What Does It Take To Endure to the End ?

I guess in the last Sabbath you had the picnic in the park, and I guess that went very well. I think Keith was telling me there were 35 people and a dog. And I said, well, if we'd been there, there'd been 35 people and two dogs. Or 37 people and two dogs. But anyway, I guess the weather was really nice. I guess you had a very, very nice picnic there. So I've had all that one very well.

And of course, last month on July 22nd, you here in Ann Arbor celebrated your 50th anniversary as a Church of God congregation. And today Flint's going to be celebrating their 50th anniversary as a Church of God congregation. They also began back in 1967 as well. I came into God's Church in 1964, and Evelyn came in a year prior to that, one year before I did. So I've been in God's Church now for 53 years, and Evelyn's been in God's Church for 54 years.

So she's one year more advanced than I am spiritually. You can tell that by talking to us as well. But many of you have been in God's Church for a long time. A lot of you here have been in here 20, 30, 40 years or more.

And you look back at over those years. Of course, when we were baptized and we came into God's Church, we never expected to be in God's Church that long, number one. But we thought Christ was going to return before then. But we also didn't realize all the things we would go through, things we would face, different trials, different situations that would test our faith. So during those years and throughout all those years, a lot of us have been in God's Church, we have all had to endure many trials and hardships and sometimes losses along the way. And you all here now today, you've been here a lot.

Some, of course, have left. They haven't endured all those things. But today on this 50th anniversary of the Flint Church, they'll be celebrating here today as well. I want to talk about endurance. What does endurance mean? What must we endure? Why must we have to endure all these things?

And what qualities or attributes must we possess in order to endure? The title of my sermon here this morning is, What Does It Take to Endure to the End? What does it take to endure to the end? I'm going to begin with kind of a, you might think, strange place. You might think it's a strange place. But let's begin with the last verse, or last verses, last two verses, of the Old Testament only as they were originally arranged. Not as they are in our order, but as they originally arranged. And that is, the last book of the Old Testament that was originally arranged was 2 Chronicles.

Let's go back. Let's begin in 2 Chronicles. In the last chapter, of course, 2 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles 36. In the last two verses, there are verses 22 and 23. So let's begin by reading 2 Chronicles 36, verse 22. You might wonder what does this have to do with endurance, but it has a lot. Now in the first year of Cyrus, King of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, the King of Persia. So he made a proclamation through all his kingdom and put it in writing, saying, Thus saith the king of Persia, all the kingdoms of the earth, the Lord God of heaven has given me.

And he has commanded me to build him a house, whereas by Martinis has built him a temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. And then he asks the question, Who is among you of all his people? And then he ends with a proclamation. The Lord is God, be with him and let him go up.

Let him go up. Exclamation point. So then this kind of leech up in the air, you think about it, and you think about this as being the last verse of the Old Testament, as it was originally arranged, you think, well, let him go up where? To do what? Well, it says Jerusalem, but to do what? And then it says, well, who among you will do that?

So in the original order and arrangement of the Old Testament, it kind of ends with a question and with an exclamation. Who among you of all his people? May the Lord is God, be with him and let him go up. Exclamation point.

So this concludes then, this concluding verse, I should say, of 2 Chronicles, kind of leads us a little bit up in the air and looking for an answer. So where do you go to find the answer? What book or books in the Bible does 2 Chronicles then connect to that can give us the answer? You know, Cyrus, as the king of Persia, was a type of Christ. And he became the world-ruly monarch, and he was given all the kingdoms of the earth, but he was a type of Christ, as we'll see. I just asked what book or books does 2 Chronicles connect with? It actually connects with two books. It connects with one book physically, and it connects with another book spiritually. In our arrangements, in our Bibles, we can just, my Bible right here, you can just go right across the page to Ezra. It connects physically to the book of Ezra. So turn to the book of Ezra. You don't have to turn to the book of Ezra. You could probably go across the page or turn one page, and you'll be at the book of Ezra. But I want you to notice something. Maybe some of you already understood this. Maybe some of you already understood this. Compare the last two verses in 2 Chronicles to the first two and a half verses of Ezra. How many can read now in Ezra 1? Now, in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put in writing, saying, Thus says Cyrus, king of Persia, all the kings of the earth, the Lord God of heaven has given me, and he has commanded me to build him a house or a temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is among you of all his people? May his God be with him, and let him go up. Stop there. This is an exact repetition of what we just read in 2 Chronicles 36, verses 22 and 23. Only Ezra then picks it up, where 2 Chronicles 36, 23 left off. Who is among you of all his people? May his God be with him, and let him go up. Go up where? To Jerusalem, which is in Judah. To do what? To build the house of the temple of Lord God of Israel. To build the temple. To build the temple of God. To rebuild Solomon's temple, is what this is talking about. Which was destroyed by the Babylonians around 586 BC. With this proclamation of Cyrus and Ezra 1, the physical temple was then rebuilt. It was completed in 515 BC, 70 years after having been destroyed, as was prophesied in advance by Jeremiah. As you can read in Jeremiah 29, verse 10.

Think about this. Physical buildings. And physical temples don't endure.

After deterioration and destruction from wars, that temple was restored. It's only been restored about 500 years later by King Herod, and became then known as Herod's temple, which was then in existence at the time of Christ. But Christ himself prophesied it wouldn't endure. Read that in Matthew 24, verse 12. Or excuse me, not 20, Matthew 24. In Matthew 24, the first two verses, Matthew 24, verses 1 and 2, said it's not going to endure. He said, you see all these stones here in this temple? Each time it's coming, one stone will not be on top of another. It's not going to endure, he said.

But 2 Chronicles connects to the book of Ezra regarding the rebuilding of the physical temple of God. But it connects to another book. In regards to the spiritual temple of God. What book would that be? See, as I said, Cyrus was a type of Christ, and it is to Christ that God the Father has given all the kingdoms of the earth. So I've given you all the kings of the earth. Well, who has really been given all the kings of the earth? Jesus Christ has been given all the kings of the earth. Cyrus was a type of Christ.

To what book then would 2 Chronicles connect to spiritually? And what would that have to do with all of us? Would it not connect to the book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ? Let's go there. Let's go to Matthew 1.

Matthew 1, verse 1. The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. Verse 5, Psalm and begot Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, and Obed begot Jesse. And Jesse begot David the king, and David the king begot Solomon.

And then verse 17. So all the generations from Abraham to David are 14 generations. From David until the captivity in Babylon are 14 generations. And from the captivity in Babylon until Christ are 14 generations. And then it says in verse 18, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. After his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they even came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Spiritually, 2 Chronicles 36, 23, connects to Matthew 1, 1, and to the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Who went up to Jerusalem to do what? He went up to Jerusalem to build the spiritual temple of God. Which he began building on the day of Pentecost in 31 A.D. when God's Spirit was poured out.

Which temple you and I are a part of. We are all part of the spiritual temple of God. So spiritually speaking then, this proclamation by Cyrus also extends through each and every one of us. So then these questions could apply to us.

Who is among you of all his people? Of all those who are part of the spiritual temple of God? Who is willing to help Christ build his spiritual temple? May the Lord his God be with him and let him go up. To do what? To help build the spiritual temple of God. You know, physical temples don't endure. Here his temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. and to date it has not yet been rebuilt. But that will not be the case with God's spiritual temple. As Christ said in Matthew 16, 18, the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. It's going to go on. Maybe small, but it's going to go on. It's going to endure. What about those of us who have now been called to be members of God's spiritual temple? See, what must we do in order to be saved so we can inherit the kingdom of God? Let's go to Matthew 24. Verse 13 tells us very plainly, this is the words of Jesus Christ. He gave them the Mount of Olives. Matthew 24, verse 13, He who endures to the end shall be saved. So that's about the next question. What does it mean to endure? What does that really mean? The Greek word, tropsil, endure, here in Matthew 24, 13, means this. It means to remain, to abide, to persevere, to endure, to have fortitude, to bear trials, to suffer, to have good faith, to have good trials, to suffer, and to take it patiently. It means all those things. Our English word, endure, has a similar meaning. It means to bear up under hardships, to put up with, to tolerate, to suffer without yielding, to continue, and to last.

