Trials as a Means of Grace (5)

The point: Learn the holy art of seeing in every trial, affliction, tribulation, and chastisement the signpost that points us to the glory of the age to come, making us more heavenly minded.

Martin refutes the saying 'so heavenly minded he is no earthly good' by stating he has never met such a person, but rather struggles with being 'cursedly earthly minded,' illustrating the common struggle to fix one's heart on heaven.

Though you've heard the little ditty he is so heavenly minded he is no earthly good. I don't know that I've ever yet met such a person. The person I struggle with stands before you who is alas so cursedly earthly minded that he is of little heavenly good. The struggle of my heart is not to get too much of it out of heaven here on earth.

17:26 - 17:55 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin expounds 2 Corinthians 4:17-18, detailing Paul's perspective on his ministry and sufferings. He contrasts Paul's 'light and momentary affliction' with the 'eternal weight…

Paul's imagery of the gospel as a treasure in a clay pot is used to illustrate that the exceeding greatness of God's power is manifested through frail humanity, not human strength.

Speaks of the reality that in ministering the gospel he recognizes the blinding work of the devil but then the greater work of God who spoke light out of darkness and shines in the darkness of men's hearts to give the light and the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Those are some of the central issues relative to the substance of the Christian ministry as exercised by the apostle Paul. Paul then in verses 7 to 15 he points us to the fact that since this deposit of the gospel is placed in frail humanity he uses the imagery of a treasure in a clay pot that the exceeding ...

19:35 - 20:54 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Now you see, we fix it from the toothpick, that it begins to grow in weight, in substance, a little of the glory of the age, that it shrinks in our practical day, so that we are and brought suffering, signpost, that is t…

Martin describes an old-fashioned scale and asks what one would think if he compared a toothpick to a 10-pound plate, illustrating how absurd it is to compare present sufferings to future glory, as they are not worthy of comparison.

With the glory that shall be revealed to us. He came judgment in his mind. And he said flexion that the sufferings of this present time, the sufferings that are part and part this present time, will be with the glory that shall be revealed to us. And he said flexion for what we will do with it. And he said flexion for what we will do with it. And he said flexion for our children, present age, not even worthy, revealed, made up an object lesson to bring it into the pulpit, but I think I can construct it with my hands. Imagine that we have one of the old turd two weeks ago. There's the base of t...

44:58 - 46:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Rejoice in the midst of trial, opposition, persecution, reproach, and slander, seeing it as increasing your own weight in the age to come.

Martin recounts a time of self-examination using the Beatitudes, particularly Matthew 5:10-12, and how he wrestled with whether he was truly experiencing persecution for Christ's sake, leading to a prayer for God to deal with him in that area.

Pointing to the glory that what men are doing is increasing your own weight in that age. I tell you, this has been one of the most liberating texts to me. Some of you know the particulars and it would not be unto edification to go into them. But there was a time years ago when I having a day of self-examination. I do that periodically, not morbidly, introspectively in a wrong time of self-examination. And I find reading the Beatitudes, most helpful. And I can remember sweating through with judgment day honest, saying, Lord, do I know what poverty of spirit is? Can I truly say that I believe in...

59:01 - 60:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Let your thoughts wax warm about 'whither I am going' (heaven) so that trials may be sanctified to your profit.

Martin refers to Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, where Christian lists four things that comfort him in his pilgrimage: what he saw at the cross, his robe of righteousness, assurance, and contemplating 'whither I am going,' emphasizing the importance of fixing thoughts on heaven.

sullen, you will rejoice and be exceeding with these three texts of scripture. They are specimen texts and surely lesson that if we would know what it is to have our trials and afflictions be a means of grace, we must learn the art of discerning. In each of them, the sign post that points us to the glory of the age was with that reminder of that little incident that Bunyan captured. You remember when Christian lodging at the house beautiful was discussing all of the ups and downs of his pilgrimage in the narrow way. It's one of the hostesses in the house. Ask him, can you remember by what mean...

64:02 - 65:10 Read in full sermon