Faith Doesn't Fizzle in the Fire, it Flourishes

Introduction

We all have moments in life that many would say will either “make” or “break” them. They either will help them grow or cause them to shrink down. In those moments, we are faced with a choice to either rely solely on what we can see and feel in the moment, or what we know deep down inside. Our identity shines in these types of moments in the fires of life. Think of a time when you’ve been in the fire. You’re walking down this thing called life and something happens that forces you to make a decision that can go one of two ways and you know will impact you significantly going forward.

Fires come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, sometimes they are self-induced, sometimes they are not, sometimes they are big, sometimes they are small, sometimes they are personal, sometimes they are general. Fires hurt, nonetheless. Several years ago, there was a documentary on the training that Navy SEALS go through and part of that training is a week called “Hell Week” and after watching the documentary this week, I’d say that it’s at least somewhat appropriate because they try to break these young men down physically, emotionally, and mentally. They are told by instructors that it would be easier to quit than to continue. They aren’t allowed to sleep more than a few hours, they aren’t given food at times, they are wet, cold, exhausted, and the kicker is this: if you want to leave, it’s extremely convenient… all you have to do is walk over and ring a bell. Whenever someone would ring the bell and quit, though, those same instructors would say to the other men, “Don’t quit.” If quitting and leaving a difficult situation was as simple as ringing a bell, why do you think people choose to stay in the fire? Because of how far they’ve come and because of where they are going, because of their goal. They’ve trained for a long time for this - to quit now is foolish. They are within sight of their goal of being a Navy SEAL - to throw that away means that you miss out on your goal. Still, though, some fizzle out in the fire while others flourish in it.

How can we be people who flourish in the fire? By remembering what God has done and by looking ahead to what is awaiting us. This life is hard. Fires hurt. Suffering is real… but faith in Jesus helps us persevere even through the hardest of times! As we continue walking through Hebrews, we’re going to wrap up Hebrews 10 by studying verses 32-39 this morning and we’ll see the importance of persevering through hard times in the fire and anchor our hope in the promises of God’s Word. If you’re in the fire today, friend, don’t let your circumstances force you to fizzle out - keep your eyes on Jesus and encourage one another to flourish for Him. Let’s read this text

Hebrews 10:32–39 CSB

32 Remember the earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings. 33 Sometimes you were publicly exposed to taunts and afflictions, and at other times you were companions of those who were treated that way. 34 For you sympathized with the prisoners and accepted with joy the confiscation of your possessions, because you know that you yourselves have a better and enduring possession. 35 So don’t throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36 For you need endurance, so that after you have done God’s will, you may receive what was promised. 37 For yet in a very little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. 38 But my righteous one will live by faith; and if he draws back, I have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved.

These people have suffered but they are encouraged to persevere a little longer. They are tempted to throw in the towel, but the preacher of Hebrews encourages them to go back for another round. In our difficult days, this is what we need too. We must remember Who we serve, and we must encourage one another to get back up and do what God calls us to do - this is what we do as a church and I’m thankful that we have the opportunity to hold one another up in this regard. Let’s pray and ask God to guide us and strengthen our faith in Him today.

Remember God’s Faithfulness (32-35)

The older we get it seems like the harder it is to remember certain things - this is why it’s so important to look to Scripture and to document in our own lives where God has proven Himself faithful so that we don’t drift from Scripture. Listen to what Jesus tells the church of Ephesus in Revelation about their initial passion for the Gospel and their need to remember what God had done.

Revelation 2:4–5 CSB

4 But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. Otherwise, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.

