Perseverance (sermon at FFMC, 26/5/19)
Therefore, since we
are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything
that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for
us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of
faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and
sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.. (Heb 12:1-2, NIV)
Introduction
The letter
to the Hebrews was written to people that had become spiritually tired. They
were believers of Jewish heritage who were unsure if their Christian faith was
really the right way to go. They were getting discouraged (10:24). People in
their midst had suffered physically and financially for their faith (10:33-4). So
throughout the letter the author gives them motivations to help them recover
their direction and purpose. We, too, can become unfocused; even bored with our
Christian life. We just coast along, in the same routines of life, without much
sense of direction and purpose. Some of us are in church only because our
parents are here. Some - only because our children are here! Or we received
Christ or we were baptized here. We have become comfortable.
I want to
say at the outset that we must not mistake apathy for perseverance. If
you keep doing the same thing for years without particular purpose - it’s not a
mark of perseverance, but of spiritual laziness. This is not the perseverance
the Bible speaks of. The Gk. word ‘hypomone”
is found often in the NT. It is often translated as ‘patience’ or ‘endurance’. It
refers to the characteristic of one unswerved from deliberate purpose
and loyalty by even the greatest trials and sufferings. It speaks of constancy,
of patient, steadfast waiting. In the
book of Hebrews the writer encourages his hearers to have this quality in these
verses:
11 And
we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full
assurance of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be
sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (Heb 6:11-13)
32 But
recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with
sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and
affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For
you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering
of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession
and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your
confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done
the will of God you may receive what is promised. (Heb 10:32-36)
The book of Hebrews
challenges us not just to do things blindly, but to do things purposefully
before God. Hebrews is not so much about staying in a job, or staying in ministry,
or staying in church, or staying in a marriage. It is about staying in Christ. So
Hebrews speaks to young and old: when those around us quietly mock our faith,
when they to do more exciting things on Sundays with their lives, when they get
ahead in life with questionable practices and you can’t, this message is for
you. When you wonder how Christ is relevant to our daily frustrations in the
workplace, this message is for you. When you have relationship setbacks and
illness and disappointments, this message is for you. When God seems far away
and church something to be endured rather than enjoyed, this message is for
you.
One of the
greatest examples of perseverance occurred In the last event of the 1968 Olympic
games- the 26-mile marathon, It was an unusually hot day. 75 runners had
started. 18 had already dropped out. An
hour earlier, the winner had already crossed the finish line. The medals had
been awarded. It was getting dark and spectators were leaving the half-empty
stadium. Then heard the sound of sirens and police whistles outside the stadium
gates. John Stephen Akhwari of Tanzania, was entering the stadium - the last
man in the race. He had fallen during the race, badly cutting his knee and dislocating
the joint. His leg bloodied and bandaged, he winced visibly at every step. Videos
show him slowing to a limp from pain at times, but despite his agony he made
the effort to jog the last 400-meter circuit in front of the crowd. The spectators
rose and applauded him as if he were the winner. His effort has been called
“the greatest last place finish in Olympic history”.
There are 4
truths in this passage that help us to persevere.
- Perseverance is needed because Christian life is difficult
Nobody ‘perseveres’ through good times. Students do not
‘persevere’ during school holidays, but during exam seasons. Athletes do not
‘persevere’ through the celebrations after breaking a record, but through the
gruelling training before a competition. The point is that, by telling us to
persevere, the author of Hebrews is assuming that Christian life is tough.
Christian life is not easy. Christian life is not unbroken
freedom from trouble. There is joy and freedom and there is purpose and
glorious hope. But there is great difficulty and suffering as well. Paul had
one thing to teach believers in his young churches: Ac 14:22 “2 strengthening the souls of the disciples,
encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many
tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
In contrast, Jesus suffered for us so that he would leave us an example, that we should follow in his steps (1 Pe 2:22). A Christian not suffering is not living a Christian life. So we need to persevere, because there will be tough times because we do the right thing. So if you are experiencing great trials – take heart! God knows. This is normal. Lack of excitement in our Christian life is not normal, but suffering is normal. In fact, suffering is good because it produces hypomone: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”(Js 1:2-4). So the first truth speaks to the suffering – God sees you, brother, God sees you, sister: persevere.
- Perseverance looks to Jesus (1a, 2a)
The saints
in Heb 11 are examples of perseverance. In their ordinary and extraordinary
lives they testified to the reality of God. Not all of them did great deeds,
but all kept the faith until the end. “4 For
whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that
through endurance and through the
encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Ro 15:4)
But the supreme example for us is Jesus. He endured the
greatest suffering ever – not only the physical suffering of crucifixion
(“excruciating”), one of the cruellest tortures ever invented – but the
infinitely greater suffering of punishment for our sin before His Father. He
bore on the cross every torment of Hell that each one of us deserved. Some of
us feel discouraged rather than encouraged by biographies of great men and
women of faith. Don’t be – In Jesus the writer finds One who suffered more
greatly than any man or woman will ever be called to suffer, but who made it
through. This is the kind of God we have – the one who loves us and who has
saved us.