So there are many aspects of enduring that are very difficult. But as Christ said, he who endures to the end, shall be saved. So who then will be saved? He who bears up under hardships. He who puts up with things that are not always right. He who suffers without yielding his or her principles and convictions. He who suffers wrongfully and bears trials and takes it patiently and puts it into God's hands. He or she that does all these things throughout their life and to the end of their life shall be saved. That's what it means to endure.

Now, what must we endure? I've already mentioned some of them here, but let's be more specific. But let's read right here what it says. It says right here in Matthew 24, it tells us the things that we must endure. Specific things. Matthew 24, verse 4. Jesus then said to them, Take heat that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, saying I am the Christ and will deceive many. So we have to endure and see through deception. It's going to come. Got to endure it and see through it. Not let it trip you up. Verse 6 and 7. And you will hear of wars and rumors of war. See that you are not troubled for all these things. It must come to pass, but the end is not yet. Nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in various places. I want to look at it spiritually as it might attain to all of us, as part of the spiritual temple of God. We all know this applies to the world as well, but I want to apply it to us spiritually. Looking at it spiritually, we at times have to endure wars. That is conflicts in the church.

And various rumors we might have to endure. Maybe emotional hurts and social unrest and splits and upheavals. Spiritual earthquakes. There have been many of those, haven't there, in God's church over the years. And pestilences, or severe health trials, health problems, and difficulties. Going on to verse 9, They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for our names sake. And then many will be offended, and they'll betray one another, and they'll hate one another. Some will turn against one another, and some will have to endure hatred and betrayal and raffle suffering, and have to endure being offended. Don't leave because you get offended. We don't want to offend anybody, but sometimes some people say things that are offensive. They don't mean to. But if we've all been offended, but you have to endure being offended sometimes. Look at how Christ was offended, but he endured. When it comes to killing you, think of this. Words can kill a relationship. We can kill our murder with words. It can absolutely kill our murder. It can kill a relationship. Verse 11, Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. Times will have to endure false teachers and false teaching. We must be able to discern the difference, so we can always hold on to what is true and what is right. Verse 12, And because wallace will abound, the love of many will grow cold. And sometimes you have to endure things that are really not right according to the deeper meaning and aspects of God's law spiritually.

Many things can happen in God's church that aren't right, maybe, aren't lawful in our minds, the way that they're done or handled. But that should not result in our love for one another growing cold.

To endure the end, we will at times have to endure these things according to a deeper application of God's law or not right. That then are some of the things that we must endure at times. Let's go to another question.

Why must the spiritual temple of God have to endure all these things? Why? One verse, there's a lot of reasons we could say, but there's one verse that really basically says it all. Let's go to 1 Peter.

1 Peter 5, verse 8. This says it all. 1 Peter 5, verse 8. We have a spiritual enemy. He's up to destroy us. He doesn't want us to endure to the end. 1 Peter 5, verse 8. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, and that's who our real adversary is, not other people. Our real adversary is Satan. Because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour to keep them from enduring to the end.

Over the years, many have been devoured, which adds emphasis to the next verse in Matthew 24. Going back to Matthew 24, to the verse following Matthew 24, 12, which was just read, He who endures to the end, shall be saved. Matthew 24, verse 13.

That then leads us to the heart and core of this message. I want to give today. And there's so many things we could bring up, but I want to narrow it down to three major things. We could add many more. You could add some of the other major things as well. What does it take to endure to the end? What does it take? Again, as I said, there are many things we could point out, but I would like to narrow it down to three major attributes that we must all possess in order to endure to the end. And you could add to this. I've got three that I want to point out. One, we must learn patience. The emphasis being on the word learn.

Patience is an attribute that must be learned, at least for most of us. It's usually not something we naturally possess. Some possess it more than others, but generally most of us have to learn it. How do you learn it? How do you learn it? You have to learn it by waiting.

How is it learned and why is it so important? Well, to learn patience when things don't work. We learn patience, I should say this, by waiting. But here's the thing, why it's not easy to wait and to learn patience. Because we learn patience when things don't work out, as we would like to have them to work out. When that happens, especially in God's Church, what must we then tend to do if we're going to do it to the end? We have to wait on God to work it out, according to His purpose and His plan and His time frame.

