WEBVTT 00:00:09.869 --> 00:00:14.429 Our section of Scripture, verses 32 through 39, 00:00:14.669 --> 00:00:23.309 has a different feel than our Scripture in the 00:00:23.309 --> 00:00:27.410 section last week. Last week, if you recall, 00:00:27.710 --> 00:00:32.109 there was a very strong and a very stern warning 00:00:32.109 --> 00:00:41.560 regarding forsaking the gospel. regarding forsaking 00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:47.460 Christ and what ought to be expected for those 00:00:47.460 --> 00:00:52.100 who do forsake the gospel and those who do forsake 00:00:52.100 --> 00:00:57.700 Christ. This week, notice that the author begins 00:00:57.700 --> 00:01:02.539 by saying, but remember, and he's signaling a 00:01:02.539 --> 00:01:07.659 change in the mood, a change in the tone of the 00:01:07.659 --> 00:01:11.879 text. The author now comes to this scripture 00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:16.879 in this section seeking to encourage and strengthen 00:01:16.879 --> 00:01:20.359 the people of God to encourage them in faith 00:01:20.359 --> 00:01:26.659 and endurance and perseverance to encourage them 00:01:26.659 --> 00:01:32.079 in the midst of their suffering. And it's always 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:36.700 helpful to remember why the author is writing 00:01:36.700 --> 00:01:42.480 this letter. The Hebrew Christians are suffering 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:47.500 because of their Christian faith and confession. 00:01:48.019 --> 00:01:52.799 They are suffering at the hands of the Jews most 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:56.620 likely because they have professed Christ as 00:01:56.620 --> 00:02:00.379 the Messiah and they embrace new covenant truths 00:02:00.379 --> 00:02:05.859 and realities. So most likely the... recipients 00:02:05.859 --> 00:02:10.240 of this letter are in the midst of suffering, 00:02:10.500 --> 00:02:15.520 hardship, and trial. And he's writing to encourage 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:20.960 them and to spur them along in their faith to 00:02:20.960 --> 00:02:26.560 endure with patience and not to forsake, but 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:30.520 to press on. That's exactly why he writes this 00:02:30.520 --> 00:02:35.000 section. To encourage suffering Christians In 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:38.259 this life. We're going to consider three things 00:02:38.259 --> 00:02:42.860 today. The reality that suffering Christians 00:02:42.860 --> 00:02:47.780 must remember their past. We see this in verses 00:02:47.780 --> 00:02:53.479 32 through 34. But we're also going to consider 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:57.419 the fact that suffering Christians must continue 00:02:57.419 --> 00:03:01.870 to endure in the present. No matter the situation 00:03:01.870 --> 00:03:04.370 or the circumstance, the author encourages them. 00:03:04.389 --> 00:03:08.189 He says there's a need for endurance, for perseverance 00:03:08.189 --> 00:03:11.590 in the life. And there's always going to be a 00:03:11.590 --> 00:03:16.550 need for perseverance in life. But we see thirdly, 00:03:16.550 --> 00:03:20.530 the third thing that we'll consider, that suffering 00:03:20.530 --> 00:03:25.710 Christians must firmly fix their faith on future 00:03:25.710 --> 00:03:31.560 promised realities. And we'll see this really 00:03:31.560 --> 00:03:36.759 in verses 36 through 39 at the end of this section. 00:03:37.300 --> 00:03:41.360 Beginning with the first, suffering Christians 00:03:41.360 --> 00:03:47.180 must remember their past. Specifically, they 00:03:47.180 --> 00:03:53.580 must remember the time near and following their 00:03:53.580 --> 00:03:57.830 conversion or when they came to Christ. Notice 00:03:57.830 --> 00:04:03.750 in verse 32, but remember the former days. When 00:04:03.750 --> 00:04:09.569 after being enlightened, so immediately the author 00:04:09.569 --> 00:04:13.409 is turning the hearts and the minds of his recipients 00:04:13.409 --> 00:04:19.230 to look back in time. And to look back in time 00:04:19.230 --> 00:04:23.230 and to remember the work that God has done in 00:04:23.230 --> 00:04:28.800 their lives. He starts. with the gospel and their 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:32.560 conversion. He starts with the reality that God 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:37.560 has, in fact, changed them. That he has given 00:04:37.560 --> 00:04:43.220 sinners repentance and faith. That God has made 00:04:43.220 --> 00:04:47.139 men to be new creatures in Christ. That God has 00:04:47.139 --> 00:04:51.500 done a work to transform undeserving sinners. 00:04:52.139 --> 00:04:55.519 And he wants... the recipients to turn back and 00:04:55.519 --> 00:04:59.620 look at that time when God had done that work 00:04:59.620 --> 00:05:02.360 in their life early on, the time when they were 00:05:02.360 --> 00:05:09.819 full of zeal and passion for the Lord, the time 00:05:09.819 --> 00:05:13.699 when it seemed like they could conquer any opponent, 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:17.740 when they could climb any mountain, not in their 00:05:17.740 --> 00:05:21.439 own strength, but in the strength of the Lord. 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:25.100 He wants them to remember back in time and see 00:05:25.100 --> 00:05:29.279 the work of God in their life. But more in particular 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:33.100 than that even, he wants them to look back and 00:05:33.100 --> 00:05:37.300 see how God sustained them and worked in them 00:05:37.300 --> 00:05:42.079 and through them in the midst of prior suffering 00:05:42.079 --> 00:05:51.139 in their life. The author says, You endured a 00:05:51.139 --> 00:05:55.740 great conflict of suffering. And then listen 00:05:55.740 --> 00:05:57.699 to what he says. He describes the suffering in 00:05:57.699 --> 00:06:04.459 verse 33. Partly by being made a public spectacle 00:06:04.459 --> 00:06:07.379 through reproaches and tribulations. So that's 00:06:07.379 --> 00:06:13.240 one part of their suffering. And partly by becoming 00:06:13.240 --> 00:06:17.939 sharers with those who were so treated. So this 00:06:17.939 --> 00:06:20.240 is the other part. of the suffering that the 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:24.180 author wants them to recall and remember. So 00:06:24.180 --> 00:06:26.199 he doesn't want just to look back and