Sermon: Keep Going

Take a copy of God's word this morning. Turn open to the book of Hebrews,

Hebrews chapter 10. Take a look this morning. We'll continue our way through this book. If you're using a Pew Bible, you'll turn to page 1007 and the Bible is right in front of you and the Pew rack Hebrew chapter 10 this morning, 32 through 39,

chapter 10 verses 32 through 39.

Let's pray before we open the word together this morning.

Father, we confess this morning that as we sit and stand in this place, that we live in a dark world where our minds are often clothed in darkness. Hearts are often shrouded in darkness,

yet we act as though we are operating in the full light and independent and strong-willed confident in ourselves.

We confess this morning that apart from you speaking to us, shining the light of your truth upon our minds and our hearts that truly we can see nothing. We know nothing we love nothing that is real or true or lasting. We pray this morning that as we hear the word red and as we hear it, preach that choose to shine brightly upon us. May there not to be a soul here, not encounter you, the living God by your living word according to your living

spirit this morning. Pray this in the strong name of Christ Jesus. Amen. Hebrews chapter 10 verses 32 through 39. This is the holy iner sufficient word of God. But I recall the former days when after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction and sometimes being partners with those who treated or you had compassion on those in prison and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property since

Liberty, Since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence has a great reward for you have need of endurance that when you have done the will of God may receive what is promised for yet a little while and the coming one will come on, come and will not delay. But my righteous one shall live by faith if he shrinks back, soul has no pleasure in him.

We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed of those who have faith preserve their souls. Well the grass withers and the flower fades. The word of God is forever. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Often when we present the Christian life and to unbelievers and call them to faith in Christ, we sound like a salesman in our day with the newest fangled invention that is going to solve all of the problems in your life. And we present it as if when you accept Christ, all of your pains, all of your sufferings, all of your trials, all of your troubles, they they vanish in a moment. We often frankly act that way. When we walk through the doors of this church,

we will blast our smiles on our faces. Our family is always happy and never sad, never in conflict. All of our problems have been solved when we came to know Christ.

It's a fairy tale not true. Once you hear the words of Jesus as he speaks about accepting him, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, pick up his cross and follow me, whoever it would save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. Or I've said these things to you that in me, you may have peace the world, you will have tribulation. Take heart, I have overcome the world. Or if you were of the world,

the world would love you as its own, but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you? A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. Or blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice. Be glad your reward is great in heaven for so they persecuted

the prophets who were before you, just a few verses from the lips of Lord Jesus Christ. We could go on and we could quote other verses that he says along these same lines, let alone go through all the scriptures and look at what the prophets and the apostles have said along these same lines. Listen, following Christ is the best of all things, but it can also be the hardest of all things. But it is also equally true, the sweetest of all things.

It actually gives purpose in this world to meaning in this world, to comfort in this world gives you hope in this world it's not necessarily easy sweet. The writer of Hebrews is not selling some kind of false Christian faith here or some pollyannish view of the Christian life. It's not what he's doing. He's facing reality of what it looks like.

I wanna do this this morning under three points. First he recalls their pain. Second, he recalls their service and finally he recalls their hope. First, he recalls their pain. They said he is not presenting a false narrative. He recalls their pain, he reminds them of what they have suffered as Christians already, and he does so not to bring sorrow upon them, not to cause a little pity party within their hearts and souls,

but so they will remember that quote he says they endured as he says in verse 22. He recalls it also that they look back and they said, oh, we endured through that and we endured through this and we went through this pain and this trial and this suffering and we came through it and now there's suffering to some degree again.

But as we've said, as we've gone through this book, it appears that on the horizon they see that they're going to suffer even greater. And so he's reminding them, you gotta look back. You gotta remind yourself. You gotta remember, even as you look on the horizon and you see harder days ahead,

every single one of you in the room that is a Christian this morning, you can testify. It doesn't take long walking with Christ before you suffer with Christ may in sufferings of this age and being in this world and the different trials of family and health and world and fallenness where it can be for the sake of Christ. And so he's remembering them of what they've experienced in the past so they might continue to endure in the present. The Lord kept you before.

