A Greater Endurance

INTRODUCTION

Open your copy of God’s Word and join me in Hebrews chapter ten.

“I want to start this morning by asking you a question: What is Jesus worth to you?

For some people, following Jesus is worth a couple of hours on Sunday—if nothing else is going on. For others, it’s worth some convenience—until it starts costing something. But for these believers in Hebrews 10, following Jesus was worth everything—their reputation, their possessions, even their safety.

Let me tell you about a man named Polycarp. He lived in the second century and was a disciple of the apostle John. When he was arrested for refusing to bow to Caesar, the governor said, ‘Just curse Christ and you’ll live.’ Polycarp, 86 years old, stood tall and said, ‘Eighty-six years have I served Christ, and He has never done me wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?’ They burned him alive that day.

Now, I know—we live in America. We’re not being dragged into arenas or burned at the stake. But here’s the truth: following Jesus is going to cost you. It may cost you friendships. It may cost you opportunities. It may cost you your reputation. And one day, it may cost even more.

So the question is: Is Jesus worth it? That’s the question Hebrews 10:32–39 is pressing on us. And the answer, straight from God’s Word, is this: Jesus is worth enduring persecution for. He’s worth it when life gets hard. He’s worth it when people mock you. He’s worth it when the world turns against you. And He’s worth it because He endured the cross for us."

(Transition: “So let’s look at what endurance looks like in the face of persecution.”)

Hebrews 10:32–39 “But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”

Last two weeks…(last week) — Family of God with full access to God through the finished work of Christ…some have deserted Christ and His gospel. Why? Because it’s too hard.

Main Point of the Text

The author is encouraging believers to endure through persecution.

Really…the heart of the entire letter.

And the question at the heart of it all is…“Is Jesus worth it?”

And the answer to that question is…

Main Point of the Sermon

YES! Jesus is worth enduring persecution for.

1. THE REALITY OF PERSECUTION

What were these early believers going through?

[vs. 32] — a “hard struggle with sufferings”

[vs. 33] — publicly exposed to reproach & affliction (explain)

[vs. 34] — some had been imprisoned

[vs. 34] — plundering of property

**In America, it’s hard for us to understand.**

These believers were saved/came to faith/started following Jesus FULLY KNOWING the cost. Jesus had even talked about this!

Following Jesus will cost you. You’re either going to follow Jesus or you’re going to follow the world—you have to choose. Your allegiance will be to one or the other and your allegiance to Christ will be tested.

REALLY CONNECT WITH STUDENTS

Parents, you have to plant the flag for your family.

Is Jesus worth more to you than what people say about you?

What are you willing to lose for the sake of being faithful to Christ?

Not trying to be an alarmist—it is very possible—maybe even likely—that Christians will face persecution.

COVID—many Christians dropped out of church. Imagine what’s going to happen when we’re persecuted.

2. THE RESPONSE OF ENDURANCE TO PERSECUTION

The answer to the question, “What does endurance LOOK like?”

You “endured…” The author is calling for PRESENT endurance through persecution based on their PAST endurance through persecution.

A) Compassion (vs. 34)

Co-Sufferers

Today—persecuted church

"In North Korea, the most dangerous place to be a Christian, many believers meet in secret. If they’re caught, they can be executed or sent to labor camps. One believer said, ‘We pray not for freedom. We pray for faithfulness.’ Isn’t that striking? They’re not asking God to take away the suffering. They’re asking Him to help them endure."

B) Joy (vs. 34)

Joyfully accepted the plundering of property?!?! Whoa…as Americans, this sounds so foreign.

Matthew 5:11–12 ““Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

James 1:2 “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,”

C) Boldness (vs. 35)

“Therefore do not throw away your confidence…” (Your boldness)

He says in vs. 39—we are not of those who shrink back…

The confident attitude of the person of faith before God and the world. Because we enjoy free access to God through Christ’s sacrificial death and his intercession for us right now, we can confidently acknowledge our faith before the world.”

Listen…now more than ever we need boldness. I’m not talking about being just being keyboard warriors. I’m talking about living with boldness. We need bold Christians who will stand firm on the Word of God, not compromise the truth in their lives, and speak the truth in love…modeling out the life and the love of the gospel…boldly witnessing for Jesus to your lost friends…What is going to look like for you to live with boldness at school this week? At work? With your family?

