Don't Stop Believing, Part 2
A sermon by Pastor Richard Sfameni, Lead Pastor at Victory Church, in Providence, RI.
Opening and Welcome
- Greeting and response (“Amen. You may be seated. Praise the Lord…”)
- Appreciation for worship and participation
- Importance of authentic worship regardless of personal trial
- Your worship may inspire others seeing you worship through struggles
Introduction to the Message
- Continuation of last week’s sermon: “Don’t Stop Believing”
- Central theme: The importance of faith
- Church communications and resources
- Plan to distribute more tools (study notes, questions, etc.)
- Request for members’ contact information for improved communication
- Emphasis: Church is not just about large attendance, but engagement and making disciples
The Church’s Mission
- A. Contrast: Mere attendance vs. engagement and discipleship
- Mission to make disciples, not just fill seats
- Desire for everyone to participate in the mission
- Illustration: “Church is not a show”
- Story of the complaining church family and the child’s remark
- Clarification: True purpose is the kingdom of God and being a church on mission
Textual Foundation: Hebrews 12:1–4
- Reading the passage: Call to run the race with endurance
- Surrounded by a “cloud of witnesses”
- Laying aside every weight and sin
- Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith
- Enduring hostility/persecution
- Context of Hebrews
- Audience: New Jewish believers facing persecution and discouragement
- Emphasis on Jesus’ supremacy (greater than Moses, angels, law, etc.)
- Faith as a central theme—challenge to keep believing despite opposition
The Value and Battle for Faith
- The cost and value of faith
- Faith is precious and under attack by the enemy
- Analogy: No one protects garbage; faith is worth guarding
- Scriptural support: 1 Peter 1:6–7
- Faith tested by trials is more precious than gold
- Faith defined as taking God at His word, trusting His promises
- The devil’s strategy
- Destroy faith to win the war for your soul
- Example: Peter’s denial—Jesus prayed for his faith, not his flawless behavior
- Faith enables recovery from failure; without faith, all is lost
- Restoration possible in every area if faith remains
Encouragement Against Discouragement
- Relating to listeners facing severe trials
- Message: Keep running, keep believing, keep trusting God
- Faith Lessons from Hebrews 12:1–4
- Prompt: “I need to learn more about faith.”
Faith as Armor and Protection
- Theme connection: VBS and the armor of God
- Shield of faith in spiritual warfare
- Attack of the enemy represented as “fiery darts”
- Practical reminder: The armor and shield are necessary for those following Christ
- Emphasis on being targeted by the enemy after choosing Christ
Review of Main Points on Faith (from Hebrews 11 and 12)
- Examples of Faith
- Long-distance race imagery—a “cloud of witnesses”
- Heroes of faith in Hebrews 11: Overcame challenges through faith
- Romans 15:4—Scripture written for our learning and hope
- Hindrances of Faith
- Laying aside “every weight and sin”
- Illustration: Man with backpack in church = symbolic of carrying burdens
- Every person has weights unique to them; these hinder the race
- Philippians 3:12–14—Forgetting the past, pressing to the future
- Weights may be past hurts, offenses, or nostalgia for “good old days”
- God grants “divine forgetfulness;” past loses its sting through grace
- Warning: Some people’s lives are diminished by holding onto the past
- Everyone gets hurt—must let go of past to move forward
- Analogy of car: Rear view mirror vs. windshield
- Not just bad things—even good things can keep you from the best
- Example from business literature: Jim Collins’ “stop doing list”
- Need for focus and discipline; not every opportunity is for you
Living With Focus and Purpose
- Personal examples (Clergy Day, Black Hawk helicopter story)
- Temptation to take on too much, even good things, but must focus on God’s specific calling
- Pastor’s personal callings—pastoring, discipling, international ministry
- Not every door is yours to walk through
The Perseverance of Faith (Major Point)
- Key emphasis: Learning to persevere/endure
- Life of faith is a marathon, not a sprint
- Everyone must run their race for a lifetime
- Many start but give up because of opposition/discouragement
- Greek word “hupomonē”—active, determined perseverance despite hardship
- Perseverance needed in all areas: marriage, raising kids, ministry, career
- Illustrations:
- Father-son story—Elmer MacLurkin (a joke to show the importance of perseverance)
- Famous perseverance quote: Winston Churchill—“Never, never, never give up”
- Bible college anecdote: “Never, never, never quit”—words that rang true over time
- Practical encouragement
- Heroes like Noah and Abraham persevered over decades for God’s promise
- Breakthroughs often come after the hardest trials—don’t quit before your breakthrough
- God’s grace picks you up after you fall; faith enables you to keep going
Closing Exhortation and Prayer
- The way to persevere: Prayer and the Word
- Grace for endurance comes through prayer, worship, and Scripture
- Not about willpower, but about God’s grace working in you
- Ministry anecdote: “You can quit Sunday afternoon, just show up Monday morning.”
- Final appeals
- Don’t quit: on God, on relationships, on dreams, on your walk
- Don’t miss your breakthrough—greatest attacks precede the next season
- Reiterate: “Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Never, never, never quit.”
- Closing prayer
- Ask God to ignite and strengthen the people’s hearts with truth
- Call for going forward, not quitting, renewed by God’s grace in word and prayer
- Recap: The critical, non-negotiable importance of daily connection to God’s Word and prayer