We have to wait on God to work things out. We learn patience by waiting and by not prematurely trying to work things out ourselves. See, what does it mean if we prematurely try to work things out ourselves, which is the tendency we want to do? It means, in essence, that we don't have faith that God's going to work things out in His time frame in His way.

Why is patience so important? Because patience builds faith in God and will require a great deal of faith in God and will require a great deal of faith in God to endure to the end, especially when we see things that are going to happen. It's going to require a great deal of faith in God to endure to the end, especially in the world we live in right now. We see what's happening in the world. It's going to require a lot of faith in God to see us through everything that's going to come ahead of us.

It requires a great deal of faith in God. It also works the other way around. Patience not only builds faith, but faith also produces patience. Works both ways. They both work hand in hand, and you can't have one without the other. See, what more than anything else tests our faith? Let's go to the book of James. Let's go to James 1. We begin in verse 1. James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, had twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. So God's people got scattered back then, too. Greetings. Verse 2. Now, this is a hard verse to apply. We're in a very difficult trial. He says, My brother counted all joy when you fall into various trials, as God's people were doing. That's why they were scattered in a lot of trials. So I have to ask the question, why counted all joy? Certainly not joyful when you're in a trial. See, what do trials do? My brother counted all joy when you fall into various trials. Verse 3. Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. See, trials test our faith. Which then produces what? It produces patience. How then will patience work on our lives? Verse 4. Verse 4. Let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect, or as my margin says, mature, then you come to spiritual maturity and become complete, lacking nothing. Now, let's just look at this a little more closely. What is James really telling us here? He is telling me, think about it. He is telling us that it is not when and how things work out that is important. But the work that God is accomplishing in all of us that is important through this process. It's what God is accomplishing in us. Not how things work out or don't work out, but what God is accomplishing in us through this process that we all go through. In other words, let patience have its perfect work. What work is that? Is the work of bringing us to spiritual maturity so we can become spiritually complete and lack nothing? So we can become like Jesus Christ. And so we can develop His patience and His character and His faith.

How did Christ demonstrate His patience? I'm just going to quote 1 Peter 2, 23. It says, when He was reviled, He did not revile and return. When He suffered, He did not threaten. What did He do instead? He committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. Same verse for Peter 2, 23.

Why did Christ patiently do that? Why did He patiently commit Himself to He who judges righteously? Because, for to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow His steps. 1 Peter 2, verse 21. See, one of the main attributes we must all learn in order to endure to the end is patience. Patience to wait on God, because God knows when the timing is right. We don't.

Now, let's move on to a second major attribute. What is the second major attribute we must all acquire in order to endure to the end, in addition to patience? We must focus on spiritual things, not on physical things.

To endure to the end, we must focus on the spiritual, not on the physical. We always tend to... We're physical beings. We live in a physical world. We experience all kinds of physical trauma and difficulties, trials. That tends to focus on the physical. But if you're going to do it to the end, you better not focus on the physical. You better focus on the spiritual. And those are what the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy. Let's turn to Timothy. Let's go to the book of 2 Timothy. Turn to 2 Timothy chapter 3.

2 Timothy chapter 3, beginning in verse 10. I'm looking at verse 10 here, and the book of verses 10 and 11. 2 Timothy 3 verse 10. Paul wrote to Timothy, and he said, But you have carefully followed my doctrine, men of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, perseverance. You follow persecutions, afflictions, what's happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra. What persecutions I endured. So you have to look at all this stuff, and you have to say, well, how was Paul able to endure all those things? How was he able to endure persecutions and afflictions and all the ungodliness that surrounded him? At times, he must have affected him very personally, in a very personal way, and offended him in times.

Going on to 2 Timothy 3 verse 12. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus are going to suffer persecutions. It's not a matter of maybe, as you will. There can be times when you're going to have people turn against you. You're going to have to suffer persecution in some manner or some way, in some form. But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived, but you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. Let's continue in the things you have been assured of. What things had Paul and Timothy been assured of? And where did that assurance that could then help them endure all things, including all kinds of wrongdoing, where did that assurance come from? You must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood, you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. Where did the assurance come from? It came from the holy scriptures. That's where we get our assurance from God's word, from God's promises. Those give us assurance.

