WE MUST ENDURE

TEXTJames 5:11

INTRODUCTION:

A.      2 WORDS IN THE PASSAGE.

          1.       "Blessed" - "Happy, endowed with good fortune."

          2.       "Endure" - "hupo-meno, to bear patiently, to endure."

                   Webster:  "to bear up under, stand firm against;  to put up with, tolerate, to

                             suffer without yielding, to hold out."

B.      CHRISTIANS ARE BLESSED IF THEY ENDURE.

I.      TEMPTATIONS.

A.      TO FAIL TO ENDURE IS TO SIN( James 1:13-15 ).

B.      ENDURING STRENGTHENS US( 1:2-4 )

C.      GREAT REWARD( 1:12 ).

II.     CHASTENING( Heb. 12:5-11 ).

A.      NOT ALL, BUT SOME SUFFERING IS SELF-INFLICTED.

B.      ALL CAN BE LEARNED FROM, SOME IS CORRECTIVE.

C.      THE DESIRED RESULT( vs. 10-11 ).

D.      OUR ATTITUDE( vs. 12-13 ).

III.    AFFLICTIONS - PERSECUTIONS( 2 Tim 3:10-12 ).

A.      SOME SUFFER FOR DOING RIGHT( 1 Pet. 2:20;  4:12-16 ).

B.      WE MUST HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE( 2 Tim. 1:8, 12,; 4:5 ).

C.      GREAT IS YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN( Matt. 5:10-12 ).

IV.   ANOTHER KIND OF ENDURING( 2 Tim. 4:3-4 ).

A.      THE WORD IS A 2-EDGED SWORD( Eph. 6:17 ).

B.      SOMETIMES IT CUTS( John 16:8 ).

C.      IT WILL EITHER SAVE OR CONDEMN.

V.    THE SECRET OF ENDURING:

A.      REMEMBER JESUS( Heb. 12:1-2 ).

B.      PRAY( Phil. 4:6-7 ).

C.      TRUST HIS PROMISE( 2 Tim. 2:8-13 ).

CONCLUSION:

A.      ALL WILL BE TRIED.

B.      Rev. 3:20