We must remember Who our God is and what our God has done for us! He is always faithful! There are times, though, where we find ourselves in the spiritual doldrums of this life. The doldrums is a term used by sailors to describe the unpredictable winds near the equator. Sometimes the winds are whipping and violent and suddenly they will come to a complete standstill and you won’t be able to move and the ship gets completely stuck. There are times in this life where we feel like we’re in the doldrums. We used to have such passion for God’s Word and sharing the Gospel with others, but today we look at our lives and we feel stuck and we might even feel like a different person. In those moments, what should we do? Whenever we feel like we have drifted or we’re being tempted to go down a road that we know that we shouldn’t go down, what should we do? Hebrews 10:32: Remember. In the doldrums of life, we must remember the God who has saved us. Remember the promises of God to His people. Remember verses like Philippians 1:6

Philippians 1:6 CSB

6 I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Remember that you’re a work in progress and you’re going to have hard days and you’re going to make mistakes because of that fallen sinful nature inside of you, but in the doldrums of life when you’re battling confusion and temptation and even depression because you feel abandoned and like a failure, you can remember this promise that God finishes the work that God starts because God is eternally faithful! This is a theme we see over and over in Hebrews but it’s often in relation to God remembering His promises to His people. Aren’t you thankful that you serve a God who remembers His people? Because of this truth, we can trust in Him and sometimes we simply need to stop and remember all that He has done before.

What has God done for these people in the past? How has He changed them?

Look at verses 33 and 34 with me and let’s look at the past of these people. They endured suffering of all types. They suffered physically, they suffered relationally, they suffered financially, but they suffered well. In times of suffering, we must remember God’s faithfulness! Just because we suffer in this life it doesn’t mean that we have failed or that God is displeased - Jesus said that that in this world we will have trouble. Look at what Paul shares in 2 Timothy 3:12

2 Timothy 3:12 CSB

12 In fact, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

This is heavy stuff! 2,000 years ago the Christians were heavily persecuted. Put into prison. Refused business. Picked on. Stoned. Crucified. Thrown to lions. If this sermon was preached to Christian’s in Rome as some believe, some of these believers were likely kicked out of their homes in the city years before as Claudius kicked the Jews out of the city in 41 AD. The list goes on… What did these people do in the past whenever they were persecuted? They loved on others - they sympathized with others who were imprisoned and they identified publicly with Christ… but more than that, these Christians suffered for the Gospel with joy. Now that seems a little crazy, doesn’t it? Let’s put this into modern verbiage. A government official comes up to us and says this: You will stop gathering as a church or you will pay a $100 fine each week. I’m not sure about you, but I’ll whip out my check book (that I don’t have because I’m a millennial and use a debit card) and I’ll pay that fine for the whole church with JOY because that’s a price I’m willing to pay. Let’s up the cost though. What about jail time? We have brothers and sisters overseas who gather week in and week out to study from God’s Word and they do so knowing full and well the risk as they could be imprisoned if they are caught. Yet, they still gather. Back during the COVID lockdown in early 2020, California had very strict regulations on gatherings and John MacArthur and his church, Grace Community Church, was told by the government that he would face jail time if he continued to gather publicly with his church for worship. He replied by saying that Paul throughout the New Testament didn’t spend much time in palaces… but he spent an awful lot of time in prisons. If he were to be imprisoned by the government, he would go to jail with joy and immediately start up a jail ministry and share the Gospel truth wherever God took him.

The question we must ask is this: Is Jesus Worth The Cost?

To many people they say no, He’s not. He’s worth 1 day a week. He’s worth _____ but He’s not worth that. We love safety and comfort and ease and fun and if we get those things, we often rejoice, but if we get discomfort and danger we’re quick to complain. We’ll look at our lives and our situations and we’ll say, Jesus is worth this but I won’t go a step further. Look at Acts 5:41 with me as Peter and the other early Christians were persecuted for their faith and they said this

Acts 5:41 CSB

41 Then they went out from the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to be treated shamefully on behalf of the Name.

