The Christian Marathon
08/29/04 AM
Text: Hebrews 12:1-3
Reading: Hebrews 11: 32-12:3
INTRODUCTION
The Summer Olympic Games are currently being played out in Athens and many of you may be following the outcome of the various events. I have to admit I haven’t seen much of the televised coverage of the games (most of it occurs past my bedtime!) but I have followed the games through the daily section in the newspaper. Tonight will be the running of the men’s marathon, an event steeped in the history of ancient Greece and synonymous with the meaning of endurance. And endurance is at the heart of our lesson today, the endurance required in the Christian marathon. We have been studying the book of Hebrews in the Sunday morning adult class and throughout the study there has been a continuing thread on being steadfast in our faith:
• The admonition to encourage one another
Hebrews 3:12-14 “Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,”
• The need for a faith that endures
Hebrews 6:11-12 “And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
Hebrews 10:36 “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.”
But how do we go the distance? These few verses in Hebrews 12 offer some insights, with our own life of faith described as a race. The first one is...
I. INSPIRATION OF THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE
A. We Have So Great A Cloud Of Witnesses
1. Hebrews chapter 12 begins with the word "Therefore." That connects it with the previous chapter.
a. The “cloud of witnesses” refers to those mentioned in the previous chapter
b. Those Old Testament saints like Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc.
2. These are our examples of faith.
a. By their lives, they have borne witness to the value of faith
b. By their example, they encourage us in running the Christian marathon.
II. WE NEED TO LAY SOME THINGS ASIDE
A. Note The Comparison To Running...
1. The runner who seeks to win:
a. Loses as much weight as possible without hurting performance
b. Wears clothing that is light and allows freedom of movement
2. Excess weight, chafing clothing, etc., can be the difference between victory and defeat!
B. We Too Must Lay Some Things Aside...
1. “every encumbrance”
a. Those things which hinder our spiritual progress
1) Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
2) Luke 12:17-34
3) Colossians 3:2 “Set your sights on things above, not on things on the earth.”
b. Such things make “running the race of faith” difficult, if not impossible!
2. “the sin which so easily ensnares us”
a. Any and all sins should be laid aside
4) Luke 21:34-36 “Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap;
5) Colossians 3:8-9 “But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,”
b.
c. From the context, I understand “the” sin to be the “sin of unbelief”
1) The epistle was written to encourage faithfulness to Christ and His covenant
2) We’ve seen warnings against unbelief - He 3:12-13
3) When one no longer believes, the race is lost! - He 10:26-39
[With a full assurance of faith, and with every hindrance laid aside,
we can “run the race of faith” as God intended. But as we comprehend
the true nature of the “course” set before us, we can appreciate the
need for the element of endurance...]
III. WE NEED TO HAVE ENDURANCE (1)
A. The “Race Of Faith” Is A Marathon, Not A Sprint...
1. It does not require one quick burst of energy, in which the race is soon over
2. This “race” requires a sustained effort over a long period of time
B. Endurance Is A Necessary Quality...
1. Jesus often taught His disciples concerning the need for endurance (i.e., patience)
a. In the parable of The Sower - Lk 8:12
b. In preparing the disciples for the Limited Commission - Mt 10:22
c. In His discourse on the Mount of Olives - Mt 24:13
2. The writer to the Hebrews had stressed this virtue earlier
a. In which he appealed to the example of Abraham - He 6:11-15
b. In which he quoted from Habakkuk - He 10:36-39
3. We can develop such patience with the help of the Scriptures - Ro 15:4
a. As we read of the faithfulness of God Who fulfills His promises
b. As we read of the ultimate end of those persevered in faithfulness
[Paul wrote that eternal life would be given “to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality” (Ro 2:7). Therefore, endurance is required for successfully running this “race of faith”!
Equally important is where we have our mind focused as we run the
race...]
IV. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON JESUS (2-3)
A. WE MUST “LOOK UNTO JESUS”...
1. Our focus must be upon the Lord as we “run the race”
a. We might “glance” at others (cf. He 11)
b. But we are to “gaze” upon the Lord Savior (Believers’ Study Bible)
c. As suggested by this “Formula For Spiritual Success”:
6) If you want to be distressed -- look within
7) If you want to be defeated -- look back
8) If you want to be distracted -- look around
9) If you want to be dismayed -- look ahead
10) If you want to be delivered -- look up! - cf. Co 3:1-2
2. For Jesus is “the author and finisher of our faith” - cf. He 2:10
a. He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega - Re 1:8,11
b. He has blazed the trail for us...
1) By having run the race Himself
• As a forerunner He has entered the heavenly sanctuary - He 6:19-20
• He has opened a “new and living way” for us - He 10:20
2) And now He helps us to finish it ourselves - cf. He 7:25
3. He succeeded in running the race by looking at “the joy set before Him”
a. The “joy” that inspired Him was likely that privilege of being seated at God’s right hand - cf. Psa 16:9-11; Ac 2:25-31
b. With the anticipation of such “joy”, Jesus...
1) “endured the cross” (the physical pain)
2) “despised the shame” (the emotional and spiritual agony) -- Just as Jesus looked at the joy set before Him, so we must look to Jesus!
B. We Must “Consider Him”...
1. We must consider how He endured, not only on the cross, but even before! - He 11:3
a. How He “endured such hostility from sinners against himself”
b. This hostility is something He experienced frequently - cf. Lk 4:28-29; 11:15-16,53-54; 16:14
2. Meditating upon our Lord will prevent us from becoming “weary and discouraged in your souls”
a. We cannot run with endurance if we become weary and discouraged
b. But as we consider the Lord and His example (in itself a form of “waiting upon the Lord”), we shall not grow weary nor faint - cf. Isa 40:31
CONCLUSION
1. “Running The Race Of Faith” requires both negative and positive elements...
a. Negatively, we must lay aside things which would hinder us
b. Positively, we must keep our focus on Jesus who has made our salvation possible
2. In both cases, the Word of God (the Bible) is crucial...
a. For in it we learn what sort of things we must lay aside
b. For in it we learn about our Lord, what He endured, how His example should inspire us
3. Have you lost your endurance? Have you grown weary in “Running The Race Of Faith”?
a. Let the Bible help you examine what “baggage” should be left aside!
b. Let the Bible help you learn about Jesus whose own example can encourage you to continue on with perseverance!
Remember what we read earlier...
“For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise...” (Hebrews 10:36)
Invitation
