“Stick with it”
By
Bishop M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
Hebrews 10:23 & 35-39 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised ;) Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul”.
Focus verse:- 36:- For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
OPENING:- There is a story of 2 Doberman pinschers and a Pit Bull puppy. This man had 2 full grown Doberman pinschers that he let run free in his fenced back yard. The man had a doggie door so his dogs could go in and out of the house at will. One day his neighbor bought a puppy pit bull that he let run free in his backyard that was fenced as well. One day the puppy crawled under the fence and barked at the 2 Dobermans, they tore into that pup with veracity and literally beat the stuffing out of the puppy, they tossed it around and nearly killed the puppy, but he escaped back under the fence into his own yard all the rest of the day the little puppy whinnied and licked his wounds. The next day the little puppy again crawled under the fence and barked at the Dobermans and again they tore into the little puppy and beat the puppy again, the puppy escaped crawled under the fence into his own yard and again whinnied and licked his wounds. For several weeks every-day the little puppy would crawl under the fence bark at the Dobermans and the same result would happen, they would beat the daylights out of the puppy and send him home whining and licking his wounds. This went on for several weeks and the result was the same. One day the puppy couldn’t crawl under the fence so he jumped the fence, got into the yard of the Dobermans barked at the Dobermans and they jumped on the puppy like they had so many times before, but this time the puppy had grown, he was stronger and had more confidence in himself and beat the Dobermans so bad that they run into their house whining and licking their wounds the Puppy Pit Bull jumped the fence back into its own yard and laid down to rest. The next day the Puppy Pit Bull came out of the house into the yard looked through the fence saw the Dobermans in their yard, he didn’t jump the fence, he didn’t crawl under the fence, this time he just barked and the Dobermans ran into the house whining and scared. He didn’t have to fight any more for he was now able to just bark. The morale of the story is don’t quit, stick with it until you get what belongs to you.
WATCH THIS:- Right now we have to fight, but if you will just stick with it, hang on in there, pretty soon after while you will be able to just speak a word.
Stick with it.
Breakdown:- Hebrews is a General Epistle (Apostolic Letter). It was written mainly to the Hebrew believers, the Hebrew church. Written around 67 A.D. Its purpose was to present the Lord Jesus Christ as perfect and superior in comparison to anything in Judaism and the old covenant had to offer. Hebrews is broken down as such the superiority of Jesus Christ, in chapters 1-2 Christ is Greater than the angels and prophets -“let all the angels of God worship Him” 1:6, 3 & 4 Christ is greater than Moses - “He has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses” 3:3, in 5-8 Christ is greater than the Aaronic priesthood - “being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek” 5:10, 8-10 Christ’s New covenant is greater than the Old - because Jesus was the perfect, permanent sacrifice, rather than the Old Testament sacrifices., and 11-13 Faith in Christ is greater than the Law - “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” 11:1 & 12:2 “the author and perfecter of faith”.
BACKGROUND:- He was writing to a group of Christians who were under intense persecution and some were contemplating a return to Judaism. They have given up somethings, they have done the will of God, the have left somethings, forsaken somethings, let go of some things but they have not yet obtained that which they had let go for. They had come too far from where they were but have not quite made it to where they were headed. They were literally caught in between then and there stuck in this place called now and they were beginning to feel like why haven’t received that which I am striving for by now. Some were contemplating going back to what they were comfortable with. He admonished them not to turn away from their only hope of salvation.
I want to talk about that place between realizing what God has promised and apprehending that that He has promised. I have stepped to God like I should, I’m in the church, but I have not yet apprehended that which I have stepped to God for. I have given up some things expecting and believing God for some things but I have not yet received those things and I can’t go back to the things, I am forgetting those things that are behind and I am reaching forth unto those things that are before, but I have not grasped hold to those things yet and I can’t go back to the things, I am not where I used to be and I am not where I am going or where I am even destined to be I am here in this place.
It’s not all well with my soul”. Some of us are going through some mess; everything in our life isn’t fine. I’m not financially free, but financially frustrated, emotionally emasculated, physically debilitated, relationally ruined, mentally messed-up and instead of saying Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me, we say Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me?
