Over the past few weeks, we’ve looked at story after story of the heroes of faith in Hebrews chapter 11.
Noah…When the Whole World’s against you; Abraham…When God says Go; Moses…a great leader; Rahab…an unlikely hero; David…facing your giants.
Great stories…I think one of the downfalls of the church is that we teach people the stories, but we don’t teach them what they mean! It’s great to know a story, but what are we to learn from what we’ve read.
Hebrews 12:1-3 - Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
I love that word “Therefore” because it always means THIS is why I told you what I just told you! That one little word says “This is what I’ve said…now this is why I’ve said it!”
LET US RUN! Because they RAN and they Finished the Race…NOW IT’s OUR TURN TO RUN! IT’s a passing of the baton.
ILL – In the Ninth Grade, I was a proud member of the Greer high school track team (You’ve probably heard about us). My race was the 2 mile run. It’s a distance run, not a sprint (EIGHT LAPS). You have to run for a while before you see the finish line.
Problems with Distance running…
1. Those who lack consistency (pace yourself)
2. Those who lack endurance (discipline)
3. Those who lack determination (You’ve got to WANT to win!)
APP – The Christian life is a distance run!
1. People often lack consistency (they want immediate results). They start out of the gate full force and then they quit because they aren’t growing the way they want to.
a. Parable of the soils. They are planted in shallow soil and wither away as soon as the sun comes out.
2. Some people lack endurance. (They want an easy path)
3. Some people lack determination (They don’t’ want it bad enough)
a. I read a book once that said there are really only two things that will limit the holy spirit’s work in your life.
i. One is Sin.
ii. The other is the lack of Desire.
b. Some people are jogging through the Christian life…just hoping they’ll make the finish line, but not really determined to finish strong!
But Hebrews says that those who have gone before us are our inspirations!
Anyone have an inspiration growing up? Who?
ANY JORDAN FANS? Remember the ads “I want to be like mike”. AND YOU CAN BE LIKE MIKE and all you need is this pair of black and red shoes. (and possibly a bowl of wheaties for breakfast)
WHO has inspired you in your spiritual life? Maybe it’s Billy Graham or Mother Teresa, or maybe it’s a Christian teacher or a minister. Maybe it’s even been your parents who planted a seed of faith in your life that eventually took root and you gave your life to Christ and began to follow Him. (don’t know how many testimonies I’ve heard that begin “I was raised in a Christian Home…”)
THOSE inspirations are important because they give us Hope.
“IF THEY DID…I CAN!” - That’s what a Hero is!
The writer of Hebrews continues and gives us some practical thoughts on achieving spiritual victory in the race that is set before us.
He says FIRST, you must get rid of the things that keep you from running well.
Hebrews 12:1b – Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
Literally, this means “encumbrance” or “weight”. Something that binds you or weighs you down.
Weight is never a positive thing when it comes to running. WE exercise to “lose weight”. I’ve never heard anyone say, “My new years resolution is to put on a few pounds” – “I want a couple of rolls around my waist” – or “I’d love to have an extra chin by next Christmas”. Have you ever seen the types of clothing Olympic atheletes wear when they are running? The lighter the better, the more aerodynamic the better. They wear running shoes that weigh just a few ounces, because they don’t want anything to weigh them down, and while they’ll wear sweat suits and such when they are warming up, when it comes time for the race, those things come off.
ILL – It’s kinda like David in our lesson a couple of weeks ago when Saul loaned David his armor to go out and fight goliath, but david said “I cannot go in these”. They were too heavy, too cumbersome.
They would keep him from fighting well!
Hebrews is addressed to Jews who had recently come to faith in Christ, but apparently had not yet started RUNNING the race for Christ. There’s a difference you know…
They had a lot of things that would weigh them down. A lifetime of legalistic religion maybe? Fear of the repercussions from their fellow jews maybe?
Who knows if the writer is referring to a specific weight, or saying that we each have our own “weights” that keep us from running well. Get rid of those things.
