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Hello and welcome to the West Side Church's special podcast.

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Good morning. I'd like you to turn with me in your New Testaments to the book of Hebrews chapter 12. Hebrews chapter 12. We'll begin our study there in just a moment. To do that, let me add my word of thanks as others have done. Thank you to all of our members, to this whole church family for the way that you contribute to this extraordinary weekend. We were talking just yesterday. I always forget how good this weekend is. And then it comes around again. You go, wow, that was amazing. And it will be amazing next year. Thank you to our members, to our deacons. If you turned on an AC unit, if you wrote a prayer email, if you unlocked or locked up the building, thank you. Thank you to everyone who has contributed. And thank you, of course, especially to our shepherds for how they watch over our souls and how they lead and feed us in God's word and the role that this weekend plays in that. Certainly thank our speakers. Look forward to our messages the rest of the day. And thank you to you guys, our young people, wherever you're sitting in the auditorium. Thank you. You guys make this weekend so special and extraordinary. When the theme for this weekend came up nine months-ish ago, the very first thought that went through my mind is the journey to heaven, that's a long trip. You can tell I'm a deep, profound thinker from that. I've done some long road trips in my days, and so I started chewing on that. And I can't preach on coffee this morning, though filling a backpack with coffee would be wonderful. But I wanted us to think about what... It takes to go all the way to the end of a long journey. And so as probably most of you are aware, we're going to talk this morning about endurance. Hebrews chapter 12, the writer says this in Hebrews 12, 1, Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the the founder and perfecter of our faith, who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross. That's going to be home base for us this morning. Hebrews 12 says a ton about endurance. And so we're going to think from that passage about what it is, how we can do it, what makes it possible, and what that will look like in our lives. And I'm going to suggest as we begin this morning, this definition for endurance. I want to talk for a minute, yes, about Endurance 101. The basics, the essentials. What is it? And I'm going to suggest we use this. Go Going to the goal with grit. Think about Jesus in Hebrews chapter 12. He knows what the goal is. It's going home by way of the cross. He knows that's where he's going. It is clearly fixed in his mind. And every decision that Jesus makes is moving him incrementally. Gradually, relentlessly, persistently towards that goal. Day after day, teaching after teaching, miracle after miracle, everything Jesus does is moving him one step closer to that goal. And he does that with grit. I think it was Tim yesterday that used that phrase. I want to just fix that in our minds this morning. I love the idea of grit. When the going gets hard, we don't quit. We practice grit. We keep going because we know where we're going and we've committed to going forward. And I came across this graphic as I was working with that. I love the idea behind this to illustrate endurance. Sometimes life looks like the top line. It is the ideal plan. I'm going to go from point A to point B and nothing will stand in the way. It's just going to be smooth sailing the whole way there. And sometimes life looks like that. And that's what you're going to see on Instagram or whatever social media thing you subscribe to. It looks pretty. It looks easy. It's Instagram worthy. And that still counts because you're going from point A to point B. That counts as endurance. But most of the time, life looks like the real plan, doesn't it? If you read through Hebrews chapter 11, you'll know that the life of Abraham or Jacob... or Moses, it looks a whole lot more like that second picture than it does like the first. There are bumps and bruises. There are U-turns. There are breaks. There are stops. There are interruptions. There are failures. But they don't stop going. They keep going to the goal and they practice grit. And that's Endurance. You're not going to see that on Instagram. Those are ugly moments that are not social media worthy, but they are endurance, and they are vital and essential to us. The last picture is not endurance. Because they don't go to the goal. It's messy, just like the second one, right? But they don't finish the journey. And so endurance for our purposes this morning is going to the goal with grit. Now, I acknowledge that those comments are rather conceptual in nature. So I want to try and make that a little more tangible with some Bible characters, many of which we've already noted this weekend. And young people, I'm going to talk especially to you guys because this is youth lectures. If you are like Daniel in a culture that is opposed to faith and serving God, and you are sticking with daily spiritual disciplines, like prayer and Bible reading and assembling with the saints every time you have an opportunity, that's endurance, especially when you're away from home in a hard place. If you were like Joseph in Potiphar's house, who is being tempted with something he's pretty sure he can get away with, that he could rationalize and say, yeah, this isn't really going to hurt anybody, and you're resisting that temptation, and you're serving God and you're going to the goal, that's endurance. Endurance. If you were like Noah's sons, for who a long period of time helped their dad build a giant boat