The Need For Perseverance

Introduction

Opening Illustration

In Mark chapter 2,

we read of a group of 4 men

who are trying to bring their paralyzed friend to Jesus.

They believe that Jesus can heal their friend—

but there’s a problem—

there’s a huge crowd!

How are they going to get their friend to Jesus?

Moving through the crowd is challenging enough—

and they aren’t even able to reach the door.

So what do they do?

Mark 2:4 ESV

4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.

These men had such incredible faith that Jesus could heal their friend—

that they were willing to persevere no matter how hard it was.

Jesus, seeing their faith—

Mark 2:11–12 ESV

11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

Main Point of Sermon

These men are an incredible example of—

The Need For Perseverance

You and I need perseverance for the Christian life.

What does it mean to persevere?

Perseverance means to:

maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement

It’s so easy to give up when things get difficult—

to take the easy road when things are harder than we expected.

If you’re honest, this is sometimes how your Christian life feels—

It’s harder than you expected—

so why not just give up!

NO brothers and sisters!

We need to persevere—

to continue trusting in Christ through the difficulties/challenges of life.

Transition to Acts

That’s exactly what we’re going to see as we continue our series in Acts this morning.

As we pick up in Acts 14—

We’re going to see Paul and Barnabas face continual challenges—

And yet…

Paul and Barnabas:

Persevere For the Lost

Persevere For the Saints

Persevere Through the Saints

Prayer for Illumination

Lord…

Transition

The first thing we’re going to learn from Paul and Barnabas’s example is to…

1. Persevere For the Lost

As they continue their missionary journey,

they’re going to “Persevere For the Lost”.

EXPLAIN

They have been sent to share the good news of Jesus with the Gentiles—

but they have an enemy who is seeking to stop them—

Satan!

He is going to attack and try to stop them a number of different ways—

but they persevere for the sake of the lost.

The first attack they persevere through is…

a. The Attack of Slander

Acts 14:1–2 ESV

1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

The Jews “poisoned” the minds of the people of Iconium against Paul and Barnabas.

Trying to ruin their reputation so people wouldn’t follow them.

Do Paul and Barnabas give up?

NO!

Acts 14:3 ESV

3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

They ignored the noise going on around them—the things being said about them—

and continued “speaking boldly for the Lord”—

and God was showing His power through their bold witness.

They persevered through the attack of slander—

The next attack they persevere through is…

b. The Attack of Harm

Acts 14:4–7 ESV

4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, 6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.

Paul and Barnabas persevered through slander—they didn’t care what others thought about them—

but they also knew when it was time to move on to another town.

Their lives had been threatened, so they move on—

but they don’t stop preaching the gospel!

“The missionaries were brave but not stupid! In fleeing danger, they lived to preach another day. Sometimes the best way to make the gospel known may mean remaining; at other times it may mean relocating.” — Tony Merida

Satan tries to stop Paul and Barnabas by attacking them through slander and harm—

but it didn’t work!

But Satan has one more attack—

c. The Attack of Praise

Acts 14:8–13 ESV

8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

After seeing the miracle done by Paul,

the Lycaonians want to worship them!

Their speaking in their language—

which is why Paul and Barnabas don’t realize what’s going on until the priest arrives.

What is Paul and Barnabas’s response to this undeserved praise?

Acts 14:14–17 ESV

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

Paul and Barnabas persevere through the attack of praise—

they redirect the praise away from themselves,

and back to God, who is deserving of it!

SUMMARY

Satan is seeking to stop Paul and Barnabas anyway he can—

through slander/harm/praise—

But they persevere for the sake of the lost.

Through each attack, they continue sharing the good news of Jesus

for the sake of those who don’t know Him yet!

APPLY

You and I need to be willing to have that same desire to:

Persevere for the sake of the lost.

We need to understand that we have an enemy we cannot see—

there is a spiritual warfare going on,

and Satan is attacking us.

Sadly, it doesn’t often take much to stop us—

I can think of so many times in my own life where I didn’t share the good news of Jesus,

simply because I was worried what others would think/say about me.

Who cares what people think of us!

There are people who don’t know Jesus—

who are lost and headed to destruction,

and we’re worried about people think???

Romans 1:16–17 ESV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

This doesn’t mean we have to put ourselves in harms way—

there are hostile situations that are best to avoid.

But you can move on to someone else,

and continue seeking to share the good news of Jesus with others.

But maybe the sneakiest of Satan’s strategies is the attack of praise.

We long to be praised so much,

that it’s easy for us to be deceived to taking the praise that God deserves.

