Leaving Its Mark
The sermon emphasizes God's power to transform our weaknesses into strengths, enabling us to leave a lasting impact on the world.
John Henry Jowett preaches on the transformative power of God, using the analogy of a worm being turned into a threshing instrument with teeth. He emphasizes how God can take our weaknesses and vulnerabilities and empower us with His Spirit to leave a lasting impact on the world. Jowett encourages his listeners to take heart, knowing that God can make them stronger than their circumstances, enabling them to overcome challenges and extract grace even from disappointments. By surrendering to God's will and relying on His strength, we can navigate through difficulties with unwavering determination, as God fulfills His promises to transform us.
Text
"_Fear not, thou worm Jacob, I will make thee a threshing
instrument with teeth._"
--ISAIAH xli. 8-14.
Could any two things be in greater contrast than a worm and an instrument
with teeth? The worm is delicate, bruised by a stone, crushed beneath a
passing wheel; an instrument with teeth can break and not be broken, it
can grave its mark upon the rock. And the mighty God can convert the one
into the other. He can take a man or a nation, who has all the impotence
of the worm, and by the invigoration of His own Spirit He can endow them
with strength by which they will leave a noble mark upon the history of
their time.
And so the "worm" may take heart. The mighty God can make us stronger than
our circumstances. We can bend them all to our good. In God's strength we
can make them all pay tribute to our souls. We can even take hold of a
black disappointment, break it open, and extract some jewel of grace. When
God gives us wills like iron we can drive through difficulties as the iron
share cuts through the toughest soil. "I will make thee," saith the Lord,
"and shall He not do it?"
Sermon Outline
- I points: - Contrast between weakness and strength - The transformation from worm to instrument - God's ability to empower the powerless
- II points: - The significance of divine intervention - Turning disappointments into blessings - The role of faith in overcoming obstacles
- III points: - The strength found in God's promises - Living with purpose despite challenges - Leaving a mark on history through faith
Key Quotes
“Fear not, thou worm Jacob, I will make thee a threshing instrument with teeth.” — John Henry Jowett
“The mighty God can convert the one into the other.” — John Henry Jowett
“When God gives us wills like iron we can drive through difficulties.” — John Henry Jowett
Application Points
- Trust in God's ability to transform your weaknesses into strengths.
- Look for opportunities to find blessings in your disappointments.
- Live purposefully, knowing that your faith can leave a mark on history.