Amen. So Isaiah 40, and I just want to read the last several verses again so
that's what we're going to focus on. So Isaiah chapter 40 and from verse 25
Isaiah 40 25 reads to whom then will you liken me or shall I be equal saith the
Holy One lift up your eyes on high and behold who have created these things it
bringeth out their hosts by number he cooleth them all by names by the
greatness of his might for that he is strong in power not one faileth why say
our Jacob and speakers though Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my judgment
is passed over from my God has I'm not known has I not heard that the
everlasting God the Lord the creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not
neither is weary there is no searching of his understanding he giveth power to
the faint and to them that have no mighty increases strength even the youth
shall shall faint and be weary in a young sorry in the young men should
utterly fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they
shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall run and not be weary and they
shall walk and not faint and the title of my sermon this morning is
persevering until the end persevering until the end I'd like to pray before we
continue with the message father thank you for your word thank you for this
great chapter this Bible this great passage of Scripture here and just the
truths that we can gain from it Lord and help me to preach those just accurately
and clearly and boldly to your people here Lord help me to to just preach it
in a way that everyone will really just just you know take in this message and
and you know and really apply it to their lives Lord in Jesus name for all
of this amen okay so we're coming up to Christmas it's got pretty cold isn't it
the the illness is a rife it seems the the daylight hours are reducing by the
day aren't they it's an easy time to start feeling a bit demoralized isn't
it this time of year I think start growing a bit weary with life and with
life therefore that would mean with the Christian life as well right the rest of
life can be pretty busy with work work life can be busy at this time of year
for many some businesses get very busy in December family get-togethers
Christmas shopping Christmas cooking the the things of God can easily slip
can't there this time of year I think for many it's funny because it's a time
of year when we're meant to be celebrating you know it's kind of one of
the few times in our in our country where they're supposedly celebrating
something to do with God and it's probably one of those times where the
things of God really reduced for God's people add to that there may be the
temptations increase at this time year as well with the Christmas dues a lot of
Christmas get-togethers and dues and we know what that usually includes is the
booze isn't it for many people and there's a temptation of that that the
gluttony the terrible Christmas songs the all of that sort of stuff the bad
movies you know they start getting released if I don't even know if many
people still watch live TV and wait for the movies to come on but I'm sure
there's temptations there and if you're sitting here thinking yet this will be a
tough time then you can take it to the bank that the spiritual attacks will
ramp up to that's just the way it is if you're if you're getting getting it from
other angles believe me the spiritual attacks will ramp up as well and you're
going to be feeling it the head turners will be upping their game that the
family pressure to skip church to skip soul-winning to give up certain things
of God the slanderers the false prophets they won't miss that
opportunity either to try to shake you up make you question and doubt at a time
when you're weaker right that's the best time to attack you so what's the answer
well you've got to persevere through okay you've got to persevere through it
and that's got to be the only option in your mind so you've got to make sure
that is the only option is to just keep going to keep persevering for the Lord
because it is an automatic okay persevering in the faith isn't
automatic that the perseverance of the Saints Calvinism doctrine is complete
nonsense now just to make it clear the perseverance of the Saints doctrine
isn't eternal security so a lot of people confuse that I remember preaching
on this while back a year or so ago now and then and then I remember people say
oh you know exactly like someone tried to comment is if I was saying you can
lose your salvation you can't lose your salvation okay if you're saved you're
saved it's eternal life it's not temporal life it's eternal life if you
have it you have it however the fact that you're then going to just be in
church and do the things of God throughout y'all and that's not that's
not automatic at all the Bible didn't say that to otherwise why would half the
Bible be exhorting us and encouraging us and verses not just like this but many
obviously throughout the New Testament trying to encourage us to do the things
of God trying to encourage us not to backslide try try to encourage us to be
in church why would we even have Hebrews 10 24 and 25 if you were just
automatically going to be in church if you're saved okay it's a complete
nonsense doctrine in case anyone's ever wanted but I'm not going to preach on
that today okay because I don't think anyone really needs that salvation is
eternal but staying in church serving God until the end isn't automatic that's
not you know if you put your faith in Jesus Christ you go to heaven okay
you've received everlasting life okay you you know you shall not come into
condemnation but you but is passed from death unto life okay that happened the
second you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ however being in church
doing the things of God living the right life now that could be a bit of a
rollercoaster for some and sadly for others it could just be a slide all the
way out of that right okay and that's what we don't want because the thing is
that the when the backsliding starts it is a literal uphill struggle okay it's
called backsliding for a reason if you start backsliding to get back up is an
uphill struggle it's hard it's difficult the the the it think about it
this way if you're if you're on a slide and you start sliding down a slide it's
easy right you go on a slide you go on a slippery slope and you want to get down
there and get to the bottom you're gonna go down pretty quick aren't you that's
fast right how about getting back up that slide how about getting up a
slippery slide which doesn't have those nice little handles on the side that's
difficult isn't it for some it seems almost non impossible and you've got to
really pay you know put some effort into that and that's the same when it comes
to the Christian life the backsliding is easy that's the easiest bit it's so easy
to backslide anyone could backslide you haven't achieved anything the hard bit
is stopping the slide should try stopping going halfway down the slide
that's difficult isn't it it would be done those water slides and stuff used
to get those I naughty kids that trying to stop halfway in the middle and then
it'd be a bundle right well they had some skill but you know where they
usually stop with somewhere on this flat if it's all downhill you ever seen those
like real super whatever they call them like the sheer drop slides you're not
stopping halfway through that it's impossible that's what it's like in a
Christian life it's very hard to stop that that backsliding and once you do
stop it's even hard to get back up the top now add some hooves and Bambi legs
and it's even harder because the the picture of backsliding is of a young cow
you don't have to turn those Hosea 4 16 talks about Israel slided back as a
backsliding heifer you don't want to be a backsliding heifer because it's hard
enough to try and stop when you've got you know fingers and opposable thumbs
and everything else let alone if you got hooves let alone if you if you've got
hooves and they're like Bambi legs as well okay it's a very difficult thing
and that's why the picture there is of a backsliding young cow it's not a good
thing we have to persevere to the end we have to roll our sleeves up okay and say
I'm basically along the lines of I'm pressing on the upward way right new
