FAITH TO CONTINUE
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Seeing the Christian life through the metaphor of a long-distance race helps us prepare for the challenges we will face. We must be focused on doing what will help us run better and avoiding that which would hinder us if our running is to be pleasing to God.
In the example of Jesus we find the pattern we must follow.
He went through great suffering because of His love for us, and He thought the sacrifices required for our salvation worth making. As we keep our eyes on Him we will find the patience and endurance we need to finish the race with joy and hear God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
The book of Hebrews was written to Christians in a time of great suffering, probably around the beginning of the reign of Nero who would unleash a wave of persecution like nothing the church had seen.
In the face of opposition and danger, some were failing the test of standing firm in the faith. These were taking the path of least resistance, walking away from Christ to avoid suffering.
Hebrews 3:12-14
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13
But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitful-ness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
The writer of Hebrews tells these Christians in chapter 5 that they have not matured in their faith.
But in chapter 11-sometimes called the "Great Hall of Faith," he notes others who were amazingly faithful. These Old Testament believers held up as an example took courageous steps of faith-even before Christ came to earth.
Hebrews 11:39-40
And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
As Hebrews 11 ends and chapter 12 begins, the admonition to us is that now it is time for us-New Testament believers-to run our race!
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
The word compassed here means "to be located all around." It refers to a mass of people. There is
"so great a cloud" —a large, dense multitude, or a throng, watching. This crowd may refer to
God
The angels
Those who went before us
The believers around us
The unsaved around us.
They are witnesses-those who have born testimony to the truth.
The Christian life is a journey. This is not a momentary race. It is a long race, and it lasts our entire lives.
As Paul came to the end of his race, he spoke in similar terms when he said "I have finished my course."
2 Timothy 4:6-8
For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Many Christians begin their race well. But how can we with courage continue our race— all the way to the finish line?
Hebrews 12 shows us the way.
1. The Preparation for the Race - The Importance of Planning
The first admonitions of verse 1 tells us what runners do before they even begin the race.
Hebrews 12:1
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
A. Lay Aside the Weights
A runner who is committed to winning is not going to carry anything more with him than is absolutely necessary.
Spiritually speaking, the weights mentioned in Hebrews 12:1 are not referring to sins, but to impediments that would hinder or slow down a runner in the race.
Runners often give up things that would not disqualify them from the race, but would hinder them from winning.
Disciplined runners follow careful diets and regimented sleep schedules. Eating candy bars for meals and sleeping five hours a night wouldn't disqualify them from participating in a race, nor would it directly disqualify them from winning.
But they give those things up because a poor diet and lack of sleep would keep them from their top performance.
Mark Spitz won an unprecedented seven gold medals in the 1972 Munich Olympics, shattering records along the way. What brought those victories was Spitz' discipline to lay aside weights that would have hindered his conditioning and workouts. Spitz lived a different life. When his friends were hanging out after school, he was in the pool practicing. When his friends would party and stay up late, he was in bed early so he could begin his morning workouts around 5:00 AM, before school started. The things he gave up were not necessarily wrong or sinful, but they were weights that would have hindered his goal of winning the victory.
Quote: "Discipline toward holiness begins then with the Scriptures-with a disciplined plan for regular intake of the Scriptures and a disciplined plan for applying them to our daily lives."—Jerry Bridges?
There are many Christians today who are focused on the "letter of the law," refusing to give up weights because those things are not expressly forbidden in Scripture. But God's Word is clear that some things, while not sinful, may be unhelpful.
1 Corinthians 6:12
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
What might you be "under the power of" that is not helpful to your race? What might be a hindrance to your race?
A friendship? Friendships are good, but some friends can hold us back from our pursuit of God
A hobby? Hobbies are good, but when they consume the time, energy, and resources that we should be investing in our family or others, they become a hindrance.
Social media? Staying in touch with friends and family and sharing posts that encourage others can be good. But being addicted to scrolling can become a weight.
But if our focus is on Jesus and running well for Him, we will gladly give up anything that is hindering us in our race.
Lay Aside the Weights
Lay Aside the Sin
How do we recognize when something otherwise harmless has become a weight to us in our Christian race?
The Greek word that is translated sin is the word hamartia, and it means a "transgression."
Sometimes we excuse sins that we consider to be small. But the truth is that all sin hinders us in our race.
