“I know that my redeemer lives”

“I know that my redeemer lives”

• (Ecc. 9:11-13) “I again saw under the sun that the race is not to the swift and the battle is not to the warriors, and neither is bread to the wise nor wealth to the discerning nor favor to men of ability; for time and chance overtake them all. Moreover, man does not know his time: like fish caught in a treacherous net and birds trapped in a snare, so the sons of men are ensnared at an evil time when it suddenly falls on them. Also this I came to see as wisdom under the sun, and it impressed me.”

• (Amos 2:14-15) “Flight will perish from the swift, And the stalwart will not strengthen his power, Nor the mighty man save his life. He who grasps the bow will not stand his ground, The swift of foot will not escape, Nor will he who rides the horse save his life.”

• (Rom. 15:4) “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

• (I Cor. 10:11) “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

Abraham’s Trials

Abraham received a message

• (Heb. 11:8) “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

• (Gen. 12:4) “So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.”

• (Heb. 11:9-10) “By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”

How far ahead are you looking?

Abraham had yet another test


• (Heb. 11:17-19) “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only begotten son;…


• … it was he to whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your descendants shall be called.’ He considered that God is able to raise people even from the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.”

• (Rom. 4:18-21) “In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.”…

• …Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.”

Even Sarah had her faith tested


• (Gen. 18:12) “Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have become old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"


• (Heb. 11:11) “By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.”

Joseph’s Trials

One tragedy after another



But there was something that sustained Joseph

• (Gen. 39:2) “The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.”

• (Gen. 39:9) “There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?"

Paul’s Trials

Since Jesus, has there ever been a man like Paul?

• (II Cor. 11:6) “But even if I am unskilled in speech, yet I am not so in knowledge; in fact, in every way we have made this evident to you in all things.”

• (II Cor. 11:22-28)


• (II Tim. 4:16-17) “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth.”

And what was it that sustained Paul but his faith?

• (II Tim. 1:12) “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”


• (II Tim. 1:12) “For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”

• Faith of our fathers! Living still, In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword; O how our hearts beat high with joy When-e’er we hear that glorious word: (chorus) Faith of our fathers, holy

faith! We will be true to thee till death! Our fathers,

chained in prisons dark, Were still in heart and conscience free; How sweet would be their children’s fate, If

they, like them, could die for thee! (chorus)

Paul’s abiding faith sustained him

• (II Tim. 4:6-8) “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

And Then There Was Job

Has any man suffered as he did?

• (Job 1:1-3) “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil. Seven sons and three daughters were born to him. His possessions also were 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and very many servants; and that man was the greatest of all the men of the east.”

He loved his children

• (Job 1:4-5) “His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send and consecrate them, rising up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus Job did continually.”

We know how Satan was allowed to afflict Job

• (Job 1:13-19)• (Job 1:20-22) “Then Job arose and tore his robe

and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, ‘Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.’ Through all this Job did not sin nor did he blame God.”

But Satan was not finished with Job

But Satan was not finished with Job

• (Job 2:7-8) “Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while he was sitting among the ashes.”

Job got no sympathy from his wife

• (Job 2:9-10) “Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!’ But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.”

Job’s friends came to offer comfort

• (Job 2:11-13) “Now when Job's three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, they came each one from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite; and they made an appointment together to come to sympathize with him and comfort him. When they lifted up their eyes at a distance and did not recognize him, they raised their voices and wept….

• …And each of them tore his robe and they threw dust over their heads toward the sky. Then they sat down on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights with no one speaking a word to him, for they saw that his pain was very great.”

• (Job 3:1-11)• (Job 19:13-22)

Job had his faith!

• (Job 19:23-27) "Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! That with an iron stylus and lead They were engraved in the rock forever! As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!”

Job had his faith!

• (Job 19:23-27) "Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book! That with an iron stylus and lead They were engraved in the rock forever! As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!”

Therefore…

The question for us today is…

The question for us today is…

How much faith do WE have?

• (Luke 17:6) “Lord, increase our faith…”

• (Luke 17:6) “Lord, increase our faith…”

• (Rev. 3:14-15) “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this: 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.’”

• ( v. 16) “So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of

My mouth.”

(Rev. 3:18-22) “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent…

• …'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says.’”

Will you listen to Jesus?

Will you listen to Jesus?

• “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he that does not believe shall be condemned” (Jesus Christ in Mark 16:16)

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“I know that my redeemer lives”