heights I'm gaining every day we sing songs like that for a reason do you know
why because the flesh just wants to backslide the flesh sees that slider
just wants to go down there and we're constantly trying to encourage ourselves
aren't we we encourage ourselves through him's encourage our encourage each
other we come to church one of the reasons that you're commanded to be in
church is to exhort one another not just for yourself it's for everyone else as
well we're constantly looking to encourage encouraging coach because the
flesh wants to backslide the flesh wants to give up and at this time of year I
think it's much easier for most I think if we look to our attendance totals over
the last few years you'll find around this time of year is when it really
starts drop off and of course his illness as well there is sickness at
this time of year but there's more than that as well we and and a hundred percent
we find the sole winning attendance gets less as well and I reckon if we really
had the truth of Bible reading of living the Christian life outside a church at
this sort of time of year going into the winter I reckon you'll find that drops
off as well now the thing is as well is is that the battle the the Christian
battle at this time at this sort of time in your life is going to be hottest so
these sort of times like I said that's when the spiritual battle is going to
ramp up and you know where the spiritual battle is hottest as well not just at
these times you know where it is it's hottest up the top of the mountain it's
not hot down in the valleys okay when you slide down you've already lost the
battle the battle is to try and get you to slide down so you know when you're
going to be in the hottest battles is when you're up the top when you're
mounted high like the eagle and when you're doing great things and and here's
the thing if we've if you've gone into this period of your life and you've done
some great things and your soul winning and you're in church three to thrive and
you're reading your Bible you're getting sent out your life that's when the
battle is going to be hot that's when the battle is going to really rage for
you because the devil wants you back sliding down that mountain the devil
wants to kick you off that mountain and get you down wallowing in the mire okay
and you don't want to be in the mire and if we're fighting with our own strength
we would have lost already okay he's too strong for you every single one of you
okay none of us none of us would be able to deal with the devil in our own
strength however now I've turned it but first John 4 4 says ye are of God little
children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he
that is in the world okay and and look if we didn't have God we would have lost
already and in Isaiah 40 where you are God reminds us of his strength through
through the Prophet Isaiah verse 25 it says this Isaiah 40 in verse 25 to whom
then will you liken me or shall I be equal saith the Holy One by the way the
devil's got nothing on God okay there is no comparison in case you've ever
wondered that the majority of the world has chosen to make the devil their God
in various ways through various false religions idols etc however first
Corinthians you have to turn to 10 20 talks of the various sides of the world
Paul says but I say that the things which a gentile sacrifices sacrifice the
devil's and not to God I would not that you should have fellowship with devils
yeah that's what happens however there's no comparison God could destroy him at
any point however he'll allows him to live because he presents an option he
presents an option to everyone you can choose the devil or you can choose God
and there's various ways you could choose the devil in various ways to make
you feel you know whether it makes you feel more religious makes you feel more
more intellectual whether it makes you feel whatever it is there's a hundred a
thousand a million probably different different versions of false religion
that you can choose or you can choose God he's allowed to live he's allowed to
present the option but he's no competition for God okay he can't he has
no power when it comes in comparison to God God could destroy him at any point
verse 25 says to whom then will you like in me or shall I be equal saith the Holy
One it look God is more powerful than anyone or anything says in verse 26 lift
up your eyes on high and behold who has created these things that bringeth out
their hosts by number he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his
might for that he is strong in power not one faileth and that's referring to the
Scott stars in the sky he created everything he's even named the stars in
the sky and there's a lot of stars in the sky he's named them some you'd have
to turn to some 147 verse 4 says he telleth the number of the stars he
calleth them all by their names and that's what we see here behold who
created these things to about lifting up your eyes on high that bringeth out
their hosts by number he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his
might it's him that preserves the stars as well it says for that he is strong
in power not one faileth he keeps him shining bright so why do believers then
think that he's forgotten about them why do Christians think well he's forgotten
about me he's given up me he's forsaken me when he's even naming a numbering
stars and and you have the Holy Spirit in you if you're saved you're more
important than the stars in the sky verse 27 says why say us our Jacob and
speakest our Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my judgment is passed over
from my God has thou not known has thou not heard that the everlasting God the
Lord the creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary
there is no searching of his understanding so he doesn't tire of
leading us he doesn't tire of helping us of fighting for us and he doesn't tire
of giving us apparent strength that we need because the reserves are limitless
okay the reserves are limitless it's not going to tire God out helping you giving
you the strength you need helping you to call upon him verse 29 says he giveth
power to the faint and to them that have no might he increases strength and
that's why we're still here that's why we haven't all dropped off that's why we
haven't quit that's why the people sitting here haven't backslidden into
the mire okay because of God because of the power of God not because of yourself
is because of the power that comes from him the strength that comes from his
might because it look it doesn't matter how resilient you might have been in
your former life how resilient you might think you are still now how much energy
how mentally strong maybe how capable you've been to burn the candle at both
ends that some people are just kind of like those hard-working types right
they're just maybe from young they're just able to do a lot to get a lot done
well it doesn't matter he said in verse 30 even the youth shall faint and be
weary and a young men shall utterly fall but they that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as eagles they shall
run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint how do we persevere it's
not automatic if you're saved it's by waiting upon the Lord okay by waiting
upon the Lord now what does it mean to wait upon the Lord will turn to Psalm 25
when I read Isaiah 51 5 which is God speaking through Isaiah in Isaiah 51 5
but you're turning to Psalm 25 as I 51 5 says my righteousness is near my
salvation has gone forth and mine arms shall judge the people the aisles shall
wait upon me and on mine arm shall they trust so in Isaiah 51 5 it's used
synonymously with trusting the Lord waiting upon him trusting in his arms
they should trust and in Psalm 25 we see the same it says in verse 1 in Psalm 25
it's a psalm of David it says unto thee Oh Lord do I lift up my soul oh my God I
trust in thee let me not be ashamed let not mine enemies triumph over me yay let
none that wait on thee be ashamed let them be ashamed which transgress without
cause what does it mean to trust the Lord to wait on him which by the way is
just a less formal and poetic way of saying to wait upon can be used
interchangeably now firstly there's salvation okay so without salvation