see the 00:06:26.199 --> 00:06:28.279 work of God in their life. He wants them to look 00:06:28.279 --> 00:06:31.279 back and see the reality that even early on in 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:36.120 their faith, they endured suffering. That even 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:40.660 early on in their Christian life, they were dealing 00:06:40.660 --> 00:06:44.120 with difficult and hard things in their life. 00:06:44.180 --> 00:06:48.300 And it wasn't just some little thing. He says 00:06:48.300 --> 00:06:54.040 a great conflict of sufferings. When he says 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:57.439 partly by being made a public spectacle, what 00:06:57.439 --> 00:07:02.839 this is referring to is public persecution, public 00:07:02.839 --> 00:07:08.120 abuse, public humiliation. In the Greek, it's 00:07:08.120 --> 00:07:12.720 the word where we get the word theater. There's 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:20.209 a public element involved in it. publicly humiliated 00:07:20.209 --> 00:07:25.230 because of their Christian faith. And what accompanied 00:07:25.230 --> 00:07:29.230 the public humiliation? Reproaches and tribulations. 00:07:29.230 --> 00:07:33.009 So it wasn't just public, but it was verbal abuse 00:07:33.009 --> 00:07:37.449 and slander on the Christian church, on the people 00:07:37.449 --> 00:07:41.230 of God. And it was followed by physical tribulations 00:07:41.230 --> 00:07:46.800 and trials. Now, we don't know a lot about this 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:49.160 persecution, the nature of it, the character 00:07:49.160 --> 00:07:54.100 of it. Who was the primary leader in it that 00:07:54.100 --> 00:07:56.120 was bringing it about? We don't know a lot of 00:07:56.120 --> 00:07:58.180 those things, but we do know that it was most 00:07:58.180 --> 00:08:02.759 likely state -authorized or government -authorized 00:08:02.759 --> 00:08:05.600 persecution in the life of the church at this 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:08.860 time. How do we know that? Because a little bit 00:08:08.860 --> 00:08:12.279 later, he says that... their properties were 00:08:12.279 --> 00:08:16.079 seized. Their properties and their belongings 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:22.000 were taken away. So it was persecution and opposition 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:27.680 that was aimed, that was focused on the church. 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:34.980 Most likely, it was involving the Jews in some 00:08:34.980 --> 00:08:38.940 way, as it does now in the life of the recipients. 00:08:40.330 --> 00:08:43.610 It was a very difficult time in the life of these 00:08:43.610 --> 00:08:46.710 Christians that the writer is directing his letter 00:08:46.710 --> 00:08:51.509 to. He wants them to remember that it was difficult, 00:08:51.610 --> 00:08:54.529 it was hard, and it was trying for them early 00:08:54.529 --> 00:08:58.190 on in their faith. And it wasn't just that they 00:08:58.190 --> 00:09:00.470 were made a public spectacle. That's not all 00:09:00.470 --> 00:09:04.269 that was involved. Some of these believers that 00:09:04.269 --> 00:09:08.710 the author is writing to willingly, volitionally, 00:09:10.069 --> 00:09:15.549 chose to endure persecution and suffering and 00:09:15.549 --> 00:09:18.429 hardship in their lives. How do we know that? 00:09:19.309 --> 00:09:23.090 Because, he says, partly by becoming sharers 00:09:23.090 --> 00:09:27.210 with those who were so treated. He's referring 00:09:27.210 --> 00:09:31.610 to the reality that in the first century, jails 00:09:31.610 --> 00:09:36.889 were jails. They were not places that were pleasant. 00:09:37.669 --> 00:09:41.210 They were not places that were encouraging. They 00:09:41.210 --> 00:09:44.190 were not places where comfort was given and comfort 00:09:44.190 --> 00:09:46.970 was aided. Brothers and sisters, first century 00:09:46.970 --> 00:09:52.750 prisons and jails were terrible places to exist. 00:09:54.289 --> 00:10:00.230 Terrible. If you were to eat, if you were to 00:10:00.230 --> 00:10:03.909 survive, if you were to have belongings, if you 00:10:03.909 --> 00:10:06.899 were to have clothes on your back, It would be 00:10:06.899 --> 00:10:10.860 because friends, family, or your fellow believers 00:10:10.860 --> 00:10:15.720 gave them to you. This is what the Lord Jesus 00:10:15.720 --> 00:10:20.600 talks about in Matthew 25, where he says that 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:23.679 if you've done it to the least of them, you've 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:27.220 done it to me. He's talking about caring for 00:10:27.220 --> 00:10:31.580 persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ. So 00:10:31.580 --> 00:10:35.900 he's saying that some of his readers, willingly 00:10:35.900 --> 00:10:40.799 identified with the people of God by caring for 00:10:40.799 --> 00:10:46.120 them in prison and thus bringing upon themselves 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:52.740 the persecution, the suffering, the hardship. 00:10:53.120 --> 00:10:56.799 When if they would have just simply overlooked 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:00.580 the prisoners, overlooked their fellow brothers 00:11:00.580 --> 00:11:03.929 and sisters in Christ, They could have avoided 00:11:03.929 --> 00:11:09.750 the public identification and affiliation with 00:11:09.750 --> 00:11:15.470 the church, potentially. But they didn't. They 00:11:15.470 --> 00:11:19.269 chose to care for their brothers and sisters 00:11:19.269 --> 00:11:23.110 in Christ who were suffering. And the result 00:11:23.110 --> 00:11:29.610 was the seizure of their property. They were 00:11:29.610 --> 00:11:37.470 persecuted. intensely and severely in their lives. 00:11:39.070 --> 00:11:43.870 How were they able to endure this and continue 00:11:43.870 --> 00:11:50.090 this? And how did they suffer? Were they suffering 00:11:50.090 --> 00:11:55.990 with anger in their heart? How was this suffering 00:11:55.990 --> 00:12:00.769 in their life received? How did they endure the 00:12:00.769 --> 00:12:04.169 persecution? What was the character of their 00:12:04.169 --> 00:12:09.490 sufferings? Well, the author says this. He says, 00:12:09.610 --> 00:12:14.950 accepted joyfully the seizure of your property. 