Affliction

Paul's Deep Concern for the Thessalonians

0:02 Our studies in chapter 3, chapter 3, and we will be focusing particularly upon the first five verses of this chapter. To remind you of the general setting of this section of Paul's letter, the infant church at Thessalonica brought into being under Paul's ministry, immediately experiencing persecution and opposition, Paul has been forced to leave them, and now down at Corinth he writes to them out of his deep concern, having vindicated his motives and his methods while among them in the second chapter, he now is describing his feelings toward them in their absence. It's one thing to love them in their presence, but now how does he feel now that he has left them? And in the providence of God has been hindered from coming back to them, and so beginning in verse 17 of chapter 2, he begins to describe his attitude with regard to these dear people and his longing and his concerns for them. He regards them as his hope and joy and crown of rejoicing as we considered last Lord's Day morning.

1:27 These were his most precious possession outside of Jesus Christ. The people of God were the delight of the apostles. They went to hijack their hearts. Wherefore, when we could no longer forbear, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and to send Timotheus, our brother and minister of God, and fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith, and that no man should be moved by these afflictions, for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto, for verily we are with you when we are with you.

2:04 with you we told you before that we should suffer tribulation even as it came to pass and ye know for this cause when I could no longer forbear I sent to know your faith lest by some means the tempter have tempted you and our labor be in vain as we begin a study of this portion of the word of God let us unite in prayer that the Holy Spirit might assist us in our study together Lord we confess again our conviction that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and that this portion is profitable for us both for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction of righteousness and yet we acknowledge that we are helpless to understand the mind of the spirit unless that same spirit illuminates our minds and we cry for his assistance even now as we study together bind the powers of darkness quicken us open our eyes and speak with clarity and power to thy glory and to our profit amen now we all confess that we believe all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable and this is why we are

The Profitability of All Scripture and Paul's Motivation for Sending Timothy

3:32 committed to the method of scripture study which takes us verse by verse and phrase by phrase even though there may be portions which to us seem rather irrelevant this is an insult to God simply to pick and choose those that we feel might be profitable when God has declared all scripture is profitable and so as we come to this section I confess that my first reaction was Lord this is interesting and certainly helpful to understand how Paul felt about the Thessalonians but really how much of it can be truly profitable for us standing as we stand where we stand in the midst of our own peculiar needs and yet again God has wonderfully surprised me as he has a year in and year out in this method of preaching through section after section by the fact that all scripture is indeed profitable for doctrine for correction for instruction and so I trust that you will gird up the loins of your mind and first of all seek to understand with me just what Paul is saying and then I believe we'll begin to see something of its message and its profit to us in our own present circumstances first of all consider with me what prompted Paul to send this messenger Timothy to the Thessalonians he begins by saying in verse 1 wherefore when we could no

5:00 longer forbear we thought it good to be left at Athens alone and sent Motheus notice verse 5 for this cause when I could no longer forbear I sent and so we have at the very introduction of this section and then repeated in verse 5 Paul telling us that which prompted him to send a messenger to the Thessalonians and he describes this under the phrase when we could no longer forbear now this word for bear is an interesting word it's a word that has as its connotation to hold out against something the picture of perhaps covering something concealing it by covering some have suggested it's the picture of seeking to keep a container airtight now it apparently has this picture that Paul is seeking to keep down and suppress this tremendous concern for the Thessalonians for remember he said in verse 17 of chapter 2 that he was severed only in presence but not in heart and he had only been gone the space of an hour when he was making plans how to get back to them and he made several definite attempts to return to them he says in verse 18 I would have come unto you once and again that is I made several attempts but Satan hindered

6:28 us and so here's the picture of a man so anxious for those people that he's separated for the space of an hour he's already making plans to go back he's frustrated he makes another a plan he's frustrated again and yet this concern for them is so deep in his heart that he said the time came when I could no longer hold it under and it just burst out of my heart and though I couldn't come I conceived a way of sending someone in my stead in order that I might give vent to this concern of my heart for you at Thessalonica so it was the pressure of a godly concern that Paul could no longer tolerate that caused him to send Timothy as his representative and as his messenger now before we move on I just want to pause for a moment to say we have in this reason for Paul sending Timothy a tremendous lesson of godly concern and secondly of scriptural guidance this concern that Paul had for the Thessalonians where did it come from how does a man get so involved with a young group of believers that he says I could no longer contain my concern I could no longer forbear I had to send someone well of course there's only one way that concern is ever

