Perseverance -- Loyal OK Peace UCC

Finally, a colleague asked him, “Aren't you going to answer these critics?”

Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker), from the editors of Leadership.

Hebrews 4

Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter My rest.'" And yet His work has been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere He has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all His work." And again in the passage above He says, "They shall never enter My rest."

It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later He spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Galatians 6:9 - Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Since Hebrews 4 starts with “therefore” we need to know what is there for. The answer is in the previous 3 verses. “Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter His rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.”

It isn’t so much how we start the race, but how we end the race. Actually, that’s a cliché with a lot of truth, but not completely true. A really lousy start can cause you to lose the race no matter how hard you try – in the natural – but not in the spiritual. Many individuals who had a poor start do very well because they learn to follow God’s plan for their lives. NEVER, NEVER LET SATAN – OR OTHER PEOPLE – TAKE YOUR DREAM AWAY!

God was clearly angry at the Israelites who saw miracle after miracle but refused to stop complaining and step out in faith to follow God wherever He led them. God said that they would never enter His rest because of their disobedience.

The words “faith,” “faithfulness,” and “perseverance” are all related to each other. God understands that we have doubts and fears. He understands weakness and failing, but He does not understand just plain old-fashioned giving up!

“Being positive is part of being a hero--maybe the hardest part, because if you are a hero you're smart enough to know all the reasons why you should be discouraged.” Michael Dorris, Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 4

You've probably heard of the stress test called the “Holmes Social Readjustment Rating Scale.” It is often printed in popular magazines. It gives a stress score for events that happen to a person in a year. Lose a spouse, it's scored as 100; divorce is 73; separation is 65. Joel Gregory gave the stress test to Moses to see what would happen. Based on their scale, he had enough stress to have blown the top right off of his head. But at 120 years of age, he was there, like a rock, leading! Success is not an absence of problems, but overcoming the problems. God will give us the grace and power to do that! Joel Gregory, “What Is Success?” Preaching Today, Tape No. 120

Warren Wiersbe says that realism is idealism that has been through the fire and got purified; cynicism is idealism that has been through the fire and got burned. Now whether you get burned or purified is not determined by the intensity of the heat but by the malleability of your spirit. R. L. Russell, "Triumphing over Trials," Preaching Today, Tape No. 119

1. Those who have received Christ as their Lord and Savior can enter into God’s rest today, because we know that God has provided for all of our needs. Christ takes away our burdens and sins and gives us the “rest” of forgiveness and salvation, then He fills us with the Holy Spirit.

2. But let’s face it – on this earth we still have problems. Some days the whole world seems to cave in on us. So it is great to know that we also have an eternal rest coming. St. Paul noted, “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.” (1 Corinthians 15:19)

Hebrews 4:11-13 gives us cause to stop and think – but it also gives us the insight necessary to win this race!

Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

1. Make every effort to enter that rest – it requires effort and obedience on our part!

2. Study God’s Word… really study it like you were preparing for a final exam, for in fact, that is what you are doing!

Finally, Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Hebrews 4:16 uses the phrase, “Let us approach the throne of grace with confidence.” This is very important… in order to have confidence in approaching God’s throne we need some confidence. But our confidence is not in the flesh! It has to be in Christ!

Most of us are very aware of our failings. Even though we try to forget them, Satan keeps us reminded! And if he doesn’t, some “well-intended” person probably will.

But be sure that you are not assisting the enemy of your soul with your own “self-talk.” Most people carry on a conversation in their head on a routine basis. And this has its value. It is a way of thinking through things. Unfortunately, we often confuse this with prayer. The Bible uses the phrase “they so reasoned within themselves, He said unto them, ‘Why reason ye these things in your hearts?’” (Mark 2:8 KJV) This is not prayer, but self-talk, and it can get you in trouble.

To illustrate, perhaps you are driving down the highway in your car. Things have gone well all day long and you are feeling pretty satisfied with yourself. In fact, you even congratulate yourself for being so smart and good looking… until you look in the rearview mirror and see a highway patrolman inviting you to stop along the highway – using his red light. As you pull over, two close friends who like to kid you drive by and wave. You realize you were speeding. Now your self-talk changes to self-condemnation. “How could you do such a stupid thing, dummy!”

We all make mistakes… just deal with it, but do not let Satan use it to open the door to destruction!

My motto is very simple: “If you mess up, ‘fess up, and let God clean you up!”

Have you invited God into your heart and life? If so, you can do lots of things with His help through persistence!