Still Standing

I’m Still Standing

There’s a song some of y’all might remember from the early 1980s by a brother named Elton John. He said, “I’m still standing better than I ever did, Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid.” Now, I don’t know everything he was going through, but that line hits different when you’ve been through something. When life tried to knock you down, but you got back up. When grief came for your joy, but your praise kept fighting back. When the world counted you out, but God said, “Not yet.” That’s the kind of faith we celebrate on All Saints Sunday. We remember the ones who came before us. The mothers and grandmothers who prayed us through. The fathers and uncles who kept the lights on and the church doors open. The saints who taught us to sing “Amazing Grace” and mean it. They didn’t have perfect lives, but they had persevering faith. And because they stood, we’re still standing. Because they ran their race, we can run ours. Because they kept their eyes on Jesus, we’ve got strength to do the same. So today, we don’t just come to mourn the saints. We come to move like them. To keep the fire burning, to keep the race going, to keep standing. Because the same God who brought them through is still holding us up.

Point 1 – We Stand Because They Stood

“We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses.” The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we’re not running this race alone. All around us are the voices of the saints cheering, praying, and urging us on. Every pew in this sanctuary carries their fingerprints. Every hymn we sing carries their heartbeat. They remind us that we can make it. You might be weary, but you’re not alone. You might be walking through a valley, but there’s a cloud of witnesses saying, “Baby, we’ve been there, and we made it through.” That’s why we’re still standing. Because they stood in the storm. They stood in the struggle. They stood in the shadow. And because they stood, we can stand.

Point 2 – You Can’t Run with What You Won’t Release

“Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely.” If you’ve ever tried to run while carrying too much, you know it will slow you down. Some of us can’t move forward because we’re still holding what hurt us. Still carrying what someone said. Still dragging what God already told us to drop. The saints learned to travel light. They laid their burdens down at the altar and kept running toward glory. Elton said, “You could never know what it’s like, but I’m still standing.” Why? Because he let go of what tried to break him. You can’t stand tall if you’re bowed down by baggage. Sometimes the holiest thing you can do is release what’s holding you back.

Point 3 – Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

“Looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.” The saints didn’t just admire Jesus; they followed Him. They fixed their eyes on the One who never fell and never failed. When trouble came, they didn’t look at the storm; they looked at the Savior. You can’t stay standing if you’re always staring at what’s falling apart. Keep your focus on the One who holds it all together. He’s the reason you’re still here. He’s the reason you can say, “After all I’ve been through, I’m still standing.”

Point 4 – We Endure Because of the Joy Ahead

“Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross.” Jesus endured the cross because He saw beyond it. He saw resurrection on the other side of rejection. He saw life beyond the grave. That’s how the saints made it. They saw something on the other side of their struggle. A crown beyond the cross. Joy beyond the tears. Rest beyond the race. They didn’t just endure; they rejoiced while enduring. Because they knew joy wasn’t just waiting at the finish line. It was running beside them all the way.

Closing Celebration

So when you hear “I’m Still Standing” this week, don’t just think about a song. Think about a Savior who conquered the grave. Think about the saints who didn’t quit. Think about the strength inside you that says, “I may have stumbled, but I didn’t fall. I may have cried, but I didn’t quit. I’m still standing by the grace of God.” And if somebody asks you how you made it, just smile and tell them: “It wasn’t my strength. It was His Spirit. It wasn’t my willpower. It was His mercy. It wasn’t luck. It was the Lord.” Because after all this time, through all these trials, we’re still standing.