“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
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;…
Abraham had yet another test
• … 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
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?"
Even Sarah had her faith tested
• (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
One tragedy after another
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)
Since Jesus, has there ever been a
man like Paul?
• (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.”
Since Jesus, has there ever been a
man like Paul?
• (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)