Remember He says quote, recall the former days you endured a hard struggle with suffering. You endured. You endured before you can keep going. Now

that's the right mindset.

It's so very hard in the midst of trial, in the midst of, of suffering to have this mindset just, just to keep going,

especially when we are being, as he says here, exposed reproach and suffering affliction for the name of Jesus. Why is it so difficult? Because our circumstances loom so large that they cloud our eyes and they cloud our minds and we forget the God behind the circumstances because all we can see are the current circumstances that we just find ourselves drowning in.

And the remedy writer of Hebrews is offering is often the best approach. We have to look back to what we remember. He's the same Christ who had me last week, the same Christ who had me last month, the same Christ who had me last year, the same Christ who brought me through that trial, that suffering, that tribulation. Same one has me in his hands today.

Not different. He brought me through that to bring me through. This

has us,

I think it's especially hard to think like this when you're suffering for the name of Christ, Wade, because I publicly proclaimed others that I belong to Christ now I'm suffering isn't Christ king and head over all of heaven and over all of earth and yet I confess him. And now because I confess him, I'm suffering more because of him. Doesn't make sense

often the way. Do you think about when Moses was sent down to Egypt and God sent him down to redeem his people from the land and says, you are to call my people out. Let my people go. That's so Moses goes down and he goes to Pharaoh and he cries at the Pharaoh, let my people go. It's the first time in 400 years that we know of that anyone in the nation of Israel has cried out to Pharaoh, we're not yours. We belong to God.

Let us go so we can go out and worship our God. They're claiming him publicly. Yet what happens? Pharaoh responds by saying, you gotta make the same number of bricks that you made before but without straw. This time they suffer more. Well wait, wait. We publicly proclaimed him. We proclaimed that we're his. We belong to him. There's greater suffering

often as the path crossed before the crown, as has often been said in Christian circles. I remember the stark realization I had within the first six months of, of being a Christian. I, I went home for Christmas break and sat down at my grandparents lunch table. My grandparents were, I was very close to, very dear to me, uh, until they've both gone home to glory, uh, incredibly impactful in my life and, and I was their only grandson.

So I held a special place in the family. Um, I also was in many ways the life of our family. I was a standup comedian growing up, just loved, uh, crack jokes left and right and make everybody laugh and was always the center of attention and I often did at the expense of other people. And I came to know Christ

and those jokes weren't so funny to me anymore. I remember sitting at their lunch table and having lunch with them and my grandma looks over at me and she makes eye contact and she says,

we don't like this new Jason. We want the old Jason back.

And in the moment, it was the most hurtful thing anybody had ever said to me. I look back now and it was the best thing anybody ever said to me, noticed a change. New creation in Christ.

Christ is an offense.

He's opposed to the world's ways and the world is opposed to his way. We are not to be offensive ourselves, but we have to realize that Christ is an offense to those who are perishing. If we smell of Christ that some people we will just flat out stink because Christ stinks to them. But if you smell like him, they will be opposed to you.

Sometimes it is reproach, sometimes subtle, sometimes demonstrable. Thomas Watson, the Puritan wrote this. He said, A Christian is never the worst for reproach. Reproaches are but splinters of the cross. How will he endure the stake? Who cannot bear a scoff better? Have men reproach you for being good than have God damn you for being wicked? Be not laughed out of your religion. The lame man laugh at you for walking upright. Will you therefore limp

truth? No goodness, no Christ

have a friend who was just let out of prison this week

claiming Christ had to leave his family in another country, claiming Christ. There are some in this room who I know my joy to walk, walk alongside of

who are suffering public reproach because of their commitment to Christ. We have brothers and sisters in this room right now who are facing lawsuits who have lost their jobs, who have been disowned by their parents, who have been alienated from their children, who are kept from their grandchildren, ever seen them who've lost friends because they claim Christ

is one of the great burdens I think and one of the bless great blessings of ministry that I know a lot more that's going on in the lives of people in this congregation than being anybody else in it. And I often think that one of my main jobs as a pastor is just to do this very thing that this Hebrew pastor, Christian pastor is doing for these Hebrew Christians is just to, just to remind, just to recall,

let's just remind that the same Lord that had you yesterday, that had you last week, that had you last month, yes, your suffering is great right now. He still has you. Did he deliver you before? Did he keep you before? He keeps you. Now

just call into remembrance.

