Finishing Strong: Staying Focused on Jesus in the Race of Faith Part I
By Faith: The Book of Hebrews • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Today we begin our descent from the theological mountain that is the book of Hebrews. The writer has built a systematic theological mainframe, walking us through an inductive study of Old Testament types and shadows—all of which point to and find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
He’s made us look closely at selective passages from the Psalms, 2 Samuel, Deuteronomy, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Exodus, Genesis, Proverbs—and even Haggai, which we’ll touch next week. All of these Scriptures bear witness to the superiority and supremacy of Jesus.
Up to this point, most of what the writer has said has been in the grammatical form known as the indicative—statements of fact, declarations of what is true, real, and reasonable. But now, as he nears his final arguments, there’s a noticeable shift. The indicative gives way to the imperative. This is the “so what” that follows “what is.” It’s the action that flows from conviction. It’s what we’re called to do in light of what we now know.
So after all of the theological gymnastics—and after parading before us example after example of enduring faith—the writer now lays before us a series of imperatives in chapter twelve. And today, we’ll walk through Three of those movements:
I. Run with Endurance, Not Just Enthusiasm (vv. 1-3)
II. Embrace God’s Discipline as Training, Not Punishment (vv. 4-11)
III. Strengthen What Is Weak and Pursue What Is Holy (vv. 12-17)
I. Run with Endurance, Not Just Enthusiasm (vv. 1-3)
I. Run with Endurance, Not Just Enthusiasm (vv. 1-3)
The chapter begins with a powerful metaphor which would have deeply resonated with its first century audience. The contemporaries of the first readers of Hebrews had developed an interest in sports. Athletes competed in local stadiums. So the author avails himself of this common cultural phenomena to illustrate his point… Lets read:
1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, laying aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
The cloud of witnesses is not a crowd of sports enthusiasts that are cheering from the stands, this idea has erroneously lead people to think that the old saints are somehow watching us from above. These are the deceased people mentioned in the previous chapter. They give witness to the value and blessing of living by faith. The apostle Paul writes,
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight—
The cloud of witnesses is not the people themselves but their lives. The result of their lives testifies as to the benefits of a life lived by faith. Their lives serve as an encouragement for others to live that way.
Based on that evidence, the author tells his readers to lay aside every weight. What is weighty? he has been talking about it the whole time. For the original readers, the weight referred to the Mosaic Law, sacrifices, rituals, etc which at this point had become a distraction from the finish work of Christ on the Cross.
They were, including the author, to lay aside every encumbrance which was all of the Levitical system with its stifling legalism. As you know, runners run with as little clothing as possible as to avoid anything that could potentially slow them down or trip them.
In the first century, the Olympic style runner would strip down to complete nudity to remove all hindrance. This is the image that the author is conveying here. It was not tone it down, or don’t let it control you. It was take it all off. If it has the potential of distraction or hindrance, get rid of it. And not only the legalism of the Levitical law, but also sin, all sin, but primarily the sin of unbelief, get rid of it.
We all know that sin has a way of clinging tightly and it trips us up. This is why the apostle Paul says:
12 The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
and so we are to run with endurance hypomonē (perseverance, patience, stedfastness, fortitude) which means this is not a sprint, it is a marathon–slow and steady. The determination to keep going regardless of exhaustion or temptation to give up. And you do not do this by trying harder but by:
“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith…”(v. 2)
Jesus jumpstarted our faith, He is the originator (Phil 1:29) and he is the one who will bring it to completion. (Phil 1:6).
We are told to fix our eyes on Jesus. This isn’t a casual glance—it’s a straining of the eyes, a focused gaze, a concentrated stare as a dancer would look at a choreographer so he can imitate the dance moves with exactitude. You do not have time to look at other people or at the circumstances around you. In order to do that you would have to take your eyes off of Christ which is what happened to Peter in Mat 14:30 and he began to sink.
And when things get difficult and confusing, we are to intensify fixed on Christ. The author conveys this idea when he says,
3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary, fainting in heart.
The word consider, analogizomai meaning to reflect on think through carefully. It is a thoughtful reflection on how much Jesus had to endure and did endure. This is meant to inspire you to go on.
Application:
You do not need more hype you just need endurance. That kind of endurace comes from a heart that is fixated on Christ. Lay down the distraction, kill the sin that trips you up already and keep running by remembering who you’re running towards.