This verse speaks specifically about "the sin which doth so easily beset us." To beset is to "skillfully surround." It has the idea of tripping one up.
This is a sin that captures the person easily. It hinders the progress of moving forward in the Christian walk.
All sin works this way. But individual Christians often experience a greater vulnerability toward particular sins. Some Christians are more easily tempted by pride, others by lust, others by envy, others by drunkenness. Any sin can be a besetting sin.
The fact that a particular temptation is an ongoing struggle doesn't mean you can't walk in victory.
The very admonition to "lay aside...the sin which doth so easily beset us" means that you can have victory.
Ephesians 4:20-23
But ye have not so learned Christ; 21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 That ye put off concerning the
former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
HOW TO LAY ASIDE SIN
Lay Aside Sin
1. Present your body a sacrifice to the Lord.
God calls us to present our bodies to Him as a “living sacrifice." This means that we surrender our bodies to Him, affirming that He is in control.
Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Quote: "We must dethrone self and enthrone Christ."
At its core, yielding to temptation is a decision for which we-not God—are in charge. Victory is as simple as saying yes to God and no to self.
Of course, it doesn't usually feel that simple in the moment of temptation. The pull of the flesh and the habits of the past can be hard to overcome, which is why we need the next steps as well.
2. Reckon your position in Christ.
When we trusted Christ as our Savior, He freed us from bondage to sin. We now have the ability, through Christ's death on the cross, to resist sin. But Satan is tricky, and he works hard to make us feel incapable of saying "no" to temptation.
This is why we must reckon—or count it to be true that we are dead to sin and alive to God.
Romans 6:11
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Being dead to sin does not mean we no longer experience temptation. But it does mean that sin has no power over us to make us do what we choose not to do.
3. Saturate your mind and heart in the Word of God.
The Word of God is our sword to defeat Satan.
Ephesians 6:17
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, every single time He used Scripture to answer the temptations. The words "it is written" signify that He was quoting from the Old Testament.
Matthew 4:4, 7, 10
But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. ... Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. ... 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
When we struggle with a besetting sin, one of the best things we can do is compile Bible verses that address this sin. (And since it is an area of reoccurring temptation, we know what topic to look for.)
The other thing we can do is read and meditate on all Scripture. As our minds are filled with God's Word, they are renewed in His truth. A mind saturated in Scripture more easily sees temptation and sin as disgusting rather than alluring.
There may also be times when you need the help of another mature Christian-perhaps your pastor or small group leader-to help you find the root temptation of a particularly stubborn sin and to help you address it from God's Word. Don't hesitate to ask for help when you need it.
Lay Aside the Weights
Lay Aside the Sin
Resist the Rush
A person running a 100-yard dash sprints away from the starting line as fast as he can and runs as hard as he can the entire distance. But a runner in a distance race paces himself from the beginning of the race, knowing that there are many miles to cover.
Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "run with patience the race that is set before us." Living with a sense of hurry can hinder our focus in running for Christ.
The word patience in this verse is translated from the Greek word hupomone, which carries the idea of cheerful or hopeful endurance. It literally means "to remain under." Think of remaining under the strain of training to build strength and endurance.
Similarly, as we remain under trials and testings, we gain patience and faith.
James 1:2-3
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
The word patience in James 1:3 is the same Greek word as the one in our text.
God calls us to endure the hardships of life with a hopeful endurance-realizing the purpose and remembering the goal.
Romans 5:3-5
And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
The race that is set before each of us is different.
Each of us have varied trials and blessings and different lengths of the journey. But we can each be confident that our race was sovereignly set by a loving Savior who is able to give us endurance and victory.
How do we live with this assurance? One way is by following the instructions of the next verse and
"looking to Jesus."
The Preparation for the Race - The Importance of Planning
2. The Pattern for the Race - A Pattern of Perfection
Our races are different than one another's, but all of us are to follow Hebrews 12:2
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus is to be the focus of our lives. He is the example we follow, and it is for His approval alone that we run the race.
When we learned to drive one of the first important things we were taught was that the car tends to go where we are looking. If we keep our eyes fixed on the road ahead, we will go straight. But if we are looking out the window, our hands automatically tend to steer toward where we are looking. The same thing is true in our Christian race. If we look at Jesus we will stay on track, but if we are distracted by other things we will not keep going in the right direction.
