Finishing The Race (3)

Hebrews 12:1-3 “Finishing the Race”

John Akhwari, was a marathon runner from Tanzania who finished last at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. No last-place finisher ever finished quite so last. He was Injured along the way and hobbled towards the finish line with his leg bloodied and bandaged more than an hour after the rest of the runners had finished. Only a few spectators were left when he finally crossed the finish line. When asked why he continued to run despite the pain, he replied, "My country did not send me to Mexico City to start the race. They sent me here to finish."

Each Christian has a race set before them. The verb raceis the Greek word, agōn. This is where we get our word agony from. It implies a foot race involving struggle and contest. As an illustration Paul uses the idea of a foot race to explain the Christian life which is rather difficult.

I have been in a few races and have watched Tony run many races. How you start is important but what’s more important is how you compete and finish. The key to competing is endurance, It means to bear up under trial, to continue when things get tough. This is also the key word of Chapter 12, it is used in each of our verses and again in vs. 7 & 20.

This letter was written to Jewish saints who suffered many difficulties on behalf of their faith in Jesus. They were tempted to give up and return to Judaism because they thought their suffering was due to God being displeased with them. They had left the covenant of the Law given to them through Moses for new covenant of grace through faith. Our author plainly tells them that the covenant given through Moses had been done away with by the coming of Jesus (Ch. 8-10), and that, that covenant was just a picture of things that were to come (10:1). It was never the Law that please God it was always FAITH. Hebrews 11:1–2 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval.” After a long list of Old Testament saints the author writes, Hebrews 11:39 “And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised,” They lived life based on God’s Promise of a redeemer and a kingdom though it was not fulfilled in their lifetime but they endured as if they had and ultimately received the promise at the end of their life.

*Though we are not suffering persecution for our faith as of yet, life is still difficult and painful. There may be times in your life that you wonder why is this happening to me? What have I done to displease God that I should suffer the things I suffer? You may begin to think that you can’t go any further but you must continue to endure and simply trust Him. Through faith you are approved of God and through faith He has wonderful things in-store for you on earth and more so in heaven.*

Today I want to give you three principles that will help you endure as life gets difficult.

I. Look at those around you (1A)

Regardless of what you go through there is someone who has gone through what you are going through.

ILL: I remember as a young man graduating from Basic training and A.I.T. I got a three day weekend and my dad picked me up from Fort Benning and took me to the deer camp. We had a wonderful weekend of hunting and I didn't want to go back to base. I was staring Airborne School in the face then another 3 years of difficult service. I didn't see how i could go on. Then my dad reminded me that He had been where I was and so had both of my Grandfathers. They got through it and I could too.

I think, that is what the Arthur is saying, “Wherefore seeing we ALSO are compassed with so great a cloud of witnesses.” Imagine for a moment your race takes place in a grand coliseum and the stands are full of people “shouting you can do it, keep running!” That would be nice, however, that is not what the author implies. Cloud is the Greek noun nephos which refers to a huge mass of clouds beyond numbering. These are not spectators but witnesses that surround us. It’s the heroes of faith listed in chapter 11 who bear witness that God can see us through.

I have met many people who say, “I’m a N.T. Christian and I rarely read the O.T.” Romans 15:4 “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” One of the best ways to develop endurance and to find encouragement is to get to know the godly men and women of the O.T. who ran the race before us and won.

Perhaps you are having problems with your family, read about Joseph, whose brothers sold into slavery yet he endured by faith and God was faithful. Perhaps there is a huge task before you, read about Moses who through faith led 2.5 million people out of Egypt. Perhaps you are be treating you harshly and are tempted to retaliate, read about David and how he handled his problem with Saul. Maybe you are lonely and missing someone whom you love dearly, God told Joshua, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Are you discouraged and depressed? Have read about Jobwho lost his children and all his possession yet he said, “though God slay me I will trust in Him.”.

Look at those who have gone before you, who ran a difficult race but endured because they had a promise from God. They endured through faith knowing that God is faithful and you can too.

II. Look at yourself (1b)

If you are struggling in your race perhaps you need to look at yourself. You may be carrying baggage that is hindering you from competing. Perhaps it’s time to go to the Lord in prayer asking Him to reveal what must be let go of.

We are told to “Lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily bests us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” I’m proud that I hold or held the ABAC Police Academy’s record for the 2 mile run. I use to be fast yet I would never run with weights on my ankles, yet so many of us carry the heavy burden of bad decisions and sin. We are to lay these things aside, which means to get rid of them.

Get rid of everything that hinders our progress rather it is good or bad. The enemy of the best is most the good. Have you played baseball or watched a baseball game? While on deck you swing your bat with a heavy weighted collar around it. This is good because it helps improve the quickness of your bat, but you would never step to the plate with the collar on and swing at a 95 mph fastball. Likewise, we must decide to shed the good so that we can have the best!

Many of us are attempting to live the life of faith with sin tripping us up. We must shed the sin n our lives. Sin means wrong doing. It is anything that separates you from God, but in this context the author is referring to unbelief. We must trust God. It was through faith that Abraham left Ur of the Chaldeas for a better country promised by God (11:17), and it was by faith that Abraham offered up Isaac the promised son of God because he believed God would even raise his son from the dead (11:19) to fulfill His promise (11:18). It is through faith that we endure life! Unbelief keeps us from competing! Unbelief entangles us in the snares of sin and we fall down. Entangle (Beset) in the Greek means controlling tightly or constricting. In ancient Israel men wore long tunics that they girded in their beltline before they got busy. A man would never run a race in a tunic because his feet would get caught up as he ran.

ILL:In the Greek influenced world, athletic events were an important part of culture. That is why ancient Greek art comprises of statues with ripped men who are naked. They were not advocating pornography but merely sculpting athletes as they competed, much like a baseball card. They were nude or nearly nude because that is how they competed. They didn’t allow anything to hinder or trip them up. Likewise, we must remove the hindrances by taking them off through repentance and faith and never exchange the best for mere good.

III. Look at Jesus Christ (2-3)

During the race of life it is necessary to look at Christ Jesus. In Hebrews 11 the phrase “by faith: is used 21 times, indicating that it is faith in Jesus that enables us to endure. We are to “look unto Jesus.” Looking means to fix your attention. This is an attitude of faith and not just one time act. The author writes in Hebrews 2:13a “I will put My trust in Him.”

Jesus is the originator and perfecter of faith, Phil. 1:7 “tells us that He who began a good work you will perfect it.” He is also the Perfect example of faith because He endured more than any of the heroes of faith named in Chapter 11. Heb. 12:4 tells us that the original audience had not yet to the point of shedding blood. But Jesus endured the shameful humiliating cross even though He had legions of angels at His disposal! He didn’t come down until He had finished the will of God (10:7).

It was through faith that even He endured, as He kept His eye on the Joy that was set before Him. This is an allusion Psalm 16:8-10 “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.” He knew that He would come out of that borrowed tomb alive! With His work finished He would ascend to heaven and take His rightful place in glory. And through faith, as Jesus’ half brother Jude (24) writes He will make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,” His joy is complete when He presents us to the Father!

Jesus is our victor who gives us hope of a future. The message of a future hope runs all through this letter, in Hebrews 10:23 we are told “Let us hold fast the confession of our hopewithout wavering, for He who promised is faithful;” The heroes of faith lived for the future, and regardless of what life looks like now, we must too! So, let’s run our race with endurance, looking at those winners who have gone before us, examining ourselves for hindrances and when they are found remove them, all while fixating our eyes on Jesus!