WE MUST NOT GIVE UP! (Key Lessons from Todays Bible talk)

 

In August 1914, Ernest Shackleton led a crew of 28 men on the Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Disaster struck when his ship, the Endurance became trapped in ice, ultimately forcing Shackleton and his men to vacate the ship and set up camp on the floating ice. Seeing no chances of help coming through, he set out with a crew of 5 men and sailed 1,300km on a small boat to seek help under extremely dangerous ocean conditions. 

Shackleton returned to rescue the remaining crew and astonishingly not a single member of  the 28 men team died after being stranded for nearly 2 years. It has been described as one of the greatest rescues of all time.

Similarly, we must not give up to the vicious enemy Satan the devil. We are living at a time when he is making an all-out effort to break us.

How can we ensure that we do not give up?

By building Endurance: Ability to withstand hardship without giving in.

Endure everything that you go through by keeping the right mind/heart set as you respond to the hardships.

Endurance requires courage and patience, and it bears the hardship not only with resignation but with blazing hope.

Beyond the pain, it sees the GOAL. 

Difference between Ordinary Endurance and Christian Endurance:

Some endure hardship for personal glory, others simply because they don’t have much of a choice like Shackleton and his colleagues.

Christian Endurance is primarily based on FAITH. Faith on God’s love and wonderful promises for the future-Hebrews 10:36-39

Lessons from a plant

A plant in Europe called live forever (Sedum purpureum) endures extreme conditions but year-in, year-out it produces beautiful freshly green leaves in summer. It grows in the most unhospitable places i.e. not enough soil, rocky, extreme temperature, little rainfall, etc.

What helps plant endure?

i. Coarsely toothed leaves carefully designed to hold water as long as possible   ii. Grows in clusters enabling the plants close by to support each other iii. Pushes roots in narrow openings as deep as it can.

What circumstances (extreme conditions) may we be encountering? unemployment, economic hardship, persecution, loss of loved ones, illness, job loss, etc.

What will help us endure?

Hebrews 10:22-25 mentions 5 things:  i. Prayer ii. Study of God’s word iii. Public declaration iv. Good (Christian) associations v. Attending meetings.

Like live forever plant dig roots in the rock, we will do well to dig ourselves deeply in God’s word through personal bible study.

Attending meetings will help us hold on to the water (God’s word). Like forever plants grow in clusters lets hold on to our brothers and sisters. Our Endurance will grow.

Hebrews 10:39: Our Endurance will help us not to “shrink back”.

Shrink back (what it doesn’t mean): Momentarily losing our way. Like when someone scares you as you are walking along a path. You jump, step back temporarily but continue moving in the same direction.

Shrink back (What it means): Same scenario. Someone screams, you jump and step back. Then turn back to move in the direction you came from. Go backwards

Satan will use every means at his disposal to destruct us and achieve his goal.

2 ways a Christian may shrink back:

i.                 Hebrews 2:1: Scripture uses the word “drifting away” which implies subtle change. We become so preoccupied with daily activities and forget about worshiping God. Example is like a boat which slowly drifts away from the shore to the point losses site of it and reaches a point of no return. 

ii.               Hebrews 3:12: Scripture uses the word “drawing away” implying when we simply ignore God’s word and act on the wrong anyway.

"So let us not give up in doing what is fine for in due time, we will reap if we do not tire out"-Galatians 6:9