GOD’S TOKEN FOR GOOD
Sunday Morning:
August 13, 2000
Read:
Acts 17:1-10; Philippians 4:10-19
Text: 2 Thessalonians
1:4-5
"So that we ourselves glory in you in
the churches of God for your patience and
faith
in all your
persecutions and
tribulations
that ye endure:
[ana
+ ecw,
present middle, to have again and again]
5. Which is a manifest
token of the righteous [just]
judgment of God,
that ye may be
counted
worthy of the
kingdom
of
God, for which ye also
suffer:"
Psalms 86:17 "Show me a
token for good; that they which
hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and
comforted me."
Philippians 4:12
"I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where
and in all things I am instructed both to be
full
and to be hungry,
both to abound
and to suffer need."
Philippians 4:16
"For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my
necessity."
Philippians 4:19
"But
my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ
Jesus."
1 Thessalonians 3:3
"That no man should be moved by
these afflictions:
for yourselves know that we are
appointed thereunto."
1 Peter 5:8-10
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring
lion, walketh about, seeking
whom he may devour:
9. Whom
resist
stedfast in the
faith, knowing that the same
afflictions are accomplished in your
brethren that are in the world.
10. But
the God of all grace, who hath
called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have
suffered a while, make
you perfect,
stablish,
strengthen,
settle
you."
Matthew 13:20-23
"But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that
heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21. Yet hath he not root in
himself, but dureth for a while: for when
tribulation or persecution
ariseth because of the word, by and by he is
offended.
22. He also that received seed
among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the
care
of this
world, and the
deceitfulness of riches, choke the
word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23. But he that received seed into
the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also
beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some
thirty."
James 5:11 "Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of
the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very
pitiful, and of tender mercy."
Job 1:1
"There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that
man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil."
Job 1:7-8 "And the LORD said unto
Satan, Whence comest thou?
Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From
going to and fro in the
earth, and from walking up
and down in it.
8. And the LORD said unto Satan,
Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth,
a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?"
Job 1:12 "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold,
all that he hath is in thy power;
only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the
presence of the LORD."
Job 1:14-22 "And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The
oxen
were plowing, and the asses
feeding beside them:
15. And the Sabeans fell
upon
them, and took them away; yea, they
have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to
tell thee.
16. While he was yet
speaking, there came also another, and said,
The fire of God is fallen
from heaven, and hath burned up the
sheep,
and the servants, and consumed
them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
17. While he was yet
speaking, there came also another, and said, The
Chaldeans made out three
bands, and fell upon the camels,
and have carried them away, yea, and slain the
servants
with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
18. While he was yet
speaking, there came also another, and said,
Thy sons and thy daughters
were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house:
19. And, behold, there
came a
great
wind
from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon
the young men, and they are dead;
and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.
20. Then
Job
arose, and rent his mantle,
and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground,
and
worshipped,
21. And said, Naked
came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD
gave,
and the LORD hath
taken
away;
blessed be the name of the LORD.
22.
In all this Job sinned not, nor
charged God foolishly."
Job 2:2 "And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And
Satan answered the LORD, and said, From
going to and fro in the earth,
and from walking up and down in it."
Job 2:3
"And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job,
that there is none like him in the earth, a
perfect
and an upright
man, one that feareth
God, and
escheweth
evil? and still he holdeth
fast his integrity,
although thou movedst me against him, to
destroy
him without cause."
THE GODLY SUFFER
2 Timothy 3:11-12 "Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at
Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but
out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12. Yea, and all that will live godly
in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution."
Job 2:6 "And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand;
but save his life."
Job 2:9
"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine
integrity? curse God, and die."
Job 42:7
"And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto
Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz
the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy
two
friends
(Bildad, Zophar): for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right,
as my servant Job hath."
Job 42:10 "And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for
his friends:
also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before."
PRAY FOR YOUR ENEMIES
Matthew 5:44
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you;"
1 Corinthians 10:13
"There hath no temptation
[affliction] taken you but such as is
common
to
man:
but God
is faithful,
who will not suffer you to be tempted (tested)
above that ye are able;
but will with the temptation also make a way to
escape,
that ye may be able to
bear
it."
Acts 14:22
"Confirming the souls of
the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that
we must through much tribulation enter
into the kingdom of God."
Matthew 5:10-12
"Blessed
are they which are persecuted
for righteousness' sake: for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11. Blessed are ye, when men shall
revile you, and persecute you, and
shall say all manner of
evil against you
falsely, for my sake.
12. Rejoice, and be
exceeding glad: for great is
your reward in heaven: for so
persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet
the inward man is renewed day by day.
17. For our
light
affliction, which is but for a
moment,
worketh for us a far more
exceeding and eternal
weight of
glory;"
1 Peter 2:19-21
"For this is thankworthy
[grace], if a man for conscience toward God
endure
grief,
suffering
wrongfully.
20. For what glory is it, if, when ye be
buffeted
for
your
faults, ye shall take it patiently?
but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is
acceptable [grace] with God.
21. For even
hereunto were ye called: because
Christ also
suffered for us, leaving us an
example, that ye should
follow
his
steps:"