How Do We Persevere as Christians

2 (15m 20s): Thank you God. For your power to save, to protect, to redeem, to heal your power, to sanctify, to make holy those things that desperately needs sanctification and holiness. Thank you that you've got the power to work in our lives and profound in wonderful ways. Thank you God, that you've got the power to teach us, to instruct us God, the power to live within us and live through us. Lord God, we invite your power in Jesus name. We invite you to do profound and wonderful things today. God, God, we invite you to surprise us by your power to surprise us by your presence. 2 (16m 4s): Lord God, that we'd be overwhelmed in Jesus name by your goodness and grace, God, that we would be touched like we've met. Maybe never been touched before, or maybe like we haven't been touched in a long time. God, that we would be touched by your spirit, by your word, by your power, Lord God, that we would be transformed by your grace and power in Jesus name. Lord, help us to know that there's power in your name. Jesus, there's real, real power in the name of Jesus. Lord God. I pray for our endurances today, Lord, that we would stand firm and stand strong in Jesus name God, where we're tempted to give up or throw in the towel or be frustrated or be anxious. 2 (16m 50s): I pray in Jesus name that we would grab, hold, grab, hold of you. Grab hold of your truth that we would determine by your grace to stand strong as a follower of the Lord, Jesus Christ, God that we would take this love and this message of the gospel to our friends and family, to our community and that wonderful and profound things would happen as results. God, we invite you to work in this community. Jesus, we invite you to work among your people, God, to bring revival to this community, to point people to you in Jesus name, God, work through us to accomplish those things. We pray be glorified. We ask in Jesus name in Jesus name. 2 (17m 31s): Amen. You may be seated there. You may be seated. So speaking about the power, look at this girl lifting. This is a heavy, heavy pulpit, and Amanda just picks it up. Like I can barely move it, but she's just it like the said that she is, and she's getting married in six days. Where, where does she go? There's you know? Yeah, go ahead and stand up. Go on. Both of you guys stand up, Steven and Amanda, Stephen YouTube getting married. They've they've only known each other for about two weeks or so, but they're so excited to get married and move forward. 2 (18m 17s): It's going to be really, really good. No, I'm just kidding. But they, the truth is they on their wedding day on February 19th is the one-year anniversary of them actually meeting for the first time. So they just kind of knew, you know, you know, when you know, and you just go and that's what they're doing, they know, and they're going so congratulations you guys. And you know, speaking about the power of God before we get into Hebrews chapter 10 today, I got this email from this prayer ministry and they were sending it out just kind of an email blast to, I guess, Christians everywhere. And it was an encouragement to pray because there are these Satanist gatherings springing up all over the country and there's one happening in Arizona. 2 (19m 0s): There's in Washington state and they're just beginning to spring up all over the place. And what has happened is that when Christians have prayed, it's essentially nullified a lot of what they've, what they're attempting to do by gathering. They, they host these on, it's like an unholy nights where they bring people in and it's just this dark, demonic night of activity. I'll let you imagine what that's all about. And it's just, it's it's darkness and people show up to these meetings because they're intrigued, they hear about it. And so it's like a little hook, so they show up and then they're just overwhelmed by the demonic activity in there. 2 (19m 41s): It's so, so we've been challenged to just pray for our, for that, against that, and pray for against just the demonic activity in our world, but also to pray and press in for our communities and our civic leaders and that sort of thing. So I was doing that on a Wednesday and I was just really, really pressing it. Oh, it was Thursday. I'm sorry. I was really pressing and just praying like crazy. And, and I just feel like it's effective for us to just get like an assignment like that and pray, like we need to pray over our homes. We need to pray over our businesses over our church. And I've walked every building in this facility from front to back and anointed every door and prayed over every building over the years, over and over again. 2 (20m 25s): And I've done the same thing in my house. I think I need to do it again. There's just, we just need to pray. I was talking to a buddy of mine after first service and he was talking about, he lives up on the Mason. He was just talking about one night. He went out to go start his generator. It had gone off and he needed to add gas to it. And he got out there to the generator. He just felt this dark heaviness around him. He just, he just felt like this oppressive force was around him. And so once he got the generator started, he just yelled out. Jay's he just yelled out like in all four directions, you know? And it just felt like it just dissipated. And he went in the house and hung out with his family, but there's power in the name of Jesus. 