This morning as we are focused on Vartan and the battle at Avarair - we want to consider what it means to hold firm to our faith in the midst of overwhelming circumstances.

Just last year many of us watched the summer Olympic games in Atlanta. I wonder if any of you know the story of Tony Volpentest and his relationship to the games? There is a lot that goes on at the Olympics that the major networks never show us. Tony’s triumph should have been shown. Tony set a world record in the one-hundred-meter dash in the Paralympics, an international competition for people with physical disabilities.

Though he was born without hands or feet, Tony took up track as a high school sophomore. Fitted with lightweight carbon-fiber prostheses that mimic the muscle action of natural feet, he has become a world-class sprinter. True, he’s not as fast as Canada’s Donovan Baily, who claimed a gold medal in Atlanta by running 100 meters in a world-record time of 9.84 seconds. But running on the same track during the Paralympics, Tony posted his own world record in the same event. Tony clocked in at 11.36 seconds - only about a second and a half behind the world’s fastest able-bodied man.

That kind of triumph of the human spirit strikes a chord in all of us. We are challenged and encouraged by people who have overcome seemingly insurmountable odds to succeed in life. It inspires us to hear the stories of people, in whatever adverse circumstances, who dig their heals in - refuse to surrender - and actually live victorious lives.

Persevering in our faith - standing firm - in the face of the overwhelming circumstances. What does this mean for us - as Christians - what does it mean to “hang tough when the going gets rough.” I’d like to invite you to turn in your Bibles to Joshua 14:7-13. This is the last chapter in a familiar story.

The first chapter of this story takes place as the Hebrew people approached Canaan - the land God had promised them - approached it for the first time. (Numbers 13:1 ff.)

Remember how Moses sent 12 spies into the land - to see what it was like - how best to attack it. And when the twelve spies returned 10 of them gave an unfavorable report. Do you remember what they said? The land really does flow with milk and honey - it’s a great place... But, there are giants in the land. The cities are fortified and really big. And the decendants of Anak live there - really tough people - and they’re strong - we were like little grasshoppers compared to all these people. It’s impossible to take this land. We better go back to Egypt and forget all this madness.

Only Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and Caleb stood up for God’s promise. Caleb said, “We can do it. That’s our land - God gave it to us.”

As punishment for their lack of faith, God sends the Hebrew people back into the wilderness to wander around until everyone who disobeyed him had died. Joshua 14 takes place 45 years later as the a new generation of Hebrews has come once again to the promised land. Caleb is speaking to Joshua.....

Joshua 14:7: “I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadeshbarnea to spy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in my heart. But my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the Lord my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot was trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children for ever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness; and now, lo, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong to this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war, and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day; for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities: it may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall drive them out as the Lord said.’ Then Joshua blessed him; and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.”

What does it mean to persevere in faith - to hang tough - stand firm - when the going gets rough. I'd like to highlight two truths

First, perservering in our faith means....

1. CLINGING TO THE PROMISES OF GOD

Someone has said that, “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” Sometimes all we have left are the promises of God.

Caleb went with 11 others into the promised land. Imagine the relationship they had. They were spies behind enemy lines - if they were caught it would’ve been an instant death sentence. They had to trust each other for the safety of their own lives. Imagine the type of camaraderie that must have developed.

When they returned - and were asked to give their report - all of them, except Joshua, spoke against Caleb. Caleb’s comrades turned against him. Caleb’s own people - the Hebrew nation - turned against him - 2,000,000 plus people telling him he was wrong. Imagine those odds - 2,000,000 to 1.

And yet Caleb clung to the promises of God. He knew that the land was theirs and he said so - “that’s our land - God promised it to us."

It doesn’t matter how big the walls or how tall the opposition. The faith of the Godly is not shaken by circumstances. Godly people cling to the promises of God regardless of the circumstances.

Second truth - What does it mean to persevere in faith? It means....

2. BEING PATIENT TO WAIT FOR GOD’S TIMING

I wonder what Caleb thought about while he was wandering around the desert. It must have seemed so unfair to be a part of Israel’s punishment. “Gee, why should I have to do this? I stood up for God and now here I am wandering around with the rest of these people.” I wonder what Caleb felt while he watched everyone he grew up with die of old age, while he lived on.

In a season of waiting we often become impatient - frustrated - resentful - God is not moving as quickly or in the way that we want Him to. As we face our own enemies - we struggle with our own helplessness - impotence - or inadequacy. And, we look at the circumstances around us rather than considering that God will fulfill His promises.

