Not Grow Weary

Hebrews 12:3-4 - Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.


Isaiah 40:30-31 - Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Hebrews 10:32-33 - But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.

Hebrews 13:13 - Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.

Application:

· Christ is an encouragement to me when I am weary and when I am tempted to become discouraged, because He suffered infinitely more than I ever have or will
· If I savor God’s promise by faith, I will find endless supplies of strength
· Will I persevere in the face of loss and persecution?
· Am I willing to be disgraced by turning unequivocally to Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from ESV

Therefore

1 Peter 2:1-3 - Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1 Peter 1:23 - For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

Ephesians 4:15-16 - Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Hebrews 5:14 - But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Conclusions:

• The new birth comes about through the direct action of the Holy Spirit, but the word of God also plays an important role, for it presents the gospel to the sinner and calls on him to repent and believe in Christ
• In 1 Peter 1:23 the seed is doubtless the word of God, which is imperishable, living and enduring
• A truthful and loving manner of life is implied by speaking the truth in love
• Christ is the Head of the body, which is the church
• Paul speaks primarily of corporate maturity
• It is the body of Christ that is to be built up
• We are all to become mature
• The body grows under the direction of the Head
• The parts of the body help each other in the growing process, picturing the mutual ministries of God’s people
• Maturity and unity are impossible without love
• The mature are those who had progressed in spiritual life and had become Christians of sound judgment and discernment
• Distinguishing good from evil is something neither physical nor spiritual infants can do

Application:

• Have you repented and believed in Christ?
• Have you become mature?
• Do you grow and build others up in love?
• Do you have sound judgment and discernment?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible