BE FIRM IN YOUR FIGHT (TIBAYAN MO)

One pastor said, “Our lives are composed of seasons of challenges.”

Today things are okay. Tomorrow it isn’t. Ngayon may natanggap kang pagpapala. Bukas may dadating kang
disconnection notice. Today, marami ang nagpunta sa Sunday service mo. Next Sunday kalahati na lang ang pumunta.
Today, grabe yung commitment ng leadership team mo. The next time you know, nagkawalaan na.

I remember one story of a person who really had enough of challenges sa kanyang buhay that he ended up not going to
church anymore, he told his mom. Until his mom told him that he needs to go to the church because he is the pastor.

Recently, my wife receive a message from our newly ordained pastor about the situation of our youth service since we
are not around, and that she needs to cover the person we assigned to preach on Sunday because of important matters.
And the later she received a message that her cousin died. Despite, she continued to preach sa Youth Service namin.

Wow!!!

1 Timothy 6:11-12

(NKJV)
But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the
good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in
the presence of many witnesses.

(NLT)
But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with
faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to
which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

“You train like a champion, so fight like a champion and finish like a champion.”

KEYPOINTS:

1. THERE IS A FIGHT AND YOU ARE IN A FIGHT (MAY LABAN AT NASA LABAN KA).

Sabihin mo nga sa katabi mo, “Kapatid, may laban at nasa laban ka!”

1 Peter 5:8 KJV

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may
devour:

(NLT) Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for
someone to devour.

Now when you realize that you are in a fight, you will never be relaxed.

Kung alam mo na may laban, di ka papetiks-petiks. Di ka palukewarm-lukewarn, di ka pabackslide, backslide.

 Kung alam mo na may laban, di mo magiging kaibigan ang kasalanan.

Eh anong, ginagawa mo, kapatid?

Buti pa si satan, alam na alam nyang may laban. Kaya minaster nya yung purpose nya – STEAL, KILL AND
DESTROY!

Now, I want you to look at this, IT’S NOT THAT ONLY THE STRUGGLE IS REAL, BUT WE NEED TO KNOW THAT
THE DEVIL IS ALSO REAL.

Illustration:

Nagkainsomnia ka? Tapos nung nagbasa ka ng Bible ay nakatulog ka!

Pag ibang bagay di ka inaantok pero pag nachuchurch ka, nakakatulog ka! Grabe na ang ginawa ni pastor na
halos tumambling na pero sarap pa rin ng tulog mo.
Why? Because the devil is real!

Kung alam mo na may laban, DAPAT AY NAGHAHANDA KA! NAGPAPATRAIN KA! NAGPAPAINVOLVE KA!
NAGPAPAGAMIT KA! NAGSASANAY KA! Amen?

2. IT’S A GOOD FIGHT (MAGANDA ANG LABAN).

“You know that it’s a good fight when there is a reason to fight!”

In other words, maganda ang laban kung may laban ka! Tama!

2 Corinthians 2:14 VOICE

“Yet I am so thankful to God, who always marches us to victory under the banner of the Anointed One; and
through us He spreads the beautiful fragrance of His knowledge to every corner of the earth.”

Sa kalendaryo ng Diyos, WINNER KA KAPATID! Amen?

3. DON’T GIVE UP YOUR FIGHT (WAG MONG ISUKO ANG LABAN MO).

In other words, BE FIRM IN YOUR FIGHT!

Babe Ruth, a legendary American baseball player said,

“You just can't beat the person who never gives up.”
Story John Stephen Ahkwari:
The story goes back to October 1968 when the first Olympic Games were being staged in Latin America. It was
of the hottest Sunday afternoons of Mexico City when men’s marathon started at 3:00 pm local time.
Out of 74 participants, 17 could not finish the race. At 7pm, it was almost an hour since all marathon runners
had crossed the finishing line of 26 mile Olympic marathon in the grueling hot day, suddenly a lone runner
wearing the colours of Tanzania emerged through the stadium gate literally hobbling. The event left the last few
thousand audiences amazed with what they experienced next – the man emerged was John Stephen Akhwari
who, while running, had fallen down and had badly hurt himself. He was bleeding and his knee had got
dislocated from the joint.
 Considering the severity of his injuries, Akhwari was repeatedly asked to quit the race but he denied. He fell,
dragged himself, ran in between but finished the marathon limping over the line. On the finishing line, he
received a huge applause and almighty cheers from the little crowd. His body was exhausted but not his spirit;
his competitors crossed him one by one but his determination rewarded him in tremendous pain. Akhwari never
won any Olympic gold medal but he became the greatest example of never-give-up spirit, and a tale of courage.

When he was asked the reason of doing such kind of crazy act, he replied,

“My country did not send me 10,000 miles just to start the race; they sent me to finish the race.”

HOW TO BE FIRM:

1 Corinthians 15:58 AMP

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord [always
doing your best and doing more than is needed], being continually aware that your labor [even to the point of
exhaustion] in the Lord is not futile nor wasted [it is never without purpose].