“An Enduring Faith”

Text: 2 Cor. 4:11-18

Background: Job 14:1-5

Introduction: How can we be enduring people? How can we handle the troubles of life, the trials of life, the variations in circumstances and struggles of life, the pain of life? It’s a crucial question. Trouble comes to all of us. The longer we live the more trouble we have, however not all of us endure it triumphantly; but all of us have the resources to be able to, and those resources are unfolded to us in this great text that is before us. The apostle Paul here lets us in on his own spiritual secrets for enduring. Being able, basically, to cope with this is everybody’s goal. The world is filled with people trying to adjust to the pain, trying to deal with life without total collapse, break down, burn out, hopelessness, fear, apathy, or just giving up. And all of that really is a matter of learning how to endure. COVID-19 is testing our levels of endurance in many ways. And that’s our key word this morning because the passage in front of us gives us the secrets to endurance. If you and I are going to possess or have and enduring faith, these four things are a must.

We Know (2 Cor. 4:11-14) “For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. Faith teaches us that as followers of Christ there will always be times we go through or are about to go through trials for Christ’s sake. The main purpose of these trials is to fashion us to be more like Christ. When we cling to Him and endure hardness and hardships as good soldiers, the Spirit of His life which He sent to us to assist us along life’s journey is manifested in our mortal flesh. The Spirit of God equips us with the power to endure. We know that God who raised Jesus, shall raise us up and present us before the throne of grace without condemnation. “There is therefore no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Yes, we know that if we are led by the Spirit of God we are the sons and daughters of God and we have an eternal resting place in His kingdom. This is what the Bible teaches, it is what we should believe, and our future hinges on it. Yes we are going through a difficult period, but we already know the outcome if we remain faithful.

We Faint not, (2 Cor. 4:16-17) because we know this, we don’t give up, we won’t throw in the towel, we will persevere and press on through life’s struggles and difficulties. “let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. We ought to rejoice, even though you might come into a season where in you go through various trials and hard times, it’s just a trial run to perfect your faith so that when you come through it, you will know who it is that brought you through, and because you have not fainted and held on, at the appearing of Christ you will be found worthy of praise and honor. We faint not because, we know even though we have not laid our physical eyes upon Him, yet our faith in Him teaches us to love Him, to believe in Him, to rejoice with unspeakable joy, because of the salvation of our souls. Yes you ought to have a shouting party right now, invite all your friends to watch you give God the praise.

We look not, (2 Cor. 4:18) because we know, and we faint not, we look not on the things which are seen, James Cleveland said this too will pass. We look not at it as the definition of the end, because God is in control. He spoke through the song writer; “be not dismayed whatever be ties God will take care of you, beneath His wings where love abides He will take care of you. We look not because, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. We look not, because, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God, set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

We look to or at, we look to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. We know that He is in heaven making intercession for us, We know that in Him we move and have our existence, We look to Him because, there is no other name under the heaven where by a man can be save except it be the name of Jesus. We look to Him because in Him is all of our help, for all of our help comes from the Lord. I look to Him because, when I think about the goodness of Jesus and all that He has done for me my soul shouts hallelujah and I thank God for saving me

Closure: As I hurry to a close, Job was a man that exemplified an enduring faith throughout life’s trials and tribulations one day He had everything and the next day everything was gone yet he held on, kept the faith and trusted God. He even testified he knew whose hand his soul was in and declared that he knew that his redeemer lives and that He would stand in the latter day. He knew, he fainted not, he looked not, and he looked to the savior. Who are you looking to. If you are going to have an enduring faith, and everlasting faith, I want to suggest today that endurance demands a constant look, on Christ. Just keep on looking up to Him, Jesus, “Isn’t He Alright!” Jesus the bright and Morning star, Jesus, Solomon’s Rose of Sharon, Israel Rock in a weary an dry land, .....................