The Call to Run the Race Well - Part 1

Well, if you would take your Bible turn back to Hebrews 12, I did say that we would be Verses 1 to 3 will only cover verse 1 this morning We'll cover the rest of the verses next week but I don't know how you are but it seems strange not to be in chapter 11 and Spending more time with those great heroes of the faith that we've become so accustomed to I Hope it's been a blessing to you but studying and teaching through chapter 11 has been a great great blessing to me But here we are in chapter 12 and like I said earlier in our scripture reading We're gonna see that the author makes a shift in his letter He makes a shift in his teaching now.

I want you to think with me about what we've seen in this letter This is very very big picture. This kind of leads us up to this shift in the teaching In his letter the author unfolds some of the greatest truths of the Christian faith Throughout the letter the author exalts and emphasizes what God has done in and through Christ Jesus He makes it perfectly clear that Christ is infinitely greater than anyone or anything in all creation Even greater than the angels even greater than the Old Testament Saints like Moses Noah Joshua and Abraham even greater than the Levitical priests and the Levitical priesthood He shows us that through his wants and for all sacrifice on the cross Christ perfectly accomplished what the Old Covenant sacrifices never could accomplish that is complete Removal of sin in the full and perfect reconciliation of sinners to God The author also exalts and emphasizes that what God has always looked for in his people is faith saving faith and the life of faith That has been made evident all through chapter 11 for us where the author shows us that the saints of old They were approved they were commended by God not because of their status not because of their religious Works not because of their achievements in life, but because they possessed faith and they lived by faith But as we get into chapter 12 here We will see that the author does not stop at the life of faith He moves into showing how the great truths about Christ how Christ himself and the life of faith form and dictate the believers every day normal life as We will see the author makes it perfectly clear that possessing faith is one thing But truly living the life of faith is another true faith is not something merely professed.

It is something practiced True faith reveals itself in Christian endurance True faith reveals itself in Christian obedience Holy living and they steadfast devotion to Christ so here in chapter 12 The author begins to place a very strong emphasis on how believers live the Christian life How believers live the life of faith and how they carry out their Christian duties and their Christian responsibilities?

And as we will see the author starts off by using an example He starts off by using a teaching tool a metaphor that is very familiar to us a race running a race Now let's read our verses and then I will explain how we will approach them Not just this morning, but also next week verses 1 to 3 therefore Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses Let us also lay aside every weight in sin which clean so closely and let us run with endurance the race That is set before us Look 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 Consider him that's Christ who endured from sinners such hostility against himself So that you may not grow weary or faint hearted Now let me explain how we will divide these verses First of all, we will see how the Christian life is compared to running a race.

That's obvious That's right there in verse 1 and second. We will see the motivation for the race Third we will see the obstacles in the race and then fourth We will see the call to run the race and not only the call to run the race But the call to run it well, of course, this is all from verse 1 And then next week in our part 2 we'll cover verses 2 to 3 and we will see the greatest example in the race And then we'll see the great incentive needed for the race.

So let's get started Number one notice the Christian life is compared to a race The Christian life is compared to a race now It is plain to see that the author is comparing the Christian life to running the race This should not surprise us because we see examples and teaching tools and metaphors like this all throughout the New Testament The Apostle Paul obviously loves sports He used boxing as a teaching tool and example for the Christian life in 1st Corinthians 926 and 2nd Timothy 4 7 in 1st Corinthians 926 and 27 Paul says I do not box as one beating the air But I discipline my body and I keep it under control Last after preaching to others.

I myself should be disqualified Paul also loved the military Because he compared the Christian life to life as a soldier and a waging war in Ephesians 6 11 and 2nd Timothy 2 3 in Ephesians 6 11 Paul says put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the sky schemes of the devil and in 2nd Timothy 2 3 Paul says Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus Also, the Apostle Paul was not politically correct He often referred to himself as a slave of Christ and by doing that He was comparing the Christian life to a type of slavery to Christ He introduced himself as a slave of Christ many times.

