KEEP ON RUNNING THE RACE
Hebrews 12:1-4
The Bible is full of references to Sports. Warren Wiersbe said that if the Apostle Paul were alive today, he would read the sports page. He often talks about running in a race, the victor’s crown, even about boxing. The writer of Hebrews also used sports as an analogy of the Christian life.
The challenge of this passage is that life is seen as a great-life long marathon race. In a marathon, everyone who finishes is a winner. The secret of a marathon is endurance. The King James calls it "patience". The NIV calls it "persevance." We could call it a "holy stick to it tiveness."
Some of the readers were tired of the running and were tempted to give up and turn back. The writer of Hebrews is encouraging them to keep on running and not give up. We are to continue in the race God has marked out for us. His words encourage us to keep on running the race. His counsel is certainly applicable for today when so many, it seems, are turning away from the Faith. What is this text telling us to do if we are to persevere in the race of life?
I. LOOK BEHIND YOU (V. 1a) (11:32-40)
“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses….” We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. "Witnesses" does not mean a great cloud of spectators. "Witness" = Martyr. They are not witnesses to what we are doing. Rather they are reminding us that that God can see us through. One of the best ways to endure when the running gets difficult is to remember those who have run before us. To remember how their faith saw them through.
Ron Hutchcraft describes chapter 11 as the alumni in the stands rooting for those who now wear the uniform. Those mentioned in Chapter 11 are God’s honored alumni, who have run for Him in previous generations. The writer then writes about the faith of Abel, of Enoch, of Noah, of Abraham. Isaac and Jacob. Of Moses, etc. The men and women of faith in the Old Testament bear witness that the way of faith is not only the best way, but also the only way. Chapter 11 teaches us that "without faith it is impossible to please God." We need to learn from the example of those who run before us. In the last part of chapter 11, we notice that:
A. SOME DID PROFOUND EXPLOITS THROUGH FAITH (11:32-35a) “And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of rGideon and sBarak and tSamson and uJephthah, also of vDavid and wSamuel and the prophets: 33 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, xstopped the mouths of lions, 34 yquenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 35 zWomen received their dead raised to life again.”
B. OTHERS ENDURED INTENSE SUFFERING BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH (35b. - 38. “Others were atortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and bof chains and imprisonment. 37 cThey were stoned, they were sawn in two, 2were tempted, were slain with the sword. dThey wandered about ein sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, fin dens and caves of the earth.
39 And all these, ghaving obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be hmade perfect apart from us.”
God commended them for their faith and said that the world was not worthy of them. Though they did not receive the promise, they looked forward to the fulfillment in Jesus Christ. God rewarded their faith. God has provided something better for us in that we now look back to the fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption in Jesus.
The role call of faith could continue until our day. We could add many names to the list. John Wesley, D. L. Moody, those missionaries who in the past year have laid down their lives for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Perhaps it was your grandparents or your great grandparents, or your mom or dad who ran their race for Jesus all the way to the finish no matter how hard it got. Maybe you are thinking of former pastors, now with the Lord; i.e. Bob Sanderson, James Watts, etc. They are no doubt in heaven’s grandstand, cheering us own because it is now our time to run. Thank God for those faithful people who maintained their faith in spite of adversities. Let’s learn from them.
II. LOOK AROUND YOU (v. 1b)
“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”
The “great cloud of witnesses,” is a reference to the people of faith in chapter 11. They have finished their race. Their marathon is over and their race has been completed. Now it is our time to run. You have been in training, and yes, further training will be necessary, but it is your time to run. There are two things you and I must do if we are to run with perseverance the race set before us.
A. WE MUST LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT THAT WOULD IMPEDE OUR RUNNING. Now weight’s themselves are not necessarily the bad things. However, they will keep you from the best things. The runner in training will use weights. Weights build strength, but impede progress in the race itself. A baseball player will practice swing with a weight on his bat, but when it comes time to bat, the weight is laid aside.