00:12:15.789 --> 00:12:20.669 Somehow, these early Christians, somehow these 00:12:20.669 --> 00:12:24.529 early believers were able to suffer in such a 00:12:24.529 --> 00:12:29.830 way that the trials and tribulations and the 00:12:29.830 --> 00:12:36.269 difficulties did not squash out their joy, their 00:12:36.269 --> 00:12:41.769 peace, their hope, their satisfaction in life. 00:12:42.710 --> 00:12:47.529 Somehow, they were able to say, you want my property? 00:12:47.690 --> 00:12:51.970 Take it. And to keep a semblance of happiness 00:12:51.970 --> 00:12:55.730 and joy and peace and contentment in their hearts. 00:12:55.970 --> 00:12:59.700 They were men. They were men. They were not robots. 00:12:59.860 --> 00:13:02.639 So they had feelings, brothers and sisters. They 00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:04.919 struggled with these things as we would struggle 00:13:04.919 --> 00:13:08.720 with these things. But they were able to do it 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:13.860 with joy in their hearts. So that leads us to 00:13:13.860 --> 00:13:17.220 the question of how in the world were they able 00:13:17.220 --> 00:13:22.240 to do such a thing? How were they able to suffer 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:27.460 joyfully? In their lives. Where the text tells 00:13:27.460 --> 00:13:34.659 us this. Also. Knowing. That you have for yourselves. 00:13:34.740 --> 00:13:42.379 A better possession. And a lasting one. The way 00:13:42.379 --> 00:13:47.539 that they were enabled. To suffer joyfully in 00:13:47.539 --> 00:13:51.399 their lives. And to give up their belongings. 00:13:51.480 --> 00:13:55.580 And to let their belongings be taken. And to 00:13:55.580 --> 00:13:58.799 suffer humiliation and shame at the hands of 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:02.500 sinful men and opponents and the hands of those 00:14:02.500 --> 00:14:06.279 who hated Christ in the church and the persecuting 00:14:06.279 --> 00:14:10.000 Jews. The way they were able to do that was because 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:16.639 of what they knew about the gospel. Because of 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:21.820 what they knew about the promises of God in the 00:14:21.820 --> 00:14:27.100 gospel in Christ. Because they knew the reality 00:14:27.100 --> 00:14:31.759 that the possessions of this world are not it. 00:14:32.539 --> 00:14:36.379 They knew the nature and character of earthly 00:14:36.379 --> 00:14:40.820 possessions. They are fleeting. They knew the 00:14:40.820 --> 00:14:44.379 reality that they have in their grasp, in their 00:14:44.379 --> 00:14:48.279 possession, because of Christ and his gospel, 00:14:48.460 --> 00:14:52.110 because of his life, his death. and his resurrection, 00:14:52.330 --> 00:14:55.370 because of redemption which God himself has accomplished, 00:14:55.610 --> 00:15:00.129 they have an eternal possession which no man 00:15:00.129 --> 00:15:06.129 can take from them. They have an eternal possession 00:15:06.129 --> 00:15:10.870 which no man can lay their filthy, grabby hands 00:15:10.870 --> 00:15:14.889 on and steal and rip away from them. And they 00:15:14.889 --> 00:15:20.080 had a confidence built on that. Their faith rested 00:15:20.080 --> 00:15:24.220 on the reality that there are eternal truths, 00:15:24.600 --> 00:15:27.899 that there are eternal realities which are unchanging 00:15:27.899 --> 00:15:31.279 and that are only given by God himself and they 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:37.820 are irrevocable. That's how they were able to 00:15:37.820 --> 00:15:46.000 endure suffering joyfully. Now, in the midst 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:52.019 of suffering, Things get difficult and hard. 00:15:52.500 --> 00:15:57.600 Things get weighty and burdensome. In the midst 00:15:57.600 --> 00:16:04.059 of suffering, oftentimes things seem bigger, 00:16:04.379 --> 00:16:11.580 scarier, more severe than they are in reality 00:16:11.580 --> 00:16:16.919 at times. Now, think about the author. Why is 00:16:16.919 --> 00:16:21.899 he... turning the minds of his readers back in 00:16:21.899 --> 00:16:25.659 time. Why does he want them to look back at the 00:16:25.659 --> 00:16:28.440 sufferings they've already endured because of 00:16:28.440 --> 00:16:31.779 the gospel? Because he wants them to see that 00:16:31.779 --> 00:16:36.559 those were terrible times. He wants them to understand 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:41.299 that that was a great conflict of sufferings. 00:16:42.419 --> 00:16:44.940 And he wants them to consider the reality that 00:16:44.940 --> 00:16:48.620 they have, in fact, endured hard things in their 00:16:48.620 --> 00:16:53.159 lives. He wants them to compare the sufferings 00:16:53.159 --> 00:16:57.139 of the past and their faithfulness in those sufferings 00:16:57.139 --> 00:17:03.940 with their current situation and the sufferings 00:17:03.940 --> 00:17:08.519 of the present and their current faithfulness 00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:17.700 in those situations. For Christians, There's 00:17:17.700 --> 00:17:22.359 always going to be an aversion to suffering and 00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:24.160 hardship. There's always going to be that, brothers 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:28.579 and sisters. That's natural. It's going to be 00:17:28.579 --> 00:17:32.720 with us. We don't want to suffer. We don't want 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:36.039 to go through hardship and trials. Nobody in 00:17:36.039 --> 00:17:42.539 their right mind wants to suffer. Nobody in their 00:17:42.539 --> 00:17:45.579 right mind, brothers and sisters, goes out looking 00:17:46.349 --> 00:17:52.710 for persecution and opposition in life. But for 00:17:52.710 --> 00:17:56.150 the Christian brothers and sisters, though there 00:17:56.150 --> 00:18:00.430 is going to be an aversion in our life, there 00:18:00.430 --> 00:18:05.509 must also be a willingness to suffer in this 00:18:05.509 --> 00:18:11.049 life. There must be. For the believer in Jesus 00:18:11.049 --> 00:18:18.000 Christ, there must be. A willingness to submit 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:22.339 ourselves to trials and difficulties in this 00:18:22.339 --> 00:18:27.640 life. Do you know why? Because it's part of being 00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:32.640 in God's blessed, eternal, spiritual kingdom. 