More Than Resolutions: Running the Race Set Before Us Pt.2

Introduction

Suppose you had been involved in a tragic accident and all the experts said you would never be able to walk again? This is Glenn Cunningham, known as the "Kansas Ironman." As a young boy, his legs were severely burned in a schoolhouse fire, and doctors said he'd never walk again.

The doctors had done all they could. There was no such thing as transplants and skin grafts in those days nearly a century ago, and even if there had been, the Cunninghams were not likely candidates to afford the processes.

They sent him home with a wheelchair and crutches, advising the family to massage the legs to stretch the muscles and restore suppleness to his lower limbs. Cunningham commented on the arduous regimen in his autobiography, American Miler: The Life and Times of Glenn Cunningham, by Paul J. Kiell. “It hurt like mad,” Glenn said, “especially when my father stretched my legs...When my father would get tired I’d ask my mother to do the massaging and stretching and when she couldn’t do any more I’d start doing it myself.”

Glenn was determined to walk again, and endured the excruciating routine as a necessary evil.

One sunny day, during the summer of 1919, his mother wheeled him into the yard for fresh air, as was her custom. She went back inside. A few minutes later, she was astonished to see Glenn crawling on the ground! She rushed outside, thinking something was wrong. By the time she had reached her son, Glenn had pulled himself across the grass and raised himself up on the picket fence. He then proceeded to drag himself along the fence, stumbling as he tried to will his legs into functioning, determined that he would walk, all the while resisting his mother’s attempts to help.

He did this every day for weeks, until he had worn a path along the fence. Slowly—over a period of months—Glenn’s legs began to function, to the astonishment of the doctors. After he began walking again, he made another discovery:

“It hurt like thunder to walk, but it didn't hurt at all when I ran. So for five or six years, about all I did was run.

He ran everywhere.

By the time he as 12, Glenn—running despite having legs that were still riddled with scars—was outrunning everyone in his age group in Elkhart, Kan., where his family had set down roots.

He went on to run track at Elkhart High School, becoming a miler. In his last schoolboy race, he set a national record, running the mile with a time of 4 minutes, 24.7 seconds

So, not only did he walk, but he went on to become a record-breaking middle-distance runner and Olympian.

But I will say this- while his story is inspiring, we don’t need to be Glenn Cunningham. The point isn't that everyone needs to overcome tragedy to become an Olympian. Instead, Cunningham ran his unique race - the one set before him. He didn't try to be someone else or run someone else's race. You and I are called to set out and run the race that God has set before us.

As we move into this new year, it’s not about resolutions as it is my hope that we be conscious of the race that God has set before each of us, and we run that race. The pastor who wrote the book of Hebrews admonishes to do just that.

If you have your Bibles, or on your devices, would you turn to our text this morning in Hebrews 12:1-3. If you are willing and/or able, would you please stand with me as I read God’s word this morning.

Pray

You may be seated.

Running OUR Race

So with that understanding of abiding, and out of our abiding flows our doing, I want to encourage the us this year in Hebrews 12:1-3.

Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,”

“a great cloud of witnesses”: Those that have run the race before us. Those who have gone before us died in the Lord and are now as we speak, worshiping God with the angels in His presence. Family members, brothers and sisters in the Lord, some known and many unknown, all worship Jesus.

In many historic and ancient churches, even still today, they always had a cemetery connected to the church. On All-Saints day which is November 1, it is a church holiday to remember those who have left us and are before the Lord. You would walk to church and see those headstones as a reminder of their position before the Lord. If you were walking through a difficult time or had terrible tragedy take place, they would be a source of comfort because that is your end… not that your final resting place is in the ground but that it is before the Lord…

Romans 6:4–5 “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

It’s not just those that we love, but it’s those that we even see listed in Hebrews 11, the chapter before. If you were here for our Advent series you’ll remember that Bruce Jensen talking about the Gospel in the Family, that the people mentioned in the Old Testament all had their trials and difficulty, but God remained faithful… how can you expect a rose garden without the thorns.

“throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles”: What would life be like if you were able to speak to your younger self about the things you went through. “Hey Peter, focus on this and not that.” “Hey, lean into this relationship and not that.” “Do what you did here, that was good.” “Guess what, bro, there are difficult times ahead, but just know we get through it and the highlights are going to completely outweigh the hard times. God is so faithful!”

What hinders you now? What sin is about you that you need to shed? We can’t do it apart from the power of the Holy Spirit, we need to be born again… but what is the sin we need to shed? Sin is what we’ve done, what has been done to us, or has been done in our presence. It’s weighing us down and is keeping us from what God is calling us too.

In Collin Hansen’s autobiography of the late theologian, pastor, and church planter, Tim Keller… He spoke about the move that Tim and his family made to New York to plant Redeemer Presbyterian, on pg 192, Hansen writes this, “Kathy (Tim’s wife) considers that decision “one of the most truly ‘manly’ things” her husband ever did. The move scared him. But he felt God’s call. He had no way of knowing the result would be a dynamic, growing megachurch. He just knew it was the next step of faith, even if the church were to end in failure.”

