ENDURANCE
Character Tour 2 of 8
October 14, 2007
Mike Matijevich
mmatevich@aol.com

Intro
* Looking back over the course of your life what are the things you regret having quit?
* Today's society Unique - seems to applaud those who quit…
Those that would rather BAILOUT then BLAST THROUGH.
People that would rather LEAVE then LAST.
Some that would rather THROW IN THE TOWEL then STAY in the GAME.
- A lot of people have that - Job-quitting, vow-breaking, excuse-making, work-faking mentality… THAT RUNS from the Character quality I'm going to talk about today.

* Last week Character Tour… characters from the bible who exemplify great character.
#1 was Discipline- Daniel - went deep with God with discipline.

* CHARACTER is an outward REFLECTION of a DYNAMIC INWARD CONNECTION.
DISCIPLINE is doing what we OUGHT to do, so we can do what we WANT to do.
* Discipline is good & I'm glad we have it but today's quality is something that DISCIPLINE must be strapped on.
ENDURANCE: (definitely on the endangered character quality list)
ENDURANCE is:
- Stampeding through those STOPPING POINTS of life.
- Knocking down those walls that block us from achievements.
* We desperately need this quality.
* But our culture promotes a LACK of endurance-

I. GOD'S GRACE & FAVOR HELPS US ENDURE (Genesis 6:1-9)

* Noah appears in Genesis 6:1-7 look at the condition of man…
* God was going to destroy man- so sinful…
Sin has a payment- why Jesus came to earth (Rom 6:23 "The wages of sin is death…")
* Know this - God is perfectly balanced (one hand God of Judgment & a God of Grace)
God looks for a chance to extend GRACE!
Gen 6:8 "Grace" first instance- A superior one giving favor to an inferior on.
(Romans 11:6a "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace…")
Gen 6:9 "Just…perfect…walked with God…"
- "Walked"- last week true Biblical meditation - not Eastern stuff- (filling your mind)
- Meditation - is making space to heart God's voice, and obeying His truth.

* If a child of God we should HEAR & RECOGNIZE our Father's voice.
BIBLE- and some spiritual friends counsel.

II. FAITH IS THE FOUNDATION TO ENDURANCE (Genesis 6:11-21; 7:1-5; 8:14-20)

A. Faith is based on trust - (v 6:3) - 120 years; (v 5:32) 500yrs; (7:6 600 yrs flood) thus 20yrs
for grace to expose Noah
B. Faith is based on true information from God (truth) 6:12-21, 22 response to God's word=
Faith
1. Serious abuse from people for 100 years. (Most of us would stop long before this point)
Noah, he stampeded through stopping points, crashed through walls that blocked his achievement.

C. Gen 7:1 "COME" cp Gen 6:13-14 "Make THEE an ark…" this is for you…
NOTE: A "BOX" like the Tabernacle, Temple Universe (3 x 3)
Faith will motivate you to "COME" to the place where God is.

Noah obeyed God and let God take care of the details (how the animals were to get in the ark).
1. Gen. 7:4, 5 He hung tough and blasted through what would have been a stopping point
for most of us.

NOTE: God wants us to walk from point A to point B.
Along the way we hear God & will come across quitting points, relationally, friendship,
marriage, financially, vocationally, MINISTERIALLY.
* God wants us to walk in a straight line- we hit a stopping point & we will walk in the easier
way.
* Instead of going straight we go the easy way.
* We can go straight if we build in space to hear God's voice & to obey His truth.
* When you have endurance you see God's timing. (Not my timing)

D. Gen 8:14-18 "Go" faith (to what?) faith
E. Gen 8:20 Noah built an altar- a place of worship, sacrifice.
Faith resulted in praise to God not forgetting God when the problem is over…

Noah - a man dialed into God…
Noah - a man that listened to God…
Noah - a man that responded to God's timetable…

Let's get practical- because you probably say, "I need endurance NOW!"

III. ENCOURGEMENT FROM OTHERS & DUMPING HINDRANCES HELP US ENDURE
(Hebrews 12:1-2)

A. First - get your heads in the clouds with people of FAITH! (Heb 12:1a)
1. As we run the race we have a cloud of witnesses from God's hall of fame.
Those that have demonstrated ENDURANCE…
a. Abel- "nothing but the blood"
b. Moses- "stand up & be a leader"
c. David - "face the giants in your life, just a few smooth stones in faith"
d. Rahab the harlot - "I don't care what you have done, God can still use you."
* These should motivate us to ENDURANCE.
B. Join "weight watchers" - (Heb 12:1b)
1. Continually put OFF the sin that you are most susceptible to you.

C. Become a strong finisher - (Heb 12:2) Jesus the ultimate finisher.
1. He went to the cross for you.

Conclusion : When it comes right down to it, Endurance is about STEPPING on the Ark.
Ark type of Christ, wood, pitch (sealed) blood seals us…
One door (Jn 10 I am the door)
* We have a choice to step on board the Ark.
* If we do we will empowered with ENDURANCE

ENDURANCE: the ability to stampede through stopping points