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:38.579 In Matthew chapter 5, remember the Beatitudes, 00:18:38.920 --> 00:18:42.240 the blessings that the Lord Jesus pronounces, 00:18:42.319 --> 00:18:46.200 where He describes His kingdom. And he describes 00:18:46.200 --> 00:18:50.380 those people who are a part of his kingdom. You 00:18:50.380 --> 00:18:52.519 remember he says, blessed are the poor in spirit, 00:18:52.779 --> 00:18:56.319 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. You remember 00:18:56.319 --> 00:18:59.859 how he says, blessed are those who mourn. Blessed 00:18:59.859 --> 00:19:03.259 are those who are gentle. Blessed are those who 00:19:03.259 --> 00:19:07.259 are hunger and thirst after righteousness. He's 00:19:07.259 --> 00:19:10.359 characterizing and he's describing those who 00:19:10.359 --> 00:19:16.359 are in his kingdom. Those who love him. Those 00:19:16.359 --> 00:19:20.059 whom he has saved. But what happens at the end 00:19:20.059 --> 00:19:23.940 of the Beatitudes? What does the Lord Jesus Christ 00:19:23.940 --> 00:19:29.839 also include? Blessed are those who have been 00:19:29.839 --> 00:19:33.380 persecuted for the sake of righteousness. For 00:19:33.380 --> 00:19:37.220 theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are 00:19:37.220 --> 00:19:41.039 you when people insult you and persecute you. 00:19:41.609 --> 00:19:44.410 and falsely say all kinds of evil against you 00:19:44.410 --> 00:19:49.690 because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your 00:19:49.690 --> 00:19:53.190 reward in heaven is great. For in the same way 00:19:53.190 --> 00:19:55.769 they persecuted the prophets who were before 00:19:55.769 --> 00:20:02.410 you. Part of being a member of Christ's kingdom 00:20:02.410 --> 00:20:07.049 is suffering in this life, brothers and sisters. 00:20:07.869 --> 00:20:11.769 It is an essential element. to being a faithful 00:20:11.769 --> 00:20:15.829 believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. There must 00:20:15.829 --> 00:20:22.789 be a willingness to suffer as our Lord did. Christ, 00:20:22.789 --> 00:20:28.150 the perfect God -man, the one who never sinned 00:20:28.150 --> 00:20:31.130 and had perfect, sinless integrity, the one who 00:20:31.130 --> 00:20:34.750 always obeyed the law of God perfectly to the 00:20:34.750 --> 00:20:38.730 T, and he always wanted to. The one who went 00:20:38.730 --> 00:20:41.509 to the cross on behalf of sinners who don't deserve 00:20:41.509 --> 00:20:44.930 it. The one who died in the place of those who 00:20:44.930 --> 00:20:48.529 are rebellious sinners and enemies of God. The 00:20:48.529 --> 00:20:51.789 one who rose from the grave in the flesh in a 00:20:51.789 --> 00:20:54.509 glorified body. The one who sits at the throne 00:20:54.509 --> 00:20:56.990 in heaven right now and the one who will return 00:20:56.990 --> 00:21:03.880 one day. That one suffered. That one He endured 00:21:03.880 --> 00:21:06.539 great conflicts of suffering in his life, did 00:21:06.539 --> 00:21:08.660 he not, brothers and sisters? Did he deserve 00:21:08.660 --> 00:21:15.319 any of it? Did he deserve one ounce of it? Did 00:21:15.319 --> 00:21:20.980 he deserve one second of the pain which he was 00:21:20.980 --> 00:21:27.599 inflicted? No. But he endured it faithfully. 00:21:28.220 --> 00:21:32.319 It was necessary for the completion, the fulfillment, 00:21:32.809 --> 00:21:38.690 and the accomplishment of the gospel of Jesus 00:21:38.690 --> 00:21:43.390 Christ. The reason that Christians must be willing 00:21:43.390 --> 00:21:49.430 to suffer in this life at times is because faithfulness 00:21:49.430 --> 00:21:56.349 often requires it, brothers and sisters. Faithfulness 00:21:56.349 --> 00:22:02.609 necessitates hardship in this life. We're going 00:22:02.609 --> 00:22:05.630 upstream in this life, brothers and sisters. 00:22:07.210 --> 00:22:12.930 We are anti -worldly culture. We are counter 00:22:12.930 --> 00:22:17.130 -cultural individuals because of the gospel and 00:22:17.130 --> 00:22:19.910 its work in our lives. We are opposed to the 00:22:19.910 --> 00:22:23.529 flesh and carnality and the lust of the flesh 00:22:23.529 --> 00:22:27.210 and the pride of life and the devil. We have 00:22:27.210 --> 00:22:29.569 enemies. We have opposition in this world, brothers 00:22:29.569 --> 00:22:37.819 and sisters. At times, we must suffer in order 00:22:37.819 --> 00:22:41.059 to be faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:22:42.180 --> 00:22:47.660 At times, we must gird up our loins and say, 00:22:47.700 --> 00:22:52.960 do your worst. Lord, help me stand. Lord, be 00:22:52.960 --> 00:22:56.660 with me. Lord, have your hand upon me. Lord, 00:22:56.799 --> 00:23:00.279 sustain me. Lord, preserve me. But do your worst, 00:23:00.299 --> 00:23:03.640 I will not compromise. the gospel, or the truth 00:23:03.640 --> 00:23:08.299 of the scriptures. And it's possible, brothers 00:23:08.299 --> 00:23:12.640 and sisters, in that suffering, to be joyful. 00:23:13.799 --> 00:23:18.759 It is possible to suffer with joy in our hearts 00:23:18.759 --> 00:23:24.119 and joy in our life, even at the darkest, most 00:23:24.119 --> 00:23:29.720 difficult moment in all of the suffering. But 00:23:29.720 --> 00:23:33.349 the only way that's possible Is through knowledge 00:23:33.349 --> 00:23:40.089 of the superior. Knowledge of the superior. Nature 00:23:40.089 --> 00:23:44.630 and excellence. Of the Christians eternal possessions 00:23:44.630 --> 00:23:51.009 in Christ. The only way. Brothers and sisters. 00:23:51.890 --> 00:23:58.910 That you can suffer well. The only way that you 00:23:58.910 --> 00:24:02.539 can suffer with joy in your heart. Is by understanding 00:24:02.539 --> 00:24:06.059 that there are eternal realities that are true 00:24:06.059 --> 00:24:10.579 in Christ. And that they are unchanging. And 00:24:10.579 --> 00:24:13.859 that God has made promises that are yet to be 00:24:13.859 --> 00:24:16.220 fulfilled and find their realization in this 00:24:16.220 --> 00:24:19.700 life. That there are certain things that are 00:24:19.700 --> 00:24:22.759 true of you as a believer in Jesus Christ that 00:24:22.759 --> 00:24:27.220 cannot be changed. That cannot be destroyed. 00:24:28.019 --> 00:24:31.529 That cannot be crushed. That cannot be taken 00:24:31.529 --> 00:24:34.930 away. And it's only by clinging to those realities 00:24:34.930 --> 00:24:41.910 by faith that we will be enabled to faithfully 00:24:41.910 --> 00:24:48.769 suffer with joy and peace in our hearts. So we 00:24:48.769 --> 00:24:53.890 see that suffering Christians must remember their 00:24:53.890 --> 00:24:57.190 past. But we also see that suffering Christians 00:24:57.190 --> 00:25:02.559 must continue To endure in the present. The author 00:25:02.559 --> 00:25:05.440 turns their mind to the past. He turns it back 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:08.440 to God and his work and back to their prior sufferings. 