Suffering is never for Naugh. It always has purpose.

A good shepherd who cares for your soul, has pointed the suffering as the king and the head of the church and he shares with you in all your sufferings and afflictions. You are never alone. You remember when Saul of Tarsus who has been persecuting Christians is on that Damascus road and when that blinding light strikes him from heaven and he hears that voice from the clouds, do you remember what is said to him? Saul? Saul, why are you persecuting

me? Not alone.

We recall our former pains, so we keep going in the present sufferings of his people are never distant from him. Second, he recalls their service. He recalls in the second half of verse 33 in verse 34, they they saw themselves as not only belonging to Christ but also to the church. And so they were willing to serve those who formerly who were being mistreated. They understood that they are never alone in the midst of their sufferings.

Not only because they have Christ but because they have one another. They have the church. And so it may be that you are not suffering in the midst today. It may be that you are not suffering for your faith today, but you are united with brothers and sisters that are, and like these Hebrew Christians, we are to seek to come alongside those that are suffering in the body. When one member of the body suffers, the entire body suffers.

And these Hebrew Christians, they had such an outlook and it drove them to minister to those in need. In this case, those who were in prison. And you have to understand that they did this at great risk as they did so because doing so would open them up to even greater suffering because it would mean that they were identifying themselves with those that were imprisoned for their faith,

putting their own lives in jeopardy.

They were unlike Peter when Peter's standing outside and slave girl, servant girl asked him quickly, denies they were not willing to deny their brothers and sisters in Christ. No, they knew that they were united to him even to the point of losing their earthly possessions. In fact, he says this, he says, they quote joyfully accepted the plundering of their property joyfully.

It is to me one of the starkest contrast maybe to the present day church and and one of the starkest things that you read when you read through the early church is that not only did they suffer for the sake of Christ, but they suffered joyfully for the sake of Christ. This is what marked them. Think about James. He says, this counted all joy in my brethren. When you meet various trials in acts, you remember Paul and Silas are in prison for Christ. And what are they doing?

They are singing in prison. You'll remember that Peter and John, after they have been flogged, they've been whipped. Their backs are probably ripped open. And we say, we hear quote, they were rejoicing, that they were counted worthy to suffer, dishonor for the name. And that joyful suffering, it continues into the second century. If you and I were to read together the early church fathers, you would see this regularly over and over. For example,

the great church Father Ignatius, he will be taken prisoner. He will be traveling to Rome to the coliseum where they will put him to death. And on his way, he is writing letters to the churches. And in those letters he says to the churches, stop praying for my deliverance.

Because in his suffering he feels that he's closer to God. He says, just pray for my faithfulness in the midst of my suffering. In the second century Christian document, the epistle to DiUS. That author describes Christians this way. This is how he, he describes Christians. Christians obey the established laws. Indeed in their private lives, they transcend the laws. They love everyone. And by everyone, they're persecuted. They're unknown,

yet they're condemned. They're put to death, yet they're brought to life. They are poor. Yet they make many rich. They're in need of everything. Yet they abound in everything. They are dishonored, yet they're gloried. They gl, they're glorified in their dishonor. They are slandered. Yet they're vindicated. They are cursed, yet they bless, they're insulted. Yet they offer respect. When they do good, they are punished as evildoers. When they are punished,

they rejoice as though brought to life.

How could they do this? How do you joyfully accept as the writer of Hebrews says, this kind of suffering, this kind of plundering, this kind of persecution, this kind of reprove. Well that's our third point. He recalls their pain, he recalls their service, and now he recalls their hope.