How on earth is this type of joy possible in times of suffering? Look at the end of verse 34. They knew that they had a better and enduring possession. What does that mean? The song that Lindsey sang earlier talks about our entire salvation story and specifically, this hope that is found in Jesus

“When I am lost, when I am broken In the night of fear and doubt Still, I will trust in my good Father Yes, to one great King I bow

As Jesus rose, so I shall rise In ransomed glory at the throne My heart restored With all Your saints, I sing "Father, not my will but Yours be done"

Our hope is that because of Jesus, we have assurance that God makes good on all of His promises. Our confidence in God’s faithfulness is grounded in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can have assurance today that we one day will rise as well. Keller once said that if the resurrection is true, everything will be alright. We have an enduring reward that is awaiting us - we won’t get it now, but it is still certain. We are no less secure than the believers who have gone before us and who are worshiping Jesus in glory right now! Whenever the fire comes and persecution knocks on our front door, we can either choose to remember God’s Word and our hope, or we can choose to doubt and we can fall away. We can choose to encourage one another in the middle of our struggling or we can choose to be discouraged by our depressing world. Sadly, some choose to look at the here and now rather than what Jesus promises His people in eternity to come. Al Mohler once shared in a sermon on this text, “We may lose everything for the sake of Christ, but, in an eternal sense, we lose nothing.”

Whenever you get to rock bottom and everything else is removed and destroyed, if you have Jesus, you still have all that you could ever need. Gabriel has a kids book that I believe we now have in our library called the 2 houses and it’s about the story Jesus tells of the man who builds his house on the solid rock versus the one who builds his house on the sinking sand. Jesus concludes that story by sharing that the one who builds his life on the Word of God is the one who builds on a solid, firm foundation. Friends, whenever life tries to knock us down, the one whose foundation is God’s Word will be able to stand strong… not because of your power, but because of Christ’s power in you. We remember God’s power and plan by reading His Word and looking back at all of God’s promises and faithfulness helps us keep going in this thing called life. Aren’t you thankful that God remains faithful even whenever you and I are faithless and drop the ball? We serve an awesome God and it is a joy to worship Him and to remember all that He has done for us. It’s a good thing to pause in this life and remember that our God is good, faithful, powerful, and sovereign. As we pause and remember, we must continue onward with action and, second,

Resolve to Follow God’s Will (36-39)

In the New Testament, we see the word endure show up 57 times and it shows up more in the book of Hebrews than any other book. Whenever we think of the word endure, we often think of running and how some people have more endurance than others. The same principle applies with working as some are able to work longer and harder than others because they have more endurance. This is the picture provided for us in Scripture as endurance is seen as a good thing that is both a gift from the Lord and something that we are responsible for working toward in our spiritual walk. The question is “how can we get this endurance that we need according to Hebrews 10:36?”

We can think of this in 2 different ways:

We gain endurance by running steadfastly

We gain endurance by resting in God’s Victory

On one level this doesn’t make much sense because running and resting seem to be opposed to one another but follow me here. Whenever God saves us, we’re not called to sit on our seat and sing blessed assurance and call it quits until He calls us home. If that’s what we think salvation is all about, a comfortable, middle-class, convenient life that leads to ease and happiness, we’ve replaced the Biblical Gospel with a false one. We’re saved to serve and that requires us to follow after Jesus and run after His will, not ours. As we follow Jesus and run after Him, we grow in endurance. We suffer for the Gospel here and there, but the next time we suffer, we remember that He provided before and He’s got us today. Trials and suffering in this life produce endurance and following Jesus will naturally lead to us gaining endurance.

