Introduction:
A. Last Sunday was New Year’s Day, and I was on vacation.
1. I really appreciate everyone allowing me to take a vacation, and especially Alan and Mike, and the other elders for picking up the slack.
2. Since we did a “stay-cation,” I took the opportunity to visit Southside and Oswego on the Wednesday and Sunday that I was stay-cationing.
3. It was wonderful to spend some time with our brothers and sisters in those congregations.
4. They, of course, send their love and greetings to the church here at Wetzel Road – they appreciate our partnership, and know that they owe their existence to the efforts of this congregation.
B. Well, we are only one week into the new year – how is it going for you so far?
1. I thought we might start with a few new year’s resolution cartoons.
2. In this first cartoon, the man puts “being more decisive” as resolution #1, then he can’t seem to decide on any other resolutions after that one. I don’t think he’s going to make much progress.
3. In cartoon the second cartoon, you have man speaking to his dog, “You chewed up my list of new year’s resolutions…good dog!”
a. If you’ve got a dog, you might try that way of dealing with your new year’s resolutions.
4. This next cartoon really conveys how it often goes – Day #1 everyone keeps their resolutions, and by Day #2 they have already returned to their old habits.
5. How about one more cartoon – “When it came to new year’s resolutions, Gerald, the sheep, was a realist – resolution #1 – eat grass.” I think he can handle that goal.
C. Today’s sermon is the last in our series on Cultivating a Heart Like Jesus, and I want to talk about having an enduring heart.
1. Today I want to talk about preserving to the end.
2. Today I hope we can learn something about endurance.
3. I want us to realize that it is more important to finish well than to start well.
4. Getting started can be a challenge, but finishing is even harder than starting.
5. That’s not only the case with New Year’s resolutions, it also the case with the Christian life.
D. How many of us are guilty of not finishing what we start?
1. How many times have you started a project and not finished it?
2. How many times have you started a program and not finished it?
3. Diets, exercise, study, reading – we all know it’s one thing to start something, and it’s something else entirely to finish it.
E. Some people believe the motto: “Don’t start what you cannot finish.” And so they never start something for fear that they won’t be able to finish.
1. That’s not the impression that I want to suggest.
2. If it is something good and right, then we need to get started on it even if we are not sure we can finish.
3. And to be honest, I don’t believe you should finish everything you start.
4. But there are times we need to stop what we have started - if it’s not working, or if we have taken a wrong route, then we should stop.
5. There is no reason to beat or ride a dead horse.
6. In that case, we should re-assess and start anew.
F. So the purpose of the sermon today is not to convince us to finish everything.
1. Rather, the purpose of today’s sermon is to challenge us to finish the RIGHT thing.
2. The right thing that I’m referring to is the Christian life.
3. I want to use the analogy of a race – the Christian race. We are called to finish the race.
4. Look again at the Scripture Reading from Hebrews 12:1-3: 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. 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. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
G. The Christian’s race, as the Hebrew writer describes, is not a jog but rather a demanding and sometimes agonizing race.
1. It’s a picture of a marathon. It will take a lot of effort to finish strong. So the author calls us to persevere and to endure.
2. This reminds me of Jesus’ response to a man who said, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Luke 9:57)
a. In other words, Jesus was saying that if you follow me, then realize that there will be sacrifices and difficulties.
b. There will be times when you will not know where you will sleep, or what your next meal will be.
3. Jesus concluded: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62)
4. Maybe Jesus shouldn’t be put in charge of recruitment - He will scare the candidates away.
H. But that is what we are called to, and that is what we need to prepare our hearts for.
1. At the start of any race, the mood is usually good, the people are happy. Hope is running high, and the crowd cheering. It’s kind of a party at the starting line.
2. Then everyone starts the race with ease, but not everyone will finish it.
3. Weariness sets in. The crowd thins out. The sounds of cheering die down. The front runners have gone out of sight. You’re alone on a stretch, trying to catch your breath. And you are far from the end.
I. I’m obviously not a marathon runner, Mark Condolora should be giving this sermon, but marathon runners tell us that there are 2 critical times in the race.
1. The first one is at the beginning.
a. When you begin to run you feel so good, and the temptation is to run too fast too soon.
b. So you expend all your energy and don’t have enough left for the end of the race.
2. The second critical time in a marathon is at the halfway point.
a. You suddenly realize that you still have as far to go as you’ve already run and you’re already very tired.
b. That’s when it takes some mental toughness.
J. The first thing that I want us to notice is that…
I. Jesus Overcame The Obstacles and Stayed in the Race
A. Jesus had an enduring heart.
1. Jesus is the perfect example of one who endured to the end.
B. Think for a moment about the times when Jesus could have given up the race.
1. Jesus could have quit during His time of temptation.
2. All of us know what it is like to endure temptation for an hour or a day, but Jesus endured it for 40 days straight.
a. The Bible tells us that the Spirit led Jesus into the desert where the devil tempted Him for 40 days (Luke 4:1-2).
b. Because the Bible only tells us of the three specific temptations, it is easy to think that that is all Jesus faced, but that’s not true.
c. Jesus’ time of testing was nonstop – every step, Satan whispered in His ear; every turn of the path, Satan sowed doubt.
3. Was Jesus impacted by the temptations? Apparently so.
a. The Bible doesn’t say that Satan tried to tempt Jesus, it says Satan tempted Jesus.
b. The Hebrew writer says, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb. 2:18)
4. So Jesus suffered when He was tempted –He had to struggle against the temptations.
a. Jesus had to struggle against the temptation to change sides, to go home, to settle for a kingdom on earth, to run from the cross.
b. Since Jesus was tempted, He could have quit the race, but He didn’t. He kept on running.
