INTRODUCTION
• As we continue examining the Amazing Race that we are all a part of, we are going to look at an important aspect of the race that we need to keep in mind if we want to finish and win the race.
• WE have seen that we need to know where we are going and that the race is much more enjoyable when we run with a partner.
• If you have seen the television show, “The Amazing Race”, you will notice that each contestant in the race is tired and there are times that the race gets so arduous that some may give though to giving up.
• SLIDE #1
• The Amazing Race that we are a part of can be very difficult and strenuous at times. We need to be strong and courageous. We need to be consistent and determined to go the distance!
• We need to run with perseverance.
• Perseverance is defined as follows: DETERMINED CONTINUATION WITH SOMETHING, steady and continued action or belief, usually over a long period and especially despite difficulties or setbacks.
• We will be looking at Hebrews 12:1-2 this morning. Turn there in your bibles.
• As we look at Hebrews 12:1-2 we need to understand that this passage is connected to chapter 11 of Hebrews which has been called the Hebrews Hall of Faith chapter.
• After extolling the virtues of some of the great men and women of the faith, the Hebrew writer follows it up with the words found in our text today.
• I want us to draw encouragement from four things found in our text that will help us to run with perseverance!
• Let us look at the first part of verse 1 together
• SLIDE #2
• Hebrews 12:1 (ESV) Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…
• SLIDE #3
• First we can be encouraged be the fact that the crowd is watching!
SERMON
I. THE CROWD IS WATCHING! (V1)
• When you look at the 11th chapter of Hebrews you see the greats of the faith like Abel, Noah, Enoch, Rahab, Abraham, and Moses just to name a few.
• One of the reasons we should run with perseverance is the fact that we are being cheered on by a GREAT cloud of witnesses.
• These men and women of the exemplified perseverance as they ran their race of faith.
• Their lives stand as a testimony as what pleases God.
• When I used to compete in sports, one of the things that charged me up to keep pushing in the 4th quarter was the roar of the crowd.
• When I pitched and my arm felt like it was going to fall off in the 8th inning, the crowd helped keep me wanting to finish.
• Have you ever experienced the roar of the crowd? There is nothing like it.
• I played some ball games when college scouts were in the crowd to look at other players. It made you want to play harder.
• When you know there is greatness in the stands watching you, you cannot help but to step it up a notch.
• I want you to picture the saints of old looking down from the stands in heaven cheering you on trying to give you encouragement to finish when it looks like all may be lost.
• Basketball is such a charge to play and coach because the fans are right on top of you cheering you on.
• Are the saints literally cheering us, do they know what is going on with us? Some would say this is a metaphor, but I am not so sure.
• Remember the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:27-ff? There seemed to be an awareness of what was going on.
• Suffice to say, we have a great cloud of witnesses in the crowd cheering us on to victory!
• WE can picture this as somewhat of a relay race. Those who have gone before us have handed the baton to us, now we need to run our leg of the race.
• These greats of the faith want us to win!
• In order to be able to run with perseverance, we see something else we need to consider from verse 1.
• SLIDE #4
• Hebrews 12:1 …let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely…
• This leads us to living a spiritually healthy life.
• SLIDE #5
II. LIVE A SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY LIFE. (V1)
• If you have ever watched runners whether they run long distance or if they are sprinter, they do not carry a bunch of unnecessary weight with them.
• In the true story Invincible, Vince (a 30 year old walk-on straining to earn a spot with the Philadelphia Eagles) struggles during practice trying to beat out other players while wearing full football equipment. Even though he runs as fast as he can, he is still consistently beat by a couple of trash-talking players.
• SLIDE #6
• THIS IS A SHORT VIDEO CLIP.
• For Vince to be successful, he had to shed the extra weight of the larger pads.
• If we are going to be able to run with perseverance, we need to shed anything from our lives that would hamper, interrupt or retard our spiritual progress.
• What weight are you carrying that is hurting your spiritual progress.
• “To lay aside” (ὄãêïò, ongkos) was sometimes used of the extra body weight that an athlete would shed during training.12-4
• Notice that we are to lay aside every weight and SIN which clings to us so closely.
• This metaphor describes the effect that sin (as well as the feelings of guilt which accompany it, cf. 9:9, 14; 10:2) has on the Christian’s ability to persevere or endure until the end of the “race.”