00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:12.079 But he also wants them to firmly plant their 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:16.980 feet in the present. And to be faithful in the 00:25:16.980 --> 00:25:23.200 here and now. And he wants them to endure in 00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:29.549 their current circumstances. He encourages endurance 00:25:29.549 --> 00:25:34.970 in their present situations and present circumstances. 00:25:36.049 --> 00:25:41.029 Now, there's a variety of circumstances and life 00:25:41.029 --> 00:25:44.529 situations that are present here and now in this 00:25:44.529 --> 00:25:47.529 building, in this congregation, in this gathering. 00:25:48.769 --> 00:25:54.450 But I dare say, friends, that every single person 00:25:54.450 --> 00:25:59.319 in this room needs to be reminded that they need 00:25:59.319 --> 00:26:03.319 to persevere and endure in their current situation. 00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:07.960 That there's something in your life that you're 00:26:07.960 --> 00:26:10.920 struggling with. That there is something in your 00:26:10.920 --> 00:26:13.660 life that you're wrestling with. That there is 00:26:13.660 --> 00:26:15.579 something in your life that is weighing upon 00:26:15.579 --> 00:26:18.279 you. And I'm here to tell you, with the author 00:26:18.279 --> 00:26:22.140 of Hebrews, press on and endure here and now. 00:26:23.369 --> 00:26:28.150 Take your stand now in this life. Don't wait 00:26:28.150 --> 00:26:31.630 until ten years from now. Don't wait two weeks 00:26:31.630 --> 00:26:34.809 from now. Do it now. Determine in your heart 00:26:34.809 --> 00:26:37.329 to be faithful in your present circumstances 00:26:37.329 --> 00:26:42.829 whether or not they change or not. Resolve in 00:26:42.829 --> 00:26:46.789 your soul that you will be faithful to the living 00:26:46.789 --> 00:26:51.799 God regardless of how difficult and hard your 00:26:51.799 --> 00:26:57.539 life might get here and now. The author encourages 00:26:57.539 --> 00:27:04.039 them to endure in two ways in particular. He 00:27:04.039 --> 00:27:07.420 does this first by encouraging them not to throw 00:27:07.420 --> 00:27:13.380 away their confidence. He says this in verse 00:27:13.380 --> 00:27:17.680 35, Therefore do not throw away your confidence. 00:27:18.559 --> 00:27:21.619 But he's also saying, conversely, on the other 00:27:21.619 --> 00:27:25.119 end of that, don't throw it away, implying it's 00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:28.099 in your possession, implying you have confidence. 00:27:28.339 --> 00:27:33.119 You have boldness in your faith. He's conversely 00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:37.720 saying, retain your confidence. Maintain your 00:27:37.720 --> 00:27:42.839 boldness. Maintain the confidence you have in 00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:46.859 Christ. Now this is a really unique word. And 00:27:46.859 --> 00:27:49.920 it's really unique how the author is using it 00:27:49.920 --> 00:27:53.319 in this context. It's the same word that's used 00:27:53.319 --> 00:27:57.200 throughout the New Testament for boldness or 00:27:57.200 --> 00:28:05.779 freedom, openness, plainness in speech, or confidence 00:28:05.779 --> 00:28:10.440 in general. And it's interesting that the author 00:28:10.440 --> 00:28:16.059 uses this word in this context because... He's 00:28:16.059 --> 00:28:21.680 referencing these public scenarios. He's referencing 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:25.660 these public and corporate realities throughout 00:28:25.660 --> 00:28:30.779 this section. He's referenced earlier on the 00:28:30.779 --> 00:28:35.640 need for these believers to not forsake their 00:28:35.640 --> 00:28:39.240 own assembling. He references the fact that they 00:28:39.240 --> 00:28:42.980 were made public spectacles in the past, previously, 00:28:43.119 --> 00:28:46.630 in their Christian lives. And so he's saying, 00:28:46.750 --> 00:28:49.349 don't give that up. Don't throw it away. Don't 00:28:49.349 --> 00:28:53.210 forsake it. And it's interesting that he uses 00:28:53.210 --> 00:28:57.789 the word confidence in the context of persecution 00:28:57.789 --> 00:29:03.890 and opposition. Why do you think, brothers and 00:29:03.890 --> 00:29:07.650 sisters, it's interesting that the author would 00:29:07.650 --> 00:29:13.170 say, stay confident in your current situation. 00:29:14.059 --> 00:29:17.259 In the midst of persecution, opposition, and 00:29:17.259 --> 00:29:28.819 turbulent times. It's because suffering, persecution, 00:29:28.920 --> 00:29:35.660 and opposition in particular, they have a unique 00:29:35.660 --> 00:29:39.839 and a distinct way of stripping man of their 00:29:39.839 --> 00:29:47.890 confidence. Troubling times, hard times in life, 00:29:48.049 --> 00:29:52.009 opposition, persecution, and directed suffering 00:29:52.009 --> 00:29:56.210 has a way of making good in godly men who are 00:29:56.210 --> 00:29:58.990 once strong in the things of God and strong and 00:29:58.990 --> 00:30:01.049 bold in their convictions for the truth of the 00:30:01.049 --> 00:30:03.809 Scripture. It has a way, brothers and sisters, 00:30:04.069 --> 00:30:09.450 of causing them to cower under the forces that 00:30:09.450 --> 00:30:14.539 might be. It has a way of making men crumble 00:30:14.539 --> 00:30:20.039 with regards to the truth of the gospel. It has 00:30:20.039 --> 00:30:25.420 a way of making good and godly men, should we 00:30:25.420 --> 00:30:35.960 say, cowards with the truth of God. Suffering 00:30:35.960 --> 00:30:43.809 and persecution have a way. Of making men lose 00:30:43.809 --> 00:30:48.190 their grip and have second guesses with regards 00:30:48.190 --> 00:30:55.170 to the authority of God's inerrant word. That's 00:30:55.170 --> 00:30:57.089 what suffering and persecution and opposition 00:30:57.089 --> 00:31:01.049 do. So now we know, now we understand, now we 00:31:01.049 --> 00:31:05.750 can see why the author says don't throw it away. 00:31:06.990 --> 00:31:14.299 Keep it up. Maintain it. Preserve it. But we 00:31:14.299 --> 00:31:17.980 have to understand, this is not talking about 00:31:17.980 --> 00:31:22.859 self -confidence, brothers and sisters. This 00:31:22.859 --> 00:31:25.039 is not talking about confidence in one's own 00:31:25.039 --> 00:31:28.119 ability. This is not talking about confidence 00:31:28.119 --> 00:31:31.259 in one's own righteousness, as Pastor Dustin 00:31:31.259 --> 00:31:34.819 mentioned earlier. This is not talking about... 