The Object of our Faith

Proposition: We receive faith as a free gift so that we may follow in obedience and love for the glory of God through all the earth.

Introduction

Introduction

Who here likes to run? What is wrong with you people? There are people out there who will spontaneously combust unless they are able to get out and run a bajillion miles per day and to them I say. What is wrong with you?

So a little trivia for you, how long is a marathon race? You know that because you’ll see all the stickers on the back of cars. But do you know why it is 26.2 miles? Legend has it that a Greek soldier ran from the town of Marathon to Athens, which measures out to 26.2 miles, to report a victory over the invading Persians. This is before any sort of telegram system or anything like that. Nobody was snapchatting the battlefield saying, “we out here and we won this piece.” So they sent a runner, he storms into a great hall in Athens to report their victory and right as he arrives, he drops dead… you know why? BECAUSE NO ONE IS MEANT TO RUN THAT FAR!!!

There’s nothing chasing you. I mean I could probably run as much and as fast as you if I were being chased by a clown or a yellow jacket or something. Guys and girls, I’m not afraid of much but I have to tell you, clowns and anything that can sting you… that does it for me. So under those circumstances, I’ll peel outta here like Forrest Gump looking for Jenny.

I’ve tried running to get in better shape, and I’ve even gotten to the point where I thought to myself, “you know, I’m not half bad at this. I hate it. But I’m not half bad at this.” But that’s all until I met the likes of one Robert Post over there.

If you didn’t know Robert is the Flash. You’ll see him running throughout town in his little spandex suit. But My first day here, Robert asked me if I liked to run. I told him that I’ve tried in the past and that I’m not halfway bad at it. So like a great friend he invited me out for a run.

I accepted his invitation and met him out that evening on the greenway. I looked at him… I looked at me… and told him, “you know you run faster than me, right?”

He said, “aw man, we’re just out here chatting and getting a sweat in anyways, come on.” So we start, and we chat, 1 mile. We run some more, chat some more, 2 miles. We start branching up into 3 miles and Robert is chatting with his buddy a bit, I am getting a bit winded at this point. He tries to ask me a question and I just barely stumble through my answer as I gasp for dear life. We finally hit our halfway point where we’ll turn back and run back to our cars at Kroger, and in the blink of an eye Robert and his friend just dust me.

You need endurance to be a runner. You need to be able to fight through pain. Now I don’t quite have what it takes to hang with the likes of Robert Post on the greenway, but we do need endurance to run through the course of this life. And that is exactly what we read about in

CIT: Guys, if there is one thing that I want you to pull from tonight it is that God has provided for you and me, and all of His people a way to endure all trial and all struggle through the work that has already been done for us through Jesus.

12 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnessesf surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with enduranceg the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus,B the source and perfecterC of our faith. For the joy that lay before him,D he endured the cross, despising the shame,h and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

f ,,

g ;

12 Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

B Or us, looking to Jesus

CIT: Guys, if there is one thing that I want you to pull from tonight it is that God has provided for you and me, and all of His people a way to endure all trial and all struggle through the work that has already been done for us through Jesus.

C Or the founder and completer, or pioneer and perfecter

D Or who instead of the joy lying before him

Proposition: We’ve been given Jesus to help us endure. We have faith in Him and upon receiving that gift of faith that means 3 things for you and me. First, we are made right with God through faith in Jesus alone. That faith, by nature compels us outward. And lastly that Jesus is the finisher of our faith.

h ; ;

Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), .

vv. - Right standing with God is by faith alone.

Forefathers of the Faith - “Therefore”

Salvation by grace through faith.

Even the capacity to believe in God is only possible because God reveals himself through creation, through the testimony of everyone who has gone before us, but most importantly through Scripture!

Exposition

We see here in verse 1, right off the bat, there’s that beautiful conjunction, whenever we see a therefore we must as what is it, “__________.” That’s right.

We’ve expounded upon what it the writer of Hebrews is talking about here as we’ve spoken about these Old Testament heroes, like Noah, like Abraham, like Moses, like Rahab and so on and so forth. We see that Noah, despite no waters in sight took God at His Word, had faith, and built an Arc so that God might preserve and once again flourish a people for Himself.