We see this in Romans 1 1 Philippians 1 1 and Titus 1 1 and we see this other New Testament writings Jesus often used agricultural metaphors as teaching tools Such as the parable of the sower of the seeds in Matthew 13 and the parable of the wheat in the weeds also in Matthew 13 Jesus said that his followers would be salt and light in the world Matthew 5 13 to 16 and The Apostle Peter referred to believers as babes and as living stones in 1st Peter 2 5 In 1st Peter 2 2 and in 1st Peter 2 5 but coming back around to the Apostle Paul One of his favorite metaphors or teaching tools was that of comparing the Christian life to a race He talks of running a race in 1st Corinthians 9 24 He talks of running well in Galatians 5 7 and running in vain in Philippians 2 16 To those believers in the Galatian church who have been tempted to go back into keeping the law He said in chapter 5 verse 7 you were running well speaking of the Christian life Who hindered you from obeying the truth?

Well, that is what we have here in Hebrews 12 1 the author of the book of Hebrews is comparing the Christian life to a race and to running a race Now we have to always go back to the original audience with this original audience have identified with this illustration Well, yes You might not realize it but but athletics and games and sports these things were very very common in their day As a matter of fact the ancient Olympic games and other games similar to the ancient Olympic games were very very popular in their day and a foot race was a part of those games and some scholars tell us this is evidence that the author was writing to a congregation of Hellenized Jewish Christians who were living in a Roman city that was thoroughly Greek.

The point is this Palestinian native Jews would not have related to the Greek games as well while the Hellenized Jews who had come to saving faith would have maybe that was the case Now there's a good lesson here In our teaching and especially when we teach children and teenagers using teaching tools comparisons metaphors Those are good ways to teach in the illustrate Simplical truth as a matter of fact if Jesus thought it was good to do that in his teaching Well, it's probably good for us to do that as well So right here the writer of Hebrews is comparing the Christian life to a race But next number two, I want us to see the motivation for the race the motivation for this race Now the motivation is given right off at the beginning at the beginning of verse 1 in this great cloud of Witnesses and notice what the author is doing here because this does need some explanation He says therefore which starts a new teaching, but this new teaching is Connected to what he has just taught.

He is saying something like this now I'm putting this into my words since we are surrounded by this great group of witnesses seen in chapter 11 Let us run our race and let us run our race well Now this leads me to ask and answer two questions First are the Old Testament saints Watching us from the grandstand of heaven cheering us on from heaven You may not realize it but some see it that way and it may seem to be that way at first glance But to me that is not the case This great cloud of witnesses are witnesses to God not witnesses for us They live their lives of faith first and foremost for God and unto God John MacArthur so clearly summed it up.

He says these are examples not onlookers So we need to see and understand that this great cloud of witnesses are examples to us and for us And how they live their unique life of faith faithfully Now this leads me to the second question. What does this mean for us? This great cloud of witnesses they are examples to us and for us They are examples in how they live their unique life of faith faithfully in this word witness in the English Standard Version in the original it is Martus and Martus speaks of one who testifies or of one who can testify of what they have seen or heard or know in Their day a Martus was used in legal circles someone would be a Martus or a witness speaking accurately and truthfully of what they have seen or heard or know and A form of the word was used in the early church to speak of those who had proven the genuineness Of their faith in Christ by being killed violently for the faith We know this is one being martyred or killed for their faith So these great heroes of the faith presented right here in chapter 11.

They are a great cloud of witnesses Who are speaking they are testifying to the greatness of the life of faith lived well as one writer says it and I'm quoting the writer the author calls them so to speak to The witness stand to bear testimony to what they have seen and heard and felt as to what faith could indeed for them so for us We do not need to see these witnesses in the grandstands of heaven Looking down on us cheering for us when we run our race well or booing us when we do not That's the wrong way to see it But they are in the grandstand of heaven worshipping the Lord that they serve well and they witness to us and for us Giving their testimony to the greatness of the life of faith lived well So this great cloud of witnesses serve as a motivation for us in our life of faith in Our Christian life in our call to run the race well But I want to think on this a little more We need to be motivated over and over often every day by three types of witnesses first these Old Testament saints from chapter 11 all Throughout my teaching in chapter 11.