We get assurance from the Word of God and from focusing on the Word of God. See, to endure the end, we must not focus on the physical. We must focus on what's happening. You can't focus on what's happening all around us, even in our own life. Don't only focus on your present circumstances, but instead focus on God's word and on God's promises. Why? Because God's word and God's promises are sure they're never going to fail us. They cannot and they will not fail. People can fail us, and sometimes they will, but God's word will never fail us. Why is that? That's because God's word is spiritual and is never dependent on physical circumstances or uncertainties. Besides that, God is able to take care of everything else we really need, one way or another. He'll take care of it. Let's go to Matthew 6.

Christ tells us that very plainly. Matthew 6, beginning in verse 19. Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rusty story where thieves break in and steal. But instead, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. Focus on the spiritual, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is there, your heart is going to be also, and God wants our hearts. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, if your eye is good, your whole body is full of light.

Going on down to verse 25. Therefore, I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Don't worry about the physical things. Is life not more than food and body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sown nor even, or gather in the barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you much more valuable than birds? Which of you, by worrying, can add one cubit to a stature? So why do you worry about your clothing? Because they are the lids of the field, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin, and yet I say to you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not a raid as one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is sown into the heaven, will he not much more clothe you, or you of little faith? Therefore don't worry about these physical things. Don't focus on that. Don't worry saying, what are we going to eat, what should we drink, or what should we wear? All these people who don't understand the spiritual focus on the physical, they can seek after all those days. That's where their focus is. But your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. You know, you have to have these things. God knows that, and He'll provide it. He'll take care of it. What are we supposed to do first? Verse 33, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these other things will be added unto you. God will take care of them. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the days, it's all in trouble. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Seek first and focus on the spiritual, not on the physical, and all these physical necessities shall be added to you. Let's go to Colossians chapter 3.

Colossians 3, verse 2, verse 1 tells the same thing very plainly. We should seek the spiritual, not the physical, and focus on that. If then you are raised with Christ through baptism, as we were, seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, setting your mind on things above, on the spiritual, not on the things of the earth. We must set our minds on things above, not on things of the earth. Why? Because things on the earth are all temporary. They're all temporary. They're here today and maybe gone tomorrow. But things above are eternal. The things that are spiritual that God has are still going to last forever. They're going to do it forever. So as we do to the end, we must focus on spiritual things, not on physical things or earthly things. Let's just look at one additional major attribute that I want to focus on today that can help us endure to the end. This may seem strange when I say what this is. We must become warriors. At our regional conference in Youngstown, Ohio, not long ago, Darris McNeely gave a presentation titled, Be an Elder at the Gate, referring to elders who have years of experience.

Beginning of his presentation, he recommended a book titled, The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge. E-L-D-R-E-D-G-E. We ordered it. And as everyone can tell you, it's an amazing book. She's read the whole thing. She just finished it. I haven't read it yet, but I've read a couple chapters. You've got to read these chapters. So I've read two chapters. I've read chapters 8 and 9. She's read the whole book. She can tell you how amazing it is, but just chapters 8 and 9 are amazing of them by themselves.

Chapter 8 is simply titled, Warrior.

In this chapter, the author shows that all Christians, all Christians, I should say, all Christian followers, true Christian followers of Christ, must be warriors. You've got to be a fighter.

So this one chapter alone is worthy of an entire sermon, but I just want to give you two or three examples that he brought out in this chapter. But you look at the times we're living in right now, if you watch the news at all. Mr. Rose just put us onto another channel we hadn't watched for a long time. It was OAN, One American News. And at eight o'clock at night, there's a special report called the Ledger Report, given by a man by the name of Graham Ledger. He tells it as it is. I mean, you want to hear the news as it is? He tells it as it is. I just glued it to that particular segment. But it shows that we are living in monumental times, and this is no time to be passive. It's no time to be passive Christians. Let me ask this question. Is God a warrior? Most people who are Christians in the world, don't think of Christ that way. But is God a warrior? Let me just quote a few scriptures. And I could quote many, many more. I've got three of them here I wrote down. There was another one. I just saw this one, but I didn't write it down. But I just quote three of them here. He said, The Lord is a man of war. Exodus 15, verse 3. Isaiah 42, verse 13 says this, The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man. He shall stir up his zeal like a man of war. He shall prevail against his enemies. And then Psalm 24, verses 7 and 8 says this, Lift up your head, O you gates, and be lifted up, O you everlasting doors. And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? Is the Lord strong and mighty? The Lord mighty in battle. God is a warrior. And of course, the God of the Old Testament, for the most part, was Christ. But what about Christ? What about the Christ of the New Testament? It was Christ a warrior.

