Endurance To The End Series

Endurance To The End

Blessed Assurance part 6

12/06/09 PM

Text: Hebrews 3:14

Introduction: Sing Blessed Assurance #4

This is the final lesson in our series on many of the blessed assurances we have from God. In lessons past we have seen the blessed assurance of Salvation we have from God the Father through His Son:

1 John 5:11 ( NASB ) And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

We have seen that with our assurance of salvation we also have the assurance of hope, having been born again to a living hope:

1 Peter 1:3

And by this sacrifice of Jesus we have the assurance of forgiveness, all our sins nailed to His cross.

Colossians 2:13-14

By our assurance of salvation we also have the assurance of prayer.

1 John 5:14-15

These assurances and many others are given to us by God the Father who is ever faithful in His promises but all our assurances from God rest on our faithfulness and obedience to Him.

Hebrews 3:14 For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,

Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

We need endure to the end if we are to receive the fullness of our blessed assurances and in this lesson we will consider some key elements to help us persevere to the end.

A Heart Prepared For The Word

The Story of the 4 types of Ground

Matthew 13:18-23

The ground in the parable represents the heart of the hearer.

The reason why people fall away: the word sown does not take root in the soil of their heart, the word develops no firm root.

Failing when hardness of heart allows no firm root.

Failing when persecuted/suffering because of no firm root.

Failing when worldliness (thorns sown in the heart) allows no firm root.

Endurance requires a heart well prepared to receive the sown word. (The word firmly planted.)

Sing Is Thy Heart Right With God? #263

A Solid Foundation

The Story of the Wise Man & the Foolish Man

Matthew 7:24-27

Rain came down, floods came up & winds beat their houses.

One Stood, one fell because of the foundation.

Read Matthew 16:13-19

When (NOT IF) the problems of the world come down on us, rise against us and beat us up, will we stand?

Sing The Solid Rock #378

A Sharp Focus

With Jesus, Peter walked on the water

Matthew 14:25-33

Had he kept his eyes on Jesus, he would have made it.

Read Hebrews 12:1-2 - Fix your eyes on Jesus

Read Colossians 3:1-2 - Set your mind on things above!

ILL: Florence May Chadwick was an American swimmer (and native San Diegan) who was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. In 1952, Florence was the first woman to attempt to swim the 26 miles between Catalina Island and the California coastline. As she began, she was flanked by small boats that watched for sharks and were prepared to help her if she got hurt or grew tired. After about 15 hours a thick fog set in. Florence began to doubt her ability, and she told her mother, who was in one of the boats, that she didn’t think she could make it. She swam for another hour before asking to be pulled out, unable to see the coastline due to the fog. As she sat in the boat, she found out she had stopped swimming just one mile away from her destination. Two months later, Chadwick tried again. This time was different. The same thick fog set in, but she made it because she said that she kept a mental image of the shoreline in her mind while she swam.

Endurance can be ours if we keep our minds eye firmly fixed on Jesus and that eternal shore.

Sing Love Lifted Me #612

A Tested Faith

James 1:2-4

a. peirasmos is from the root of a word which implies a practical test, one based on a standard not merely curiosity. It implies a definite intent to ascertain spiritual condition. (Trials v2)

Dokimion is from the root of a word also used to refer to the process of testing the purity of metals, the proof or authenticity. (Testing v3)

Endurance is the result of our faith being put to the test, our conduct examined by the standard of God’s word and proven to be to real and true.

Read 1 Peter 1:6-9

CONCLUSION

We have the assurances of God for Salvation, Hope, Forgiveness, and Prayer and all is ours if we endure to the end.

Endurance can be ours by a well prepared heart, A solid foundation, a sharp focus, and a tested faith.

Invitation

Sing Faith Is The Victory #576