B. WE MUST LAY ASIDE ENTANGLING SIN. Now the Bible does not say which specific sin is being mentioned. All sin, of course, must be laid aside. However, the context of the book of Hebrews deals especially with the sin of unbelief. Unbelief is the root problem of all sin. Look around you and see what the weights are and the sin is that entangles you. We are to lay them all aside.
III. LOOK BEYOND YOU (VV. 2-4)
“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
The recipients of the book of Hebrews were tempted to turn back. To do so would cause them to miss the mark, to not reach the goal. We must keep looking towards the goal. "Looking unto Jesus." He is the goal of the Christian life. To look means to "trust." It is by looking to Jesus that we are saved. (EX. Numbers 21:4-9). They looked to the bronze serpent and were healed. We look to the cross and are saved. But we need to keep on looking to Jesus all through life. “Consider Him.”
A. CONSIDER WHO JESUS IS: “The author and finisher of our faith.”
1. He is the author of our faith. He began it, and will lead to the finish. The word “author” could be translated, “pioneer.” Jesus is the one who led the way. He is the author, or pioneer, of our faith in the sense that He has provided us with the only perfect example of what the life of faith is like.
2. He is also the finisher of our faith. He not only began the race but finished it triumphantly. For Him the race course stretched from heaven to Bethlehem, then on to Gethsemane and Calvary, then out of the tomb and back to heaven. At no time did He falter or turn back. He kept His eyes fixed on the coming glory when all the redeemed would be gathered with Him eternally. He will one day bring our faith to it’s victorious completion.
B. CONSIDER WHAT JESUS DID: He endured the cross and because of that he give us hope. Jesus thought nothing of the shame of the cross. He willingly endured suffering and death for our sins.
C. CONSIDER WHERE JESUS NOW REIGNS: This refers to Jesus’ resurrection, ascension, and exaltation to the right hand of the throne of God. The “right hand of the throne of God” is the place of supreme authority, the control room of the universe.
Note that “He sat down.” This signifies that His work of redemption was complete. The Old Testament priests never sat while doing their work because their work was never finished. Jesus sat down because His work of redemption was complete. The Cross never needs repeating. Fix your eyes on Jesus.
The picture changes from a race to a fight against sin. Our undaunted Captain is the Lord Jesus; no one ever endured such hostility from sinners as He. Whenever we have a tendency to grow weary and discouraged, we should think of what He went through. Our trials will seem trifling by comparison.
12:4 We are engaged in a ceaseless striving against sin. Yet we have not resisted to the point of bloodshed, that is, to the point of death. He did! (MacDonald, W. 1997, c1995. Believer’s Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Heb 12:3-4). Thomas Nelson: Nashville)
CONCLUSION: All of us would like to finish well Some of us are approaching the finish line in our marathon race. Once I preached a sermon on this passage and entitled it “We’ve Come too far to Turn Back Now.” We must stay in the running if we would finish well.
As he neared the end of his earthly pilgrimage, the Apostle Paul wrote these significant words. “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of mmy departure is at hand. 7 nI have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me othe crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous pJudge, will give to me qon that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (2 Tim 4:6-8) If you and I would finish well in the Christian life, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. I love the words of a little chorus which I learned in college. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."
KEEP ON RUNNING
You and I Are in life’s marathon race,
You must run to win The approval of Jesus’ face.
There will be times when you feel like giving up,
But you must keep on running If you would win the cup.
Look behind you At faith’s hall of fame.
They all ran their race With fervent hearts aflame
Some accomplished great victories As their race was run.
Others endured fiery trials Through faith in God’s only Son.
Look around you Ere your race begins,
Lay aside every weight And cast away all besetting sins.
Look beyond you. Fix your eyes on Jesus’ face.
He is the author and finisher Of life’s marathon race.
Oh, dear friend, Please don’t give up.
You must stay in the running If you would win the cup.
