[Introduction]
Paul’s
prayer for the believers
2Thessalonians
3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.
Because
they were facing persecutions and trials
1:4
Therefore, among God's churches we
boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials
you are enduring.
Love
and perseverance
Jacob
served his uncle for 14 years to get Rachel.
Genesis
29:20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but
they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her. 30
Jacob lay with Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than
Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
[God’s
Love for Christ]
1. God confirms that he
loves the Son.
Matthew
3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is
my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.
Matthew
17:5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud
enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom
I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!
2. Jesus is sure of the
Father’s love
John
3:35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
John
5:20 For the Father loves the Son and shows
him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things
than these.
John
17:23-24 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to
complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as
you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with
me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you
loved me before the creation of the world.
[Christ’s
Love for Father]
John
15:9-10 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my
commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have
obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love.
John
14:31 but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do
exactly what my Father has commanded me.
"Come now; let us leave.
John
10:17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down
my life--only to take it up
again.
Philippines
2:6-8 Who, being in very nature
God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made
himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human
likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!
God's Love & Christ's Perseverance_20131027.docx
Hebrews 12:2-3 Let us fix our eyes
on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider
him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow
weary and lose heart.
[God’s
Love for Us]
1. We are God’s children.
1John
3:1-2 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we
should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the
world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not
yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
John
1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who
believed in his name, he gave the right[authority] to become children of God.
Free
from concerns
Matthew
6:31-33 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?'
or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all
these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well.
2. We are co-heirs of God
with Christ.
Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now
if we are children,
then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in
his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
3. Share in the glory of
Jesus
2Thessalonians
2:14 He called you to this through our
gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[Our
Perseverance]
1. Nothing can separate us
from the love of God
Romans
8:35, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship
or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 39 neither height nor
depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
2. Testing develops
perseverance
James
1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face
trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith
develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may
be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
3. Run the race with
perseverance.
Hebrews
12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a
great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin
that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race
marked out for us.
Revelation
14:12 This calls for patient
endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus.