Building a Faith That Endures

I typically love to begin with some story, anecdote, or illustration that connects to a basic human emotion we all share. But this week, to be honest, it has been hard. I have been disheartened, weary, and tired. I am tired because of the effects of Covid-19. The impacts of it on loved ones and their jobs. The impact of it on our students and their education. The way it has hindered our ability to gather and fellowship. Of living in fear of seeing loved ones for risk of getting them sick.

I am tired because I have seen the bible be used as a political tool and instrument all week long. I am weary because the message of the gospel is so desperately needed to confront the hatred and racism we see in our country. A sin that has lasted for generations, and if I am tired of it, I cannot fathom those who are on receiving end are feeling this week. I have wept while watching a black man appeal in tears, for people to not place their hope in the government, or the ability of any other person, but to place their hope in the power of Christ.

I have had people reach out this past week who have said “I just haven’t felt God’s presence, and I haven’t really had the desire to search for it.” And I know they are not alone. I have been there; I am sure others have been there. This past few weeks have been enough to make me feel weak, dry, and disheartened.

No matter how much I personally can wrestle with the feeling of being overwhelmed by the world’s problems, I know that many of you here today are experiencing the same thing. You may even have had doubts this past week about Christianity, or the church. The danger I have felt, and you may have felt during these troubling times is that of drift, not just in belief but in the living out of the faith. For we are prone to wander like sheep, to become distracted like the prodigal, to deny like Peter, and flee like Jonah. Honestly, even with the extra time from quarantine, has any of your extra time gone to Christ? Have you spent more time in the news instead of the good news? Do you seek answers on social media or in scripture? I have a feeling, in these times that the greatest danger to your spiritual life is not suffering, but drift. A focus consumed with the world instead of Christ and a lack of intimacy with the Spirit. Be honest with yourself what did you desire this weekend? For it is not God who has departed from us, but it is so often our lack of desire that has left us feeling alone.

There is no better starting point for us today than the recognition that when we drift, we shall find that we are left with a greater emptiness than we shall find in the Father’s arms. Charles Spurgeon says it this way “You will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything but Christ.” Which is why I have needed the words of Hebrews 12:1-3 in my life this week. For as empty as everything in this world has left us, it is only by turning our attention to Christ that we find hope. Remaining faithful over the course of our lives is challenging, but with Christ we can endure and be victorious. If you have felt the drift, I challenge you to fix your eyes on Christ, the glorious Son of God.

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary band lose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3

The Marathon of Faith

Explanation:

This passage today is going to make heavy reference to the idea of faith being a marathon. It is not a sprint, but a lifelong pursuit of Christ. The Author of Hebrews is going to exhort the believer to run the race with endurance, but before he gets to the idea of running the race, he first directs our attention to those whom have already run the race. The verse begins with the statement therefore, recalling what has been said before in chapter 11. Chapter 11 is all about faith, and how from the beginning with Abraham to the coming of the prophets the focus has always been on faith, not just in belief but in living out faith. Living a life that is directed by and trusts in YHWH, that hopes and trust in Him even though He is unseen. So, verse 1 is telling us given the fact that we have this great host of people who are crowned in glory because of their faith, should we not also strive for that same faith!!

Those who have achieved the crown of life are those whom have had faith until the end. When we see them, it encourages us and speaks to us the necessity of running the race of faith. To the Christian in the room, we need to understand, this race has been started long before you. Generations of faithful Christians have lived entire lives of endurance until their deaths. They have done so despite any of the challenges presented by their generation. Imagine you are a believer in the early church and the roman soldiers have taken your husband and son and placed them in a colosseum to be devoured to lions, and every time your church gets a new pastor they are driven to the wilderness. Or picture what your life would be like as a believer in the early 19th century, you have just graduated high school and you are being shipped off to world war I which has been described as the most inhumane war ever fought, with literal no man’s lands full of poisonous gas and flying bullets. If you survive you come home to a great depression. Put yourself in the shoes of believers who at this very moment live in North Korea, terrified that if you share the gospel with your own child, they will turn you in to be executed. Always on edge and never sure of a safe moment to pull out our bible if you are lucky enough to have one. Every generation has their battles, their challenges, and I share this not to downplay the struggle or pain that come with them, but to remind us that the same faith shown to us by the believers who endured is the faith being asked of us. No matter the challenges, no matter the pain, the call of the Christian is to run the marathon of faith, to try and live for Christ and make an impact on their generation with Christ centered change.

The author reminds us that in the race it is vital to lay aside the weight that is upon our souls. For sin is not to be taken lightly, it is destructive. In Psalm 1, humanity is described as so weighed down by sin that no one can even stand up. This fits with the imagery given here of a racer being entangled. If you have ever tried to race in a potato sack you know what we are referring to, as you race your potato sack moves, it gets folded in on itself, caught and twisted. By the end of the race no one is truly running, they are just fighting with the fabric to get off their shoes!! They are no longer concerned with the race, but the entanglement they have created. Eventually, the weight of sin becomes too much to bear and it will rob us of focus on Christ. Your individual sin will prohibit you from running the race, it will damage you, and it needs to be repented of. That is the idea of lay aside, to take off, means to no longer bear that sin anymore.

We also see that our sin not only entangles us, but it entangles those around us as well. If you recall the story of Achan in the book of Judges, his disobedience in battle to steal some treasure for himself, leads to the death of 36 of his fellow soldiers. The impacts of sin are not just individual but can affect the corporate body. The effects of sin can also be passed down throughout time and generations, for we still pay the price for the sins of Adam, and the Israelites wandered 40 years for the sins of Israel. This is not hard for us to see today; we are still dealing with the entanglements of sin from the generations that have come before us. The effects of slavery and Jim crow laws have left destructive consequences even on the present. This is why it is not as simple as letting the past be the past and move forward. The sources of systematic racism are a concern to the Christian because they find their roots in sin. Yet, just like individual sin, this passage would call us to repentance from our role in sin and to place our faith in Christ alone. Whose ideal community is one that is united around the glory of Christ and not divided based upon prejudices. A community that is centered around Shalom, peace.

The writer of Hebrews goes on to encourage us to run with endurance! When we think about running a marathon, well, spiritually speaking, because sheesh 26.2 miles is a lot of running… it is a fitting illustration since it is not promised to be easy. The testimony of the believer may include the moment of conversion and new life, but it also should include the faith that is required to live out this new life in a world that is not yet redeemed. Christian’s your story is not just the sprint, the moment of conversion, but the journey after. We need to know, we need to hear, and bear witness to how you have kept your marriage pure for 50 years. We need the testimony of the elderly in this church who understand what it means to age gracefully, and to pass on the teachings of the word to the youth. To believe the truth of the gospel for 50+ years requires a faith that endures. This goes not just for our elderly but for anyone in here who has had struggles and found Christ to be faithful. We need to hear your voice, your struggles, and how you have found Christ to bring comfort.

This theme of endurance was also expressed earlier in Hebrews 10:36 where the author tells believers that “you have a need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.” It is by enduring and living out our faith that we will do the will of God in our lives.

After all, this passage mentions that the race we find ourselves in has been set before us, as if it was not laid according to our direction. It is set by God. He has a course laid out before us, and it is going to require endurance. This perseverance is a tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit, Romans 5:3-5 says, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” The marathon of faith is built on Christ who gives us endurance.

Argument:

Unfortunately for us, we do not find that strength to endure within ourselves. It is not something we can manifest on our own. For all believers have entered into the process of sanctification, a process that we cannot do on our own. Yet, we certainly try don’t we? We like to believe that our efforts have somehow made us into who we are today. This is a result of our fierce belief that we dictate the future by our level of effort. This may work to some degree with your finances, but it will never work with your sanctification. The aim of sanctification is to be molded into the glory of Christ. This is called glorification. It is what our race is running towards. Being made into a glorified version of the image of Christ, that ultimately gives Christ even more glory for performing a work we never could. This is a work we must give over.

Illustration:

Let’s picture it this way, I hand you a hammer and a chisel and tell you that your lifelong mission is to take a giant slab of marble and to recreate an original Michelangelo. You all might approach this slab with different techniques, some of you might just start hacking off large chunks, others would sit and sense the art. Gradually you may begin to form something that has a shape, on our own efforts you may even pull off a decent looking statue, a statue that all your friends would even call a good statue. However, in our own efforts our marble will never become a finished Michelangelo, a glorious piece of work, without the touch and direction of the creator of the original. The one who perfected the original, who painstakingly endured the cost necessary to create a finished product. The only way our marble would look like that, is to hand over the hammer and the chisel and say Michelangelo, I give my marble to you, do with it what as you please.

Application:

Will you today allow Christ to examine your heart, see what sins may lie under the surface, and continue his work of sanctification in your life? If we are to endure it is vital that we recognize the sins that have been in our lives, to lay down that weight at the hands of Christ and confess we need His help. Confession is not a one-time thing, it is a continual part of the Christian marathon, because sin by nature of the devil is deceptive, crafty, and hard to uncover. As we endure in the marathon the Holy Spirit is going to continually reveal, remove, and remedy many sins in our lives. But the revealing always makes us feel weak and the removal comes with confession.

This has many impacts on how we deal with sin during our race. Graduates this has an impact on how you should deal sin during your college years. For the first time you are going to be removed from the supervision of your family. With that newfound freedom, will come new sources of temptation and sin that are in your flesh. The hope is that as you begin to encounter them, and the holy spirit reveals them to you, because He will, that you would confess and lay down the weight of that sin to Christ.