when no one thought you needed a boat, and you honored God and you honored your parents, that's endurance. If you were like Ruth, who stands with Naomi when she doesn't know what the end of that journey is going to look like or what it's going to cost her, but nothing will shake her from staying with Naomi, that's Endurance. If you were like Job and you were dealing with a disaster in your life, physically, emotionally, maybe both, that's endurance. Or if like Paul, you are serving God faithfully until the end of your life, if you have some gray hairs like I do, and you are still enduring because you know it's worth it, that's endurance. It looks like so many wonderful, famous Bible characters. And it's doable. And part of why that's so important is, of course, because endurance is essential. You don't get to the goal and you don't receive the reward if you quit along the way. Hold your finger in Hebrews 12 and turn over to Hebrews chapter 10 for just a moment. In Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 36... Hebrews 10, 36, the writer says this, for you have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what is promised. You don't receive the promise without endurance. You don't receive it if you quit. Jesus says to the disciples in Matthew chapter 10, it is the one who endures to the end who will be saved. And Paul in Romans chapter 2, as he discusses the common salvation of Jews and Gentiles, he says that to those who by patience in doing good seek glory and honor and immortality, God grants them eternal life. That word patience, that's endurance. If you stick with it, even when it's hard, all the way to the end. And you receive the reward. Now I acknowledge, particularly because it's youth lectures, that at this point I've said endurance is hard and you have to do it. And that doesn't sound real positive, does it? Telling your kids that kind of instruction, which you guys are not kids, but you're young people, that doesn't come across necessarily in the most favorable light. And so I want to talk for just a moment about the good news of endurance because I think that is so essential for our purposes this morning. As we look in Hebrews chapter 12, again hold your finger there, you'll see that part of what the writer expresses is that Jesus endured by looking to the joy. In our terminology this morning, what that means is Jesus endured the cross because he said, what is after the cross? The reward and the goal is so worth it. It is so magnificently wonderful that the cross doesn't even count. There's that little phrase in verse 1, or verse 2 rather, excuse me, that Jesus despised the shame. And I used to think that meant Jesus went, ick, shame, I hate that. That's not what it means, right? The new living transgression. Jesus disregarded the shame. That's the idea. If you've ever made a pro and cons list, that would be me. You've probably done something like that at some point in your life. Imagine Jesus making a pro and cons list. And there's all the pros of, I'm going home and I'm saving souls and I'm fulfilling the will of God. And then he thinks about the cross and the shame of the cross. And I think what Hebrews 12 says for us is it's almost as though Jesus won't even write it down because it doesn't even count. It doesn't make it on the list because enduring, the goal, the reward is so wonderfully worth it that the hardship doesn't count. Paul says that in Romans chapter 8, rather famously. You don't have to turn there, but verse 18, he says, I am convinced that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Yes, it's hard. Yes, it stinks. But it's worth it. It's absolutely worth it. And notice again in Hebrews chapter 12 that part of what the writer says is that this isn't just some future thing that's worth it. It's worth it now. Hebrews 12 and 10. They disciplined us, speaking of earthly parents, for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplined us for our good. That's not 80 years in the future. That's today that we may share his holiness. That's today. Verse 11, for the moment, all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. If we endure, we get to be righteous today by the grace and goodness of God. And in verse 15, see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God. That is not just a future reality. That is a present reality and truth. So yes, endurance is hard. And it's essential, but it's also absolutely worth it. And another message of Scripture that is so vitally important is that God will help us. God promises to do that. I'm in Isaiah chapter 40. I'd love for you to turn there with me. Isaiah chapter 40, as the book of Isaiah turns to peace and comfort and good news from mainly judgment, he says this at the end of chapter 40. Isaiah 40 and verse 28. "'Have you not known?' "'Have you not heard?' The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not be faint. God has infinite endurance. And He's not hoarding it. He is able and willing and interested in sharing it with us so that we can endure as well. And so it is in the New Testament that Paul prays for the Colossians, that they would be strengthened with all power according to God's glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy. Paul prays that because he knows that God can and that God will give us endurance. Turn to Romans 15 for just a moment. Paul gives us some insight, I think, into how this can function and operate. Romans 15 and in verse 4, as he's concluding this consideration of pursuing unity over matters that are matters of conscience rather than matters we might say of doctrine, so to speak, things about which folks can disagree and still be united in Christ, he says this after talking about the strong bearing the