40 Years Of Testing And Trying

I. EXORDIUM:

Have you tried GOD's Patience before?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that GOD needs no testing and trying, He's already proven from eternity past.

IV. TEXT:

Hebrews 3:9 (Amplified Bible)

3:9 Where your fathers tried [My patience] and tested [My forbearance] and found I stood their test, and they saw My works for forty years.

V. THESIS:

JESUS is there for us, the Bread from Heaven whenever we feel like trying and testing GOD.

VI. TITLE:

40 years of testing and trying

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Date of writing: Before AD. 70

B. Style of writing: Best Greek style

C. Authorship: Not specific, but generally attributed to Apostle Paul. Can be also ascribed to Barnabas, Luke, Apollos

D. Audience: Hebrew Christians

E. Theme: Christ is superior to the prophets; Christ is superior to angels—J. Vernon McGee's Thru The Bible

F. Purpose: The chief doctrinal purpose of the writer was to show the transcendent glory of the Christian dispensation, as compared with that of the Old Testament.—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

G. Keyword: better

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. Israelite's ancestors tried GOD's Patience

"Where your fathers tried [My patience]"

Tempted or tried means:

1. to try whether a thing can be done

2. to try, make trial of, test: for the purpose of ascertaining his quantity, or what he thinks, or how he will behave himself

3. to scrutinize, to entice, to discipline

Men are properly to be tried but not GOD, because GOD was and is already proven by faith. Men fails, but GOD never fails.

Deuteronomy 8:3-4 (Amplified Bible)

8:3 And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you recognize and personally know that man does not live by bread only, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.

8:4 Your clothing did not become old upon you nor did your feet swell these forty years.

In the time of Israel's testing GOD's Patience, the Manna from Heaven came and that is JESUS.

John 6:31-35 (Amplified Bible)

6:31 Our forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as the Scripture says, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.

6:32 Jesus then said to them, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, Moses did not give you the Bread from heaven [what Moses gave you was not the Bread from heaven], but it is My Father Who gives you the true heavenly Bread.

6:33 For the Bread of God is He Who comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.

6:34 Then they said to Him, Lord, give us this bread always (all the time)!

6:35 Jesus replied, I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst any more (at any time).

We remind ourselves every Communion we take.

1 Corinthians 11:23-25 (Amplified Bible)

11:23 For I received from the Lord Himself that which I passed on to you [it was given to me personally], that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was treacherously delivered up and while His betrayal was in progress took bread,

11:24 And when He had given thanks, He broke [it] and said, Take, eat. This is My body, which is broken for you. Do this to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance.

11:25 Similarly when supper was ended, He took the cup also, saying, This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink [it], to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance.

GOD's Patience is JESUS.

Romans 15:5 (Amplified Bible)

15:5 Now may the God Who gives the power of patient endurance (steadfastness) and Who supplies encouragement, grant you to live in such mutual harmony and such full sympathy with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,

B. Israelite's ancestors tested GOD's Forbearance

"and tested [My forbearance] "

Man always fails but GOD never fails.

Acts 5:38-39 (Amplified Bible)

5:38 Now in the present case let me say to you, stand off (withdraw) from these men and let them alone. For if this doctrine or purpose or undertaking or movement is of human origin, it will fail (be overthrown and come to nothing);

5:39 But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop or overthrow or destroy them; you might even be found fighting against God!

Proved or tested means:

1. to test, examine, prove, scrutinise (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals

2. to recognise as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy

Deuteronomy 29:1-5 (Amplified Bible)