To be "looking unto Jesus" means that we are to fix our eyes on Him and avoid anything that would distract our attention away from Him.
On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister became the first man in history to run a mile in less than 4 minutes.
Within two months, John Landy eclipsed the record by 1.4 seconds.
On August 7, 1954, Bannister and Landy met together for a historic race. As they moved into the last lap, Landy held the lead. It looked as if he would win, but as he neared the finish line he was haunted by the question, "Where is Bannister?" As he turned to look, Bannister took the lead. Landy later told a Time magazine reporter, "If I hadn't looked back, I would have won!'-
Why do we look to Jesus?
Suggestion
Share with your class a story of when you (or someone you know) had to overcome obstacles in order to complete a plan you (or they) had set out to follow.
Discussion
What are some common distractions that keep Christians from looking to Jesus?
A. He Is the Perfecter of Our Faith
• Slide 2A
Jesus is everything for us. He is the author-the one who begins the work. He is the finisher-the one who completes the work. He is the source, reason, and assurance of our faith. Jesus is the only one worthy of our praise and glory, and He is all that we need.
Revelation 21:6
And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
There is never a reason to fear that Jesus will not finish the work He has started in our lives. He died on the cross and rose from the grave as our guarantee that we are safe in His arms, and that He has the power to overcome every enemy we face.
Although our growth and the process of becoming more like Him will never be finished in this life, He will bring us to perfection when we see Him face to face.
Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
He Is the Perfecter of Our Faith
He Is the Pattern for Our Faith
A Slide 2B
Faith does not mean that we will avoid hardship and trial. Faith means that we trust God's plan regardless of what it requires.
And if we ever doubt that God's plan is good, we need only look to Jesus. He willingly endured great suffering for us. We can be confident in His love for us, and we can follow His example in endurance
"who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame..." (Hebrews 12:2).
1. ENDURED THE CROSS
Crucifixion was a particularly brutal form of execution perfected by the Romans. The process was designed to prolong the suffering of the condemned man as much as possible-to not just kill him but to make him endure agony in the process.
Even before the prisoner was placed on the cross he was beaten and flogged.
One word from Jesus would have immediately released Him from that agonizing death, but He stayed on the cross. The only way we could be freed from the penalty of sin is if someone else paid it for us, and that is what Jesus did.
Galatians 3:13
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
2. DESPISED THE SHAME
The pain of the cross was not only physical; it was also shameful. Crucifixion was intended not just to execute a prisoner but to humiliate them and make them objects of contempt and ridicule.
Jesus, the maker of Heaven and Earth, was beaten, spit upon, mocked, stripped, had His beard pulled out, and was forced to carry His own instrument of execution through the streets of Jerusalem.
The Old Testament prophesied the humiliation and shame Jesus would endure-for us.
3 He is despised and rejected of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: And we hid as it were our faces from him; He was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.
Psalm 22:6-8
But I am a worm, and no man; reproach of men, and despised of the people. " All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, & He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.
Jesus, who never sinned, was also bearing the most excruciating shame of all-the punishment for our sins.
2 Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
If Jesus could endure the cross and its shame, He can enable us to endure our race. This is why we look to Him to renew our endurance.
He Is the Perfecter of Our Faith
He Is the Pattern for Our Faith
He Is the Provider of Our Faith
• Slide 2C
Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus"...is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." He is a risen Savior, and His sacrifice on the cross completed the substitutionary payment for our sin and the only way of salvation.
1. HE PROVIDED OUR REDEMPTION
We cannot save ourselves, but in His great love and mercy, God made a plan for our redemption. The cost of that plan was high, but Jesus was willing to pay it as the sacrifice for sins He had never committed so that we could be free.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is the propitiation, or covering, for our sin.
1 John 4:10
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
2. HE PROVIDED OUR MEDIATION
Jesus today is "set down at the right hand of the throne of God" and is our mediator to the Father.
1 Timothy 2:5-6
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Some religions teach that we access God by praying through saints or even through Mary. But the Bible is plain: Jesus is the only mediator between God and men, and He is the only mediator we need.
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Trusting Jesus alone as our Savior is the only way to have our sins forgiven and a relationship with God. Once we have made this one-time decision, we have a race in front of us.
