TITLE:  The Future of this Church: Staying the Course (5 of 5)
TEXT:  Hebrews 12:1-3
PROPOSITION:  We must keep on working and not give up.
QUESTION:  What?
KEY WORD:  Requirements
SCRIPTURE READING:  Same

INTRODUCTION:

1. The final lesson in this series – Staying the course
2. Runner’s World (8/91) – Beth Anne DeCiantis’ qualify for 92 Olympic trials
   1. Must run 26 miles, 385 yards under 2 hours, 45 minutes
   2. At 2:43 – 200 yards from finish – stumbled, got up, stumbled
   3. Crowd yelled – Get up! – Crawled last 10 yards – 2:44:57
3. Hebrews 12:1-3

What causes churches to quit the course?

1. Failure to understand the eternal purposes of God
   1. What if God had quit – Adam and Eve, Noah, Israel
   2. What if Israel had rebelled one more time?
2. Weariness, discouragement, failure, set-backs, roadblocks
   1. Matthew 16:24-28
   2. Luke 14:25-27

Staying the Course requires some things of us.

1. Previous lessons
   1. Being positive
   2. Dreams and hopes
   3. Commitment and dedication
   4. Faithfulness
2. A few more for you to think about
   1. Don’t quit working when things don’t go your way
   2. Don’t let the world get in the way of faith
   3. Ready to work for something eternal
   4. Have a vision of the possibilities for this church
   5. Willing to give money to see the dream realized
   6. Give their lives to the Lord