Sermon Tone Analysis

“THE AUTHOR AND PERFECTER OF FAITH, JESUS”

Hebrews 12:1-3

May 26, 2013

Kevin Rees

There is really only one faith hero; Jesus Christ … the rest are heroic by derivation.

Introduction

• What is the shape of faith for you?

We have spent these last 15 weeks talking about it.

So, what has been cooking, stewing, simmering?

I trust that the next faith-step has been materializing as we have walked the path with Abel, Enoch, Noah and the rest.

• Some might look at your next faith-step and say that’s too radical, or that’s not radical enough.

But we don’t dream up faith’s next step or evaluate it based on previous steps.

Faith is God’s domain.

• I think it is interesting that the news feeds have been juggling the radicalization of the Tsarnaev brothers of the Boston Bombing.

What mutated in their hearts to rush toward violence?

Who coaxed them to dream of mass casualties and terror?

By contrast, and I see nothing similar, those who undergo a radicalization toward the Christian faith sell their belongings, relinquish their jobs, adopt children, feed the poor, visit the home-bound and the prisoner and preach the gospel.

o Psalm 115:8 captures it perfectly—“Those who make them will become like them; everyone who trusts in them.”

We become like the one we worship.

If worship a demon; we become more and more demonic.

If we worship Christ; we become more and more Christ-like.

• But knowing Christ deeply, loving God and others authentically and serving the world compassionately are not radical; they are normal.

What’s abnormal is to see the normal so seldomly that we treat it as radical.

• This chapter is about the next faith-step for the church.

God has given the church a gift in this epistle.

For it is guiding them, quite skillfully, to connect the dots and to fill in the color of their next faith-step.

Through a series of warnings and a flood of better-than comparison the apostle is steering them toward Jesus and away from the traditions of men and away from the Judaism of brick and blood.

• For in just a year or two from the circulation of this letter Jerusalem will be destroyed by General Titus under the new Emperor, Vespasian who came to power after Nero.

Every stone will be toppled.

Every shred of gold will be plundered.

Most of the Jews in Jerusalem will die.

A hundred thousand will be carted to Rome as slaves.

And this epistle is a gift before they might even realize they need it.

• It says: “You have need of endurance” (10:36).

It gives a series of saints who in fact endured.

And it concludes with this command, “Consider Him who endured” (12:3).

o Faith inspires faith.

Steadfastness inspires steadfastness.

Holiness inspires holiness.

o You have need of endurance.

Therefore look to the one who endured perfectly—Jesus Christ.

o It is not Abraham or Moses or Rahab that we primarily consider; it is Jesus.

They endured by looking to Jesus by faith.

We endure by looking to Jesus in faith.

Because in Jesus we have the better promises.

o There is really only one hero in this Hall of Faith—Jesus!

All the others are brave, but secondary.

• The language begins with the imagery of a race.

A foot race, a horse race, a chariot race—they could all work.

Historically, around 68 or 69 A.D. there is no greater racing venue in the world than Circus Maximus

• Circus Maximus—operated in various stages of pomp and circumstance between approximately 500 BC – 500 AD.

At its height it could seat about 150K spectators with perhaps another 100K more looking in from the surrounding hilltops.

It was originally the site for the games—“i ludi”—in honor of the Roman gods much like the Olympic Games were competed in honor of the Greek gods across the Adriatic Sea.

• In 64 A.D. Nero burned Rome and arguably started that fire at the wooden stadium of the Circus Maximus

• So when Vespasian became Emperor one of his first major works was to build stadium, not of wood, but of marble.

We know this marble stadium as the Coliseum started in 70 A.D.—built, at least in part, by the Jewish slaves extracted from Jerusalem.

Some of the very recipients of this letter will be building this monstrosity for the entertainment of the masses and the honor of the Roman pantheon.

• This book, this imagery, is a gift to the Christian subgroup of the Hebrew people.

A happier arena, a more joyful race, an encouraging crowd superimposed over the torture chamber they will be forced to build.

I.

The Feet of Faith (vs. 1)

1 Therefore,

• A conclusion of emphasis—toi gar oun—summarization of entire section.

Unfortunate chapter break.

since we have

• Exo—present participle … we currently have this, “it is not somewhere over the rainbow” or “I wish I may I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight”

so great a cloud of witnesses

• Nephos—not an individual cloud, but a dense mass of clouds that piles higher and higher … greater than any Circus Maximus or Coliseum crowd.

• And the crowd is not full of blood-thirsty spectators, but of fellow witnesses to the promises of Jesus.

• APP—Your next step may be lonely, but you are never alone.

surrounding us,

• Perikeimai—present passive participle—“the metaphor refers to the great amphitheater with the area for the runners and the tiers upon tiers of seats rising up like a cloud” (A.T.

Robertson)

• This is our true setting; the heavenly city—not the city of earthly Jerusalem or the imperial city of Rome

• This may be the only verse that allows the possibility that the heavenly throngs are aware of our struggling on earth.

The faithful do not help the runners, save through encouragement and solidarity.

let us also lay aside

• Apotithemi—aorist middle particple—prepositions preach!

Apo—away from.

Tithemi—to place, to set

every encumbrance

• Every impediment, hindrance—morally neutral.

The garment of flowing robes would be terribly difficult to manage in a race.

Therefore the runner sets it aside as well as any other distraction.

• Set aside the good in order to pursuit the better.

and the sin which so easily entangles us,

• Now negatively, in contrast to the neutral encumbrance, the runner must abandon sin in order to run better.

• Which sins have been highlighted in this marvelous chapter?

Disbelief, leaving the faith, failing to endure, settling for lesser counterfeits when the genuine article is offered in Christ.

• The sin “cleverly places itself around in order to exert tight control” (Friberg)

and let us run with endurance

• The flips side of this admonition is to actively and presently run—trexo—subjunctive present.

• It is not enough to rid ourselves of barriers.

We must also run skillfully and perseveringly.

the race that is set before us,

• This race—agon—where we get our English word “agony.”

• It is a false conclusion that the faith life will be an effortless life.

There is struggle.

There is sweat.

There is agonizing training and enduring.