you're not waiting upon the Lord okay so the first application you need to be
saved okay and and I think everyone here is well aware of what salvation is okay
it's putting your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ his death bell and
resurrection okay paying for everything paying for your passes your presidencies
your future sins it's all done it's all washed away by the blood of Christ okay
that that's that's number one you have to have salvation to wait upon the Lord
but it's not just about salvation it's also trusting it's relying on him his
ways his teachings okay it's not just salvation because there are many people
that get saved and don't go on to receive the strength that they could have
done they don't go on to mount up with wings as Eagles they don't go on to to
do the many things that God wants us to do they don't go on to they do faint they
do get weary they do end up giving up on the Christian life to some degree no
it's more than just salvation he said in verse 4 show me thy ways Oh Lord teach
me thy paths lead me in thy truth and teach me for thou art the God of my
salvation I need I wait all the day so it's being led by him it's following him
it's trusting him when he says don't do this when he says do this look at verse
19 verse 19 says consider mine enemies for they are many and they hate me with
cruel hatred I'll keep my soul and deliver me let me not be ashamed for I
put my trust in thee now look at verse 21 let integrity and uprightness
preserve me for I wait on thee so again in the same breath as trusting him in
verse 20 but notice how verse 21 indicates that a result of trust your
weight on the Lord is integrity and uprightness so he said for I put my
trust see let integrity and upright uprightness preserve me for I wait on
thee so the integrity and uprightness seems to link with waiting on the Lord
because it's trusting his words it's trusting his teachings his statutes his
commandments it's a it's a full package turn to Proverbs 3 it's doing things his
way Proverbs chapter 3 it's trusting that his way of doing things will
prosper okay that's what it is it's it's putting your faith in the things of God
it's putting your faith in the commandments of God in living our God
wants you to live in in his ways of doing things even however opposite it is
to the world's teachings to the Guru's teachings or anything else what does the
word of God say Proverbs 3 and verse 5 says trust in the Lord with all thine
heart okay all of it and lean not unto thine own understanding in all thy ways
acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths be not wise in thine own eyes fear
the Lord and depart from evil it shall be health thy navel and marrow to thy
bones that's trusting in the Lord okay that's trusting in the Lord it's it's in
all your ways acknowledging him it's departing from evil it's not being
wise in your own eyes it's fearing the Lord and it will give you that health
it'll give you that strength and in back in Isaiah 40 therefore when Isaiah said
in verse 29 he giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he
increases strength he's talking about people that wait upon the Lord that's
what he's talking about and by the way with sorry we will constantly be in
Isaiah 40 so keep something in Isaiah 40 verse 30 says even the youth shall faint
and be weary and the young men shall utterly fall but they that wait upon the
Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings eagles they
shall run and not be weary and there shall walk and not faint the title is
persevering until the end and I don't know about you but I want to be serving
until the end I hope everyone here wants to be serving God wants to be in the
things of God wants to be a servant of God until the very end until your dying
breath you're still right with God you're still trying to do things for God
I want to be told thou good and faithful servant I hope everyone else here wants
to be told thou good and faithful servant to be able to say like the
Apostle Paul in 2nd Timothy 4 7 I have fought a good fight I've finished my
course I have kept the faith why do you say that if it was automatic because
it's not automatic okay that's something that's down to you basically down to you
but you get the path through God okay so you have that choice to make however
God gives you everything you need to be able to do that to be able to fight the
good fight to be able to finish the cause to be able to keep the faith
till the end not talking about salvation it's about staying in the things of God
to keep serving God keep working for God keep living for God but I know that the
only way that's going to happen is if I'm waiting on the Lord the only way I'm
going to do that is if I'm trusting him with all my heart is if I'm in the
things of God and I'm not getting sidetracked here and turning there and
doing the rest of that turn to Psalm 19 see we can't we can't wait upon the Lord
we can't rely on his words his commandments if we don't know them can
we I mean that should go without saying shouldn't if you don't even know what
God wants you to do or wants you not to do how can you wait upon the Lord how
can you trust him with all your heart if you don't even know what he's telling
you to do it makes no sense does it Psalm 19 verse 7 says this Psalm 19 of
verse 7 says the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the testimony
of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the statutes of the Lord are
right rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening
the eyes the fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever the judgments of the
Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold
yea the much fine gold sweeter also than honey and a honeycomb moreover by them
is thy servant warned and in keeping of them there is great reward it all comes
from the Word of God who can understand his errors cleanse our me from secret
faults you know there are sins that we do that we're not even aware of you know
that try to try to try to explain that to people when you're preaching the
gospel don't you we try and pretend that they're sinless or that they ask
forgiveness for every sin you know what are you talking about ask for
forgiveness for every sin you do you should but you don't okay that's
nonsense there are ones that we're not aware of their sins that we do that that
also that we don't want to do so there are sins that we do that we know are
sins we know we shouldn't do them and we do them maybe out of habit we do them
out of maybe impulse we do them even though we feel bad when we do and we say
look I didn't want to do that God yeah we can all do that can't we right we
will never be sinless but we can be upright you'll never be sinless none of
you here will ever be sinless until you you have your glorified body okay until
you get rid of this flesh however you can be upright what's the difference
we'll have a look at verse 13 keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins
let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be
innocent from the great transgression I was reading this this verse in my
morning Bible reading the other day and it really stuck it really stood out to
me keep back my servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have
dominion over me then shall I be upright and I should be innocent from the great
transgression what presumptuous sins these are willful bold transgressions so
this is for example I know that God says not to do this but I'm going to do it
anyhow I know God tells me to do this but I'm not going to do that that's a
presumptuous sin okay that's not this isn't an impulsive sin that you didn't
want to do this isn't a sin that you didn't even know was a sin that you're
unsure about this is when you know for well you shouldn't be doing it and you
choose willfully choose maybe even pre-planned pre meditate to go and do it
anyway right that's a presumptuous sin so rather than spur-of-the-moment errors
it's choosing to disobey God that's not waiting upon the Lord just to make that
clear and here are some examples of presumptuous sin for example a pre
planned crime I think everyone would agree is a presumptuous sin so if I you
know got together with I don't know maybe junior after the service and I was
like right junior okay I've worked out a really good way we could rip off the