Charlie Kirk—I want to be remembered for courage for my faith.

God isn’t silent. The church has been silent.

Again…past for present. He’s saying, “When you got first saved, it was easy for you to be bold. You were on fire. It was easy for you to have joy…have compassion…” Don’t grow complacent! Don’t be affected by the world!

3. THE RELIANCE OF ENDURANCE FOR PERSECUTION

Compassion, joy, boldness…HOW? Where does this come from?

The author says, “you have need of endurance” (vs. 36). And, I think that implies that endurance is something that we don’t have but that will be worked in us/gifted to us.

So, what is “endurance”? Look again in verse 32. He says, “you endured (faithfully stayed the course a hard struggle.” That word “struggle” is the word “ἄθλησις” — athlete.

Imagery of an athlete enduring/staying the course during—raising four fingers in the fourth quarter // maybe you know what that’s like…you’ve got no gas left in the tank.

For you, it may not be persecution. I think there are lots of things that make us want to throw in the towel. How do we joyfully and boldly endure to the end without throwing in the towel?

A) The Power of Christ

vs. 33—“reproach” and “affliction” // “reproach” - used 2 other times in Hebrews in reference to what Jesus, Himself, endured/suffered.

Hebrews 12:3 “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.”

His grace is sufficient/power made perfect

B) The Promises of God

vs. 36 // the promise that Christ is coming again.

C) The Prize Before Us

4. THE REWARD OF ENDURANCE THROUGH PERSECUTION

“Look with me again at verses 34–36. The writer says, ‘You yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one… do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward… so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.’

Church, do you see it? The only way these believers endured persecution—the only way they joyfully accepted the plundering of their property—is because their eyes were fixed on something better. They knew their reward in Christ was greater than anything this world could take away. They had something that could not be stolen, broken, or burned. Their treasure was eternal.

Christians in the Roman Empire would literally sing hymns together as they were being led into the Coliseum.

"I read a story from Voice of the Martyrs about a woman in China whose husband was arrested for leading a house church. When the authorities found out, they confiscated their home and left her with nothing. Do you know what she said? She said, ‘They can take away our house, but they cannot take away our heavenly home. Christ is ours forever.’

That’s why Paul can say in Romans 8:18, ‘For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.’ Imagine a scale. On one side, pile up every hardship, every loss, every insult, every tear, every ounce of persecution. Now on the other side, place the eternal glory of Christ, the joy of resurrection, the inheritance that never fades. The scale tips so far that it’s laughable to compare the two. That’s what gave the Hebrews endurance—and that’s what can give us endurance today.

Listen—suffering is real. Loss is real. Persecution is real. But none of it compares to the better possession, the abiding one, the great reward, the promise to come. Jesus Himself is our prize. And if you have Him, you cannot lose.

So the writer ends with this powerful declaration in verse 39: ‘We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.’ That’s who we are, church! We are not quitters. We are not compromisers. We are not those who throw away our confidence. We endure—because Jesus is worth it. He is worth every loss, every cost, every tear. And one day soon, ‘the Coming One will come and will not delay’—and in that day every sacrifice will seem small compared to the reward of seeing His face.”

CONCLUSION

"Church, the writer of Hebrews ends this passage with a line that ought to echo in our souls: ‘We are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.’

There are really only two groups of people in this world. Those who shrink back from Jesus—and lose everything. And those who hold fast to Jesus—and gain everything. Which group are you in?

Jim Elliot, the missionary martyred in Ecuador, once said, ‘He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.’ That’s Hebrews 10. These believers joyfully accepted the plundering of their property because they knew they had a better possession and an abiding one.

So, students—this week at school, will you shrink back, or will you stand bold for Christ? Parents—will you plant the flag in your home and say, ‘As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord’? Church—when the world says compromise, will we stand, with compassion, joy, and boldness, relying on the power of Christ, clinging to the promises of God, fixing our eyes on the prize before us?

Brothers and sisters—Jesus is worth it. He is worth the suffering. He is worth the loss. He is worth our endurance. Because one day soon, ‘the Coming One will come and will not delay.’ And when He comes, every sacrifice will seem small compared to the reward of His presence forever."

(Pause, then with conviction:) "So let’s be the people who do not shrink back. Let’s be the people who endure. Because Jesus is worth it."