God's Super Bowl

God’s Super Bowl

Hebrews 12:1 - 3 (NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

Tonight thousands will pack the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona and millions will tune in on television to watch Super Bowl 57. They be watching and cheering in hopes that their favorite team will win the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Whether it be the Philadelphia Eagles or the Kansas City Chiefs only one the win the trophy,

Throughout his writings the Apostle Paul compared the Christian life as race as were run in the Olympics in Olympia, Greece.

Today the Christian life is a race it is God’s Super Bowl. The writer of Hebrews said if we are going to run the Christian life with no distractions and not get off track, we must keep our eyes carefully focused on Jesus.

1. Start Well

Since the Christian life is a race, let us examine the racecourse. We know how it starts and how it finishes. For all of us, it starts when we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and commit ourselves to the person of Jesus Christ. That's the starting line. Before you can run the race of life, you must start well.

Of course in between, the Bible says God has a racecourse for every one of that is planned out. Your course is different from mine, and mine is different from yours - different experiences, different places to go and things to do. But they had the same starting point - submission to Christ

2. Run Well

Your encouragement is to run well. You can run well because that is God's intention for all of us. How do you run well?

A. Run Well With Endurance

Hebrews 12:1c (NKJV) … Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

Great racers develop endurance. Christianity is not a hundred-yard dash. It is a marathon of endurance.

B. Run Well With A Team

Hebrews 12:1a (NKJV) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…

The ideas in Hebrews 11 do not culminate at the chapter division. The Bible was written in unmarked paragraphs instead of chapters and verses. Hebrews 11 begins in chapter 10 and culminates in chapter 12.

In chapter 10, the writer is addressing a group of Christians under unbelievable persecution. They had given up houses; many had had their property confiscated. Many had actually suffered physical persecution, some death. So as he draws near the end of chapter 10, he is encouraging the believers to "hang on." He encourages them by telling them about marvelous women and men of faith.

In their lives, we see the lifestyles that please God, lifestyles that revolve around faith. He says these are our examples. If these folks can do it, then we can do it too. They are on our team.

The great hall of faith in Hebrews 11 demonstrates that the life of faith really works. We have before us a great cloud of witnesses who are willing to testify that they had lived the life of faith, committed to Christ, and it worked for them.

C. Run With Your Eyes On Jesus

Hebrews 12 gives one of the most glorious looks at Jesus Christ in all of Scripture. As we run the race of our lives, we must run with our heads up and our eyes focused on Christ. If we are to run the life of faith, we resist the distractions and look deeply into His eyes.

Hebrews 12:2 - 3 (NKJV) Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

Jesus made Himself nothing and became a servant. He became human. Then He experienced death - not any death but death on a cross. The writer of the Hebrews said in effect, If Jesus Christ can do it, you can too because He didn't do this as God; He was doing this in His humanity. For the joy of saving us, He endured the cross, despising the shame.