I have called you to study them to study them Maybe you should go back once or twice a year and study chapter 11 Why so as to be motivated by this great cloud of witnesses as a matter of fact Tommy And I but Tommy is spearheading it we are developing a small group Bible study from the chapter 11 study So we need to keep these Old Testament saints before us as Motivation but second the great saints who have passed who are not found in the scripture Let me give you an example all throughout church history We have the accounts of many great men and women of the faith that we can read of and study and they can be a motivation for you It's been a while since I mentioned this but you need to develop the habit of studying Christian biography But then third There should be witnesses in our church There should be witnesses a great cloud of witnesses in our church There should be older more mature believers who are witnesses before us as to how great God is And how great living the life of faith is we should?

Be Motivation for the younger saints in our church notice. I said we as in I'm a part of that older group Let me ask you a question here Do we see older believers in the life of our church who can be a great cloud of witnesses for us? And look there should also be younger believers and even the lost Looking to those older witnesses all around us and they should be seeing the life of faith lived out before them in us so the motivation for the race of the Christian life the witness and the Witnesses for Christ in the life of faith from chapter 11 and also in life next number three I Want us to see the obstacles in the race? the obstacles in the race now notice Before the author issues the call to run the race he points out the obstacles or the hindrances to the race and he gives to First I want us to see the weights that hinder us They are obstacles in the race the weights that hinder us listen to the verse in the amplified stripping off every unnecessary weight and The sin which so easily cleverly entangles us Now when it comes to running a race No matter if one is an Olympic runner like Usain Bolt or if one is running the 40-yard dash in an elementary school field day event carrying any unnecessary weight will slow down the runner I Did a little reading this week about carrying extra weight as a male Olympic runner on the Olympic level where races are often decided by mere seconds or even fractions of a second a small increase in Non-functional body weight can significantly impact performance in placement for elite distant runners Such as those competing in the five thousand meters ten thousand meters and marathon an additional two to three pounds May produce a measurable decline in performance While five extra pounds can be enough to move an athlete from metal contention to several places back in the field Studies suggest that a one percent increase in body weight can reduce running performance by approximately 0.5 percent to 1 percent when the added weight does not contribute to greater power output although middle distance runners can generally tolerate slightly more mass an extra three to five pounds of unnecessary weight can still hinder endurance and finishing speed as a Result even a seemingly modest weight gain can make a difference between standing on the podium and winning a medal or missing a medal altogether Well, that is the idea that God is communicating here But not in a foot race, but in the race of the Christian life This word weight here in the original it speaks of a bulk a mass or a bulk or a mass of something As one commentator said it the picture here is of a training period where a runner would use a weight in Training it would be a needed hindrance for the purpose of training But what the author is saying right here is this for the Christian running their race of the Christian life They must get rid of any weight every way that hinders them in the race But what are the weights?

Simply anything that does not help in the Christian life And it does not mean that these things are necessarily bad or sinful But they do not help in the race of the Christian life Whatever the weights are they weigh down the Christian they impede the Christian in their Christian life in their life of faith in the race as William McDonald says it and I'm quoting weights are anything that may be harmless in themselves and yet hinder progress They could include material possessions family ties the love of comfort lack of mobility And as John MacArthur says it these things weigh us down divert our attention sap our energy dampen our Enthusiasm for the things of God and right here I have to ask What are some of the weights in our lives that weigh us down and hinder us in our Christian walking race Do material possessions weigh you down?

Does money and wealth does that weigh you down do you have family ties and family? Relationships that weigh you down Does the love of comfort weigh you down does the love of fun and hobby and recreation do those things weigh you down? Is there a lack of mobility and a willingness in an unwillingness to change in your life? Does that weigh you down now? Let me show you something or any of these things wrong? Is money wrong? No family relationship, so they wrong. No is comfort wrong? No is fun and hobby and recreation wrong.