7:56 born in the human heart and that's as the Holy Spirit sheds abroad that love that seeketh not its own for left to ourselves there's only one person in the world you and I are concerned about and that's ourselves and even there we're not concerned in the right way we're concerned about ourselves temporally and physically but not concerned spiritually and just as it takes a work of grace to awaken us to true spiritual concern for ourselves it takes a work of grace to awaken us for a concern for others and this concern awakened by the spirit was obviously sustained by the spirit particularly by means of faithful prayer for remember Paul had said in the first chapter in verses two and three we give thanks to God always for you all making mention of you in our prayers remembering without ceasing and as Paul prayed for these people the Holy Spirit who had given birth to that concern used the context of faithful prayer to keep that concern alive and I'm sure every one of us who's experienced anything of this will know that our prayerful involvement with people is that which keeps the fires of concern glowing stop praying and concern will dwindle begin to pray as it were in cold blood out of a sense of duty and prayer and concern will be kindled

Guidance, Self-Denial, and Timothy's Character

9:25 and the fire of concern will deepen this is why scripture commands us to pray for one another it's a duty a duty to be performed even when we don't feel like it because the human heart being what it is and the indwelling sin being what it is there would be this continual tendency downward away from mutual concern and so we have a lesson here on how concern is born and sustained a concern that sometimes will just make you pick up the telephone and call somebody it'll make you pick up the pen and write them a letter it will force you out of your doors to pay them a visit there is that concern which can no longer be held under but must give vent to action and then in the second place this prompting of Paul is a tremendous lesson on guidance he didn't say wherefore when we were convinced by divine revelation that Timothy ought to go we sent him he said well I can no longer stand it I sent him now again guidance doesn't seem spiritual when it breaks out in the language of the apostle Paul we have some very mystical unscriptural ideas about guidance we touched upon this in the latter part of chapter two Paul didn't bat a thousand he said I tried to come to you was hindered I tried again was hindered so what did he do as long as that concern was there he said well I'll try another means

10:53 maybe Timothy will be able to get there and sure enough when he began the book passage on the next flight for Timothy everything worked when Paul did it for himself nothing worked either the plane broke down the equipment was non-functioning or Paul got a flat tire on his way to the airport something happened but he said now I can't get there and it's obvious God's hindering me but now let's see what happens if I try to get Timothy there and lo and behold when he did all of the pieces fit together and he read the will of God in the factors of providence and I think there's a tremendous lesson for us in the matter of guidance when we are prompted by the Holy Spirit with holy concerns those concerns are the indication of the will of God for us and so often we wait for some other means some other vehicle some other channel to indicate the will of God when the apostle Paul took this pressure of concern as an indication of the will of God for him now hurrying on what attitude did Paul have in sending this representative we see now why he sent him because of the pressure of Godly concern now how did he do it did he do it reluctantly no he says in this first verse we thought it good to be left at Athens alone and that word we thought it good could literally be translated it was our pleasure to be left at Athens alone

12:20 and to send Timothy in order for this messenger to go from Paul to Timothy it meant Paul would have to be alone and if you read through the Pauline epistles you will notice that Paul didn't like being alone God never ordained that people should be alone and we find Paul again and again mentioning his fellow laborers his companions in ministry he says in one point I have no man like minded who will care for your state at my first defense no man stood with me but the Lord stood with me and as you read through the epistles you begin to catch something of this sense though a great man and a strong man Paul was not a loner he recognized his need for his brethren and Timothy in this sense was the darling of his heart he could say of him in Philippians chapter 2 I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state but all seek their own and not the things that are Christ and yet the apostle Paul was willing he says to think it good to have it his pleasure because his concern was such for the Thessalonians he was willing to bear the discipline of loneliness in order that the Thessalonians might have the ministry of Timothy tremendous lesson in self denial a man so involved with the needs of others that he is willing to forego lawful liberties in order to minister

