Running Your Race

Introduction

Today we are continuing our study in Hebrews, and will be looking at chapter 12.

If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to .

In our passage today, the author begins to use the motif of a sporting event. He talks about running a race. Through the years I’ve been to a lot of athletic events. Little Dribblers Basketball, Junior High football, basketball, and track. High School football, volleyball, basketball, powerlifting, Baseball—all kinds of athletic events. Attending them I’ve learned one thing. It is a lot more fun if your team has a large crowd to cheer you on.

Look with me at .

Hebrews 12:1–3 NIV84

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. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him 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 sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Running the Race

The first word in chapter 12 is “therefore.” Now, if you’ve been around here very long, you know whenever we see a “therefore” we need to stop and see what it’s there for.

The first word in chapter 12 is “therefore.” Now, if you’ve been around here very long, you know whenever we see a “therefore” we need to stop and see what it’s there for.

Last week we looked at Hebrews chapter 11, which is often referred to as the Old Testament Hall of Fame. These people are the figurative “great cloud of witness.”

These witness are cheering us on, and because they are cheering us on the author gives us 3 “let us” phrases.

Let us throw off two things:

Everything that hinders us—Stop and think about that—what are some of the things in your life that might hinder you? Culture, TV programs, music, social media, sports—anything that keeps us from living for Jesus.

Every sin that so easily entangles us. Sin can bind us up! The word “entangles” can be translated: ensnares us, encircles us, ambushes us.

One sin that seems to sneaks up on believers is the sin of unbelief (apostasy). The reality is that ANY sin needs to be laid aside so that we don’t become tangled up in it.

Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

There are a couple of things that we need to notice in this passage.

First we need to run our race. You don’t have to run my race, and I can’t run your race. Each of us needs to run the race that God has for us!

That word “perseverance” can also mean: steadfastness; expectation; endurance; fortitude; or tenacity.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.

No one wins a race when they are looking behind. The author says we need to fix our eyes on Jesus—our eyes are to be focused on Jesus which should cause us to be determined to obey Him.

We do this for two BIG reasons:

First, Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith. That means that Jesus is both the creator of our faith, and the one who completes our faith.

Second, because Jesus lived His life of faith with the joy of the future in mind He endured the cross, scorning (disregarding) the shame. And when He was finished He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Think about that! For Jesus, the joy came from His victory over death and sin. This victory could only by the cross and the suffering He endured. Now He assumes the triumphant position at the right hand of the throne of God!

When we come to verse 3, the author suggests that we stop and consider Jesus. This morning I want us to stop and consider Jesus who endured great opposition from sinful men—looking at this should keep us from growing weary and it should keep us from losing heart.

This bring us to verse 4—after the author gives us an overview of the suffering that Jesus endured, he gives us a reminder.

Hebrews 12:4-

Hebrews 12:4–6 NIV84

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”

Here the author lays out two things that his reader is not doing.

The author says we should not lose heart or grow weary because most of us have not resisted sin to the point of shedding our blood! You know, so many times I talk about “trying to stop” doing some sin. Yet, we never really believe that it is possible to stop sinning. Well the word translated, “resisted” can also be translated: set against, withstand, stand up against, strongly oppose.

The other thing is that we have forgotten that word of encouragement God has given us when He addresses us as sons or children.

Here the author quotes . In this passage, God addresses us as His children.

My sons (children) do not make light of the Lord’s discipline. Discipline could be translated: training, correction, education—so it could be positive. It can also be used of punishment.

He also says, God’s children should not lose heart when He rebukes them. Again, rebuke could be translated: expose; convict; or punish.

So why would we do this? Because the Lord disciplines (corrects and teaches) those He loves.

And He punishes—flogs; whips; or punishes severely—everyone He accepts as children! STOP for a minute: God correctly teaches and severely punishes EVERYONE He considers to be His children.

Why is it we think we should escape any kind of hardship? Why do we think we should live a problem free life? Because the fact is God’s Word never teaches that!

QUESTION: Have you or are you experiencing the corrective teachings and punishments of God in your life?

You see, this is not a popular message, but God will do what God needs to do to keep His children going His way!

Now some of you may have a problem with this idea. In fact, if we stopped here today many of you would challenge me on what I’m saying. So let’s keep going!

Hebrews 12:7-11

Hebrews 12:7–11 NIV84

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 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 our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 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.

As we go though hardships (endure them) we should consider them to be corrective teachings from God, because it means that He is treating us as His children. You see the author believes that every child will undergo corrective teaching by their earthly father.

So what happens if you haven’t experienced corrective teachings from God? Well, verse 8 tells us that we are not legitimate children! Not only that, but when human fathers discipline we respect them for it—so how much more should we respect God the Father and submit to Him.

But there’s a difference between our earthly fathers and God the Father. Earthly fathers disciplined as they thought best; but God disciplines (corrective teaching) us for our good so that each of us may share in His holiness.

But there is hope! Look at verse 11. Going through God’s corrective teaching (discipline) is pleasant at the time. Instead it is painful—it hurts! However, later on—after a while the discipline produces a harvest of two things:

It produces a harvest of righteousness. God’s corrective teaching makes us more like Jesus.

And it produces a harvest of peace.

So What?

This morning, I want to ask you two questions. First are you running the race that God has set before you, or are you running away from God by trying to run your own race?

The second question: Are you (or have you) experiencing God’s corrective teaching (discipline) in your life?

In the movie Forest Gump the main character, Forest, runs and keeps running. He doesn’t know why he’s running or where he’s running to, he’s just running. Spiritually you and I need to run. We need to run the race that is set before us.

We need to accept the changes that God makes to our course. My father-in-law used to have his own plane. I loved to fly with him, but sometimes he would tell me to keep my eyes on the horizon and keep the plane set a particular compass setting. Because I was inexperienced, I struggled to maintain all the things that I needed to maintain: altitude, compass heading, horizon, speed. . .how I would end up being confused. Quietly, daddy would tell me to correct one of the problems that I had caused. But I needed to make small, gradual adjustments.

But sometimes, we had drifted too far off course for a minor adjustment to fix the problem, and daddy would have to take the controls and make a major adjustment.

Many times I try to fly my life. Sometimes God quietly whispers that I need to make minor adjustments to my life. These are examples of corrective teachings.

Other times, I’ve drifted so far away from His plan and purpose that He needs to whip me back into shape and back on course.

No matter which type of correction you are experiencing, God is NOT being mean because He loves you!