RUNNING WITH PATIENCE
Study Text: Hebrews 12: 1 - 4
Introduction:
- A common metaphor for the Christian life in the NT is that of a runner in a race.
- During the course of his ministry, Paul wrote that he ran the race in such a way as to obtain the prize.
- That is he disciplined himself and continually pressed forward toward the goal in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 9:24-25; Phil 3:12-14).
- At the end of his ministry, he declared that he had fought the good fight, finished the race and had kept the faith (2 Tim 4:7-8).
- Here in Hebrews 12; the writer employs the same analogy as he writes that we are to run with patience the race that is set before us.
- Nowhere in the Bible are we promised that the Christian life is going to be easy. In fact, often the opposite is true, John 16:33.
- Yes, difficulties will come and trials will cross our paths and often, we will be tempted to quit on God and drop out of the race.
- In light of that, we are encouraged to be faithful to the Lord and to continue to run the race.
- The Christian life is being compared to a race. A race that requires endurance and preparation.
- When trials come, there may be the temptation to drop out for a while and let others do the running.
- Irrespective of what you may be facing as you run your race, the word of God gives us guidelines that will help us all to be runners who are pleasing to the Lord God.
- We shall discuss under three sub-headings:
1. Discovering the Saints
2. Disciplining the Self
3. Depending on the Saviour
1. Discovering the Saints
- In chapter 11, many of the great heroes and heroines of the faith were mentioned. These people are the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us as we run the race.
- When your race is hard, remember and reflect upon what the saints of the past were able to accomplish and endure by faith.
- Let their journeys, endurance, and victories inspire and motivate you to press forward and to keep on keeping on.
- Let them remind you of the faithfulness and power of God. In addition, note that not just a few here or there made it to the end, but a vast number: "a great cloud of witnesses."
- In the middle of our darkest hour of our darkest day, we will be tempted to think that we are utterly alone. No one else has had to suffer what we are suffering. No one else has had to overcome what we have to.
- However, the truth of the matter is that many of the saints of the past, whether in scripture or church history, had to endure much worse.
- We are not alone in our suffering. As Paul wrote: "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man (1 Cor 10:13)."
- If they can make it, we can too because the same God who worked in them, is the same God who works in us. Therefore, in light of the great cloud of witnesses that surround us, let us run with endurance.
- Three truths about these witnesses can give us encouragement as we run our race.
i. They Have Run Their Race
- These were people who ran the race they had been given. They did not run perfectly, but they ran. They did not quit until the race was finished.
- They endured unspeakable pain and suffering, still they ran. Now, they are seated in the grandstands and observe the race we are running today.
- In doing so, they stand as an encouragement and a challenge to the rest of us. If these people could run their race, then so can we.
- None of these were extraordinary people, James 5:17-18. They were merely common men and women who evidenced a profound faith in God.
ii. They Have Received Their Reward
- These people ran their race and now they are able to rest in the Father's presence. Because they ran well, they have received their reward. The prize is theirs because they ran and they ran well.
- Again, this should give us encouragement to run for he Lord. When the race is over, we will go to be with Him, where we too will receive the rewards earned during the course of our race here on earth - 2 Tim. 4:8.
iii. They Have Revealed That God Is Reliable
- The greatest encouragement that we can derive from these saints is the fact that they are proof positive of the reliability of the Lord.
- If God took care of them, honored their faith, sustained them, kept them, used them, blessed them, and got glory from their lives, then He will do the same in your life and mine!
- They ran their race and so can you! And, since God is no respecter of persons, He will be with you just as He was with Moses, Abraham, David or any of the others great heroes of the faith. God is absolutely dependable, Heb. 13:5.
2. Disciplining the Self
- Growing in Christ and remaining faithful to Him in this life with all of its obstacles, requires discipline and hard work to overcome
- When there is a race to be run, the wise runner must make careful preparations. The same is true in a spiritual race as well.
- We arrange our life around certain disciplines that help us gain power and strength to become more like Jesus each day, to live a life as Jesus taught and modeled.
- The activities of prayer, Bible Study, worship, service, evangelism, stewardship are among the needed the disciplines for running the spiritual race.
- We will never reach our fullest potential for the Lord until we are willing to make the preparations and sacrifices that are necessary for running the race.
i. Lay Aside All Weights
- This refers to a runner making sure that all extra weights have been removed from his body.