2 (21m 5s): We have to remember that in realize that and walk in it and we will get victory over darkness. We will get victory over temptation. We will get victory over all kinds of things. When we recognize that the person of the Lord, Jesus Christ, his spirit lives within us, he has saved us that he might know us, that he might sanctify us, that he might deliver us, that he might set us free in Jesus name. And so we're not talking about much of that stuff today, but we are, we are talking about endure and sin. A lot of what we've been talking about is about in, during, through the difficult seasons of life in doing pressing in and pressing on and never ever giving up. 2 (21m 56s): I just learned this about, you know, the Monarch butterflies over here in Pismo beach. They gather in those eucalyptus trees, their migration begins in the Colorado Rocky mountains. And when it starting to get cold in the winter time, they migrate from Colorado to Pismo beach because it's nice here. I mean, if you look outside, right, it's so nice. Even the butterflies want to be here, right? So they come here so they can survive the winter. But imagine the work and the effort, I mean, it takes about 16, 18 hours to drive the distance. Imagine these little butterfly they're they're, you know, they're just going with everything they got. 2 (22m 38s): And I don't know if it takes weeks or what, but they get here with just sure. Endurance because they want to live. Right. And they want to procreate. They've got purpose. And so we, we have to learn something from these butterflies about endurance and when the difficulties come and we just determine I'm not quitting, man, I'm not giving up. I'm standing firm in Jesus on Jesus. I'm going to allow the spirit of God to fill me to minister through me, to live through me. And we're just going to press on in Jesus name. Amen. So let's talk about in Dewar and today, how do Christians, how do we as Christians endure persevere? 2 (23m 24s): That's the word actually? Sorry. How do we persevere as Christians endurance, same word. We have the power to persevere in Jesus name. We're going to see examples of those in the early church, they were going through exceedingly difficult times. This is why this letter to the Hebrews was written because of the persecution of this first century Jews who had made the decision to trust Jesus as their savior, going against culture, going against their synagogue, going against their rabbis, going against the leaders of their day, being ostracized from friends and family and community things that would happen because they decided to choose Jesus. 2 (24m 13s): And so in Hebrews, we're learning about how they are struggling with that decision. And maybe you're here today as well, struggling with that decision. What do I do with Jesus? I, I know him. I love him. I think I want to follow him, but I'm not sure how to do that. I, and we wrestle and vacillate in our faith. So I want to give us three principles from scripture. Things that we'll get right from Hebrews chapter 10, that help us to endure, to stand firm, to move forward as followers of the joy of the Lord, Jesus Christ, to persevere as believers as kind of a foundation before we get to those points. 2 (24m 55s): And before we really unpack it, I want to read through Hebrews chapter 10 verses one through 18, because it can, those that passage of scripture continues to talk about the new covenant, the new covenant versus the old covenant talks about our great high priest who has made a way for us. And so we've been talking about that for a number of weeks now, as we've been teaching through Hebrews. And so as just a refresher, before we move on to this new topic, I just want to reread Hebrews chapter 10 verses one through 18, just read through it, not comment on it much, but read it. And then we'll get into chapter chapter 10 verse 19 through the end of the chapter. 2 (25m 38s): And then we'll be in chapter 11 next week, next week, the heroes of the faith, the next couple of weeks, we'll be talking about the heroes of the faith in Hebrews chapter 11. We get to read about and kind of witness the lives of those who have gone before us who have persevered, who have endured in Jesus name. And so it's going to be an application really to what we teach on today, to what I'm going to be teaching on today. So how do we persevere as Christians before we get there? And it's kind of a foundation let's read Hebrews 10, one through 18. It says the old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves, the sacrifice, the sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. 