Indeed Jesus
is not just a moral example. He is the “pioneer/founder and perfecter of our faith”. He
begins our faith. He finishes it. He is the One who starts it and the One who
brings us all to completion. (And I am sure of this, that he
who began a good work
in you will bring it to completion at
the day of Jesus Christ. Phil 1:6). Hebrews 13:21 says that God works in us
what is pleasing in his sight through Jesus. Jesus Christ, our glorious
Saviour, stands with us to help us to persevere. We are justified by faith in
the power of God. We are being sanctified by faith in the power of God. We will
be glorified by faith in the power of God. This second truth speaks to those
who feel that they are alone in their perseverance. God is with you, brother,
God is with you, sister. He will not fail or forsake you: persevere.
- Perseverance requires that we deal with sin (v.1b)
We are told
to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,” No one runs a
road race with a 3-piece suit on. This is not just a call to purity, but of
single-minded focus on running the race of life well. Everything is done purposefully
to maximise the chance of winning! Paul the Apostle puts it this way:
“24 Do
you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the
prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete
exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable
wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I
do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body
and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be
disqualified” (1 Cor 9:24-27)
Some things may not be obvious sins, but all the same, they pull
us away from godliness. Susanna Wesley (mother of John and Charles and of 8
other children) put it well, “Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the
tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, takes off your
relish for spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of the body over
the mind, that thing is sin to you, however innocent it may seem in itself.” Don’t
ask, “What’s wrong with this or that?” but ask, “Does it help me run better”
Not, “Is it a sin or not?” but, “Does it help me? Is it in the way?” Our
hobbies, our books, our music, our movies, our habits our leisure time and our
acquaintances all need to be surrendered to God. Remember 1 Co 6:12: “All things are lawful for me,”
but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not
be dominated by anything.”
I think there are 2 meanings when we are told that some sins
cling closely: firstly, they are difficult to dislodge, and secondly, they are indistinguishable
from our own silhouette. There are sins that are so much a part of us that we
consider them something we cannot change – a part of our character. We say,
“I’ve always been bad-tempered”. “I grew up in a home where I had to fight for
my portion and learned to be selfish” “I can’t help being lazy”. There are sins
that are so habitual that we feel we can never be rid of them – lustfulness and
pornography, anger and pride, Love of money, love of authority and fame – these
things need to be surrendered.
Hebrews makes it clear that we get must rid of sins so that
we can run with perseverance. If you rather give up running than give up the
sins, you prove that you were not saved in the first place. Most so-called
Christians do not leave the faith because of intellectual issues – the leave
because they have a sinful lifestyle they want to indulge in.
Do you want
to run the race seriously? Then turn to spiritual disciplines. These strengthen
the authority of the mind over the body. Nobody enjoys discipline. But disciplines
are a means to save our souls. Prayer, fasting, giving, meeting together, meditation,
evangelism, solitude, confession, study are examples of ways that Christians
past and present cling closer to God and let go of their sinfulness.
This third
truth speaks to the apathetic, ill-disciplined and wandering heart – to those
who do not persevere because the effort of purposeful surrender is not worth it
to them. 12 Take care,
brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you
to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another
every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by
the deceitfulness of sin. (Heb 3:12-12) God lovingly warns you, brother;
God lovingly warns you, sister – turn back, persevere.
- Perseverance is rewarded (v.2b)
Jesus
endured the unspeakable suffering of the Cross because He knew that He
would triumph at the end. There was “joy” before him. We don’t get through
tough times by being uncertain about the outcome of our efforts, but with full assurance
that there will be glory waiting for us at the end of the race.
Our theology
of reward is sometimes inadequate. We think we are asked to do the right thing
simply because it is ‘right’. Scripture does not hesitate to promise rewards to
faithful disciples!
- “Great is your reward in heaven. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (Mt 6:6).
- And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.”(Mt 10:42)
- But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, (Lk 6:35)
- If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.(1 Cor 3:14)
- 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.(Eph 6:8)
It is never sufficient for us to be motivated by guilt or duty. It is
always best for us to do something for and with joy and pleasure. So God has
promised us a prize at the end of the race.
This fourth truth is for those who feel unappreciated as we persevere:
brothers and sisters – let us not give up. The pattern of the Christian life is
always this way: there is difficulty, but your reward in glory is certain.
Persevere, and you will hear the Master’s “Well done, good and faithful
servant” Heaven is not just where we will praise God - it is also where God
will praise those of us who have persevered till the very end.
Let me close by returning to the story of John Stephen
Akhwari . The day after his finish, he was asked why, in view of his injury and
having no chance to win a medal, he had bothered to finish the race. Why didn't
he just quit? He seemed confused by the question. He replied: “My
country did not send me 10,000 miles to start the race. They sent me to finish
the race.” For his courage Akhwari was honoured with a special invitation as a
distinguished guest to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. We, too, have a calling from
God to run and to finish the race before us. Let us run with perseverance,
because we have far greater glory ahead of us than an invitation to the
Olympics.
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