weakness of the weak. Romans 15 and verse 4, whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction that through endurance, there's our word, and through the encouraged Now notice in verse 5, Endurance comes from the God of endurance. That makes sense, doesn't it? And encouragement through the scriptures comes from the God of encouragement. And all of that helps us to endure. So it's feasible because God makes it feasible. He promises to help us. And significantly, even in that passage, we have this indication that we are not alone. We've noted this idea already this weekend, but I just want to pound that home again. In Hebrews 12 and verse 1 begins with that phrase, we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Those are people past. What on earth do they do for us? Well, I think one of the main things in that context that they do is they show you are not the first and you are not the only. You know it's possible to endure because a whole host of people have already done it by God's help and by God's grace. If they did it, you can do it too. And of course, that's not the only message of Scripture in this regard. Peter says in 1 Peter 5 and verse 9, Stand firm, resisting the devil, because the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brethren all over the world. And when Paul writes to the Thessalonians, a very new, young, Gentile church... He says you are imitators of the churches of Christ in God in Judea. He says to a bunch of brand new Gentile Christians, you're like Jewish Christians because you guys are suffering the same suffering and you are experiencing the same salvation. That would have been thrilling to their hearts and to their souls. You are not alone. And young people, let me particularly say, look around you this morning as you probably have already done this weekend. We love you. We absolutely love you. You are not on your own. We may not be with you in the moment of hardship, but we stand behind you and we pray for you and we are here for you. You are not alone. And finally, my favorite bit of good news in some ways this morning is the simple observation that you are already enduring suffering. This isn't some new future endeavor. You're already doing it. Turn to Hebrews chapter 6 for just a moment. Hebrews chapter 6, and we're going to read just for a moment in verse 9. Hebrews 6 and verse 9. The book of Hebrews obviously has an edge to it at times because the readers need to be called back to Christ. And that's going to take some firm exhortation. But there are some little sprinkles of good news and confidence in this wonderful letter. And the writer says this in Hebrews 6 and verse 9. Though we speak in this way, strong, harsh exhortation, rebuke at times, though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things. Things that See that little phrase at the end of verse 10? As you still do. The writer of Hebrews says, I'm not telling you to endure. I'm telling you to keep enduring because you're already doing it. You know you can do it because you already are. And that message is sprinkled all over the New Testament. In the letters to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3, it says, In my judgment, what you see Jesus say in part is, I see it's hard, and I see you haven't quit. And I think while it's not in the text, I think between the lines what you see Jesus saying is, I am so proud of you. You haven't given up, even though it's hard. And Paul says that explicitly to the Thessalonians. We've already made reference to this letter. I'd like to turn to it for just a minute. 1 Thessalonians chapter 3 says, We talk sometimes about Philippians or the church at Philippi being Paul's favorite church. I think Thessalonia might give them a run for their money. Paul says this in 1 Thessalonians 3, by way of context, because they are new in Christ and the persecution is hard and strong, and he wasn't with them all that long, he's afraid they might have given up and fallen away from Christ. So he sends Timothy to check on them, and Timothy comes back and he says, Paul, you've got nothing to worry about. These guys are rocking it. They are sticking with the faith. They are enduring. And so Paul says this in 1 Thessalonians 3, in verse 8, Now we live if you are standing fast. The world's going to tell you a lot of things are real life and what life is all about. By inspiration, Paul says, you know what life is about? It's about enduring together. And young people, let me say especially, we don't have the relationship with you guys, every one of us and every one of you that Paul did with the Thessalonians. But when you stand firm, we really live and God is glorified. And in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, look at the phrasing that Paul uses to talk about these brethren. What is our hope? This is 1 Thessalonians 2 and verse 19. What is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy. Young people... We feel that way about you. When you endure, we have joy and hope and it thrills our hearts. And that's true for all believers, young and old, because the Bible is full of people who went part of the way and then quit. And when you keep going all the way to the goal with grit, when you endure, it glorifies God and it thrills our hearts. Now, we've talked a lot about some concepts that relate to endurance, but now we need to talk some about what do we do about this? How do we actually stuff something into our backpacks that we're talking about this weekend? And we'll go back to Hebrews 12 for a moment to give that some consideration. As I was prepping for that, I came across the story, which I'd heard before, of a young man named Alex Honnold. You may know his name. He did what's called a free