Dear Covenant members and friends:
Pastor Carl was unable to be at Covenant yesterday as he was recovering from his heart cath this week, so again I provided the sermon. It is provided below, hope you enjoy it.
Ron
Stay the Course
There are numerous dictionary definitions of Stay the course:
– to continue with a process, effort, etc., even though it is difficult.
These definitions are not consistent. Some suggest what you are going to go through is “difficult” or “unpleasant” or an “obstacle”. Others just state you continue to the end or until the objective is achieved. One says it “takes a long time”, others don’t give a time frame.
Let’s look at some opportunities to “stay the course” that meet some of these definitions.
Have you ever dieted… or tried to diet? How did that turn out? Was it successful in the end? Did you feel the same way 6 months (or a year) later? This is an example of a short term plan where we choose to accomplish something personal for ourself. It is also a plan that we can repeat as often as we desire during our lifetime……… If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again!
Have you ever had a home mortgage? How did that turn out? Was it successful in the end? Many people go through this process throughout their adult lifetime, sending payments to their bank every month, sometimes refinancing if it is a good deal, and maybe having the process start over if you move between multiple homes during your adult life. Eventually, you feel very good when the final home mortgage is paid off. It is definitely a feeling of success, accomplishment, and also relief when you own your own home and owe no more payments to a bank! To me, this is a good example of staying the course and achieving your goal after a long and consistent effort towards this goal.
Have you ever been involved in a pandemic? How did that turn out? Was it successful in the end? Oh, wait!! You don’t know yet!!! But you will persevere because you have no choice! You have already lived through it for almost a year, can you believe it has been so long and really, there is still no end in sight although having vaccines now available does provide some light at the end of this long tunnel. You have faithfully worn a mask, socially distanced, stayed away from family and friends and church and other activities – talk about perseverance!!!!!!
Have you ever had a relationship with Jesus Christ? How did that turn out? Was it successful in the end? I think the answer is that we have all had a very personal relationship with Jesus. It is clearly a lifelong relationship, longer than the course we take to pay off a home mortgage. It lasts until our last breath we take on this earth. As Tina beautifully spoke this past Wednesday, we seem to mess up a lot on this walk, yet we know we are forgiven.
Isaiah 61:10 – I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, he has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a groom puts on a turban, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
When we repent of our sins and call on God’s mercy, we receive His divine righteousness through His grace shown to us. We need to continue to stay the course throughout our life, knowing that we will be far from perfect, but it is important to remain hopeful through our faith in Him that we will win in the end of this long wonderful walk we get to experience throughout our lifetime…… and we know we will be successful in our goal through our hope and faith!!!!
Philippians 3:12-14 – Not that I have already obtained it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
We must be willing to forget the failures of our past, our many sins and any times we have turned away or lost our focus on Him. We cannot quit, like we may do so often with our dieting. We must treat this as a lifelong course for us to stay, to continue to grow as a Christian believer every day of our lives. We will cross the finish line the day and time He decides it is time for us to rest and receive the prize of “our citizenship in heaven” (verse 20).
Finally, remember always:
1 Timothy 6:12 – Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Hebrews 12:1-3 – Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Let us pray:
Dear Gracious Father:
We thank You for being our eager and willing partner and coach in the lifelong course we set with You. We thank You for showing us the way and for guiding every step, and for Your constant presence alongside us, if only we realize it and seek Your answers to our questions and Your presence during our difficult times. What a great God you are, to share Your Grace with someone so unworthy, and we are humbled and thankful for You. We look forward to someday crossing the finish line and being home with You throughout eternity. Thank you dear God for all the blessings in our lives. Amen.
Benediction: Numbers 6:22 – May the Lord bless you and keep you; may the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.