Last week we talked about Leaning In.
Leaning in is easy when things are going well, when God is evident in your life. Leaning in is much harder when things aren’t going well.

Martha made a decision to lean in. Mary made a decision to lean away. Why did Mary lean away? She was under pressure. That pressure pushing against her is what made her feel disconnected, angry, unloved, hurt, etc.

From last week:
Development strengthens those muscles that keep you leaning in. Why do you need those muscles to be strong?

Because no matter if you are trying to lean in or not, there is always pressure. Pressure from the enemy, from expectations, from your own internal struggle, from others around you, pressure to be enough.

How do you respond to pressure?

The only guarantees in life? Death, taxes, God’s faithfulness, and yes, pressure. Anyone in here feel like you are under pressure?

Pressure is a guarantee in life, whether you like it or not.

John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

This isn’t an if, but a when. You are going to feel the pressure. And you only feel that pressure when you are leaning in. It is when you are pushing against the wind, upstream, that you feel it.

When you make a decision to do what God tells you to do you will experience that pressure. Beyond taking time to pray or fight temptation,
when you choose to lead your family well, to actually take God on his Word, to take the steps he’s asking you to take, you are going against the grain of the world and you will feel it.

Well what about pressure we feel when we AREN’T living for the Lord?
That’s the Holy Spirit trying to redirect you. I want you to be careful here.
You ever did something wrong and the more you do it the less pressure you feel to stop doing that thing? Like the 1st time stealing vs the 50th time? You have to be careful because the Holy Spirit won’t be grieved incessantly. In fact, look what the Bible tells us about this:

Romans 1:18-24, 28-32
18 But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. 19 They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. 22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. 23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired.

I will skip this middle section for the sake of little ears in the room, but adults, read it.

28 Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. 30 They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. 31 They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.

What is this saying?
Whenever you continue in sin, that pressure you feel from the Holy Spirit to stop doing the wrong thing and start doing the right thing begins to subside to the point where: the Holy Spirit retracts, God abandons you to your debased, sinful thinking, and you not only continue in sin, but it gets worse, and you drag others into it.

Maybe you are here today and you think you are there. Even if God has turned you over to a debased mind, it doesn’t mean he isn’t ready to welcome you home if you will repent.

Let’s go back to that pressure we all feel.
This is pressure to do the right thing, be the right person, be a good spouse, parent, to hold up your end of your relationships with people and God, too, and even pressure to be enough.

The older I get the more I realize that pressure has two unique qualities:
it gets more intense with more responsibility, and one thing controls my ability to either succumb to or effectively manage that pressure: my willingness to lean into Jesus.

Look at the results of leaning into Jesus in these pressure moments:
Matthew 11:28-29
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Psalm 55:22
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.

2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.

Look at how Jesus steps in and bears the weight of the pressure you are facing. Carrying it on your own is noble maybe, but it is really dumb. You CAN’T bear that burden. You aren’t enough to manage it. Not without Jesus.

But as you are willing to give those situations that are creating pressure to Jesus, you will find that those things that are creating the pressure don’t necessarily go away. Often Jesus will intervene and deal with the pressure makers. Often Jesus will stretch your bandwidth in seasons to strengthen you to handle more than you are currently. But most times, if you will lean into him, Jesus will give you supernatural strength to endure.

Today I want to give you the nuts and bolts of enduring.
What is enduring? Endure is to last, to remain, to outlast, to abide. Another definition is to suffer patiently. Endure is from two Latin words “in” and “durus” hard. “To harden.”

In the secular world, enduring is just keeping on keeping on. It is this mindset of refusing to yield, which is similar to the biblical version,
but when we try to endure outside of a biblical context, we tend to use ourselves as fuel and end up burning out. Has anyone ever been there? Tired, standing on weak knees, desperate for things to change?

The biblical context of enduring is different. In the Bible, "to endure" means to persist through hardship and trials with patience,
remaining steadfast in faith despite challenges, not giving up on your commitment to God, even when facing difficulties. Enduring is staying strong and faithful through tough times, relying on God's strength to persevere.

