Hebrews 12:1-3 “WE’RE IN A RACE” WTBI 9- 2-06
All of us as Gods children need to be reminded from time to time that we are in a race. It’s not a sprint were in, its not a 100-yard dash. And it’s certainly not a jog through the park.
This Christian race we’re in is not a casual stroll. We are in a race that requires our absolute dependence upon the One Who gives us the endurance to stay on the coarse filled with trials, tribulations.
Listen as I read today’s text found in Heb. 12:1-3 1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
The exhortation in verse 1 finds its grounds, or basis, within the examples of the champions of faith mentioned in chapter 11. These heroes of the faith are like a cloud of witnesses. These witnesses can be better understood as referring to those who testify.
We are encouraged by these witnesses. They are not spectators; they are testifying to us.
Paul uses the comparison of athletic competition often in his epistles to illustrate to his readers these great truths.
In Acts 20, Paul speaks of his own life, his own race, and his heart’s desire to face any obstacle or trial in order that he might finish the race that the Lord has called him to run. (Acts 20: 22And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: 23Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. 24But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
As Paul wrote to the Corinthians he knew that they were not running like disciplined athletes. They had taken their eyes off the finish line, off of the One who had called them to run in such a way so as to recieve the prize.
(1 Corinthians 9: 24Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.[disciplined]
Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; [actual physical racers] but we an incorruptible.
26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: [his body is under his control] lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. [this speaks of having a bad testimony before others]
Paul knew that he must always stay in shape; he must always strive to get stronger (spiritually).
Paul writes to the Philippians and says,
(Philippians 3:12-14 12Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14I press toward the mark [running for the finish] for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
In 1 Timothy, Paul tells young Timothy, 1 Timothy 6:12 12Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
In Paul’s second letter to Timothy he used the imagery of a soldier, athlete, and farmer as he urged Timothy to be single-minded and to keep his passion burning bright for the things of God so that he would be strong in the grace of the Lord.
It will be the grace of God, and only the grace of God, that will empower us to endure hardships without losing hope. Paul writes,
(2 Timothy 2:3-7 3Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
5And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 6The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. 7Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
Again in our text today in Hebs.12:1 1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
The weight here refers to that which burdens by weighing a person down. For a runner it could either refer to clothing or his own excessive body weight.
For the Christian it would include anything that could hinder his effectiveness for service.
These weights may not necessarily be sinful things are things which are wrong, but for the diligent runner or the faithful Christian they are a great hindrance that must be removed.
The Christian is not allowed to be selective regarding these weights; He must put off every weight. Whatever does not aid in the race is a weight and must be cast aside.
The “cloud of witnesses” that is referred to are those men and women, those faithful souls who have gone before us.
Not just those who are listed in Hebrews 11, but of faithful saints who have gone before us choosing to cling to the Lord. .
~Listen as I read to you of this horrorable death because of their belief in JESUS CHRIST. ~ In 1553, the Roman Catholic Queen Mary, later known as “Bloody Mary” for her execution of so many reformers,
Let me say that the fox’s book of martyrs has much to say about the deaths of countless numbers of Christians back in what’s referred to as the dark ages.
“ Thomas Crammer (Archbishop of Canterbury), Nicholas Ridley (Archbishop of London), and Hugh Latimer (Bishop of Worcester) were summoned to appear before a commission in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Oxford to be examined for their alleged Protestant heresies.
They would not admit to a belief in transubstantiation, the Catholic belief that the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper literally become the body and blood of Jesus, and they were all found guilty. Ridley and Latimer were separated after their condemnation in St. Mary’s Church. They had to stay in separate houses as they awaited their execution in two weeks.
The morning of the October 15th, 1555, was just as damp as the day of the trial when the two friends met at the stake. Onlookers remarked how stooped and bent the Bishops looked as they journeyed through the streets, but how strong and radiant they became when at the stake they removed their outer garments and stood in new white singlets which reached to their feet.
Mr. Shipside, a relative of Ridley’s, stood in the crowd and he had asked permission from Lord William of Thame to be allowed to put gunpowder packages around the necks and beneath the arms of the victims. This was granted as a mercy so that they might have a quick ending once the fire took hold.
Soon the brushwood was piled up around them and they stood knee deep in wood. As the soldier in charge reached out his taper and lit the brushwood it began to flare. It was at this point in time that Latimer spoke up and uttered those now famous words: "Be of good cheer Master Ridley and play the man. For we shall this day, by God’s grace, light such a candle in England as shall never be put out".
Within minutes Latimer was dead as much from the thickness of the fumes as from the heat of the flames.
Ridley however was to need all the strength he could get from Latimer’s final words to him. He was actually standing on green wood which itself was damp and so refused to catch fire and just smoldered under his feet. After what seemed an age he called out to Mr. Shipside to do something to help him as he could stand the agony no longer.
All in a fluster Mr. Shipside piled more wood on which caused the fire to die down even more, thus prolonging poor Ridley’s pain and cooking his feet and legs right through. Soon however a soldier pushed through the crowd and used his billhook to make an air hole in the woodpile.
This being done the wind blew, the fire flared, and touched the gunpowder sack around his neck. Thus in one final blast Nicholas Ridley went to glory.”
12:1 b -let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us,
A hindrance to a runner is anything that will prevent him from running as fast as he can. We must examine our hearts, and all of those things that will hold us back from running towards the high calling of Jesus Christ upon our lives.
God has called us to run in an intentional way, with endurance. We are able to persevere because we have a hope, a confidence that our trials have a purpose and we will experience deliverance from all of our troubles one day.
Paul wrote to the Romans and told them that they could gain strength for enduring by understanding the scriptures and the lives of those who had gone before them .
Paul wrote,
Romans 15: 4For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Not only can we gain great strength from these witnesses in chapter 11: but God can use our struggles to encourage others.
Paul wrote to the people of Thessalonica and said,
(1 Thessalonians 1:3 3Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ,
Our greatest inspiration for persevering is not found in what the great crowd of witnesses has suffered, or in the fact that we can be a source of encouragement to others, but our great inspiration is found in the One who endured Calvary’s cross for our sake.
When we consider what Jesus endured for our sins and how He willingly went to the cross so that we might know the forgiveness that only comes through His pain, then we will be encouraged to press on, endure on, and persevere.
Let us throw off everything that would keep us from running with endurance the race He has set before us.
