Do Not Lose Heart: My Part

Introduction

I want to invite you as we start this morning to get your new testaments and go with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 4. That’s where we’ll start this morning. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, just to give you a heads up just three passages this morning. And so be easy for you to turn and follow along in your New Testament. It’s good to be with you again this morning. Someone who shall remain nameless asked me this morning if today would be my third shortest sermon. And my reply was, no, I’ve got to make up for lost time. This may be my longest one, so get ready.

Have you ever given up? Have you ever given up on something? Or someone. And that’s not really a fair question because again, I know the answer. I know you have. We all have. We’ve all given up on some task, some endeavor. Maybe it wasn’t important. Maybe it was.

Or I don’t have it in me. Or it’s not worth it. Or I don’t want to. We could make a list of things we’ve given up on. And we could go back through that list and probably mark some things that you said, I’m glad I gave up on that. I was wasting my time. That was not a good endeavor, and I should never have started it. And so I’m glad I wised up and gave up. But there’s some we could put marks by to our shame that says, I wish I wouldn’t have given up on that. That was a good endeavor. And today I would be a better person if I had not given up. But to switch sides to the happy side of the record.

We could also make a list on things that we’ve endeavored through that we didn’t give up on. And again, that list would be two. There’s some things I probably need to give up that I haven’t given up on yet. But we could also mark some things on that list that I haven’t given up on this, and I’m glad. It’s been worth it. Oh, it’s been tough at times. And there were times when I was tempted to give up, but I’m so glad I didn’t. Because I’m a better person today for having endured and endeavored. You probably know where I’m going with this. There has to be a spiritual application, and if we’re honest, completely honest with our spiritual selves, there have been times when we felt like giving up on the Lord.

But in our dark moments, in our trying moments when Satan seems to have the upper hand, we’ve all in a moment of weakness started to throw up our hands and say, I quit. Maybe because in that darkness you felt like it wasn’t worth it, or maybe you felt like you weren’t worthy, or that you could not endure, so why even try if I’m unable to finish. But our theme for this year is brought to you from 2 Corinthians chapter 4. And that simple phrase that Paul repeats a couple times in that text, when he says in 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 1, therefore, since we have this ministry as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. Again, in verse 16, therefore we do not lose heart.

Though our outward man is perishing, yet where the inward man is being renewed day by day. Paul says, though we face challenges and struggles and temptations and discouragements, we do not lose heart. That’s a poetic way of saying we don’t give up. And that’s been our family theme for this year is the idea of not giving up, of not losing heart, of endeavoring and enduring through what admittedly is oftentimes a struggle to maintain our faith in our Christianity.

But to narrow the focus a little bit and ask you to consider what is your part in not giving up. It’s one thing to just do the cheerleading and say, don’t give up. But it’s another thing to say, well, how can I get to that? Is there something I can, and absolutely there is, something you and I must be doing in order to not lose heart. Discouragement, despondency, and giving up are the results of not doing what we’re going to talk about this morning. And so we’re going to talk about our theme. We do not lose heart, but narrow it in on what you can do. What is your part in making sure that you don’t give up. If you have some bookmarks or some way to mark your Bibles, we’re going to be looking at from now on two texts.

1. Be Positive

1 Corinthians chapter 15 and verse 58, just one verse from Paul’s first epistle to the Corinthians. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 58 will be text number one. Text number two, if you want to go ahead and mark it in your Bible, will be Hebrews chapter 12. We’re going to be looking at several verses in Hebrews chapter 12. But in both of those texts, we’re going to find some advice, some three-pronged advice in how we can do our part to make sure that we do not lose heart. First of all, we need to be positive. Look with me at our first text in 1 Corinthians chapter 15. The Apostle Paul, you know this verse. In fact, most of us could probably say it or at least get close to saying it by heart, where he says, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

He ends with the incentive for doing what he states earlier in that verse. Knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Paul is saying you can be steadfast, you can be immovable, you can always be abounding in the work of the Lord if you’ll remember that what you’re doing is not in vain. In other words, he’s saying, be positive. Consider the outcome of what you’re doing. We recognize the importance of that, don’t we? About being positive. And how much that mindset and that attitude will do toward making it possible that we can endure.

And we can see that because we see it in others. It’s easier to see that in others than in ourselves, don’t we? Parents, you’ve probably seen that in your children. It’s very easy to see it in your children sometimes when they do some endeavor, whether maybe they’re taking piano lessons or or they’re involved in band or sports and some kind of thing, and they come home from their practice or from their lessons, and I don’t like that. That’s boring. That teacher or that coach is horrible. I don’t like it. We can see the writing. We know what’s happening, aren’t they? They’re building, whether intentionally or subconsciously, they’re building in that mechanism for failure. I want to quit. Because of the negativity of it. Look with me.

Again, hold your finger. We’ll be back at 1 Corinthians 15. But go over to Hebrews chapter 12 and notice the warning there. Just to remind you of the context of Hebrews chapter 12. It, wait for it. It comes right after Hebrews chapter 11. In Hebrews chapter 11 is that famous chapter of the faithful men and women. By faith, this person did this. By faith, this person was able to do that. And after the conclusion of that long list of faithful brothers and sisters in Christ that have preceded us, in chapter 12, the Hebrew writer says, Now, what about you? Since you’ve been surrounded, you remember that by so great cloud of witnesses. Let us run with endurance the race. You do what they did. You learn from their lesson.

And so he’s talking about endurance. He’s talking about us being people of faith to the end. But notice the warning that he gives in Hebrews 12, beginning in verse 12. Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Let’s pause there. He’s recognizing that these first century Christians were going through some difficult times. But he says, strengthen, don’t give up. Make straight paths. So what you have is lame, but let’s make sure it’s not completely dislocated. Don’t give up. Verse 14, he says, pursue peace with all people and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord, looking carefully, lest anyone fall short of the grace of God.

There he’s saying, lest you give up, lest you do not finish this race that he had said in verses 1 and 2 that is set before us, lest you fall short of the grace of God. Now notice this warning, verse 15, lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble by which many have become defiled. Lest a root of bitterness spring up, by which many have become defiled. Do you see the warning? The Hebrew writer is saying, one of the first warnings that you’re going to fall away is bitterness. Becoming negative. That you can only see the bad in something. Several years ago, we had a brother who specialized in the negatives. He could find the bad in the best of situations. And he loved to share his misery.

And I was one of the recipients of his sharing. And so he would corner me almost every Sunday and read off his list of complaints and negatives.

And one day I just asked him, I said, I said, come here. This will date the time period here, but we had the white marker board. You remember those we used to have always up here? And when up that marker board had been erased. One of the young men had erased it after sermon in Bible class. And so it was completely white and clean. And I went up there and grabbed the black marker and took the cap off and made a sm a mark, just a squiggly mark on the board. And I said, What do you see there? He knew it was a trick question. Some kind of Rorschach test here. And he said, I said, What do you see here? And he said, I just see a black mark.

And I said, That’s the problem. You don’t see all of that clean whiteboard that surrounds it. All you see is the mark. And there’s a warning there. When we become negative, then that root of bitterness springs up within us.

2. Be Involved

The Hebrew writer says, You’re ready to become defiled. And you’re going to fall short of the grace of God. And so one of the keys in not losing heart is to be positive, knowing that the labor that we endeavor in in the Lord is not in vain. It’s going to pay off. It’s going to be okay. The second part of our involvement in not losing heart and not giving up is to be involved. Again, hold your finger in Hebrews 12. Go back to 1 Corinthians 15. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. I want to key in on one phrase there that’s repeated twice in the Lord.

Your work in the Lord, your labor in the Lord. We can become positive and stay positive and not give heart because of what we not lose heart, because what we’re doing is we’re involved in the greatest work ever undertaken in the Lord. So one key to not losing heart, to not giving up is to be involved. Be a part of the work of the Lord. To see your role, your important role, your peace in this grand endeavor known as Christianity.

In telling us to run with endurance the race that is set before us. Notice what the Hebrew writer says now, the encouragement that he gives us in Hebrews chapter 12. Let’s start this time in verse 18. He says, For you have not, after having said, run the race, after having said, don’t fall short of the grace of God, after having said, don’t let a root of bitterness spring up in you and cause you to become defiled. He says this, verse 18, for you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and burned with fire and to blackness and darkness and tempest and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of word, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.

Let’s pause there. He’s talking about the giving of the law at Mount Sinai. You didn’t come to that mountain. Verse 20, for they could not endure what was commanded. And if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow. And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I’m exceedingly afraid and trembling. You didn’t come to that mountain, but, verse 22, you’ve come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and the church of the firstborn, who are registered in heaven, to God the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of the sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

He says, if you want to run the race with endurance, you want to not fall short of the grace of God, remember the mountain that you’ve come to. And remember what you’re a part of. You’re a part of that general assembly of the church of the firstborn. You’re a part of something. And you’re a part of something big and grand and noble and holy.

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Because we’re a part of something. And you need to be a part of that something. To be involved. We talked about one of the dangers and the warning signs of falling away of losing heart and giving up and quitting the race and falling short of the grace of God, whatever New Testament expression you want to use for apostasy. One of the warnings was that we become negative, that root of bitterness. One of the other warning signs is that we’re not involved. That we live our Christianity on the outskirts, in the periphery. One of the greatest things, I believe the Hebrew writer is telling us to help us run with endurance, the race that is set before us, is to be involved and to see what we’re involved in.

