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  THE PROCESS AND THE END
  by John Henry Jowett
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Summary: The sermon emphasizes the importance of patience and trust in
God's mysterious ways, even in difficult times, as He works towards a
good and merciful end.

Topics: "Trusting God", "Spiritual Growth"
Scripture References: Genesis 1:31, Psalm 30:5, Isaiah 55:8, Romans 8:28, James 5:7

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DESCRIPTION
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John Henry Jowett emphasizes the importance of patience in trusting the
Lord's mysterious ways to achieve His ends, even when the means seem
contrary to the desired outcomes. Just like how a delicate porcelain is
formed through a rough mortar, our afflictions and trials are shaping us
for glory, leading us from discord to harmony, opposition to union, and
adversities to peace. We must not mistake the process for the end
result, as the Lord's ultimate goal is filled with compassion and tender
mercy.

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CONTENT
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"_Ye have seen the end of the Lord: that the Lord

is very pitiful, and of tender mercy._"

--JAMES v. 7-11.

And so we are bidden to be patient. "We must wait to the end of the
Lord."

The Lord's ends are attained through very mysterious means. Sometimes
the

means are in contrast to the ends. He works toward the harvest through

winter's frost and snow. The maker of chaste and delicate porcelain

reaches his lovely ends through an awful mortar, where the raw material
of

bone and clay is pounded into a cream. In that mortar-chamber we have no

hint of the finished ware. But be patient, even in this chamber of

affliction the ware is on the way to glory!

And so it is with the ministries of our Lord. He leads us through
discords

into harmonies, through opposition into union, through adversities into

peace. His means of grace are processes, sometimes gentle, sometimes

severe; and our folly is to assume that we have reached His ends when we

are only on the way to them. "The end of the Lord is very pitiful, and
of

tender mercy." "Be patient, therefore," until it shall be spoken of thee

and me, "And God saw that it was good."

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/john-henry-jowett/the-process-and-the-end/
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