Endurance

Definition: Going through trial for God’s sake; Remaining righteous with God through any circumstances; Being devoted to God and Jesus although suffering; Remaining humble although suffering for it; loving others, although suffering for it; Obeying Jesus although suffering for it; proclaiming God’s word, although suffering for it; Trusting in God’s promise and power although suffering for it.

Passion:
Luke 22:31-34
During their final meal together, Jesus is warning his disciples that they shall all be scattered-- and he especially warns and encourages Peter. And Peter makes a bold proclamation, that he is ready to die for Jesus. Such proclamations are good, but they are only good if the one making the confession endures with it. Time is the test to see whether a statement of faith is faith-full, or if it is empty.

Luke 22:39-26
Jesus warned the disciples again and again that the time of testing was coming. In preparation for that time, Jesus spent time praying and that is what he told his disciples to do as well. They needed to endure, but the way to endure is to spend time with God. We are weak, our flesh is always wanting to do what it wants to do. If we endure, it is because we are doing what our flesh does not want to do. To strengthen the spirit and to control our flesh, we need to pray. If we pray, we can endure. If we do not pray, we will fail.

Luke 22:54-61
Peter was not prepared. Peter was not aware of his weakness. So when the time of testing came, he did not endure. He failed at the most important time of his life. At the time of crisis, he took the path of flesh, not spirit. And in that, he failed Jesus and was unworthy to be a follower.

John 21:14-19
Jesus did not fail Peter, though. Jesus saw Peter's repentance, and saw that he was ready to try again. Jesus filled Peter with the Holy Spirit and then told him to begin again. He is asking Peter, "Do you love me?" He is telling him, "Care for my church." But most importantly, Jesus tells Peter what he told him at first, "Follow me!" He is telling Peter, "Begin again! You may have failed this time, but I will strengthen you to endure next time!" Even so, the Lord gives us opportunities to endure suffering. If we fail once, he will give us another chance. But eventually, we must remain steadfast or else we will not be saved. (Mark 13:13)

Verses that declare us needing to endure suffering to gain God’s kingdom
I Samuel 2:1-11—The lowly and poor will be raised up and great ones will be cast down

Psalm 37—The poor and meek will inherit God’s land, but the wicked who take advantage of the poor will be destroyed

Isaiah 52-53—The one who suffers for the people will be exalted above his enemies.

Matthew 5:3-12—Those who are poor, meek, persecuted and mourning will receive God’s kingdom.

Matthew 10—Those who suffer for the proclamation of Jesus’ message will be honored by Jesus on the last day; Those who proclaim Jesus’ word will be hated by their family; those who support the ones suffering for Jesus’ word will receive their reward from God.

Matthew 25:31-46—Those who support the messengers of Jesus will be exalted on the last day. Those who refused to support the messengers of Jesus will be cast into the eternal fire.

Mark 8:34-38—Those who take up the cross of Jesus are followers of him; Those who work to gain their lives will lost them; those who lose their lives for Jesus will gain them.

Mark 10:17-31—The rich ruler can only follow Jesus and gain the kingdom of God if he sells his possessions and gives to the poor. Those who are rich will not enter the kingdom unless they give away their possessions. Any disciple who gives up what they have will receive persecutions and eternal life.

Mark 13:13—The one who endures to the end through horrible tribulation will be saved.

Luke 1:46-55—Mary declares that those who are lowly will be raised up and those who are proud will be cast down.

Luke 6:20-26—Those who are poor and mourning will gain the kingdom. The ones who are rejected, hated, set aside, beaten and killed for Jesus will be pleasing to God. The rich and entertained will be sad on the last day.

Luke 14: 25-33—Those who sacrifice everything—their families, their possessions, their lives—for the sake of Jesus are true disciples of his.

Luke 18:9-14—The one who lowers himself before God will be saved, but the one who thinks of himself good before God will not be declared of God.

John 12:23-33—Anyone who dies for God will bear much fruit for God.

John 15:18-16:4—The world will hate the disciples because they are with Jesus.

Acts 5:40-42—The apostles were rejoicing to be counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus

Acts 7:54-60—Stephen was killed because he declared Jesus.

Acts 9—Saul was blinded and rebuked so he might be a disciple of Jesus. He would suffer many things in the future. He was threatened with death because of his teaching about Jesus.

Acts 14:22—We must enter the kingdom of God only through many tribulations.

Acts 21:13—Paul said, “I am willing not only to be imprisoned, but to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.”

Romans 5:3-5—We rejoice in our sufferings because it gives us hope

Romans 8:17—We are children of God and inheritors of the kingdom if we suffer with Jesus.

I Corinthians 4:9-13—The apostles have become shamed and weak and homeless so that the churches might be strong.

II Corinthians 6:3-10—The apostles have suffered much in order to minister the gospel.

Philippians 1:29-30—It has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but suffer for his sake.

Colossians 1:24—Paul rejoices in his suffering for the sake of the church so that he can fulfill what is lacking in Christ’s sufferings.

I Thessalonians 3:3-4—Don’t worry about our sufferings, for it is our lot and we knew that we would have to endure them.

II Timothy 2:3-10—The minister of the gospel suffers for Jesus’ sake.

II Timothy 3:12—All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Hebrews 12:1-4—Even as Jesus suffered and endured, so we also must endure suffering and hostility and not be fainthearted. We have not shed blood, as Jesus did.

Hebrews 12:5-11—The discipline of the Lord on us shows us that we are his children. We suffer for our good, so we should consider it good.

James 1:2-11—If you are poor and going through trials, don’t doubt God, but believe God will give you wisdom.

I Peter 2:18-25—If we suffer for good, we have God’s approval. In this way Jesus also suffered and was reviled, but he did not do evil back.

I Peter 4:12-19—We will suffer in the last days, and glorify God because we suffer for the good we do. We should entrust ourselves to God.

Revelation 2:8-11—The poor, suffering church receives praise from Jesus. Be faithful to death and you will receive the crown of life.

Revelation 3:9-10—Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the trial to come.

Revelation 6:9-11—Righteous souls crying out for God to vindicate their deaths are heard by God and asked to wait a little longer for their brothers and sisters who were to be killed as they were.

Revelation 12:10-11—The brothers have conquered Satan by their deaths and their bold testimony of Jesus.

Minor difficulties we allow to cause us to not enact God’s righteousness
Our pleasures
Earthly hopes
Our family
Relationships with friends
Our anger against injustice
Things that society calls “solutions”
Believing in other’s promises as opposed to God’s
Thinking that Jesus isn’t enough
Our fears
Our depression
Regret or guilt
Money
Opportunities to sin
Misunderstanding something a brother or sister said.
Our possession breaking.
Boredom.
Concern about what others’ think about us.

The way of Jesus is filled with opposition and difficulties. If we begin the path with Jesus, we must expect them, not think that they cause us to stumble. The one who is righteous acts in God’s way despite the trials and obstacles. The one who falls away because of the obstacles or difficulties is not righteous and is not right before God. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.