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Do Not Be Discouraged:blessings Are Waiting For You
Contributed by Dr. Stanley Vasu on Aug 26, 2001 (message contributor)
Summary: This sermon is a word of encouragement to the beleiver who is facing trials and tribulations and feels like giving up.This sermon encourages the beleiver that God will not forsake him but will bless him abundantly.
DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED:BLESSINGS ARE WAITING FOR YOU
OUTLINE
1.ENCOURAGEMENT
2.EXALTATION
3.ENLARGEMENT
4.ENJOYMENT
5.ETERNAL
6.ESTABLISHMENT
7.EXPECTATION
THE MESSAGE
DO NOT BE DISCOURAGED:BLESSINGS ARE WAITING FOR YOU
1.ENCOURAGEMENT
Exodus 1:12
The Lord wants to encourage us with the promise that affliction will cause multiplication and growth in our life.We may fear that as our afflictions increase we are heading towards destruction. But The Lord wants us to realize that afflictions will bring growth and multiplication as it did in the life of the Israelites in Egypt. Let us not panic if afflictions increase .Instead let us have the unshakeable confidence that God would cause these afflictions to bring increase and growth in our life.
2.EXALTATION
Psalm 71:20-21
The Lord promises exaltation in our life.We may have faced great and sore troubles in our life.We may have felt that we have been pushed to the depths of the earth.But God promises to quicken us and bring us up from the depths.God will increase our greatness and comfort us on every side.The Exaltation that God will give us will be a source of great comfort to heal the wounds caused by the great and sore troubles we have faced in our life.
3.ENLARGEMENT
Psalm 66:11-12
The Lord promises enlargement and prosperity in our life.We may feel as though we are trapped in a net with no way out.We may feel imprisoned in our situation.We may have afflictions laid upon us. People may ride over our heads and cause pain and shame to us. We may go through fire and water and face much threats and dangers in our life.But God promises to bring us out into a wealthy place.God wants to bring us into a place of prosperity and abundance .Let us live in the confidence and assurance of God’s blessings for our life.
4.ENJOYMENT
Psalm 90:14-15
The Lord promises Joy and happiness for us to enjoy. God wants to satisfy us with His mercy that we may rejoice and be glad all the days of our life. He wants to make us glad according the days we were afflicted and the years we have seen evil.This is God’s abundant compensation and restoration for all the sadness and pain we have endured in our life.Our sorrow will be turned into joy and we will delight in the abundance of His joy and happiness.
5.ETERNAL
Romans 8:17-18 Matthew 5:10-12 Luke 6:27-36
The Lord promises eternal reward and blessings for the sufferings we face for His sake in this world. He promises us that the glory that will be revealed to us will be so infinitely superior that we cannot even compare our present sufferings to the glory that is to be revealed .Great rewards are waiting for us in eternity for all the suffering and persecution we have faced in this life. God will reward us for all that we have sacrificed without getting due reward in this world. God wants us love those who do not love us. He wants us to do good to those who harm us. He wants us to lend without expecting a return. These sacrifices will bring great reward for us in eternity.
6.ESTABLISHMENT
I Peter 5:10
The Lord promises to establish us and settle us after we have suffered a while. God may allow us to go through a period of preparation and testing in our life. But this is only for a period. After this time God will perfect, stablish ,strengthen and settle us .He will not allow us to suffer endlessly in uncertainity and turmoil . God will establish us and make our steps firm in the path that He wants us to go.
7.EXPECTATION
Romans 8:28 Genesis 50:20
The Lord promises to cause all things to work for our good when we love Him and are called according to His purpose. This is the expectation and confidence that we can have in our life. Even things that we do not like or understand or enjoy will work for our good when God is in control of our life. We must never forget this truth when we face situations that we do not like or face situations we do not enjoy .Even when things happen that we are not able to understand or explain we must still live in the assurance that all these things are working for our good. This is the glorious expectation that we can have in our life.