You Need Endurance – Hebrews 10:32-39

1. What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever faced? (Hold that in your mind—the circumstances, the complications, the personal conflicts, the deep and difficult pain, the helplessness, etc.—hold that in your mind)
   1. Some might answer honestly, “I’ve never really had a MAJOR disaster in my life…” – But as an adult, does your life not feel like one long, great conflict or contest? A struggle, a battle? [I’m getting my terminology from v. 32 where we’ve translated “a hard struggle”]
      1. In fact, one of the evidences of coming into adulthood is the realization that life is not a playground but a battleground. It takes a lot of responsibility and hard work. It does mean enjoying the hilltops but also pressing on through the valleys.
      2. We have our kids play sports so that they can learn to face challenges and struggles without quitting or going off the rails. [Honor God. Play Hard.]
      3. Our Wed night kids ministry is geared toward that same need. Equipping our young believers to battle the flesh and to be involved in ministry to the body and to be active in sharing their faith.
      4. Life is a long, hard contest. – God not only knows about it, he is sovereign over it and he wants to be with you in life’s struggles and help you through them… he wants you to lean on him and grow in him and trust him to bring you safely home in the end.
   2. Read with me the author of Hebrews’ instruction for how to handle life’s long, hard contest. [READ]
   3. PRAY: Great God of heaven, by your grace and for your glory, convict us with your truth in this text. Grip us with it and change us by it. Lord, humble us and teach us to hold your name high. Amen.
      1. Since life is indeed a great struggle, what do you need to live it rightly to the end? Enduring Faith. (that means)
         1. To face and withstand the battle with courage, 12:1
         2. To trust in God with what you can’t see, 11:1 (not just that we can’t see God, but often we can’t really see him fighting for us and through us – we believe him… that’s faith)
      2. What have you been through that you would consider genuine persecution?
         1. These letter recipients had endured real persecution and suffering in the past. Whatever their present conflict, the author calls them to courageously continue in faith with steadfast endurance… BY remembering God’s victory in them thus far, and by remaining focused on God’s promised reward at the finish line.
            1. Remembering how God strengthened them to get through the hardest parts of the context so far (vv. 32-34) – “Recall the former days when you endured a hard struggle with sufferings”
               1. BTW, He talks about how they responded to these sufferings “after you were enlightened.” – This is key bc it means they have heard the gospel clearly proclaimed to them. How they respond to this gospel is the central issue at hand. Will they respond in faith and so preserve their souls in the end, believing God’s promise and giving their lives into this hands? Or will the tests and trials of life prove them to be those who shrink back and are destroyed? (in other words, were not people of enduring faith)
            2. [so…] Continue enduring steadfastly in faith is the middle vv. 35-36
            3. And then also (as further motivation to endure, besides recognizing how far God has brought you) to keep their eyes on Jesus and the future reward at his return (37-39)
            4. I’ve got a series of questions to help you trace the author’s argument, and then a diagram and summary to help make sure application for us is clear.
         2. What evidence do you see that these Christians endured real persecution in the past? And how did they handle it?
            1. We established from v. 32 that he calls these things a hard struggle with sufferings. But then he also lists a few more specifics: (v.33)
            2. They were publicly disgraced with insults… and publicly disgraced with affliction (distress because of physical, emotional, social, or economic adversity)
               1. Throughout history followers of Christ have been disowned by families and communities, publicly shamed and excommunicated, have lost their homes and their jobs, many tortured and killed.
               2. Sometimes the experiences of other believers reminds us not just that our own suffering is smaller, but that suffering is real. And that it can be faced with graceful endurance. (That’s how they handled it.) This disgrace they handled with grace.
            3. In the text it says that they were sometimes partners with others treated that way – they were sharers and participants in the persecution of others… WILLINGLY.
               1. (v. 34) They had compassion on those imprisoned for following Christ. That means they put themselves at risk and made sacrifices to provide for their needs.
            4. They joyfully accepted the plundering of their property. – Who can be joyful about people stealing their stuff? Only someone with excellent insurance coverage!
               1. Well, the question quickly becomes, Is true joy found in your stuff and circumstances or in your inner being? – James 1:2-4 & 1 Peter 1:6-7
            5. Will we handle suffering and being mistreated with grace? Will we willingly help out other people who are hurting when it will cost us? Will we take it all in stride and keep our joy in the Lord? – When the Apostle Paul speaks of having and not having, of contentment in any kind of circumstance, it is then that he says “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (“I can do all things.” Not, “I can become president if I want it enough.” Not, “I’ll eventually become rich if I don’t lose focus.” NO, but that, through Christ in me, I can joyfully, willingly, even gracefully face the struggles of this life and sacrifice for the sake of others.)
            6. OK, so that’s the evidence of their past persecution and how they handled it back then.
         3. Why does the author bring that up?
            1. Because apparently they need endurance right now. We don’t know the exact circumstance, but we know the author sees their need of endurance. So he wants them to again call upon whatever motivated them in the past to be their motivation now. To remind them that if God was faithful before he would be faithful now. To help them see that they can continue to endure.
            2. So he tells them in vv. 35-36, Endure in doing God’s will. (v.35)
               1. Do not throw away (or lose, or give up) your confidence. – We’ve said this before and we’ll remind ourselves of it again and again. What is our confidence as God’s people? Christ is our confidence, our courage, our boldness. 10:19&21 (Our confidence is that He is our savior, our priest, our king. If you let go of that, you lose everything.) v. 23 – So when your strength is fading, turn to Jesus. When your spirits are dampened, turn to Jesus. When doubts assail your hope and security, turn to Jesus. HE is our courage to endure. Christ is our courage to endure.
               2. (v. 36) You have need of endurance. To keep doing God’s will in the face of a long, hard battle, you need endurance. Satan and our flesh are enemies of God’s will, and they assail us relentlessly, so we need to endure in our faith—that Jesus is all we have and need, and that he will complete his promise.
            3. Now there comes a point in a race where you just aren’t sure how much more you can take. You may realize you’ve already endured a lot, but you just aren’t sure you can go another step. At times like this just remembering how far you’ve come might not be enough. – So what else does the author tell them to focus on? And what is the intended result of this mindset? à He tells them to focus on following Jesus all the way to the finish line.
               1. (We see it in bits of what their focus should be in vv. 34-36) A better and lasting possession… a great reward… receive what is promised. – The wreath at the finish line. The reward at the end of the contest. – We will no longer suffer from decaying bodies, no longer be weary of battling the flesh. But we will be like Him—new glorified bodies and perfectly glorified hearts and minds! And best of all: We will be in God’s perfect presence with a perfect relationship that will last in infinite joy forever! That’s a pretty spectacular reward. – And the more we have to endure suffering in this life, the more we will not only be shaped like Jesus, but the more we will enjoy his glory.
               2. So we need to keep looking to Jesus to have his mindset to endure: Heb. 12:2 – And what was the joy set before him? To accomplish the will of God to the glory of God!
            4. What is the intended result of having a mindset like that of Jesus that saw the benefit of the glory at the end? – That we will keep enduring in order to receive what is promised and by faith preserve our souls… receiving the promised reward.
               1. The author combines thoughts from Isaiah 26:20-21 and Habakkuk 2:3-4 (in a divinely-inspired interpretive paraphrase) to drive this home. (37)
                  1. Yet a little while… he will not delay (not that it will feel like only a short while, but compared to eternity…)
                  2. “The coming one” is Jesus. – Our great high priest, our king enthroned on high… is coming again.
                  3. (38) “But my righteous one shall live by faith” – that’s us, unless “we shrink back.” And then God’s soul has no pleasure in such a one who does not have faith in him.
               2. And then the powerful conclusion of the section. (39) – But we genuine people of faith are not of those who shrink back, who fail to persevere in faith, we are those who endure in faith and so preserve our souls. - People of faith are those who put their trust only in God, and who realize that God doesn’t let go of those who are his, no matter what suffering they go through – John 10:27-30

