New Motivation - Run the Race

So we can take Shai LaBeouf’s advice and ‘Just Do it’. Just find it internally and get it done. Or perhaps we can think about things in a totally different way which is what we’re considering in this series as we think about how following Jesus gives us a new start and a new take on life.

RECORD YOUR SERMON IF YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY STARTED ITS NOT TOO LATE!

Recap: New Focus

So much of what we are told, the culture in which we live tells us to focus on ourselves. That if you put yourself at the centre of your life you will be happy. You will be successful. You will be satisfied. Focus on You.

In fact just last night I read an article in the Herald Sun about celebrity chef Pete Evans, of My Kitchen Rules fame, which said:

“Pete Evans says the person he admires most is himself and more people should “just start speaking the truth” like him.”

We might not all be as blatant as that, but nonetheless it gives a good window into our culture.

Well last week we looked at Paul’s life from 2 Corinthians 4 and particularly verse 16-18 we saw that actually the road to life transformation is to take our focus off ourselves and to focus on things eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:18 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Paul had his focus firmly on Jesus. On what Jesus had done for him in Jesus’ death and resurrection, and in what Jesus continued to do in growing his church and sustaining his people. Not only that but in what Jesus will do, in bringing all who trust Him into his perfect eternity for all time.

When we change our focus from me to Him. From us to God. Whatever is going on in our lives is transformed as it’s put in perspective. Not only that when we focus on Jesus and follow Him God gives us the Holy Spirit to help transform our lives.

So Paul writes on chapter later from our reading last week

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!

When we focus on Jesus instead of ourselves, not only does our perspective change, we are made new.

New Motivation

So today we come to our new motivation. Our new reason for living.

With our focus shifted from ourselves to Jesus, our reason for living, our motivation changes too.

How many times have you heard that the reason you need to get fit, or healthy or better at your job or whatever goal you might have is so that you will feel better, look better, be better, be happier?

The motivation in the new year for the new you is always again completely self absorbed.

But with Jesus we get a new motivation. Let’s read from our reading again today:

Hebrews 12:1–3 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

There are two parts to the motivation for the Hebrew Christian to live their new life focused on Jesus.

The great cloud of witnesses in v1. - the community of faith

Jesus’ life - v2-3. - The Lord Jesus.

We’ll consider them in that order.

Motivation 1 - The community of Faith

Hebrews is written to a church that is struggling to follow Jesus under the strains of persecution. Because of that persecution people are thinking of switching back from following Jesus to being Jewish again. The writer to the Hebrews wants to encourage them not to do this. In fact, if you were part of our church back in 2017 you might remember me saying when we worked through Hebrews he is constantly reminding them, Jesus is the best… chuck out the rest.

As he gets near the end of the letter, in Chapter 11 he lists a whole stack of heroes of the Jewish faith who he says were actually by faith looking forward to the coming of Jesus.

All of them were willing to put their lives on the line for their faith and they didn’t even get to see Jesus or know fully about his death and resurrection. The writer says of many of these great heroes of the faith

Hebrews 11:37–40 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

They were put to death by stoning; they were sawn in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and ill-treated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

So the writer to the Hebrews says to these Christians who were finding it hard to live the Christian life and wondering if maybe it wasn’t all worth it, consider your historic faith community.

Be inspired by them, learn from them, live like them.

Who is it from our great Christian history that inspires your faith and motivates you to continue to be faithful to Jesus today?

Personal - parents/grandparents/sunday school teachers/youth group leaders/ministers etc.

Historical - Reformers - Calvin and Luther. William Wilberforce and the writer of Amazing Grace John Newton. Not just their unending battle to treat all human beings equally even when it wasn’t popular, but their passion for the gospel to spread to the far corners of the Empire, including Australia!

Who is it that motivates you? Maybe you need to do some church history reading to fuel your motivation!

And lest you thought this was just a historic motivation, in chapter 10 of Hebrews the writer says

Hebrews 10:24 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds,

Hebrews 10:25 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Here we have a further call to the Christian to be motivated by their community of faith. To actually think about the way we live today and how it motivates and encourages others to live their lives with an eternal focus.

Who will you motivate? Who will be talking about you in 20-30-40 years from now and saying wow the way my neighbour/mum/grandpa prayed/lived for Jesus/helped others/read his bible/was generous with her money/taught me to be gracious was such an inspiration to my Christian faith?

We see in this first motivation, that we are to live our new life focussed on Christ not for ourselves, not because it will make our lives better, that’s a selfish motivation, rather we do it because in choosing to focus on Jesus, you and I have become part of the great community of faith and in fact the way you live affects me. The way I live affects you. The way we live reflects on those who’ve gone before us. We’re all part of the one body. We’re all the hands and feet of Jesus representing Him to the world together. Let this be your motivation.

Motivation 2 - The Lord Jesus

Well the writer to the Hebrews brings us back to the very centre of our faith having considered the great cloud of witnesses.

Hebrews 12:2–3 NIV (Anglicised, 2011)

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

We are motivated to continue living our lives as Christians, even when it’s hard, because Jesus was motivated to go to the cross and die, he was willing to face the violent opposition of the religious leaders of the day, for you and me.

In fact this is the primary motivation for living the Christian life isn’t it? Our focus on Jesus. Our love for what he’s done for us. The only reason it makes sense to not live the kind of life our culture calls us to live. The life that is focussed on me, and my wants, is if God really does love you so much that he sent his one and only Son into the world to die and defeat death so that we might live.

We need deep motivation to stay faithful to Jesus

Let me finish with the hard yet beautiful truth. A truth we all need to hear, but one especially pertinent if you’re still new to the Christian faith or you’re not sure if you do want to follow Jesus yet. You see the thing is when you focus on Jesus, instead of yourself you actually end up in conflict with those around you who aren’t living like that. Because when you live your life for Jesus your whole view of the world changes and it becomes different to what everyone else who doesn’t follow Jesus values.

And that will bring challenge and conflict. Sometimes that will be large sometimes it will be small.

But it’s only fair that I warn you that as we consider a new life lived following Jesus at the start of this new year, we’re not talking about a comfortable life. Jesus is inviting you in 2019 not to a comfortable worldly life, but he is inviting you to the blessed life. Not the I’m so blessed I own a Ferrari kinda life, the I’m so blessed I’m more like Jesus who endured the cross kind of life.

When you’re living your life focussed on Jesus. When you’re living like Jesus, and are facing many trials and persecutions just as Jesus did, and just as the people in the book of Hebrews did, you need the motivation that comes from a deep relationship with Jesus and great fellowship with his church both past and present.

If you’re already a Christian here today, are you ready for this kind of life? Perhaps you need to renew your love of Jesus through prayer and time in the scriptures? And as you renew your focus on him, consider how are you going at building good strong relationships with other Christians? For these too will sustain you as you seek to live your new life in Christ this year and in all the years to come. Amen.

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