We see Abraham, despite barrenness and being led out of his native land took God at His Word, had faith and obeyed. We see that Moses encountered a burning bush, heard the word of God, trusted it and leaned into faith as he led the hebrews out of the captivity of Egypt.

And by faith Rahab, an “outsider,” aided God’s people so that they wouldn’t be captured and killed.

Over and over again we see that yes the Old Testament is absolutely littered with heroes, these forefathers of the faith, of whom we would do well to study and admire, but much more we should absolutely be dumbfounded with how God made a way over and over again for people who over and over again wandered and came back, wandered and came back, wandered and came back.

This is the Hall of faith but we would do well to better see it as a Hall of Fame of faith in how God has remained faithful and continues to remain faithful to this day, unto many people who waver.

Abraham doubted. Noah stumbled, Moses sinned. So why are all of these figures worthy of mention in the “Hall of Faith” as it were?

Illustration

Illustration

If you ask me, they have about as much standing in this “Hall of Fame” as Barry Bonds in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

If you didn’t know, Barry Bonds is the all time home-run leader in Major League baseball. However after he retired it was found out that he was an avid user of steroids. No doubt what he accomplished was amazing, but there is also no doubt that he cheated and he lied.

While each of these figures of the faith no doubt performed great and mighty things for God, the reason for their inclusion is not because of how phenomenal they are, but how phenomenal God is in His work through them. I know I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, God has a habit of working through messy, messy people to accomplish His awesome work.

Application

So what does this mean for you and me? It means that no matter what mess you’re tangled up in, no matter what sort of past we’re dealing with, God chooses to reach out into our lives, work in our hearts and work through our bodies to shine his glory to all the earth.

You struggle, that’s ok. You doubt, thats ok. You are never too far gone or out of the reach of God’s gracious and loving embrace.

Transition

So how do we respond to such grace and love?

v.1 - Faith by nature reaches out.

A great cloud of witnesses… - People are watching.

Children and their parents.

Run the race with endurance. - 1 Cor 10:13

Illustration - Running with Post

Because of Jesus, we are sustained all through trial.

For God’s glory.

Exposition

That’s what the writer gets at here in verse 1 when he says “Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hinderance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,”

Guys, we respond to God’s amazing love and His faithfulness to us with faithfulness back unto Him. And just as he has revealed himself and pursued us through creation, through Scripture, and through His Son Jesus so too do we mirror the actions of our Savior and pursue the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds us!

Never forget what the writer is saying here. He says, “Therefore,” he is building on his argument here saying that, “Because he is first and foremost faithful… that that is why we run this race in life in such a way.” We are not running towards God with endurance in order to earn anything from Him. We rest in His faithfulness to us first and He grants us the ability to keep running.

Just as there are many spectators in any great race, so too are there people looking on now. What we do, how we live… we live for more than just ourselves, guys. You do not live without influence. Your life carries an impact whether you like it or not. Unto your parents, your siblings, your friends, your teams, whatever it may be, you have a great cloud of witnesses around you, and guys if you are running this race of the Christian life lets do it in a manner that demonstrates that in love we are willing to give our all for God and His Kingdom.

Cast aside every burden, hindrance and sin. Let’s do this thing right, not to glorify ourselves but to glorify the One who gives us the air in our lungs and the power to keep moving!

Illustration

My baseball coach in high school would tell the team if you make an error, if you drop a ball or strike out, whatever, if you dwell on it too long you might as well be playing the rest of the game carrying a brick around. Not only would your hands be full and you can’t play but you’re toting around this burden, slowing you down.

So too is it with sin in our Christian race. It’s like you’re throwing on a weighted vest. You might make it a little while but sooner or later it is just going to eat at your ability to endure.

Application

No, instead cast off your burden.

What’s weighing you down? Are you a perfectionist trying to live up to expectations? Care too much about the way you look? Trying to make it with the in-crowd at school and will stop at nothing until you make the right friends? Pressures with your boyfriend or girlfriend?