• (To help reinforce the message and demonstrate its relevance to us) I made a diagram for you to contrast the choices implied in the text. [use handwritten sheet]

1. [Conclusion] How do we face life’s challenges and struggles without quitting or going off the rails?
   1. To joyfully face life’s hard struggle with a righteous heart, BY FAITH we must daily choose to…
      1. Remember God’s work in us and through us in the past
      2. Focus on following Christ and the future reward at the end of the contest
   2. So that we will…
      1. Presently have courage to endure in God’s will
      2. Preserve our souls at the end
   3. So really, think of life like a race. You’re somewhere in the middle of a long, grueling race, currently facing a steep climb. You don’t even know exactly how much longer it is to the end, and you don’t know when or if you’ll get relief from this hill. But a coach reminds you how you’ve had strength to get through the hailstorm that struck a couple of hours ago. He reminds you that, man, that was no picnic, and it hurt like the dickens, but you came through it. Not only that, but you helped out another runner who was cramping during that storm, and another who was bleeding. He reminds you that it feels like you can’t get through this, but that you can and will because your confidence isn’t even in yourself but in Christ. But you have to resolve your will to follow Jesus through this race. And he encourages you more that you run this race of suffering without purpose anymore. It used to be that you suffered meaninglessly. But not anymore. You run with a purpose to follow hard after Jesus. And there’s more motivation! There’s a reward awaiting at the end. There’s perfect rest at the end in the arms of God. One day you’ll get there and receive that finish-line feeling when Jesus will say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” – All this, IF you endure steadfastly in faith to the end. Don’t swerve; don’t quit. Press on. Because you know that he who promised is faithful. He will surely bring you through. All this present suffering has a purpose and an end. Endure in faith so that “When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Col. 3:4)

1. [after songs] In the present, you need endurance. So remember how God has strengthened you to bring you this far, and keep your heart trusting Christ and your mind focused on the finish line of Christ’s return.
   1. Some of us are likely near the beginning of our race, innocently unaware of life’s obstacles and snares.
   2. Some are in the early middle, quickly becoming bombarded and almost shell-shocked
   3. Some are in the late middle, and we can feel our youthful strength fading
   4. Some near the end, wondering if we have anything left. But this finish is where you really shine.
   5. But whatever phase, our faith is not in ourselves but in our Savior. Our strength for endurance comes not from us but from our Lord. – Since we… since we… let us, let us, and let us!

Application Questions:

1. What in this passage really grips your attention? What do you find most difficult about it? (to understand, or to apply its truth)
2. Describe your personal challenges with forgetfully wallowing in self and circumstances. What specific practices help you to remember where God has brought you and to cling to his promised help?
3. Share a truly difficult life situation that you have faced. At the time, did you joyfully keep your focus on the Lord and on eternity (instead of the present problem)?
4. By God’s grace at work in you for His glory, how do you plan to proceed differently to courageously endure life’s long, hard contest? How can God’s people back you up?