Perseverance

Note: I originally preached this as a sermon, and I've modified it slightly to better fit with reading it.

Some of you have been Christians for many years, others of you perhaps not so long.  You may have heard articles or messages that were preached on this topic.  I know I've heard many.  But too often, until you actually live it out, it is just words.  When it becomes your life, it sinks in.  This is one of those messages that my family and I are living out right now.

So I want to share with you concerning the topic of perseverance.  You know, perseverance is one of those words that float around the church.  It also is a word often used in business, sports, or in making life choices.  I would think that everyone agrees that it is good to have perseverance.

Example

It seems that some people seem to be born with a great amount of perseverance.  Others, perhaps, not as much.  Now I have an example of a famous man who had great courage, persistence, and perseverance.  See if you can guess who it is:

• Failed in business (age 22)
• Ran for Legislature - defeated age 23
• Again failed in business 24
• Elected to Legislature 25
• His sweetheart died 26
• Had a nervous breakdown 27
• Defeated for Speaker 29
• Defeated for Elector 31
• Defeated for Congress 34
• Elected to Congress 37
• Defeated for Congress 39
• Defeated for Senate 46
• Defeated for Vice President 47
• Defeated for Senate 49 
• Elected President of the United States at age 51

Any idea of who I'm talking about?  That's the record of Abraham Lincoln. Defeat. Setbacks. Battling against great odds. I've read numerous books on Abraham Lincoln because he fascinates me.  I think part of it is that he had so many setbacks, but he continued to persevere on to greatness -  leading our country through an incredibly difficult time.

Biblical Examples

There are several men in the Bible that I am also drawn to.  Their stories and their lives continually spark my interest.  They speak into my life and encourage me.  Let's look at a few:

• Moses:  given up for adoption to the Pharoah's daughter.  Raised in the palace.  Has everything - power, money, fame.  Knows he must stand for what is right but goes about it the wrong way.  Flees to the desert, lives there for many years.  God calls him out.  He fights it.  Surrenders to his calling.  Leads the nation of Israel out of an impossible situation. 
• Joseph: has dreams, has favor with his parents.  Hated by siblings. Thrown in a pit.  Sold as a slave. Rises in favor and power with Pharoah.  Wrongly accused of attempted rape.  Thrown into prison.  Forgotten. Restored to leadership.  Second in power in the land.  Forgives and restores his broken family. Incredible favor on his life.
• David: Humble beginnings.  Simply loved God and wants to do what is right.  Great favor, kills Goliath.  Part of the King's household. Jealousy of him by King Saul.  Almost killed by the king.  Waits for his time.  King dies.  David ruler of only Judah for 7 years.  Finally becomes king of all of Israel.
• Paul: hater and killer of Christians. Radically saved. Face-to-face encounter with Jesus.  Eyesight restored by the only person who believed in him.  In Arabia between 3-14 years before starting ministry. Still no one trusts him.  Constant beatings, prisons, shipwrecks.  But he continues on.

These are some of my heroes of the faith.  Why?  Because they persevered.  They kept at it.  They overcame the odds.  

More than inspiration

But it is more than just inspiration.  Lots of people, events, movies, and other things can inspire us.  But these guys in the Bible had something else.  It went deeper than determination or even stubbornness.  God was doing something in their lives.  He was transforming their lives.  They all went through seasons of great testing of their faith.  They were not the same people later in their lives as they were starting out.  They were transformed.  

James 1:2-4 tells us: "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Real trials

I'm going to be real honest here (as I have tried to be in every blog article).  I have read these verses numerous times over the years.  I've nodded my head.  I've agreed with the verses.  I'd said in my head, "I am mature, so I guess I've had my trials."  But that was just arrogance.  I realize now, I didn't have much for trials.  I mean real trials.  Not just the "Oh I broke a nail" kind of trials.  I mean the kind that really tests your faith.  Sure there are setbacks and challenges and discouragements.  

• But what about the kind that test your faith?  
• The kind that make you question everything?  
• The kind that make you question if God is really there?
• Or that He really is for you and not against you?
• The kind where you want to give up, but He is the one hanging on to you and you can't?
• The kind where all of your hopes and dreams come crashing down and you scream at God: "BUT YOU SAID!!!"?
• The kind where you give it your all and your prayers aren't answered the way that everyone thinks they should be answered? 

Those are trials.  Those are testings of your faith.