But as we run, we don’t run in a state of panic. Every year in Pamplona, Spain for over 600 years, there has been a festival and celebration that we know as the “Running of the Bulls.” As a teenager, I thought that looked like fun because whenever you’re 15-16, you think you’re invincible… Now I’ve matured and have come to the realization that those people are absolutely out of their minds. If you’ve ever watched the running of the bulls, you understand this. There are 6 bulls that are released down the streets of the town and there are fences set up to keep them down a centralized area. So far, so good… but inside the fences are people who out of their own freedom choose to race alongside these massive bulls. Experts say that every year, between 50-100 people are injured and there have been many fatalities as you can imagine due to the chaotic and violent nature of this run. The Christian race is not one of panic and unknown circumstances… The Christian race is one of certainty. Our King has Won! Notice what our text tells us, in a little while the Coming One will come and not delay! This is a prophecy found in Habakkuk 2:3-4 and the point is that the Lord will return soon and that the bad times in exile will be but a blip on the radar compared to the good times in glory. See, church, the end is written - we run in this life after Jesus and we run with endurance… but we also rest in the promise of Christ’s return and this provides us with endurance. How? Because we know that the suffering of this life is only momentary. It stings, but it doesn’t separate us from our Lord. This life is a vapor, it’s a blip on the heart monitor compared to the eternity awaiting us with Jesus - we must live accordingly!

Justin Martyr, before his execution for following Jesus in the 2nd century, shared this statement, “They can kill us but they can’t hurt us.” What does that mean? It means this: This world can throw everything it can at you… but if you belong to Jesus, if you have faith in Him, if you have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, the hurt of this world pales in comparison to what is awaiting you in Christ Jesus. This promise provides us with hope and endurance as we run this race.

In Hebrews, the word endurance shows up often to demonstrate that saved people are obedient people. We reveal the root of our salvation by bearing fruit that points people to Jesus. We get knocked down, but we get back up. Things don’t go our way, but we follow Christ’s will and sing, Not my will, but Yours be done. We need endurance to continue on this journey and God promises that for those who are saved and those who do endure, they are going to receive something that is promised to them. What is that promise? Look at Hebrews 9:15 with me

Hebrews 9:15 CSB

15 Therefore, he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance, because a death has taken place for redemption from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

The promise that we receive is that we will spend eternity with God because we have been redeemed from the punishment of our sins through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross in our place! This death in our place and the victory that was won over sin and death by Jesus Christ means that for all who are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we have the assurance of redemption and we receive an eternal inheritance that we’ll fully realize after this life.

Some, though, look good initially as they come to church, say the right things, and have some knowledge, but they draw back. Hebrews 10 is warning us against deliberate sin and one of those sins is the sin of not being a part of the covenant community of believers and refusing to gather with God’s people. Refusing to identify with Jesus publicly. To this person who draws back and lives their own life and refused to follow God’s will, they demonstrate a lack of faith and the Bible says that they will be destroyed. This is heavy stuff - let’s think through some of the reasons why it can be hard to follow God’s will in this life.

Self - we naturally follow self and we’re tempted by our own sinful desires as James 1:14 shares with us

Society - we are tempted to go with the flow and often times, going with the flow means going against the will of God because the things of God are naturally opposed to the things of this fallen world

Satan - some give Satan more credit with this than he truly deserves because often it is our own sinful desires that draw us away from God’s will and plan, but there are times where the reason why it is hard to discern and follow God’s will for our lives is because we’re under attack and the enemy is a master deceiver

These 3 reasons can make following God’s will extremely difficult! How can we fight against these 3 things and successfully follow God’s will? How can we continue to trust in God’s promises and live a life of faith in Him? Here’s the solution: Spending time in God’s Word! Why do some people fizzle out in the fires of this life while others remain strong and flourish? Because the foundation isn’t always in the Word of God like Matthew 13 tells us with the parable of the sower and the different types of soil. Some seed was destroyed instantly. Other seed looked good at first but then died. Other seed sprouted but wasn’t deep enough to stay strong when the weeds came in… But other seed fell on fertile soil and grew and matured and flourished. Which soil are you?

This summer we’ll be spending time in the Psalms and we’ll reflect on some of the most beloved Psalms that many of us know well. The Psalms are largely songs, prayers, and laments penned by God’s people… but do you know how the longest book in the Bible starts? Psalm 1 shares that we are to meditate on God’s Word day and night. Why would a book begin with this instruction? Because God’s Word is our guide. God’s Word is our foundation and our solid rock. Only a Scripture saturated person will endure in a fire filled world. God’s Word is sufficient. God’s Word is our authority. God’s Word still changes lives and God promises that His Word will never return void! What does God’s Word say about God’s promise to God’s people? If God makes a promise, it’s going to come to pass, but when?