He doesn't simply point to the past but points them to the future.

We don't bear suffering just like it's the inevitable or just kind of that, that frame of mind that you often hear people say, well, you're just gonna, you grin and you bear it. That's not what the, the scriptures are conveying. Now what we do is we view the suffering that we're going through as preparation for its anticipation for what we have to come prepares us for it. It helps us to anticipate it. We're continually looking forward as Christians,

even as we're reminded by looking back. He says in verse 34, you knew that you yourselves, it's emphatic. You yourselves had a better position and abiding one, he reminds them to keep looking forward. Why? Because in the midst of their suffering and the loss of their possessions, it this world, it seems so permanent. And what he's reminding them of, it's fleeting. None of this, none of this is permanent. None of these are your great possession.

None of it lasts. But what comes he's saying is forever you knew. He says to them, you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and abiding one. One that last.

Small children, they often have a favorite pacifier or a blanky and you can't console them unless they haven't. It's the world to them. But a couple of years down the road,

they don't touch the blankie. They don't touch the pacifier. Now it's the toy tractor. Now it's the baby doll. That little girl, she, she can't go anywhere without that baby doll. That little boy, he can't ever fall asleep unless that toy tractor is in bed with him. And yet a couple of years go by and that toy tractor and that baby doll, it ends up in the trash or it ends up at a garage sale. Get that first car, keep it clean on the outside.

You keep it clean on the inside, you name it, you better not come in my car with your dirty shoes. No one eats in my car

a few years later. Replace it with something newer and better.

You junk it all fleeting.

There's always something more. We even do this with our jobs, our reputation, our family, even These are not our greatest possessions. He is. And we are willing and are to be willing to give them all up for his sake.

As Paul summarizes in Romans eight, I consider that the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is be revealed to us. They can joyfully accept the plundering of their property. They can endure this current hardship, bear this reproach because they know what is to come.

Now maybe that you are not suffering in this way today, things be to God.

But you have to prepare your minds and your hearts even now the possibility that you may suffer this way. So

it's always this hope that has propelled Christians. We don't need to have things go our way in this world, in our day as much as we may want to. We don't need to win the cultural wars. What we need, we already have of Christ.

We have this hope of glory.

I had two very interesting conversations this week along these lines. One was with Dr. Carl Truman who was here for a conference last week. And we were talking about this. He was saying to me, he said that he was in having a meeting with an archbishop in the Roman Catholic church. And he asked that archbishop in the Roman Catholic church, he said to him, he said, do you find that the Catholic church that you're serving or the Catholic church

in this country, that there's as much angst as I've observed in the evangelical church over the last few years with all the different changes in our culture, said the Roman Catholic bishop said, no, we don't have that same angst. And Dr. Truman said, well, what do you attribute that to? Why is that? And this archbishop said, well, it's because we've always in the society lived on the margins. That's

normal for us.

This is how Christian communities throughout world history have lived what we've enjoyed in so many ways. Here is an anomaly.

I was having a conversation yesterday. A seminary president came to have lunch with me and uh, he travels the world, spends a lot of his time outside of the United States, though he's the president of a seminary in this country. And I was asking him about this. I said, why is it you're, you're president of a seminary in this country and yet you, you feel drawn to go all over the world and you're spending just as much time

outside the United States as you are in the United States. Why is that? And he said, well, it's very purposeful. He said, I'm going to the suffering international church. And he said, this is the reason why. Because it's going to be the suffering international church that is going to be teaching us as the Christian Church. We are going to be leaning upon them and they have much to teach us. And so I'm just trying to make sure that they're in some good places.

Theologically,

this is what it has looked like through church history. This is normative. And yet what keeps the church going on generation after generation, after generation is this hope, this promise, what we know is already are ours in Christ. It has propelled Christians through the centuries. Now we don't give up in our day and age. We don't throw in the towels, especially in a democracy. But we should expect to suffer reproach and affliction.

