Stick It Out...Its Your ChoicePhilippians 3:14 (NIV) "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Hebrews 12:1 (NIV) "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."
We have talked about the importance of choosing. There are folks whose lives are destroyed simply because they had no real purpose and goal for living. Today, I want to talk about another choice we must make. In order to be successful as an individual in life, we must choose to stick with it. This is true for us as individually in our personal walk with the Lord. It is true for us as a fellowship(church).
We can and must choose perseverance over defeat. Battles are won in the mind before they are ever fought on the battlefield. I am not promoting the power of positive thinking. We cannot dismiss the fact that God's Word emphasizes right thinking! Right thinking will lead to right actions. Right thinking will lead to righteousness.
How can we persevere in our lives?
1. Know the Course we are running
Hebrews 12:1 "...AND LET US RUN WITH PATIENCE THE RACE THAT IS SET BEFORE US..."
The course is not important! It is the way we run the course. Every course we run requires "perseverance." Hebrews 11 tells about those that have "ran the race".
2 Thessalonians 3:13 (NIV) "And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right." The "heroes of faith" in Hebrews 11 is a long list of biblical characters who Persevered. Despite the hurdles, they kept striving to please God.
2. Don't Let Anything Slow You Down
Hebrews 12:1 "LET US LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT, AND THE SIN WHICH DOTH SO EASILY BESET US..."
There are a variety of things that can hinder us from doing what is right. Our passage describes two kinds of hindrances. There are the "unnecessary" things that can tie us up. These things that may not be "evil" themselves. However, there are things that contribute to evil. These should be "laid aside".
There are "unrighteousness" (sin) things that trip us up. Some things are areas of great and frequent temptation. These also are to "laid aside". Failure to deal properly with sin can keep us from living the life of faith. We need to persevere doing right no matter how difficult it gets.
3. Remember Those Who Have Finished Well
Hebrews 12:1 "WHEREFORE SEEING WE ALSO ARE COMPASSED ABOUT WITH SO GREAT A CLOUD OF WITNESSES..."
There are many who can testify to God's faithfulness in the middle of painful and difficult circumstances. Hebrews 11 is full of these witnesses. Those who have paid the price are an example for us to follow. Be encouraged. This can be encouraging when we become weary and exhausted. Remember those who have stayed on the course set before us.
4. Our Great Example: Jesus
Hebrews 12:2 (NIV) "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
We must learn to value that which is truly valuable. Christ is our ultimate example of what it means to do what is right. Christ trusted fully in God regardless of the cost. Christ deferred pleasure. "...who for the joy set before him endured the cross..." The "cross" was painful, but there was the assurance of "joy" that was to be realized on the other side. The immediate payment was painful. The joyful payoff was came later. This is a challenging rule to live by. However, it is essential for those who are seeking to live godly lives.
We postpone the pay off. Endure in doing what is right. God's Approval. Hebrews 12:2 "and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
The reality on the other side of the cross included the approval of God. The approval of God can be a tremendous reward. We know that the right thing has a high price tag. Learn to put other things in proper perspective.
Pain
We often allow pain to play too big a role in our decision- making. We
must "think less" of pain and more of "God's approval".
People.
Hebrews 12:3 (NIV) "Consider him who endured such opposition from
sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." Jesus
faced a continuous movement of disapproval and opposition from people. He
thought less of their approval than God's.
Do what is right in our race. We must worry less about the world thinks and more of what God thinks. Realize that much of our lives are determined by the choices we make. We must choose to follow God. We must choose to persevere.
Don't quit! Don't give up! Keep serving God and living for Him! Realize also that failure is not final.
One of the most subtle and effective attacks of the enemy is to use our failures to cause us to quit altogether! What is most important is not how fast we run the race, but that we keep our focus on the finish line! There will be obstacles in our paths. There will be failures.
But don't give up. There are many who have already crossed the finish line. They are cheering us along. The Coach of heaven is telling us to "Come on!" Choose to keep on "pressing toward the mark."