How to Persevere
Notes
Transcript
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;
and I will keep it to the end.
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
36 Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!
37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.
38 Confirm to your servant your promise,
that you may be feared.
39 Turn away the reproach that I dread,
for your rules are good.
40 Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your righteousness give me life!
There is a common theme given to the church, that having been saved by the grace of God, we now endure to the end.
The end of our own lives
The beginning of our eternity with Christ
Persevere with Committed Obedience
Persevere with Committed Obedience
34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
and observe it with my whole heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commandments,
for I delight in it.
Have you ever wanted to play a game? Perhaps like me you were attracted to a tabletop filled with cards and tokens and dice and wanted to know more. Perhaps you saw others enjoying their time together and wanted to learn more.
Maybe you sat down and just started playing, figuring it out as you went.
Maybe you got the instructions out of the box and read them front-to-back.
Maybe another player showed you how to play and guided you.
When we are called to salvation, we long to participate in the surpassing riches of knowing Christ. We must learn the rules.
We learn the rules from
The church (learn the game’s rules from playing the game)
The scriptures (learn the games rules from reading the instructions)
The Spirit (learn the games rules through coaching)
Sometimes we find ourselves growing tired of the game before the end. We understand the rules and we can see where we’re going, we just don’t want to slog through the hard part or the tedious part. This is the monopoly effect!
9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
The key difference between putting a game away to be picked up later and growing weary of doing good is the very difference within this analogy. A game is just a game. Your life is one of continued obedience to the Lord until the very end. Anything less is apostacy.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
Persevere with Continued Holiness
Persevere with Continued Holiness
36 Incline my heart to your testimonies,
and not to selfish gain!
37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things;
and give me life in your ways.
As we learn the commandments of the Lord, we must be careful not to fall into simple, legalistic observance, but instead we must see what the law is meant to show us: the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.
Two statements:
Help me keep the truth of God in view instead of a desire for material blessing.
Help me keep the truth of God in view instead of a desire for temporary blessing.
Why do we seek after material and temporary blessing? It is the nature of those who are suffering to seek relief.
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;
What is our encouragement here?
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
We look to the unseen, we persevere according to knowledge of the things to come:
13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Persevere with Careful Reverence
Persevere with Careful Reverence
And so this committed obedience and continued holiness are cultivating a particular attitude toward the Lord. An attitude of careful reverence.
38 Confirm to your servant your promise,
that you may be feared.
39 Turn away the reproach that I dread,
for your rules are good.
We Revere God because He proves Himself again and again.
In accuracy and reliability of His Word
In answered prayer
In prophecies and promises kept
We Revere God because He spares us the punishment we deserve.
This reproach is the same idea we see in
Ps 119:22 “22 Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies.”
Ps 119:42 “42 then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word.”
Ps 119:51 “51 The insolent utterly deride me, but I do not turn away from your law.”
This scorn/contempt/derision, this reproach is the rebuking we deserve for our sinfulness, but instead of suffering the penalty of our sin, that poison that condemns us to death, we see the good rules of the law. The law that said to the Israelites, because of your sinfulness you will be attacked by fiery serpents, but if you look up to the bronze serpent you will be saved.
The good rules of our God says, you deserve the penalty of sin in the body, but look up to Christ Jesus, lifted up and nailed to a tree, and you will be saved.
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
How to Persevere?
How to Persevere?
33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes;
and I will keep it to the end.
40 Behold, I long for your precepts;
in your righteousness give me life!
See how these two verses act as bookends to the life of one who persists in righteousness.
v33 - The outcry to the Lord that He would teach the wicked sinner
v40 - The believer who has been taken from slavery to the flesh to being a committed/continuing/careful servant of the Lord.
Cry out to God in prayer and ask for Him to do what you cannot.
Commit yourself to careful obedience to the scriptures.
Continue to daily focus on the wonderful truths of our God and emulate the example He has given us: Be holy because He is holy!
Carefully walk, not in self-assurance and arrogance, but with careful reverence to God and His Word, that you might not sin against Him
Cry out to God in prayer and thank Him for doing what you could not.