You Have Need of Endurance
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise… we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
— Hebrews 10:35-39
And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
— Hebrews 6:11,12
This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare
— 1 Timothy 1:18
In this lesson, we will study and discuss the role that endurance plays in seeing the results that God intends for us.
Recently, the Lord has exhorted us: “For many of you who have been hearing the Word of God and attending the services, you don’t necessarily need something NEW, and you don’t need more faith. What you need is ENDURANCE — You have need of endurance.”
“Instead of looking for something NEW,
you need to apply yourself to the ‘OLD’ until it produces for you.”
- What are the things that God has already said and already revealed to you? These are some of the “old things.” Do you know? Do you even remember? Have you taken time to write them down so that you won’t forget them?
- We inherit the promises of God through faith and endurance. (Heb. 6:12, NLT)
- We are not of those who “draw back to destruction.” Drawing back and quitting is not part of our new nature.
- God desires that “each one of us” show the same diligence…until the end. (when the promise manifests)
- Diligence (defined): persevering application; steady, earnest, energetic effort.
- Persevering application means: to apply yourself to whatever the Lord (the Word) has shown you, and then apply yourself AGAIN. This is endurance! According to The Bible, you have need of endurance!
- Timothy was told to “wage a good warfare” with the words that the Spirit of God had spoken to him. In other words, Timothy was to hold fast to those words and not let them go from his eyes, his ears, and his mouth. Just like you, and every other promise-possessing child of God, Timothy had need of endurance!
- Endurance (Greek; original language): the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose. This same word is often translated as perseverance, and patience in the New Testament
Here are some other ways to describe and paint a picture of endurance in your mind and heart. And don’t forget the point of this lesson: You have need of endurance! This is not optional for the child of God who wants to walk in the fullness of God’s plan and promises.
- Endurance is to stick with it! You don’t want to stick with just anything. If something is not from God, then for sure, you should lay it aside or drop it. But if you have received a word or instruction from the Lord, you will need to stick with it. That’s endurance!
- Endurance is to keep the pressure on! Just as a bleeding flesh wound requires applying consistent pressure, if you want to see the fulfillment of what you are believing for, you must not let up!
- The Bible teaches us that with our words we can turn our lives around, just as the captain of a ship can turn that ship in whatever direction he chooses, no matter how brutal the wind and the storm. But in order to make a big turn of that ship, it’s not enough to turn the steering wheel in the desired direction and then just let go. Particularly if the natural forces are strong, the captain must turn that wheel, set that rudder, and then hold it there! That’s endurance! (Jas. 3:2–4)
- Endurance is to double down on the Word of God. To double down (dictionary) is “to strengthen one’s commitment to a particular strategy or course of action; to become more tenacious.”
- Tenacity is a characteristic required of all children of God who want to possess God’s plans and promises.
- Tenacity (dictionary): the quality of being able to grip something firmly. That means you not only have it in your grip, but then you aren’t going to let go. God has called you to be tenacious — you refuse to let go of what you know belongs to you!
- Tenacity (from the Lord): sustained focus. Not just focus, but SUSTAINED focus. The enemy wants your attention, and he wants your focus. But don’t give it to him! Put your focus back on what God has said, and then keep it there!
- We are instructed in Hebrews to “give the more earnest heed to what we have heard.” What’s that mean? It means we don’t let whatever the Lord has spoken to us drift away — we double down on that word! We give “even more careful attention” to it! (Heb. 2:1)
Let’s look at what The Bible says about ENDURANCE:
- We are told to run our race with endurance. (Heb. 12:1)
- We bring forth fruit from the Word of God with endurance. (Lk. 8:15)
- We are told to add to our faith — endurance. (2 Pet. 1:5,6)
- We are instructed to pursue endurance. (1 Tim. 6:11,12)
As you can see from all these verses, “endurance” is a major theme in the New Testament. And why is it so strongly emphasized? Without endurance, you won’t be able to successfully run your race. Without endurance, you won’t see production from the Word of God that you desire. Without endurance, you won’t manifest the promises of God. You have need of endurance! It is absolutely essential!
