Growing up in the Body - Part 3 - Perseverence

Thesis: Perseverance is the second foundation to deepening your faith.

Thesis

For Kids:

Me

Piano Lessons

Guilt held me back

Guilt held me back

Fear of failure

Choosing easy music

Two piano teachers who threw me in the deep end of piano music

Lynne Roark

Drill sergeant of piano teachers

Dr. Cook

Music without melody - a whole new kind of music and performing

Learning to see the hope for me

We

We get stuck when we can't see the hope for ourselves

We get stuck when we can't see the hope for ourselves

Getting unstuck requires going deeper, not backing away like we feel like doing in those moments

It goes against our instincts

It is exactly like when Peter had been fishing all night with no fish to show for it and Jesus told him to go out into deeper water.

It made no sense at all

But they caught so many fish they could not bring them all in because it was tearing their nets.

That was what changed Peter from a good Jewish man into a disciple - a follower of Jesus, willing to leave it all behind to go deeper with Jesus.

What does it take for us to get unstuck and go deeper?

It takes humility

It takes perseverance

God

God

Philippians 3:4b–11 NRSV

even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Letting the Old Go

No more boasting about old life

7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ,e the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christf and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

No more boasting about old life

No more guilt

Resurrection from the dead

To be born again means letting your old life die

When we think about what holds us back from living likes saints today, for most of us, our physical bodies are not the first or biggest problem

There are matters of mind and heart that need to be let go of and made new

We can't do that ourselves

Philippians 3:12–16 NRSV

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.

Pressing toward the Goal

Pressing toward the Goal

Lindsay Wilson Swim Meet

Lindsay Wilson Swim Meet

Building a pool to learn to swim the mile

1 foot deep

3 feet deep

6 feet deep

12 feet deep

9-10ft recommended

Needs to be deeper for diving

If you want to grow strong, you have to dig deep

It doesn't take talent

It takes perseverance

Philippians 3:17–4:1 NRSV

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

17 Brothers and sisters,k join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 18 For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenshipl is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humiliationm that it may be conformed to the body of his glory,n by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. 4 1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,o whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

We are wired as human beings to follow the examples we see around us

We are wired as human beings to follow the examples we see around us

It's not just about plain skill

It's about what is perceived as successful

You may not appreciate pop music today with it's hip-hop influence and people making millions of dollars singing songs when they can't read a note of music themselves

You might miss the southern gospel quartets of the 40's and 50's that could blend and harmonize with one another without electronic instruments fixing their notes

But none of those gospel singers can hold a candle to a true opera singer when it comes to range, music knowledge, and raw singing power and ability

And opera hasn't been popular for 100 years.

So when we wonder where the state of music is today, I can show you that each generation is simply playing follow the leader and putting their own unique spin on things.

The world follows whatever will pay better, whether it is right or wrong.

The world follows whatever will pay better, whether it is right or wrong.

Whatever keeps their belly full.

We are called to follow a different way.

Turning aside from everything that, although it may not be bad, it is not the best.

You

How do we persevere?

We are going to mess up

But we don't give up

We apologize and forgive and we get back up and go

Turning those failures into lessons of how not to do things next time

Peter had so many opportunities to quit that are recorded in the gospels.

And perhaps many more on top of those

Despite his blatant failures, he never quit, he kept coming back, picking up his cross, and following Jesus, until they hung him on it and he finished his race.

If Jesus does not give up on you, you can't give up on yourself - without giving up on Jesus first

To have faith means to persevere

We

We go together

Sometimes you need a teacher

Introducing you to something new

Sometimes you need a coach

Pushing you forward in your current direction

You always need a running partner

Whether through friendly competition or mutual encouragement, we always serve better together.