RUNNING THE MARATHON OF FAITH

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.

AIM

RUNNING THE MARATHON OF FAITH

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

3  Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

AIM

To encourage God’s people to run His race with patience and endurance until we cross our finish line.

INTRODUCTION

I have always been amazed at those who are runners. Many of these people can run mile after mile without showing any signs of fatigue. Some of these people have the courage to enter marathons to prove their ability to endure. They run anywhere from ten to twenty-five miles in one race where it becomes obvious at the finish line that only the strong have the endurance to finish the race.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are running a race, a marathon of faith. This race began at the foot of the cross and will continue until every runner, who has been washed in the blood of Jesus, crosses the finish line. Let us do as they did and “run with endurance the race is set before us” as we realize running the marathon of faith is still the best race to run.

THE CROWD THAT SURROUNDS US

Seated in the grand stands of heaven are the great heroes of the faith who have run their race well and have crossed the finished line. Their examples offers valid proof of the victory we have when we believe in Jesus. It is always great to know about others who faced all kinds of obstacles while they were running their race of faith and crossed the finish line with a great victory. We often to remind ourselves we are surrounded with a crowd of witnesses who finished their race and are more than spectators and continually witness unto us about the reality of things which are spiritual and eternal. These were participators who ran as God’s witnesses to the truth and have finished their race. Do you remember the words that Paul wrote to a young preacher named Timothy?

2 Timothy 4:5–8 NASB95

5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

2 Timothy

Along the way we will run into many things that will slow us down. This is why the Bible teaches us to “lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us.” You will never find marathon runners in a race with any extra weight to slow him down. Neither will you find them doing things that will hinder their performance. We need to keep this in mind as we run God’s marathon. The world has a lot of things, many which are good, that add weight and slow us down as we run for Jesus. Then there are those sinful things that slow us down and have the potential to put us on the sidelines if we do not confess them and keep our hearts right with God.

Along the way we will run into many things that will slow us down. This is why the Bible teaches us to lay “aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us.” You will never find marathon runners in a race with any extra weight to slow him down. Neither will you find them doing things that will hinder their performance. We need to keep this in mind as we run God’s marathon. The world has a lot of things, many which are good, that add weight and slow us down as we run for Jesus. Then there are those sinful things that slow us down and have the potential to put us on the sidelines if we do not confess them and keep our hearts right with God.

Along the way we will run into many things that will slow us down. This is why the Bible teaches us to lay “aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us.” You will never find marathon runners in a race with any extra weight to slow him down. Neither will you find them doing things that will hinder their performance. We need to keep this in mind as we run God’s marathon. The world has a lot of things, many which are good, that add weight and slow us down as we run for Jesus. Then there are those sinful things that slow us down and have the potential to put us on the sidelines if we do not confess them and keep our hearts right with God.

Our excitement is renewed when we read about our heroes of the faith and realize that they have faced every problem we may encounter. Whenever we get tired and weary of running God’s marathon of faith, let us take some time to remember the crowd that surrounds us.

THE CHALLENGE THAT MOTIVATES US

We must look away from anything and everything that distracts us. Do you remember when Peter saw Jesus walking on the water and asked if he could walk to Jesus on the water? He started out fine keeping his eyes on Jesus, but then something happened. Let’s read the remainder of the story together.

Matthew 14:2 NASB95

2 and said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

Matthew 14:28–31 NASB95

28 Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Matthew 14:28-31

Matthew 14:28-31

8-31

28 “Lord, if it’s You,” Peter answered Him, “command me to come to You on the water.” 29 “Come!” He said. And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” (HCSB)

Folks we have to keep our eyes on Jesus. Don’t keep your eyes on the pastor or you will quit running the race. Don’t keep your eyes on the deacons or you will quit running the race. Don’t keep your eyes on the Sunday school teacher or you will quit running the race. It is never the intention of most of us to slow you down, but you must keep your eyes on Jesus.

We face the greatest challenge in missions and evangelism of any generation before us. The devil continues to work hard to discourage, divide and destroy God’s people so we will lose our focus and neglect the challenge. We must remember Christianity is not some experience of the past, but it is a race, both present and future and is fast moving toward the finish.

Unfortunately many are leaving and falling out of the race because of their own dissatisfaction with the ministry of Jesus. Others are falling away because of disruption in their spiritual lives. Then there are those who fall away because of disagreement in the homes. And, sadly some fall away due to disgraceful conduct which results in gross sins.

The challenge that motivates us requires patience and purity. Every runner who enters a marathon has a set of guidelines he or she must follow in order to qualify. Perhaps we need to constantly remind ourselves discouragements do not take away hope and obstacles cannot side track our God given objectives unless we allow it to happen. The weight of sin hinders endurance, but there is a challenge that motivates us.

THE CHAMPION THAT INSPIRES US

Any runner who spends too much time looking into the stands will slow down because he enjoys the applause and the accolades of others. We must always keep our eyes on the pioneer who is he beginning and the finisher of our faith. We are inspired as we look upon Jesus who endured the punishment and shame of the cross for the joy of seeing millions gloriously saved by his atoning work on the cross.

The Bible teaches us to fix “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.” Take time to realize we are running a race on a course chosen for us. You are a part of this congregation by accident. You are a part of God’s divine plan to reach, teach, win and develop believers. Jesus is at the head of this race encouraging each of us to keep running. Jesus currently sits at the Father’s right hand interceding for those who are running the race. We are encouraged to compare our suffering with the suffering of Jesus so that we do not grow weary and faint while running the race.

CONCLUSION

Athletes are encouraged when they know a greater athlete is sitting in the stands watching. One of America’s 2008 Olympic swimmers talked about this in an interview following the USA men’s relay race that won them an Olympic gold metal and an eighth Olympic gold metal for Michael Phelps. The last athlete who crossed the finished line was asked how he made it. He told the interviewer he was hurting as he was swimming toward the finished line. He said he had looked into the stands before the race began and saw Kolby Bryant and several of the Men’s USA Basketball team, also very famous NBA players. He told the reporter, “I could not let those guys down.” Wow! What a statement! He could not let down those who were in the stands watching. Can we do any less? Can we look into heaven’s grandstands with our spiritual imagination and see Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, the Twelve, the Apostle Paul and many others and let them down? Can we look at the Greatest of the greats, our Lord Jesus Christ and let Him down? Remember Jesus gave Stephen a standing ovation as the crowd was killing his body when they were throwing stones at him..

What kept all of these running the marathon of faith? It was the crowd that surrounds us; the challenge that motivates us and the Champion that inspires us. These are the same things that will keep all of us running the marathon of faith.

Prepared for Walnut Hill Baptist Church - August 24, 1996

Prepared for Walnut Hill Baptist Church – August 24, 1996

Revised for the Tennessee Baptist Convention’s Pastor’s Conference – November 14, 1988 Revised for Eureka Baptist Church – August 24, 2008

Revised for Tennessee Baptist Convention’s Pastor’s Conference – November 14, 1988

Revised for Eureka Baptist Church – August 24, 2008

Revised for First Baptist Church Oakdale - September 10, 2017

A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire.

(ESV)