shop next door you know we could probably get in through the back like
everyone would agree that's a presumptuous sin isn't it what on earth
am I doing however we know for example that the Bible says I'll shut not still
that's clear right however what about if I just purposely choose to be dishonest
on my tax return that's a presumptuous sin isn't it I've decided that I'm gonna
pay less tax than I should I'm gonna steal from the government you
oh yeah but taxes are useful sorts yeah yeah news flash that's the same
everywhere okay they're used for bad things yeah but we're still told to pay
our tax we're told to pay honor to whom honor is due tribute to whom tribute is
due okay you live in this country you should be a good citizen you should pay
your taxes if I choose not to do that that's a presumptuous sin isn't it am I
waiting upon the Lord I don't think I'm waiting upon the Lord okay that's
presumptuous in I'm not upright am I would you call someone an upright
Christian that's ripping off anyone oh well it's okay it's a tax no it's not
it's still illegal and you go yeah sure if it was against God if sure if if the
law was something that God told us to do the opposite of then we would break the
law but that's not the case of taxes okay we just like to tell ourselves that
or people like to tell themselves that because they don't really want to pay
their taxes right but that's something we're commanded to do right for example
how about another one how about a planned lie so again if you know I'm
just picking on junior because he's nearest to me but I'm like right junior
you know I think what we should do is we should just tell this to the you know
these people here and then we can just con them with this you would all go
that's a presumptuous sin what are you doing you guys are planning to lie right
but how about if I ring in to my job and my secular job and I just pretend I'm
sick when I'm not that's a presumptuous sin isn't it I just pretend maybe do the
you know like do the weak voice on the phone I can't come in today and the
reality of it is that people here that have done that and sadly maybe will
continue to do that right that's a presumptuous sin that's not something a
spur-of-the-moment thing that's something I've planned to do I know full
well that God said thou shalt not bear false witness I know he said that lying
lips of abomination but I've still chosen to go and do that right okay
obvious stuff for example another one going out purposing to commit
fornication so I know God says not to this is it like or some spur-of-the-moment
thing as you know maybe a single guy single lady here or something else it
just and and again it's wicked right but I know full well what he said and I
choose to go out and do that that's a presumptuous sin I've gone out with a
purpose however much it might yeah there's some lust and everything else
is yeah sure there's there's you know part of that is a lust of the flesh
right there and everything else however I've still chosen to go and do that
that's a presumptuous sin I know full well that God says to flee fornication
and here's another one and again just I'll make this clear what it is and
isn't avoiding Church avoiding Church's presumptuous sin the Bible's clear about
not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together okay we're told not
to forsake Church now just to make it clear the key word is forsaking it's not
about people that are unable okay it's not about people that cannot actually
physically get to church it's not about people that don't have a church okay and
it's not just a simple well okay you got a you know well if the nearest church
that was a legitimate church is a US you better get on a flight three times a
week okay that's not there's a line there okay we have to be sensible about
this sort of thing however when you can get to church when you're able to be in
church and you choose to forsake Church that's a clear presumptuous sin yeah
pretty clear right but part of way to upon the Lord is knowing him through his
word and not therefore choosing presumptuous sin so I'm not waiting upon
the Lord if I I don't know any of that well I'm a Christian I've been saved for
ten years I don't read my Bible I've got no idea well I'm not waiting upon the
Lord am I oh but I but I say oh I just love you Lord and you know I do anything
you want me to do but I don't even know what he wants me to do because I don't
read his Bible okay that's not waiting upon the Lord but neither is knowing
what he wants me to do and not doing it so it doesn't matter I could read the
Bible through you know five times a year okay but if I don't actually do those
things in in his word and I choose not to then that's presumptuous sin I'm not
upright I'm not waiting upon the Lord so I'm 25 21 you have to turn they said let
integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee so that uprightness
is linked with weight upon the Lord okay I think I hope that's kind of be made
clear it's not being sinless it's about the mentality it's having the right
mentality it's saying what God says is what I want to do yeah I'm gonna I'm
gonna slip up yeah I'm gonna I'm gonna do impulsive sins sometimes I'm gonna
I'm gonna mess up sometimes yeah I might really not understand it's something I'm
doing actually if you apply it to that is a sin but when I know full well and I
choose to go and do it anyway that's presumptuous sin that's not uprightness
that's not waiting upon the Lord okay he said in verse 14 let the words of my
mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight Oh Lord my
strength and my Redeemer okay and then therefore God can be your strength and
in Isaiah 40 it said in verse 31 Isaiah 40 in verse 31 but they that wait upon
the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they
shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint the title is
persevering until the end it comes from waiting upon the Lord and there are some
ways that that results in us persevering so that's what we're going to look at
today persevering until the end for waiting upon the Lord and number one
waiting upon the Lord renews our strength okay waiting upon the Lord
renews our strength turn to Proverbs chapter 10 our strength comes from the
Lord okay so it's from his word from being established in the faith from
standing on the promises from being upright okay Proverbs 10 29 Proverbs 10
29 says the way of the Lord is strength to the upright but destruction shall be
to the workers of iniquity so he's talking about the upright again again
we're seeing it's the upright the upright gay there those are choosing to
live by what God wants him to do living by his word okay makes us strong but our
strength needs constantly renewing and I was thinking about it this way think it
think of it like I think of it like like one of those old I mean I'm sure they
still have them like the I'm thinking from when I was younger those old video
games where you're kind of you're running around wherever it is it's like
I think they call them platforms type thing and you you've got a health bar I
think a lot of video games you have a health bar right okay they love a health
bar video game so you got you got the health bar right and when you're in
church when you've just come out of church hopefully tonight your health
bars hopefully like full okay it's up there okay you come at church but then
what happens is you come out with a full health bar but it's constantly being
chipped away at in life isn't it so you come out with a health bar and then you
maybe like you've managed to sidestep and turn the other way from like the
scantily dressed harlot you get in the car and it may be like that that weird
Oh tailgating you the whole way for no reason at all you managed not to like
kick off and get out of the car and just so you're doing well but I'll know you
got home and the neighbors are playing some 90s cheese and you start humming
along oh and the health bar starts dipping right then next thing you know
they're playing Elton John and you're singing along the health bars gone all
the way down game over insert coin right maybe you won't go as far as that but
you get what I'm saying right you're trying to you can't see trying to swerve
and trying to avoid and it's chipping away and chipping away maybe the Elton
