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HOW TO HOLD FAST

HOW TO HOLD FAST. THEME FOR 2012 : “HOLD FAST UNTO YOUR CONFIDENCE” TOPIC : HOW TO HOLD FAST ON TO YOUR CONFIDENCE Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. . INTRODUCTION.

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HOW TO HOLD FAST

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  1. HOW TO HOLD FAST

  2. THEME FOR 2012: “HOLD FAST UNTO YOUR CONFIDENCE” • TOPIC: HOW TO HOLD FAST ON TO YOUR CONFIDENCE Hebrews 10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

  3. INTRODUCTION • TO UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES OF HOW TO HOLD ON TO YOUR CONFIDENCE, ONE HAS GOT TO BRIEFLY REFLECT ON HOW IT IS SO EASILY LOST OR THROWN AWAY.

  4. “Cast ... away” • The Greek word for the above is “apoballo” • It means: “to throw away” or to “lose”. • The term is found here (Heb. 10:35) and in Mark 10:50. Mark 10:50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

  5. COWARDLY ATTITUDE • The reference is to cowardly soldiers, who throw away their weapons and flee from battle. • “...casting away his garment...”

  6. HOW TO HOLD FAST ON TO YOUR CONFIDENCE • Compare this scenario with that of the disciples – full of the Holy Spirit: • Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

  7. “parrhesia” • The Greek word for boldness is: “parrhesia” It means: “outspokenness” • When translated it encompasses: • Boldness of speech (2 Cor. 7:4) 2 Cor. 7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.

  8. PLAIN & FREE • Plainness of speech (2 Cor. 3:12) 2 Cor. 3:12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: • Freely (Acts 2:29) Acts 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

  9. OPEN • Openly (Mark 8:32; John 7:4,13; John 11:54; John 18:20; Col. 2:15) Mark 8:31-33 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. [32] And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. [33] But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

  10. BOLDLY & BOLDNESS • Boldly (John 7:26; Ephes. 6:19; Hebrews 4:16) John 7:26 But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? • Boldness (Acts 4:13,29,31; Ephes. 3:12; Phil. 1:20; 1 Tim. 3:13; Hebrews 10:19; 1 John 4:17) Acts 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

  11. CONFIDENCE • Confidence (Acts 28:31; Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 10:35; 1 John 2:28; 1 John 3:21; 1 John 5:14) Acts 28:31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

  12. PETER & JOHN • SPECIAL CASE OF PETER AND JOHN – THE BOLD “ILLITERATES” Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. • They were indeed “...unlearned and ignorant men...” - Without the higher education of Judaism;

  13. WHO ARE YOU? • KNOWLEDGE: - Uneducated, Uninformed, Ignorant, Not Conversant, Untaught... • DECORUM: - Rude, Crude, Uncouth, Uncultured, Uncivilized, Uninitiated, Untrained, Unschooled, Unlettered... - Unprofessional men—men of the rank and file of the Jews.

  14. DIVINE KNOWLEDGE • But they were not destitute of knowledge forthey had divine knowledge. • They however “...took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus...” - They recognized them to be followers or companions of Jesus of Nazareth.

  15. THE “HOLD FAST” GRIP ON CONFIDENCE – APPLICATION • STAY IN THE CAMP – Keep to your own ranks (2 Cor. 6:14 ) • BE LED BY THE SPIRIT (Luke 4:1; Rom. 8:14) • LIKE JESUS, APPLY AUTHORITY (Matt. 7:29) • EXERCISE THE GIFTS – Especially MIRACLES, Note that 3 great miracles forced the Sanhedrin to take a final decision to destroy Jesus: - A/ Healing the impotent man on the Sabbath B/ Healing the blind man on the Sabbath C/ Raising Lazarus from the Dead! (Jn. 11:53)

  16. THE “HOLD FAST” GRIP ON CONFIDENCE – APPLICATION • BEHAVE YOURSELF! John 7:4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

  17. THE “HOLD FAST” GRIP ON CONFIDENCE – APPLICATION • SPEAK OPENLY – No gossip, Back-biting, Lying, Rumour-mongering, Murmuring, Cursing etc. (Matt. 12:34; Jn. 7:12-13) • WALK OPENLY – Jesus “walked openly” until He had to keep a low profile to complete His Ministry and Mission. (Jn. 11:54) • THINK OPENLY – “Let this mind be in you...” (Phil. 2:5; 4:8) • WORK OPENLY – Do it for the Lord only! (Matt. 25:21; Eph. 6:6-8)

  18. THANK YOU

  19. THE REWARD • THERE IS ARE REWARDS Galatians 6:7-9 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. [8] For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. [9] And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

  20. THE REWARD – THE TIMING CHALLENGE • TIMING FOR THE REWARD IS LEFT TO GOD ALONE – THIS DOES NOT UNDERMINE THE FACT THAT IT SHALL COME TO PASS!