13:48 to others the great test of the depth of our piety is not primarily what we do with that which God clearly labels as sin as we are studying in the men's class this morning if by the grace of God you avoid corrupt communication if by the grace of God you avoid anger and wrath and bitterness and clamor and evil speaking as we were studying in Ephesians that's not too much of a test of the depth of your Christian life the real test is this how many lawful legitimate privileges are you willing to forego as a believer for the sake of others self denial not denial of sin that's Christian duty but self denial now Paul could have retained Timothy with him he could have reasoned well it's not good for a man to be alone and in this ministry Timothy is so desperately needed here but he said I was willing it was my pleasure it was my delight to send Timothy unto you because of his love for him now having considered what prompted him to send Timothy and the attitude with which he sent him now consider what he says about this man whom he sends verse 2 and I sent he says Timotheus

15:13 our brother and then the text was sort of tampered with here it should be translated this way and send Timotheus our brother and co-labor with God in the gospel of Christ he calls Timothy two distinct things he calls him a brother and a co-laborer with God and a co-laborer with God in Philippians chapter 2 he says he is my son in the gospel he said as a father with the son so Timothy has labored with me in the gospel in another place he says Timothy my son in the faith here he calls him a brother why well I think the apostle is indicating though there is a place of rank in terms of respect and authority Paul was an apostle Timothy was simply an apostles helper Paul was the aged experienced man Timothy the younger fledgling minister yet all of this when regards the perspective of which we see our standing in Christ utterly breaks down and he saw Timothy as his brother in the Lord Jesus Christ sharing a common life common standing in the family of God I trust we'll discipline ourselves to just disregard this because I sense that every time I've got you I'm losing you and I believe God's truth

16:42 is at stake so let's just try to discipline our necks please and there's apparently going to be a lot of activity out here let's seek to resist the temptation to look at it lest we miss something that God might have for us so he calls him his son his brother in the gospel and then he uses a very unique term used only one other place clearly in this sense a co-laborer with God the term co-laborers used many times of Paul's companions the fact that they are laboring together in the gospel but in 1st Corinthians 3 9 and in this particular passage the servant of God is called one whom God employs as an assistant a co-laborer with God God is at work John 5 17 Jesus said my father worketh same word root word my father is working and I work Christ said and now he describes Timothy as one whom God calls alongside to labor with him that's the picture of Christian work the most exalted lofty concept of Christian work is a man is laboring alongside of God he's not just out doing something in the name of God but he knows where God is at work he's sensitive to that which God is doing he's discovered it from Holy Scripture he is sensitive

18:11 to it by the indwelling spirit and he throws himself into that direction in which God is going and gives himself to the work of God if we had that concept so much of so called Christian work would cease today because it cannot be God's work because God's work is determined by God's word and so we've got organizations that have absolutely no reference to the church they're under no directive of the church and they say God has led us to form this organization God has led us to do this kind of work and I ask the question where did you get your leading from God well I got it by the spirit yes by what spirit the spirit that speaks in Holy Scripture people employing methods and evangelism techniques and they say well we believe God has led us to this how by his holy word is this how he works in Holy Scripture if not it's not God's work it may be done in God's name it may be done sincerely this is not to question motivation but Christian work must be what we read here of Timothy a co-laborer with God laboring in the area of the concern of God laboring under the direction of God now consider in the next place the express reason for which he sent Timothy we find what caused him to send him his godly concern

The Express Reason for Sending Timothy: To Establish and Know Their Faith

19:39 his attitude in sending him he was delighted to do it even though it meant self-denial the person he sends he's convinced is a true brother one who is a laborer with God now what was his purpose why send Timothy who could be down there at Corinth evangelizing with Paul why send him back to a place where church is already established hasn't Thessalonica been evangelized didn't he say in chapter one that from you the word of God has been sounding out in all that region I mean this is a growing concern isn't this sort of duplication to send this servant of God back to that area it's already had the gospel the gospel's been successful the message in the ministry is going on wonderfully their faith is being strengthened the report of them is extended into that whole area what's the purpose in sending a man back well he tells us and in the original it's very forceful two distinct purposes notice them now verse two and sent Timotheus our brother and minister of God and co-laborer in the gospel of Christ here it is to establish you and to comfort you concerning your faith in the light of verse three that no man should be moved from these afflictions for yourselves know that we are pointed there unto verse five for this cause when I could no longer forbear I sent

