Enduring
An Exhausting
Endeavor
Text: Heb.12: 1c “…let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
Intro: Today we celebrate Veterans Day. This holiday was formerly known as Armistice Day, which commemorated the signing of the Armistice (truce, or peace agreement) that ended World War I. However, due to the presidential proclamation of Dwight D. Eisenhower, on June 1, 1954, the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day. In short, it is a day set aside to thank veterans for their military service to our country, and their contribution to our national security. It is a time for our nation to show appreciation for the sacrifices made by its veterans, both living and deceased. It is interesting that: “Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day).
Defending a nation usually isn’t simply a matter of giving military personnel a few basic instructions on how to operate a weapon, and assigning them to a post. Young men and women must go through a conditioning process. They must be prepared mentally, emotionally and physically for the demanding, and often, dangerous and deadly task of defending our country’s freedom. For that reason, recruits are not pampered or coddled. They are made to endure rigorous physical and mental challenges meant to prepare them for the hardships of battlefield conditions. The point is that they must be prepared for the worst. They must be prepared to endure difficulty.
In principle, the same is true of Christian soldiers. “The circumstances of a saint’s life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest, published by Barbour and Company, Inc., Westwood, NJ. 07675; pg. 231). The circumstances through which God brings us are engineered to produce faith in our Creator, and endurance as Christians.
Hebrews chapter 11 is commonly referred to as the “faith chapter.” The list of people found there, as examples of faith toward God, is often referred to as “The Heroes of Faith.” Of the sixteen people mentioned in that chapter, four were military people (Heb.11: 32). All of these people had learned to endure hardship; for faith in God and Christian endurance go hand in hand. As we think today of those who have faithfully endure while doing their duty for our country, I want to also point our minds toward the faith and endurance needed as soldiers of the Cross.
Theme: As we think about endurance today, let’s look at:
I. THE EXAMPLES OF ENDURANCE
Heb.12: 1a “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses…”
NOTE: [1] The idea of the words “…so great a cloud of witnesses…” is not that of those who are merely onlookers or spectators. The word “witnesses” comes from the Greek word “martus,” which “…was used in the early Church to designate those who have proven the strength and genuineness of their faith in the Lord Jesus by undergoing a violent death” (Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies In The Greek New Testament, Volume II, published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49502; Hebrews In The Greek New Testament, pg. 212).
[2] The witnesses referred to by the writer of Hebrews are those mentioned in the “Faith Hall of Fame,” of chapter 11 (Heb.11: 4-40). These Old Testament saints had endured every hardship of life by faith in God. Faith in God is not only that by which we overcome the world (I John 5: 4), but it is also our only hope of enduring the dark and difficult times of life.
A. These Witnesses Endured Torture By Faith.
Heb.11: 35b “…and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:
36 And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:
37 They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;
38 (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”
NOTE: [1] The writer of Hebrews list various types of persecution experienced by believers throughout history. Concerning the words “sawn asunder,” all the Bible scholars whom I consulted indicated that this was a reference to the Jewish tradition that the prophet Isaiah was sawn in two with a wooden saw by King Manasseh. Our faith in God does not mean that we will always be delivered from experiencing trials, but it will provide us with endurance to make it through them.
[2] The word translated “tortured” means, “to torture with the tumpanum,” which refers to “…a wheel-shaped instrument of torture, over which criminals were stretched as though they were skins, and then horribly beaten with clubs or thongs” (Ibid, Hebrews In The Greek New Testament, pg. 209). Even though the saints were horribly abused, they refused to deny their faith in Christ in order to extend their lives.
B. These Witnesses Earned A Good Testimony By Faith.
Heb.11: 39a “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith…”
I Cor.10: 13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
NOTE: [1] The words “…having obtained a good report” make reference to the fact that these witnesses spoken of in verses 4-40, all earned the divine approval of God because of their faith, and the endurance of their trials which it fostered. This same thought was mentioned earlier in this chapter when the writer said, “But without faith it is impossible to please him…” (Heb.11: 6a).
[2] We often tend to think no one has ever suffered quite like us. But the fact is that many have suffered far worse. Paul said that our temptations, trials, and testings are all “…common to man” (I Cor.10: 13a).
In 1859 John G. Paton arrived in the New Hebrides islands as a missionary. A short time later his wife died in childbirth. Paton had to bury the bodies of his wife and newborn child in unmarked graves in the middle of the night to keep them from cannibals. He wrote of that heart-wrenching experience, “I must need have gone mad by that lonely grave but for the presence of Jesus Christ.”