John might not put you all the way down there but it's pretty low right and it's
like I need to up my health bar again how am I gonna up my health bar again
well we've got the old health bar booster so I get up in the morning and I
get the booster out and the health bar goes up a little bit you know and I go
outside the door and it's like new attack comes and it I don't know the
family members on the phone trying to invite me to like the wedding well the
sodomites are and now so what do I do now and it's like the health boss up
chippy away again or maybe it's the false prophets the head turners you know
and now suddenly like I don't know like that sounds like yeah maybe maybe you
don't have to call upon the name of the Lord I mean you know maybe it's work
salvation you know what a load of nonsense right just by the way okay but
anyways I don't know like the heads getting turned the face starts you know
and it's like it's just like this the whole time and then you get back in the
church straight back up again okay I've heard the word of God I've seen it
you know it's like who service I call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved it's like man why was I listening to that clown online you know it's like
and then and then you got and it's not true it's like that isn't it and you
know why because we constantly need to renew our strength you constantly need
it renewed because the strength does wane you're not where you are right now
you will never stay at that point and that level if you stopped reading your
Bible if you stop going to church if you stop soul winning if you stop doing those
things your your strength will lower and lower and lower and lower and then
it will be game over in circle you ain't got any coins to insert suddenly you're
shaking down the kids and stuff and look because it's not it's not just a simple
case okay well it'll be alright for a while then I'll get back in some as you
can't get back in sometimes it's hard to get back up it's like getting back up
that slope again right but you need to constantly renew and renew and renew and
we do that by weight upon the Lord we do that by being in the things of God
that's how we renew our strength that's how we get through the week sometimes
the weeks are pretty tough aren't they sometimes you need that strength renewed
and yeah we've got like the little booster each day with a Bible sometimes
it's like being in the things God in church at spiritual things that's why a
day on a Sunday is so great isn't it look it's great to come in and be in a
service it's great to come to the odd service but when you just have a day of
just being in spiritual things you're in church your soul winning you're in
church any it just lifts you straight back up and you walk out of here with a
full health bar don't you at least I do I hope everyone else does as well but
the thing is sometimes I think about it this way as well sometimes you can have
a full health bar okay you're doing well and then next thing you know you kind of
you walk out of here maybe you go into your week and then you come off you come
across like the end of level bosses and that's the end of level boss is like
they're the crafty false prophets they're like the infiltraty types
they're the ones a little bit bit clever with it and suddenly you're like oh man
I'm you know and then suddenly it's like the health bars is just going down and
down it's what do I do well there you need some you need some you need some
special weaponry for the end of level boss don't you you need the whole armor
of God that's what you need you need the whole armor of God right you need the
full works to be able to take on the end of level boss and that's but but again
you can't see renewing your strength aren't you because sometimes a battle is
that it's a hard battle and that's the thing it's not well it's not just you're
dealing with like the idiots in the streets you're dealing with the road
rage plunkers and you're dealing with everything sometimes it can be a lot a
lot stronger than that sometimes it's an end of level boss sometimes you have a
real crisis to your faith sometimes you have someone that really hits you hard
someone that really goes to you really tries to rip you out of church or rip
you out of the things of God and you need to make sure your health bars up
there when you come across them because if you come across them and your health
bars here hence the point of this sermon you come across them and it's like well
it's kind of Christmas do time and you know things that things have got a going
on the back burner and the health bars already dipping and dipping and dipping
then you come across someone who's gonna who's crafty with it someone who can
really turn your head someone who can the slander sounds believable someone
who whatever it is whatever your weakness might be you're much more
likely to have a health bar decimated you need to be constantly renewing
constantly renewing and you need it up here as much as you possibly can which
is why we encourage three to thrive which is why we say read your Bible
every day which is why we say pray to God every day which is why you need to
get all those little those little sins you can deal with out of your life
especially get the big sins out of your life you need to you need to get right
because you don't know when that big attacks coming go back to Isaiah chapter
40 the title is persevering until the end point number one waiting upon the
Lord renews our strength it needs constant renewal okay point number two
waiting upon the Lord lifts us to safety waiting upon the Lord lifts us to
safety look at verse 31 says but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew
their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles now turn to turn to
Psalm 91 do you know what sort of a predator an eagle is so it's known as an
apex predator which means it's at the top of the food chain okay so an eagle
is an apex predator it's safe from other predators other examples are for example
polar bears there's not really a natural predator of a polar bear yeah lions and
and especially you would say the male lion especially and when you have a
pride of lions it's not really a natural predator yeah they can get a bit of
grief that you know from the old hyenas if there's enough from sometimes but
they are really an apex predator crocodiles are apex predators really
orcas you know the old killer whales I think people used to think the great
white was an apex predator but it's not the orcas the apex predator there okay
they are an apex predator there's no natural predator really that they're the
prey of but you know what's interesting about the eagle is it's an apex predator
in its habitat up high it's an apex predator when it's nesting and in its
nest it's up high and when it's when it's basically in the sky however it
can get preyed upon by multiple predators when it's on the ground when
for example it's made a kill when it comes to the ground to get it it stops
being an apex predator when it's at ground level and that's kind of how it
is with us we are surrounded by predators on the ground okay first first
Peter 5 8 says be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a
roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour and you know what that's
the devil himself let alone his devils let alone all the young lions let alone
all those all those devils all those wicked people compassing us about
stalking us desperate to find an angle of attack desperate any which way they
can attack you any which way they can pull you this way and that way any which
way they could devour you okay that's what they're looking for however when
we're waiting upon the Lord when we're upright and trusting in his ways we
mount up on high then we're out of reach of them when you're in the things of God
Psalm 91 says it like this Psalm 91 in verse 9 says because thou has made the
Lord which is my refuge even the most high thy habitation is Psalm 91 in verse
9 verse 10 says there shall no evil before thee neither shall any plague
come nigh thy dwelling for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee
in all thy ways they shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot
against the stone thou shalt tread upon the lion and add of the young lion and