00:31:35.069 --> 00:31:37.089 one's confidence in their own intellect, their 00:31:37.089 --> 00:31:39.450 own mind, their own wisdom, their own wit, or 00:31:39.450 --> 00:31:43.529 anything else. This is talking about confidence 00:31:43.529 --> 00:31:49.789 in the truth of Holy Scripture. This is talking 00:31:49.789 --> 00:31:52.650 about confidence with regards to the things of 00:31:52.650 --> 00:31:57.210 the living God and the people of God. This is 00:31:57.210 --> 00:32:00.130 talking about one's relationship to the truth 00:32:00.130 --> 00:32:03.470 of the Gospel and one's confession or profession 00:32:03.470 --> 00:32:09.829 of faith. He's saying stay confident in those 00:32:09.829 --> 00:32:16.170 realities. Stay confident in the truth. Stay 00:32:16.170 --> 00:32:21.670 confident in what you have believed for so long 00:32:21.670 --> 00:32:26.390 and you have professed for so long. Stay confident 00:32:26.390 --> 00:32:31.849 in the people of God and the truth of the Scripture. 00:32:32.549 --> 00:32:37.109 Hold fast the confession of your hope. Consider 00:32:37.109 --> 00:32:39.309 how to stimulate one another to love and good 00:32:39.309 --> 00:32:42.130 deeds. Draw near with a sincere heart and full 00:32:42.130 --> 00:32:45.990 assurance of faith. That's what he's saying, 00:32:46.130 --> 00:32:50.869 brothers and sisters. He's encouraging them not 00:32:50.869 --> 00:32:54.829 to throw away their confidence, but to retain 00:32:54.829 --> 00:33:00.089 it, maintain it, and even strengthen it in the 00:33:00.089 --> 00:33:03.970 midst of persecution, opposition, and trials 00:33:03.970 --> 00:33:08.240 in their lives. But he also does this by reminding 00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:16.319 them of the need for endurance. There is an ever 00:33:16.319 --> 00:33:22.819 -present, always -present need in the life of 00:33:22.819 --> 00:33:26.960 the believer. The author says, for you have need 00:33:26.960 --> 00:33:33.980 of endurance. Why does the author say that? Why 00:33:33.980 --> 00:33:37.859 does the believer always need to be patient? 00:33:38.559 --> 00:33:42.059 Why does the believer always need to persevere 00:33:42.059 --> 00:33:48.220 in life and endure and press on? Because there's 00:33:48.220 --> 00:33:53.579 an ever -present supply of difficulty and hardship 00:33:53.579 --> 00:33:59.500 that they will always be encountering and experiencing 00:33:59.500 --> 00:34:05.910 in their lives. The only way the believer will 00:34:05.910 --> 00:34:12.449 ever make progress and grow in grace, the only 00:34:12.449 --> 00:34:17.469 way the believer will ever work and find success 00:34:17.469 --> 00:34:20.909 in their Christian life and progress and progressive 00:34:20.909 --> 00:34:23.250 renewal in their life, the only way they will 00:34:23.250 --> 00:34:29.289 make their way near to glory is if they endure 00:34:29.289 --> 00:34:34.579 through the trials. And they press on. And we'll 00:34:34.579 --> 00:34:37.739 see a little bit later. This is not some fleshly 00:34:37.739 --> 00:34:42.000 or carnal endurance. This is an endurance that 00:34:42.000 --> 00:34:46.900 is born in faith. This is an endurance that is 00:34:46.900 --> 00:34:51.199 motivated and driven and compelled by faith. 00:34:52.179 --> 00:34:58.079 It's faith which preserves our souls. There's 00:34:58.079 --> 00:35:02.269 always a need for endurance in our lives. Some 00:35:02.269 --> 00:35:06.829 might be bigger needs. Some might be more insignificant 00:35:06.829 --> 00:35:11.889 or lesser or less severe. But every believer 00:35:11.889 --> 00:35:18.489 in Jesus Christ has the need to press on and 00:35:18.489 --> 00:35:26.070 to persevere unto the end toward glory. Somehow, 00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:32.179 As we grow and mature and as we progress in the 00:35:32.179 --> 00:35:36.639 Christian life, oftentimes I feel, and I think 00:35:36.639 --> 00:35:40.280 we see, that we tend to grow a little bit more 00:35:40.280 --> 00:35:49.139 lax in things. Oftentimes we don't think as sharply 00:35:49.139 --> 00:35:53.440 or clearly about truths and realities as we once 00:35:53.440 --> 00:35:59.210 did. We can easily just get into a pattern. In 00:35:59.210 --> 00:36:02.809 our lives. We can even, as we progress in life, 00:36:02.849 --> 00:36:06.429 start to think things like this. Why is this 00:36:06.429 --> 00:36:15.789 happening to me? I don't deserve these things 00:36:15.789 --> 00:36:24.369 in my life. This isn't fair. This shouldn't be 00:36:24.369 --> 00:36:29.559 happening to me. This shouldn't be happening 00:36:29.559 --> 00:36:33.980 to my church. This shouldn't be happening to 00:36:33.980 --> 00:36:38.659 my family or my soul. This shouldn't be my experience 00:36:38.659 --> 00:36:47.139 in life. I deserve better. That's erroneous, 00:36:47.139 --> 00:36:51.460 false, sinful thinking, brothers and sisters. 00:36:52.800 --> 00:36:57.980 Do you know what we deserve? You know what every 00:36:57.980 --> 00:37:04.039 single one of us deserve? Every single one of 00:37:04.039 --> 00:37:12.179 us deserves the wrath of God. Every single one 00:37:12.179 --> 00:37:16.239 of us deserves to suffer under the wrath of God 00:37:16.239 --> 00:37:20.139 for our rebellion against His holy character 00:37:20.139 --> 00:37:25.300 and transgressing His law. When you start to 00:37:25.300 --> 00:37:28.079 think, I don't deserve my sufferings and my hardships, 00:37:28.280 --> 00:37:30.780 start to remember, brothers and sisters, that 00:37:30.780 --> 00:37:38.239 you are loved unfairly. God does not owe you 00:37:38.239 --> 00:37:41.460 love or grace. That's the nature of grace. That's 00:37:41.460 --> 00:37:44.400 the nature of mercy. His love ought not to be 00:37:44.400 --> 00:37:50.179 on us in Christ. What is fair and equitable is 00:37:50.179 --> 00:37:53.630 punishment and wrath. We want grace and mercy. 00:37:53.829 --> 00:37:57.050 And because of that grace and mercy, we must 00:37:57.050 --> 00:38:01.289 suffer in this life. But we can do it by God's 00:38:01.289 --> 00:38:04.650 grace with joy in our hearts, brothers and sisters. 