Persevere For Jesus Series

OPEN: Back in the 1960s the Beetles were becoming international sensation. Paul McCartney (who became the lead singer for the group) soon learned the downside of fame, as many people would just “drop by” his home and want to visit with him. Not only was it annoying, but he soon realized that many of them had mental issues. Because of that he rarely let anyone in. But, in 1967, there was a bearded man who came to McCartney’s door and claimed… to be Jesus. Now, like I said, McCartney usually turned people away - but this time he said “well, you better come in then”, and he gave the man a cup of tea and invited him to a Beatles’ recording session. McCartney later said he knew it probably wasn’t Jesus, but he said: “But if he was, I’m not going to be the one who turns him away.” (Quora.com, meme; Alma Erceg, Oct 16, 2022 and https://www.tiktok.com/@b_the_greatest/video/7334270117456514346)

Now, here’s a question: If Jesus came to YOUR door… what would YOU do? Well, the Bible says Jesus already has showed up at our door! When you became a Christian, you came face to face with Jesus and you realized you NEEDED to let Him IN. And (at that point) you were willing to follow him the rest of your life

SO, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH JESUS… NOW?

Hebrews 12 says: “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH JESUS? Well, Hebrews 12 tells us the 1st thing we should be doing with Jesus is to lay aside every weight, every sin that clings to us, because these weights slow us down and can even hurt us.

ILLUS: There used to be a practice (amongst those who run track) where runners would wear weights on their legs while doing practice runs. The theory was - if you wore heavy weights while doing practice runs - then when you took off the weights, you’d feel lighter, and you’d run faster. But since then they’ve discovered that that’s REALLY not a good idea. Running with weights (even in practice) changes our GAIT (how we move) and increases the risk of injury (things like tendonitis or shin splints).

SO, HEBREWS TELLS US - TAKE OFF THE WEIGHTS!

And I got to wondering - what kind of weights would Hebrews be talking about? Well I noticed, the weights are things that CLING to you – they control you. So, what would control us?

Thing like money, possessions, power, or position can control us. Those things become "must haves" for many folks. Now there’s nothing necessarily wrong with those things until they become things that CONTROL your life. For example, the Bible says “The LOVE of money is the root of all evil.” The love money CONTROLS people… and leads to all kinds of evil.

Then, there’s the love of things like alcohol, drugs and pornography, etc. These are temptations control people’s behavior. Folks don’t really need these things, but they feel they HAVE TO HAVE them to be happy - and so these things can become a weight on their faith!

And I gave thought to a new term people use these days - INFLUENCERS. An “influencer” is someone who wants to control how you think about the world. A lot of young folks want to be “influencers. They don’t necessarily have any great knowledge about things, but they want to give you their opinions anyway. Podcasters are “influencers”; So are many in the media; Political figures; Comedians; Talk show hosts, and so on. There’s always someone who wants to shape your view of life. Now, these influencers aren’t necessarily evil, but they can be wrong. And we’ve got to be care when we listen to them because if we get to paying more attention to them than we to God and Word they can damage your faith. I’ve encountered people who pay more attention to their favorite influencers than they do to God and His word. It’s like these “influencers” know more about the world around us than God does.

Proverbs 3:5-8 warns us “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding (or the understanding of the "influencers" of this world). In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”