21:07 to know your faith lest by some means the tempter have tempted you in our labor be in vain two reasons for sending Timothy verse two I sent him to establish and comfort you concerning your faith verse five I sent to know your faith now it's interesting isn't it that his purpose focused upon this matter of the faith of the Thessalonians on the one hand he sent Timothy to confirm them and comfort them in the faith and on the other hand to know the state of their faith now let's consider those things in that order as we find them in scripture what does this word establish mean better translated confirm it's the word used in Luke 9 51 it's an interesting verse and I think will help us to sense the meaning of the word Luke 9 and verse 51 and it came to pass when the time was come that he should be received up he confirmed his face to go to Jerusalem translated he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem that's the same word used he confirmed his face his face was in that direction but now is it where he set it

22:35 originally in the direction of Jerusalem it's the word used in Revelation 3 to translate it strengthen the things that remain and it has the whole idea that something is established and it needs to be established with greater firmness something is put in a given direction it needs to be fixed in that direction something is already screwed up tight a bolt just turn it another quarter and make sure it'll never come loose it's the whole idea that the thing is right now just case it in its rightness you ladies get your hair just right then you fix it you confirm it with that bottle of spray you see and that fixes it in place well that's the whole connotation of this word I'm sure Paul didn't have that in mind when he used it but I believe that's a contemporary illustration of the meaning of the word you've got the hair in right place you want it to stay alright you Thessalonians your faith is genuine he had already said in chapter one it's been spoken of throughout the whole empire the whole Roman empire in that area but not only do I want it set right I want it to be kept set in that proper perspective faith was present it must be confirmed now in second Thessalonians three three it's obvious that it's God alone who does the confirming absolutely but the Lord is faithful who shall establish

24:03 you same word who shall confirm you who shall settle you and keep you from evil but though God alone can settle men in their faith with that settledness from which they cannot be moved God uses human instruments and so he says I send Timothy for this express purpose to confirm you in your faith and then to comfort you the word comfort is the general word translated exhort encourage it has that broad sense of rebuking where necessary of tenderly applying the promises where necessary and so we have that first purpose mentioned in verse two then in verse five he says I sent to know your faith that is to know whether or not it was enduring to know its strength lest the tempter have tempted you and our labor be in vain he said I was anxious to know whether or not my investment of labor was bringing dividends just like people who've invested in a certain company they check the stock reports to see if they're getting dividends from their investment Paul had invested many hours many tears much labor in the Thessalonians and now he wants to know whether or not that investment is come to naught he sends to know their faith lest they have moved off from a position of stability

The Certainty of Affliction for God's Children

25:31 and a position of steadfastness now having considered these basic factors regarding the text we come now to what are some of the basic lessons of this portion of scripture and I see many here and I was in a tither to know just where to begin and I trust that I'm beginning where I ought to because the Lord alone knows who is there on any given day and my prayer was Lord out of your knowledge of who's going to be here and who needs what more today guide me and I trust the Lord has done that and we'll have time this morning to consider just one of the basic lessons of this passage namely the lesson concerning the purpose and place of affliction in the life of a child of God you will notice that the whole climate of this passage is one in which the apostles concern was directly related to the afflictions that these people were experiencing verse 3 that no man should be moved by these afflictions verse 4 for verily when we were with you we told you before that we should suffer and this is the same word in the original the King James was translated to be read in the churches and to give it a little variety sometimes for no apparent reason they translate the same original word two different