- In the spiritual arena, this refers to anything that hinders our walk with God. It speaks of things that are innocent in and of themselves, but when they slow you down in the Christian race, they are weights and they must go. The list of these things could be endless, but a few are:
a. Seeking entertainment instead of fellowshipping and communing with God.
b. Seeking possessions and the things of this world instead of seeking God.
c. Giving our attention to things like music, television shows, movies, etc that do not focus our minds on the Lord.
- In short, anything that does not build us up or make us stronger in the Lord, is a weight and a hindrance and should be removed from our life.
ii. Lay Aside All Sins
- We are to get rid of "besetting sins". This refers to sins which cling to, distracts, entangles and trips the Christian runner.
- There are many sins that could be mentioned at this point, but the idea in this verse is that particular sin which trips you up.
- You know where you are weak. There are sins that do not tempt you at all, but there are others that are a constant source of temptation.
- Whatever that sin is, it must be stripped off and avoided at all costs. Else, it will entangle you, trip you and prevent you from finishing your race! Rom. 6:12
iii. Run With Patience
- It is not a picture of sitting back and waiting to see what will come our way in life. It is an active word that speaks of a person who has a spirit in him that stands up and faces the trials of life.
- He is able to face his trials because he knows the Lord has brought it to him for his own good and for God's glory, Rom. 8:28.
3. Depending on the Saviour
- As we run this race and look to Jesus, we must depend upon His grace at all times and not on our own ability.
- As we run our race, we need to look up and ahead to Jesus, the author and finisher of faith. Of all those who have lived by faith and emerged victorious, Jesus is the greatest.
- All of the saints mentioned in chapter 11 had their faults and failures, but Jesus ran the race set before him flawlessly. In so doing, He serves as the example of how we are to run our race and live our life.
- Jesus endured his suffering, and disregarded the shame that accompanied his crucifixion because he kept his eye on the joy that would be his.
- The present hardship and pain was worth the future reward, which he now enjoys as he has been enthroned on high.
- Likewise, we are to keep our eyes focused on our reward, which is to say that we are to keep our eyes on Jesus. For if we follow Jesus and persevere to the end then we shall share in his joy and exaltation. 2 Timothy 2:12
- When you find it hard to keep your head up and looking ahead to Jesus because of the steepness of the hill, take the time to consider the course Jesus had to take.
- Think and reflect upon the sufferings, hardships, and disgrace that he had to endure at the hands of sinners. Let his example and what he did for you propel you forward up the hill.
- His was a hard race that began in poverty and ended in pain on a cross. His was a race that lead Him around a track lined with hatred, bitterness, opposition and the desire to see Him dead.
- His was a race that set the perfect example of how a race should be run. His was a race in which He never faltered. He never lost sight of the goal and He never quit running until the goal had been achieved.
- When you feel like quitting, just look to Jesus and consider the race He ran for you and me. Then, run, Christian run!
- The Bible tells us here that Jesus ran "for the joy that was set before Him" Where is the joy in going to a cross? Where is the joy in dying like a common criminal? Where is the joy in being rejected by people you love?
- For Jesus, the joy was in what would happen when He finished His race. For Him, the joy was the day of redemption that would bring about the redemption and salvation of mankind.
- That's why Jesus ran! He was able to look past the cross. He was able to despise the shame. He was able to think beyond everything He would be called upon to face in this world and He was able to see you. He ran His race for us. We are what motivated the heart of the Savior to go to that cross and die.
- We need to come to the place where we are able to look beyond the situations and circumstances of life and envision that day when we too will be home with the Savior.
- endured until the end so that we might be saved. He stands as our example. Therefore, let us run with patience the race that is set before us! You see, Jesus has already been around the track, That is why He is able to help us as we run - Heb. 4:15.
Conclusion:
- The Christian life is a matter of endurance and struggle and difficulty. Yes, there is victory—there is victory now and there's victory when we cross the finish line and enter heaven—but between now and then it's a struggle.
- How is your race progressing? Stop looking at the other runners. Stop looking at the circumstances through which you are running. Look to Him every day, get rid of those weights, strip off the besetting sins and make up your mind to run a patient race.
- As the people of God, you are running the race of your life and the prize is no mere gold medal, it is eternal glory.
- So, run with confidence and endurance. Run without any burdens and keep your head up, looking unto Jesus until you cross the finish line.