3. Be Active

So if you want to guard against losing heart, against giving up, be positive, and be involved. Become a part of this great endeavor known as Christianity. Lastly, be positive, be involved, and be active. Now there’s a difference between involved and active. Now, one necessitates the other, but there’s a difference. Be active. Go back for the last time to 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 58. One of the first words that will come to mind when you read 1 Corinthians 15, 58, is the idea of active. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Let’s look at the words of activity there. It’s kind of interesting. It’s almost a paradox or an oxymoron in this verse where he says, be steadfast and immovable, but then always be active.

Be abounding in the work of the Lord. Christian can understand how those can completely complement one another. To be steadfast and immovable and yet always be abounding in the work of the Lord. Again, labor. The idea of our work or labor necessitates the idea of activity, of being active. But then he doubles down on that by saying, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Abounding carries with it this idea of going above and beyond. The Christian never has the attitude. Never asks the question, what’s the least I can do? The Christian never has the attitude, never ask the question, do I have to? Paul says we’re to be abounding in the work of the Lord. What’s required of me? I’m going to go beyond that.

That’s what abounding means.

Knowing that your labor, that activity is not going to be in vain. All right, let’s go back to Hebrews chapter 12. Again, after having gone through that long list of those who endured, those who did not lose heart, those in chapter 11 who sacrificed far beyond what those in the first century, and if that’s true, far, far beyond what we today might have to sacrifice and give up so that we might be partakers in that city whose builder and maker is God. After listing them and their challenges and their faith, he would say this in Hebrews 12, verse 1, beginning, therefore we also, since we’re surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us.

And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Let us run with endurance. The race that is set before us. You can’t read Hebrews 11 and 12 and come away with the understanding that Christianity is some kind of passive relationship. That it’s not going to require much of me, that I don’t have to do a lot. You come away with the exact opposite. You read about these men and women in chapter 11 and what they did and how involved and how they gave their lives for their faith.

And then you turn that page into chapter 12, and then he says, Therefore, since we’re surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. Now he says, Let us run. Let us run the race. And so I picture this sports arena. That’s where races were usually run, or at least completed. And in this sports arena, there’s a track, there’s a path that we’re running in this race. But like most sports arena, there’s also some seats. There’s bleachers above us and around us on every side. And in those bleachers in the stadium are Abraham and Sarah and Noah and Rahab. Those who by faith ran their race. And we’re surrounded by those witnesses. Now, what are those witnesses doing for us? He doesn’t really say, does he? He just says we’re surrounded by them, and that that should have some effect on us.

I see it almost as a twofold effect. Number one is as I’m running the race, I’m surrounded by those witnesses who are watching me run the race. And they’re not rooting against me, they’re rooting for me. And they’re cheering me on.

But I think there’s another sense, and maybe a more primary sense, in which these cloud of witnesses that surround us motivate us, is because, and most coaches and athletes would tell you that this isn’t a good practice, but in this case it is, that as you’re running the race, you can look up into the stands and see. And as you’re running this marathon, and never forget that’s what it is. When you get to about mile 23, and you don’t think you’ve got another step in you, and your knees are shaking like they’ve never shaked before, and your mouth is as dry as your body is wet. You can look up into that stand. And there’s Noah who preached for 120 years. And there’s Abraham and Sarah who waited almost that long to have their firstborn son to fulfill those promises.

Conclusion

And just glancing at them, they don’t have to say a word. You find a little bit more energy to run the next mile. And so the key to not losing heart is relatively simple. Now, I’ll admit it’s easier said than done. But it’s what the Hebrew writer told us the lesson from those men and women of faith is it’s what the apostle Paul said we need to do in the work of the Lord. And that’s be positive. Be involved and be active. And may God help us to run this race with endurance. And will you do your part? And can I ask you this? Will you help me do my part? Will you help me to stay positive and involved and active? And I’ll promise you this, I’ll do better at helping you be positive, involved, and active.

Because when I get to that finish line, and I’ve like the Apostle Paul, finished my race. I want to look up and see you there. And we can embrace and say, we did not lose heart. Would you begin that race this morning? Would you start by moving in faith, believing, repenting, confessing that faith, and being baptized this morning for the remission of your sins? Would you start that race knowing that you’re surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, knowing that some witnesses are sitting in this building right now who would cheer you on and motivate you by their example? Would you come to Christ this morning and begin to run that race and run it with endurance and never ever lose heart? Would you come right now as together we stand and sing?