Encouragement for the weary!

Encouragement
for the weary!

With Bishop Ronald K. Powell

Romans 5:1-5

• Faith Triumphs
• 1 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that but we also rejoice in our afflictions because we know that affliction produces endurance 4  endurance produces proven character and proven character produces hope. 5  This hope will not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

HEBREWS 12:1 AMP

• 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who by faith have testified to the truth of God’s absolute faithfulness],
• stripping off every unnecessary weight
• and the sin which so easily and cleverly entangles us,
• let us run with endurance and active persistence the race that is set before us,

HEBREWS 12:2- AMP

• 2 looking away from all that will distract us and focusing our eyes on Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of faith [the first incentive for our belief and the One who brings our faith to maturity], who for the joy [of accomplishing the goal] set before Him endured the cross, disregarding the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [revealing His deity, His authority, and the completion of His work].

HEBREWS 12:3 AMP

• 3 Just consider and meditate on Him who endured from sinners such bitter hostility against Himself [consider it all in comparison with your trials], so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

HEBREWS 12:4-5 AMP

A Father’s Discipline

• 4 You have not yet struggled to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
• 5 and you have forgotten the divine word of encouragement which is addressed to you as sons,
• “My son, do not make light of the discipline of the Lord,
  And do not lose heart and give up when you are corrected by Him;

HEBREWS 12:6-8 AMP

• 6 For the Lord disciplines and corrects those whom He loves, – And He punishes every son whom He receives and welcomes [to His heart].”
• 7 You must submit to [correction for the purpose of] discipline; God is dealing with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
• 8 Now if you are exempt from correction and without discipline, in which all [of God’s children] share, then you are illegitimate children and not sons at all.

HEBREWS 12:9-10 AMP

• 9 Moreover, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we submitted and respected them [for training us]; shall we not much more willingly submit to the Father of spirits, and live [by learning from His discipline]?
• 10For our earthly fathers disciplined us for only a short time as seemed best to them; but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.

Hebrews 12:11 New King James Version (NKJV)

• 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Conclusion

• Are you close to quitting? Please don’t do it.
• Are you tired of trying to live for Christ? Hang in there.
• Do you feel like giving up on the Christian life? Roll up your sleeves and get back in there.
• Can’t resist temptation? Accept God’s forgiveness and keep on living rightly.
• Do you feel that sorrow and disappointment greet your every morning? Hold on. Help is just around the corner.

• Endurance prevails. “Blessed is a man who endures trials, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that He has promised to those who love Him” (Jas. 1:12 NIV). Remember you are not a failure until you give up. You are not a flop until you let go.
• So don’t quit. Never give up. Keep going. Hold on.
• God’s rewards await us in the distant future not near the beginning; and we don’t know how many steps it will take to reach the prize.
• No breaks or time outs exist; we must work every day of our life.
• It has been said, “Life is like reading a book. It begins to make sense when we near the end.”
• Endurance maintains the stamina needed to see the end and embrace the prize.
• So fight another round, rise another time, and, above all, don’t let go.