2 (26m 33s): If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time. And their feelings of would have disappeared, but instead they're sack, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year after year for it's not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. That's why when Christ came into the world, he said to God, you did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings, but you have given me a body to offer you are not pleased with burnt offerings where other offerings for sin. 2 (27m 16s): Then I said, look, I have come to do your will. Oh God. As it is written about me in the scriptures, first Christ said, we're in verse eight. First Christ said you did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings or burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. No, nor were you pleased with them though. They are required by the law of Moses. Then he said, look, I have come to do your will. He cancels the first covenant in order to put the second into effect for God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ. Once for all time, under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins. 2 (28m 12s): But our high priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins. Good for all time. Then he sat down in a place of honor at God's right hand there, he waits until his enemies are humbled and made a footstool under his feet for by that one offering he forever made perfect. Those who are being made holy and the holy spirit also testifies that this is so for, he says, this is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord, I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds. 2 (28m 54s): Then he says, I will never again, remember their sins and lawless deeds. And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. This is the message of the new covenant. This is the message of Hebrews. This is the challenge to the church to believe in the sacrificial toning work of price that it makes us holy, that now we become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, that the righteousness of God has been imputed to us. We have been made righteous and holy because of the sacrifice and the offering of Jesus on the cross. 2 (29m 35s): So how do we persevere as Christians, as we press into this truth? And as we try to figure out how to live life in a broken world, a fallen world, a corrupt world, how do we live as followers of the Lord, Jesus Christ in a world that is filled with compromise and temptation and difficulty. There are actually things that we can do that those who have gone before us have done that have allowed them to remain strong, to persevere all the way until the answer. We're going to read about those guys, those guys and gals in Hebrews chapter 11. But we're also going to unpack and look at some of those people as we get toward the end of this message today, how do we persevere as Christians? 2 (30m 21s): Number one, we go boldly into the presence of God. We hear that we go boldly. Some of us are very timid. When we go into the presence of God, we're like, Hey God, are you home? Is this all right? Is this good timing, right? Can I talk to you now? And we go, we go kind of timidly into the presence of God when God has given us an invitation and invitation to his presence so that we can walk in anytime and boldly go into the presence of the living. God it's like when my kids come by the office and my grandkids and I'm upstairs in the office, they don't have to ask anybody. They don't have to stop thinking, run in head right upstairs and meet with me. 2 (31m 7s): No invitation needed because it's implied. They are my kids and my grandkids. So they're welcome any time when we're going to our family's house, we just, we just walk right in. We just, we're just we're we're we're together. We're family. It's not always the case that when I would go visit my dad in Colorado, I, we had kind of a different relationship. So I'd go to his door and knock, right. Is this a good time for me to come in? It's totally different with our heavenly father. It's totally, we got these imitations. Come on over, spend as much time as you want. In fact, I go with you. I feel you I'm with you all the time. So we go boldly into the presence of God. 2 (31m 50s): It says here in Hebrews 10, 19. And so dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly. Why? Because Jesus has made a way we can boldly answer. Heaven's most holy place because of the blood of Jesus by his death, Jesus opened a new and life giving way through the curtain, into the most holy place. We have significant privilege. Imagine having access to a president or a king, a great leader because of relationship. You just got access. Other people have to make an appointment, have to ask permission, but we who are connected to the king. 2 (32m 30s): We can just walk right in. We have significant privilege associated with our new life in Christ, under the old covenant, only the high priest, and only once a year. Could they go into the most holy place once a year and only the high priest, they would go in to offer sacrifices and they would tie a rope or something, a cord around his ankle. So that if he went in with sin, unconfessed sin, and he was judged and died in the presence of God, they could, they could pull him out. Otherwise he's got to stay in there for the next year. Then, you know, it could get kind of stinky in there. 