Called to Freedom: Looking Back

INTRO

Quick question to start us off:

Have you ever ran in a race before?

I don’t mean just an official race

maybe it was racing a friend, a sibling, or maybe around a track

I loved racing when I was younger… until I didn’t

One time I was running a race for my school and completely face-planted in front of all my friends

Not a fun time

But here’s what’s funny

we laugh about races like that

But the Bible tells us something really important:

If you’re a Christian, you are already running a race

Not a physical one, a spiritual race

And it’s not a sprint, It’s a marathon

The starting line of this race is Salvation

and the finish line is heaven

And this week at camp, with our theme Unleashed, we’re asking this question:

What does it actually look like to live in the freedom Jesus has already given us?

TENSION

Listen to how Galatians 5:1 says it:

Galatians 5:1 CSB

For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Gálatas 5:1 - “Estad, pues, firmes en la libertad con que Cristo nos hizo libres, y no estéis otra vez sujetos al yugo de esclavitud.”

That verse assumes something really important:

Freedom has already been given

but living in it takes endurance

So the real questions are…

How do we keep running when it gets hard?

How do we stay free when we’re tired, discouraged, or tempted to quit?

Over the next 3 days we are going to see, that Hebrews 12 gives us an answer

and it starts by telling us to look backwards

TRUTH

Point 1: Cloud of Witnesses

Hebrews 12:1 ESV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…

Hebreos 12:1 - Por tanto, nosotros también, teniendo en derredor nuestro tan grande nube de testigos,

The word “Por Tan-toe” matters.

It points us back to Hebrews 11, the Hall of Faith

Men and women like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab, David

people who trusted God through fear, failure, and suffering

And the author says them and all other the Christians who have has passed away before us are witnesses

And here’s what’s important:

They aren’t witnesses of us; They are witnesses to us

They aren’t watching your every move

Their lives testify that God is faithful

Their stories are proof that:

God sustains imperfect people

God keeps His promises

God finishes what He starts

Their lives are like signs along the race course that say:

“You can keep going”

Point 2: Faithful, Not Perfect

One of the most encouraging things about Hebrews 11 is this:

None of those people were perfect

They doubted

They failed

Some of them made huge mistakes

But God didn’t include them in Scripture because they were flawless

He included them because they were faithful

That matters for freedom

Because if you think freedom means never struggling, you’ll give up the first time you fail

But if freedom means belonging to a faithful God, then you know that your failures don’t disqualify you from the race

The Christian life isn’t about running perfectly

It’s about running with trust

And that’s what the cloud of witnesses shows us:

God doesn’t demand perfection, instead he calls us to faithfulness

Point 3: Standing Firm in Freedom

That’s why Galatians 5:1 doesn’t say, “Try harder.”

It says, “Stand firm.”

Standing firm doesn’t mean you never struggle

It means you refuse to believe the lie that your freedom depends on you

Jesus already broke the chains

Your job isn’t to earn freedom, it’s to live in it

And when you’re tired…

When faith feels heavy…

When temptation pulls at you…

You look back and remember:

That because God carried them, He will also carry you

APPLICATION

So here’s how I want you to respond today:

First – Remember

Each day this week, thank God for one example of His faithfulness

It can be someone from the Bible, church history, your family, or church

Second – Trust

When freedom feels hard, pause to remind yourself that you are not the first person to run this race, and you don’t run it alone

Third – Stand Firm

Choose one area where you’re tempted to doubt God, and intentionally place it in His hands.

For those who are Christians, this week isn’t about becoming someone new

It’s about living unleashed

Running the race in freedom because Jesus already won