But even more so with the writer of Hebrews is pointing out, we are to expect to receive what is promised to us. As he says in verse 36, that even more so that's guaranteed,

it's been the underlying resolve and it has been the energy of the church through the ages. Why? 'cause hear me clearly circumstances do not dictate to us.

Circumstances don't dictate to us.

This is so frustrated our adversaries through the ages, they think threat and persecutions and even death will destroy the Christian faith. But as we see here, it did not deter. In fact, when it is darkest, the light of Christians that shines the brightest. And so here in Hebrews, they continued to minister even visit those in prison. Why? Because they knew of him on whom they had believed. They're held by him. They're safe in him.

And he was their all in all. You can't can't take Christ from us. That's not a possibility. Bring what you may. You can't take Christ from me and you can't take me from Christ

is worth our all in all. Whatever we have to give up for, we find him worthy,

worthy of losing these passing possessions for these passing positions for even this passing life for. And so the rider exhorts them. Verse 35, don't throw away your confidence. It's not an old blinky, it's not a baby doll, it's not a toy truck. This confidence that you have had and that you still have, you must hold onto for it as a confidence in things eternal. Keep going. What he's telling them. And that's what he's telling us. Keep going.

He says very clearly, verse 36, this is the will of God that you keep enduring so that you receive what is promised and it's promised by him, God's will that you keep persevering.

And they have a sovereign watchful act of king and they have a fixed hope. It's guaranteed. So he is confidence. But we are not of those who shrink back. We can't. He's in essence saying, so you mustn't we are to continue to have faith and thus preserve our souls. You have to keep going on. Christ is worthy no matter the loss, no matter the suffering, no matter the pains, he is worthy. You keep going on. You have that mindset.

You have it keep going on. Are you encouraging each other in this way? Your brothers and sisters that are suffering for the sake of Christ, keep going on those that are in trial. Various sufferings. Are you reminding them he who has you still has you keep going on.

I'm gonna close with this.

A number of years ago I was a season of suffering for the sake of Christ. And so I was wrestling with these very things and and I just started thumbing through the scriptures and looking for all kinds of, what are some of the benefits of this, of suffering for the name and the sake of Christ. And I wrote down a list and I've returned to this list many times over the years as encouragement and share this with you. In closing, what are some of the benefits? What?

What are the opportunities you have suffering for Christ? I have the opportunity to look to Christ who suffered silently Isaiah 53 7 to become more like Christ as I endure suffering. One Peter 2 21, the privilege of suffering with Christ one Peter four 13 complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. Colossians 1 24 to be tested by fire so the genuineness of my faith will shine to the glory and honor of Christ, one Peter one, seven,

to remind myself that the great judge knows what is true. Matthew 1236. I have the opportunity to suffer with him knowing that as I do, I shall be glorified with him. Romans eight 17. I have the opportunity to suffer as it is a gracious thing in the sight of God. One Peter two 20. I have the opportunity to suffer as it is a blessing and sign that the spirit of glory and of God rest upon me. One Peter four 14, I have the opportunity to be reminded that my current suffering is nothing

compared to the glory that awaits me. First Peter five 10. I have the opportunity to learn to truly love my enemies. Matthew 5 44 have the opportunity to know more fully extent of Christ's love towards me. Ephesians three 14 and following, to learn afresh how dependent I am upon Christ. John 15, five had the opportunity to be identified with Christ. John 1518 following, I have the opportunity to test my desire for God's glory than man's

approval. Isaiah 51, 7 through eight.

He's worth losing all for. And even your suffering is not a loss. It's preparing you more and more. It's conforming you more and more to his likeness, preparing you for the promise of glory to come.

He's worth all you give to him.

Keep going. Let's pray.

Father, we are thankful

as you are a God who sits over heaven and earth. And there is not

one cell of our body.

There is not one atom, one molecule. You are not directing that all things are directed to your glory and for the good of your people that remind us over and over, that you who have kept us will keep us and you help us to persevere, have an even as we seek to preserve our souls by keeping going on our eyes, fixed upon you. Great hope that awaits us in Christ Jesus. It's in His name. We pray.