the dragon shout thou trample under feet sounds good to me right because he has
set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him I will set him on high that's
high that's safe that's out of reach because he has known my name he should
call upon me and I will answer him I'll be with him in trouble I would deliver
him and honor him with long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation
that's from way to upon the Lord mounting up with wings as Eagles okay
but but you know what drags us back down so you when you're waiting for law when
you're in the things of God it's hard for them to attack it's hard for them to
find those things because you're not doing the presumptuous sins because
you're in the things of God and they're trying to look for angle he's a great
accuser and so are his devils they're constantly trying to find something to
attack you with and it's not just myself as a parcel of a joke you'll all
have it as well you'll have it in different areas of life you'll have
people in the workplace trying to find fault trying to find something with you
family members who claim that they just are looking out for you and everything
else they're just trying to find stuff on you all the time that's how it works
right he's gonna accuse you day and night okay constantly trying to find
stuff and when you're living right when you're upright when you're waiting on
the Lord you're mounting up here he can't get to you but it's a sin and
especially the presumptuous sin that weighs us down and pulls us back down
they're like the chains you know they're the things that pull us back down to
then the easy reach to then be able to be accused for things to stick for to be
able to be attacked by by the devil's in one way or another right and that's what
the predators are waiting for go back to Isaiah chapter 40 and the title is
persevering until the end we do that by waiting upon the Lord number one waiting
upon the Lord renews our strength number two waiting upon the Lord lifts us to
safety and number three waiting upon the Lord keeps us working so waiting upon
the Lord keeps us working verse 31 says but they that wait upon the Lord shall
renew the strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and
not be weary now turn a Hebrews 12 okay but running is tiring isn't it whether
it's charging into battle or just running for from a to B to get there
quick quicker to get more done okay it's just it's a tiring thing to do running
right the flesh wouldn't normally choose to run now there's reasons that we we
override that but the flesh doesn't normally I know the youngsters like to
run around a bit as we get a bit older you know you kind of need to get over
the mental battle just to get out running in the first place for anyone
likes to go jogging here or something you kind of could be a bit of a battle
especially when it's cold and stuff outside you're kind of starting up your
mind your flesh is going you well do you really need to go running you know he
did enough today you wait you walked a bit today you know and then you'll go no
money to get and it's kind it can be a bit of a battle right okay it's not
always the most fun thing to do it always makes me think of a carnal
example of this old movie where it's like it's talking about in the in in in
the Wild West and they're all they're going well when do people run it's like
well we run for recreation for fun run for fun and they're all laughing run for
fun what's so fun about running and because it's not really that fun really
yeah it's fun beating your record it's fun to feel good feeling you get
afterwards it's nice to know that you're being healthy and it's nice sometimes
there's a cross training for another sport or maybe that's your sport and
you like the competitive aspect of it you like knowing that you've got better
at doing that distance or something else it's nice sometimes of use it's nice to
run in nice areas but really it's not exactly that fun just going like this
for sometimes hours on end right okay the flesh wouldn't normally choose it
and it's the same with serving the Lord the flesh would happily miss the midweek
service really the flesh would happily cut down on the sole winning okay it's
not always that fun yeah we it's great when you get people saying so but
sometimes it can be a slog on it and look there's a big difference between
for example so winning here and so winning like we were recently in South
Africa here it can be a bit of a it can be a slog yeah it can be tough it's not
always fun getting people being rude to you and shutting the door in your face
often and it's not always like that here we you know people can be polite as well
it's not always funny the the flesh would love to cut down on the events
like the marathons the flesh would happily not turn up to those the flesh
would would will probably want to avoid future missions trips because as nice as
it is to get the Salvations traveling for however many hours on planes isn't
fun standing around in airports and and all of that isn't fun and for many so
winning for sort of six seven hours a day isn't always that fun especially
when it's hot and you're a bit pasty like me and you get burnt yeah it's not
always it's not always you're not like this is just such great fun yeah you get
the spirit of the spirit loves it you know the spirit is willing but the
flesh is weak right it's not always that enjoyable and in leadership it would be
easier to do less marathons it would be it'd be easier to do less trips away it
would be easier to not bother looking for potential church plants that would
be easy the flesh should be happy with that be easy to not even bother thinking
about missions that'd be much easier oh well in fact guys you know the midweek
service it's a bit of an effort let's just cut down in fact let's just go to
one service a week we'll just do a little sermonette or something else you
know because we want to just just get the get the music going a bit more you
know that would be the easy options wouldn't that that's what the flesh
would look would love to do it would be easy to do the the bare minimum and you
know what so sometimes you do look around you you look around at how much
past pastors like for example our previous pastor Aaron Thompson does and
you just think how how do you even do that I remember at the beginning when I
started to learn like you start to learn his schedule a bit more because you're
like yeah yeah well I'm just over here well I'm just here but we can maybe
slip in a quick phone call here and oh yeah I'm just just I've just flown off
here and I'm just over there and I've just planted the fifth church and I'm
just kind of you know well I'm preaching at this church on a Wednesday and then
back up like my the church on the Thursday and you just think how do you
do that how are you able to do all that and you know he's older than he's older
than myself you know it's not that he's a spring chicken or anything else no
offense if he ever sees this past Thompson but but it's true right and it
would be easier to not do that how does he do it how does he drive and fly
around so much how does he preach so much how's he not weary because it's
believe me the spiritual stuff is tiring okay it is tiring the answer is waiting
upon the Lord that's the answer that's how he's able to do it Hebrews 12 did
you turn to Hebrews 12 Hebrews 12 one says wherefore seeing we also
encompassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every
weight in the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience
the race that is set before us so it's getting rid of all that weight of sin
of all those distractions if you think about all that time wasted in vanity and
instead of any of that just running getting busy there's a lot of time
wasted there is a lot more hours in the day than we really realize and it's not
all necessarily obvious sin but a lot of it is just a waste of time and when you
get all of that stuff out you do actually have a lot more time you you
are able to get stuff done you are able to prepare sermons to preach multiple
times a week you are able to do all these things to do all this traveling to
do all these these things that someone like him and many other men of God do
once you get rid of all that stuff that weighs you down when you when you lay
