Run Towards Jesus

ME

*Workout Selfie*

When I went to the gym on Monday, it was freezing outside. And I hate the cold. So I bundled up in my jogging pants and hoodie, cranked the heat up in the minivan, and drove 12 minutes down to GetFit. When I got there, I didn't go to the locker room to take my hoodie off like I usually do, because I was still freezing.

I went through my first 14 sets of chest and triceps with the hoodie on.

And by the time I got done with those, I was burning up.

And up next was the treadmill. So guess what I did?

I went to the locker room, threw off the hoodie and joggers (Don't worry, I had bball shorts underneath) and hopped on the treadmill for some incline runs.

Incline runs eat away at your soul.

They are terrible.

So much harder than running flat.

But they make your legs and heart stronger.

So I did them. But I noticed that they weren't as bad as usual:

See, I had taken off the extra clothing in order to run better.

And when I did get tired at the end of the run, the Skillet songs blasting through my powerbeats kept me going.

And you know what keeps me going even more?

When I have a friend to run or workout with. Talking with them helps distract from the pain, and if they're running faster than me, it makes me go harder because I'm super competitive.

Throwing off the extra stuff and encouragement from music and friends helps me go further and faster every time.

WE

We all experience this to some extent this time of year.

It’s freezing on the way to school, and we cover up head to toe wanting our parents to carry us around like this:

*Yorkie bundled up video*

Y’all need to stop being selfish and walk for real.

And if you carry your dog around like that, best believe I’m judging you!

But by the end of the day when it’s almost spring, we’re like this:

*I’m not afraid anymore video*

And we’re all ready to throw those hoodie and sweats off before we hop on the bus.

Back in the day, if you were really cool you would tie that sweater around your waist like a boss.

Start a trend and bring it back like fanny packs kids!

And we also need encouragement bc we’ve been in school for 7 months and it’s almost over but not quite and we’re ready to give up right?

Sometimes in life we need to throw off stuff that’s holding us back.

Maybe it’s a friend or relationship that’s not good for us.

Or bad habits that no one else knows about.

And we need good people around us who encourage us to keep going and keep doing the right thing when life gets tough...

GOD

*Show Title Slide*

From now until Easter, we’re going to be taking a look at the Iconic life of Jesus.

How...

He’s the Perfect Sacrifice for sin,

Creator of Everything,

God with us,

the Son of God,

How He proved that through His miracles,

and why He’s worthy of our worship.

Tonight, we’re going to look at His perfect sacrifice and what that means for our lives today.

Hebrews 12:1–3 NIV

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 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.

Throw off everything that keeps us from Christ

Hebrews 12:1 NCV

We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back.

We can look to the Christ-like lives of others in the past and those that we know now.

When we do this, it helps us throw off all the stuff holding us back from doing what Christ has called us to do.

Proverbs 13:20 The Message

Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

We can look to those who are wiser than us and become like them, or hang out with idiots and become like them.

One leads to life, and the other to death.

But it’s always our choice...

Always Look To Jesus

Hebrews 12:2 The Message

Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.

The way Jesus ran is how we’re supposed to run.

Read the Bible and you’ll see clearly how He lived, the way He loved people and hated sin because He loved His heavenly Father above all else.

And what should we do when we see how He lived?

Hold On

Hebrews 12:3 NCV

Think about Jesus’ example. He held on while wicked people were doing evil things to him. So do not get tired and stop trying.

Jesus went through the deepest pain imaginable and what did He do?

He held on. Always.

And the writer of Hebrews is saying that because He held on, if His Holy Spirit is within us then we can too:

“Our great high priest, who is completely “set apart from sinners” and “exalted above the heavens,” possesses the unlimited resources of holiness to save his people completely from sin.”

-Kevin Anderson

“Pic-Hold On Bob Hoots Poem”

Bob Hoots was a preacher and member of this church.

In May of 1985, Bob died in a Louisville Hospital.

20 minutes later, God brought him back to life.

From then on, he was known as the “Miracle Man.”

I met Bob at a Church Retreat in Gatlinburg 28 years ago.

He was preaching and my Dad was Singing at the retreat.

Bob gave me this poem, and I want you to listen to the words:

*Read Poem*

This Jesus who held on and lived a life of holiness and purity wants you to hold on too and live like He did.

Hebrews 4:15–16 NIV

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Jesus was tempted to do wrong just like we are- He was even tempted way more than we are. But He never, ever gave into the temptation.

And because He stood strong, we can pray, ask Him for help, and we will find the mercy and grace we need to live Holy lives like He did.

If we rely fully on Him, He will give us the strength to hold on.

JESUS GIVES ME POWER OVER SIN TO KEEP RUNNING TOWARDS HIM.

YOU

*Running The Race Video*

Will you run with Jesus?

Here’s what’s at stake:

Wolf Licking Blade pic

Consumed By Their Own Lust

Radio personality Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. It’s really gross, but it shows us the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin:

First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night. So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more—until the dawn finds him dead in the snow!

It is a fearful thing that people can be “consumed by their own lusts.” Only God’s grace keeps us from the wolf’s fate.

1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 NIV

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Sin is all around You.

But God wants to set you apart from that which will kill your soul.

He wants to make you blameless and He has the power to keep You from sin and keep You pure.

The question is, will you allow Him to do that?

We believe that entire sanctification is that act of God, subsequent to regeneration, by which believers are made free from original sin, or depravity, and brought into a state of entire devotement to God, and the holy obedience of love made perfect.

Title Slide

Are you ready to be set free?

A lot of y’all might be saved in this room. Maybe some of you are not?

Either way, I’m glad you’re here.

But did you know that if you’re saved there’s another work that God wants to do in your heart?

He’s in your heart, but now He wants full access to it.

Everything.

And that’s when you’re made complete and whole.

*Forever Reign Worship Video*

*Prayer*

WE

What if we ran towards Jesus together, with everything that we have?

We would look more and more like Jesus.

Miracles would happen in our schools.

The fake Christian stuff would go away and the true love of Christ would spread like a wildfire through us.

May we run towards Jesus and live victorious over sin… and go change the world.

Response Cards

Small Group Intro Question