Given how the past few weeks have gone, church I think it is also appropriate for us to ask ourselves in what ways we may have sinful biases in our hearts as well, be it racism or sexism. I confess that over the course of my own lifetime I am grateful to those who have pointed out my own biases and called sin what it is, and I hope that in the future I will continue to be open to hear where I fall short.

Thankfully, the ability to endure, to confess, and to run the marathon find their answer in Christ. We can have hope, and we do this by fixing our eyes on Christ. The Relief of Christ is what we need to endure.

The Relief of Christ

Explanation:

The author of Hebrews is now pointing us to how to build a faith that endures, this is done by fixing our eyes on Jesus. The Greek word here for looking or fixing carries with it more than the idea of just gazing upon something, but looking away from all other things and focusing on one thing. The idea is to stop looking at all these other idols and distractions and focus attention on the glorious Son of God. Focus on Jesus, worship Jesus, behold Jesus, learn from Jesus, be in relationship with Jesus, long for the coming of Jesus. As a racer it is vitally important to fix your eyes on the target, for where the eyes go the body follows. Spiritually where our focus is, our hearts follow. Give them over to Christ. C.S. Lewis says it this way, “I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find until after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country and to help others do the same.” We are told to fix our eyes on Christ, but who is He? The writer answers this for us.

We find a description of Jesus given here by the writer and it describes Jesus as the beginning and the end of our faith. The author and the perfecter of faith. This small phrase is part of a larger argument that has been made in the book of Hebrews that Jesus is the one that came and lived perfectly, so that the requirements of the law may be fulfilled, and salvation may be given to us. All the way in Chapter 2 we see this expressed in verse 10-11 “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.” The idea is that Jesus has been the one who has run this race before we have run, and He paved the way down the road because He is the perfect High Priest, and the perfect sacrifice for sin. “For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren” Notice once we are saved we are called brethren, we have a relationship with Christ, and just like salvation, He is the one that brings us to completion in our sanctification. We have a longing to become the man or woman that God has created us to be, it is only by Christ that longing is fulfilled. Who is Christ? He is our Savior!

How though, how does Christ redeem broken people? He does this by enduring the cross, Jesus made our redemption possible by His blood. He took the pain and punishment on our behalf and bled upon the cross so that we can have a new heart. The cross is a slow and painful way to die, and Christ endured it on our behalf. He endured the consequence of our sin. He not only endured the cross, but he endured the hostility of the sinners. He took their mocking, the eternal and glorious Son of God, came down and took the abuse of sinners while being abused for sinners. There was no other way than for Christ to suffer.

This selfless sacrifice by Christ brings the initiation of a new covenant, a new relationship between God and His people. Hebrews 9 mentions this when it says, “how much more will the blood of Christ, who though the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? For this reason, He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.” It is by Christ’s death that we are given the grace of God to be given new life, and the promise of salvation.

Why does Christ save a broken people by His own suffering?

While suffering and enduring the price for our sins was the only way that we could receive salvation, Why does Christ save a broken people? Afterall, we are broken. We have failed, and we can offer nothing in return. Why not scrap creation after Adam and Eve failed and start over? That answer is only found by the character of God. Primarily speaking about His love. For why else this passage would describe the moment of the crucifixion as the joy set before Him. Jesus would either have to love terrible pain, or He would have to love the reason for and the result of that pain. It was with joy, because Christ understood what His death would accomplish. A reunion with His creation. A loving restoration of the weak. Christ was willing to endure the cross with Joy because He loved the whole world. You included.

Argument:

The passage concludes with this statement of application, “So you that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Here we have the promise of support and encouragement that we need so desperately. Remember back to the beginning of our message today, we talked about the one greatest danger to our spiritual lives today is the temptation to become consumed with the world and forsake intimacy with Christ. This happens when we grow tired and lose heart. We give up on the best thing and seek the lesser. Here we have a statement that we need. But how!! How!! How do we receive the encouragement it promises? Well, look back at what proceeds it, consider Him, Fixing our eyes on Jesus. We do not grow weary by fixing our attention onto Christ.

This comes by living a Christ-centered life, by living a Christ-centered life we will not grow weary. A Christ centered life has two benefits that help us to endure over a life apart from Him. First, He gives us the right beliefs, when we seek to understand Christ for who He really is than we receive truth. Jesus says in John 8:31-32 “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The truth that comes from Christ is the light that shines into the world of darkness, it allows us to perceive and understand our own hearts with greater clarity. He is the author of our faith. To see how our identity is rooted in something greater. A part of sanctification is helping us to see what we believe that is false and out of tune with the nature of truth, and to help mend our flaws.