00:38:05.590 --> 00:38:10.369 We can endure by faith. We can endure in this 00:38:10.369 --> 00:38:16.789 life. We need to think rightly about suffering 00:38:16.789 --> 00:38:22.489 and about our lives. The Bible presents the picture 00:38:22.489 --> 00:38:27.070 that suffering is actually not an exception, 00:38:27.309 --> 00:38:33.489 but it is the normative experience and reality 00:38:33.489 --> 00:38:38.070 of the Christian life. That we shouldn't be surprised 00:38:38.070 --> 00:38:44.489 when hardship and fiery trials come upon us. 00:38:44.769 --> 00:38:50.170 But we do get surprised. Because we're forgetful 00:38:50.170 --> 00:38:52.650 people because of the dullness of our hearts, 00:38:52.650 --> 00:38:57.130 brothers and sisters. But remember, there's grace. 00:38:58.449 --> 00:39:02.449 There's the grace of God which forgives you of 00:39:02.449 --> 00:39:05.909 your sin and your dullness of heart and your 00:39:05.909 --> 00:39:09.429 forgetfulness of the truth and the reality of 00:39:09.429 --> 00:39:13.849 the Scriptures. There's always forgiveness in 00:39:13.849 --> 00:39:22.150 Christ for His people. We have need to endure. 00:39:22.690 --> 00:39:25.730 This means for us, when we go through difficulties 00:39:25.730 --> 00:39:30.969 in our lives, we must maintain our confidence 00:39:30.969 --> 00:39:37.309 in the Lord and in His Word. In particular, that 00:39:37.309 --> 00:39:40.969 necessitates and that requires that we don't 00:39:40.969 --> 00:39:44.030 shy away from the Word of God or neglect the 00:39:44.030 --> 00:39:46.550 Word of God, but it means that we read and we 00:39:46.550 --> 00:39:50.030 give ourselves to the Word of God. Not just in 00:39:50.030 --> 00:39:53.530 the normal way. But when trials and difficulties 00:39:53.530 --> 00:39:56.769 and hardships come upon us, we ought to give 00:39:56.769 --> 00:40:00.730 ourselves to the Word of God more. We ought to 00:40:00.730 --> 00:40:05.630 lean into the Scriptures more. We must maintain 00:40:05.630 --> 00:40:12.349 our confidence. It also means that we must give 00:40:12.349 --> 00:40:17.250 ourselves to prayer. I do not... that there's 00:40:17.250 --> 00:40:22.989 any better way of finding relief from burdens, 00:40:23.210 --> 00:40:29.250 struggles, difficulties in life, anxieties and 00:40:29.250 --> 00:40:33.250 stress, concerns. I do not believe that there's 00:40:33.250 --> 00:40:36.989 any better way than striving with the Lord in 00:40:36.989 --> 00:40:40.269 prayer. And brothers and sisters, I don't just 00:40:40.269 --> 00:40:46.619 mean a 15 second or 30 second prayer. I mean 00:40:46.619 --> 00:40:50.179 that you seek God's face and you strive in prayer 00:40:50.179 --> 00:40:57.280 with Him until He takes your burden. Until you 00:40:57.280 --> 00:41:04.400 find relief from the things in your soul. Cast 00:41:04.400 --> 00:41:07.059 your cares at His feet, brothers and sisters. 00:41:08.119 --> 00:41:13.719 He cares for you greatly. He's evidenced this 00:41:13.719 --> 00:41:20.940 in Christ. If God sent his son to die for sinners 00:41:20.940 --> 00:41:25.099 who don't deserve it, will he not aid them in 00:41:25.099 --> 00:41:29.340 their times of difficulty? Will he not be present 00:41:29.340 --> 00:41:33.940 for those same sinners that he's given his blessed 00:41:33.940 --> 00:41:37.820 son to? Will he not lift their burdens? Will 00:41:37.820 --> 00:41:40.420 he not lift their struggles? Will he not take 00:41:40.420 --> 00:41:43.480 their anxieties? Freely and willingly. But the 00:41:43.480 --> 00:41:45.960 problem is we so often don't try to give them 00:41:45.960 --> 00:41:50.360 to the Lord. We don't go to the throne of grace 00:41:50.360 --> 00:41:57.239 to find help. We must seek Him out in prayer. 00:41:57.380 --> 00:42:00.079 It's the best means, brothers and sisters, that 00:42:00.079 --> 00:42:04.739 God has ordained to take away the burdens and 00:42:04.739 --> 00:42:09.099 struggles in their lives. And don't underestimate. 00:42:11.400 --> 00:42:15.380 The importance and the significance of spiritual 00:42:15.380 --> 00:42:22.760 grit in this life. Sometimes we need to remember, 00:42:22.960 --> 00:42:29.280 I just have to get up another day. I have to 00:42:29.280 --> 00:42:34.119 press on one more day and trust the Lord. There 00:42:34.119 --> 00:42:39.619 are times when it's difficult to pray. That's 00:42:39.619 --> 00:42:42.239 just the nature of it. There are times, brothers 00:42:42.239 --> 00:42:45.179 and sisters, when it is difficult and it is hard 00:42:45.179 --> 00:42:47.880 to read and study the Bible. There are times 00:42:47.880 --> 00:42:50.519 it's hard and difficult to focus the mind. But 00:42:50.519 --> 00:42:53.840 listen, even in those times, you can trust Him 00:42:53.840 --> 00:43:01.219 day by day. You can trust His providence. You 00:43:01.219 --> 00:43:04.059 can trust His sovereignty. You can trust His 00:43:04.059 --> 00:43:08.900 purposes and His plans in your life. You can 00:43:08.900 --> 00:43:13.619 trust. Even when you can't pray, you can trust. 00:43:13.619 --> 00:43:16.619 Even when you're struggling to read, you can 00:43:16.619 --> 00:43:19.280 trust, brothers and sisters, in the Lord Jesus 00:43:19.280 --> 00:43:21.920 Christ and the reality that God says He will 00:43:21.920 --> 00:43:25.260 work everything for the good of His people and 00:43:25.260 --> 00:43:30.199 for the glory of His name. Don't underestimate 00:43:30.199 --> 00:43:34.500 spiritual grit and fortitude and resilience in 00:43:34.500 --> 00:43:43.050 this life. Press on. and resolve in your hearts 00:43:43.050 --> 00:43:48.409 that no matter how difficult or hard life gets, 00:43:48.670 --> 00:43:54.590 you will not cower under the pressure to wiggle 00:43:54.590 --> 00:44:00.670 out from under the authority of God's Word. Life 00:44:00.670 --> 00:44:06.329 is full of opportunities to create wiggle room 00:44:06.329 --> 00:44:11.079 with regards to the Scriptures. Life is full 00:44:11.079 --> 00:44:17.019 of opportunities to give you just the right moment, 00:44:17.099 --> 00:44:19.679 just the right time to wiggle out from under 00:44:19.679 --> 00:44:25.219 what God has really said on this issue. I think 00:44:25.219 --> 00:44:28.260 there's an enemy in the world that hates God's 00:44:28.260 --> 00:44:33.860 people that loves to provide opportunities such 00:44:33.860 --> 00:44:38.119 as that. Isn't that how the fall really came 00:44:38.119 --> 00:44:44.500 about? The devil comes to Eve and he provides 00:44:44.500 --> 00:44:47.320 her with this opportunity to wiggle out from 00:44:47.320 --> 00:44:53.280 under the authority of God's