27:00 ways just because it sounds better on the ear but it's not too good for Bible study at times and this is the same word in the original affliction we told you before that we should suffer affliction even as it came to pass and ye know verse 7 therefore brethren we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith here we have a context in which the people of God are experiencing affliction this word affliction the particular word used in verses 3 and 4 speaks of pressures like the grape that goes under pressure in order to produce the wine this is the picture of pressures that come upon the people of God those pressures could be persecution much of the pressure for the Thessalonians was open persecution it can be particular trials physical ills it can be financial problems anything that comes under the general heading of that which puts pressure on the saints that's affliction now what do we learn from this passage about the biblical doctrine of affliction well we learn first of all the certainty of affliction in the life of the child of God notice Paul's words in verses 3 and 4 that no man should be moved by these afflictions

28:28 for yourselves know that we are appointed there unto for verily when we were with you we told you before that we should suffer affliction the first thing you and I must know if we're to think biblically about this whole matter of affliction whether it comes through persecution whether it comes through difficulties whether it comes through trials and testings physical financial you can just fill up the whole barrel with anything that comes under that heading face it they are certain for the children of God for this word is a strong word we are appointed there unto literally we are set there unto it's the word used in the prophecy concerning Christ in Luke 2 34 where Simeon says of Christ this child is set is appointed for the falling and rising of many in Israel Paul says in Philippians 1 17 I am set I believe this is the passage Philippians 1 17 I am set appointed put forth for the defense of the gospel now just as surely as the Lord Jesus was appointed by the father to be the occasion of the falling and rising of many in Israel

29:54 as the Apostle Paul was saved and set apart appointed set for the defense of the gospel Paul says the children of God are set appointed for affliction now once you get that settled in your mind then you realize well I better not spend my life trying how to avoid affliction or doing my best to pray myself out of affliction I better rather set myself to learn what is the purpose of God in affliction for if he appoints it he doesn't appoint it capriciously but he appoints it with purpose and yet it's amazing and I was brought to remind myself I was reminded this so forcibly this week in talking with Pastor Mahurin he had the prayer time over WFME this past week and he stopped by one day to see me after he'd been there and he said you know it's interesting he said so many of these requests have to do with please pray for my aunt so and so she's 97 years of age and she fell down the stairs and strained her toe pray that the Lord will heal her this kind of thing just involved with little physical needs and then people praying for Christian loved ones who've lived out their three score and ten years and yet praying that the Lord would heal them so they wouldn't die and he said to me something along this line he said you know Al it's strange

31:23 that these people apparently have such a sub-Christian view of death they look upon it as an enemy that's not the biblical view it's not the Pauline view it's not the view Christ gives and as I began to think of that I let my mind turn over in terms of this passage isn't that true with regard to affliction and tribulation generally when they come into our lives the first thing we do is cry out oh God remove the affliction and the first chance we get we usually turn to the people of God and ask them to pray that the Lord will take the affliction away Paul didn't do that he says look you're marked out for it you just better sink down in and learn what to do with it because when God appoints you for it all the praying in the world isn't going to get you out of it how different and that's the first thing we must establish in fact Paul apparently made this a vital part of his ministry he says to these young believers when we were with you before we told you that we should suffer afflictions he made that part of his gospel that to embrace the Lord Jesus and to set out in the path of progressive sanctification is to welcome all that the Father appoints in the way of affliction that will help me onward in that process

32:49 in Acts 14 22 lest they didn't get the message the first time around when he goes back and revisits all of the young churches notice what his subject matter is Acts 14 in verse 22 we could back up to verse 21 and when they had reached the gospel to that city and it taught many they returned again to Lystra Iconium and Antioch confirming the souls of the disciples establishing them and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that through much tribulation same word enter into the kingdom of God now this was one of the major strands of his teaching pleading with them exhorting them to continue in the faith and to recognize the certainty of affliction in the purpose of the living God for them then the second thing we learn about the biblical doctrine of affliction in this passage is the function of affliction why should God appoint his people for affliction doesn't it seem strange that if he loves them he would appoint affliction if he controls the hearts of all men if he controls the actions of all men and he does why does he