Let me make the distinction clear:
Secular endurance has you as the fuel.
Biblical endurance has God as your source.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Ephesians 6:10
Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Exodus 15:2
The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation;

Why do we have a Bible full of verses about us trusting God, resting in his strength, relying on him, feasting on his faithfulness? Because if we are going to endure, we can’t do it alone. And beyond that, God has a plan for the pressure, but that plan is only activated by our faithful response.

So let me ask you: is your endurance right now more secular or biblical? Are you burning out, or are you trusting in his strength as you face the pressure?

How do we endure like the Bible teaches us? Two points today:

1. We Have to Learn How to Endure
Isaiah 50:7
But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.

Powerful verse, but before we get too far into the nuts and bolts of enduring, I want you to understand the difference between endurance and deception. Sometimes we think we are enduring when really we are in situations where we are deceived. That could mean that we are in sin and to justify it, we give it a churchy title like “I’m just enduring, brother.” That could mean we have toxic relationships that we feel beholden to, so rather than get out of the toxicity, we “endure” because that’s what’s expected. That could mean we’ve chosen a path that isn’t good and we feel we have to “see it to the end” rather than changing course. Be careful that we aren’t calling deception endurance.

Back to Isaiah 50:7 - set my face like a flint.
When we are feeling the pressure and are having to endure, there are some steps you can take to effectively endure.

Resolve - to decide firmly without wavering.
If you are going to endure, it is going to take some resolve, some flint setting.

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

You’ve resolved that Jesus is the way, and in the same way, you have to resolve to endure no matter the pressure. I WILL NOT QUIT.

Trust - Either God’s promises are true or not.

Numbers 23:19
God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?

The only way you can biblically endure is to stand on his promises. What does the Bible say about the pressure you’re facing?

Faithfulness - remaining loyal and steadfast
Faithfulness means steadfast loyalty that isn't easily swayed. Faithfulness means trusting in God and loving Him through all circumstances. Faithfulness means following His commandments even when we'd rather choose a different path.

Proverbs 28:20
A faithful man will abound with blessings

Memory - remembering what God has done

Psalm 77:11-15
11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. 12 They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. 13 O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? 14 You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. 15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people

When is the last time you sat and remembered what God has done for you? Let me give you 30 seconds to do that.

When you are in the middle of enduring, one of your greatest weapons is to remember what God has done. God IS faithful to deliver us.

Posture - how you respond is everything
Humility, honor, refusing to have resentment or bitterness, embracing his grace for the pressures you’re facing, choosing peace over stress, all of these are postures we take when we are biblically enduring. Anger, arrogance, frustration, doubt, even all of these things towards God, this is not how to endure. This is how you get crushed.

In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar set up a statue in his image and demanded everyone bow and worship. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused.

Daniel 3:16-18
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Daniel 3:24-25
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of God.”

Your posture under pressure says everything about your relationship with God. Pressure exposes weak spots. But when you are all in with Jesus, fully trusting him, all your eggs in his basket, then your posture response to pressure is one that says, “No matter the outcome, I will not quit.”

Disciplines - developing your relationship with God
Meditation, Solitude, Prayer, Fasting, Study, Simplicity, Submission, Service, Guidance, Confession, Worship, Celebration. If you notice, the disciplines are designed to increase your relationship with Jesus primarily by decreasing your relationship with your flesh. These are things that kill your flesh but give life to your spirit. I know you are facing pressure right now, but how are your responding to it? Are you praying? Are you worshiping through it? Are you fasting? Are you diving into the Word? Are you getting by yourself with Jesus? Are you serving? Are you getting guidance? If not, then your flesh will be louder than the Spirit and the result will be an inability to effectively endure.

Guidance - getting others involved.
I know I talk a lot about you having people who love you, love God, know you, know God, and have your best interest in mind. The reason is because I know that the greatest difference maker other than God is God’s people.

