Tomorrow, Sunday, February 7th, 2016 at Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church of Irvine: “Endurance!” (Hebrews 3:1-6)

Location: Crean Lutheran South High School in Irvine: 12500 Sand Canyon Ave., Irvine, CA 92618

Directions: Exit Sand Canyon from the 405 or 5, head East towards the hills, cross Irvine Blvd., turn right on Saint’s Way (this will put you on the campus of Crean Lutheran South High School…we worship in the event center/gym)

Divine Service: 930 am

Bible Study and Sunday School: 11 am

Dear Ones for Whom Jesus Died and Rose to Save,

The Transfiguration of Our Lord, February 7^th, 2016

Pastor Espinosa

Introduction: A Glimpse of Glory for Hope Because It’s Hard To Endure.

1. Moses endured: He died at 120 and “His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.” (Deut. 34:8) I’m not sure how well I’m enduring (for example, me and my little bible are parting ways because of my diminishing vision!) L
2. Under Joshua, the people of Israel knew a season of endurance. Under Joshua, “the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.” (Deut. 34:9) Israel knew some generations of endurance.
3. And of course Jesus endured. Just before the record of the glorious Transfiguration of our Lord, our Savior foretold His death: dark times were coming and it would be a time requiring endurance. We need to remember this as we are about to move into Lent. He said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed…” (Luke 9:22) How our Lord’s soul must have been filled with dread! How did He live with so much love and compassion while knowing what was coming? And yet He did! That was how faithful He was…and this is how faithful He is!
4. And then the Lord spoke about us (all true disciples): “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross DAILY and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) It’s the “DAILY” part that is about endurance. Not just yesterday, not just today…every day, daily…endurance.
5. There is no resting on laurels. Our endurance from last year or even yesterday, does not guarantee my endurance today.
6. David was a man after God’s own heart, but there were times when he did not endure. Solomon had the greatest wisdom and he entered a time when he chose to no longer endure.
7. Are we that different from David and Solomon?
8. How often have we stopped enduring? We say that the day-to-day is the crucial way and yet on how many days in our past did we stray from the path? How consistent has your endurance been?
9. To worship the Lord?
10. To abide in His Word?
11. To die to yourself and to love even your enemies?
12. To live in forgiveness?
13. To strive for endurance?
14. Endurance is hard. Think of a cross-country runner or marathon runner. I’ve never run those kinds of distances (not even in the Army), but you hear such athletes “hitting the wall.” It’s when your body says, “no more,” and yet you find a way to keep going.
15. Endurance is one of THE traits of those who are “successful” in their respective fields. Many who have “made it” in their chosen field, resent it when others describe them as having “natural-born talents,” etc., when they know how hard they have had to work. One aspect of success, factors in the so-called 10,000 hour-rule: if you put in that much time essentially practicing or working out on something (some skill for example), then yes, you will develop a real ability (like learning to play an instrument, speak another language, get really good at something. Ted Williams was lauded as a “natural” in baseball, but he would practice swinging a bat so often that his hands would start to bleed (so the story goes).
16. Endurance is also that trait of the FAITHFUL. I have met married Christians who described their storm and have heard the words, “It’s over, I can’t go on,” but in some cases – through endurance — resurrection occurs in the marriage. That’s when God does something that only He could do to bring the marriage back and sometimes, better than ever before. And how many Christian parents have learned endurance as they go through storms with their children and families? How many devout parents have felt as though all hope was gone, but they kept loving and serving their children anyway…[because] “love covers over a multitude of sins” (1^st Peter 4:8).

Part I: But How Can You Endure?