The solution is not false humility—

“It wasn’t that good…”

The solution is giving God the credit—

“He is the One who made me…”

“He is the One who saved me…”

“He is the One who gifted me and gave me a desire to serve Him…”

SUMMARY

Each and every day, you are in a spiritual battle—

Satan will seek to attack you and make you ineffective.

Each and every day you need to depend on the grace and power of God—

Persevere through all the attacks for the sake of the lost people in your life.

They need to know Jesus!

Transition

The next thing we’re going to learn from Paul and Barnabas’s example is to…

2. Persevere For the Saints

Paul and Barnabas persevere through an attempt to kill them.

They persevere to strengthen/build up the saints—the Church.

EXPLAIN

Acts 14:19 ESV

19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

They finally succeed in killing Paul—

or so they thought.

Acts 14:20 ESV

20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.

But God spared Paul’s life—

He’s not done with him yet.

Acts 14:21 ESV

21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,

Paul doesn’t give up even though he nearly died!

He preaches the gospel in Derbe—

and then begins making his way back to the churches in:

Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch.

This is an incredible act of courage and bravery on the part of Paul/Barnabas—

to go back to all the places you were violently thrown out of!

They are…

“Persevering For the Saints!”

As he visits these believers,

his desire is to help them.

We are told why he’s going back to the churches he’s planted—

a. Strengthen

Acts 14:22 ESV

22 strengthening the souls of the disciples

Has anyone here ever tried to sit on a laundry basket before?

Come on—I know I’m not the only one…

It’s not strong enough to support very much weight.

If it’s going to hold an adult,

it needs to be strengthened.

Paul knew if these new believers were going to stand in the face of spiritual warfare—

they were going to need to be strengthened—

so he goes back to grow their spiritual muscles.

Another reason he revisited the churches was to…

b. Encourage

Acts 14:22 ESV

22 encouraging them to continue in the faith

Paul knew how the Christian life was—

and his concern was that these new Christians would give up in the face of adversity.

So he comes back to encourage them to continue putting their faith in Jesus!

Another reason he revisited the churches was to…

c. Warn

Acts 14:22 ESV

22 and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Paul wanted them to know that struggles and hardships are normal for the Christian life.

If they thought the Christian life was going to be easy,

then it would be easy to quickly abandon Jesus at the first sign of trouble.

But Paul wants them to know trouble is coming—

but that it’s worth it for the promise of forgiveness and the gift of eternal life with Jesus!

Another reason he revisited the churches was to…

d. Shepherd

Acts 14:23 ESV

23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church

Paul had shepherded and guided them—

but he knew the importance of shepherds to lead and guide the church when he left.

For that reason, it was common practice for Paul to appoint elders in every church.

So the church would have leaders to shepherd them.

Another reason he revisited the churches was to…

e. Commit

Acts 14:23 ESV

23 with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Ultimately, Paul knew that true believers belonged to the Lord—

and HE was going to sustain them—

so he committed them into the care of Jesus.

SUMMARY

Paul had just been stoned and left for dead—

but he persevered and continued his mission—

for the sake of the saints—in order to help them!

APPLY

Maybe you’re going through a challenging season of life yourself—

it’s tempting in those moments to be self-focussed—

and forget to help and serve others.

I’m not trying to make anyone guilty—

I’m just trying to encourage you to look outside yourself.

Everyone is struggling in some way—

we all need strength/encouragement.

Helping others can be as simple as a phone call…

ILLUSTRATE

Received a phone call from someone in our church this week

who had noticed someone not in church for a while.

Found out they were going through a rough time—

and he was able to encourage and strengthen them,

and point them to Jesus.

That’s exactly what the church is for!

Loving one another enough to help one another!

APPLY CONT.

Who has God been putting on your heart?

Reach out to them and ask how they are doing.

Maybe they need:

Strength — wisdom from God’s Word/held accountable to grow in God’s Word.

Encouragement — feeling down/hopeless and need someone to point them to Jesus.

Warn — they need warning that the Christian life is full of trouble… or a warning about the path their sin is leading them.

Shepherd — they need the help of a shepherd/pastor who can help them/point them in the right direction.

Commit — ultimately you can’t live someone else’s life for them. Commit them to God, in whom their faith is in!

SUMMARY

This will require sacrifice on your part—

but it’s your call as a follower of Christ to “Persevere For the Saints”—

By doing this, you follow the example of Jesus, your Saviour.

Transition

The next thing we’re going to learn from Paul and Barnabas’s example is to…

3. Persevere Through the Saints

Paul and Barnabas persevere through

the help/encouragement of their brothers and sisters from their sending church.

EXPLAIN

Acts 14:24–26 ESV

24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled.

Paul and Barnabas continue preaching the gospel in other towns—

until going back to Antioch, their home/sending church.