2 (33m 10s): So they pull him out and cause nobody is allowed to go under the old covenant, into the presence of God, except for the high priest. And only once a year because of Christ's work on our behalf. We have access and we should access God with confidence, not in who we are, but in the all sufficiency of Jesus, it gives us confidence that we can go right into the presence of God. Our sins, if we are in Christ have been forgiven. As far as the east is from the west, they've been removed from us. 2 (33m 52s): We are completely cleansed from those things. We are the holiness of God, the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, we have access and we should be boldly with confidence, not in us, but because he is good. Not because we are good. We have access and confidence to go into the presence of God for whatever the need is. 24 7. In fact, we're told in scripture to pray without ceasing, how do we pray without ceasing? If we don't have access, if we don't go boldly with confidence. But the reality is is that we have that access as believers, blood covered, spirit filled followers of the Lord, Jesus Christ. We have access and we can boldly go in. And so we pray about everything and anything, Lord, I don't know what I should do this morning. 2 (34m 36s): I'm driving to church and I'm tempted to speed, right? Because it's what I like to do. And so I'm about to pull out from this guy in the slow lane and go around him. And I felt like the Lord said, stay right there. I'm like, all right. So I stayed right there within a half a mile. We're coming up this hill and there's this CHP officer on a motorcycle with his, with his, his gay, you know, his, his, whatever, that thing is speed, whatever it is. And I'm like, I just told Jolie. I said, I was just about to pass this guy. And I would have been nailed right there. But the Lord told me, just stay still. Where's the Lord telling you to stay still. 2 (35m 17s): Maybe you're attempted to move tempted to run tempted, to react, tempted, to decide maybe the Lord just saying, Hey wait, it's the hardest thing to do. Right? Cause it's by faith, Lord. I don't know why you're asking me to wait. God knows why I don't see the future. I don't see what's coming. But God asks us, asks us to wait and just to trust and just to rest and just to relax, to believe that he is in control. So we have access 24 7 to pray without ceasing. We don't, we don't have to go into a certain place. I mean, it's wonderful for us to gather as the believers. 2 (35m 57s): And we'll talk about that as we get to Hebrews 10 25, it's wonderful, but we don't have to gather or go through a human a person to get to God as believers in the Lord. Jesus Christ. Our mediator is Jesus. And he gives us access to the father. And so we through Jesus because we've been forgiven, we go right into the presence of God. So no matter, no matter where you are, you go right into the presence of God. If you're fearful, you go right into the presence of God. You bring that fear to the Lord. If you're anxious, feeling tempted, discouraged, angry, just take it right into the presence of the Lord. If you're happy, just take it right into the presence of the Lord. And you say, thank you, God, thank you God, for provision, for your kindness, for your goodness, whatever's going on. 2 (36m 42s): You just go right into the presence of the Lord and give him praise or offer up your petitions with faith, believing that God hears us. And he responds to us and he's faithful to minister to our needs. Just pray with Diego this morning. You've been praying about a job for weeks or months or whatever it's been. And he just found out he got the job. And so we got a chance to pray for him and celebrate with him. He, he starts tomorrow on Valentine's day. So it was like this gift from the Lord, this Valentine's gift to Diego, he got his job and we're celebrating with him and he's been waiting and serving faithfully, just asking the Lord for this thing in his life. So whatever it is that God wants to do, just bring it to the Lord. 2 (37m 23s): Go boldly into the presence of God first 21. And since we have a great high priest who rules over God's house, let us go right into the presence of God. This is how we do it with sincere hearts, fully trusting him, sincere heart. So we get to check our hearts. Lord, am I fully trusting you? And my sincere in my pursuit of you, am I really going to do what you ask me to do? Or am I just wanting your 2 cents and my wanting your wisdom and direction? Or am I just wanting your input? So a sincere heart says, God, no matter what you tell me, I'm in the answer is yes. Before I hear the instruction, a sincere heart wants to do the will of God, no matter what the will of God is. 2 (38m 9s): And so we just surrender ourselves before we even go into his presence and we say, God, I don't know what's going on with my life right now, but I'm going into your presence. Sincerely wanting your wisdom, your counsel, your instruction, the next steps for my life. And we fully trust him that he is good and that he is faithful and that he will give us the desires of his heart, of our heart and that he will walk with us through every season of life. So let us go into the presence of God was sincere hearts fully, fully trusting him for our guilty conscience is have been sprinkled with Christ's blood to make us clean. And our bodies have been washed with pure water. So the essence, the truth there is that the cleansing is thorough. 