Finishing the Race of Faith
11/11/07 AM
Reading: Hebrews 11:32-12:3
Introduction
Ill: In the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Tanzanian runner John Stephen Ahkwari was the last runner in the marathon.
He came in about an hour and a half after the winner, practically carrying his leg, as it was so bloodied and bandaged.
When asked, “Why did you keep going?” He said, “You don’t understand. My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start a race; they sent me to finish it.” (http://speedendurance.com/2007/07/15/how-to-finish-a-marathon-1968-olympics-in-mexico-city/)
Finishing the race is what the writer of Hebrews addressed beginning in the twelfth chapter. Finishing the race is critically important for all of us who would be followers of Jesus and in these verses the writer gives us several words of advice to help us run the race of faith to the end of the course.
The first is to remember that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, and that we can be inspired by those who have gone before:
A.Therefore… what’s it there for?
1.This links us back to the examples produced in chapter eleven, and on this account both should be read in connection.
2.The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews is a litany of those who lived lives deemed faithful by God.
a.For instance, Hebrews 11:7, he mentions Noah. Remember Noah? He spent at least 100 years of his life building an ark - 120 years!
Have you ever felt impatient with the speed of God’s plan? Thinking that God’s plan for our lives is not moving ahead fast enough? “Why is it taking so long?”
Now consider the witness of Noah and hear him whispering in your ear, “Look,” he says, “how long have you been waiting for God to work His will? I spent 100 years to build the ark, and it was never easy. But I kept on building, and when the floods came the ark became the vehicle of our salvation. You need to stay the course, too.”
b.Next, in v8, is Abraham. Abraham, called from his home in Ur of Chaldees to a place that God would lead him; Abraham, who in his old age was told that he and Sarah would conceive and bear a son; Abraham, who was told to take this precious son to the top of the mountain and offer him as a sacrifice. And Abraham passed every test.
So when you are uncertain concerning the live God has called you to, unsure of following His will, listen for Abraham whispering in your ear. “Listen,” he says, “if you follow God, the world will probably think you’re crazy because God’s ways are not their ways. But listen carefully to what He tells you, follow in His steps, and be true to His will.”
c.Or go on to v22 and the story of Joseph. Remember, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. In Egypt he was accused of crimes he didn’t commit, and thrown into prison. He was forgotten by those he helped. He was down about as low as a person can get. Yet he remained true to God. Then the tables were turned, and suddenly he is very powerful, second only to the Pharaoh in all of Egypt. He has control of money and grain and food and people. And yet, when he is at the top, he is still faithful to God.
So here is Joseph saying, “Look, it doesn’t take much to be faithful when things are going your way. But when you are at the bottom, and everything seems to be falling apart, make sure to remain faithful. ”
d.The list goes on. There’s Moses and Samson and Samuel and David and more besides. There is a great cloud of faithful gathered to bear witness, to give testimony to inspire us on. They whisper in our ear as we struggle along, and they say to us, “You can do it! Don’t give up! Don’t lose heart. You can succeed as we succeeded.”
3.The word picture here is one of a great stadium filled with the heroes of the faithful, all present to give testimony to the wisdom of following God. All available for us to draw upon for inspiration and confidence as we run the course they have already completed.
The next word of advice given:
B.Lay aside every encumbrance…
1.The word rendered “weight” does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament.
a.Its usual meaning is that of weight or burden, and there is allusion here, doubtless, to the runners in the games who were careful not to encumber themselves with anything that was heavy and in every way to remove what would be an impediment or hindrance.
b.They were careful not to allow anything that would be a weight or an encumbrance.
2.As applied to Christians it means that they should remove all which would obstruct their progress in the Christian course.
a.Thus, it is fair to apply it to anything which impedes our efforts to endure to the end of the race.
b.It is not the same thing in all persons. In one it may be pride; in another vanity; in another worldliness; in another a uncontrolled temper; in another a corrupt imagination; in another a hardened heart; in another some consuming attachment to possessions, wealth, hobbies, or career.
c.Whatever it may be, we are exhorted to lay it aside, and this general direction may be applied to anything which prevents our making the highest possible attainment in the divine life.
C.And the sin which so easily entangles us…
1.The word which is here rendered “easily beset” - “euperistaton”—does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament. It properly means; “standing well around” and so, denotes what is near, or at hand, or readily occurring.
2.It draws the picture of a long robe, the hem of which entangles our legs as we strive to run.
3.These are the sins to which we are most exposed, those to which we are particularly liable.
a.Those to which we are particularly exposed by our natural temperament, or disposition, sins to which we are exposed from some special weakness in our character. In some this is pride, in others indolence, or greed, or ambition, or sensuality.
b.Those in which we freely indulged before we became Christians. They will be likely to return with power, and we are far more likely from the laws of familiarity, to fall into them than into any other.
c.There are those sins to which we are exposed by our profession, by our relations to others, or by our situation in life.
d.On some points we may be in no danger. We may be strong enough not to be susceptible to certain forms of sin. But everyone has one or more weak points in their character; and it is there that they are particularly exposed. That is the point which needs to be guarded and strengthened.
And perhaps the most important word of advice:
D.Fixing our eyes on Jesus
1. The Greek word indicates the act of looking away from things that might distract us and fixing our gaze on Jesus.
a.We cannot be distracted by those weights and sins we have laid aside.
b.We cannot be distracted by our fellow runners, concerned with how they are running compared to ourselves.
Luke 6:41 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?”
c.There is no single winner of this race, all who finish win.
d.We need to keep our eyes on the one standing at the finish of the course:
2. The author and finisher of faith…
a.Author signifies, in general, captain or leader, or the first inventor of a thing.
b.Finisher is one who brings a task to completion, as Jesus brought God’s promises to fruition by fulfilling the Law.
c.The heavenly course of faith was laid out by Jesus; and by Him it is completed. We need to follow in His steps.
3. Who, for the joy that was set before him…
a.The joy of fulfilling the will of the Father, in tasting death for every man; and having endured the cross and despised the shame of this degrading death, He is set down at the right hand of God, ever appearing in the presence of God for us, and continuing his exhibition of himself as our perfect example.
4. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
a.Study and observe, analyze every part of his conduct, enter into his spirit, examine his motives and object, and remember that, as he acted, we are called to act.
b.He will furnish us with the same Spirit, and will support us with the same strength. He bore a continual opposition of sinners against himself; but he conquered by meekness, patience, and perseverance: he has left us an example that we should follow his steps. If we trust in him we will not grow weary nor lose heart.
Conclusion:
Our faith has put us in this contest; it is up to us to complete the course, to endure to the end so that we may receive the promised reward. Our God has not left us without support, we have a great cloud of witnesses from whom to draw inspiration and confidence and we have the perfect example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. If we lay aside all weight and sin and fix our eyes on Him we may one day say as did Paul:
2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Invitation