So when your legs are tired and your heart is heavy, reflect deeply on Jesus—on what He endured, and why He endured it. That’s how you keep going.
31 Yet those who hope in Yahweh Will gain new power; They will mount up with wings like eagles; They will run and not get tired; They will walk and not become weary.
II. Embrace God’s Discipline as Training, Not Punishment (vv. 4-11)
II. Embrace God’s Discipline as Training, Not Punishment (vv. 4-11)
The author moves from his race metaphor to a pretty sarcastic rebuke. Do not forget, these people are suffering. That is the reason why they are tempted to give up and go back to what they had been liberated from. And this has happened before.
After so many generations under the yolk of brutal slavery in Egypt, Israel had been miraculously, and not just miraculously but hypermiraculously liberated–for those types of extreme, science defying, supernatural acts had never been seen before or since yet, at the first signs of hardship look what the people said:
11 Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What is this you have done against us in bringing us out of Egypt?
Facing this same kind of backwards thinking, the author utters a rebuke that reeks of sarcasm,
4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.
The sarcasm here is evident, “what are you crying about you are not even bleeding yet.” To make a comment like this in this day and age would be considered cruel and insensitive regardless of its truthfulness. Oh and the sarcasm continues when he says,
“And have you completely forgotten this word…” (v. 5)
which, to already knowledgeable Jews would be akin to a parent saying to his child, “have you completely lost your mind?”
So in essence he tells them “did you completely forget Proverbs 3:11-12” which He quotes verbatim:
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” (vv. 5-6).
The rebuke isn’t due to forgetfulness but spiritual neglect. I refer you to what he wrote about them earlier in his letter:
“…you have become dull of hearing…by this time you ought to be teachers…” (Heb 5:11-12).
So he begins to explain the reason and the nature of hardship.
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
The word discipline “paideia” does not only refer to punitive action. I know when we talk about disciplining our children, images of a belt come to mind. However, even in English this word means much more than that. It means training, instruction, conditioning. Consider the consider the discipline of an athlete concerning what he eats and how much he eats in order to achieve his goal.
The context here is about God’s parental formation of His children.
“He disciplines us for our benefit, so that we may share His holiness. And all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, but to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (vv. 10-11).
the suffering of the readers is not tied to specific sins they committed. They were experiencing general hardship. Which is not meaningless for the man or woman of God.
for the Christian every form of none self-inflicted hardship should be considered as discipline from the Lord? Meaning that God is using the hardship, whether it is a chronic illness, the pain of losing a loved one from death, poverty, or anything that makes you go ouch as a way of perfecting holiness in us? Many devoted Christians have asked me that question, why am I suffering so? The answer is always the same though...
“...God works all things together for good... to conform us to the image of His Son.” (Rom. 8:28-29)
How many thing are all things? All means all, everything.
17 For our momentary, light affliction is working out for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
Affliction has formative value, shaping the inner man. It corrects attitudes and forms holiness.
“Count it all joy... when you meet trials... the testing of your faith produces perseverance... that you may be perfect and complete...” (James 1:2-4) [here]
Trials are not always corrective; they are often perfective. They are meant to deepen your dependency, trust, connection with Christ
Furthermore, like a human father would not discipline all his children the same way, God tailors each believers discipline to fit within the context of their temperament, personality, and maturity level. This is the reason why we cannot compare ourselves to each other, thinking that someone has it easier than someone else.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, So Yahweh has compassion on those who fear Him.
14 For He Himself knows our form; He remembers that we are but dust.
God, who is infinite in wisdom and love, knows exactly what is best—not only in general, but for each individual child.
This reflects God's personalized discipline, which takes into account: Some need gentle redirection; others require stronger measures (e.g., Jonah vs. Elijah).
A bold Peter is corrected differently than a doubting Thomas.
God does not hold babes in Christ to the same expectations as those who have walked with Him longer (cf. Luke 12:48 – "To whom much is given..."). He lovingly crafts His training of each believer according to their individual disposition, growth stage, and calling. And hardship is designed to bring about complete holiness which as we know, without holiness, no flesh shall see God.
Application
Stop interpreting God’s discipline as a sign of His distance. It’s actually evidence of His nearness. instead of interpreting hardship as punishment, see it as your Father’s training regimen for greater holiness.