God admonishes us to prepare for the race by setting aside weights and sin. He encourages us to endure in the race by looking to Jesus. And then, God challenges us to have passion in our race by considering Christ.
The Preparation for the Race
The Pattern for the Race
3. A Position of Passion
No one drifts onto the podium as a winner in a race. Victory only comes as a result of passionate, continued, and diligent effort. Successful athletes learn how to sustain that motivation over years of training and to rely on that motivation during a long-distance race.
So what motivates us in our race? Some motivations-like seeking the approval of others-won't last.
Hebrews 12:3
For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
A. Remember His Suffering
Consider means "To fix the mind on, with a view to a careful examination; to think on with care; to ponder; to study; to meditate on."
Do you often fix your mind on Jesus? Colossians 3 admonishes us to do so.
Colossians 3:2-4
Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
What should we focus on when we consider Christ's suffering?
1. HIS ENDURANCE
This is the second time in Hebrews 12 that we are pointed to endurance. Verse 1 told us to "run with patience." And now verse 3 tells us to consider Jesus who "endured."
There were plenty of opportunities for Jesus to quit. Satan tempted Him with the offer of the world's kingdoms without having to go to the cross. Peter told Him it was a mistake to go to Jerusalem to die. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus could have called off His sacrifice and called angels to rescue Him. But Jesus kept going, refusing to accept the deliverance that would have spared Him the cross. He was weary and dis-tressed, but He kept on to the end.
As we consider Christ's endurance, it motivates us to also endure.
James 1:12
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Sometimes battles keep coming. Sometimes temptation continues. Sometimes oppressive situations persist. But Jesus can give us endurance.
2. THE CONTRADICTION OF SINNERS
Discussion
Who is someone in your life who has patterned endurance and faithfulness?
This passage specifically tells us that Jesus endured the "contradiction of sinners against himself." This was the story of Jesus' entire earthly ministry.
John 1:11
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
John 7:7
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
And it was especially the story of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Jesus was perfect and completely holy.
He lived in this world in total compliance to the law of God. Sin is more repulsive to Him than the most revolting thing we can imagine. Taking on the weight of our sin on the cross was a contradiction of everything that He was. Yet He did that so that we could be saved.
When we are tempted to give up because of the obstacles we face, we can find the strength to keep going when we reflect on what Jesus did for us. The torment of bearing our sin was far worse than the physical anguish He endured, but His love for us kept Him on the cross. Jesus has never turned His back on us or let us down, and remembering this motivates us to faithfulness to Him.
When Polycarp, pastor of the church in Smyrna in what is now Turkey, was arrested, the authorities offered the elderly man an opportunity to save his life. One man asked, "What harm is there in saying ‘Lord Caesar,' and offering sacrifice, and saving yourself from death?" Polycarp refused. When they made one final attempt he said, "Eighty-six years I have served him, and he has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?" He perished, but his courageous witness never wavered. 4
Remember His Suffering
Renew Your Mind
As we consider Christ, our minds are renewed in motivation to run our race. This is why Hebrews 12:3 tells us to remember Him: "lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds."
If all our focus is on ourselves, everything else is out of focus. Our trials become big, and God becomes small.
Even worse, a self-centered focus will invariably shrink our capacity for deeper relationships, gratitude, and a meaningful life. A self-centered life is an empty life. A CHRIST-CENTERED life is abundant and full.
But when our focus is on Christ, we experience His renewal from the inside out.
2 Corinthians 4:16
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
To restore an old, beaten down house, you do not take the old worn out and rotted planks and wood and reuse them. You replace the worn out rotted wood with fresh new planks.
The same is true with our minds. We cannot renew
our minds by going back to the old thinking patterns and lifestyle before we were saved. Our minds are renewed from the inside out as we think on Christ and follow His example.
CONCLUSION
Slide Summary
The formula for a successful Christian race is simple.
The Preparation: Lay aside weights and sin.
The Pattern: Look to Jesus.
The Passion: Consider Christ.
Of course, simple does not always mean easy.
There will be days when we wonder if it is worth keeping on in the race. There will be times when we are discouraged and tempted to quit. Rather than letting such thoughts control our behavior, we must remind ourselves that there is a certain harvest for those who do not faint. The race may be long, but the result and the reward are sure if we don't quit.
9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
