Endurance

I have been blessed to be with you guys. I feel sad that Olivia and I are leaving, but I am encouraged to see what great things are happening here in your lives.

I expect many more great things, and bright futures ahead of you guys. Most importantly, I am encouraged at the thought of a bunch of teenagers living their lives boldly for the Lord.

It seems like an uphill battle, but it is one that you will never fight alone.

I want to leave you guys with this thought. Running a long and grueling race that is life. It’s not a sprint, but more of a drawn out marathon.

The writer of Hebrews, at the beginning of chapter 12, lays out this well written charge to Christians.

Hebrews 12:1–2 “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, 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.”

Everyone close your eyes. I want you to guys to imagine something with me. Think hard. Imagine you are about to run this massive race in an a huge stadium. You walk out on the track, you find your way to the starting block, and you stand there looking around you. The stands are packed with people cheering and yelling, then all of a sudden you hear them chanting YOUR name.

You get excited, you take your place, you kneel down in the starting block…

Now you can open your eyes.

We run this race called life everyday. It’s not as easy as simply running laps on a track though. There are twists and turns, obstacles to hurdle over. Sometimes it seems like were are running fast, then sometimes it seem like we are crawling. At times we seem to be moving ahead, others it’s almost like we’re going backwards, and many times we fill like we are standing still.

But the race still continues on.

Motivation: Crowd of witnesses

You are not alone.

The author of Hebrews wrote an entire chapter, chapter 11, of faithful men and women who have gone one before us. They faced obstacles, they face the persecution that you feel, they faced the failure, the triumphs, the setbacks, the progress… everything that you experience, they experienced it too.

Do you know where they are? Heaven, with Jesus Christ. They ran their race. They fought the good fight, they crossed that finish line, and now there are enjoying their time with their Lord.

You can too. Do you know what separates you from all of these iconic men and women of history? Nothing. Same Jesus, same spirit, same power. Nothing separates you but your faithfulness. If they can, you can, and they have already shown us that it is possible!

Preparation:

Now you have to prepare to run your race. If you are going to run a race well do you want to show up in boots, or heels? Do you want to be wearing jeans and an oversized coat? Would you be wearing a backpack full of of books, or a weighted vest? Seems kind of counter productive, does it not?

The desire of the runner is to be as light and aerodynamic as possible.

In this race of life, sin bogs us down. Sin causes us to stumble. Poor choices set us back. If we are going to run our races well, we have to put our sins behind us and strain forward toward our goal.

I don’t know what you have done, or what you are doing now, or what you are going to find yourself into in the future, but know this, Jesus paid for it already. He has purchased that sin with His blood, you are free from it. Let it go, walk away, and move forward.

Our Goal

Jesus. He is standing at the finished line with arms wide open waiting to receive us. He is watching over us every step of the way, encouraging us to keep pushing through. He has already run the race, and He has conquered all for us.

Focus on Jesus. Read His word. Apply it to your life. Walk close to Him. Share His good news. Let go of everything else. If it Jesus or it isn’t drawing you to Jesus, then it does not matter. Let it go. Focus on Him. Let the weight of your past fall off, rest in His peace and forgiveness, and run your race with endurance.

God bless you guys. You have a bright future in Him. Submit to His will, and follow Him above all. Everyting else will fall into place.

Let’s Pray