The Function of Affliction: Testing and Deepening Faith

34:18 sovereignly permit men to direct their venom against the people of God why does he allow sickness and disease to infect the bodies of the people of God he could prevent it why doesn't he it says he appoints us to these afflictions now why well this passage tells us tells us the function of affliction notice verse 2 and sent Timotheus our brother and minister of God and fellow laborer in the gospel to establish you and comfort you concerning your faith that no man should be moved by these afflictions for yourselves know that we are appointed there unto verse 5 for this cause when I could no longer forbear I sent to know your faith lest by some means the tempter have tempted you and our labor be in vain if you read through this entire third chapter you'll notice no less than five times the word faith is used Paul's concern was for the faith of the people at Thessalonica now how does affliction fit in with this matter of faith I read from Acts 14 22 confirming them in the faith exhorting them to continue in the faith and then in the next verse part of the verse it says and that through much tribulation they must enter the kingdom of heaven what is the function of affliction well Peter will answer

35:47 in the very words of scripture 1 Peter 1 verses 5 through 7 who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations or trials that the trial of your faith the function of affliction is basically this it is God's laboratory to test the genuineness of faith and it is God's school room to teach us the advanced lessons of faith that's the purpose of affliction affliction is the laboratory to test the genuineness of faith affliction is the school room to teach us the advanced lessons of faith now what God ordains to be a laboratory to test faith the devil will try to make a crematory to destroy to destroy to destroy faith that's why Paul says we were anxious over you lest the tempter tempted you and our labor be in vain the classroom that God ordains for the advanced lessons of faith the devil will seek to turn into

37:13 an opportunity to utterly destroy and cast off faith now isn't that basically the lesson of the parable of the sower when you come to the stony ground here for this is the parable of the sower for this very word is used in Matthew 13 and verse 21 in that parable interpreted by our Lord himself Matthew 13 and verse 21 yet hath no root in himself that is the man that receives the seed on stony ground but dureth for a while but when affliction there's the word affliction or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended the son of God the son that rises to nourish the life of a plant with roots is the very son that shrivels up the plant that has no root it only has some leaves above the surface so the purpose then of designing affliction for his children is that God might test and strengthen and purify their faith but you say I don't see how it works well let me try to at least begin to explain how it works what does affliction always touch in the life of a child of God does it not always touch the realm of the senses and the world that is now if it's persecution

38:40 it touches your friends people that you can see people that you love people with whom you have to deal and trade neighbors loved ones it touches the world that we live in the world of friendship the world of humanism the world of human associations if that affliction comes in the form of sickness it touches something very precious to us our own flesh that flesh which we nourish and cherish as we read in Ephesians chapter 5 if it comes in terms of things as we read in Hebrews it touches our possessions and these people had their possessions ripped away from them it says that they took joyfully the spoiling of their goods now affliction touches the realm of the soul the senses in the world of now faith is bound up in that other world that is not touched with the senses when a man believes unto salvation he commits himself to a Christ he's never seen in terms of eternity where he's never been in terms of realities that the five senses cannot touch and cannot evaluate so now affliction comes with all of its pressure on the world of sense and here a man says well I'm a believer committed to the world that is above sense and above touch

40:09 and above sight what happens? this tests how genuine his faith is here a man who has all his friends all his possessions and all of his health says I believe in Jesus Christ unto salvation and God says do you really? well let's see let's put your faith in the laboratory and so God begins to put the screws on as we say and like Job the Lord may permit the enemy to touch a man's possessions may touch his physical being touch his reputation touch his friends until everything's gone what's he going to do? well either he's going to say if that's the way God treats me I'll throw the whole thing over or he's going to say the Lord giveth the Lord taketh away but I'm a believing man I'm committed to God in terms of spiritual realities in terms of eternity and if everything crumbles around me in the world of time and sense let it crumble I'm a believing man my focus is there not here so you see affliction then becomes the trial of faith and then affliction always touches the character of God is God good? if so how can he allow people to ride over our heads? is God love? why does he allow a stroke of sickness to come?

41:30 is God wise? why did he order this? is God all powerful? why doesn't he change circumstances?