Galatians 6:1-2
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Not only are we to help bear each other’s burdens, we need the wisdom that comes from a team:

Proverbs 11:14
Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

If you are struggling to endure and you haven’t told anyone about it, why?
Shame, mistrust, or arrogance. These are the top three reasons why we don’t share our burden. We are ashamed, we don’t trust people, or we think we don’t need any help.

Proverbs 18:1
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.

Philippians 2:3
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.

I know we always take this verse in context of how we treat people, but what if you shifted your perspective a little to let it say this: Don’t be arrogant in thinking you can do it alone, but with humility, realize that there is value in others that can help you as much as you help them.

If you are struggling and trying to endure and you haven’t told anyone yet, ask the Holy Spirit to show you who to talk to and before the sun sets today, tell it.

Faithfulness - remaining loyal and steadfast
Faithfulness means steadfast loyalty that isn't easily swayed.
Faithfulness means trusting in God and loving Him through all circumstances.
Faithfulness means following His commandments even when we'd rather choose a different path.
Proverbs 28:20
A faithful man will abound with blessings
Memory - remembering what God has done
Psalm 77:11-15
11 But then I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. 12 They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. 13 O God, your ways are holy. Is there any god as mighty as you? 14 You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrate your awesome power among the nations. 15 By your strong arm, you redeemed your people
When is the last time you sat and remembered what God has done for you?
Let me give you 30 seconds to do that.
When you are in the middle of enduring, one of your greatest weapons is to remember what God has done.
God IS faithful to deliver us.
Posture - how you respond is everything
Humility, honor, refusing to have resentment or bitterness, embracing his grace for the pressures you’re facing, choosing peace over stress, all of these are postures we take when we are biblically enduring.
Anger, arrogance, frustration, doubt, even all of these things towards God, this is not how to endure.
This is how you get crushed.
In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar set up a statue in his image and demanded everyone bow and worship.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused.
Daniel 3:16-18
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Daniel 3:24-25
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He declared to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of God.”

Your posture under pressure says everything about your relationship with God.
Pressure exposes weak spots.
But when you are all in with Jesus, fully trusting him, all your eggs in his basket, then your posture response to pressure is one that says, “No matter the outcome, I will not quit.”

Disciplines - developing your relationship with God
Meditation, Solitude, Prayer, Fasting, Study, Simplicity, Submission, Service, Guidance, Confession, Worship, Celebration
If you notice, the disciplines are designed to increase your relationship with Jesus primarily by decreasing your relationship with your flesh.
These are things that kill your flesh but give life to your spirit.
I know you are facing pressure right now, but how are your responding to it?
Are you praying? Are you worshiping through it? Are you fasting?
Are you diving into the Word? Are you getting by yourself with Jesus?
Are you serving? Are you getting guidance?
If not, then your flesh will be louder than the Spirit and the result will be an inability to effectively endure.

Guidance - getting others involved.
I know I talk a lot about you having people who love you, love God, know you, know God, and have your best interest in mind.
The reason is because I know that the greatest difference maker other than God is God’s people.
Galatians 6:1-2
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Not only are we to help bear each other’s burdens, we need the wisdom that comes from a team:
Proverbs 11:14
Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
If you are struggling to endure and you haven’t told anyone about it, why?
Shame, mistrust, or arrogance.
These are the top three reasons why we don’t share our burden.
We are ashamed, we don’t trust people, or we think we don’t need any help.
Proverbs 18:1
Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.

Philippians 2:3
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
I know we always take this verse in context of how we treat people, but what if you shifted your perspective a little to let it say this:
Don’t be arrogant in thinking you can do it alone, but with humility, realize that there is value in others that can help you as much as you help them.

If you are struggling and trying to endure and you haven’t told anyone yet, ask the Holy Spirit to show you who to talk to and before the sun sets today, tell it.

2. We Have to Understand Why We Endure
We’ve talked here today about endurance, defined it, talked about how to do it. All of us have had to endure some things in our lives. We have all felt the pressure and had to last, remain, outlast, abide, even suffer!