A follower is more concerned about obedience to the Father then we are concerned about the "success" or outcome of our race.

There is a reason that runners seek to wear the lightest gear possible as not hinder their race. We throw off the things that entangle us and slow us down.

“and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us”: What I want to say here is that this is about our race. Not someone else’s race. At this moment, our race has us together. We are running our own race and a collective race at the same time. Our race is together at this moment but does not mean it will always be. We’ve see some hard but beautiful transitions lately. Pastor Josh left earlier this fall. He is running his race marked out for him. For almost 10 years he was running with us, making us better, but he was running his race. And as God called him to Puyallup because God wanted him for a task, Josh’s race led him there.

What is your race? That is yours. Your race is not my race. My race is not your race. When we don’t know what our race is it is easy to let someone else determine that for us. It’s not fulfilling for us, maybe for that other person, but what is the race God would have you to run? Do that. This again flows out of our being. We’re not running our race for identity, acceptance, or to gain worth, but it is flowing out of who we are in Christ… We cannot NOT do it.

Perseverance is defined as, “persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.”

So this implies that there will be resistance. It will happen, so not only lets shed the weight that will slow us down (the things we can control), but also when we encounter those things we can’t control, let’s persevere. But how?

“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith”: Fixing our eyes on Jesus. Where you look is where you go. True of most every sport and task. Driving, football, baseball, basketball, rock climbing, threading a needle… where we fix our eyes matters.

The pastor who wrote the book of Hebrews says, in your race, fix your eyes on Jesus.

The pioneer:

Isaiah 43:19 “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.””

The perfecter:

Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

John 14:26–27 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

2 Peter 1:3 “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

Matthew 28:20 “… and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

Abiding in Him and allowing our doing to flow from our being.

“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning the shame, and sat down at the right hand of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”: What is possible in this journey/race we are in… we can grow weary and lose heart.

Burnout is real ya’ll.

I was talking with a pastor friend about this on Thursday and sharing with him what I was going to share with you all here today and he said, “Pete, I think there are a lot of pastors who don’t know how to be. They derive their value and worth from their work.” It’s a sad commentary. I think he’s right. I don’t think anyone gets into the business of pastoring thinking this, but it’s easy to end up here.

Jesus word to one of the seven churches in Revelation was exactly along this line… Revelation 2:1–5 ““To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”

While this church hadn’t grown weary, YET, this was the kindness of Jesus to confront them… they were on that path. “Return to your first love”.

When we encounter that resistance in our race that we are running, look to Jesus. Let His life, let His example encourage you.

Hebrews 4:14–15 “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”

It is the ultimate game of follow the leader.

Jesus was the first to go before us.

Our great cloud of witnesses followed Him.

We’re given both examples to follow, but we’re to look to Jesus. Encouraged by the witness of the great cloud of witnesses, but our focus is to be on Jesus… as was theirs (the great cloud of witnesses).

Then we all arrive and are in the presence of Jesus. All of us.

We then join in the great cloud of witnesses to those who come after us. Your name. Your story. Your love that has remained affecting those around you today and tomorrow.

Let us abide. Let us find ourselves grafted into the Vine by the Spirit of God.

Let us bear fruit as we abide. Let our doing flow from our being.

Sometimes it’s all we can do to stand, and that’s ok too.

The apostle Paul in writing to the church in Ephesus in an admonishment to battling Spiritual Warfare… Ephesians 6:10–14 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then…”

Sometimes we just need to hold ground… we can’t advance… that’s ok. Again, it’s about being before any doing… because our doing needs to flow from our being… look at the rest of this section in Ephesians:

Ephesians 6:14–18 “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”

There is only one offensive piece of equipment here where you do something with it. It’s about relationship, knowing God, being in Christ, and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill you and grow you.

Conclusion

As we step into this new year, let's remember that our call isn't to run faster, do more, or try harder in our own strength. Our call is to abide - to remain deeply connected to the Vine, Jesus Christ. When we fix our eyes on Him rather than on our own performance or others' expectations, we find that the fruit of the Spirit naturally flows from that relationship. The race marked out for each of us isn't a contest of religious activity or moral achievement - it's a journey of faithful endurance that springs from who we are in Christ.

Just like those witnesses who've gone before us, our strength doesn't come from gritting our teeth and pushing harder, but from knowing the One who pioneered and perfects our faith. When we stay rooted in this truth, our doing flows naturally from our being - not to earn God's favor, but because His life in us cannot help but produce fruit. So let's run our race with perseverance, not through religious striving or moral effort, but by remaining in Christ, letting His life flow through us, and keeping our eyes fixed on Him who endured the cross for the joy set before Him. For in Him, we find not just the strength to run, but the very purpose of our race.