41:37 so your faith in the character of God as revealed in scripture is tested in the midst of affliction to read in the Bible that God is good that God is loved that God is wise and to have every evidence of his goodness in a positive way all the bills are paid the children are healthy the business is going fine that takes no faith you could be walking by a site that's why certain unregenerate men will even acknowledge the goodness of God in the common blessings of life and they'll say God's good to me but you let the man be stripped of his possessions and let God begin to deal with him in a way that doesn't seem wise or good or loving what happens? faith is tested will I continue to believe that God is loved? even though it looks like he's nothing but a frown has nothing but a frown toward me will I believe he's wise when it looks like he's brought me into that which makes no sense whatsoever? yes faith you see feeds on that unseen world Hebrews 11.1

Affliction and the Unseen World: The Continuous Nature of True Faith

42:46 faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things what? not seen not seen that's what faith is faith brings into the hands now that which cannot be seen and touched with physical fingers it brings to the hands of God the fingers of the soul and so that faith has got to be tested that faith has got to be tried as to its genuineness and also to deepen it for if faith is the soul's grasp upon the eternal spiritual world it's awfully easy to begin to relinquish that world when we've got all the good things of this world at our fingertips that's why generally material prosperity material prosperity material prosperity material prosperity material prosperity material prosperity and physical spiritual prosperity seldom go down the same track together one or the other usually goes so it's a blessing when God sends affliction why? because he wants us to grasp more firmly that world which cannot be shaken lest we destroy ourselves by becoming too fondly attached to the world that will be shaken we read in Hebrews 10 this morning and I think we do well to remind ourselves of it what happened? when affliction touched these people and their physical material possessions their friendship their own bodies well listen to what it says of them in Hebrews 10

44:14 32 to 35 but call to remembrance the former days in which after you were illuminated you endured a great fight of afflictions made a gazing stock friends laughed at them reproaches and afflictions you identified yourselves with those people that were treated that way you identified yourself you had compassion of me and my bonds you took joyfully the spoiling of your goods why? knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and an enduring substance why could they stand back as it were and even rejoice that they were deprived of their material possessions because it reminded them that they had possessions which could not be touched by the hands of men so faith feeds on the unseen world and when affliction touches that world of sense and time faith is tested faith is strengthened and then faith always feeds on the changeless character of God Hebrews 11 6 without faith it is impossible to please him but he that cometh to God must believe that he is that he is what he has revealed himself to be do I believe he is good in the midst of all that says God is evil do I believe he is love in the midst of circumstances which if I tried to read them with human eyes would say God is hate

45:41 have you heard people say how can a God of love allow war and bloodshed and you've had people say this haven't you you see they're trying to bring God to the bar of human judgment and human reason the man of faith says I don't understand many things but this I know God is and let everything about me say contrary to that I will continue to believe that God is what he is revealed in scripture and then true faith is a continuous thing you see the apostle didn't have this idea that having once believed all was well he said no if they truly once believed they will continue to believe and if they don't continue to believe my labor is vain because their failure to believe in the face of adversity is an indication the faith they had back then was never the real thing the real thing the real product according to Hebrews we just read that again this morning we are not of them who draw back unto position but of them that believe unto the final salvation of the soul it's not a matter of a person being saved and lost it's a matter of a person thinking he's saved who never was and affliction simply reveals the sham when he turns back to the world of sense and instead of reading the character of God in holy scripture tries to read it in terms of his own limited understanding of the ways of God

Means to Sustain Faith in Affliction

47:09 so that's the second thing we learn about affliction not only the certainty of it but the function of affliction is that of testing the reality of faith of strengthening faith and then thirdly and in closing what does this passage teach us about the means to sustain faith in the midst of affliction here is the father seeking to strengthen and test faith in his children here is the devil that tempter seeking to destroy faith and Paul was conscious of that for he says in verse 5 I sent to know your faith lest by some means the tempter have tempted you in our labor be in vain whenever you enter a situation of affliction mark it not only is God there but the devil is there God seeking to strengthen and establish the devil seeking to destroy and to tear down well how then is faith going to be strengthened and sustained in the midst of affliction well do what Paul tried to get these people to do just remember that that's part of your life part of the bargain of being a Christian he says here in verse 3 that no man should be moved by these afflictions for you know that you are appointed there to if you can just stop and remember this is not abnormal if I've been sailing along with no affliction that's abnormal when I get in the realm of affliction I'm at home