2 (38m 55s): We have been thoroughly cleansed by God's grace. We have been washed by his goodness by the, by the pure water of his grace. We have been washed inside and outside by his goodness. And so, because that is true, not because we're good or because we've earned it or we've had a good stretch of, you know, victory. It's not, it has nothing. It has everything to do with his sufficiency and nothing to do with our insufficiency. Do you believe that? Oh, we got to believe it. We have to believe it. We have to drill deep into this truth and build our foundation on this reality because it is the reality for believers in the Lord. 2 (39m 38s): Jesus Christ. So number one, how do we persevere as Christians? We go boldly. I want you to practice that this week boldly not, not arrogantly because that's God opposes the proud his grace to the humble is to go in with a sincere heart, fully trusting God. I think it's going to be a hurdle for some of us and maybe for all of us, depending on the circumstance, sincerely, fully trusting God. And I, I, I bet you're going to be blown away and surprised by God's goodness and his response to you. So go, go boldly into the presence of God. Number one, and number two, we hold tightly to our hope. We see that right here in the text, Hebrews 10 23, let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 2 (40m 31s): So when things are difficult, what do we do? We hold on, right? It's like, you're hanging from a cliff to a rope. That is the difference between life and death. That's the seriousness, the intensity of holding on to the hope that we have. So when things are good, we're holding on when things or when things are bad, when things are good, what are we doing? Or still holding on, right? Sometimes when things are going good, we're like, ah, you know, bills are big. Relationships are good, I've got to cruising through life. And so we kind of let you know our, our passion, our intensity about Jesus kind of wane a little bit because after all everything's going good. 2 (41m 14s): And so we begin to let loose. And it's just a matter of time where things begin to drift our relationships, drift our relationship with the Lord. And then all of a sudden we realized we're not holding on at all. And then we're easy picking. Temptation comes, difficulty comes and we're swept away with all kinds of stuff. And so it's imperative that in the good times and in the bad times that we hold on equally, what are we holding on to hope? It's not some kind of a thing that's, that's hard to grasp or hard to get her mind. The hope that we're talking about is the person and finished work of the Lord, Jesus Christ. 2 (41m 58s): We're holding on to him and for, and for, and holding onto what he has accomplished for us. So our, our hope isn't fragile and unstable it's Jesus. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He's the solid foundation, the rock on which we build our lives, the unshakeable foundation that is ours in Christ. So he's not fragile unstable. It's not change our hope doesn't change no matter what circumstances, good, bad or ugly, our hope is always in Jesus. It's not elusive or vague or imagined. 2 (42m 42s): It's the person of Jesus Christ. Our hope is in the finished work of Christ. So party part of holding on tightly is, you know, about our own lives, thinking about our own struggles and circumstances. And so we're holding firm, but also being aware of what others are going through, thinking about others struggles and their needs and their troubles and their temptations, and, and then throwing a life vest to them, a lifesaver to them so that you might help them hold on for dear life, to the hope who is Christ the Lord. This is why we gather this is why it's imperative that we gather. 2 (43m 22s): We'll talk about that some more in a moment, but we gather so that we can be built up in our most holy faith so that we can pray together so that we can be encourage, but so that we might be able to encourage others so that we might step out of our own circumstances and recognize the struggles of others that we might encourage them to. Don't give up, don't quit, hold on in Jesus' name. And so people come all the time and they need prayer. And so we're praying for people. We're encouraging people, we're speaking life and truth over people. 2 (44m 5s): And that is every one of our job and responsibility. Every one of us have this responsibility to do that. If he's in four 11, says that we are called the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, our job, we are called to equip the saints. What are the saints? Anybody's in Christ, right? If you're in Christ, you're a Saint. So it's my job, our job to equip you to do the work of the ministry. So when people up you're up, you'll be able to pray for somebody so much more effectively than I can pray. Maybe because of your experience, your life has taken you down a certain path that is prepared. 