Running The Marathon
Running with Perseverance • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 10 viewsOur race with Christ is a marathon and not a sprint
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning and welcome!
I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving holiday and was able to get at least a little rest from the day to day routine we all go through.
And the rat race which is typically what we know Black Friday as.
Which is what I want to talk just a little bit about this morning.
Not Black Friday or the craziness that is always attached to it.
But rather the race that we find ourselves running each and every day.
And it’s interesting that we use the term “rat race” to describe the everyday grind we go through.
Which got me thinking about the term “rat race” and where it came from.
And what I found was that the term first came about in the mid-19th century and the literal racing of rats for gambling.
Apparently it was so popular that they would put different colored ribbon on the rats so they could tell them apart.
And then a little later on the term was also associated with putting rats in mazes so they could be studied to see how they formed paths and navigated things.
Then in the 1960s-1970s the term then began to be associated with the business world and what it described was they cycle of working hard at the expense of personal fulfillment, to achieve some sort of material success that feels like a reward, but in the end is just a maze where we are just trying to find our way out of it and wind up in a another maze.
And the cycle goes on and on and on with no end in sight and no lasting or tangible reward.
There is nothing lasting in it and it is all temporary, wasting away.
And it is exhausting and people become weary and frustrated.
And just because we call ourselves Christians or followers of Christ, we also fall victim to it.
Because that is how the world goes round and we are caught up in the maze.
But what about if I told you there was a different way—a better way.
A way that doesn’t rely on the world’s system and rats that run it.
And it’s this way I want to talk to you about this morning.
And we are going to be in a few different places this morning, but primarily we are going to be looking at Hebrews 12, verses 1-3.
Before I do that though, let’s open in a word of prayer.
So, the Bible says in Hebrews 12, starting in verse 1 . . .
Scripture Focus
Scripture Focus
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.
Background
Background
I love this passage and love how the NRSV lays it out.
And actually Hebrews is an awesome book of the Bible.
Nobody knows for sure who wrote it, but many scholars believe it was Paul, but others think it could have been Barnabas, Apollos, Silas, or even Pricilla.
The reality is though, it doesn’t matter who put the pen to paper.
What matters is that it lines up with the rest of our Scripture and it is Scripture.
It is the inspired Word of God and the ultimate author is God’ Himself, so while it’s interesting to speculate who God used to write this, at the end of the day it doesn’t matter one bit.
What matters though is that we hear and heed to the Word and the lesson it is trying to teach us.
And with this passage there are five different things that stuck out and resonated with me about what I would consider the key takeaways from this passage.
They are:
This great cloud of witnesses
These weights and sins that cling to us.
This concept of running with perseverance
The, what I would call command to fix our eyes on Jesus
And to not growing weary
And this morning I want to spend just a few minutes going through each one of these, so buckle up.
The Great Cloud of Witnesses
The Great Cloud of Witnesses
And the first thing I want to start out with is this “great cloud of witnesses” that the passage talks about.
Again, the passage starts out with . . .
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
And l love the picture this is painting for us.
When you see the word “therefore” in your Bible, you got to always look at what was said in there before the passage you are reading.
And looking at this in it’s proper context of what the writer of Hebrews is discussing here, he is actually talking about all of those who’s shoulders these first generation Christians were standing on.
Therefore those that came before us.
All of the Old Testament saint and prophets.
All of the Apostles and first disciples of Jesus.
In fact, Jesus Himself, who was the ultimate witness to our salvation itself.
If you look this passage up in the Revised English translation of Hebrews, before chapter 11, the editors of that version placed a heading that reads “faith in times past,” and before chapter 12, where we are at it says “faith today.”
And one of the key things that we need to understand about this is that this faith that we claim as faith in Jesus Christ is not a blind faith.
In fact, Hebrews 11:1, reminds us that . . .
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Or as we may have heard it before, faith is assurance of those things we hope for even though we do not see them yet.
However, it is because of the testimony and evidence of this great cloud of witnesses that we stand on— that we can be sure that God will always remain true to His word.
And we have even further reassurance of that in the second part of Hebrews 13:5 that says . . .
Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
In fact, all Hebrews 13:5 is really telling us is something God has reminded us over and over and over again in His word.
No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.
And . . .
Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”
And . . .
Now when these signs meet you, do whatever you see fit to do, for God is with you.