aside every weight where and the sin which does so easily beset us think how
much time is wasted in sin how much time is wasted in in habitual sins sins which
which take a lot of hours of the day from people take a lot of time out of
their day said in verse 2 looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our
faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising
the shame they set down at the right hand of the throne of God think think
what Jesus went through how much did Jesus Christ achieve in such a short
amount of time I mean apparently all the books in the world can't contain what he
did in three and a half years of ministry I mean it's amazing well when
you're reading sometimes when you're reading the Gospels so that then he went
here then he got up early and went there that he's preaching then he's doing this
then they're coming to him in the evening and it's just he's just just the
whole time isn't he just just working working working working but also think
how much he endured as well it was it just that he was doing all these great
things he was enduring so much at the same time I mean he's constantly it's
like the Pharisees are just stalking him and trying to pretend to be holy people
and ask him awkward questions all the time and trying to get him into trouble
and people and and often trying to actually take him in one way or another
and you know and there's all this it's just constant constant constant let
alone what he went through at the end for consider him that endured such
contradiction of sinners against himself lest you be wearied and faint in your
minds and we we only really have a short time really as well yeah we don't have
we hopefully have more than three and a half years but it's a short time really
isn't it in the grand scheme of things so we might as well run into battle we
might as well get busy for God by laying aside all that other stuff lay aside all
that other stuff all that distraction all those things which are just
unimportant all that stuff that people just obsess over and get into and just
get distracted by and charge into battle and I think you find you have a lot more
strength a lot more ability to do that when you get rid of all those weights
that weigh us down and all those things all those just distractions all that
vanity go back to Isaiah chapter 40 when you wait and that's by way to you upon
the Lord the title is persevering until the end point number one way to upon the
Lord renews our strength number two way to upon the Lord lifts us to safety
number three way to you upon the Lord keeps us working number four waiting
upon the Lord keeps us going way to you upon the Lord keeps us going he said in
verse 31 but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they
shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall
walk and not faint now turn us on 23 why would you only be weary from running
but then faint from walking so he said they shall run and not be weary and then
he said and they shall walk and not faint I don't know I I've memorized
this first many years ago I always like this verse of the Bible and and always
found it quite interesting that you you kind of talking about running and not
being weary from running but they're not fainting from walking and it kind of
sounds almost like it's the wrong way round doesn't it you could say that
couldn't you go away you know the fainting is basically like passing out
yeah it's like you just give up yeah you're done rather than being weary
which is being tired yeah well we're not always running okay the the running
comes in in times and in periods and you go and you charge to battle and you run
and do things for the Lord but the Christian walk is ongoing it's an
ongoing thing it's it's non-stop you're always walking okay and when you always
walking the feet get tired don't they okay over over time the Christian walk
never ends and a day to day could get tough for many the discipline of just
keeping going is very difficult for many people put just putting one foot in front
of the other getting up and opening the Bible every day day in day out week in
week out just every day you get up and you read your Bible that can be hard it
could be tough for people it's not always you know sort of it's not always
necessarily something that the most exciting passages for you at that time
the whole Word of God is great right however there are times when maybe you
know you're reading I don't know maybe you're in the middle of Leviticus or
maybe it's like the all the instructions for building the ark in Exodus and for
those of you that aren't really into construction and stuff you might just be
thinking okay this is a bit it's a bit hard going okay and and then when you
when you're on the tenth time and the 20th time and the 30th time reading it
you can imagine that your feet might get a bit tired right walking the walk
and it's not just reading the Bible praying every day finding that time
being in prayer church three to thrive just week in week out month after month
year after year going into decades three to five feet look and for some that can
be tough that could get tiring the the the soul winning week in week out
especially when maybe it's not not so receptor or even look when it is
receptive it's tiring well we found that out in South Africa recently you you get
one person saved and there's someone walking past it's just so receptive and
ready to get saved as well and after a couple you'll have you almost trying to
catch your breath and just just the the it's and and that's that should be
whether it's receptive or unreceptive so winning should be a part of your weekly
life and many people here are so winning twice a week on that on average maybe
three times with a marathon each you know at the end of each month and it's
a lot it can it could start to tire you resisting sin battling the flesh is a
day is it's a daily daily battle it can get tiring can't it to be tiring dealing
with this old flesh when you know you've got it's like I know got an area here I
need to improve on but my flesh just really wants to be like that and I'm
just trying you know that that can get tiring can't it it can get tiring let
alone the spiritual battles like they get tiring and everyone here that's
that's you know that's been saved and living for God and dealing with the
spiritual battles it gets tiring doesn't it sometimes you're like man like the
flesh would love to just give up the flesh would love to faint the flesh
would love to just get back into bed and go I'm done with this really because
sometimes you get it sometimes it's like you're just getting it from every
angle and then you suddenly there's an angry didn't even think was coming you
like what on earth now and it's like and you're just feeling it coming in and the
tests and the trials and the challenges and it gets tiring you get you start to
just get exhausted it's not it's not charging into battles that makes you
want to give up and faint it's a daily grind that's what makes you want to give
up when you're excited and you're charging into the next battle and you're
going to do this and you're like well we're about to do something we're on a
cusp of something we do something great for God that's not really tiring you got
the adrenaline up you're there you go it's a daily grind it's a daily week in
week out stuff it's when the attacks are just coming thick and fast when they're
just chipping away at you chipping away at you that's when it gets tiring that's
what makes you want to faint the hindrances the stumbling blocks the
constant obstructions to trying to do things for God that the the the
demons to navigate just get tiring don't they they're just coming in come
away with your sword that's what it feels like sometimes isn't it and you
just you just constantly it's constant how do we keep going
why'd you upon the Lord it's way too upon the Lord that's how we keep going
she can't do it otherwise you really can't and here's the thing is when you
stop waiting upon the Lord I think sometimes that attack or just try and
finish you off then so you have to be always waiting upon the Lord it's him
that leads us through it's him that stops you quitting none of us could do
it otherwise it all comes from him Psalm 23 where you are in verse ones mr.
