Luke 16:22, 29

Trusting God …

• About the city with foundations

  • Genesis 11:31-32

  • Acts 7:2

  • Genesis 12:1-9

  • Hebrews 11:8-10

  • Ur was a big, opulent city in Abraham’s day. Abraham was giving up a comfortable life to obey God.

  • Hebrews 11:13-16

  • Philippians 3:20 – Our citizenship is in heaven!

  • Colossians 3:2

• When it’s emotional

  • Genesis 22:1-12 – Abraham did not delay obeying God. He arose early to travel three days to sacrifice his son.

  • Hebrews 11:17-19

  • Matthew 5:44

  • James 2:21-24

• In old age

  • Genesis 12:4; 16:16; 17:1-3, 16-19, 23

  • Genesis 21:5-8

  • Genesis 23:1-2 – The death of Sarah.

  • Genesis 25:7-8

Conflict and anger

• Slow down

  • Proverbs 12:16; 14:17, 29; 16:32; 19:11; 25:28

  • Anger can be controlled! Ephesians 4:26-27

  • Adrenaline is often not helpful when dealing with a conflict. We have to deliberately slow ourselves down and avoid sinning in our anger.

• Love others (even enemies)

  • Proverbs 10:12; 24:17-18; 25:21-22

  • Romans 12:17-21

  • Love is not just accepting others’ actions regardless of whether they are sinful or not. Luke 17:3-4; I Corinthians 13:5; Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 4:32

• Seek peace with others

  • Proverbs 15:18; 16:7; 17:14; 18:19; 20:3; 25:8-10; 26:17; 29:8-9

  • Sometimes Christians may get the wrong idea that more conflict means that they are serving God better. There will be conflict with people of the world as we serve God, but that does not mean that conflict itself is a good thing. II Timothy 3:12; Galatians 2:11

  • We have to make peace where we can without compromising God’s word. I Kings 17:17-18; Ezekiel 3:3-11; Acts 15:1-2

• Be careful of association with others

  • Proverbs 19:19; 21:9; 25:24; 22:10, 24-25; 26:20-21; 27:3, 15-16; 29:22

  • The world is full of people that are cantankerous and like to stir up trouble. God’s people have better things to do than to get dragged into the mud.

  • There are several proverbs about a “contentious woman,” but men can be contentious, too! I Samuel 25:2-3, 10-11, 17, 25

Patience

• Modern technology and convenience can promote impatience.

• Christ’s patience with His friends

  • Philip – John 14:6-9
    • Jesus was patient with Philip’s lack of understanding.
  • Thomas – John 20:24-29
    • Jesus was patient in showing Thomas the evidence he was seeking.

• Christ’s patience with enemies

  • Saul – Matthew 28:18; Acts 7:54-60; 8:1-3; I timothy 1:12-16

  • Noah – I Peter 3:18-20

• Conclusion

  • Romans 9:20-22; II Thessalonians 3:1-5

The “Servant Songs”

• Isaiah 42:1-9 – See Matthew 12:15-21.

  • Matthew 12:20 – The imagery shows that Jesus would not give up on sinners.

• Isaiah 49:1-13 – See Acts 13:46-49.

• Isaiah 50:4-11

• Isaiah 52:13-53:12

  • Isaiah 52:13-15 – appearance marred
    • Matthew 26:27; 27:26-30
  • Isaiah 53:1-2 – no majesty
    • John 4:25-26; Mark 6:1-3
  • Isaiah 53:3-4 – despised
    • John 1:11-12; 3:19-20
  • Isaiah 53:4-12 – guilt offering
    • I Peter 2:21-25
  • Isaiah 53:9 – with a rich man
    • Matthew 27:57-60
  • Acts 3:13, 26; 4:27, 30

Apologetic value

• 740-700 BC – Isaiah prophesies: Isaiah 1:1

• AD 980 – Masoretic Text: Oldest Old Testament copies until discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

• AD 1947 – Dead Sea Scrolls discovered (dated 100s BC)

  • Includes entire book of Isaiah, written about 100 BC - before Christ!

• Was there more than one Isaiah? No. No evidence was found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

• The story of Barry Leventhal, a Jew who came to faith in Jesus after being confronted with the prophecies in Isaiah.

• Acts 8:34-35