1. But I don’t want to sound like “pie in the sky,” how can you know this kind of endurance? What is there, if anything that can truly cause you endure, not with resentment and bitterness taking over your soul (as if being held captive in prison), but enduring with confidence; enduring with real hope; enduring with a sense of a victorious scenario?
2. To answer that question, we begin with today’s revelation on this Transfiguration Sunday: you can know the new you – created by the Lord – who also knows a new endurance!
3. Consider how the Lord refers to you His people: Hebrews 3:1: “holy brothers” and “heavenly calling”!
4. The amazing thing here is that these things were done for you! You didn’t make yourself holy, but God did; you didn’t call yourself, but God did!
5. How did God do this?
6. Consider today’s revelation of Jesus Christ! He is:
7. 1) the apostle: THE sent One. He was SENT for you; 2) high priest…He sympathizes with your weaknesses; He knows you…and still loves you!
8. But put these two together: “apostle” and “high priest,” and consider what Jesus DOES for YOU! As apostle, the One sent for you: “He pleads the cause of God with you!” AND as High Priest “He pleads your cause with God!” (let me repeat that) The apostle is sent for God’s Word to be given to you and to be put IN you! The high priest takes up your cause, your needs – your need for ENDURANCE for example – and presents these to God!
9. And His through His saving work for YOU Christian, you make a good CONFESSION (verse 1). And it is a confession that gets back to your true ability to endure: you confess or speak of Christ’s

Part II: The Key To Endurance is the LORD’s Faithfulness!

1. The key to our endurance does not rest in us, but it rests in Christ!
2. We don’t rely on our feeble, weak and failing effort, but we rely on the Lord’s faithfulness!
3. Moses was faithful! God raised up a faithful leader in Moses. Even when Israel was NOT enduring and NOT being faithful, Moses was faithful. In Exodus 32 Moses pleaded their case: “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people…Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people.” (vv 11 & 12) Moses was a faithful intercessor and the Lord answered his prayer!
4. But as great as Moses was – the servant of God’s household – Jesus is even greater, because He is “over” God’s household as a son! He is over us…you’re shielded, you’re protected; He is faithful and will keep you safe!
5. Now THIS ONE intercedes for you. Jesus prays for you!
6. And when we have received such faithfulness – by the grace of God in Christ through the Lord’s Word and Holy Sacrament – the Lord forms faithfulness in us!
7. We need this because there was a time that even with the great servant of God Moses, Israel was not faithful, but now you have someone greater than Moses! Should we give up being faithful when His faithfulness has given us so much? Dare we be faithless when He has been so faithful towards us?! We mustn’t give up! Endurance becomes everything to us! It is the response of faith to the Lord’s faithfulness to us! We endure because the Lord has given us EVERYTHING; because He has endured for us! For us, He even endured the cross so that we would not be condemned by our sin!
8. Such endurance by the Lord produces in us a new attitude; a laser-like simplicity and focus:

Part III: Therefore “consider”!

1. The word translated “consider” at verse 1 is “katanoeo”…it means to “rivet [one’s] attention on”…
2. How can you possibility endure Christian with all of the struggles and storms you face?
3. The answer is rivet your attention upon Jesus!
4. It’s like Peter sinking, but then crying out to Jesus! Jesus takes hold of Him and saves Him! Jesus saves you too! Rivet your eyes on Him, because He pulls you up from drowning in your storms of life!
5. So see this Gospel truth once again: He was faithful for you! And He IS faithful for you! And He WILL BE faithful for you! He has covered your yesterdays, and today, and tomorrows with His faithful endurance FOR YOU!
6. And through our faithful leader; the leader of our household (God’s household, the Holy Church, all of us), we now have in Christ: 1) fearless confidence! AND 2) Triumphant hope!
7. You know how to live now. As clearly as you see your weakness and need for endurance; you rivet your eyes on Jesus!

• Who is your Apostle.
• Who is your High Priest.
• Who has made you into “holy brothers”!
• Who has extended His “heavenly calling” to you!
• Who is faithful for you!
• Who is over you (God’s people), God’s household! Talk about being looked after and cared for!
• And in Him, we are given fearless confidence.
• And in Him, we are given triumphant hope.

Conclusion: We have fearless confidence now that God will accomplish what He has promised. His glorious transfiguration was God’s guarantee to His Son that He would endure! But that same glorious transfiguration is also why we will endure. The glorious Christ, our glorious Lord, our King of Kings, our best friend is faithful. He will provide also our endurance!

In Jesus’ Love,

Pastor Espinosa

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