Understand that this is not an implication that I have gone back on God, this does not mean that I don’t believe that God can and will make a way, this in no way compromises my salvation at all, it is saying that I have not come to the place in realizing that which God has promised me yet, but I have made the initial step for God, so therefore I am somewhere between there and here, but I have not yet apprehended or realized that that I have stepped to God for. I have not become aware of, or ye have perceived, to grasp with the understanding, that that I have stepped to God for. I’m like the little puppy that crawled back under the fence after the initial fight and I’m now whining and licking my wounds.
I know we all just love God and will praise Him in-spite of, we will bless the Lord and praise His Holy name, but some of you have had some serious questions about certain things that have happened in your life. I have stepped to God like I should have, I’m in the church, I fast and pray, I read my Bible, I go to church, yet I am going through.
Let me be real. I did what God said do, I gave up some things, I left some things, I stepped out believing His word 6 years ago, yet I am preaching to 9 instead of 900. What’s going on.
It is here in this place that the Hebrews were and they questioning and even were considering turning back to what was comfortable and Paul wrote the letter of Hebrews to confront their mindset and make them realize that Jesus Christ is greater than what they came from and in the 36 verse of chapter 10 he says “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise”.
Sometimes – No Most Of The Time – after we have done the will of God, we have stepped away from some things, given up some things, we are not where we are destined to be but we can’t go back to where we have come from. We are like the puppy pit bull that fought and are now whining and licking our wounds.
Understand that this is the place that God is developing our character. It is the place where maturation is happening. It is the place where Faith is becoming stronger and it is the place where you are being prepared for the destiny God has for you. However; it also is the place where temptation is tempting you. It is the place where doubt is definitely trying to defeat you. It is the place that your conscious is crying quit. It is the place that you will struggle like Jacob with the man of flesh.
It is here in this place where we have to make the decision do I go back to what is comfortable, to what is familiar or do I stay and see what the end is going to be.
Paul wrote to the Hebrew church and said “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise”.
WHAT DID PAUL MEAN BY PATIENCE:- The basic definition of patience is "waiting without complaint”.
Understand patience is not a natural trait. Some people have a natural tendency to be flexible, tolerant, resistant, lenient, or reserved, but this isn’t patience because pushed to the limit this will run out and what we think is patience will quit, give up, turn away, and fail to stick with it.
Patience is a Divine Attribute of God. It is His character, for He is slow to anger Exodus 34:6, the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah 1 Peter 3:20. It was exhibited in Jesus Christ for the steadfastness of Christ 2 Thessalonians 3:5. Galatians 5:22 says that patience is a fruit of the Spirit (longsuffering).
Although Patience is a Divine Attribute of God it is a choice that we all have to make. We can choose either to wait on God or we can chose to run away when we find ourselves struggling in that place between where I was and where I am going. We must understand the effects of what we decide to do.
Let me make it simple and plain the Bible says in Luke 9:62 “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God”. What do you mean Bishop – well if you don’t have the patience to go through then you are not fit for the Kingdom of God. I didn’t say it Jesus said it. Look in your Bible it’s in red and the red words are the words of Jesus Christ.
However the Bible says in Luke 21:19 “In your patience possess ye your souls”, it also says that he that endureth to the end shall be saved – that’s patience.
CONCLUSION:- James 1:4 says “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing”. Perfect means mature, strong, able to stand, my faith is complete, my desire is to do His will, everything I need I have access to.
Patience produces change.
Patience brings us to the Promise.
Patience allows us to be molded in His image and likeness.
Patience keeps us faithful – Revelation 14:12.
Patience keeps us watching.
Patience keeps us waiting – 2 Thessalonians 3:5, James 5:7.
Patience purifies our motives – instead of acting out of lust we learn to act out of love and obedience.
Patience builds our faith.
Patience develops our character.
Patience polishes perfection.
Tell somebody you did the will of God when you decided to walk with Him now just stick with it and see what the end is going to be.
You been through to much – stick with it.
It’s not that hard – stick with it.
Victory is yours – stick with it.
God has a blessing for you – stick with it.
Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world so – stick with it.
Your destiny depends on it – stick with with.
Bishop M.L. Maughmer, Jr.