  21. THE REWARD -QUESTIONS • THE NAGGING QUESTION Mark 10:28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. • PETER (SPOKESMAN) AND THE OTHER DISCIPLES WERE “JUST WONDERING” – WITHOUT HAVING THE BOLDNESS TO ASK JESUS: “WHAT’S THE PAYOFF?”, “WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?”

  22. THE REWARD • THE ULTIMATE REWARD OF HOLDING FAST Mark 10:29-30 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, [30] But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.

  23. GODHEAD INVOLVED • GOD IS FAITHFUL – A FAITHFUL TASKMASTER, EMPLOYER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. • JESUS CONSISTENTLY GAVE HIS DISCIPLES, AND GIVES US ALSO, ASSURANCES ABOUT WHAT THE FATHER HAS IN STORE FOR US.

  24. GODHEAD INVOLVED • JESUS HIMSELF ALSO FED ON THAT ASSURANCE (HEB. 12;2) • THE HOLY SPIRIT MINISTERS COMFORT INTO OUR HEARTS WHEN WE FEEL THE HEAT – WHEN WE FEEL LIKE “FAINTING” • PAUL DESCRIBES SOME OF THE REWARDS OR “PAYOFF” FOR BELIEVERS

  25. GODHEAD INVOLVED Ephes. 1:3-14 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: [4] According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: [5] Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, [6] To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. [7] In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

  26. GODHEAD INVOLVED [8] Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; [9] Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: [10] That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: [11] In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

  27. GODHEAD INVOLVED [12] That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. [13] In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, [14] Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

  28. PERCEPTION • BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THE REWARD LIE IN THE FUTURE - IN ANOTHER MODE OF EXISTENCE - THE LANGUAGE, TO US, SEEMS ABSTRACT, STRANGE AND HARD TO UNDERSTAND. • BUT (IN VERSE 11) HE CLEARLY MENTIONS AN INHERITANCE THAT IS COMING TO US! • WHAT IS IT THAT WE ARE GOING TO INHERIT IN CHRIST? - SIMPLY THIS: ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR CHRIST IN “THE FULLNESS OF TIMES” SHALL BE OURS AS WELL. (Rom. 8:15-17)

  29. PERCEPTION • THIS IS NOT WISHFUL THINKING, GOD IS ALREADY GIVING US GLIMPSES OF THAT INCONCEIVABLE FUTURE. • THE HOLY SPIRIT LIVES IN US AS A GUARANTEE OF THINGS TO COME (VERSE 14). • HE “SEALS” US, ASSURING THAT WE REMAIN IN GOD’S FAMILY SO THAT WE DO NOT LOOSE OUR INHERITIANCE

  30. PERCEPTION • AND WHILE WE MOVE TOWARD THAT DAY, HE WORKS WITHIN OUR LIVES TO MAKE US LIKE CHRIST. (EPH. 4-6) • IN FACT HE HAS ALREADY SET THESE THINGS “IN MOTION” FOR US:

  31. PERCEPTION • AND WHILE WE MOVE TOWARD THAT DAY, HE WORKS WITHIN OUR LIVES TO MAKE US LIKE CHRIST. (EPH. 4-6) • IN FACT HE HAS ALREADY SET THESE THINGS “IN MOTION” FOR US:

  32. DONE DEAL • Nine Things that God Has Done for Us 1. He has blessed us (Ephes. 1:3). 2. He has chosen us (Ephes. 1:4). 3. He has predestined us (Ephes. 1:5,11). 4. He has made us accepted (Ephes. 1:6). 5. He has redeemed us (Ephes. 1:7). 6. He has abounded toward us (Ephes. 1:8). 7. He has made known unto us (Ephes. 1:9). 8. He has given us an inheritance (Ephes. 1:11,14). 9. He has sealed us (Ephes. 1:13). • AMEN!

  33. DONE DEAL • AMEN!

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