Define: Weight (Webster): anything that blocks progress
Weight (Greek): OgkOs, ong’ - kos, a
burden or hindrance
I. Weight - Faith IN Depth
A. Before we can examine the text here in Hebrews 12, we must go back to chapter 11. Chapter 11 of Hebrews gives us the identity of how losing weight produces the absolute faith and favor of God.
B. The Jewish Christians to whom the Epistle to the Hebrews is addressed were demoralized and discouraged. Christianity had proven difficult for them. It was radical. It set aside centuries of tradition. It emphasized a new but troubling kind of spiritual freedom. In short, it incurred the wrath of the Jewish religious establishment. Many converts were not ready to turn back and to leave the eneasy, uncharted waters of faith for the comfortable, familiar life of works and moral effort. This was the choice they faced: depending on the Law or following Jesus, trying to appease God or trusting in Him, a complicated religious system or a simple relationship with the living God through Christ.
After reminding these immature believers of the superiority of Jesus Christ, the writer of Hebrews, beginning in 10:19, demonstrates for them the superiority of faith. Faith means we cannot see the outcome; we are not sure what lies ahead. "We’re not sure what the future holds, but we know who hold the future." Faith means clinging to the hope that God will eventually triumph; He will come back to earth in judgment, to reward those who have sought after him. And so we obey. We do God’s bidding, even when submission is hard.
It is the response of obedience that qualifies the characters in ch. 11 as people of great faith. Abraham and Sarah believed God; consequently, they obeyed Him, regardless of the consequences. It is the kind of willing trust that pleases God. Anything less will not do. Those who do not have faith cannont see past the physical world around them. They are limited by their temporal circumstances and are blind to what God is doing. But those who open their spiritual eyes can see the spiritual realities, which transcend this world. Their hope is in God’s strength to endure. When it comes to faith, the world scoffs. Faith, at best, seems like a great waste; at worst, it seems mose suicidal. Do we really want to give up all the pleasures of this world for something elusive and ethereal?
C. v. 1 - Many have misconstrued Hebews 11 for many years. This verse is not a definition of faith, but a description of faith does. Substance means "essence" or "reality" in this text. Faith treats things hoped for as reality. Evidence here means "proof" or "conviction." Faith itself proves that what is unseen is real, such as the believer’s rewards at the return of Christ.
D. v. 2 - The elders are the believers of the Old Testament. Good testimony refers to God’s approval; He considered them righteous because of their faith.
E. v. 3 - worlds: Faith understands that the invisible God created the vast universe.
F. v. 4 - Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable to God because of his faith, and he was therefore declared righteous. Evidently Cain offered his sacrifices without faith. Abel still speaks to us because his righteous deeds have been recorded in Scripture.
G. v. 5 - The word comes is used repeatedly in Hebrews to refer the the privilege of drawing near to God. Here the author of Hebrews explains that faith is mandatory for those who approach Him. Rewarder: God rewards not only those who seek him, but those who do God works in the Holy Spirit’s power.
II. As we venture back to chapter 12 of Hebrews, we are going to find ways to lose weight and run the race of faith.
A. v. 1 - The cloud of witnesses refers to the people of faith whom we just discussed in ch.11 of Hebrews. They are not actually spectators watching us, they are witnesses testifying to the truth of the faith.
B. We as believers must understand that even those faith warriors had weight on their shoulders. That is why they come over to ch. 11 of Hebrews and give their testimony.
C. Unless there’s a test, there can’t be a testimony. Adam’s weight was disobedience. The testimony or the results of his weight produced bad things for us as believers. That is why we sin and that is why we all have to die.
D. Understand this, originally, we were created to never die. The bible lets us know in Romans, through Adam’s disobedience, sin entered the world. Adam’s testimony shoud have been, "I repent for messing up your lives." Does this mean that we should continue in sin? "NO!" That is why the law was made of none of effect because God came back in Romans 6:1 and he discussed this sin situation and he let us know that we should not continue in sin because grace has abounded.
E. Abraham’s had weight on his shoulders. Abraham went in to Haggai and had Ishmael. Ishmael wasn’t the child of the promise. Many have misconstrued the thought that Abraham was a liar because he called Sarah his sister. The marriages of the family of Terah were very close. In this patrician society, the marriages of close relatives were regarded as a sign of rank. Abraham and Sarah apparently agreed that she would invoke the plea that she was his sister wherever they might happen to be. Later, the law would prohibit the marriage of people so closely related.
