With Evertyhing

Hebrews: 12:1

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

All around us are people who have a story. Some of you know and call Jesus Lord of your life and others are hearing this phrase for the first time. Those of you that know Christ and call him Lord are witnesses to the goodness of God and testify what God has done in your life …there was something that radically changed your paradigm so that from that moment in your life there was a turning point occurred… a point of no return to the old way of living. Something set you on a track to pursue Jesus. What the author in Hebrews called, a race . When you picture a race ..there is a specific track a course that you are on. You do not have to be a runner to know that we could have this mental image of the end. There is a distinct start and a distinct end.

With the end there is a prize..the best prize that no earthly thing can buy or human relationship can sustain. That prize is eternity with Jesus ..who in fact is cheering us on along the way …

Now with this mental picture of a race for those of you who are athletes or maybe once were an athlete. You know the power of one cheering you on. ESPECIALLY when you are feeling weak like you can no longer go any further. You are just ready to throw in the towel. A mental picture I had of this was me this last november when is ran my first marathon 26.2 miles. Now i knew what i was doing when i signed up for this. I was not pressured in. I was not born a runner. I chose this life ;)

And many of you in your faith story; when you have had a turning point in your life…where you you chose Jeus. To give your whole life to Christ. Many of you can look back and see the excitement you first had. You were are on “fire”. You felt on top of the world . The adrenal was high… you know you got this faith thing.

You are like I’m saved, I’m baptizea. I serve at my church! but life gets hard. Our faith gets weary. Troubles still do come. We STILL face sin and have to daily set it aside.

Let me tell you .. when i signed up for the marathon..I was like i got this. I’m a runner. But Mile 19. I felt weary. Mile 19 i felt like i could not go on. There are these things called gu. That give you energy to help with the sugar levels you need to not get too low on that. And i was out. Mile 19 i was hurting and i still had 7 miles to go. But can i tell you it was those around me that cheered me on. That literally jump into the course i was on to pray with me so that I could have faith to believe i could cross that finish line.

You may be on a course where you have never met Jesus or you have but you are feeling weak …spiritually weak in your knees. Jesus in the one who pioneered the track you are on in the first place. He knows the finish line. Knows the course. Because he had to endure the hardest course of all, the cross. By this and because of this we are able to access the freedom. Access daily grace. Access the greater purpose and calling that we could not do on our own. So as we are on this race… although there are struggles and sufferings moments that we go through…we do not have to go through it alone.

We can set aside these troubles, lay aside these temptations to sin and allow the Holy Spirit to carry the yoke . We do not have to carry the yoke anymore. But the author here talks about how it is a daily surrender. A daily setting down. Allowing him to carry it. And the motivation to keep going when we get tired is to keep our eyes fixated on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith. He provides the joy that is unexplainable. Our life becomes a testimony as I mentioned. Where our life tells a story demonstrating the goodness of God in the highs and lows of seasons. And with everything we do is an act of worship. WIth every step. Every decision. Every thought is so that we can give glory and honor to our God. It no longer seems like a sacrifice. It no longer seems like a cost because he satisfies our whole life..with his everything.