Simon David says the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want he maketh me to lie
down in green pastures he leadeth me beside the still waters so he gives you
what you need to keep going and it's all here isn't it it's all in this book it's
all in your King James Bible he restoreth my soul he leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness for his name's sake he leads you on the straight and
narrow path away from the pitfalls away from the hazards but you have to follow
him he leads you but he doesn't drag you he leads you but it's your choice to
follow him right and when you do have to negotiate the hardest parts he's with you
as well it says in verse 4 yay though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they
comfort me thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies
our notice my head with all my cup runneth over he provides all that you
need doesn't he he gives you everything you need to succeed he gives it all it's
your choice you're gonna take it he said surely goodness and mercy shall follow
me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
basically life is a journey okay it's a journey regardless of what you do and
it's it's a tiring journey you talk to people in the world you know they go
through the same things right and and it's tiring for them as well it's rare
to find someone out who just says oh it's just all been such a stroll in the
park right life's tiring with every way you do it and if you're saved and you
walk the wrong way you might just faint or worse okay if you're saved and you
try and do it your own way and you try and do it a different way is it's gonna
look it's not gonna work for you and you're gonna slide back down and you're
gonna and it could be a lot worse than that you have to wait upon the Lord you
have to trust him his word you have to live for him say just just please leave
me Lord Lord I want to live for you right that's how you do it that's how
you wait upon the Lord you just say I know know what you want me to do and I
want to do it help me do it right not help me avoid these bits and that bits
because they don't really agree with me just like just help me do it Lord right
help me live for you help me wait upon you and we can persevere to the end okay
we can keep going it and you know you know here's the thing is is when you do
that and you keep going and we get to the end
Gloria waits and sometimes you have to remind yourself for that and I think
like it helps me just remind myself like Gloria waits and it could be tiring now
and it could be fatiguing now and it can be hard now right you can have times
where you just you feel like you don't want I don't mean like in a morbid sense
but sometimes you just think you know I'd love to this to all be done and to
be up there if only he could he if only came before the service was over but
it's not happening because there's some things that have to happen first yeah
like that man is him being revealed right okay but you know you can see why
those pre-trib clowns want to want to want to believe that right because it
would be much easier wouldn't it it would if you just vanished and you're in
glory but that's not that's not reality and the thing is we got a job to do here
but but when you do it and you do it to the best of your ability think how much
better that glory is going to be think what you can earn up there think to be
able to have the Lord say to you that good and faithful servant now he's not
gonna say thou sinless servant so don't again like could people go too far look
we preach hard on sin for good reason right because it will weigh you down it
will ruin your walk and everything else however you also don't want to go too
far where you just so hard in yourself well yeah but I still sin in this while
still do this yeah but do you want to live for God right and are you trying to
serve him and are you doing the things of God because I believe if you're doing
that he will be saying to you they're good and faithful so now amazing will
that be you don't want him to say thou you were a good and faithful servant
but now thou backslidden servant come into the joy of the Lord get out of
there God hang around with a lot you don't want that do you you want it you
want it you want to get up there and be like have Abraham comforting you or you
know one of the other great men of the faith or something and and you don't
want to be just kind of well yeah well at least at least I got saved yeah and
but how do we do it we have to wait upon the Lord we have to be in the things of
God we have to be serving we have to be upright we have to avoid those
presumptuous sins and we have to just say look here I am Lord you know I am
send me and that's way too upon the Lord isn't it and if we do that we can
persevere until the end and I hope everyone here wants to persevere and I
would say look the reason I've thought of this message just because I know like
this time of year and the church will be quiet so right now we've got hardly any
children in the church and it feels a bit different doesn't it right and you
know there's a lot of illness around and there'll be people that will be
dropping out here and there and that's that's gonna happen right and you need
to you need to remember no but that none of that matters I need to wait upon the
Lord and I need to persevere until the end right and I hope that's been been
helped you and yeah on that we're gonna finish up in the work
father thank you for your word thank you for well the fact that you give us all
we need Lord that you give us what we need that we can rely on you that our
strength comes from you Lord help us to mount up with wings as Eagles Lord help
us to well to run and not be weary to not faint in our walk Lord help us to
just just keep keep renewing our strength keep just pressing on keep
pressing forward help everyone here to encourage one another as well help us to
be an encouragement help us to to get out and and find people that want to get
saved this afternoon Lord help us to to just go and preach your gospel to those
in in the local area and try and encourage people to come and get involved
with yours with your church as well Lord and we pray that you just bless bless
the rest of our afternoon bless our evening service and just known for all
of us amen