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Chapter Three
By Endurance We Conquer
INTRODUCTION
The book, Endurance, written by Alfred
Lansing, tells the remarkable story of how Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton and
his crew of twenty-seven courageous men and one castaway, set out on a
journey to be the first humans to cross the South Polar continent. They set
sail on their journey on August 1, 1914 from London, England
in a three-masted wooden vessel that had originally been named the Polaris.
However, after the ship was purchased for Shackleton's expedition,
Shackleton renamed the ship Endurance, in keeping with the motto
of his family: Fortitudine vincimus—"by endurance we
conquer."
For two years prior to the Endurance's voyage,
Shackleton was disappointed time after time with promised grants for
financial assistance that continually failed to come to pass. However,
through his unwavering persistence and confidence, Shackleton's dream
became reality as he and his crew finally began their incredible adventure.
Along the journey, and while sailing
through the Weddell Sea, the Endurance was battered with
gale-force winds up to 150 miles per hour and waves that at times reached
80 feet high. Temperatures in the region would often plunge to minus 100
degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, the long polar nights, where there was no
sun day after day and week after week, challenged the men beyond what most
humans could only dream of surviving.
Eventually, the Endurance
was trapped and crushed in the ice-filled waters leaving Shackleton and his
crew to continue the thousand-mile journey on foot, often drifting on ice
packs and having to cross unnamed mountains and glaciers.
Shackleton's
driving passion was to save his crew and bring every man home alive.
Through his determination, Shackleton overcame seemingly insurmountable
odds and eventually accomplished his goal in bringing the members of the
crew of the Endurance safely home. During their struggles, often in the face
of death, the men of the Endurance would not allow themselves to
even consider the possibility of failure. They did not allow themselves to
ever have the thought of having to accept a "plan B." This proved
to be one of the keys of their survival and success. If they had considered
failure, their doom would have been sure.
In the end, Shackleton and his crew demonstrated genuine
nobility and learned the true meaning of the name given to their ship, Endurance.
Likewise, as true Knights of the Cross and champions of the faith, and
during what will prove to be some of the most challenging days on earth,
we, too, will have need of endurance along the journey we each have begun.
Endurance in the New Testament is defined as:
To bear up courageously; to wait; to stay under; to remain; to have
fortitude; to have a cheerful or hopeful constancy; to persevere until the
end. Endurance in the dictionary is defined as: To
continue in the same state; to last; to remain firm under suffering or
misfortune without yielding; to undergo hardship, adversity, or stress
without giving in; to be lasting and durable (regardless of the situation).
Look up the scriptures and answer the following
questions, all of which speak of how endurance is defined in the Bible, and
why and what we must be able to ENDURE!
1. Read Hebrews 10:35-39. What does the writer of Hebrews encourage the
believers to hold onto and that would bring a great reward to them if they
did? _________
How would you define this word? ________________________
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See Leader's Notes…
Philippians 3:3 instructs us to, "…worship God in the
Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the
flesh." Paul reminds the believers that they are not to base
their confidence in other people, themselves, nor in their circumstances,
but in ____________.
Discuss why placing our confidence in people will ultimately lead to our
being disappointed.
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Psalm 20:7 says, "Some trust in chariots, and some in
horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God." (Take
some time to discuss what this verse might mean and how this verse could be
relative today. (Look at chariots and horses as representing the military
of any given nation)
_________________________________________
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See Leader's Notes…
What does Hebrews 10:36 say that we, as believers and disciples of Jesus
Christ, have need of? ___________________
This verse assures us that if we have endurance, we will more likely be
able to accomplish the ________of God.
Take some time to discuss what is meant by the phrase, "the will of
God."
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2. Read II Timothy 2:1, 3.
What would enable Timothy to remain strong in doing what he believed to
be the will of God for his life? _________________________
What did Paul call Timothy in verse 3? _____________________
Why do you think Paul called Timothy by that title? ____________
___________________________________________
What did Paul remind Timothy that he would have to endure as he sought to
carry out God's will? _________________________
The crew of the Endurance encountered
much hardship along their journey. For them, the question
regarding their facing hardship was not "if," but
"when?" What mattered most was how they would handle the hardship
they faced. They learned by experience that through endurance they could
conquer or overcome any hardship. The same is true for the true Knight of
the Cross and disciple of Jesus Christ. Whatever we face may be too hard
for us, but it is not too hard for God. We have to make the choice
to not quit, but instead to stay the course.
Read Joshua 23:5-6 and compare what is commanded in
this verse with how Shackleton and his crew never considered a "plan
B" when faced with hardship. How might making such a commitment might
benefit you in your desire to obey and do the Lord's will.
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3. Read II Timothy 2:7-10.
What one thing in this verse did Paul want Timothy to remember that
would give him strength to undergo any hardship?
________________________________________________________
Although Paul was admitting that he was in chains, what did he want
Timothy to know could not be chained? ____________________
What was Timothy to endure? ________________ What are some examples of
things you think Paul was referring to?
___________________________________________
Who was he to endure these things for? ____________________
Why was he to endure these things? _______________________
NOTE: Timothy was instructed to endure "all
things" for the sake of those who were lost and needed to be saved. In
other words, when we persevere or endure whatever comes our way with God's
strength, others will take notice and many will even turn to the Lord
because of our testimony of endurance.
4. Read II Timothy 4:3-5.
What is mentioned in these verses that we are to endure?
___________________________________________
5. Read and comment on II Corinthians 4:16-18. Direct your discussion in
regard to these four areas:
- Our heart
- The nature of our
afflictions
- The eternal versus
the temporary
- Things that are seen
and things that are unseen
6. Read I Corinthians 4:11-12.
How are we to respond when facing persecution? ______________
7. According to Matthew 5:10-12, how does Jesus tell His followers they
were to respond when being persecuted for doing what they know is right? (Circle
the correct answer.)
- We are to
immediately stop doing what we are doing so as to avoid any attention.
- We need to retaliate
swiftly and ruthlessly.
- We need to run and
hide until the coast is clear.
- We should find
someone else to blame.
- We should start
crying so our persecutors will feel sorry for us.
- We are to rejoice
and be glad.
8. Read James 1:12.
What are we to endure in this verse? ______________________
What is promised if we do this? _________________________
ACTIVITY
Write down an experience, hardship, temptation,
persecution, or affliction that you have experienced and had to endure, and
that, as you look back, now realize that God used that experience to add
something very valuable into your life. Share your experiences.
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RECAP
Like the crew members of the Endurance, we
also must never allow ourselves to consider failure. In fact, the Bible
promises us that God always leads us in triumph in Christ (see II
Corinthians 2:14)
We will always have the need for endurance. As
Knights of the Cross, we are to be a people who possess staying power, which
is the ability to remain on the path God has for us regardless of what may
come our way. God's grace will always be enough for us to endure all
things and anything. Although we will encounter many things
that will be too hard for us, we will never face anything that will be too
hard for God.
PERSONAL PRAYER
Lord, give me the grace to endure anything
I may face while doing Your will. Help me to stay the course and never
consider failure as an option. Lord, may others come to You through my
testimony of endurance and may you be glorified. Thank You Lord that You
are with us. I am confident that I can handle anything because of Your
strength. In Your Son's Name I pray, Amen.
POWER VERSE
"Therefore do not cast away your
confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that
after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise."
(Hebrews 10:35-36)
Take time to write down some things God has spoken to you or has
shown you through this lesson: (This may be done at home or in a group
setting at the end of the lesson.) Take some time to pray before completing
this section.
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