Endeavor To Perserver- Part 9 Of Hebrews Series

Hebrews

Encouragement for a life of faith

Part 9

“Endeavor to preserver”

Hebrews 10:35-36

In the Clint Eastwood movie” The Outlaw Josey Wales”

Lone Watie played by Chief Dan George

Is telling Josey about all the troubles that his people have suffered through the years and the hardships they have endured

In this scene he describes his visit to Washington to meet with the President

And how the president after hearing about the hardships of his people

Told him and his people to “Endeavor to persevere”

He said they thought about this for a while and then declared war on the union

In the movie this is a comical scene

But this is exactly what we as Christians must do

Endeavor to persevere

Webster’s dictionary defines Endeavor as

“To try hard to do or accomplish something”

And persevere as

“Continuing in a course of action in spite of difficulties, obstacles and discouragements”

In today’s study of Hebrews this is where we wind up

Our writer tells the Jewish believers of the day and us in the process

To cowboy up

To hang on

Keep going in spite of hardships and set backs

Let’s open up our bibles to Hebrews chapter 10

And let me read for you verses 32-34

“Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ.[a] Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.”

Neither these believers nor we should be surprised at this persecution

Jesus Christ himself told us of it

John 15:20

“Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you.”

The early Christians

Some of the great men and women of our faith faced harsh persecution

Listen to what our writer describes in Chapter 11:36-38

“Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. 37 Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half,[d] and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. 38 They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.”

This is hard

Harsh

Intense

Persecution

I know we suffer from many types of persecution

Some of your may have sacrificed relationships with family or friends due to your acceptance of Jesus

Others may have lost Jobs

Some are teased

Verbally or even physically abused

And these are real

And hurtful persecutions

Although they do not hold a candle to the things the early Christians suffered

They still have the ability

Like the intense persecution

To cause someone who is weak in their faith

To fall away

From the faith

Once again not a loss of salvation

But a drifting away from God, his word and the blessings that come from obedience

All types of stressors can cause us to shift our focus from the glory of God

To the pit of our own despair

And it is just this thing that our writer is warning all believers against

Please open back up to chapter 10:34

“You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.”

Remember back to when you accepted Jesus

When you trusted Him as your Lord and savior

Remember that feeling that a weight had been lifted

That you were loved

Truly and unconditionally loved

Forgiven

Perfectly forgiven

Made into something new

Something different

This is the feeling and knowledge that our writer speaks of

Knowing that in spite of what happens

There are better days coming

And those better days unlike these hard times will last forever

Let’s see how he tells us to get to those better days

Verses 35a

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord”

Do not throw away

Do not discard

Don’t get rid of the

Confident trust in the Lord

Remember that you trusted him and he delivered you from the pits

He pulled you from the muck and mess of your old life

He saved you from yourself

Hang onto that in the hard times

Remember where you were

And remember where you are now

Remember where you would be apart from Jesus

This is your safe place

A place to pitch your tent

Trusting in Jesus

For Salvation

Trusting in Jesus for daily living