Revelation
Week 6
“Choose Perseverance”
Welcome:
Everyone
Guests (We are honored)
Online & Podcasting
Turkey’s & Baptism
11/23-Teen Challenge will be with us
11/30-#Struggles -Following Jesus In A Selfie Centered World.
12/24-Christmas Eve Service
Connect:
Speaking of Christmas, Ange, the Kids, The Pedrick’s & I all took a trip to Boston to go to the Boston Christmas Festival. It’s this crazy huge craft, food, creative artisan deal at the World Trade Center in Boston.
I know if you know this about me, crowds give me anxiety, and there are several THOUSAND people in this place. So my stress level is a little high :) It was a lot of fun but my stress level was up a little. Kids breakable things….you get the picture.
Anyway, Maddox quickly became bored & hungry. So every time we stopped, he would lean against me, like full on, flop. If I squatted down to take so pressure off my back, he would just sit on me.
Shoulder slumped, jaw hung, the “Are we almost done” “I’m hungry” “Can we go now” He was counting down the isles, until we reached the middle isle where they were giving away food samples :)
But once we turned the corner he was back to the “suffering child” mode.
Parents have you been there?
Tension:
I think sometimes we feel like that. Life gets tough, we get into situations & circumstances, and we are trying to countdown the isles until it ends, but sometimes we can’t see the end.
We feel overwhelmed, weighed down, and we get discouraged & want to give up.
Have you been there?
And you think to yourself, I don’t think I’m gonna make it, I don’t know how much longer I can hold on, how much longer I can keep going….
You feel like you have reached a breaking point & you don’t think you can go on.
Can anyone relate to what I’m talking about?
Well if that’s where you are at, I’m glad you are here today because I believe God wants to encourage you.
Truth:
So our 6th Church is the church at Philadelphia, and Jesus said to them..
“I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my word and did not deny me… “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you…” Revelation 3:8-10
Notice anything here? Jesus doesn’t have anything against them. He doesn’t offer any correction.
He says, like He has before, “I know all the things you do” but not in terms of “You’re busted”
He says, I know ALL the things you do, and I have opened a door that no one can close. That means Jesus opened an opportunity for them. He cleared a path for them, and no one could close that door on them.
But Jesus did say, “you have little strength” “You’re tired” “You’re worn down, you have limitations” but you OBEYED!! That’s huge!
We tend to look at our limitations or our lack of strength & find excuses why we can’t get something down. mWe live in the land of our limitations. We will say, “Well if I had….(fill in the blank) then I could….” We focus on why we can’t get something done or why we fail.
But the believers in Philadelphia stepped out of the comfort zone, out of what they felt they were resourced to do & simply OBEYED and if the face of difficulty they didn’t deny Jesus. They didn’t take the easy way out. In the face of pain they didn’t fold.
So Jesus said to them, “Because you obeyed & persevered, I WILL PROTECT YOU!”
He said, you have more that carried your weight, you have more than done your part, so I’VE GOT YOUR BACK!
So what is the lesson for us? What can we learn from Philadelphia?
So glad you asked…
Application:
The church in Philadelphia didn’t receive any correction. They received encouragement & instruction.
And for us I think there is a VERY POWERFUL LESSON HERE.
They had been through difficulty and they had persevered in the face of it. They stood strong & OBEYED Jesus!
We all face hard times, challenges, difficulties, but in the face of these things we need to CHOOSE PERSEVERANCE
That’s the choice, that’s the place we need to go. Choose Perseverance.
But here is the real application & the scary truth…We CAN choose to preserve but we will NEVER preserve on our own.
Philadelphia, anyone know what it means? Brotherly Love!
In the name of this church is the key to the success in being able to endure, to being able to CHOOSE PERSEVERANCE… Community! WHY?
WE CAN’T DO LIFE ALONE
None of these believer would have been able to do what they did alone. They wouldn’t have made it. They would have come up short. They would have given up. Lost heart! But TOGETHER they can ENDURE & OBEY!
If we are going to Choose Perseverance we must also Choose To Do Life Together.
“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
There are so really important lessons here & some insights into HOW we can Choose Perseverance:
1- TOGETHER WE CAN OBEY MORE
When you are on your own, you are susceptible to temptation & trouble. You have no one to watch your back & no one to call you on your crap when you do fail or sin.
Together we have “Accountability”
WE have people that will keep us honest, on the right track, to call us on our stuff. To challenge us to DO THE RIGHT THINGS.
A lot of people shy away from relationships & friendships because they don’t want to be called on their crap. But the truth is you will never become the person JESUS wants you to become if you try to do LIFE ALONE.
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” James 5:16
The rawness & honesty of this passage, leaning into others, leaning on others, allowing them to hold you accountable.
Knowing that you aren’t taking this journey alone, knowing that others are walking the same path, facing the same challenges give you the strength to keep on OBEYING!
TOGETHER WE CAN OBEY MORE!
2- TOGETHER WE CAN EDURE MORE
How many people love working out? Have you ever done an exercise class? I can remember doing a work out class at the Y with Ange, it was a circuit training class. After the first couple of stations I WAS DONE.
I was ready to quit, walk away, move on to something that involved a nap. But in a room full of people I knew I couldn’t just give up. Some people around me joked with me & encouraged me. The instructor came by and said “you’ve got this”
I wanted to die! But the support of the group helped me make it to the end of the class! At which time i needed medical attention :)
TOGETHER WE CAN ENDURE MORE, because of the Support. Because we know we aren’t alone in our journey, we aren’t going it alone in our struggles and some one is there to encourage us & support us.
This past week was rough for me, I’ve had tons of work, late meetings, extra counseling, it’s been a very busy few weeks & it was catching up with me. But because I don’t do life alone, I was able to reach out to some friends & say “Pray for me, I’m struggling” and immediately there was support. People said “praying now” others asked “what can I do to help” other asked “how can we keep this from happening in the future”
I was able to EDURE the struggle because of those who came along side me & support me. Paul said….
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2
TOGTHER WE CAN ENDURE MORE!
3-TOGETHER WE CAN ACCOMPLISH MORE
One is too small a number for greatness! During the 80’s Michael Jordan reach some impressive heights. He put up incredible numbers, his stats were crazy. But regardless of how amazing he was & how many points he scored, he continued to play for a loosing team.
In fact it wasn’t until the Bulls started adding players to the team that could compliment Jordan’s playing style that they started their impressive Championship runs. He couldn’t win alone, it required-Teamwork
John Maxwell says “TEAMWORK makes the dream work” and it’s so true!
“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” Hebrews 10:24
A good team challenges each other to do their best, to be creative, to be productive. Teamwork empowers the members of the team. Inspires the members of the team. Encourages the members of the team.
And we are on TEAM JESUS!
TOGETHER WE CAN ACCOMPLISH MORE
Together we can Obey More; Endure More; & Accomplish More
We Can’t Do Life Alone, we can’t PERSEVERE ALONE
“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9
Together we persevere, we keep going, Together we change New England for Jesus
Choose Perseverance
Landing:
Hey if you’re here this morning & your are feeling like you can’t go on…
If you feel like you don’t have the strength to go on…
If you feel like you want to give up…
I want to pray for you