III. Reasons for Weight:
A. Sin - Christians have become so accustomed to sinning it has become a part of who they are. "I am not a sinner." What we as believers need to understand is that, a "sinner" is one who practices sin and a "beliver" is one who practices righteousness. Christians have gotten the feeling that we can do whatever and still live the abundant life of God. Galatians 6:7, "Be not deceived. God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." I do care who you are, we all have to pay for our sins.
B. Debt - another trick of the enemy to keep you weighed down. I have a problem with a Christian who attends church on a regular basis, but don’t tithe. Tithing is a biblical principle that God uses to bless us and allow us to receive his unmerited favor. People don’t tithe like they’re supposed to because they’re looking at their circumstances.
Debt is a spirit of the enemy to keep the believers in poverity and to keep the believers from obtaining their place in the kingdom of God.
I want so much wealth that I can support the pastor’s vision at anytime he’s given something by God. I want so much wealth that when someone needs a car to get back and forth to work, I can go and buy them a car and it affects nothing of mine. I want so much wealth that I can build youth centers, churches, around the world so that we can live the abudant life in abudance. I don’t care how many tongues we may speak or know. The bible lets me know in Ecclesiastes 10;19, "A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry, but money answereth all things." Christians don’t talk about wealth because they are afraid of laying aside they weight and afraid of change.
C. Understand me clearly. Deuteronomy 8:18 lets me know, "And we shall remember the covenant which he swore to our forefathers, for it is the Lord thy God who giveth thee power to get wealth." I refuse to be in debt and I refuse to let the devil steal from me. Ephesians 4:27-28 says, "Don’t give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer." You got to get tired of the enemy stealing your stuff.
D. Look at your neighbor and say, "LAY ASIE THAT WEIGHT AND GET YOUR STUFF."
E. Many other sins have stopped the flow of God’s blessings. Fornication, lying, selfishness, rebellion, idolatry, hatred, strife, and jealousy are just some of which have stopped the flow of the blessings of God upon our lives. I have never seen more jealous Christians in this time than ever before. Instead of being obedient and doing God’s will, you rather prostitute God’s gift and his anointing. We are like crabs in a bucket. If you have ever seen crabs before, you notice the crabs in the bucket are always trying to pull the other down when one tries to go to the top. We are so interested that our names many not be called. Someone may not see our new dress or our new suits. I am so glad that I don’t have to impress nobody because God knows me for me and he knows everything about me. God is a rewarded of all rewards, the seen and unseen. I don’t have to kiss-up to nobody, lye on nobody, or steal for anybody, all I have to do is keep my hand in the winding chamber and keep my faith in God and he’ll work everything out for me.
F. Hunch you neighbor and tell them: "LOSE WEIGHT AND YOU’LL FEEL GREAT!"
IV. Biblical Characters - They lost the weight....!
A. Woman had a flow of blood twelve years - touched Jesus garment and her issue of blood left her and she lived a healty life. The bible says it was her faith that made her whole.
B. Blind Bartimaeus - Bartimaeus cried to Jesus so loud that the disciples came and asked him to bequiet. Bartimaeus continued to cry and Jesus heard him and told the disciples to bring the man to him. The blind man eyes became opened.
C. Syro-Phoenician woman daughter had an infirmity. She went to Jesus and Jesus called her a "dog!" The woman rested at Jesus’ feet and said, "Even the dogs deserve the crumbs that fall from the master’s table." Jesus loved her humility and her daughter was healed.
V. Close -
A. The church is in the condition it’s in because leaders are doing more sinning that the members are. Pastors have placed the wrong people in leadership because of senority or how depending on how much money they pay in the church. Look at your neighbor and say, "LAY ASIDE THE WEIGHT!"
B. It is time for we as believers to rise and take our place in the body of Christ and be all that God has ordained us to be. I am tired of being an average Christian. I want to be about average, peculiar. I want people to know the God that I serve without carrying a Bible under my arm or speaking in fake tongues. I want the glow the shine so bright that they are converted.
C. God bless you, LOSE WEIGHT! - close!
