Free to Run Unburdened

INTRODUCTION

Personal introduction—graduated in 2003 (before any of you were born) from DHS.

Fairhaven/Demopolis is a very special place for me.

OVERVIEW

I’m honored to be invited this weekend…met several of you at Super Summer…probably know many of your parents.

Our theme this weekend is “unburdened.”

I recognize that a lot of you have come here this weekend carrying a lot of burdens. You’ve come in here and you’re carrying a lot of family burdens. Maybe you’re carrying some burdens of sin. You know that the way your life is going right now—whether you’re responsible for it or not—it’s not the way the Christian life is supposed to be.

MAIN IDEA FOR THE WEEKEND

How can I run the race of faith UNBURDENED?

This weekend, we’re going to camp out in three verses from Hebrews 12.

Hebrews 12:1–3 ESV

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.

I love sports. How many athletes do we have in here? I grew up playing sports as a kid…I love watching and going to sporting events. I’m probably going to lose half of you right here but “Roll Tide!”

All three of my kids play sports—I help coach them—sometimes a good thing/sometimes it’s not so good.

Athletic metaphor in the New Testament—helps us really understand the gospel.

The writer of Hebrews compares the Christian life—following Jesus—to a race. He’s not talking about a sprint or a 40 yard dash. The Christian life is a long-distance race//a marathon of following Jesus faithfully and obediently until we reach the prize—heaven.

CONTEXT OF HEBREWS: WHY THE AUTHOR IS WRITING—DON’T GO BACK TO YOUR OLD WAY OF LIFE. DON’T FORSAKE JESUS.

The author tells us to “run the race that is set before us.” God has set a race before you. What does that mean?

It means that when you got saved, you were entered into a life-long race of faith….a race that is set before you by King Jesus—a race of faithful obedience. It means that he sets the course.

Some of you, I know, run cross country. And, I know that you don’t get out there before the race and mark your own course. You don’t determine how long or how short of a distance you’ll run. You don’t get out there and say, “Well, here are some obstacles so I’m going to go the easy route.” Those of you who play football or baseball or basketball…there’s a boundary that marks “out of bounds.” You can’t cross it. Football players—you don’t show up on Friday night and go, “Well, you know, I’m tired of running. I think tonight we’ll just play on a 50 yard field.”

Listen, if you’re saved, God has a plan for your life. He has a course marked out for you in the race of faith and obedience. God has set a race for YOU that he is calling you to run so that, by running the race of faith, you will be transformed to look like Christ. The question is—are you going to surrender to His will? His plan for your life? Are you going to live in obedience? Or…are you going to allow yourself to be slowed down and tripped up?

MAIN IDEA

"Running the race unburdened requires letting go of anything that slows us down and trips us up.”

“Let us lay aside…”

A call to action//active. You and I have a choice to make.

EVERY WEIGHT—Things that slow us down.

Here’s what Satan wants to do—distract us. And, here’s what Satan will use to distract us—good things. Seemingly “harmless” things. He’ll use ordinary things to distract us from the race that we’re in.

There are things in every one of our lives that are good things but we devote too much of our time and our minds and our hearts to them.

GIVE EXAMPLES

If that relationship that you’re in isn’t one that is a pursuit of Christ—it’s a distraction.

DISTRACTION—PLAYING BASKETBALL & SCORING FOR THE OTHER TEAM

Is there something in your life that is keeping you from fully following (surrendering to) Jesus?

Free to say “yes”

EVERY SIN—Things that trip us up.

The author isn’t specific about WHICH sins…that’s because sin is sin. You might struggle, though, with different sins than I do.

Give examples.

Again…we don’t get the right to define what sin is. If it is in contradiction to God’s commands it is sin.

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

“The sin that clings so closely.”

A couple of years ago, my kids begged and begged me for a dog. Now, I love dogs in general, but I wasn’t a fan of getting a dog because the dad is usually the one that winds up having to deal with it. Anyway, it didn’t help much when my wife started chiming in and wanting a dog, too. Well, she found a lady in our city that breeds Corgi’s and sells them at a pretty good price. That’s all it took. So, this dog is a great dog. Very well behaved. Not a problem at all. The thing I absolutely HATE about this dog and what I absolutely CANNOT STAND is that it sheds. Corgi’s shed HORRIBLY. There’s hair EVERY FLIPPING WHERE. There’s hair constantly everywhere on the floors, on the furniture, this dog sheds constantly and hair is everywhere. The worst part about it is that the hair will cling to everything it touches—especially clothing. So, I’m constantly checking my clothes to make sure I’m not covered in dog hair because, honestly, there’s nothing more disgusting. I can’t escape the dog hair. Now, there is one option for fixing this problem—kill the dog.

I’m joking—I’d never do that. But, here’s the point…sin clings to us. We can try to hide it. We can try to act like it’s not a big deal but it clings to us…and will eventually expose us.

We have a weak view of sin. We justify it. We condone it. We’re passive toward it. Listen to me—sin is waging war on you. Satan hates you.

Distract you, diverts you, ultimately destroys you.

We will either eliminate sin or sin will eliminate us.

John Owen—be killing sin or sin will be killing you.

Sin is nothing to be played with.

Satan wants to take you out of the race.

some of you—your witness for Jesus is being damaged…(your effectiveness)

So, how do we do lay aside these things?

IDENTIFY

Identify those weights and sins that cling closely to you—distracting you and destroying you.

Pray Psalm 139:23—“Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any sinful way in me.”

CONFESS & REPENT

Maybe you need to leave some things at the altar tonight. Nail them to the cross of Jesus. Repent. Get back on the course. Run with obedience and freedom.

SURRENDER

You can’t do this in your own strength. Be filled with the Spirit.

CLOSING:

This is probably the most important room in my life—cut my teeth in ministry right here—led worship…preached some of my first sermons…ordination, Kristy baptized, got married.

2004—I got right with the Lord right here on this spot.