Sermon Snippet – Sturdy and Stable Steadfastness
INTRODUCTION – If you do not like the message today, you can blame my beloved. I was thinking about her this week, as I occasionally do, and I thought about her best traits. We do not have time to list them today, but I will focus on her steadfastness. Every morning, seven days a week, she tends her mother. She does not get surly or feel sorry for herself; she simply does what is right and continues to smile. Let us consider Scriptural teaching on this subject of steadfastness.
1. STEADFASTNESS IS A RELATIVELY RARE QUALITY
When Naomi, bereft and bitter, urged her daughter-in-law Ruth to return to her own people, Ruth responded with beautiful words of devotion and commitment (Ruth 1:16-17). She then lived out this language of love: “When she [Naomi] saw that she [Ruth] was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her” (verse 18). Ruth is rightly remembered for her unwavering steadfastness. Clearly, such loyal persistence is unusual and is to be emulated.
2. STEADFASTNESS IS A NECESSITY BECAUSE LIFE IS HARD
Ruth had suffered great loss, too, especially the death of her husband. She had to work hard in the fields to provide for her mother-in-law and for herself (Ruth 2:2). Real romance followed, and Ruth’s life became easier. However, for a period of time, she engaged in grinding labor, with no guarantees from day to day that she would succeed in providing life’s necessities. If life were easy, we would not need to be steadfast. As I often say, steadfastness is not required for the things that we enjoy. You may have noticed that there is no Biblical command that says, “Thou shalt eat thy dessert.” Steadfastness implies difficulty and opposition. In Colossians 2:5, Paul uses strong military terminology (“order” and “steadfastness”) as he commends the Colossian believers for standing up to false teaching (verse 4). The writer of Hebrews warns us of the dangers of “the deceitfulness of sin” (3:13) and of our ongoing need to be “stedfast” (3:14). Surrounded by secular ideas and by worldly temptations, we must be on guard; we must be steadfast in our reliance on the truth of God’s Word.
3. STEADFASTNESS IS EXEMPLIFIED IN JESUS CHRIST, GOD THE SON
Steadfast Ruth was included in the line of the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:22; Matthew 1:5). Hebrews 6:18-19 makes it clear that no amount of human endeavor, even extraordinary steadfastness, can save us from our sins. Rather, we need a steadfast Savior, and we have one in Jesus. One of my favorite verses is Luke 9:51: “And it came to pass, when the time was come that He should be received up, He stedfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.” His entire ministry was steadfast. Think of His willingness to voluntarily take upon Himself the limits of a human body; we chafe at restrictions! Think of the snarling insults flung at Him, including aspersions about His parentage (John 8:41) and allegations of demon possession (Matthew 12:24); we would most likely respond in kind – or, more accurately, in unkind! Think of the sadness of rejection (John 6:66, in response to His call for steadfastness!); we would be devastated and probably angry! Now, things would be even worse, far worse, as Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem to die on the Cross for our sins, in our places.
CONCLUSION – Let us draw three simple conclusions. First, we all need this steadfast Savior. Because He finished His work, His salvation is freely available to all. Second, we should not be tempted by the flashy (which is always fleshly). This simple act of pressing on to Jerusalem reminds us that Jesus is all substance, not show. His consistent behavior is our example. Third, we are assured that our steadfastness is pleasing to our Lord and will have positive eternal outcomes (I Corinthians 15:58). May we be sturdy and stable in our steadfastness, just as our Savior was and is and ever will be.