I wonder how many Christians read this passage here and think about it. We've all read it. It's familiar to us. Go to John chapter 2. John chapter 2, and let's begin in verse 13. Pertaining to the Passover here, leading up to the Passover. John chapter 2, verse 13, Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And he found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves and moneychangers, doing business. And when he had made a whip of cords, wow, I wonder how many Christians read that verse. And when he had made a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple with the sheep and the oxen. He poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And he said to those who sold the doves, take these things away! Do not make my father's house a house of merchandise.

There's disciples remembered that it was written, zeal for your house has eaten me up. Quoting Psalm 69 verse 9.

See, that's not the picture that most Christians have of Christ. Most would not think of him as making a whip of cords and then using it on people to drive them out. See, Christ was a zealous warrior when it came to upholding God's ways. He was zealous for God and God's ways. He was not passive.

Think about how Christ has portrayed his return. I saw heaven open to behold a white horse, and he who said in him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. Revelation 19.11. And the armies in heaven followed him on white horses, and out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations. Revelation 19 verses 14 and 15. See, Christ was, is, and will be a warrior.

What about all of us?

How did the apostle Paul portray those who follow Jesus Christ? To what did Paul liken our calling?

I'm just going to quote it. Let me turn to it. 2 Timothy verses 3 and 4. In 2 Timothy verse 2, verse 3 and 4, Paul said this, You therefore must endure hardships as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with affairs of this life, that he may place him who enlisted him as a soldier. Again, 2 Timothy 2 verses 3 and 4. See, our calling is likened to being that of a soldier engaged in warfare, and that is what we are. We are engaged in a life and death struggle for eternal life. And we can't be passive.

We must also be warriors, which is why it says in Ephesians 6 verse 11, Put on the whole armor of God, because we're in a battle. You pittery, you're raiding spiritual armor.

Why did Paul tell the Christians at Ephesus to put on the whole armor of God? He asks that in Ephesians 6 verse 13, which I'll quote. He says, you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. That's actually in Ephesians 6 verse 12. But then he adds that you may be able to withstand in that evil day. Ephesians 6 verse 13, that you may be able to stand. There's an evil day. We're entering into an evil day. Their evil days are here. There's a battle. There's a battle. We can't be passive. We have to be like warriors, fighting for us right with God, holding onto it with all our might, helping others, encouraging others so they don't give up and get discouraged. See, we are in spiritual warfare for eternal lives. Now, the one offensive weapon that we have at our disposal, mentioned in Ephesians 6, is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, Ephesians 6 verse 17. The Word of God. We better know our Bibles. We better know how to properly use our Bibles.

This is no time to be passive or to let down spiritually.

But also, it says we must pray always and be watchful with all perseverance. Ephesians 6 verse 18.

I want to end with two examples, two tragic examples. In the Bible, there are two tragic examples to what can happen if we become passive. These are so tragic. One is the story of the Exodus. What happened immediately following the Exodus. Let's go back to Deuteronomy chapter 1.

Journeys chapter 1 verse 1.

These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite stuff, between Peran, Tofel, Ligon, Hazoroth, and Dzabab. Notice verse 2 of Deuteronomy 1. Notice it. Don't ever forget it. It's 11 days journey from Hora, by the way, of Mount Cyr to Cadees-Barnea. Where was Cadees-Barnea? It was right at the border of the land of Canaan. It was just a step across that border to get into the land that came to the promised land that God was giving them.

There's only an 11-day journey from Mount Cyr from Mount Hora, where God gave them the 10 commandments. It's an 11-day journey to get from where God gave them the 10 commandments to get to the promised land. 11 days.

11-day journey from Mount Sinai where God had given them the promise of becoming a holy nation. You can read that in Exodus 19, verses 1-6, this part of what He gave the 10 commandments in Exodus 20. But how long did that 11-day journey take? It took 40 years!

Why did it take 40 years? Well, let's keep reading. Verse 19, chapter 1 of Deuteronomy. So we departed from Hora and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way of the mountain. Remember, Deuteronomy is written at the end of the 40-year journey. This is at the end of the 40 years that Deuteronomy is written. It's written just before they go in line to promise, right there as they're on the border of it. So we departed from Hora and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the mountains of the Amorites, as the Lord our God commanded us. And then we finally came to Caddish Barnea. And I said to you, you have come to the mountains of the Amorites, as the Lord your God is giving you, giving us. Look, the Lord our God has set the land before you. Go up and possess it, as the Lord your God of your fathers has spoken to you. Do not fear or be discouraged. Verse 26, Nevertheless, you would not go up. Sticking back now, I'll get to the end of these 40 years. Nevertheless, you would not go up, but you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God. Why would they not go up? Verse 28, Where can we go up?

Our brethren have discouraged our hearts, saying, the people are greater and taller than us. This is why they couldn't go up, they said. They said, the people are greater and taller than us, and the cities are great and fortified up to heaven. Moreover, we've seen the sons of Anacom there.

People are greater than us. How do God respond to that? Verse 29, Then I said to you, do not be terrified, afraid of them. The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you. He's a warrior! Don't you know He's a warrior? He will fight for you, according to all He did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes. He will fight for you. God is a warrior.

But here's the tragic part. For that generation of Israel, it was too late. Verse 34, And the Lord heard the sound of your words, and was angry, and took a note, saying, Surely not one of these men of this evil generation shall see the good land which I swore to give to your fathers.

Except, of course, Caleb and Joshua.

See, Israel's decision back then not to fight, and to not engage the enemy, led to their wandering in the wilderness for forty years.

You know, spiritually, we're all on the same journey, aren't we? Only our promised land is not the land of Canaan, but the kingdom of God. Okay, where are we right now in this story? I think right now, where we are is, we're at Kadesh Barnea, we're just one step away from the kingdom of God. We're so close. You look at the world around you, it's got to be close. It doesn't matter how many years it's close.

We are right at the doorstep to the kingdom of God, and the only things that can stand in our way are Satan, fear, or discouragement. Now, I said there were two tragic stories I wanted to bring to you about what happens if you're passive. The other tragic example of what can happen if we become passive took place in the Garden of Eden. Maybe this is the most tragic story of all. Let's turn back to Genesis chapter 3. Genesis chapter 3.

Genesis 3, beginning in verse 1, very familiar with the story, but I'm not focused on the latter part of one verse that maybe we haven't really thought about in this way before. That makes us the most tragic story in the Bible. Genesis 3 verse 1, Now, here is the most tragic sentence in the entire Bible.

Again, like I said, this is perhaps the most tragic scripture in the entirety of the Bible. She also gave to her husband with her and he ate. And yet Paul tells us, as recorded in 1 Timothy 2, 14, that Adam was not deceived. So that begs this question. If Adam was not deceived, why didn't he say something? Why didn't he do something? Why did he remain passive and allow this to happen?

I want to just take an analogy here. Think about this as it relates to marriage. Because we know in this story, Adam and Eve had just been married. They'd been married by God himself performing the ceremony, with God himself performing the ceremony, I should say. You know, what does every wife want? She wants a husband who will fight to save their marriage. How many men did they fight to save their marriage? How many divorces do we have? How many husbands do we have abandoning their wives and their children?

He wants... Wife wants a husband to allow anything to destroy their marriage.

Every wife wants a warrior or a husband.

A husband will lay down his life to preserve their marriage.

What does it take for a marriage to endure to the end? It takes a husband who's a warrior or a spiritual warrior. We must become warriors.

In conclusion, and very quickly, he who endures to the end shall be saved. What three major qualities or attributes does it take to endure to the end? Number one, it takes patience and waiting on God. Number two, it takes focusing on the spiritual, not on the physical, focusing on things above, not on things on the earth. And three, it takes becoming a spiritual warrior. That is what it takes to endure to the end.