Don’t resist the hardship—learn from it. Don’t collapse under correction—stand up under it. Training is never easy. But you’ll never finish the race strong if you skip practice.
God is not punishing you—He’s preparing you.
III. Strengthen What is Weak and Pursue What is Holy (vv. 12-17)
III. Strengthen What is Weak and Pursue What is Holy (vv. 12-17)
The author continues with the imperatives by returning to his race metaphor he says:
12 Therefore, Strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble,
13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.
He uses athletic language to describe the weariness that comes with spiritual discipline—like a battered runner whose arms are drooping and knees are shaking. He’s borrowing this image from the prophet Isaiah:
“Strengthen limp hands, and give courage to the knees of the stumbling. Say to those with an anxious heart, “Be strong, fear not. Behold, your God…will save you” (Isa. 35:3-4)
This is the image of a wounded runner whose been knocked around by the race, but instead of quitting he is told to keep going.
But this is not just about individual perseverance, it is also about communal care. If you see your brother or sister spiritually limping, don’t just pass them by with a pat on the back saying “keep going mijo, you’ll be alright.” Stop and help them, remind them of the gospel, walk with them until they can run again. This passage has both personal and communal implications so he says,
14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord,
To pursue in the Greek “diōkō” is aggressive. It means to press on, to persecute, to run after, to chase down something as if your life depended on it. We are called to pursue with this type of diligence two specific things. The first one is peace. Jesus said,
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Peace within and without is an identifying mark of those who are truly children of God. That is why Paul writes,
18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
If it is possible means it will not always be. Sometimes others will reject peace. Yet you must pursue it. Biblical peace doesn’t mean compromising truth to avoid conflict. That’s appeasement, not peace.
The second thing we are to purse is holiness, or sanctification. Why? Because
“without which no one will see the Lord”
Of course this does not mean that we are saved by our efforts at holiness, but it does mean that real saving faith is never without the fruit of a change life. Holiness is the evidence that our faith is real
7 For God did not call us to impurity, but in sanctification.
8 Consequently, he who sets this aside is not setting aside man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.
1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
If there is no hunger for holiness, there is no faith, there is no salvation. You cannot just call yourself a Christian and there be no fruit that validates that claim. In fact, if you are not bearing good fruit, then you are bearing bad fruit, which is the reason for the warning.
So he says to pursue peace and sanctification:
15 seeing to it that no one falls short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled;
16 that also there be no sexually immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.
17 For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.
“See to it…” means watch your life, and also look out for others. Why? So that no one misses the grace of God—so that no one comes too late and is left out.
The “root of bitterness” is a reference to Deuteronomy 29:18, a warning against apostasy. It speaks of someone within the community who turns away from God, and through their influence, leads others to do the same. That root doesn’t stay hidden—it springs up, causes trouble, and poisons others. That’s why the author says everyone must be vigilant. This isn’t just the job of pastors or elders. We’re all responsible for helping one another stay rooted in truth.
He mentions Esau as the example of someone who trades away something eternal for something temporary. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of food. That exchange is so disgraceful that Scripture says he despised his inheritance—even though Esau wouldn’t have described it that way.
If you’re choosing temporary pleasure over God’s grace, don’t fool yourself. You are despising His grace.
Application:
Keep running—but look around too. Strengthen the weak. Help the limping. Don’t run alone.
Pursue peace—real peace—and chase holiness like your life depends on it, because it does.
Guard your heart, and guard your community. The race isn’t just about crossing the finish line—it’s about making sure others make it there too.
Conclusion:
We’ve seen today that this race of faith isn’t a sprint—it’s a marathon. It’s not run with hype, but with endurance. And that endurance is forged in discipline, in hardship, and in the patient pursuit of holiness. If your legs feel weak and your heart feels tired, you’re not alone. But the answer is not to give up—it’s to fix your eyes more intently on Jesus. He started your faith. He will finish it.
So don’t misread your suffering—God isn’t punishing you; He’s preparing you. Don’t resist His discipline—He’s treating you like a true son or daughter. And don’t run alone—look around and strengthen the weary, speak peace, and pursue holiness. This is how we finish strong: by staying focused on Jesus, even when the road is long, the path is steep, and the finish line feels far away. But stay in the race—because the One who called you is faithful, and He will bring you all the way home.