But typically when we try to endure, we use ourselves up as fuel and at some point we find our used up. But God’s intent is that we lean into him, take the how to we just went through and apply it as we endure, finding that we are not using ourselves up anymore, but we’re actually growing THROUGh the endurance, not dying beneath the weight of it.

I think we all know we will have to endure some things. It’s the WHY that is the hardest to grasp.

I saw a TV show one time where a company was offering a free car if you were the last one standing next to it with your hand on it. You couldn’t sit, couldn’t lean, couldn’t let go of the vehicle, otherwise you were out. It would blow you away how many people hung on.

I have a friend whose girls were in ballet. He had to sit through a 3 hour ballet recital so he could watch 3 minutes of his daughter dancing. That is endurance people.

If you know why you are enduring, you can endure longer.

Think about your biggest pressure point right now. What is the point of what you’re having to endure?

Now remember from before, you might be doing something you shouldn’t do and you are feeling the pressure from it. Maybe you are living beyond your means and you feel financial pressure. Maybe you got with the wrong crowd and are feeling the relational pressure. Maybe you are ignoring what you know God told you to do and you are feeling the spiritual pressure.

If this is the case, then you know what you have to do to relieve pressure. You don’t need endurance. You need courage to do what is right.

But those pressures that come with health issues or deaths in the family, life beating you down, trying to be enough for your family, for God, etc., what is the WHY behind what you are having to endure?

Let me give you 3 whys

1. For the sake of development
James 1:2-4
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

If there were another way to develop you, I am sure we’d all lunge for it.
Good news: there is another way than enduring trials.
Bad news: the way is unfettered, immediate obedience to God

Romans 5:2-5
2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us
You may not like the process but you’ll love the results.

So again, you get to choose: immediate obedience or trials that develop us.

2. For the sake of the Kingdom
This is literally Jesus’ entire life on earth.

Even I am living this right now. I am having to endure the weight of building this facility. Now, I am not doing it alone, we have a team, Tony has been such a blessing, but so have many other guys and gals who have helped through physical labor, giving, just being willing to help, and even in ways you might not think about. Like when Al reminded me as we were golfing: Just have fun. Talk about enduring - my golf game is rough…

But the reason I am enduring right now is because in March of next year, there’s a man who will walk through the doors of that new building and he is going to give his life to Jesus and he’ll be a catalyst in his family leading them to the Lord and the Kingdom will grow!

Too often we look for a personal reason for endurance when we should be looking for a Kingdom one. How can God use your enduring for the Kingdom?

3. For the sake of others
Are you ok if your suffering only benefits others and not you?

My favorite passage in the Bible is Hebrews 12:12-13. This passage is my life verse, if I can use really churchy language. But it is because this verse has given me the WHY behind why I have had to endure what I’ve had to endure. It gives me context to why I have to endure what I am enduring now

Hebrews 12:12-13
12 So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. 13 Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.

Here’s what it says to me:
If I will be willing to take a new grip even when my hands are so tired I want to let go, if I am willing to strengthen my weak knees when all I want to do is fall down, if I am willing to blaze a straight path before me even though it is scary and difficult, the result will be the strengthening and healing of the people God’s called me to lead. God does the miracle, but I have to be willing to endure.

My wife needs me to endure. My kids need me to endure. This church needs me to endure. But I have to endure in his power and strength, not my own. The more I lean into him, the better I can endure.

I want to talk to you here who are tired and hurting and barely hanging on, to those who are trying so hard to be enough, to those who feel the pressure

I want you to experience the supernatural strength of the Lord in this place today.

I know you are exhausted and weak, but Jesus said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

If you are here today and you are struggling to endure, to be enough, you feel the wight of the pressure on you, I want you to come today and fill the altar.

Jesus said: Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

The Lord wants to empower you today, to deliver you, to give you the strength to endure.

Let’s pray.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?

How does he want you to respond?