GOING THE DISTANCE
Hebrews 12:1-3 1 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. 2 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. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Intro: In high school, I played football for the Prairie City Panthers. I was a fullback. For high school, I was a little bigger than a lot of running backs. I weighed somewhere between 180 and 190 (Oh to see those days again!). Because of my short stocky build, I could usually plow straight ahead and pick up 4 or 5 yards per carry, dragging linemen with me. Coach used to kid me about my running ability. He would say, Yeah, Mark can beat just about anybody off the line, but after 5 or 10 yards, even the linemen catch up with him. I was good for the short sprint, but not for the open field.
-Now, in track, some people are built for the 100 meter sprint, but others are built for long distance. I always admired those who ran cross country and those who trained for marathons. Anyone can survive for 100 meters, but 26 miles is a real test of endurance. About a decade ago, I put a challenge out to all the kids in our Christian school. We were having a jog-a-thon, and I told them that I would buy a coke for anyone who could run more laps than I did in an hour. BIG Mistake! I ran somewhere around 26 or 27 laps. There were several kids who got close to 30 (lightweights!). I was so sore after that! I think I walked funny for a week. See, I hadnt really prepared for the race. I was not in shape for running. I was not prepared to go the distance. Well, today I want to share some thoughts from Scripture about how to prepare for and run the race of our lives.
Prop: We can go the distance and finish well, if we will prepare ourselves and keep the right focus throughout the race.
Interrogative: What is the right focus that will help us finish the race well?
T.S.: Our text gives us three words of encouragement that will help us run the race and go the distance.
I. Lighten Up (12:1)
1 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,
A. Let us throw off everything that hinders
-The writer encourages believers to get rid of anything that would slow them down or hinder them from running their best in the race. He is not talking about sin here, because he addresses it in the next line.
-There is a terrible story about a man who went out to play golf early one Saturday morning. His wife became concerned when he had not returned home by dinner time. It wasnt until about midnight when he came through the front door, exhausted.
Where have you been? she demanded
Ive been playing golf came the reply.
But that was 18 hours ago. What happened?
I was having the best game of my life. I was two under par when on the seventh tee Harry had a heart attack and died. His wife still didnt understand.
After that it was hit the ball, drag Harry - hit the ball drag Harry . . .
Is there something or someone slowing you down? [William Neel, sermoncentral.com]
-In keeping with the illustration of a runner who has trained for a race, the idea of losing all excess weight or mass may be in view here. If you have ever watched Olympic runners compete, you rarely see much mass on them- that is for the body builders or wrestlers. The runners are usually very lean because they have literally run all of the excess fat off of their bodies. The spiritual application is obvious. Dont let yourself get out of shape spiritually, through lack of exercise, or because of an imbalanced diet of things that really do not strengthen us for the race.
-Another possible idea is that of excess clothing. If a runner were to wear a tunic or cloak or other heavy clothing, he would soon tire, overheat, and not do well in the race.
-The point the author is making for the believers to whom he is writing is that we need to be willing to throw aside anything that would hinder our relationship of love and obedience with Jesus. We must eliminate anything that slows down our spiritual growth and progress.
-What are some examples of these hindrances? There are many things that are not morally wrong to do or to have, but they can sometimes encumber us, keeping us from becoming all that God wants us to be. One example is simply money. Money is not evil in and of itself. Paul writes that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, but money itself is not. Sometimes, we can get so caught up in making a living that we forget to make a life. I know people who are workaholics, who find their total identity in what they do for a living. They have little or no time for their family, or for God, because they are working day and night to achieve a certain standard of living. Almost without exception, most spouses and children would gladly go without some of the things money can buy, simply to have their husband or Daddy around to enjoy life with and to teach them about life.
-Wouldnt it be interesting if we quit using money as our medium of exchange and started using time? What if instead of paying $50 to fill up your gas tank, it actually cost you 4 or 5 hours of your life? When you think about it, that is pretty much how it works. We invest time and training in a job so we can have money to spend on what we need and what we want. The more things we want, the more of our lives we exchange for them not only through working for the money, but in maintenance, security, and time spent using them and worrying about them.
-Now I am not suggesting that we should do away with recreation and never spend a dime on things we enjoy. However, we need to ask ourselves about the return on our investments. If I buy this snowmobile, is it really worth the months of my life that I will exchange to earn the money for it? We not only need to budget our money, but we need to budget our lives in a way that will make us most effective in running the race of faith.
