Maddie Musselman is 26 years old and in most people’s viewpoint, at the greatest time in her life, with the greatest moment of her life right in front of her. She had recently been engaged to be married and earned a place to compete in summer Olympic team taking place in Paris.
Maddie is an athlete. Yet, no ordinary athlete. She plays water polo.
Water Polo is a difficult sport. It first requires that you be a good swimmer; which is one of the top fears of people in the world; most triathletes can run and bike for hundreds of miles; yet say that swimming is their biggest challenge.
Likewise, you have to be strong, be able to struggle and overcome, and be smart and perceptive. Some say it not only pushes your body to its limits; but your brains to its limits.
Yet, despite her abilities, nothing prepared her for what recently happened to her. Her fiancé, Pat who is also an athlete who recently swam the English Channel for his 30th birthday, had a blood test which revealed a rare cancer that only effects 200 people per year, was stage 4, that threatened his life.
Immediately they got married and together took on the greatest challenge of their lives; the fight against cancer -- a fight for her husband’s life.
Yet, when asked: “When you faced this devastating news that the one person who loved the most in life had cancer and set your world upside down and on its end, what did you do?”
Her response was simply this: “ What makes this journey easier is that we are incredibly strong in our faith and in our love for each other and Jesus. She then said: Throughout my time in college, a handful of students mentored me in my faith, helping me to place Jesus at the center of my life....” That’s the key to my resilience.”
Transition:
In the Bible there are a lot of figures of speech, metaphors, and similes that describe what it’s like to be a follower of Jesus. For example:, following Jesus is often likened to:
a) Being a Soldier- Paul counsels us to “endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3
b) Being a boxer- Paul said: “I box in such a way, as not (swinging wildly), as beating the air. “ I Corinthians 9:26
c) Being a slave- Paul frequently said: “I am a bondservant of Jesus Christ.” Romans 1:1, Phil 1:1, Titus 1:1)
Jesus spoke of us as: Salt , light, living stones, children of God, and even as babies.
Yet, the New Testament is particularly fond of comparing the life we live as Christ’s followers as an athletic event; and specifically, it often compares our lives to “running a race.” Sprinkled through the New Testament page are words that speak of:
a) I Corinthians 9:24, “Running a race”
b) Galatians 5:17- “Running well”
c) Philippians 2:16- “Not “running in vain.
The uses of this metaphor has one goal; to help you live your life to the fullest. The challenge of living that kind of life is resilience. It’s easy to start well but not finish well.
Church rolls are stockpiled with people who came to Jesus but never grew in Jesus. People who were once consistent and are now “missing in action.” People who have a “past tense” testimony of their walk with Jesus but now things have gone stale.
With this in mind, God meets us in the Book of Hebrews and coaches us up. He gives us the keys of a faith that stays vibrant and endures. He follows up the chapter about those whose faith endured with a challenge to us to endure.
Transition: The real question that is addressed is this: How do I stay strong in my faith? How do I finish well?
Transitional Question: God answers these questions with questions. He wants us to ask ourselves:
I. Why Am Doing This?
vs. 2- “fixing our eyes on Jesus...”
Explanation:
Are there any runners in the house today? Anyone that has ever run? Interesting enough, 50 million people in America say that they go out for a “run” often.
If you are a runner, or do any type of physical exercise, there is one thing that I know you’ve all asked yourself when you start breathing deeper, something starts to hurt, or the physical challenge starts to build. One question will enter your mind naturally. You will say: “Now why am I doing this?”
In the Christian life, there is one sole reason for enduring the challenges of following Jesus; (here it is) .... It’s simple. Are you ready? The reason is to be like Jesus.
This has always been the sole focus of discipleship; it is to be like Jesus. That’s God’s plan for you. Do you want proof?
Romans 8:29 says: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”
Here’s the fact: God wants people to see Jesus in you.