And here’s what I want to remind you of right now: You’ve got what it takes to do this! Endurance is part of your new nature! The Greater One is on the inside of you! You are not of those who draw back and quit! You are a fighter! You are a winner! You are a promise of God possessor!
Where will Faith and Endurance bring you?
(Jas. 1:2–4; the word “patience” here is endurance)
But let patience (endurance) have its perfect work (be brought to an end),
that you maybe be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
— James 1:4
- Whenever your faith (what you are acting upon that God has revealed to you) is tested, it’s time to put joy to work! Ha, ha, ha!
- The joy of the Lord is your strength! (Neh. 8:10)
- Joy is something the Lord will use when heaven wants to accomplish something serious in your life. “Joy is for the serious business of heaven.” — M. Hankins
- When temptations, tests, and trials are pressuring your mind to give up, to quit, or to run away, joy will enable you to regain your sanity and soundness of mind so that you can — on purpose — double down on the Word of God!
- Joy enables you to regain your spiritual composure to the point where you will find yourself saying, “You know what? I know exactly what to do right now. I’m not going to quit! I’m not going to draw back! I’m not going to shrink back. Instead, I’m going to double down. Ha, ha, ha! Ha, ha, ha!”
- Running away is not where you’re going to find the victory. You’re going to find the victory in the doubling down! You’re going to find the victory in enduring!… persevering!…sticking with it! Going back to the Word of God! You have need of endurance!
- If “you have need of endurance,” then you also have need of joy. For the joy of the Lord will enable you to supernaturally endure and not give up!
- What’s the point of this endurance message? The point of this endurance message is this: That you may be perfect and complete, wanting nothing! This is where faith and endurance — together — will bring you!
- God’s Word will work for anybody! In fact, if it won’t work for anybody, then throw it out, because God is no respecter of persons
- I’m not here to tell you in what specific areas you need to double down and endure. You’ve got your own relationship with God — He’ll speak to you, He’ll give you Words, He’ll give you instructions, and He’ll give you scriptures. But I am here to tell you this: Whatever God is saying and has said to you, you’re going to need to double down if you want to see fruit and results!
Get Excited…and Stay Excited!
(Mk. 4:13–20)
- The goal is not just to just get excited about the Word of God. The goal is to stay excited! That’s endurance! (Mk. 4:16,17)
- Many people start out excited and expectant when they first hear God’s Word and promises, but then, when things get tough, they lose their joy and excitement. These people “only endure for a time,” and satan is able to steal the word. (Mk. 4:16,17)
- Anytime you think to yourself, “Yeah, yeah, I heard that already. I know that already” regarding the Word and promises of God, you can be sure of this: “You lost that already!” It’s now time to go back and pick up that promise again! Whenever you truly believe a promise of God, you will be excited about it. You will never grow tired from hearing it again and again
- If something is working in your life — it’s real and alive — you’re excited about it. It’s like the hottest thing going!
- Endurance is the ability to maintain focus. The more edified you are, the more focused you will remain. There is no such thing as being strong spiritually and yet you regularly vacillate and waver.
- To endure is to not be moved. You’re immovable! (1 Cor. 15:58)
- To endure is to be stubborn to do the will of God. Not stubborn against God, but stubborn in such a way that no matter what you see, no matter what you feel, you say like the Apostle Paul said, “None of these things move me.” (Acts 20:22–24)
- In the Kingdom of God, you must learn how to spiritually “put your stake in the ground” when the Lord shows you something — as if you are claiming your territory — “THAT’S MINE!”
- The Word and the Spirit of God will show you where to put that stake! And then, DO NOT BE MOVED! That’s endurance!
- Singing is an endurance key. The Lord surrounds us “with songs of deliverance.” This is part of our spiritual weaponry. When you feel weak and insufficient on your own, allow the Holy Spirit to give you a song, and then sing…sing…sing! Sing your way to victory! (Ps. 32:7; Is. 54:1; Eph. 5:18,19)
- Learn to pray Col. 1:9–13 for yourself and for other Christians. Not only is it a prayer to know God’s will for your life, it is also a prayer to be strengthened by the Father God “for all endurance and long suffering with joy.”
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