When do we receive what was promised? We receive some of these promises in this life - we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive adoption and justification and a new family to belong to, we receive the promise of assurance and eternal victory… but when do we actually get that? NOT in this life… See Hebrews 11:39-40

Hebrews 11:39–40 CSB

39 All these were approved through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had provided something better for us, so that they would not be made perfect without us.

God’s will is to restore this fallen world to Himself one lost soul at a time and the amazing thing about God’s will is that whenever Christ returns, we don’t just have a new body… we have a new world. This isn’t because of our world or goodness, it’s because of His grace and mercy. We resolve to follow God’s will and in doing so, we have hope that we will inherit His promise of resurrection and eternal life with Him in glory. Today we struggle and we’ll suffer, just like those in Hebrews 10-11, but tomorrow our struggle and suffering will cease and we’ll rejoice like Paul and declare this in Romans 8:18

Romans 8:18 CSB

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

This suffering is producing something inside of us and if the suffering is from the Lord, we know that God has a purpose and that purpose is for our good! Therefore, we can rejoice as James 1 instructs us and as those in Hebrews 10 did and we can know that this suffering is doing something productive. It’s strengthening our faith. It’s helping us focus more on Jesus. It’s refining us. It’s forcing us to abandon all hope in self preservation and self reliance and hope entirely in the provision of God. It forces us to walk by faith and not by sight and to run this race with endurance. This isn’t easy, but friend, it’s worth it. Don’t throw away your reward by trusting in temporary cisterns that cannot possibly satisfy. Don’t throw away your reward by thinking that you’re fine when in reality you’re not. Don’t shrink back when suffering strikes - stand on the solid rock of God’s Word. Resolve to live your life in such a way that one day you will hear these words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” The applause of heaven is far greater than the applause of man because that applause will be here one minute and gone the next - if you live to please others, you’ll be disappointed and their applause will one day cease to provide you with the satisfaction it once did. Live for an audience of one - resolve to follow God’s will. Live by faith and rest in the certainty that one day you will receive your reward!

Let’s examine 2 questions as we seek to live this type of life of faith in Jesus!

God’s People Have Historically Been a Suffering People. Why Do We often Resist Suffering Today?

Matthew 5:12 tells us that those who are persecuted have a great reward in heaven. So often we look at the here and now and we draw back. We think that we’re the first to go through what we’re going through, but historically as our text tells us, God’s people have suffered. We must not resist it but we also must not cause quarrels because we like fights - that’s not right either. These Christians, like many today, lost their homes, jobs, friends, and families for following Jesus. They did this because Jesus was worth it. Is Jesus worth getting uncomfortable for you today?

How Does the Reality of Jesus’ Return Change Our Attitude During Suffering?

It’s only Temporary!

We must be people of faith and our faith must not fizzle in the fire… It must flourish because God is still with us in the flames. He is still good. He is still sovereign. He is still our provider. We must remember Who He is and all that He has done. We must resolve to follow His will each step of the way. Adrian Rogers defined faith as this, “Faith is not receiving from God what you want; faith is accepting from God what He gives.”

Are you accepting what God is giving you? Are you growing in your walk with Him? Are you drawing closer to Him?

Romans 12:12 CSB

12 Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.

Hebrews 6:12 told us weeks ago that we must be people of faith and perseverance.

Hebrews 6:12 CSB

12 so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.

Is this true of you today? Are you walking in faith and are you persevering through the challenges of this life with your eyes fixed on Jesus? If not, friend, turn your eyes to Jesus and be saved. If you’re being tempted to fizzle out, repent and ask Jesus to help you remember His faithfulness in His Word and in your own life. Don’t fizzle out - run this race with your eyes on the finish line and flourish as you follow Jesus!