Enduring to the End
Our endurance to the end is accomplished by our continuing in His words. Jesus
while He walked on this earth said many times “Repent for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand”. Repent means to turn around and go the other way. We have to die
to ourselves and live for Him; the apostle Paul said in Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified
with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
Himself for me”.
Jesus told us to continue in Him (John 8:31-32) “then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on Him, if you continue in My word, then are you My disciples
indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.
James says “you believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe,
and tremble”. So you see that believing on Jesus in only the beginning.
Many people believe in Jesus as their Savior, yet they don’t continue with Him.
Jesus said “why call you Me, Lord, Lord and don’t do the things which I say”.
As Jesus in the book of Revelation speaks to the churches warning them to repent
and return to Him (Revelation 2:1-5) “to the angel of the church of Ephesus write;
these things says He that holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the
midst of the seven golden candlesticks. I know your works, and your labor, and
your patience, and how you can not bear them which are evil; and you have tried
them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars. And
have borne, and have patience; and for My name’s sake have labored, and have
not grown weary. Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have
left your first love. Remember therefore from where you are fallen, and repent,
and do the first works; or else I will come to you quickly, and will remove your
candlestick out of its place, except you repent”. In Revelation 3:1-3 He says “and
to the angel of the church in Sardus write; these things says He that has the seven
Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know your works, that you have a name that
you live, and are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that
are ready to die; for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember
therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If
therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shall not know
what hour I will come upon you”. These warnings Jesus gave to the seven
churches of Asia; He is saying the same things to the churches today.
God told Joshua “this book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you
shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all
that is written therein; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you
shall have good success”. The book of the law is our Bible, and we are supposed
to let the word of God continually come out of our mouth. Meditating day and night
is also a continuing form of thinking about, speaking about, and remembering His
words.
David who was called “a man after God’s own heart” wrote in Psalms 17:15 (Amp)
“as for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice,
and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake (to find myself)
beholding Your form (and having sweet communion with You”.
Proverbs 23:17 (Amp) which says “let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in
the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord Yahweh all the day long”. In the book
of Hebrews we are told to “take heed, brethren, less there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily
while it is called today, less any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of
sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our
confidence steadfast to the end” (Hebrews 3:12-14). And we are told in Hebrews
13:1 to “let brotherly love continue”.
Many Christians don’t take the time to read or study His word; which is there for
our instructions (Proverbs 4:20-23) it says “my son, attend to m words; incline your
ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of
your heart. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it, are the issues of life”.
Jesus tells us in John 15:7,10 “if you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you
shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you. If you keep My
commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s
commandments and abide in His love”. Abide means to stay, to continue in.
The early church walked and continued in the doctrine of Christ; they did the
things which Jesus Himself did. It was said of them, that they turned the world
upside down.
The apostle Paul, rebuked the believers in Galatia that they had begun in faith and
should remain in faith. The apostle Paul also speak to the saints in Colosse in
Colossians 1:23 “if you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not
moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a
minister”.
Paul tells Timothy “but continue you in the things which you have learned and
have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them. And that from a
child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise to
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to all
good works” (II Timothy 3:14-17).
In the natural as one enters a race, only one wins the prize, but the apostle Paul
said that we all can receive a crown as we continue in the faith (II Timothy 4:7-8) “I
have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
Hereafter there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to all them also
that love His appearing”.
We have to remember that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, and that we
bear fruit only when we continue in the vine. Just cut a flower off and see that it will
wither in a short time. Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith, when we
stay connected to Him. So you see that we can not endure to the end, unless we
are in Him.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: August 5, 2011
Our endurance to the end is accomplished by our continuing in His words. Jesus
while He walked on this earth said many times “Repent for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand”. Repent means to turn around and go the other way. We have to die
to ourselves and live for Him; the apostle Paul said in Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified
with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me and the life which I
now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave
Himself for me”.
Jesus told us to continue in Him (John 8:31-32) “then said Jesus to those Jews
which believed on Him, if you continue in My word, then are you My disciples
indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.
James says “you believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe,
and tremble”. So you see that believing on Jesus in only the beginning.
Many people believe in Jesus as their Savior, yet they don’t continue with Him.
Jesus said “why call you Me, Lord, Lord and don’t do the things which I say”.
As Jesus in the book of Revelation speaks to the churches warning them to repent
and return to Him (Revelation 2:1-5) “to the angel of the church of Ephesus write;
these things says He that holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the
midst of the seven golden candlesticks. I know your works, and your labor, and
your patience, and how you can not bear them which are evil; and you have tried
them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars. And
have borne, and have patience; and for My name’s sake have labored, and have
not grown weary. Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have
left your first love. Remember therefore from where you are fallen, and repent,
and do the first works; or else I will come to you quickly, and will remove your
candlestick out of its place, except you repent”. In Revelation 3:1-3 He says “and
to the angel of the church in Sardus write; these things says He that has the seven
Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know your works, that you have a name that
you live, and are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that
are ready to die; for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember
therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If
therefore you shall not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you shall not know
what hour I will come upon you”. These warnings Jesus gave to the seven
churches of Asia; He is saying the same things to the churches today.
God told Joshua “this book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; but you
shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all
that is written therein; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you
shall have good success”. The book of the law is our Bible, and we are supposed
to let the word of God continually come out of our mouth. Meditating day and night
is also a continuing form of thinking about, speaking about, and remembering His
words.
David who was called “a man after God’s own heart” wrote in Psalms 17:15 (Amp)
“as for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice,
and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake (to find myself)
beholding Your form (and having sweet communion with You”.
Proverbs 23:17 (Amp) which says “let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in
the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord Yahweh all the day long”. In the book
of Hebrews we are told to “take heed, brethren, less there be in any of you an evil
heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily
while it is called today, less any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of
sin. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our
confidence steadfast to the end” (Hebrews 3:12-14). And we are told in Hebrews
13:1 to “let brotherly love continue”.
Many Christians don’t take the time to read or study His word; which is there for
our instructions (Proverbs 4:20-23) it says “my son, attend to m words; incline your
ear to my sayings. Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of
your heart. For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it, are the issues of life”.
Jesus tells us in John 15:7,10 “if you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you
shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you. If you keep My
commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s
commandments and abide in His love”. Abide means to stay, to continue in.
The early church walked and continued in the doctrine of Christ; they did the
things which Jesus Himself did. It was said of them, that they turned the world
upside down.
The apostle Paul, rebuked the believers in Galatia that they had begun in faith and
should remain in faith. The apostle Paul also speak to the saints in Colosse in
Colossians 1:23 “if you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not
moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a
minister”.
Paul tells Timothy “but continue you in the things which you have learned and
have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them. And that from a
child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise to
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished to all
good works” (II Timothy 3:14-17).
In the natural as one enters a race, only one wins the prize, but the apostle Paul
said that we all can receive a crown as we continue in the faith (II Timothy 4:7-8) “I
have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.
Hereafter there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to all them also
that love His appearing”.
We have to remember that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches, and that we
bear fruit only when we continue in the vine. Just cut a flower off and see that it will
wither in a short time. Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith, when we
stay connected to Him. So you see that we can not endure to the end, unless we
are in Him.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: August 5, 2011