Last weekend, I performed a wedding ceremony in Rome, Georgia. When I arrived a man approached me and called me something that I have never been called before. It was not a curse word, trust me, I’ve been called those before.
The man called me: “Rabbi.” I briefly laughed and he started scrambling for other titles. He asked me if I was a “Father” which was difficult because I have kids but I’m not Catholic. Then he wanted to call me “Minister” and theologically I thought: “All Christians are to be ministers.” But finally I said: “You know what? That’s fine, call me Rabbi.”
The word “rabbi” means “teacher, template, or master. ” But the master of what?” We often use the word “masterpiece.” It’s a reminder of that something is being made by a master. Someone is training, sculpting, chiseling, or making broad strokes of art.”
Each one of us masterpieces in the making. We have a master who is making, shaping, and creating us into something. What is that something? He is making us to be more like Jesus.
Yet, do you know why? So others can be make us what He wants us to be and through us He will make others into what He wants them to be.
In Jesus day, Rabbis were followed and the one thing that their disciples sought to do was to become just like their rabbi. Their Rabbi was a template. They sought to be like Him.
Therefore, they were always watching Him. They learned more from watching than listening. This is why we are told: “Fixing our eyes on Jesus.”
Why? Because of who He is: He is the author and finisher of our faith.
Illustration: Keep it in the ruts
I heard recently about a young lady to married a farmer. Although she had no experience on the farm, she loved her husband and wanted to join him in his work.
Therefore, one morning she jumped on the tractor, dropped the disk, and headed across the field with the blade down.
As she made her way across the field she saw her husband running and chasing her. Immediately she stopped to ask: “What am I doing wrong?” She looked back and realized that her path was crooked. He said: “To plow you have to look at the other side of the field, fix your eyes on it and drive straight toward it.”
She said: “I did.” Yet, suddenly what she had her eyes on moved. It was actually a bird that was hopping across the ground.”
Application:
She then realized that what she had fixed her eyes on was not immovable- it was just the opposite. Therefore, she was all over the place.
Application
God created you to be steady. He does not want your life tossed about. He wants you to be settled and secure. That’s why we are told to “Fix our eyes on Jesus.”
How do you do that?
a) Do you have a Bible? Read it. Study it. Enjoy it.
b) Do you like to talk? Talk to God. Practice His presence. Who cares if people think you
are talking to yourself.
c) Build deep relationships with other believers- Jesus shows us there. He tells us when
two or three of us get together- He is present.
d) Don’t go it alone- An old African proverb says: “To run fast, run by yourself. But to run
far, run with other people.”
e) Choose to trust and believe God. Don’t let doubts derail your faith.
Above all: Remember why you are doing this. You are following Christ so you can know Him and do life with Him and ultimately become more like Him!
Transitional Sentence: God answers these questions by with questions. He wants us to ask ourselves:
II. How Can I Keep Pace?
vs. 1- “Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us.”
Explanation:
The Bible tells us here that we are all in a race. Anyone ever feel you are in the “rat race” instead of the “race with Jesus.”
Yet, you’re in a race whether you know it or want it. Yet, verse one tells us how to run it. It says: “ run with endurance the race set before us. ” Vs. 1
God has given us three things to help us endure.
a) He’s given us a cheering section- It reminds us that others have run it well and got to the
finish line. (Great cloud of witnesses). They are watching us and cheering us on. We do
not perform to please them; instead, they give witness to God to say, “It’s worth the
struggle against the world, to stand for a greater Kingdom.” Their testimony at the finish
line stand as a reminder to “run our race to win.”
Paul stands as an example who cheers us on saying: “ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. I Corinthians 9: 24-25
b) He calls us to lose the weight- It reminds us that the best way to finish well is to off load the things that are limiting us. (Encumbrances)
The word “endurance” (hupomone) means: “ Steady determination to keep going.” A true Christian cannot be stopped; only slowed down.