Caleb said, “Behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years... while Israel walked in the wilderness; and now, I’m eighty-five years old. I am still as strong to this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me to spy out the land; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war, and for going and coming.”

Caleb knew that the day would come when God would take him forward to claim his promised land. And Caleb lived 45 years with expectation and preparation for that day. He had his speech to Joshua prepared - he spent 45 years working on it. He was on a physical fitness program - He kept his strength up and was as ready to conquer the land as he was 45 years earlier.

For the man or women of God, when God promises something, it is as if the promise has already been fulfilled. God does not call us to be couch potatoes - to sort of give up hope - or wander aimlessly wondering if God will actually do what He said. Waiting on God means that we prepare ourselves to move forward when He does.

Pregnancy lasts 9 months - We haven’t seen the child yet - but we know it’s coming. So, we use our time and resources to prepare for the birth of a child. Missionaries - believing that God has called them to the mission field - go to a missions training school - pastors go to seminary. Preparing for a vocation we go to school - we get training.

One example - out of many that we could choose - one example of a promise for us is this - We’ve said as a congregation that our primary purpose as a church is to reach the Armenian people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that this is a major part of God’s command for us. And we trust His promise - Jesus promises to be with us as we serve Him - the Holy Spirit is promised and given as our power and guide - and as we serve we believe that God will be faithful to His promise and many will come to know Jesus as Savior.

Yet, how prepared are we should God fulfill His promise? This morning, if an invitation was given to receive Jesus as Savior - and someone responded - would you be prepared to share God’s plan of salvation - to pray with that person - to disciple that person? What if it were not one person but 10 or 100? Would we be prepared?

So often we pray and say to God, “do this or do that” or “why God this and why God that?” In our circumstances we loose sight of His promises. We say, why death and forget about eternal life. We say, why is life so hard, and fail to look for His presence. We say, God meet this need when He’s already given us the resources. We ask God for direction, and He’s already given us 1,087 pages, a concordance and maps to follow in obedience to Him. We say, what is God’s purpose for my life and forget His command to share His Gospel with others.

For the Christian, there is a tremendous seriousness to Bible study, prayer, fellowship, worship, spiritual and physical preparation - these are the reality of waiting on God to fulfill His promises.

There is one point of application in all this that is really of great importance for us today. Important, because clinging to the promises of God - learning to wait upon God’s timing to fulfill His promises - in the midst of whatever circumstances - these are a tremendous testimony to others. If you remember nothing else, remember this: How we live today is already a testimony of our faith to subsequent generations.

Caleb - lived 45 years among people dying because they had not remained faithful. And yet, imagine the testimony he had before the younger generation. As they wandered in the wilderness - the story was told of the senior generation’s lack of faith - the younger generation heard these stories - heard also about God’s faithfulness and deliverance of His people from Egypt. They buried their parents and their grandparents. And they saw Caleb - get up each morning - living each day with the expectation that God would fulfill His promises. What a testimony of faith Caleb had before the younger generation. When he told Joshua - “Give me my land,” there was no doubt that it would be his.

Vartan Mamigonian - rallied his troops in the face of certain death - outnumbered almost 5 to 1 by the Persian army - declared with his life that he - and our nation - would remain Christian - that we would not surrender our faith. What did Vahan - Vartan’s nephew think about some 30-odd years later - as he himself fought against the Persians - as he himself stood ready to give his life rather than surrender his faith. It is hard to imagine just how significant the testimony of his uncle’s faith must have been.

During the genocide - how many of our parents, grandparents - our families - gave their lives rather than turning from their faith - they have left their testimony with us.

What testimony of faith are each of us preparing for the next generation? I’ve watched so many people - someplace in their 70’s and 80’s suddenly become concerned with the legacy - the testimony - they’re leaving behind. Let me speak as a member of my own generation. The greatest legacy you can leave us is not physical - not made from wood and plaster - glass or any other material, money - an inheritance - is great to a point - But, the greatest legacy you can leave my generation and those following us is your faithfulness to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Today the enemy may not be a towering son of Anak, the Persian army, or the madness of genocide. Today, our enemies often come more subtlety - priorities of time and money - the increasingly anti-christian society and philosophy in which we live - the tendency for the church to focus on tangible things - seen things - rather than God’s promises and the movement of His Spirit.

What will we leave for the next generation? What challenge has God called us to meet? What kind of ministry will reach our children with the gospel? Are we willing to consecrate ourselves anew to God’s purposes for us - to experience the wonders that He wants to accomplish in us and through us in the people that we live in the community with and work with? Are we willing to trust Him faithfully regardless of the circumstances.