solo climb of this massive cliff face in Yosemite National Park. It's something like 7,500 feet from the bottom of the cliff to the very top of the cliff. And he climbed that with no ropes and nobody with him in under four hours. That blows my mind. He's given TED Talks, he's written books, he's done all kinds of stuff. He is a world-class climber, as is probably self-explanatory. But one of the things that's surprising about that is that story made a lot of news. But what he also describes to people is he spent eight years of his life preparing for that climb. He did it with ropes, time after time after time. He thought about the map. he prepared his mind so that when he's a mile up in the air and nothing's holding him to the mountain, he doesn't panic and fall off. That's kind of important. And so that he knows the route from start to finish. He knows every grip, every hold, every maneuver. And of course, his body was trained in that as well. And Peter says something like that in 1 Peter 1 in verse 13. He says, prepare your minds for action. And that's what I'd like for us to do for a few moments at this point. Notice again in Hebrews chapter 12, We've already talked about Jesus going to the cross, and I think part of what that reflects for us is that Jesus made a commitment. Luke tells us that in Luke 9 and verse 51, that Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem. He said, I know where I'm going, nothing is going to stop me, no matter what, full stop. He made a commitment. And even when it got hard, and it got very hard, Jesus held to that commitment. We've noted this weekend already that Daniel, in Daniel chapter 1 and verse 8, he resolves, he commits firmly in his mind that he will not eat the king's food and nothing will shake that resolve. They made a commitment. And particularly for our young people, but certainly not only for y'all, I want to suggest that making a commitment is really important for us. And I would particularly suggest that you write that down somewhere. I can't tell you why writing something down makes a difference, but it does. I'm not asking you to journal a thousand things, but you know what's going to be hard for you as it relates to endurance. You know what's going to take grit, the temptation, the hardship, the fear. You know what that is for you. So make a commitment that it's not going to stop you. Write it down. And I, because we live in this age, if you've got one of these, which everybody does, put it in there. Somewhere that you will see regularly. Because a commitment once is good. But being reminded of that commitment day after day after day is better. Probably it's not going to be your lock screen. That's okay. but put it somewhere that you will see it regularly so that you renew that commitment day after day. And that brings us then back to Hebrews chapter 12 because of course we are told that Jesus endured in part by looking to the joy. And I would suggest particularly here, but I think part of why that is so important is that looking to the joy feeds our commitment because there will be days where your commitment wavers and it's hard and you're thinking about slowing down or quitting or veering off the course. And when we remember why we're doing it, what is at the end of the road, it helps us to endure. So So Jesus looked to the joy. And look in Hebrews chapter 11 for just a moment, if you're still in that general text. Hebrews chapter 11 says that about others. In Hebrews 11 and verse 10, it tells us that Abraham, who is wandering all over the place and living in tents when he came out of a city where there were buildings, he was looking, Hebrews 11, 10, he was looking forward to the city of that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God. He was looking to the joy. And in verse 26, it says the same thing about Moses. Hebrews 11, 26. Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. As we think about preparing our minds for endurance, we have got to keep that joy before us. On the one further passage in that regard, turn to Romans chapter 5 with me. Romans chapter 5. It's a wonderful passage as Paul has concluded his consideration of justification by faith, just like Abraham, that was true for all of the Christians in Rome, of course. And in Romans 5 and verse 1, he says this, "...therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice, there's joy, in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Do you notice that that begins and ends with hope. We start with hope of salvation because we have been saved. And when hardship helps us produce character through endurance, it leads us and points us right back to hope. That's part of how they can and should function if we will engage God's will in those moments. So look to the joy. And then let's go back to Hebrews 12. There's one other preparing our minds idea I'd like for us to think about, and that is this idea of seeing God In Hebrews 12 and verse 5, the writer says this, It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not love? This is a little different than looking to the joy, though I acknowledge there's some similarity there. Let's see if I can put it in these terms. Hardship is hard. Newsflash. However, what the writer of Hebrews says is sometimes in hardship we focus on all the things we don't enjoy. No, I don't know how it's going to end or when it's going to end. And if we're anything like Job, sometimes we don't know what God is doing or when or why or how in the moment of hardship. And the writer of Hebrews says, get it, put that aside for a moment. Think about a couple of absolute guaranteed knowns in hardship. God loves you, full stop. That is always true. God wants what is best for you. Full stop. Always true. And so in hardship, regardless of what I don't know about what God is doing, I know that I can engage God in that hardship and He will help me to endure and He will help that trial and hardship to produce in me something positive and productive so that after I am stronger and better... And I am able to serve in new ways. I am able to bear different fruit, maybe more fruit. And I may be able to help someone who is going through that hardship in the future. Those are blessings. The hardship is hard, but even in hardship, the writer says, there is blessing. Blessing. Remember those. Fix those firmly in your minds. C.S. Lewis said that in this way. Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny. I think that's what the writer of Hebrews is saying by inspiration. And so we can prepare our minds in part by letting hardship, letting those gritty moments accomplish their desired purpose. But then we need to talk about not only how do we prepare our minds, what do we actually do? What do we do next? There we go. How do we get prepared for action? And the first of those you have probably heard many, many times from the Hebrews 12 text. And that is what I'm going to call lighten the load. The writer says lay aside every weight and sin. And that's really important because not everything that is not wrong is helpful to us. You follow me on that? And that's really important. It doesn't have to be wrong to be something we should steer clear of. Jesus says, if you would be my disciple, you may have to hate your father and mother or brother or sister or even your own life. Now that we understand that is a relative statement of priority. But there may be some relationships in your life that you just need to ditch. We talked about that yesterday. Samson needed to quit hanging out with Delilah. I would think after the second time that he woke up, locked up somewhere, that he would have gone, oh yeah, she's probably not the right person for me to hang out with, but he never got it. You guys may have some folks who you need to separate from. You don't have to be a jerk about that, but if they are holding you back from endurance, from going to the goal with grit, get rid of it. It's not worth it. Lot needed to get out of Sodom, but he never did until the last possible moment. And of course, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about plucking out your eye or cutting off your hand. Again, we understand those are metaphorical. They are exaggerations. But they illustrate to us that there may be some things that we just need to cut out of our lives that are things or possessions. Maybe that's money. Maybe that's technology. Whatever it is, if it's keeping you from going to the goal with grit in even the slightest measure, get rid of it. It's not worth it. And then that brings us to talk for a moment about regrouping and recharging. I'm going to move quickly through these last two points because I've run a little bit long thus far, so bear with me. We talked yesterday, Phil Robertson spoke with us yesterday afternoon about our board of directors. And we've already noted that a couple of times this morning. God wants to help you endure. And we want to help you endure. So let's get together and do it. Folks who run really long races, ultra marathons, who do really long hikes, they get friends and family set up at some stations along the way with a van that they can sleep in and food and water because otherwise they won't make it. We are those stations. God is that station. So plug in. Let's get together with those who want to help us endure and let that fill back up our backpacks, to charge us back up so we can go all the way to the end. And the last point I'll make this morning is to endure small. When I was in high school, I was terrified of picking the wrong major in college and the rest of my life being doomed to failure. I know that sounds ridiculous, but that's a reality. And maybe some of you guys are experiencing something like that. And the problem there is I was trying to solve 40 years in a day, and you can't solve 40 years in a day. It doesn't work that way. Endure small. You can't make a thousand decisions today for the next 40 years, but you can make the next right decision. Just one. Find what it is. Make that decision. Do it. And follow through. And the Bible says in the parable of the talents that the one who's been faithful over a little, a little, will be set over much and that we reap what we sow. Put that principle to work in your life. Endure small, one step at a time, all the way to the goal with grit. Thank you for thinking with me this morning about endurance. Can we pray briefly together and then we'll be concluded. Our Father in heaven, we thank you For Jesus who endured the cross. For all that that means to us. We thank you for being the God of endurance and encouragement. Help us this day. Help us every day. That we would go all the way home. That you would bless us as we endure hardship. And sometimes even as we endure blessings. That we would not waver. That we would not stop. But that we would go all the way to you. Even when it's hard. and especially when it's hard, by relying on you and your infinite endurance. Thank you for your grace, for your love, and for your goodness. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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Thanks for listening to the Westside Church of Christ podcast. For more information about Westside, you can connect with us through our website, justchristians.com and our Facebook page. Our music is from upbeat.io. That's upbeat with two P's, U-P-P-E-A-T, where creators can get free music. Please share our podcast with others, and we look forward to seeing you again.