Stay the Course
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I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Matthew 24:15
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1 Corinthians
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
The Word of God is clear that we are to:
Stay the course.
To persevere.
To fight the good fight.
Endure to the end.
Two questions come to my mind when reading these passages:
What are we to contend for?
What are the consequences?
What are we to contend for?
Doctrine
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
I do believe that even more essentially we are to contend for a specific aspect of doctrine
That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
What is the most important doctrine in the church?
The Gospel…that Christ died for our sins and rose again.
This is the teaching, that in the Church Age takes priority
Matthew 5:
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Matthew 5:17-
Jesus came not to do away with the Law but to bring it to it’s fullness
In the same way that just loving your neighbor wasn’t enough, you need to love your enemy
Just like not committing adultery wasn’t enough, you are not to lust
in your hearts
In the same respect, sacrificing an animal wasn’t enough, A man needed to die abut it also needed to be the death of an eternal being as well.
Jesus didn’t die to destroy or abolish the Law but to bring it to it’s fullness
The fulfillment of the Law is seen in the death and resurrection of Jesus
As I have said on wednesdays, just as is the first hint at the Gospel
is the first hint of the church (candlesticks & city on a hill) and the first hint of the Great Commission.
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Jesus goes on the challenge us to not lose our distincness
In the same way that salt that cannot preserve its thrown away or a lampstand doesn’t belong under a bushel…those who fail in sharing the priority teaching of the church are no longer fulfilling their purpose and are not profitable
I believe here that this is the first hint at the Great Commission
I also believe that this is the first hint at the church
I believe that Jesus, speaking to a group of Jews, was speaking to what would constitute the first church and in “city on a hill” and “Lamp stand” Jesus is hinting at the first church
This leads us to the end of the New Testament
Revelation 2:
Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
What is the first love?
The word for first here is the same as in
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
The first love is the Gospel
They were not chided for losing love for one another
They were not chided for losing love for Jesus
They were chided for losing their love for the Gospel
Now, if Jesus eludes to the church as a lampstand in …could there be a connection here between the message of Jesus in and ?
I believe there is a DIRECT connection
I do not believe that it is an accident that the term lampstand is used in both
Nor os it an accident that the word first appears here in and in .
What could be determined if a church loses its love and desire for evangelism?
Loss of its place in the community
What if we see thin in reverse?
What if a church is not growing, moving toward dying as a church…what could be the assumption?
They have left their first love
God forbid that this church ever get to that place
Let’s make God our focus and the Gospel what drives us
We are not Gospel centered…we are God (the Trinity) centered but we ought to be Gospel driven
The Gospel is to be that one thing that is always in the back of our minds and on the tip of our tongues
It is to be the driving force behind our lives
Our marriages
All of our other relationships
The Gospel needs to be more than fire insurance
It needs to be what fuels us.