C. Jesus could have let the accusations stop him.
1. What if during the toughest steps of your race, you were barraged with accusing words rather than encouraging words?
2. And what if the accusations came not from strangers, but from your family and neighbors?
3. Jesus heard words like: “Hey liar! Hey Deceiver, why don’t you do something honest with your life?” (see Jn. 7:12)
4. “Here comes the foreigner. Why don’t you go home where you belong?” (see Jn. 8:48)
5. Jesus’ own family called Him a lunatic. They thought he was crazy and brought the guys in the white coats to take him away.
6. When Jesus returned to his hometown, his neighbors tried to throw Him off a cliff. (Lk. 4:29)
7. But Jesus didn’t let that stop Him from running the race, and we must not let accusations stop us either.
D. Consider one more thing that might have caused Jesus to quit – the shame of the cross.”
1. Hebrews 12:2 includes these words: “…[he] endured the cross, scorning its shame…”
2. Jesus was able to endure the shame and accept it as if it were nothing.
3. Shame is a feeling of disgrace, embarrassment and humiliation.
4. What was the shame of the cross all about for Jesus?
a. On the cross, God made Jesus become sin, our sin – Jesus, who had never sinned bore the weight of the sins of the world, and experienced the separation from God that sin causes.
b. Crucifixion was a punishment reserved for convicted criminals - Jesus, the innocent one, was considered a criminal – how’s that for shame?
c. Part of the shame of the cross was being stripped naked and hung for all to see.
d. So on the cross, Jesus was shamed before God the Father, before His family, and before the city of Jerusalem.
E. Second, I want us to notice that…
II. Jesus Focused On The Prize
A. So how did Jesus endure such suffering and shame? How did He keep from quitting the race?
1. Hebrews 12:2 offers the clue in a single phrase: “who for the joy set before him.”
a. This verse may very well be the greatest testimony ever written about the glory of heaven.
b. Nothing is said in this verse about golden streets or angel’s wings.
c. No reference is made to music or feasts.
d. Even the word “heaven” is missing from the verse.
2. Keep in mind that heaven was not unfamiliar to Jesus.
a. Jesus was the only person to live on earth after he had lived in heaven.
b. Jesus knew all about heaven before he came to earth, and so He knew what awaited Him upon His return.
c. Knowing what awaited Him in heaven enabled Jesus to finish the race on earth and the same can be true for us.
3. Jesus was able to accept the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy that God put before Him.
a. In His final days and moments, Jesus focused on the prize of heaven.
b. And by focusing on the joy of the prize, Jesus was not only able to finish the race, but to finish it strong.
B. We must always keep our focus if we are going to have an enduring heart.
1. The United States Women’s Softball team won the gold medal in Atlanta’s 1996 Olympic games.
2. They lost only one game during the Olympics, but from that one loss came a remarkable story about the importance of focus.
3. In the fifth inning against Australia, Danielle Tyler hit a home run over the center-field fence.
4. Danielle flew around the bases with a rush of adrenaline.
5. As Danielle approached home plate, she was greeted by a swarm of well-wishing teammates.
6. Unfortunately, she allowed their excitement to distract her focus and she did not touch the base.
7. When all the celebrating subsided, the Australian team quietly appealed to the umpire who dramatically called Danielle out.
8. Rather than scoring a run, Danielle’s blast over the fence netted her team an out.
9. As it ended up, had Danielle stepped on home plate, her team would have won 1-0.
10. Instead, after 7 innings of regulation play, the game was tied 0-0, and in extra innings, Australia eventually emerged victorious.
11. The team learned from their mistake, and never lost focus during the rest of the Olympics and took home gold.
C. If we are going to be able to stay in the race and finish it, then we need to keep our eyes on the example of Jesus and do what He did – focus on the finish line.
1. I love the words of Paul from 2 Timothy 4:7-8: I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2. There are some people who say that we should not do things here on earth just for the rewards we will receive in heaven, but I beg to differ!
3. Jesus focused on the joy set before Him in heaven.
4. Jesus encouraged us to be mindful of our heavenly rewards – Jesus told us to store up for yourselves treasures in heaven (Mt. 6:19-20).
5. Paul focused on the prize before him.
6. Paul wrote: Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. (Phil. 3:12-15)
D. The Christian life and race is a long and hard one.
1. We must keep running.
2. We must not lose heart or become discouraged.
3. Most of all, we must never quit. We must never, never, never give up!
4. There is nothing more worthwhile than to do God’s will and finish it.
5. How wonderful it will be someday to hear the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Come and share my happiness!” (cf. Matt 25:21)
6. The key to having an enduring heart is to keep clearly in focus the finish line of our heavenly reward.
E. I want to end with the powerful words of the song “I Can Only Imagine” by Mercy Me.
1. Truly, we can only imagine what heaven will be like, but we know it will be wonderful and it will be worth all the effort it takes to finish the race.
I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine, I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine, I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Sun
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine, I can only imagine
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine, I can only imagine
- Are you feeling a little weary today? Are you a little short on endurance?
- Focus on Jesus and the joy of the heavenly prize – this will carry you through.
- May God give us all an enduring heart – A heart like Jesus!
Resources:
“Just Like Jesus: Learning to Have a Heart Like His,” by Max Lucado, Thomas Nelson, 2008
Finishing Strong, Sermon by Steven Dow, SermonCentral.com
Leaning for the Tape, Sermon by Ron Theis, SermonCentral.com
Finishing Strong, Sermon by Christian Cheong, SermonCentral.com