Woodrow Kroll, Giants Of The Old Testament: Lessons On Living From Moses, published by Back To The Bible, Lincoln, Nebraska; pg. 22.
II. THE ENCUMBRANCES TO ENDURANCE
A. Every Excess Weight Must Fall Off.
Heb.12: 1b “…let us lay aside every weight…”
NOTE: [1] The word “weight” means, “bulk, mass…a swelling, superfluous flesh” (Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies In The Greek New Testament, Volume II, published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49502; Hebrews In The Greek New Testament, pg. 213). The idea behind this word is that of the Greek games. If a runner had put on extra pounds during the off-season, he would have to lose weight in order to perform at his best. The same idea is practiced today among boxers. They will go through intense workouts in order to get to their optimum performance weight.
[2] To put this in perspective, please note that some Christians have a spiritual weight problem. What am I talking about? I’m talking about anything that hinders or encumbers your testimony for Christ. These things technically may not be classified as outright sins, but they hinder your walk with God just the same. The Holy Spirit will have to tell you what those things are in your particular life. Paul puts it like this:
I Cor.6: 12b “…All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”
I Cor.10: 23 “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.”
B. Every Evil Work Must Be Forsaken.
Heb.12: 1b “…and the sin which doth so easily beset us…”
NOTE: [1] The words “easily beset” refer to “…a sin which readily or easily encircles and entangles the Christian runner, like a long, loose robe clinging to his limbs (Vincent’s Word Studies). Paul alludes to this same idea when seeking to encourage Timothy in the ministry.
II Tim.2: 3 “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
[2] Concerning impediments to the Christian life, Paul says that sin in our life will both deter and disqualify us for God’s service.
I Cor.9: 27 “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway (‘disqualified’).”
III. THE ENSURING OF ENDURANCE
Heb.12: 2 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
NOTE: [1] The word translated “looking” in this verse, should not be understood in a casual sense. It refers to the fact that a “…person’s attention is concentrated upon one thing to the total exclusion of everything else…” (Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies In The Greek New Testament, Volume III, published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49502; Bypaths In The Greek New Testament, pg. 55).
[2] The Greek runner had to be focused on the finish line. He could not constantly be looking behind him to see where the other runners were, or waving to the cheering crowds, and expect to win the race. This is the same idea Paul mentioned in his letter to the Philippians.
Phil.3: 13 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Dear Christian brothers and sisters, keep your eyes on the prize. Stay focused on Jesus, for the goal line is in sight. Don’t give up; don’t quit; endure faithful to the end of the Christian race.
The famous preacher D.L. Moody told about a Christian woman who was always bright, cheerful, and optimistic, even though she was confined to her room because of illness. She lived in an attic apartment on the fifth floor of an old, rundown building.
A friend decided to visit her one day and brought along another woman—a person of great wealth. Since there was no elevator, the two ladies began the long climb upward. When they reached the second floor, the well-to-do woman commented, “What a dark and filthy place!” Her friend replied, “It’s better higher up.” When they arrived at the third landing, the remark was made, “Things look even worse here.” Again the reply, “It’s better higher up.”
The two women finally reached the attic level, where they found the bedridden saint of God. A smile on her face radiated the joy that filled her heart. Although the room was clean and flowers were on the windowsill, the wealthy visitor could not get over the stark surroundings in which this woman lived. She blurted out, “It must be very difficult for you to be here like this!” Without a moment’s hesitation the shut-in responded, “It’s better higher up.” She was not looking at temporal things. With the eye of faith fixed on the eternal, she had found the secret of true satisfaction and contentment.
Our Daily Bread.
A. We Must Look To Jesus For Strength.
Phil.4: 13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Eph.3: 16 “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;”
Col.1: 11 “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience (‘patient endurance; persevering, enduring continuance in the faith’—Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary) and longsuffering with joyfulness;”
B. We Must Look To Jesus For Sufficiency.
II Cor.9: 8 “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:”
C. We Must Look To Jesus For Success.
I Cor.15: 57 “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Theme: As we think about endurance today, let’s look at:
I. THE EXAMPLES OF ENDURANCE
II. THE ENCUMBRANCES TO ENDURANCE
III. THE ENSURING OF ENDURANCE
