Author: Sherry

Each Age Has Its Saints

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, Sovereignty of God Leave a comment

Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats, and the rocks for the conies. – Psalm 104:17,18

Almost every part of God’s world was meant to be the abode of some creature or another…The teaching of this fact is clear. We shall find that for all parts of the spiritual universe God has provided suitable forms of divine life. Think out that thought a moment. Each age has its saints. The first age had its holy men, who walked with God: and when the golden age had gone, and men everywhere had polluted themselves, God had his Noah. In after days, when men had again multiplied upon the face of the earth, and sin abounded, there was Job in the land of Uz, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob dwelling in tents in the land which had been given to them by promise. On whatever period of the world’s history you choose to place your finger you may rest assured that as God is there, so is there also some form of the divine life extant; some of God’s twice born creatures are to be found even in the most barren ages. If you come to a period like that of Ahab, when a lonely Elijah bitterly complains, “I, only I am left, and they seek my life to destroy it,” you shall hear a still small voice that saith, “Yet have I reserved unto Myself seven thousand men that have not bowed the knee to Baal.” God has still His elect remnant in the most wicked times to whom He has given a banner, because of the truth. When the light was almost gone from Israel, and formalism had eclipsed the sun of Judaism, there were still a Simeon and an Anna waiting for the coming of the Messiah. Times of fearful persecution, when to mention the name of Christ was to sentence yourself to death, have not been devoid of saints, but rather in the hottest times of oppression God has brought forth heroes equal to the emergency. The fiercer the trial the stronger the men. The church of God, like the fabled Salamander, has lived and flourished amid the flames, and has seemed to feed upon the flames that threatened to devour her. As on the crags where it appears impossible for life to exist God places wild goats, so on the high crags of persecution He upholds men whose feet are like hind’s feet, and who glory as they tread upon their high places. Oppression brings out the heavenly manhood of the saints and lets the devil see what strength God can put into the weakness of man. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1005.cfm

Rejoice in His Works

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises, salvation, Sovereignty of God, The Holy Spirit Leave a comment

The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which He hath planted; Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house. The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats, and the rooks for the conies. – Psalm 104:16-18

This Psalm is all through a song of nature, the adoration of God in the great outward temple of the universe. Some in these modern times have thought it to be a mark of high spirituality never to observe nature; and I remember sorrowfully reading the expressions of a godly person, who, in sailing down one of the most famous rivers in the world, closed his eyes, lest the picturesque beauties of the scene should divert his mind from scriptural topics. This may be regarded by some as profound spirituality; to me it seems to savor of absurdity. There may be persons who think they have grown in grace when they have attained to this; it seems to me that they are growing out of their senses. To despise the creating work of God, what is it but, in a measure, to despise God Himself? “Whoso mocketh the poor despiseth his Maker.” To despise the Maker, then, is evidently a sin; to think little of God under the aspect of the Creator is a crime…David tells us that “The Lord shall rejoice in His works.” If He rejoices in what He has made, shall not those who have communion with Him rejoice in His works also? “The works of the Lord are great, sought out of them that have pleasure therein.” Despise not the work, lest thou despise the Worker…Here on this earth is Calvary where the Savior died, and by His sacrifice, offered not within walls and roofs, He made this outer world a temple wherein everything doth speak of God’s glory. If thou be unclean, all things will be unclean to thee; but if thou hast washed thy robe and made it white in the blood of the Lamb, and if the Holy Spirit hath overshadowed thee, then this world is but a nether heaven; it is but the lower chamber of which the upper story glows with the full splendor of God, where angels see Him face to face, and this lower story is not without glory, for in the person of Christ Jesus we have seen God, and have communion and fellowship with Him even now. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1005.cfm

This Sweet Council

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises Leave a comment

Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise. – Hebrews 10:35.36

As the season advances, (the farmer’s) anxieties are prone to increase rather than to abate. If he has had long need of patience while the seasons have succeeded each other, and while organic changes have been in course of development, surely there is a stronger challenge of his patience as the crisis approaches when he shall reap the produce! How anxiously at this season will he observe the skies, watch the clouds, and wait the opportune time to get in his crops and garner them in good condition! Is there no peril that haunts him lest, after all, the blast or the mildew should cheat his hopes? Lest fierce winds should lay the full-grown stems prostrate on the ground? Lest then the pelting showers of rain should drench the well-filled ears of corn? I might almost call this the farmer’s last fear, and yet the most nervous fear that agitates his mind!

In like manner, beloved, we have a closing scene in prospect which may, and will in all probability, involve a greater trial of faith, and a sterner call for patience than any or all of the struggles through which we have already passed! “Cast not away therefore your confidence, which has great recompense of reward. For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” This is sweet counsel for you, O Pilgrim, to Zion’s city bound. When you were young and strong, you did walk many a weary mile with that staff of promise; it helped you over the ground; don’t throw it aside as useless, now that you are old and infirm; lean upon it! Rest upon that promise, in your present weakness, which lightened your labor in the days of your vigor. “Cast not away your confidence.” But, brothers and sisters, there is something more. The apostle says, “You have need of patience, after you have done the will of God.” But, why, you will say, is patience so indispensable at this juncture of experience? Doubtless you all know that we are never so subject to impatience as when there is nothing we can do…Here it is, brothers and sisters that after our fight is fought, after our race is run, after our allotted task is finished, there is so much need of patience; of such patience as waits only on God, and watches unto prayer, that we may finish our course with joy, and the ministry we have received of the Lord Jesus. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1025.cfm

A Homily for Humble Folks

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You who are King of kings and Lord of lords, we worship You. Before Jehovah’s awful throne we bow with sacred joy.

