Sermon Note on Perseverance Has A Reward

Many of us act usually like this man. When we are in the presence of God, we keep saying piteous things instead of tabling our problems before God. Trying to been seen as helpless and hopeless to attract mercies do not move God. That can move man but not God.  Many will rather complain than pray. This was what this man acted. Despite the piteous and not straight forward answer he gave, God in His compassion and mercies granted him healing. All his waiting was not in vain. At last the years he stayed there paid off for him.

In life we face problems. Life usually present it curve on our way. However it is dishearthening to note that many of us today do not know anything about perseverance. We do not want to persevere for anything. Paul noted in Romans Chapter 5 that there are benefits in perseverance. He said “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” – Romans 5:1 – 5.

Also Apostle Peter noted that “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” This shows the importance of perseverance in our Christian race.

We are in Jet Age when people want things done immediately and we use such faith in wanting all things done for us immediately we approach God. Today we manifest all form of vices because we are impatient and cannot persevere. Some of those vices and ills are exam malpractice, broken marriages, rushing into marriage because we feel time is running out on us, insubordinate to authority at home, school, churches and offices, proliferation of churches, divisions here and there as a result of unwillingness to persevere, etc. It is said that a patient dog eats the fattest bone. Yes the Bible says in Mt 21:22: “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive”; this does not mean that God will arbitrarily grant us all we ask. He may delay it for a purpose and at the end it will be more glorious. Check the story of Elizabeth who gave birth to the greatest man ever born on earth and Manoah and his wife who gave birth to the strongest man ever lived, Syro-Phoenician woman despite all we may call ‘insult’ heaped on her by Jesus did not want to leave because she knew that Jesus is the only one that has the answer to her problem. There are many other cases. If you know that Jesus is the only one that has answer to that your problem of sickness, failure in business, no child after years of marriage, no intending spouse, failure in examinations, etc, you should learn to trust Him and keep persevering.

Conclusion: God loves us no doubt about that. However, we must learn to persevere till the end. We should not give to God half hearted commitment. It was Surgeon who said it all- ”You have received Christ; persevere in receiving him.  You have come to trust him; keep on trusting him.  You hang about his neck as a poor, helpless sinner; remain hanging there.  Abide in him.” As we continue trusting Him, hanging on Him and believing in Him, we will never loose.