2 (44m 45s): You equipped you to minister effectively to somebody who is going maybe through a similar circumstance. So you can pray with greater understanding, greater empathy and compassion, greater love. You can press in and, and just go walk the path with the person that you're this you're praying for and encourage them over the long haul. This is part of our job. And so we show up to church and we go to home groups and we do all that kind of stuff because we love each other and we've got great coffee. And on the fourth, Sunday of the month, we got great donuts and we're taking community. We're doing all this stuff, but at the end of the day, we're gathering to get equipped and released into the work of the ministry. 2 (45m 30s): So your job is to minister love on one another. Somebody asked me recently, they said, Hey, I want to go visit this person and minister to them. Do I have your permission? I'm like, you don't need my permission. Just go for it. You know, go have fun minister and do what God has called and equipped you specifically to do first 24, let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works so we can encourage, pray and speak life and truth and grace and let people know I'm with you. 2 (46m 12s): I'm for you. And God is with you and God has for you. And when we need to speak hard truth and challenge, sin or destructive decisions in lifestyles, we can do that with the grace and the truth of the Lord, Jesus Christ. As we're filled with the holy spirit, we can say, we can speak the truth in love and challenge a person say, amen, that the choices that you're making are destroying you. They're filling you with anxiety and fear, and they're wrecking your ability to have faith in Jesus. And so you say, man, can I, can I walk with you and show you a better way? Can I pray with you? And nine times out of 10, maybe you've been there and you're saying, man, I have been where you are. 2 (46m 54s): And God walked with me and sent somebody else to walk with me to minister through to me through that season of life. So let's think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. How do we persevere as Christians? Number one, we go boldly, say that with me, we go boldly into the presence of God. Then we hold tightly to our hope. And then number three, we consistently assemble. We consistently assemble. We consistently can assemble, gathered together in one place for a common purpose to be built up in our most holy faith to worship in a corporate gathering, lifting up holy hands to the Lord, declaring his greatness, his power, his majesty to come alongside like-minded people to, to move forward as believers in the Lord, Jesus Christ verse 25, Hebrews 10 says, and let us not neglect our meeting together as some people do, but encourage one another. 2 (48m 0s): Especially now that the day of his return is drawing near every day. We're a day closer to the return of Christ. My father-in-law likes to say every day, I'm closer to death because I'm closer today than I was yesterday, right? We are closer today than we were yesterday to the return of Christ to the coming of his kingdom. And we have this wonderful opportunity to know Jesus now, and to point people to Jesus, to be disciples and to be disciple makers, to point people to the goodness and the grace of the Lord, Jesus Christ. 2 (48m 42s): So let us not neglect our meeting together as some people do, but encourage one another. Especially now that the day of his return is drawing near, we will persevere. If we remember and practice these things outlined in this chapter, if we fail to practice these things, our ability to persevere will greatly be hindered. The result of not persevering is actually back sliding and maybe even a pasta. See the actual denial of the faith. I, I can't tell you how many people, sadly, how many people that I grew up with in this area. 2 (49m 25s): People that I went to Bible college with seminary, people that I've known, people who have been teachers of the word leaders in the church, people who have known Jesus, and I've watched them because not practicing this person, these perseverance things, just watch them, let go little by little, get more and more distant walk away from the church, walk away from the Lord, walk away from God's purposes. And before you know, it they've completely walked away from all that God has for them. This is it's, it's, it's important that we persevere the result of not persevering is backsliding moving away from God. 2 (50m 11s): And I, again, I've just known too many people who have abandoned their faith. First 26 and Hebrews 10 says, dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after, after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins. So imagine the context, historical context in the first century, these Jewish messianic believers, these Jewish people who had decided that Jesus is the Lord, that he is their savior. As they begin to question that and begin to deny that and begin to walk away from that, the writer of Hebrews is saying, listen, there is no sacrifice beyond Jesus that can cleanse you from your sins. 2 (51m 0s): You can not go back to the old way of living. It's it's an old covenant. It's an old way of relating to God. Jesus is the new covenant, the right way, the new way of relating to God. So you can't actually move away from Jesus and hope to have any eternal life. Any relationship with God Christ is the only all sufficient sacrifice that can cleanse people of their sins. If we reject Christ, we reject any opportunity to be saved from God's judgment. What is God's judgment? We don't often talk about God's judgment, but every time the Bible talks about God's judgment, we are talking about God's judgment. 