48:38 with the people of God now if we can remember that this will help us in our whole reaction to it you see if you suddenly woke up one morning and saw three eyes where you normally just saw two you'd be disturbed either you'd know there was something wrong with the two you had or the glasses that you've got over those two or something was really wrong if you were seeing right because three eyes is a state of abnormality if you wake up in the morning and something's not right you're disturbed well as a child of God when you wake up in the morning and there's affliction don't think you're out of your element you're in your element you've been appointed to this so you can get your bearings and say now Lord help me not to look at this as the world does it's only world is the world of now that's why the world hates affliction and cannot stand or understand affliction this is it's only world and when things go bad here what else have they got but Christian this is not your only world that's your world out there that's your real world here you're just a sojourner that's your abiding place so how is faith going to be strengthened in the midst of affliction well when affliction comes remember this is where I belong the certainty of affliction secondly remember the purpose of God in affliction God is going to test faith God is going to strengthen faith

50:05 so that your first reaction is not Lord remove the affliction but Lord remove the affliction Lord do in my faith what you purpose to do by this affliction I don't know what would happen if I got a call next week and someone said Pastor I'm real sick will you pray that the Lord will strengthen my faith in this affliction I'd dig my ears out and say what's happened no what I'll hear is I'm real sick pray that I'll get well as soon as possible isn't that our reflex action my uncle or so and so has lost his faith has lost his business pray that he'll get it back again real quick see now this is natural and we'd be less than human if we didn't have this sympathetic concern for each other it's just like if a man's got his finger caught in the door you don't go up to him and say now my brother maybe God has a purpose in this affliction you better open the door first if you have anything of the of the milk of human kindness unless you want that fellow when he gets out of the door to tear into you no this is there's a right sense in which our first reaction is the removal of the affliction granted a right sense but oh when this is the dominating sense something is wrong we're thinking worldly aren't we we're not thinking scripture so when affliction comes remember the certainty of it this is your lot remember the purpose of God

51:32 to strengthen faith to deepen faith the third place remember the presence of the devil and the first suggestion the first suggestion the first suggestion of questioning the love of God recognize who that comes from that's the tempter trying to get you to question the goodness of God the wisdom of God the power of God the love of God recognize where those thoughts come from resist them stand against them and say no the scripture says God is love God is wisdom all things are working together for good I refuse to bring God to the bar of my own finite mind and that's the work of the devil resist him stand against him steadfastly in the name of Christ and then remember the instrument who brought us faith it says in verse 7 this jumps a little ahead but it helps here but now when Timotheus verse 6 came to you from us and brought us good tidings of your faith and charity and that you have good remembrance of us always desiring greatly to see us as we also to see you in the midst of their affliction they thought back of Paul and they thought of how the Lord brought them into the place of faith and they thought of the example of his endurance in the midst of his afflictions and they longed to see him this became a means to strengthen them when you're in the midst of affliction remember those

52:59 through whom God brought you into the place of faith and thinking of the example of their own lives let that strengthen and encourage you and then remember the tremendous issues at stake Paul said lest the tempter have tempted you in our labor be in vain it's a terrible thing at stake when faith is tempted faith is tried we have the possibility of rendering what's described here as vain all the labors that have been extended on our behalf no past faith will suffice for present apostasy there must be a living vibrant present intense faith which will be the proof of the reality of any past faith that we have possessed and then last of all remember him who said to Peter Satan hath desired thee to sift thee as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not oh feed much upon Christ at the right hand of the Father interceding for us his afflicted children bearing with us not stoically indifferent to us not delighting to see us afflicted but knowing just as he came through affliction to learn obedience it's only in that same path that we learn obedience he bears with us in all of our affliction and remember him who prays

54:29 that we might be kept that our faith might not fail and so in this passage we have one of the richest passages on the biblical doctrine of affliction the purpose of it how we may bear up under it that we might turn affliction to our good and to the glory of our God let us unite in prayer