellowship in full power, without His quiet time.
Would God that every servant of His understood and practiced this blessed art, and that the Church knew how to train its children into some sense of this high and holy privilege, that every believer may and must have his time when he is indeed himself alone with God. Oh, the thought to have God all alone to myself, and to know that God has me all alone to Himself!
--Andrew Murray
Lamertine speaks in one of his books of a secluded walk in his garden where his mother always spent a certain hour of the day, upon which nobody ever dreamed for a moment of intruding. It was the holy garden of the Lord to her. Poor souls that have no such Beulah land! Seek thy private chamber, Jesus says. It is in the solitude that we catch the mystic notes that issue from the soul of things.
A MEDITATION
My soul, practice being alone with Christ! It is written that when they were alone He expounded all things to His disciples. Do not wonder at the saying; it is true to thine experience. If thou wouldst understand thyself send the multitude away. Let them go out one by one till thou art left alone with Jesus. . . . Has thou ever pictured thyself the one remaining creature in the earth, the one remaining creature in all the starry worlds?
In such a universe thine every thought would be "God and I! God and I!" And yet He is as near to thee as that--as near as if in the boundless spaces there throbbed no heart but His and thine. Practice that solitude, O my soul! Practice the expulsion of the crowd! Practice the stillness of thine own heart! Practice the solemn refrain "God and I! God and I!" Let none interpose between thee and thy wrestling angel! Thou shalt be both condemned and pardoned when thou shalt meet Jesus alone! --George Matheson
Sermon Outline
- I. The Need for Solitude
- A. The importance of being alone with oneself
- B. The need for spiritual realities and God the Father
- II. The Example of Christ Jesus
- A. His need for solitude and fellowship
- B. His dependence on the Father
- III. The Privilege of Solitude
- A. A time for quiet reflection and fellowship with God
- B. A time for spiritual growth and understanding
Key Quotes
“The man Christ Jesus felt the need of perfect solitude--Himself alone, entirely by Himself, alone with Himself.” — Charles E. Cowman
“It is in the solitude that we catch the mystic notes that issue from the soul of things.” — Charles E. Cowman
“Let none interpose between thee and thy wrestling angel! Thou shalt be both condemned and pardoned when thou shalt meet Jesus alone!” — Charles E. Cowman
Application Points
- Make time for solitude in your busy life by prioritizing quiet reflection and fellowship with God.
- Practice the expulsion of the crowd and focus on your relationship with God.
- Seek to understand yourself and your relationship with God by being alone with Him.