One-Way Journey of Endurance

© Herman Asafo-Agyei

It was most inspiring last Sunday the 26^th August 2007, to hear Pastor Vic Bristow’s final sermon as pastor of this church and the remarkable completion of his part in the vision God has placed in our hearts for this church.   I have no doubt that others before him have also, in their own ways, made diverse contributions worthy of recognition and acknowledgement.  Taking a step back and looking at the big picture, I believe it shows us the remnants of this church, and perhaps the wider Christian community, the critical importance of accomplishing purpose and vision wherever God places us in advancing His Kingdom agenda.

Consequently, I see our Christian life as a spiritual journey from authorship to completion; a non-optional one-way journey by which we as followers of Christ Jesus, were never called into a relationship in which we dictated the pace of events or did what we liked; Rather, we are called to be partakers of God’s divine nature, a spiritual relationship requiring us to lead a focused lifestyle of Endurance, rooted in obedience to the commands of our Sovereign Father.  That, in essence, is what Discipleship is all about.   It does not mean that we do not sometimes have problems with some of the choices He makes for us; yes we do have contentions with His choices, but that does not stop Him from being the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings and the Author and Finisher of our Faith.   Primarily, we are required to act in ways that please Him. 

Our Lord himself, delivers this stark reality in a-matter-of-fact fashion when he says in Luke 14:26, ‘if anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.   And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.’

However it is when the text is read further on to verse 30 that we see the blow appearing to soften a bit, as Christ in his usual allegoric fashion, elaborates with yet another illustration of building a tower. 

It is evident from this text that finishing is extremely important to our Lord, as 3 times in a single statement – verses 28,29 and 30 – He infers that once a Decision to build and the Determination to finish it are made, a Disciplined management of self and resources and a Diligent attitude to work are prerequisites to finishing the project.

Hence, I see DISCIPLESHIP as a relationship, comprising 3 key character qualities beginning interestingly with the letter D.   Once we make the DECISION to follow Him, DETERMINATION, DISCIPLINE and DILIGENCE should characterise our next steps, albeit tough and tedious, on our journey to excellence.     

As we enter a New Era in the pastoral leadership of this church therefore, it is perhaps instructive to re-examine our spiritual walk with Christ and apprehend the truth about 3 vocations or occupations, if you like, which the Apostle Paul, in exhorting and motivating his mentee Timothy, employs to highlight the relevance of those 3 character qualities in 2 Timothy 2:3-7: ‘Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ.   No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs – he wants to please his commanding officer.   Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules.   The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops’.

We see that firstly, there is the good Soldier; then the competing Athlete and finally the hardworking Farmer, all of which depict different strands of endurance that pleases The Master, who then dispatches the reward we no doubt have a right to expect.   As Paul indicates, the hardworking farmer must be the first to partake of the crops. ·        Most assuredly, it follows that we must intensify our willingness to endure hardship by way of a determined, disciplined and diligent attitude towards knowing Him.   I would express it further in this way that our Determination, Discipline and Diligence to seeking and knowing must precede the ARRIVAL of the REVIVAL we have been so keenly looking forward to here at Northolt Grange Baptist Church and the RESPECT we EXPECT from each one another.            We would be advised to take a cue from the way in which the Apostle Paul encapsulates it in Philippians 3:12-14: ‘…………….But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus’. 

How then must we achieve these Enduring Qualities?

Once again, Paul provides the lead.         He knew that the Only key to attaining those qualities and the reward that awaits us eventually, lay in the strength we have, not in our own abilities or know-how, but in that which is birthed from the Grace That Our Faith in Christ offers. 

I am therefore persuaded that we need to rediscover and reposition our priorities.     I would urge us all to focus on making the ‘prize of the upward call’ our primary goal.   To this end, I pray that we may grow and mature in the knowledge of Him, just as Paul passionately expresses in Phil3:7-11: ‘But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.   What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake I have lost all things.   I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him……………………………..I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death………………….’