And my all time favorite, the words of Jesus Christ Himself . . .
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
That is the promise from God and you can take it to the bank.
And based on that promise alone when we are facing difficulties. . . .
When there is troubling times ahead. . . .
When we may even be facing persecution and ridicule for our faith . . .
When the world is on fire and all hell itself has broken loose . . .
We can stand firm knowing that those who came before us have also faced trials, tribulations, persecutions, and hardships.
And just as God remained true to them, He will also remain true to us as well.
What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
And that is not a rhetorical question—WHO CAN STAND AGAINST US?
No one.
Hindrances & Weights
Hindrances & Weights
Which actually leads into the second part of this that says . . .
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
The NIV says . . . let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles [us].
The New Living Translation puts it this way, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.
So, really there are two key concepts here that we need to really consider.
First, those things that hinder us, slows us down, weighs us down, or encumbers our progress, as the New American Standard Bible puts it.
We have to ask ourselves what are those things?
What are those distractions that pull us and our focus away from Christ?
I love what our University President says...We are Christian first so let’s be Christians.
In everything that we do, we should always consider the fact that first and foremost, above everything else, we are Christians first.
The lens of how we approach everything in life,—whether that is personally or professionally—should be approached from the fact that we are CHRISTIAN FIRST and everything else is secondary to that.
But what happens though, those secondary things turn into primary things and they become weights, hinderances, and encumbrances.
And they strip us from the primary mission we have been called to complete.
And that stripping away can lead to the second thing the writer of Hebrews talks about here.
The sin that clings so closely to us.
And we know, or we will know after today that sin separates us from God.
Sin keeps us from fulfilling the mission that we have been given.
Sin damages our walk with the Lord and everything attached to that walk.
And we are called to lay all of that garbage aside and to grow up in the Lord, if you will.
So if we want to realize the best possible version of this Christian walk we are walking, we must deal with any sin that is in our lives.
Otherwise, we are running in circles and only operating in a shell of the calling God has placed on us.
And shells get broken.
So, if you are living a lie this morning—repent.
If you are putting on a good act while in the church but living like the devil—repent.
If you are running from God and the calling He has placed on you—repent because you are being disobedient.
If the Holy Spirit is convicting you of anything this morning—repent.
And don’t let the enemy tell you to think about it until I’m done preaching because you will talk yourself out of it.
If God is telling you right now to come and repent, come and repent—trust me, we have the time.
Running with Perseverance
Running with Perseverance
So, let’s say we are all good.
We’ve repented and trying our best to walk with God
But we realize it’s hard.
Well, it’s hard because now the real work begins.
And that is exactly why the writer of Hebrews tells us in the third part of that first verse that we are to . . .
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,
And on a global big picture scale, that race is our overall walk with the Lord, whatever that looks like for us.
And I say that because it looks different for each and every one of us.
But on a personal scale, it is the calling that God has placed on our lives that we are charged to fulfill.
I often tell my students that social work is a calling.
It is not a job or a career but it is a high calling of God and as Christian social workers, they should treat it as such.
And whatever God has called you to—it is a calling and you are to treat it as such.
God has charged you with that based on your gifts, talents, and abilities and you are called to step into that and do it.
Stop running away from God and start running toward God and with God.
And it is not always going to be easy and it’s not going to sunshine and roses all the time.
But when the nights get long and the burden gets heavy, we can run that race that is marked out for us.
And not only run it but run it with perseverance, with determination, with grit.
With some fortitude and some resolve.
BECASUE HE IS WITH US AND HE WILL NOT LEAVE US AND HE WILL NOT FORSAKE US!
But we also have to remember that this race we are in a marathon and not a sprint.
It is a 5K and not a 100 meter dash.
It is a long race and only those who can persevere will be able to make it to the end.
In Matthew 24:13 Jesus reminds us that . . .
But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
It is a matter of endurance.
You want to know why so many hot shot young preachers seem so hot in the beginning and so fired up, but end up fading away.
It’s because they had no endurance.
It wasn’t because they were not on fire for God.
They had no endurance.
They were in it for the quick fix and not the long haul.
And it’s not just the young preacher—it is all of us.
We had better be sure we are in it for the long haul and that we can develop some endurance.
Fixing Our Eyes on Christ
Fixing Our Eyes on Christ
But how?
