From Suffering to Glory: Embracing God's Divine Narrative

Think of it this way what if the struggles we endure are not isolated events but threads woven into a greater tapestry a more purposeful story and each story ends with the Triumph of a king and his loyal subject I mean isn't that your story it's my story we serve a high King and he is working in Us by his grace for a great Victory. [00:03:44]

Paul says this light Affliction which is momentary is working for us a greater weight of Glory there is a reason for the struggle for the pain and the adversity the conclusion is meaningless without the antagonist every good classic story always has an antagonist there's always this plot of good versus evil and without your personal issues and adversities the conclusion becomes meaningless. [00:04:52]

The Apostle Paul is recognizing here or accounting suffering by comparing it to Future Glory this is the way to put your present dilemmas and challenges into the right perspective it has to be measured against something else future glory is so much weightier than present suffering in fact this is where we even find the atmology the meaning of the word Glory it comes from a pair of balance scales. [00:10:25]

Moses when he became of age refused to be called the son Phar Ro's daughter choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin now notice verse 26 esteeming calculating the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt how come well he says for he looked to the reward he measured the present suffering the reproach of Christ in comparison against the reward and he found the reward outweighed the reproach the sufferings the agonies. [00:13:23]

Our future glory is the shared Glory of Jesus Christ now that is incredible I mean it's one thing to take vile wretches and forgive them pardon them save them but it's a quite another thing to then bring them in and share the glory of your son who obeyed you perfectly and did it all and finished the race without sin and to be able to be brought into his glory and that he would share that with you and me that's what we're dealing with here. [00:16:32]

The Transfiguration of Jesus here on the Mount of transfiguration is a precursor to the glory of Christ revealed to the three Apostles it's a precursor of what he was going to inherit at the conclusion of his life here on this Earth but what the transfigure ation event shows us is that he already possessed That Glory being the Eternal Son of God as well as the man Christ Jesus the godhead was veiled veiled in flesh the godhead SE and at this moment in the in the ministry and life of Our Lord the flesh became no longer a barrier to see the glory. [00:19:24]

The righteous will shine forth as the son in the Kingdom of their father and he who has ears to hear Let Him hear in that sermon weight of Glory by CS Lewis he he in passing he doesn't develop it he just makes this statement I want to read it to you you have to be careful with Lewis I do need to say that this is not a broad endorsement of his writings sometimes he's really spoton and sometimes he's a million miles off but here he hit the proverbial nail on the head listen carefully it is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses. [00:26:34]

The future Glory that shall be revealed in US is very much on this same order the father's approval of you this is my beloved Son this is my beloved daughter in whom I am well pleased it is here's the word praise it is the praise of God for us don't be shaken by the word praise I do not mean worship we're not talking about worship God will not worship anything or be tempted to do so but praise is not necessarily worship it can be but it's also something different praise is is giving your approval. [00:35:36]

Future glory is the ability to fulfill your purpose to the maximum to be able to do what you were made to do perfectly compl completely fully again Matthew 25:21 this is my understanding of the text he said to him well done good and faithful servant you were Faithful over a few things I will make you ruler over many things enter into the joy of your Lord in this life right now these hands they want to do the father's will oh my heart wants to please him but I find within me an insufficiency an inability even in this sermon to you I know that there is a limitation I cannot do what God designed me to do to my maximum. [00:40:18]

There's coming a glorious day when you are not going to pluck on harp sitting on a croud hallelujah thank you whoever said yes because that would be that would be the epitome of misery to me no I'm now restored listen carefully the first Adam failed but there's not he's not the last atom there there came one like un the son of man born of a virgin and he obeyed the father he represented the father he could say if you've seen me you've seen the father and when he hangs on Calvary doing the father's will he can say it is finished he did it he did it all every jot every KT nothing's left undone and now through him we've been reconciled to God. [00:44:48]

I so believe in the master Weaver that he can take all of my failures all of my weakness all of the poverty and somehow in his inexplicable manner creates something that he is pleased with you see the problem is you've got your image over here the father has an image of what he's doing in you over here and you're struggling against it you say only the great ones people like you brother Michael oh yes God's interested in your life look at that Hebrews 11 that brother Jeff is teaching us all of these people who put the armies of aliens to flight and Drew water out of the rock and all of these wonderful things yes but don't forget the remainder of the chapter others others you know what that means the nameless multitude the countless throngs of nobodies ordinary mundane everyday living people who wandered about in sheep's clothed goat skins lived in caves nothing extraordinary to right beside them they didn't move a mountain they didn't call do a miracle they just trusted and Obey they just moved the the shuttle to the left and to the right when the father nodded and God says of them Heroes that's my story worked out in their lives do you hear me are you listening what you think is going nowhere look to your father and trust and Obey he's making something that one day one day future Glory will make all of these present sufferings not worthy to be compared with God's designing your life and weaving a tapestry of beautiful and as he looks at you and nods nods through the word nods through prayer nods through the church nods to you in circumstances trust and Obey just trust and Obey and at the end of your life when you stand before him I know what you're going to say I know what I will say oh god oh Lord if it weren't for your grace I would not be here but the father shall say to you and me well done thou good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your lord truly the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in US. [00:56:17]