Sermon Text

Pause and Pray!

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises Leave a comment

In your patience possess ye your souls. – Like 21:19

When we have patience, it keeps us in good heart for service; a man to whom it is given to wait for a reward, keeps up his courage, and when he has to wait, he says, “It is no more than I expected; I never reckoned that I was to slay my enemy at the first blow; I never imagined that I was to capture the city as soon as ever I had dug the first trench; I reckoned upon waiting, and now that is come, I find that God gives me the grace to fight on and wrestle on, till the victory shall come.”

And patience saves a man from a great deal of haste and folly. A hasty man is never a wise man; he is wise who halts a little, and ponders his ways, especially when adversity crosses his path. I have known brothers in the ministry get discouraged, and leave their pulpits, and repent as long as ever they lived that they left a sphere of labor where they ought to have toiled on! I have known Christians get discouraged, and touchy, and angry; fall out with the church of which they were members; go out in the wilderness and leave the fat pastures behind them. They have only had to regret all their lives that they had not a little more patience with their brothers and sisters, and with the circumstances which surrounded them. Whenever you are about to do anything in a great hurry, pause and pray! The hot fever in your own system ill fits you to act discreetly; while you tarry for a more healthy temperature of your own feelings, there may be a great change in the thermometer outside as to the circumstances that influence you! Great haste makes little speed; he who believes shall not make haste; and as the promise runs, he shall never be confounded. Above all, patience is to be commended to you because it glorifies God; the man who can wait, and wait calmly, astonishes the worldling, for the worldling wants it now. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1025.cfm

Conquer Your Impatience!

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, prayer, promises Leave a comment

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. – James 5:8

Suppose a man should be impatient under suffering; will it diminish his suffering? Will it increase the probabilities of his restoration? We all know that the irritability of temper which is caused by impatience is one of the difficulties which the physician has to battle with. When the patient is calm, there is a better chance of his recovery…There is a story told of Mr. Hill being on board a vessel once. It is said he heard the mate swear, and afterwards he heard the captain use a profane oath. I think Mr. Hill interposed as the captain was about to swear again, and said, “No, no, let us be fair; let us have everything turn and turn about. Your mate has sworn, and you have had an oath. Now it is my turn—my turn to swear.” The captain looked at him somewhat astonished, and had to admit that there was a degree of rightness and propriety in every man having his turn; however, Mr. Hill did not swear, and the captain said, “I suppose, sir, you don’t mean to take your turn; you really don’t mean to swear.” “Oh, yes,” said the good old man, “I mean to swear as soon as ever I can see the good of it.”

We might do the same by our impatience, brothers and sisters! Let us be impatient as soon as ever we can see the use it will serve! If the farmer should need rain just now, his impatience would not influence the clouds and make them pour out their torrents…Whatever happens to you, there is nothing can happen to you worse than your being impatient, for of all troubles in the world that one can be troubled with, an impatient spirit is about the worst. O that you would endeavor to conquer impatience! It cast Satan out of heaven, when he was impatient at the honor and dignity of the Son of God; he was impatient at being a servant to his Maker and was driven from his high estate. Let us be rid of impatience which made Cain kill his brother, and which has done a thousand mischievous things since. May God grant us, like the farmer, to watch and wait patiently, but the benefits of patience are too many for me to hope to name them. Suffice it to say, patience saves a man from great discouragement. ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1025.cfm

Patience with Confidence

Sherry Attributes of God, Character of Jesus, Christian Life, promises Leave a comment

Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. – James 5:7

A godly farmer waits with patience because he knows God’s covenant. God has said, “Seed time and harvest, summer and winter, shall not cease,” and the Christian farmer, knowing this, is confident. Oh, what strong confidences have we who have looked to Christ, and who are resting on the faithful word of a covenant God! He cannot fail us; it is not possible that He should allow our faith to be confounded. “Heaven and earth may pass away,” and they shall, but His Word shall not fail! They who sow in faith shall reap abundantly; the glory shall be theirs. And, brother workers, if we do not, for a time, see all the results we expect, yet the Lord has said, “Surely all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” The day must come when the dwellers in the wilderness shall bow before Him and lick the dust. “He has set His King upon His holy hill of Zion,” and they who said, “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast their cords from us,” will have to submit themselves, and lick the dust at His feet! Have courage, therefore; the covenant stands good, the harvest must come as surely as the seed time has come.

Let us cheerfully resign ourselves to the Lord’s will in suffering, for as others of His saints who went before us have reaped His blessing, so shall we! Let us work on for our Lord and Master, knowing that apostles and confessors, and a great cloud of witnesses who have gone before have seen great results, and so shall we; let us patiently tarry till the Lord comes, for as in the first coming those who waited for Him rejoiced, so shall those who are found watching and waiting at His second advent. We have not only the promise of God, but that promise fulfilled to tens of thousands who have preceded us! ~ C.H. Spurgeon

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/spurgeon_charles/sermons/1025.cfm