Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Junior Church Dismissed

Well folks, here we are.

The last Sunday in 2019.

How many you had this year turn out exactly how you would expect?

How many of you have set some resolutions for next year?

Or maybe your like me and refuse to call them resolutions and set some goals?

I think goal setting is an important discipline each of us should practice in multiple areas of our lives.

Spiritually, Physically, mentally, etc.

The problem with these new years resolutions, statistically speaking, is that typically by the second week in January they are broken.

If you are one of those people who actually lost 10 lbs....I have it here.

You can get it after the service.

There are a multitude of reasons we could give for why we stop or fail at these resolutions but I believe we could say that we were not prepared for the challenges or trials that would come our way that caused us to lose sight of what we were working toward.

When it comes to the goals we set for the race of life, w must realize Jesus is not only our prize, but he is also the pattern we must follow if we want to be successful.

So here we are…Christmas is over and the days are quickly speeding by as we approach not just a new year but a new decade.

So what are your gaols?

What are your ambitions for next year?

What about the next decade?

Some don’t like to set goals or some set unrealistic ones.

Some of those that fail their New Year goals do so because they didn’t know where to start, how to maintain progress, or how to keep focused, and we end up just giving up.

The Bible has many illustrations that describe the Christian life and what we can expect to face

2 tim describes the christian life as being a soldier at war

1 Cor describes it as a fight, like a boxing match

Then we come to our text today where we get the idea the writer of Hebrews, who I believe is the Apostle Paul, writes how the Christian life is like a race in an arena.

The runners are those believers who were experiencing the trials of the first century church.

Paul knew what persecution was life.

He was imprisoned not far from the Roman Coliseum where the roar of the crowd could be heard as they cheered on the lions and beasts Christians were being forced to fight and die against on the blood stained sand.

Paul himself experienced many trials to the point that He wrote in

Paul finished his race and now the author of Hebrews is challenging the runners to finish theirs.

I don’t know about you but I’d like to do something great with Jesus this coming year.

So if your like me and want to see Jesus do some awesome things in your life and in the lives of those around you, now is the time to lace up the shoes, get on the track, and enter the race.

It’ s a great privilege we have to start a year where only god knows what is in store.

He knows how the economy is going to do, He knows what the environment will look like, He knows who will win the election...

Our course is known by God.

Let’s look at our text today and see what our role is in the race that he is fully aware of.

Follow along as I read please

PRAY

Let’s talk first this morning about the Preperation for the race

I.

The Preparation for the Race

Notice how verse one addresses this.

The first thing we find in this passage is the reference to the cloud of witnesses that we are compassed about it.

Now if we keep this passage in our minds eye the way the writer intended for it to be.

A racer at the start of the track in a colliseum with a crowd of witnesses around them.

Now who are these witnesses though?

We typically think of them as fans that are cheering the athletes on.

Here I want you to participate with me, let’s cheer as though our football team is making a big play.

I’m serious, cheer with me.

WHOOO....YEAH!!!....GOO BABY GO!!!! CLAP

Now that’s where we are, the crowd is cheering and the race is about to begin.

As the racer you look out at the cheering witnesses and you begin to notice something....they are not just fans…they have their medals on.

They have completed the race.

They’ve been where you are.

They have done what you are about to do.

The word for witnesses here can also be understood as martyrs.

People who had gone on before you.

Chapter 11 of this book is known as “the hall of faith” as we have heroes of scripture listed and how God used them to do great things for Him and how they accomplished them by faith.

They know it can happen.

They know that you can do this because why…becuase they know that it’s not just you that’s running the race.

They know Jesus is there to run it with you.

So before we even start out the race we know that mamny have gone before us and are there to motivate and cheer us on.

Then there are things we need to do in order to prepare ourselves to accomplish this race succesfully.

We have to first remove the hinderances

A. Remove the hinderances

When athletes would walk into the arena to compete in ancient Greece you would see them have on robes that they were throughout the day before their event.

They were a necessary part of life during the day but they were not things that made running their race easier.

They made it more difficult.

There are a number of things in our lives that we must also set aside to run our race effectively.

Now, are the robes that were being worn sinful?

No. they were perfectly normal things.

But they were something that needed to be removed to make running the race more effective.

The things your life, the hinderances, the weights, that you need to set aside are not always going to be sinful.

Maybe it’s just things that you allow to distract you from your daily walk with the Lord.

Maybe they are activities that you need spend less time doing.

Social Media, Sports, even reading, or just “hanging out” with friends.

It could be a good hobbie or activity that has creeped into your schedule and clutters up your life.

No matter what it is, if it is providing ANY type of hinderance to you running your race, living your life, for the Lord, it needs to be set aside.

Hey teens, how much time are you spending on electronic devices that are just waisting your day? Between youtube, social media, random games, and other things like that, how much of your day is being wasted and hindering you from being productive for the Lord?

Parents, it’s up to us to set our kids up for success in life, as Christians and as general human beings, which requires for restrictions to be set on any activities that detract from them running their race for Christ.

We need to have our minds renewed and get back to focusing on Christ and not just ourselves.

This involves removing hinderances and also requires us to repent from sin.

B. Repent from sin

The word repent means to change your mind or turn away from something.

Now we are talking about the bad things in your life.

Not just the robes or the distractions but what sins are in your life that are keeping you from running an effective race for God?

Sins of lust, pride, contention, desires of your flesh, coveting the life your neighbor has over yours, etc.

David wrote in

Being upright before the Lord means we seek to keep ourselves away from iniquity.

The good news is that can be accomplished by simply asking God for cleansing and healing.

Determine to live right before Him.

Seek out a spiritual leader and ask for prayer support.

Maybe even get counseling or training to overcome a specific sin which you are battling.

running a good race means to prepare for the race by laying aside the weights and sins that keep us from being the most effective.

Then we keep the Pace of the Race

II.

The Pace of the Race

Running can be an intimidating sport for many.

Most of the time it’s not the idea of running that scares us....maybe it is for some.

We are meant to be on our feet so I think the scary thing is the pace of the run.

I mean, most can make a run across the room, or too the mailbox, maybe even to the end of the street.