Sermon Tone Analysis

*/“HINDERED BUT NOT DEFEATED”/*

/1 Thess 2:17//,18  But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire./

/Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us./

/Psalm 37:23-24// "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand."

/

*/ /*

*/GOD IS NOT A LIAR! /*He sets the course and advertises in advance.

He told the universe that there was going to be a Son born and He would save His people from their sins.

Satan knew 4,000 years in advance that He was going to send His Son to the earth to save His people.

So the devil had all these centuries to do his best to prevent it.

AND HE WORKED AT IT.

 

/In our text Paul tells the church at Thessalonica that Satan hindered his return to see them.

Either he was kept from returning, or there were so many contentions or dissensions in those places where he was that kept him from leaving.

Satan is a constant enemy to the work of God, and does all he can to obstruct it./

/ /

/There are two things that are eternally determined by God – a defeated devil and a victorious church!/

/ /

~*It all started with Cain.

The devil used him as a tool.

He thought that by killing Abel he would annihilate the lineage of the Saviour.

/IMMEDIATELY SETH ROSE UP!/

/ /

~*He corrupted civilization so badly that only eight people were saved out of it.

/Gen 6:5-8//  GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

/

/ /

*/When it looked like nobody could, somebody did, and somebody always will!

The sons of God married the daughters of men – but Noah floated on through!/*

/ /

~* By the 11th  chapter of Genesis moral darkness had set in again.

The message of God had been buried in human pride and apostasy.

But then God called a man by the name of Abraham to begin a great nation.

/Gen 12:1-3// Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

/

/ /

~*At the beginning of Exodus, Pharoah’s plan was foolproof, but Moses slipped through!

/ /

~*In I Kings 19 we find a weary Elijah.

He has seen God work; he called down fire from heaven, and then he prayed until it rained after a 3 ½ year drought.

But now he is worn out, and he tells God – “I’m the only one left”.

God had to keep talking to him./

When God asked him what he was doing in a cave, all he could say was – “I’m the only one left”.

God  passed by him and showed him a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire.

Then God, in a still, small voice asked him again, “Elijah, what are you doing here”  The reply was the same, but finally God got through to him and let him know that there were still 7,000 that hadn’t bowed to Baal!/

/There are times in our lives when we become weary – even when we’ve been doing the right things.

Remember that when you are tired physically, it will affect how you feel spiritually- but that doesn’t affect God’s promises!

Things that ‘normally’ wouldn’t bother you become a big issue when you are worn out.

Back up, take a break, say ‘no’ if you have to, but never forget that God is ready to pick you back up!/

/ /

~*In II Kings 11 we find the queen trying to wipe out the royal seed.

/ She didn’t know that there was a young lady that snuck in, found a little boy named Joash, and stole him from among the king's sons which were slain; she hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.

/

/ /

~*In the Book of Esther we find the story of a woman by the same name who dedicated her life to the Lord.

Her mortal enemy was her husband’s best friend, Haman.

He hated the Jews, and Esther was a Jewess.

Haman thought he had a foolproof plan to destroy all the Jews off the face of the earth.

But God beat him with this beautiful chosen Queen Esther.

*/You can count on it.

God always has a right person, for the right job, in the right place, to do the right thing./*

Haman was hung on the gallows that he had prepared for the Jews.

*God has never been in a bind when His people have faced persecution and temptation.

/The stories I have/*/ mentioned show where God was victorious, in spite of who came against His children.

/

/ /

*/God is not hurt by your hinder, and He hasn’t given up on you because you’ve stumbled or even fallen!/*

It’s a new year, and you may already be discouraged because the new start that you were going to make has already fizzled.

Don’t be discouraged – God is ready to pick you up.

Satan will always be there to resist you in every attempt when you serve the Lord.

/Zech 3:1-2//  //And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.

And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?

/

/ /

Satan had a full description of Christ’s birth.

He knew the nation, tribe, family.

He even knew the town because the prophet Micah said He would be born in Bethlehem.

He had Isaiah to describe Him.

/Isa 7:14//  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel./

/Isa 9:6-7// // For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.

/

/ /

Satan did a nasty job at Bethlehem where Christ was to be born.

He killed all the babies to get at the Son of God.  Mary & Joseph didn’t even live there, but the Word said He would be born there.

It is strange how God does things.

/Luke 2:1// And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child./

/ /

*/God does not lie!

He said the birth would be in Bethlehem, even though He used a dictator to accomplish His will.

Satan had 4,000 years to prevent Jesus Christ from being born.

But Christ came, -on time.

/*

 

/Gal 4:4//  When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,/

Satan sought to prevent Christ dying on the cross.

He wanted Christ to die, yes, but not an atoning death.

The manner of Christ death was already fixed.

Satan fought for his own existence.

/Calvary bruised his head!

/ Christ’s death had to be according to the Scripture.

It was spoken 800 years before Christ was born.

/Ps 34:20//  He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

/

 

/John 19:31-33//  //The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.

But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, *they brake not his legs*:/

There is no power in this universe that can change God’s Word.

No matter what roadblock the wicked may raise, God’s promises are fulfilled.

Satan could not prevent Christ from being born, He could not prevent His crucifixion, So then he tried to prevent the resurrection.

/Matt 27:62-64//  //Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.

Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.

/

The devil reaches out to the greatest power available, the Roman Empire.

Their seal is on the tomb.

But no Roman edict can stop God’s clock.

Christ arose.

/ /

/Colossians 2:15/

/ And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

/

/ /

Satan has one more card to play, and only one more, that is to defeat the second coming of Jesus.