Every time I exercise, which is seven days a week now because of the condition of my heart, I reach a point in the exercise when I ask myself the question, “Why am I doing this; cannot I just stop?”
In the Apostle Paul’s Christian journey, which Paul described as a race in 2 Timothy 4:7 when he says that he has finished the race, I am sure sometime during that race he asked himself the question, “Why am I doing this, cannot I just stop?” Maybe he asked himself that question in one of those five times, he took thirty -nine stripes at the hands of the Jews. Or maybe it was at the three times, he was shipwrecked and spent a night and day in the deep, or the time that he was stoned and left for dead as described in the Book of Acts.
I know in my own spiritual race as a Christian and a pastor, I have asked myself that question, “Why am I doing this; cannot I just stop?” It is not easy putting up with all the personalities in a church and keep the peace as a pastor. Every time I finish writing a Sunday sermon or a Monday Night Live Bible study, I got to preach it or teach it, and then I got to start all over and begin new ones. That sermon and Bible writing train seems to never end. And I might find myself asking the question, “Why am I doing this, cannot I just stop?”
My answer with my exercise is no I cannot stop; my heart needs it. For the Apostle Paul, the answer was that he could not stop because God never told him to stop. And why I cannot stop as a preacher and become a pew sitter, I know God told me to become a pastor and He has never told me to stop.
And the thing that keeps the Apostle Paul going, and the thing that keeps me going, and if you are continuing in the faith the thing that keeps you going is something called steadfastness.
Steadfastness means to endure, withstand, or to bear up under something. Well, Peter in our last message about being prepared for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, tells us to remain steadfast- keep doing what you are doing until He comes.
Let us look at the Scripture.
Scripture
2 Peter 3:17–18 NKJV
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
Point #1
Uncertainty brings instability in your life but knowing brings steadfastness.
Let us look at what Peter says in the first part of vs. 17- You, therefore beloved, since you know this beforehand...
Peter is saying what you know about the Second Coming of Christ and the certainty of His coming is reason that we should remain steadfast.
We all know people who lives can be classified as unstable. They bounce from one thing to another, and it is because this world and its standards are constantly changing. Nothing remains the same in this world. It is unstable. Today’s fashion of holes in your jeans in a few years will be out and something new will replace it. How can you remain steadfast when you are trying to hit a moving target?
Let us suppose you want to get a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. You start the nursing program, and you completed two years and have two years more to go. The administration at the College decided at the end of your second year to change the Nursing Program to a six-year program. It throws you from keeping the course and finishing the final two years into a time of uncertainty. Do I have enough funds to complete the two extra years? Are my parents going to be able to continue to help with room and board? Is the person I am seeing and want to marry willing to wait two extra years to get married so that I can focus on my studies?
The wonderful thing about the Bible is that it tells me about God who is unchanging, and His Word is unchanging. Now that brings stability and steadfastness to your life. Malachi 3:6 says: For I am the Lord, I do not change… And my favorite Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Let me ask you a question: Is there anyone here that does not believe that Jesus Christ is coming again after His Word tells us He is coming again? The answer is nobody. And so, that is something that you can build stability upon. It is not changing.
If your live is unstable, my advice is to get into the Bible because the Word of God builds steadfastness. Peter says because you know this, be steadfast.
Point #2
Be careful because steadfastness for the things of God slowly drifts out of a person’s life if he or she is not connected to the Word of God.
Peter is saying you can fall and not even notice you are about to fall until it is too late, and you have already begun tumbling to the ground. He says you must be on guard so that you do not fall. He says in verse 17 beware lest you fall from your own steadfastness. I can tell you that over the past two years I have fallen three times and each time I fell on my left shoulder. I was not on guard about falling; I did not see any warning signs that I was about to fall until I was in a full-blown free fall. And now my left shoulder is badly messed up.
A Christian may not see that they are falling spiritually until it is too late because it occurs like a slow drift. I believe that Paul wrote Hebrews, and in the first verse of Chapter 2 it says this: Hebrews 2:1 (NKJV)
Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
It starts with not spending as much time in the Word of God like you use to. And then you started listening to people that sound spiritual enough but have no knowledge of the Word of God or flat-out deny the knowledge of the Word of God. But their argument sounds logical. And next thing you know you are taken in.
Let me give you a good example. You hear people say today that God is love. And since God is love, I cannot see God sending anyone to hell. Tell me how can a loving God sent someone to hell? Sounds logical, but it denies the Word of God that says the wages of sin is death.
In Peter’s time, the argument was over the years nothing has changed since the beginning of creation, why should we expect the Second Coming of Christ? Sounds logical but it denies the Word of God that says He is coming back.
The subtle way that a Christian loses his steadfastness cause us many times to deny anything is wrong. Someone says that I notice a change in you, and you reply, no, I fine. Everything is OK with me spiritually, but you have not been spending time in the Word and you are slowly drifting away. Others may see it; but you probably do not.
My advice to you is to be honest with yourself.
Point #3
The good news is that God in His grace gave us a way to shore up our steadfastness by growing in the knowledge of Jesus that comes through His Word.
2 Peter 3:18 NKJV
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
It was by God’s grace that you and I have the Word of God to guide our life. In fact, most of us have more than one Bible. Anne has one at home; one in the Fellowship Hall and one on her church pew. With the availability of God’s Word there is no excuse for Christians to drift from steadfastness.
Jesus could have died on the cross and rose from the grave and leave us to fend for ourselves until the day we died. But His grace gave us a way to stay on course and finish the spiritual race well.
Grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, you grow in your steadfastness.
Do not devote the time to studying the Word of God, you will notice more chaos and instability entering your life.
It is that simple.
My Big Question for my life is:
Do I want to choose steadfastness in my walk with God by reading and studying His Word?
Do I want to choose a life that is filled with instability which comes by neglecting the Word of God.