word. No matter 00:44:53.280 --> 00:44:56.099 how difficult or hard or trying, no matter what 00:44:56.099 --> 00:44:59.800 sacrifice may be required of you, no matter what 00:44:59.800 --> 00:45:02.920 persecution or suffering comes upon you, don't 00:45:02.920 --> 00:45:08.809 give way to the truth of God's word. Don't cave, 00:45:08.949 --> 00:45:14.030 don't crumble, and don't cower. Maintain your 00:45:14.030 --> 00:45:19.409 confidence. So the author wants them to remember 00:45:19.409 --> 00:45:23.610 the past. But he also reminds them and encourages 00:45:23.610 --> 00:45:27.230 them to press on in the future. And we also see 00:45:27.230 --> 00:45:32.030 that suffering Christians must firmly fix their 00:45:32.030 --> 00:45:39.289 faith on future promised realities. As we've 00:45:39.289 --> 00:45:44.889 mentioned already, in trials and hardships, it 00:45:44.889 --> 00:45:49.769 is often difficult to focus our thoughts. It 00:45:49.769 --> 00:45:52.969 seems as though everything's pulling at us. It's 00:45:52.969 --> 00:45:57.190 hard to focus everything in and put the blinders 00:45:57.190 --> 00:45:59.869 on, and it's hard and difficult to sustain that. 00:46:02.530 --> 00:46:07.300 The temptation... is to be consumed with everything 00:46:07.300 --> 00:46:13.139 else. The temptation is to be consumed with the 00:46:13.139 --> 00:46:18.579 problems, the persecution, the burdens, the sufferings, 00:46:18.599 --> 00:46:22.639 the issues at hand. But listen, brothers and 00:46:22.639 --> 00:46:29.380 sisters, that does nothing at all to contribute 00:46:29.380 --> 00:46:37.400 to your endurance in this life. Don't give yourself 00:46:37.400 --> 00:46:41.400 to everything just to free yourself from having 00:46:41.400 --> 00:46:50.420 to think about the hard thing. Fixating ourselves 00:46:50.420 --> 00:46:57.300 on the suffering only contributes to despair 00:46:57.300 --> 00:47:03.340 and hopelessness and the flesh and carnality. 00:47:05.449 --> 00:47:10.590 So what ought we to think about in trials? What 00:47:10.590 --> 00:47:14.349 ought we to think about in sufferings? What ought 00:47:14.349 --> 00:47:17.849 we to place our mind firmly upon in the midst 00:47:17.849 --> 00:47:21.949 of opposition and trials and difficulty like 00:47:21.949 --> 00:47:26.869 the readers were going through? The author tells 00:47:26.869 --> 00:47:33.570 us that we ought to fix and set our minds upon 00:47:34.860 --> 00:47:38.579 The better and lasting possessions that we have 00:47:38.579 --> 00:47:42.920 in Christ. The eternal realities as a result 00:47:42.920 --> 00:47:48.400 of salvation. The eternal realities as a result 00:47:48.400 --> 00:47:53.579 of the gospel. He tells us that we ought to fix 00:47:53.579 --> 00:47:58.820 our minds on the future reception of the promised 00:47:58.820 --> 00:48:06.920 great reward. We see that. In verse 35, which 00:48:06.920 --> 00:48:11.000 has great reward. We also see him referring to 00:48:11.000 --> 00:48:17.579 that which is promised in verse 36. These unseen 00:48:17.579 --> 00:48:23.440 future realities that God has promised to his 00:48:23.440 --> 00:48:28.519 people. These are the things that we ought to 00:48:28.519 --> 00:48:33.280 be placing our minds on in the midst of tumultuous 00:48:33.280 --> 00:48:37.610 times. We have to rein in our thoughts, focus 00:48:37.610 --> 00:48:40.670 our minds, and think about the things of God, 00:48:40.710 --> 00:48:43.269 and think about eternal realities, and think 00:48:43.269 --> 00:48:46.650 about the blessings in Jesus Christ, and the 00:48:46.650 --> 00:48:50.289 grace of God that has been abundantly bestowed 00:48:50.289 --> 00:48:55.670 on us as undeserving sinners. We have to focus 00:48:55.670 --> 00:48:57.789 our hearts and our minds on the reality that 00:48:57.789 --> 00:49:03.110 a good, faithful God oversees, superintends, 00:49:03.710 --> 00:49:09.170 and works our lives for our good and for His 00:49:09.170 --> 00:49:11.929 glory. That all that we have and all that we 00:49:11.929 --> 00:49:18.190 are is His. We are in His hands. He is good and 00:49:18.190 --> 00:49:21.789 He is faithful. His Son came into the world to 00:49:21.789 --> 00:49:26.829 die for us, for sinners. And we can entrust ourselves 00:49:26.829 --> 00:49:32.750 to Him over and over and over. This is the only 00:49:32.750 --> 00:49:37.010 way that we will ever persevere in this life. 00:49:38.170 --> 00:49:44.570 If we, by faith, set our minds on these realities 00:49:44.570 --> 00:49:50.670 and what is to come. Those who refuse to do such 00:49:50.670 --> 00:49:57.050 a thing, and they fail to do so, and they reject 00:49:57.050 --> 00:50:01.469 those realities and those promises. are described 00:50:01.469 --> 00:50:06.750 in this text. But we are not of those who shrink 00:50:06.750 --> 00:50:12.210 back to destruction. Born -again believers are 00:50:12.210 --> 00:50:16.809 those with faith. Born -again believers are those 00:50:16.809 --> 00:50:22.510 that God has given faith to. And they will put 00:50:22.510 --> 00:50:26.250 their faith on these promises and these realities. 00:50:26.349 --> 00:50:31.789 Those without faith will shrink back to destruction. 00:50:32.769 --> 00:50:35.590 They will prove themselves to be the enemies 00:50:35.590 --> 00:50:39.210 and the opposers of the living God, and they 00:50:39.210 --> 00:50:44.010 will receive the fury and the wrath that we spoke 00:50:44.010 --> 00:50:48.429 about last week. But the people of God, those 00:50:48.429 --> 00:50:51.170 with faith, are those who move forward toward 00:50:51.170 --> 00:50:55.039 glory in spite of trials and sufferings. And 00:50:55.039 --> 00:50:58.380 they will find great pleasure at the reception 00:50:58.380 --> 00:51:04.780 of the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns. Brothers 00:51:04.780 --> 00:51:11.619 and sisters, press on and endure. Put your mind 00:51:11.619 --> 00:51:16.559 and your heart on the things of God. Remember 00:51:16.559 --> 00:51:23.519 that life is hard and difficult. But this is 00:51:23.519 --> 00:51:28.519 the road. to glory. This is the road to eternity 00:51:28.519 --> 00:51:32.039 and the fullness of Christ and the fullness of 00:51:32.039 --> 00:51:35.980 His grace, the new heavens and the new earth. 00:51:37.059 --> 00:51:41.280 So what ought suffering Christians to do? They 00:51:41.280 --> 00:51:44.579 must remember their past, they must continue 00:51:44.579 --> 00:51:48.340 to endure in the present, and they must firmly 00:51:48.340 --> 00:51:52.659 fix their faith on future promised realities.