NIKESOMEN
(4-18-04)
Zec.14:3-9
When we
think of perseverance, what do think about it? Is perseverance an end in itself or a means to something on the other side
of it? We each have endured some unpleasant things in our lives because we believed it would be better on the other side of
the experience. Persistence is the action of enduring. Endurance is the state or frame of time through which a person resides
while being persistent. And perseverance is the intensity or level of energy that a person must expend to make it through.
Each of these three equals have their own failure zone or weakness or place of vulnerability.
What
is held on to can be the greatest source of strength or the greatest source of weakness. We are a people who are called to
believe what has been written in the past. In comparison the Israelites were not called to believe what was written, they
were called to believe what they were being told concerning what they were personally experiencing. Is there a difference in callings? Maybe! With both an issue of faith and trust are at stake.
The
Israelites were called to believe the promises made to their Fathers. (Deut.1:6-8, 19-21) “..see I have given you this land…” You remember what their journey into the promised land was like. They failed to enter. Why? They did not trust that God had truly given them the land. What hindered them? What they could
see didn’t equal what they were called to believe. They believed what they could see with their eyes was the reality
and it was not.
Paul tells us twice in 1Cor.10:6, and 11 so that, we who are called to believe what is written, might do better than
they. Notice their weakness - 1CO 10:6 Now these things occurred as examples to
keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Verses 7-10 give a brief summery of some of what they
had set their hearts on. Verse 11 then tells us the history of Israel was written down for our warning. They did not enter because of
what they set their hearts on. What they set their hearts on took away their ability to believe and trust. Their hearts were
attached to what they could see.
(Heb.3:12-19) The Israelites died in the desert not entering the land of promise because they did not believe. Because
they did not believe, they disobeyed. (Heb.4:1-13; especially 2 and 6) The Israelites were invited into God’s prepared
rest. They did not enter because it was not tangible to them. God also calls us into or invites us into that same rest. Is
it that rest anymore tangible today than it was 4,000 years ago?
Please take note of the character of the call. What I mean is, what is the nature of existence while living out the
calling? The Israelites were called to enter and take what was theirs. Did it require fighting? Yes. They were called to go
in and take possession of what was given. They were called to walk in the victory that was theirs but not yet realized. What
are we called to? God has a prepared rest and we are invited into that rest. What did Jesus call the Church into? Going! Teaching!
Making! Baptizing! Teaching!
Notice the positive language of the Hebrew letter written to those who are called – 3:12 –see to it 3:13
– but encourage 3:14 – we have come to share if we hold firmly 4:2 we also have had the gospel preached to us
4:14 let us hold firmly to the faith. What is the focal point of faith? It is
not about ourselves but rather it is all about the faithfulness of the one who has promised. We are called to persevere because
the goal is already made real in Jesus He has already delivered the victory to which we are called to enter. Jesus came to
reestablish the sovereignty of the Father. We are called into that charge. Jesus has already secured the victory but we have
a calling, a labor to which we must, like the Israelites, enter and take. We are called to overcome. We overcome not because
of who we are but because of who HE is and what HE has already accomplished. We will overcome because Jesus already has overcome.
NIKESOMEN – WE WILL OVERCOME
