Home field advantage

At graduation I heard just a part of one of the student’s speech. He was one of our basketball standouts and he was relating to how connected he and the other players felt to the school and their fellow students because of the “dog pound.”

Construction workers

super heroes

formal attire

Other Team Fan Bases

Cheese Heads

Chiefs Kingdom

Raider Nation

Dem Boys

Home field advantage…

NFL teams 59% of home games.

College football teams on average win 64% of their home football games.

Michigan/Ohio State. Michigan is 19-0 at home.

Part of the home field advantage is directly related to the spectators and the inspiration the team get from their support.

Even through they don’t catch any passes, run for any touchdowns, or kick any field goals, their hope and their goal is to help their team win.

As Christians on this side of the Cross we have advantages.

This morning we are in Chapter 12 of Hebrews.

Hebrews 12:1–3 NASB95

1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Consider the Witnesses

The connotation is that of spectators. They are listed for the purpose of inspiring us, but the word used in the greek is martyr. Witness undo death….

Witnesses of what?

God’s faithfulness.

Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel…The prophets.

“If we can do it, so can you!” “Don’t give up……”

Dump the negative and non-essentials

We are running a race…..

Lay aside every encumbrance. NKJ (every weight)

Not necessary sin, but whatever it is that slows you down or distracts you.

Social Media

TV

Obsessions

Certain relationships

I know I am meddling. But we may not know who the author of Hebrews was, but I know two things...It was inspired by God, and it wasn’t me…

Everyone else is going to want to tell you what your encumbrances are…..

You can’t trust yourself to identify them. (One minute its a benefit, then it becomes an idol.)

Fast for a day, three days, a week.

Sin (which so easily entangles us)

If the weight slows you down…the sin prevents you from running. It stops you in your tracts…..

If there is unrepentant sin in your life, that has to stop now. Right now.

(Ive tried…its too hard.) Your not bleeding, so you haven’t tired that hard.

Matthew 18:8–9 NASB95

8 “If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; it is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than to have two hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire. 9 “If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.

Run with endurance

Lets talk about the race….The word used here caries the idea of conflict or struggle.

It will take more than dropping excess weight and avoiding sin…It is going to take endurance…effort…(hint..it is more than you can provide on your own.)

You don’t get to pick the race.

and everyone isn’t running the same race…..Things that you struggle with might be easy for others….That is one reason the body is important.

Look to Jesus

Fixing our eyes on Jesus. Looking away or turning your back on everything else.

Have you ever been around a habitually negative person…..It can be exhausting just being around them….They are looking at the wrong thing.

If you look for a reason to be upset, you will find it. If you look for an excuse not to come to church, it won’t be hard.

But if you fix your eyes on the goal and determine that nothing will stop you…….you will be unstoppable.

Jesus is our example….

Endure the cross and despised the shame for you.

(For the Joy set before Him.) The Joy is the honor of His Father and your reconciliation to Himself.

If you are going to put your faith in anything or anyone one….Jesus is described as the author and perfecter of faith.

Focus on Christ so you don’t grow weary or lose heart……

Don’t give up….Don’t let up….it will all be worth it….