My story

Let me share a bit of my story with you.  Karen (my wife) and I got married and immediately began serving in church, teaching Sunday School, helping with the youth, and in other areas of the church.  A few years later, God called us very clearly into full time ministry.  I attended Bible college while still working my job.  We continued serving.  God called us to a church in another denomination.  We had to start all over.  We eventually became the volunteer youth pastors, were on the leadership team. Served, served, served.  We had great favor.  I thought we were mature.  

But then God ambushed us.  He said, "You are done," and took us into a new season.  Sure we had had lots of challenges, starting over numerous times during our first 15 years of serving in ministry.  But we had overcome all of these issues.  We had a lot of determination.  But this time, God really threw us.  He wanted us to go through a season of real testing.  The testing of the faith.  So He yanked the rug out from under us.  

• No more ministry. 
• No more status. 
• Most of our friends quickly abandoned us.  
• People didn't understand. 
• Severe illnesses for my wife and I that lasted years.  
• Confusion.  
• Money issues. 
• Marriage issues. 
• Major challenges with a few of our children. 
• Horrific double-suicide of my newlywed niece and her husband.  
• Horrible month-long coma and death of Karen's sister from out of nowhere. 
• Serious undiagnosed illnesses return. 

It felt like everything fell apart.  "God - where are you?  What are you doing?  Why won't you take us out of this pit?  Are you even there?"  No answers.  Eighteen years ago was the call to full time ministry.  "Now the testing of your faith produces perseverance."  There was nothing left.  It was a Job season.  All was gone.

That's when things get really raw.  Prayers aren't so elegant any more.  Joy doesn't come easy.  You question every belief and doctrine.  

Valleys

I'd like to think and tell people that when you begin your relationship with Jesus that everything will be OK.  I like the favor, the blessings, the status, the joy.  I like the mountaintops.  But those aren't the defining elements and seasons of our lives.  It is in these valleys, these testings of the faith, the low points of our lives where we are shaped.

Again, look at these verses:  

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

The progession to maturity

I was so arrogant.  I thought I was mature.  Surely since I was a leader, since I had favor, since I was called to ministry, since I prayed a lot, since I tried to be holy:  surely now I was mature in the faith.  But I was nothing.  It is these testings that bring about perseverance. Those verses spell it out:  THEN AFTER perseverance is finished, then you (and I) will be MATURE AND COMPLETE!!!   Not lacking ANYTHING!

I look at Moses, Joseph, David, and Paul.  They were tested. I can imagine the struggles they had in their minds. The discouragement. The depression. The anger and frustration at times. The questioning of God. "But you said." They went through the testings of their faith.  And after those testings, they were mature.  They were able to lead.  They were able to achieve great things for the Kingdom of God.  They persevered and in the end they lacked nothing for they were mature.

We may not be the next Abraham Lincoln, Moses, Joseph, David, or Paul, but God does want each of us to mature and to fulfill the incredible plans and purposes He has for each of us.

What are you going through?

I have no idea what you are going through right now, whether that is you personally, as a family, or as a church.  But I believe that this message is not just for me.  I never have, and don't ever want to be the preacher who just says what people WANT to hear, I want to be the one who says what people NEED to hear.  You may be being tested right now.  You may be questioning everything.  You may be ticked off at God.  You may only see the junk and the sin in your life.  You may be feeling like it is all for nothing.  You may be feeling like you are losing hope.  I am telling you, God is in this.  He is testing your faith, bringing perseverance to bring maturity.  

Song

Two days after I began to prepare for this message, I was out running.  I have been very sick with an undiagnosed illness, and had to take three months off of running.  I've been battling back, trying to continue to run even though not everything was right.  On that day, every step was a battle.  I couldn't go on.  I didn't want to go on.  The mental challenge was tremendous.  As I ran, this song came on my iPhone.  I had never heard it before.  It was God speaking to me.  Not only for me to be able to make it through the run, but it was also an allegory of life.  That I would make it.  That we would make it. Here are some links to "The Sun is Rising" by Britt Nicole

• Watch a video with lyrics & music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO36F--Vn1g
• Purchase it at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/gold/id601356878

As you listen, please allow the Holy Spirit to encourage you and strengthen your spirit.

The sun IS rising.  You ARE gonna make it.  A powerful song, that I hope is speaking powerful encouragement to us all. 

Prayer

If any of what I've said today is speaking to your heart, we'd love to pray with you.  Not for you but with you.  We are walking through this individually, but we can also pray and encourage each other along the way.  If you'd like prayer, please let Karen or I know and we'd love to pray with you.  If this blog article has spoken to your spirit, I'd love to hear about it.

May the testings of your faith bring perseverance which will lead to maturity! Amen.