SECOND REMOVE THE THINGS THAT TRIP YOU UP
Hebrews 12:1b – Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles…and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
It’s sounds so simple to just “stop sinning” and you’ll run a better race…but Removing sin from your life is the most difficult thing you will do. But listen up! You are crippling yourself spiritually if you let sin continue in your life.
Hebrews says that it “easily entangles” us.
When an ancient person wanted or needed to run, they would take their robe that they wore and would tuck it into their belt because it was difficult to run with all that fabric around their legs.
That’s the idea here. Remove the things that are going to trip you up! But it won’t be fun. Skip down to verses 4-11
Hebrews 12:4-11 - In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
What the writer is saying here is that GOD loves you like a father loves his child and when he looks at you, he sees NOT what you are or what you’ve been…but he sees your potential and he sees who he created you to be. He sees what he can accomplish through you and SIN WILL PUT A DAMPER ON HIS ABILITY TO WORK IN AND THROUGH YOU.
What is happening when we let sin tarry in our lives is we are removing ourselves from God’s authority and we’ll drift further and further away from Him until something causes us to wake up like the Prodigal Son and go back home to Him.
I love verse 10 there that says that he disciplines us for our good…so that we may SHARE in HIS holiness. God isn’t a killjoy…he doesn’t lay out his will for us because he doesn’t want us to have any fun! He shows us his will and his ways because he knows what will hurt us…and he doesn’t want us hurt. He shows us his will and his ways because he knows what will tear us away from Him and he loves us so much that he can’t bear the thought of there being a separation between us.
1 Peter 5:8 - Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
THIRD, KEEP YOUR EYES ON CHRIST.
We talk a lot at CenterPointe about making Christ the center of our lives. And that’s what Hebrews is saying here:
Hebrews 12:2 - Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
There is a definite connection between our eyes and the rest of our bodies. You’ve probably noticed that when you are looking out your car window at something on the side of the road, your car begins to drift to that side of the road.
FOURTH, DON’T GIVE UP!
Paul, in his letter to Timothy, also described the Christian life as a “race” and also as a “fight”.
2 Timothy 4:7 - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
The Word “Race” comes from the same word from which we get the word “agony”. We are not guaranteed a smooth road. It’s not a leisurely jog, it’s rough terrain, with multiple hurdles to cross…but What Hebrews gives us is a reason to Hope…a reason not to give up.
Once when I was running in that two mile race, I was running in with about 10 other people. We were running at home which meant we were at the OLD Greer High school on main st. in Greer. Just inside the track there was the field house and you actually had to run behind the house. We ran about three laps all pretty much together, and on the fourth time around, we saw one of the girls we had been running with sitting…hiding behind the field house. She had gotten tired and given up.
Hebrews 12:3 - Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
There will be days when you can’t lift your head spiritually…and all you’ll want to do is give up. You’ll want to quit. You’ll want to drop out of the race! But it’s when we drop our guard that we become vulnerable. It’s when we take our eyes off of Christ, that we begin looking for purpose and fulfillment in other places.
Jesus offers you courage…so you won’t grow weary and lose heart.
Every one of us is in one of three places this morning:
1- We’re not in the race at all because we haven’t come to faith in Christ. He loves you. He created You. He wants nothing more than a relationship with you. Everything he did…he did to make that step to him possible. You need to take that step today…and make him the leader of your life.
2- We’re running the race and running strong.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON CHRIST
a. Verse 2 says that Christ is the Author and Perfector of our faith. He’s the reason for our faith (Salvation) and he’s the Builder of our faith (Sanctification). He plants us in his family and he makes us grow when we trust in him.
b. Galatians 2:20 - I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
3- We’re sitting behind the fieldhouse tired and scared. Remember Him. Remember what he’s done for you. We’ve done NOTHING for him compared to what he did for us.
a. Hebrews 12:12-13 - Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13"Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