If fixing our eyes on Christ is aimed at giving us truth, then it is vital that we perceive Christ accurately. This means we are not seeking Christ + something else, or Christ – anything. For what to believe we do not want to follow Christ + Republican, Christ + Democrat, Christ + gender identity, Christ + Another world religion. It is important that we try not to shape or mold Christ to affirm everything we already believe. We need to see Christ as He really was and what He really did, which we find in scripture. We must also not try to make him less than He claimed to be, Christ – Son of God, Christ – Savior, Christ – Resurrection, Christ – teachings. This is a part of any relationship and it is a part of the marathon; we strive to know Christ more intimately. The more we know Him, the less weary we will be for we know the one who supplies us with what we need.

He not only gives us right beliefs, but by seeing Christ He also shows us how we are to run. The running is not what saves, but it was what we were created to do, and when we run, we experience joy. Similar to the wounded horse that is released back into the wild, that runs with newfound strength and freedom. When Christ takes broken people and releases us to the world, we get to run with the joy and freedom we were created to experience. The commands of scripture are not a weight upon the soul, but a delight to the heart. The psalmist captures this attitude in Psalm 119:44 “I will always obey your law, for ever and ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. I will speak of your statutes before kings and will not be put to shame, for I delight in your commands because I love them. I reach out for your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on your decrees.” Living a Christ Centered life is not only focused on beliefs (Orthodoxy) it is also focused on right behavior (Orthopraxy).

Illustration:

Let’s picture it this way, you own two nice mini vans. One of them is a nice crisp Carolina Baby Blue, and the other is a nice vibrant N.C. State red. You have a nice beautiful garage that you keep them in. You go out one day to start up the good ole baby blue, you get in, adjust your mirrors, ac vents, and put the key in the ignition. You give them a nice gentle turn, and nothing happens. You try harder and still nothing. In a bit of frustration, you go and look under the hood and there is nothing there, no engine, no battery, nothing. Obviously, your car cannot go out on the road because it lacks the proper parts internally.

With a sigh, you go over to Vibrant Red, and to be honest you do not drive this one very often. (Maybe a little embarrassed to be seen in it). You check the hood and all the right parts are there. You get in, slide across the raggedy leather seat, dust off the steering wheel, and place the key into the ignition. You hear it trying to crank on, it goes grrrrguglleee, but dies out. It has sat for so long and been inactive for so long that it has stalled out and grown weary.

Two cars, both unable to carry you down the road. One does not have what it needs internally, and one has not done what it was created to do for so long it has grown stagnant.

Application:

This brings us to the very core of the task of the Christian, we are called to love God and to Love others. Amazingly, when we live this out we will not grow weary and lose heart.

Love God with all your heart, mind, and soul. Have you grown weary from neglecting your relationship with Christ? Just like any relationship we are called to move closer in intimacy with Him. Practically speaking, are you still striving to love Him with your mind? To understand Christ, to understand how He changes our position on important matters of life. All throughout life we are going to be challenged at different points to answer different questions. Will you seek Christ as the answer? Graduates, as you move into college you are going to be exposed to all sorts of new questions about the world, about faith, about dating, and about your relationship with Christ. I urge you, not to settle for what any professor, dorm mate, or textbook claims as truth without first examining it through the lens of Christ. Adults as you have questions about how to handle money, about how to raise children, how to respond to social questions, seek Christ centered answers. Do not let the world grip you with anxiety, fear, and stress. Find the right resources to help you, seek guidance, engage with scripture on a deeper level.

Let us also not grow weary by failing to live out in action the faith we have been given. Paul urges us to press on in action in Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Do not grow weary of the cost of discipleship, of pouring into others. Some of us are not afraid of evangelism, we just never evangelize and have grown weary. Let us not grow weary in our pursuit of justice, do not grow weary in living out the command in Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly[a] with your God.” Justice is a part of the gospel and as Christians we should advocate for justice. Do not grow weary in loving our neighbors. Most of the time we become luke-warm, from a lack of action, not from a lack of faith.

Conclusion:

If you find yourself weary or disheartened today, will you be vulnerable enough to say, Jesus my eyes have departed from you!! This morning, and this moment you can pray in simple confession a lack of desire to pursue Christ, and ask for the endurance that Christ provides. Maybe that is a moment of confession about believing in something other than Christ. For placing trust in something other than the gospel. Or you may need to have a moment of confession for being the car that has grown stagnant. Ask the Lord to use you this week to love a neighbor, to excite your spirit to live for Him once again. Use the time during our worship song to pray, to reflect, to confess, seek Christ.

If you are in here today, and you have never placed your trust in Christ before, but you have seen Him beckoning to you to come forward today, to come and receive new life, than let this be a time you respond to His calling. We have deacons walking around, speaking with them, or come up here and I would love to speak with you.

Prayer: Psalm 141. 3-9 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the Lord: “Lord, save me!”

5 The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 6 The Lord protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me.

7 Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.

8 For you, Lord, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 9 that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.