Run to Finish the Race
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 139 viewsNotes
Transcript
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
Most products today—no matter what it is—comes with a warning label. It’s probably because companies are afraid of being sued for any reason—especially by people who do really dumb things with their product and wind up getting hurt.
This week, I looked up some of the most ridiculous warning labels and I wanted to share a few with you.
On a letter opener package, a warning label read, “Safety goggles recommended.” Someone some dimwit hurt his eye with a letter opener.
On a Dremel rotary tool, the warning label read, “This product is not intended for use as a dental drill.”
On the packaging of a Superman costume, the warning label read, “This costume does not enable flight or super strength.”
The warning label on a sun shield reads, “Do not drive with sun shield in place.”
Some warnings are serious, though.
The book of Hebrews is both an encouragement and a warning to believers. DON’T GO BACK TO YOUR OLD WAY OF LIFE.
It’s easy to start well. It’s hard to finish well. Everyone starts off strong. Many don’t end well.
We’re coming to the end of our weekend together and we’ve been looking at how we can run the race that has been set before us UNBURDENED.
Let’s look, one more time, at our main passage of scripture:
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.
We lay aside every weight and sin. We run with endurance. And, finally, the writer of Hebrews tells us to “look to Jesus.” Or, as some translations of the Bible say, “keep your eyes on Jesus.”
Now, with that as our foundation, there’s another passage of Scripture that I want us to focus in on tonight. Turn in your bible to 2 Timothy 4.
>>>EXPLAIN WHAT’S GOING ON WITH PAUL<<<
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
Paul finished well. Paul had no regrets. I’m sure there are things he wishes he had done differently (explain). Now, yes, Paul is ending his ministry and is near the end of his life. You’re just in high school and middle school. But…listen to me—your life matters right now. The decisions you make right now in your life matter. The way you run the race of faith matters now. Your obedience to God matters now. Your endurance matters now. Your putting off of weight and sin matters now. If you’re saved, God doesn’t wait until you’re 25 or 30 for your life to start mattering.
Let me ask you—will you be able to say this when you leave this chapter of your life?
“While I was in high school/middles school/youth group— I fought the good fight, I ran the race, I kept the faith.”
A) Fought the good fight
A lot of fights that Satan tries to drag us into.
B) Kept the faith
Stayed faithful
C) Finished the race
Did everything that God set before me.
Man. That’s how we should want to finish.
But, there’s another person in this text.
For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
He fell in love with this present world and deserted Paul. What an extremely sad statement. We don’t really know a lot about Demas. He’s only mentioned twice by Paul in greetings (Colossians 4:14 & Philemon 24).
Two very different outcomes in two very different lives.
One (Paul) stayed falling in love with Jesus and the other fell in love with the present world. One’s love for Jesus led him to pursuing Jesus even more deeply and passionately and faithfully and the other’s love for the world led him to pursue the things the world has to offer.
ONE KEPT HIS EYES ON JESUS—THE OTHER KEPT HIS EYES ON THE WORLD.
So, how can you run the race—unburdened—so that you finish your race well?
How do you end up like Paul rather than Demas?
Here’s the thing—Paul stayed the course. Demas drifted off course.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS.
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
Pay close attention to the gospel—KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS—so that you do not drift away.
1. The Warning of Drifting
Drifting doesn’t happen over night. It happens slowly and subtly. Implied, here, is that drifting away from the gospel/away from Jesus happens when we DON’T “pay close attention” to what we have heard. In other words, we drift when we aren’t intentional.
There have been several times when my family and I are at the beach and me and the kids will be out in the ocean playing…just having a good ole’ time. You’ve probably experienced this, too. You go out in the water and look back to the shore where your stuff is…maybe where your wife is sitting and telling you that the water is too rough for the kids. Anyway, you’re out there and you’re playing with the kids and you’re having a good time and a little while later you look up at the shore and you’re not in the same spot you started. You didn’t stay intentionally locked into your point of reference and you’ve wound up a quarter-mile down the beach.
Now, we laugh at that and can all relate to that but drifting can be really dangerous. Just a few years ago, one of our church members, Jeff Baldwin almost drowned!
Drifting happens when you lose your point of reference. You don’t try to drift.
Marriages drift in intimacy and closeness over time. Churches drift from their mission when they neglect their purpose. Business drift from their core values.
2. The Warning Signs of Drifting
We neglect what we don't view as important.
Again, it’s implied, here, that drifting begins when we don’t “pay close attention” to what we have heard.
Is the gospel/Jesus just a slice of the pie of your life?
We neglect what we don't view as valuable.
“such a great salvation” // the infinite value of your salvation
the grace upon grace that you have received from God through Jesus
The blood that was shed for your salvation
The love that you are loved with by God even while you are in your sin
We neglect what we don't view as true.
The author argues, here, for the validity of the message of the gospel.
3-fold witness—The Lord (Jesus); the apostles; the miracles and works of the Holy Spirit through the apostles.
“relevant”
Churches that drift from the gospel—changing what they believe about social issues…drifting away from what the Word of God says and conforming to what the world says.
Bringing God’s judgment on them.
Is the way that we live our life make God a liar?
3. The Way We Can Avoid Drifting
We come back to verse 1…we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard.
“continue to give oneself to”
Daily nurture your love for and devotion to Jesus by anchoring yourself to the gospel.
Kristy and I will drift apart from each other in marriage if we aren’t paying close attention to one another. You will drift in
Is Jesus greater to me than anything that would cause me to drift?
Repeat—we drift when we’re not intentional.
Would you, being honesty with the Lord, say that you’ve neglected the gospel in your life?
A) Where is your joy?
Happiness vs. Joy
Happiness is short lived
Joy is eternal
What was the joy that was set before Jesus?
Glory
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
B) What is it worth?
Take up your cross and follow me?
What does it profit a person if they gain the world and lose their soul?
Rich young ruler
We want the glory without the suffering. We want the crown without the cross.
What are you giving your life to? Who are you living for?
Are you living a life that matters—for eternity?
C) Live with a Long-Range View
Paul is looking backward. You’re going to be looking backward one day. How do you look backward with no regrets? You live in the present with the future in mind.
Look. I get it. You’re a middle schooler or you’re a high schooler. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. You’re not thinking about life beyond high school right now.
I sat EXACTLY where you’re sitting right now. I was your age sitting RIGHT THERE. I blinked and now I’ll be 40 in a couple of weeks.
Let me say that again just so you hear it. One day you’re going to look backward. You can look backward with little regret if you live now—in the present—with that day in mind. Ultimately, though, you need to live with THE DAY in mind.
This was Paul—he was looking forward to the Day when Jesus returned. Demas was just looking out for today.
D) KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS
JESUS—IS HE YOUR GREATEST JOY?
JESUS—IS HE YOUR HEARTS DESIRE/LONGING
JESUS —IS HE YOUR GREATEST ALLEGIANCE?