2 (51m 40s): This is what it says as a warning to those who are vacillating beginning to backslide, beginning to wonder, beginning to question their faith. This is what it says in verse 27. There's only the terrible expectation of God's judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies for anyone who refuse to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled, listen to the language, trampled on the son of God and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy as if it were common and unholy and have insulted and disdained. 2 (52m 33s): The holy spirit who brings God's mercy to us, the language does not get any more clear. It is crystal clear communication that the writer of Hebrews is, is as put into ink for us communicating this truth to us so that we are fully aware that if we choose to backslide, if we choose to minimize what God has done, essentially insulting the finished work of price. Disdaining the holy spirit who brings God's mercy to us. If we walk away, there is no salvation available for, we know the one who said, I will take revenge. 2 (53m 15s): Verse 30 says I will pay them back. He also said, the Lord will judge his own people. It's a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living. God, unless you are hidden in Christ, think back. And so there's a challenge to think back on your early days when you were a follower and believer in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Think back on those early days, when you first learned about Christ, we can all do this, right? Remembering, remember how you remained faithful, even though it meant terrible suffering. So culturally in the day, if these Jewish men and women decided to follow Jesus, they were ex-communicated from fellowship in the synagogue. 2 (53m 58s): They were ex-communicated from their families. They were criticized and ridiculed. They were, they were, they were sentenced to separation from the rest of the Jews. Think back on those days, when you first learned about Christ, remember how you remain faithful, even though it meant terrible suffering. Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten. And sometimes you helped others who are suffering the same things. You suffered along with those who are thrown into jail. And when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. 2 (54m 38s): You knew, you knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever. Jesus warned in his earthly life and ministry. He warned his followers of, of this type of persecution. It happened to Jesus and it would happen to his followers. Jesus spoken Matthew 10, 16 through 18. He says, look, I'm sending you out. As she among wolves. This is the reality of what we are. We are sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd, as snakes and harmless as doves, but be aware for you will be handed over to the courts. 2 (55m 21s): And w we'll be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and Kings because you are my followers, but this will be your opportunity to tell others, to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. So persecution is an opportunity to be salt and light so that others might hear the reason that you're being persecuted in acts chapter five. After the high council flogged the apostles, they ordered the never again to speak in the name of Jesus. They were. So the people were so threatened. 2 (56m 2s): The religious leaders were so threatened by that powerful name of Jesus, that they did everything in their power to stop the apostles from teaching in that name of Jesus acts 5 41 says the apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer for that name of Jesus. In acts chapter seven, Stephen addresses the council, telling them of their own history and their rebelliousness and their hard-hearted. Hardheartedness toward a God in the spirit. As he communicates this truth to the religious leaders in acts 7 54 through 60, it says the Jewish leaders were infuriated by Steven's accusations. 2 (56m 50s): And they shook their fits their fists at him in a rage. But Stephen full of the holy spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God. And he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hands. I mean like the heavens must have opened up for Steve and as he's getting ready to give his life for his faith and he sees the glory that is awaiting him, he knows that all of this is coming to fruition. It's all coming to an end. He will give his life for his faith and he will stand before the Lord very soon. And he told them, look, I, I see the heavens opened and the son of man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand, then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. 