How do we run this race with perseverance?
By doing exactly what the writer of Hebrews tells us next.
looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
The NRSV doesn’t do that justice though.
The NIV puts it this way . . .
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
We fix our eyes on Jesus [who is] the author and perfector of our faith.
And that my friends is the key to all things in life, keeping our eyes fixed on our Savior.
When the world around you is on fire and burning down, keep your eyes fixed on Him.
Why?
Because of the promises of Christ Himself. In John 16:33 Jesus tells us plainly . . .
I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”
He has already overcome the world and He is where we draw our strength from.
And when we keep our eyes fixed on Him, just like when Peter was fixated on the Lord, we can walk on the water too.
Remembering that . . .
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
And what I love about what Paul says here in Philippians 4 is that there is no limit placed on what we are capable of doing.
He says we can do ALL THINGS, including the hard things through Christ.
Without Him we can do nothing, but through Him we can do anything.
And that is why we can take heart when the whole world is burning down around us.
And that is also why we can experience the peace of God that passes all understanding, that Paul so aptly talks about in Philippians 4:7 when everything is falling apart around us.
And when things seem too heavy and we cannot carry it anymore, we have the assurance that we do not have to.
In fact, another promise that Jesus made to us in Matthew 11 was this . . .
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
And honestly maybe that is where some of you are this morning?
You are feeling weary.
You feel like the burden is getting a little to heavy to carry.
Listen to those words again as I read though that passage one more time . . .
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
And one thing that has always stuck to out me with this is that Jesus promises not only rest for our weary hearts, minds, and bodies, but most importantly our souls.
So many times it is our soul that becomes weary and needs that burden relieved.
And He will bring rest, even to our weary souls.
And all we have to do is keep our eyes fixed on Him and bring our burdens to Him, laying them at His feet.
Do not Grow Weary
Do not Grow Weary
Which brings me to the final part of this.
The rest of verse two tell us that Jesus is . . .
looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
And this is what qualifies Jesus to be who He is and do what He does.
Jesus not only designed the means of our salvation (the author) but He is also the fulfillment of our salvation (the finisher).
When Jesus said, “it is finished,” it was finished.
We have hope that the rest of the world does not have, and that hope is found in Jesus Christ.
And it is that lived hope that enables us to share the gospel with others.
It is through that lived hope that we continue to run our race with perseverance.
That we do not give up.
That when it gets tough we turn to the only one who can bear that burden— Jesus.
Then in verse three the writer of Hebrews states . . .
Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart.
And what is being said here, is consider Christ.
Consider all the burden He carried—on our behalf.
Consider what the sin and evil in the world did to Him.
And keep it in perspective.
So that in our calling we do not grow weary and we do not lose heart.
Which echoes what Paul told the Galatians . . .
So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up.
This tells me we need to take proper steps so that we do not grow weary and lose heart.
We need to keep our eyes on Jesus and our ears attentive to Him.
Because even in well doing, if we are not careful, we will grow weary and lose our heart for the work.
And Paul talks about this harvest we will reap, IF we do not give up.
And listen, regardless of what some two-bit evangelist or tv preacher out there that wouldn’t know the Bible if it hit them upside the head says, this harvest has nothing to do with money, riches, or rewards.
That is nothing more than selfish-ambition promoted by liars and devils—Jesus called them snakes.
The harvest is souls.
And that harvest is in the encouragement others will gain as they watch us live out our faith.
As they witness us living out the gospel of Jesus Christ in our everyday lives.
As we faithfully run with perseverance the race set before us.
Altar/Challenge
Altar/Challenge
So, some takeaways from this morning would be:
Walk out your faith—let your light shine. As the quote goes that is often attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, “preach the gospel at all times and, if necessary, use words”
Be confident in your calling—it is a high calling from God.
Keep your eyes on Jesus—at all times.
Run your marathon with perseverance and endurance.
Let God carry the burden and the weight.
And above all, BE CHRISTIAN FIRST.
If we can do those things we are well on our way.
So, this morning’s altar service is simple.
If you need to repent, repent.
If you need to discover your calling, then here’s the altar.
If you need to pray for faith, endurance, perseverance, here is the altar.
The point is, Jesus is here and we have needs, so let’s bring them to Jesus this morning.
Pray with me . . .