• Sin will cling to you and will add extra weight.
• For me physical activity such a running was a lot easier when I was 50 pounds lighter.
• The sin spoken of here no sin in particular, although some commentators feel it speaks of the sin of unbelief.
• This statement speaks of anything that distracts from our faith.
• Living a spiritually healthy life is very similar to living a physically healthy life.
• If you want to have a physically healthy life, you need to watch what you put into your body.
• If you want to live a spiritually healthy life, you need to watch what you put into your head and what you allow into your ears and what you allow to be put before your eyes.
• If you want to live a physically healthy life, you need to exercise.
• If you want to life a spiritually healthy life, you need to do spiritually exercises.
• You know, those things we tell you about in church, pray, read and study your bible, come to church. Those things that may not always seem exciting but when you take the time to get into the habit, become exciting.
• I have been getting up early to go to the gym. It did not seem exciting at first, but now I really look forward to getting up and doing the exercises I need to do to be healthy.
• Let’s look at the last part of verse 1.
• SLIDE #7
• Hebrews 12:1 (ESV) …and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
• WE are encouraged to strive to endure.
• SLIDE #8
III. STRIVE TO ENDURE. (V1)
• The word “endure” means to hold out against; sustain without impairment or yielding; undergo, to bear without resistance or with patience; tolerate.
• It means continuing even when everything in you wants to slow down or give up. When I had to run a timed mile, my body wanted to quit, my spirit would not allow me to quit.
• WE are encouraged to endure the race set before us.
• The writer is saying, “If you are not a Christian, get in the race, because you have to enter before you can hope to win. If you are a Christian, run with endurance; don’t give up.”
• John MacArthur Jr. says the following concerning the race.
• Unfortunately, many people are not even in the race, and many Christians could hardly be described as running the race at all. Some are merely jogging, some are walking slowly, and some are sitting or even lying down. Yet the biblical standard for holy living is a race, not a morning constitutional.
• The word translated “race” is the word from which we get agony. A race is not a thing of passive luxury, but is demanding, sometimes grueling and agonizing, and requires our utmost in self-discipline, determination, and perseverance.
• Let us look at verse 2.
• SLIDE #9
• Hebrews 12:2 (ESV) looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
• If we are going to run with perseverance, we need to focus on the champion of our faith!
• SLIDE #10
IV. FOCUS ON THE CHAMPION OF OUR FAITH. (V2)
• When the next phoneme comes along in the NBA, who do they compare them to? Michael Jordan.
• Why? He was the best, he was a champion.
• If you want to succeed, we usually look at people who have been the best.
• How many kids want to the bench player, they focus on the star.
• Jesus is the champion of our faith.
• To fix our eyes on means we are to firmly fix our gaze upon, it denotes that we will look away from all else.
• Let us look at three reasons we need to focus on Jesus.
• SLIDE #11
1. He is the founder and perfecter of our faith.
• The statement can be taken to means that Jesus is our trailblazer, or the pioneer of our faith.
• As the perfecter of our faith, He is bringing our faith to a goal or completion.
• It speaks of Jesus activity at the end of the church age when He will bring all of God’s creation to the goal God had in mind before creation.
• Jesus is a better example of faith than any of those listed in chapter 11.
• The second reason we need to fix our eyes on Jesus is that He is the model of endurance.
• SLIDE #12
2. Jesus is the model of endurance.
• Jesus endured the cross.
• How did He do that?
• Jesus was able to look past the pain to see the gain!
• Jesus was able to look past Calvary to see the joy of seeing people return to God through faith and obedience.
• He was able to endure because He knew what His sacrifice meant to mankind.
• You can endure when you see past the present pain!
• The last reason we should focus on Jesus is that Jesus won the race.
• SLIDE #13
3. Jesus won the race.
• He is seated at the right hand of God!
• Who do you want to focus on? Jesus is the one who won!
• As I said before, people usually want to model champions.
• Jesus is the ultimate champion!
CONCLUSION
• SLIDE #14
• If we are going to win the Amazing race, we need to run with perseverance. We cannot allow anything to knock us off the path laid out before us.
• We need to realize that we have a great cloud of witnesses, those who helped blaze the trail for us who have handed to baton to us that are cheering us on!
• How badly do you want to win your amazing race?
• Are you willing to persevere?
• Next week we will look at running to win!