They finally finished their first missionary journey!

Now they come back home to be refreshed.

They will go on other missionary journeys—

but now they are going to be poured into.

They will be able to persevere through the saints—

their brothers and sisters in Christ who will encourage them.

The first way they are encouraged is through—

a. The Power of Testimony

Acts 14:27 ESV

27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

They gather the church together to:

tell the stories of what “God had done with them”.

The stories of:

all the places they went and shared the gospel—

the miracles God did through them—

the people who rejected their message and persecuted them—

AND…

the people who accepted their message and believed in Jesus—

God opened the door of faith to the Gentiles!

What an encouragement to the church

to hear the stories of God at work!

What an encouragement to Paul and Barnabas

to have brothers and sisters who care so deeply about their missionary journey that

they would support them—

and come to hear how God had used them.

This is the power of testimony—

the mutual encouragement of sharing what God is doing in and through us.

The next way we see they are encouraged is—

b. The Power of Community

Acts 14:28 ESV

28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.

Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch for a while—

Some believe they stayed for about a year.

Through that time together they were:

Growing together with those who had no doubt been praying for them—

Seeking medical treatment—

Mutually edifying one another—

Maybe Paul/Barnabas were teaching and training others—

and also being poured into by others—

They had experienced the grace/power of God while out spreading the gospel—

and now at their home church they experienced the grace/power of God with their community!

This is the power of community—

coming together for mutual encouragement!

SUMMARY

This is how Paul and Barnabas were able to persevere:

Through the saints—their brothers and sisters in Christ!

APPLY

There’s maybe no more discouraging feeling than when you feel like you’re alone.

You’re going through hardships/struggles,

and you feel like nobody’s there to help you.

It’s going to be really hard to persevere in the Christian life

if you’re trying to do it all on your own!

This is why it is so important to be connected and involved in a local church—

There’s power in community!

As you go about your week—

you’re going to face challenges—

you’re going to face setback/disappointments—

you’re going to fail and feel like you have weak faith—

That’s why it’s so important for you to show up here at church week after week—

there’s power in community!

There’s power in seeing our brothers and sisters—

There’s power in singing praise to God together—

There’s power in lifting our prayers to God together—

There’s power in opening God’s Word together—

There’s power in hearing what God is doing in other people’s lives—

Don’t neglect to come to church!

The enemy wants you to think it’s not a big deal—

it’s because He wants to keep you isolated—

discouraged and struggling in your faith.

There have been many times when I have been struggling/discouraged—

and God used the testimony of another brother/sister to encourage me.

SUMMARY

The Christian life is hard—

but you can “Persevere through the saints”—

your brothers and sisters in Christ who are walking the same path as you.

Closing

Closing Illustration

The book of Esther is about a young Jewish woman named Esther,

who becomes queen when her people, the Jews, were in exile.

After becoming queen, she learns of a plot to destroy her people.

She is in a unique position now to try to save them—

but it could cost her…

her life.

She could go to the King, her husband, and ask him to spare her people—

but approaching the king without being asked to come could result in her death.

Ultimately, she realizes that her life is in God’s hands—

and that she can’t spare her life, even if she is the queen.

So she tells Mordecai her cousin—

Esther 4:16 ESV

16 “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”

Esther is willing to persevere—

putting her faith in God—

not for herself—

but for others—for her people!

She was willing to lose her life—

in order to save others.

Point to Christ (How does the Gospel speak to this?)

This is a beautiful foreshadowing of Christ—

And His willingness to lose His life in order to save ours!

He left His throne in heaven—

To come to earth as a man—

Humbling Himself to the point of death—even death on a cross—

But God raised Him from the dead—

And gave Him the name that is above every name—

So that everyone who believes in Him:

would be forgiven—saved from the penalty of their sin—

and have the promise of eternal life with Him!

1 John 4:9 ESV

9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

1 John 4:10 ESV

10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

1 John 4:11 ESV

11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Land the Plane (Last call to action)

Since Jesus was willing to persevere—

enduring suffering and pain in order to save us—

May it be our joy to persevere for the sake of others!

Who has God placed in your life who does not know Jesus?

Maybe someone at work—

Maybe a neighbour—

Maybe a family member/friend—

Maybe it’s your kids—

What step could you take this week to point them to their need for Jesus?

Who has God been putting on your heart to reach out to?

A brother or sister in Christ

you haven’t seen in church in a while—

you haven’t spent time with in a while—

you know is going through a hard season—

What step could you take this week strengthen and encourage them this week?

This won’t always be easy—it requires sacrifice—

and the enemy will seek to attack you—

but persevere and spend your life for the sake of others!

Let’s pray!