Eternal Glory Struggles
The sermon explores how enduring struggles leads to spiritual growth and the realization of eternal glory.
Charles E. Cowman preaches about enduring trials and sorrows for the sake of God's people, emphasizing that our struggles and sufferings have a purpose in God's greater plan for salvation and eternal glory. He draws parallels to Job's story, highlighting how our darkest days can lead to our greatest growth and significance in God's eyes, shaping us into vessels for His work and deepening our faith and character.
Text
"I endure all things for the sake of God's own people; so that they also may obtain salvation...and with it eternal glory" (2 Tim. 2:10, Weymouth).
If Job could have known as he sat there in the ashes, bruising his heart on this problem of Providence--that in the trouble that had come upon him he was doing what one man may do to work out the problem for the world, he might again have taken courage. No man lives to himself. Job's life is but your life and mine written in larger text....So, then, though we may not know what trials wait on any of us, we can believe that, as the days in which Job wrestled with his dark maladies are the only days that make him worth remembrance, and but for which his name had never been written in the book of life, so the days through which we struggle, finding no way, but never losing the light, will be the most significant we are called to live. --Robert Collyer
Who does not know that our most sorrowful days have been amongst our best? When the face is wreathed in smiles and we trip lightly over meadows bespangled with spring flowers, the heart is often running to waste.
The soul which is always blithe and gay misses the deepest life. It has its reward, and it is satisfied to its measure, though that measure is a very scanty one. But the heart is dwarfed; and the nature, which is capable of the highest heights, the deepest depths, is undeveloped; and life presently burns down to its socket without having known the resonance of the deepest chords of joy.
"Blessed are they that mourn." Stars shine brightest in the long dark night of winter. The gentians show their fairest bloom amid almost inaccessible heights of snow and ice.
God's promises seem to wait for the pressure of pain to trample out their richest juice as in a wine-press. Only those who have sorrowed know how tender is the "Man of Sorrows." --Selected
Thou hast but little sunshine, but thy long glooms are wisely appointed thee; for perhaps a stretch of summer weather would have made thee as a parched land and barren wilderness. Thy Lord knows best, and He has the clouds and the sun at His disposal. --Selected
"It is a gray day." "Yes, but dinna ye see the patch of blue?" --Scotch Shoemaker
Sermon Outline
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I
- {'A': 'The role of suffering in spiritual growth.', 'B': 'Job's example of enduring trials.', 'C': 'The significance of shared struggles.'}
- Understanding Suffering
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II
- {'A': 'How sorrow can lead to deeper joy.', 'B': 'The development of character through hardship.', 'C': 'Recognizing God's presence in our pain.'}
- The Value of Trials
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III
- {'A': 'The richness of God's promises revealed through suffering.', 'B': 'The importance of faith during dark times.', 'C': 'Finding hope in the midst of despair.'}
- God's Promises in Pain
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IV
- {'A': 'Seeing beyond immediate struggles.', 'B': 'The beauty that can arise from difficult seasons.', 'C': 'Encouragement to look for hope.'}
- The Light in Darkness
Key Quotes
“I endure all things for the sake of God's own people; so that they also may obtain salvation...and with it eternal glory.” — Charles E. Cowman
“Blessed are they that mourn. Stars shine brightest in the long dark night of winter.” — Charles E. Cowman
“Thou hast but little sunshine, but thy long glooms are wisely appointed thee.” — Charles E. Cowman
Application Points
- Embrace your struggles as opportunities for growth and deeper faith.
- Look for the light and hope in the midst of your darkest days.
- Remember that your trials can inspire and encourage others in their journeys.