Run with Perseverance: The Hope of Christ

Finals & Perseverance Illustration

Intro: We’ve been in a series through Hebrews called “Jesus is Better”. Throughout the series, we’ve discussed each chapter in detail, following the way in which the author of Hebrews has sought to convey a new faith framework and way of living, based upon the figure of Jesus Christ, to his mostly formerly Jewish audience.

Then, following this detailed exposition of the doctrines of the new covenant centered on Jesus, the author of Hebrews walks his audience through the legacy of faith (Hall of Faith) in which they now follow, using Old Testament characters with whom they were undoubtedly familiar. In doing so, for one, the author shows the audience that these figures of the Old Testament, like them, were saved and revered because of their faith. This confirms so much of what the author has been saying for the first 10 chapters: The Old Covenant, based upon atoning for ones sins continuously, was insufficient. Only faith in God ever has and ever will save.

Moreover, however, this “Hall of Faith” is full of figures who had to exert great faith because they faced great adversity. This week, we will dive into chapter 12. In this chapter, the author encourages his audience to persevere and have faith in spite of the adversity that they will face as believers, just as their ancestors did. Ultimately, we are all able to persevere in spite of the challenges and pitfalls that life brings because of Jesus.

This time of year always brings challenges. For some, the stress of finals and the end of the year can cause a lot of anxiety that at times feels unbearable.

For some, this time of year brings with it seasonal depression.

or some, this time of year brings with it seasonal depression.

For some, the holidays remind us of people we’ve lost, ways our lives have changed, things that we wish would’ve turned out differently.

For some, there is a struggle with sin that constantly persists, and we deeply desire to be free of it, but we cannot seem to break sin’s chains.

If you are suffering, you’re in good company - all the great figures of our faith suffered deeply in various ways. However, because of Christ’s completed work on the cross, through his perseverance in the midst of suffering, we are now able to fix our eyes on Jesus and hold tightly to him in the midst of our suffering. He has conquered ultimate suffering and will see us through all things.

—————————————————

Run with Perseverance: The Hope of Christ

READ (EMPHASIZE) - this is the Thesis of the chapter.

(Suffering #1)

(1a) “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”

As alluded to earlier, it is important to know and understand that we follow a legacy of great faith, a “great cloud of witnesses”. More than that, however, we follow a legacy of great faith IN SPITE of great suffering.

More than that, however, we follow a legacy of great faith IN SPITE of great suffering.

Our forefathers of the faith (Moses, Abraham, Joseph, etc.) all suffered greatly and endured MUCH suffering.

Moses, without looking for it, was handpicked by God to lead his people out Egypt. He was forced to govern an endlessly stubborn people for decades in the desert, and never got to see the promised land.

Abraham was asked to go to an unknown place, couldn’t have children, and was even asked to sacrifice his son.

Joseph was betrayed and sold into slavery by his brothers.

You are NOT alone in your suffering, you are not far from God. Rather, the most revered figures of our faith endured great suffering as well. Suffering has always been a part of the life of believers.

(1b) “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 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”.

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

In the midst of such great suffering, HOW can we endure, how did they endure? By faith in God’s promises. (Ex. Abraham’s promise of nations)

Likewise, we can endure through fixing our eyes and placing our faith in the embodiment of God’s ultimate promise: Jesus.

Jesus suffered far more than any of our forefathers: Being fully human, he experienced the most brutal kind of death possible, bearing all of the weight and shame of the sins of humanity in the process. However, for our sake HE ENDURED. Therefore, we cling to and are encouraged by his perseverance in the face of suffering.

During the holidays, we hear the name “Emmanuel” quite a bit. But what does that mean? GOD WITH US. This is who Jesus is. God, seeing his people’s suffering chose to come and make his dwelling AMONG his people. And now, through his death, resurrection, and the coming of the promised Holy Spirit which indwells all believers, God is with his people forevermore.

The hope and promise that Jesus embodies, the hope that ultimate suffering has been overcome, the promise that God will never leave or forsake us, is the most important piece of information that you can ever receive in your life. You MUST cling to it.

When you feel so much anxiety that you feel as though you can’t go on? Remember Jesus’ sweating blood in Gesthename because of the anxiety over the suffering he would undergo—He persevered and triumphed for you. He is holding you.

When you are absolutely in the depths of despair because of a death or ongoing sickness in your family? Remember that Jesus conquered death so that death would never again have the final word. For believers, death is just another beginning.

When your mind feels so constantly broken and inundated by sadness and it feels as though it will never get better? Remember that at the height of Jesus’ suffering on the cross, he felt the depths of sadness and abandonment, crying out “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”. Yet, at that moment of Jesus’ greatest suffering, God was achieving the most beautiful act in history: The Redemption of Mankind. Perhaps God is achieving and preparing something beautiful for you.

How do we endure and have faith in the face of suffering, like the great cloud of witnesses in the faith who came before us? We fix our eyes on Jesus, who, “For the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God.

---------------------------------------

(Suffering #2)

I often find that there are two kinds of suffering. We have been talking about suffering that is out of our control - suffering that is not a result of something we did wrong. As discussed, the Hope of Christ carries us through such suffering, and assures us that God is true and faithful to his promises.

However, there is also another kind of suffering: Suffering because of sin in our lives. Fortunately, the hope found in Christ also gives us strength to persevere and endure suffering as an opportunity to grow.

READ

8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all.

3 Things to Know About Suffering Because of Sin

9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live!

10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.

Suffering because of sin in your life means you are a Child of God! (v. 8)

God disciplines us for our good! (v. 10)

11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

God disciplines those he loves. He wants you to live a better, fuller life. Don’t despise his discipline.

3. Suffering because of sin produces good fruit in our lives.

The godliest qualities that most of us possess, we possess because God, in his kindness, disciplined us and allowed us to suffer because of sin. As a result, a holy and admirable characteristic replaced the once-sinful pattern in our lives.

Illustration: My first failing grade my Freshman year.

God wants us to be godly and holy not because he is a tyrant, but rather because he designed life such that a life lived according to his principles & commands truly is the abundant life.

If God is allowing you to suffer currently and is disciplining a sin in your life, submit to the process. Humble yourself and allow suffering to produce godliness in your life.

-----------------------------------------------------

(Closing)

How, then, do we endure and have faith in the face of suffering that is entirely out of our control, like the great cloud of witnesses in the faith who came before us?

We fix our eyes on Jesus, who, “For the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of God”.

How, then, do we endure and have faith when we suffer because God has allowed the sin in our lives to be brought to the light and we are suffering as a result?

We humbly submit to the suffering and allow the God’s discipline to “produce a harvest of righteousness and peace” in us.

When we consider him who endured such great suffering and yet triumphed and was glorified and made alive through his suffering, we are then able to not grow weary or lose heart.

Jesus emboldens us and allows us to face suffering with hope and faith, because he who has overcome all that the malice and suffering that the world has to offer, “will never leave or forsake us” and is “with us surely, to the very end of the age”.

Fix your eyes on Jesus who suffered greatly in this world, and yet for your sake and because of his trust in God’s faithfulness, persevered and overcame. He will never leave or forsake you.

Fix your eyes on Jesus who defeated sin through his suffering and trust that even in the midst of the deep pain that discipline brings, God is producing good fruit in you and raising all that was dead in you to life.

Pray.