The word “encumbrance” (onkos) is simply a bulk or mass of something. It is not necessarily bad in itself. Yet, it is something that weighs us down, diverts our attention, saps our energy, or dampens our enthusiasm for the things of God and His plan for our life.
Maybe in your life, there is something that has done that to you. Your commitment to God, His ministry through you, or His plan for your life has been taken over by something you see as a “temporary” thing that you desire. The call here is to pay attention to what the is slowing us down. You know what it is. There’s a check in your spirit about it.
It can be an attitude about something or someone in the church. A leader. A fellow Christian. It can be an attitude or preference you have that you fail to address. God wants you to win, not to be weighed down.
c) He commands us to lay aside sin- Our life is like a race because there is a rulebook. Without the rulebook the race would mean nothing. Rules are necessary for to provide integrity to the competition.
I have visited Olympia, Greece several years ago and noticed these statue bases with names on them.
Wondering what they meant I asked. I quickly learned that these names on the bases of the statues were the names of people who came to the ancient Olympics and cheated.
Erected on the base was the statue of the Greek god Zeus who proudly stood on top of the “base of shame” as if to say, “god” is above you. You answer to him.
If an athletes name appears on the base, it was not only shameful to himself, but to his community, and to his people. These statues stood as a warning to any other athlete who wanted to cheat. To be disqualified was not only about sports; it was spiritual in the Greek world.
Application:
The Greeks knew one thing to be true. There’s something more important than sports; it’s your spiritual life.
The fact is: Rules matter in sports and rules matter in your spiritual life. You may not like the rules. You may not wish there were rules. But, whether it is Boxing rules for the Olympics, or Biblical rules for life; they are important because without them-- there is no integrity.
The word “integrity”(noun) means: “Soundness, strength, and completeness.”
Listen: The Bible is not a self-help guide; it’s God’s Word and is the guidebook for living.
If you want to win the race; keep pace with God’s Word. Run your life according to God’s Word. It gives soundness, strength, and completeness.
Transitional Question: God answers these questions by with questions. He wants us to ask ourselves:
III. Where’s the Finish line?
vs. 2-3- “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despised the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
Explanation:
Years ago, I was competing in a Ironman 70.3 event swimming 1.2 miles down the Augusta river when suddenly I felt a boat paddle hit my left shoulder. I stopped, looked up, and a guy in a Kayak said: “Hey man, the swim finish is over there; you’re about to swim past it. “
Listen: Locating the finish line is pretty important in a race; and its important in life too; otherwise you can just float past important points in your life or miss the mark altogether.
In verse 2-3 the writer of Hebrews points us to the finish line; our finish line is to be face to face with Jesus.
Ancient Olympians had a race ritual that they always did the day before the race. They would go to the finish line, sit in front of it, and stare at it for hours. What they wanted to do is to get that visual I their mind. This would be what they would envision the entire race. It was the mental image the etched in their mind.
Maybe today you feel like this guy.
If so, fix your eyes on this guy.
The Bible tells us how Jesus endured and got to the point of saying: “Tetelestai- It is finished.”
The Bible says: “For the joy that was set before Him....” What was before Him? It was visual. As the God of the ages. The creator of all mankind. He fixed His eyes on something that brought Him joy; that was the joy of was you and me being with Him forever.
Isn’t that awesome: Jesus fixed his eyes on us and our future; and we fix our eyes on Him who is our future.
Without Jesus, we have no future. Our race is futile because it gets us nowhere. It’s a rat race, a hamster wheel, and meaningless exertion of energy that finally fails. It is meaningless.
Yet, Jesus changed the trajectory of life. He gave life purpose, and gave Himself as a person to redeem us from our sin, take every step in life with us, and ultimately set Himself before us and call us home to Himself.
Conclusion:
So what do we do now?
We rejoice that one day we will “live together with Him.” (I Thessalonians 5:10)
But also we should also rejoice that we can like Him right now. We don’t live in our own power but in His power.
This is how Paul put it: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” Galatians 2:20