2 (57m 38s): They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul. And in acts chapter nine, Saul would encounter the living Jesus and in acts chapter nine, Saul would give his life to Jesus. And I bet you, God used this stoning situation. This incident in Steven's life to begin to awaken Saul of Tarsus, to the reality of the gospel. So even in our suffering, we have the privilege and the opportunity to point people to Jesus. 2 (58m 23s): First 59, as they stoned him, Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus receive my spirit. He fell to his knees, shouting Lord. Don't charge them with this sin. And with that, he died and Hebrews 10 35, as we get back to our main text, it says, so do not throw away this confidence trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward. It brings you patient endurance is what you need now so that you will continue to do God's will then you will receive all that he is promised for in just a little while the coming one will come and not delay. 2 (59m 9s): And my righteous ones will live by faith, but I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away, but we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones. The writer reminds his audience. We are the faithful ones whose souls will be saved. We need to persevere and never give up. We need to not be ashamed of who we are, but bold in our faith. Declare with confidence in humility, the gospel of grace till the end, Saul became Paul Saul of Tarsus became Paul, the apostle, and he wrote two thirds of the new Testament. 2 (59m 58s): And in Romans chapter one verses 16 and 17, he wrote for, I am not ashamed of the gospel. I'm not ashamed of this good news about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes that you first and also the Gentile, this good news tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the scripture say it is through faith that a righteous righteous person has life. So we live by faith. We're saved by faith and we endure and persevere. As we put into practice, these principles that we see throughout the scripture, we could go throughout the old Testament and the new Testament and find principles that will help us to persevere. 2 (1h 0m 46s): But we have to be people who put into practice those principles in order to endure, maybe you're here today and you've never given your life to Jesus. The gospel is the good news that saves us. That redeems us, that rescues us from the judgment of God and ushers us into the family of God. If you're here today, you've never accepted the grace of the Lord. Jesus Christ. You can do that in the quietness of your own heart, or you can come forward after the service and get some help praying. But this is what you do. You just simply say, God, I, I need your grace. 2 (1h 1m 27s): And maybe in your heart and mind, you're saying that even now I need your grace. Lord, I need your forgiveness. Lord. I need you to come into my life. I need you to forgive my sin and fill my life with your power and your presence and your spirits. I've tried it my way for way too long. I'm tired of stumbling. I'm tired of tripping along Lord. I'm tired of missing, missing you and not understanding life. God, I invite you into my life and I invite your power and your grace and your love and your presence in Jesus' name. Or maybe you're here. And you've been considering backsliding with everybody's eyes closed. Let's just, maybe you're here. 2 (1h 2m 7s): And you've been considering just kind of slipping away, slipping out the back door, slip it up, just kind of slowly, just kind of drifting away. God wants to challenge you in Jesus name, to hold firm, to purse SERVIR to put into practice. These things that we see in the scripture, he will strengthen you in the power of his might. He will fill you with his, his eternal spirit. He will give you a new hearts, a new strength, a new ability to press on in Jesus. But you've got to ask him, you got to boldly, enter into the presence of God and invite him in and then a whole lawn for the ride and see what God will do. And then get around believers. 2 (1h 2m 47s): Others who are like-minded in the faith and get around and, and, and encourage and be encouraged by the body of believers who are after the same thing as your after Is everybody stands. Lord, I just want to thank you for the challenge. Go ahead and stand up. Is it Lord, thank you for the challenge from your word. It speaks clearly pointedly specifically to us, to the challenges that we face to the challenges that were faced from the first century on Lord God, we invite you to continue to speak to us. We need you Lord. As we worship now in song, I pray that we would got, make some decisions today to stand firm, to persevere in Jesus name, help us to do so in the power of your minds in Jesus name. 2 (1h 3m 36s): Amen. Let's worship 3 (1h 8m 22s): We praise you. Lord. We praise you that you are the king of Kings. We come boldly before you today. We thank you for your word. We thank you that we get to worship you in spirit and in truth in Jesus name, we pray. Amen.