-There are other things that may slow us down or impede our progress in the race: relationships, worldly cares, and just the daily business of life. These are all part of life, but should not hinder us from loving and serving Christ.
B. Let us throw off the sin that so easily entangles
-In addition to things that weigh us down, we must throw off and guard against any sin that would trip us up while we are running. If we have started compromising in any area of our lives, we must get rid of the sin and renew our commitment to keep running for Christ.
-The author does not seem to have any particular sin in mind here, but is simply warning about sin in general. If we do not guard ourselves, sin can creep into the hidden areas of our lives and cause us to stumble.
-Paul warned the Corinthians about this in 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
-God will help us avoid sin, if we humbly trust Him to help us. However, if we do fall into sin, lets be quick to repent and turn away from what is offensive to God.
T.S.: Our progress will be great if we will get rid of anything that slows us down or the sin that trips us up. Another way we can go the distance and run the race well is found in where we keep our focus.
II. Look Ahead (12:1c)
let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
A. Let us run the race marked out for us
-We need to know where we are going. We do have a goal before us. This race has been marked out for us since the beginning of time.
-Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
-A few years back in an NCAA cross-country championship held in Riverside, California, 123 of the 128 runners missed a turn. One competitor, Mike Delcavo, stayed on the 10,000-meter course and began waving for fellow runners to follow him. Delcavo was able to convince only four other runners to go with him. Asked what his competitors thought of his mid-race decision not to follow the crowd, Delcavo responded,
"They thought it was funny that I went the right way."
Delcavo was one who ran correctly. In the same way, our goal is to run correctly--to finish the race marked out for us by Christ. [William Neel, sermoncentral.com]
-As we run the race marked out for us, each of us has a path that is unique, and we all face our own struggles and trials. God has a purpose and a plan for our lives both individually and corporately. He has prepared you to do something in His family that nobody else can do in the same way that you can do it.
-Have you found your purpose? Do you have a sense of what God has gifted you for, and why you are here? What are you good at? What are you passionate about?
-There is a race marked out for you- in one sense we are all running the same race, but in another sense, we all have a unique path we must take. Stay on the right path! Do not look for shortcuts in life. Usually, they will bring you up short of your goal. Do not try to take somebody elses path. Do it Gods way. I encourage you to ask Him about your path, but dont get too uptight about it. I have found that trusting Him each step of the way ensures that we will stay on the path He has chosen for us. Trust Him and do what He asks you to do.
B. Let us run with perseverance
-Lengthen your stride- this is a long distance run. This race is not a short sprint, but a marathon. We are in it for the long haul. We must make up our minds that we will hang in there, even when we are exhausted from the trials of the race. At our lowest points, we may feel like throwing in the towel and stopping the fight. However, we must keep going. Hang in there, no matter how messy it gets. Stick with it, no matter how tiring it gets. Never give up, no matter how discouraged you may get!
-Perseverance is the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty. It speaks of fortitude, patience, and tenacity. Just keep taking one step at a time. You will make it!
T.S.: It is easy to tell you to hang in there; however, it would not be possible without this final point.
III. Look Up (12:2-3)
2 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. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
A. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus it is all about Him, not us. We are in the middle of it, but He is with us, and He showed us how to run. He ran to His very death, but God raised Him up.
-Athletes sometimes speak of developing the ability to shut out all of the crowd noise and the distractions when they compete.
-The phrase, fix our eyes means to look away from all else, to fix our gaze upon Jesus. This is not a casual glance to make sure He is there, but a steadfast gaze, giving all of our attention to Him.
-Why is this so important? Because we cannot run this race alone, and He does not expect us to. He will help us finish strong.
B. Let His example encourage and strengthen you
-Again, He has already run the race, and faced all kinds of opposition along the way. Ultimately, He faced His own death on a cross.
-In light of what He went through for us, we can make it through whatever we might be facing. As we keep our eyes on Him, He is able and willing to help us make it to the finish line.
Conclusion: In closing, we need to throw aside anything, even that which is permissible, but not helpful. We especially need to get rid of any sin in our lives. We must run the race God has marked out for us, being willing to do what He wants, and go where He wants us to go. And, we must keep our eyes on Jesus, not on those around us who may let us down or disappoint us. If we will do these things, God will help us finish strong as we cross the finish line of this life into heaven. Pray