Feeling like you’re two different people, one when you’re around friends and family and a totally other person when the door is closed and you’re alone with you computer?

Guys these burdens and whatever else you are facing are too much to shoulder yourself. The most enduring in this Christian race would not dare to try and take all of this on themselves. But the days go on and the race goes on, one step in front of the other and sometimes it just feels like you just can’t make it one more inch.

Guys I pray with all of my heart that you would echo the words of the psalmist when he says,

“I lift my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and Earth.

You are not alone. This race is not yours alone to run. These burdens are not for you to carry. Brothers and sisters the good news of the gospel has never been that we can make it to God, but God in his gracious love has come to us.

Illustration

The year was 1992. The olympics were in Barcelona, Spain. And much like any olympian, Derek Redmon had dedicated his entire life for this moment in time. I love the olympics. I love what it means to have someone dedicate so much of themselves to one singular goal and then in one brief moment they lay everything on the line.

The event was the 400m dash. I love sprinting. Usain Bolt, Justin Gatlin, Justin Coleman. Seeing these guys run is other worldly. But they specialize in events like the 100 or the 200. The 400 is a different ballgame. Where in the 100 meter dash you stomp on the gas, full-throttle for 10 or less seconds, the 400 meter dash is the same except you have to hold it there for 50 seconds or so. That might not seem like much time to you but you sit there in that sort of pain, a second feels like an hour.

Derek Redmon was poised for his moment. This one brief moment to shine and this is what happens.

(video)

Transition

That man was Derek’s father who came down out of the crowd, fought through all sorts of security and guard so that he could be with his son and finish.

Was it out of expectation or anger that this father made him run this race, yelling at him, “you better finish. You better cross that line or you’re a failure!”

Absolutely not, He scaled the crowd, and made his way to the his son and carried him on because of his great love for his son.

v.2 - Jesus is the object of our faith

The object of our faith.

The gift of our faith.

The perfecter of our faith

Everything that He did, again it wasn’t only for the purpose of showing us an example, though He is. As surely as He is sinless, He will carry you through.

When you doubt - Jesus can take it. - John the Baptist, weakness, trial - Jesus

When you don’t think you can carry on - Jesus can.

Don’t feel like you can go on? It’s ok. Want to give up, that’s understandable. But you have a God in Heaven who has crossed every barrier to be with you, to carry you on, to sustain you. That is what the writer is getting at here when he says, “let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

You do not run as one who is alone. Not only has Jesus come to pursue us, to be with us and to sustain us, but He has defeated every sin and darkness so that we can run free of any burden.

Illustration

Whenever I am on a run, when I have that stitch in my side and I just want to stop but I only have a little bit further, I set my eyes to horizon and just go. Don’t think about it, just go.

Set your eyes to Him guys. Your goal, your finish line is to be fully united with the one who loves you, and one day that will happen. There will be a day where there is no more hurt, no more pain, no more struggle and we will be face to face with our Savior. The race will be over and we will celebrate our victory with Christ forever and ever more.

You might be in a couple of different places right now. Like Derek in the video you might be off and running, everything might seem good and you’re just striding along. Or you might be in the middle of a world of hurt, crying out in pain and feeling alone. Whether you’re there now or you just think that everything is good… Guys believe you and me that there comes a time with everyone where our world comes crashing down.

So I hope that you know that God came down from heaven in the person of Jesus, He crossed over everything for you. He endured the weight of sin and death for you. And he does so to carry you along by his power until the race is complete.

He is the source of our faith. He is the perfecter of our faith. There is nothing that you have to do in order to perform or earn your standing with Him. Just as Derek and his dad, lean into His embrace and trust that he won’t ever, ever let you go.

If you are His there is nothing that is going to come between you and His great love. The apostle Paul put it like this, “I am sure of this, that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor heights nor depths, nor any other created thing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

Whatever you may be running towards or running from… Run into Him who will carry you on.

Brothers and sisters, if you are looking for a way to endure, look no further than the author and perfecter of our faith.

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