No those things aren't sinful But again, what are the weights in our lives that can weigh us down and hinder us in our Christian walk and race? Maybe we should go to our prayer closet and open up our Bible and begin to pray and ask God the Holy Spirit To show us the weights that may be in our life No doubt the Spirit of God can be putting his finger on some of those things in your life right now Maybe you talk with your spouse Maybe you talk with someone in your small group about any potential weights that can be weighing you down in your Christian life You might say pastor you're getting a little personal now Well, I think the writer of Hebrews or God through the writer of Hebrews is getting personal but second Notice the sins that entangle us They are obstacles In the race listen again to the verse in the amplified stripping off every unnecessary way and the sin Which so easily and cleverly entangles us now here the author goes straight to that which is worse than weights sin But we need to make sure we see what the author was aiming at here And we do that by paying attention to the language now the English Standard Version says Let us also lay aside every way and sin But the New American Standard the legacy Standard Bible it says the sin listen to the verse in the legacy Standard It says laying aside every weight and the sin Now what is the point what am I aiming at?

In the original the author uses this definite article V In the original he says the sin So the author seems to be pointing to one specific sin that the original readers were struggling with as far as a runner goes There was an is one thing that would hinder them and running their race That was anything that would entangle their feet Loose clothing hanging down was their number one enemy in their day Scholars tell us that Greek runners they would run in the nude so as to be completely unencumbered But here in this context with these original readers it seems that the one sin that was Entangling them in their race was the lack of true saving faith or not Truly believing in Jesus as the promised Messiah of God We have seen over and over that some in this original congregation Were true believers who had left their lives in Judaism then some so they were not Hindered by the sin of unbelief, but some profess Christ as the Messiah But they had not savingly believed they were holding on to the sin of unbelief in this group as well as other Jews who were attached to this church They were being tempted greatly to go back into Judaism and life under the old covenant So they were greatly hindered by the sin of unbelief now before I move on I've got to ask one question here, and I want to point out one fact Here's the question What is the one sin that hinders you in your walk of faith in the race of the Christian life?

Before you let me repeat that I'm talking to true believers now What is the one sin that hinders you in your walk of faith in the race that the Lord has for you in? Your Christian life again. I pray and I trust that the Spirit of God can identify that one sin. I Believe there can be a true believer that has one sin a nagging sin that they have yet to repent of and that Can hinder them in their walk of faith?

But then second the one fact that I want to point out Some hold on to the one sin of unbelief Which totally stops them from being a true Christian and running the race of the Christian life Let me restate that there are some who hold on to the one sin of unbelief Which totally stops them from being a true Christian and running the race of the true Christian life?

They may be they may be great Christians externally They may be very moral and live a respectable upright Christian life externally They may know the Bible they may live according to the teachings of the scripture But they've never been born again And it is the sin of unbelief are never coming to true saving faith That keeps them from running the race of the true Christian life And it look if that's you I pray you'll come to faith in saving faith if that's you I pray you'll repent and come to Christ So the author calls us to lay aside every weight in sin which are obstacles to the life of Faith in the race of the Christian life again How many true believers are running the race of the Christian life on one leg?

Because of weights or hindrances in their lives How many people in the church or? exempt from they're excluded from running the race of the true Christian life because of the one sin of Unbelief and they may be good external Christians and next number four We finally get to the call to run the race we finally get to the call To run the race let's look at the verse again.

I'm reading from the English Standard Version this time The author says therefore Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses Let us also lay aside every weight in sin which clean so closely and let us Run with endurance the race that is set before us now we have seen the great cloud of witnesses that are our motivation for the race and we have heard the call to put away the Obstacles of weights and sins that hinder us in the race But here we finally get to the call actually we finally get to the main point of the passage And to examine this call to run I want us to look at three words Who how and what?

These will be in the form of questions who is in the race. How is it to be run and what is? this race First who's in the race? Now right off we can see that the author says let us let us And we know that he was writing to true believers and false believers in that congregation So we can say that he was writing to both believers and non believers So in one sense he was writing to those non believers, but ultimately and finally He was writing to true believers and that is because only true believers can actually run the race of the Christian life now think about it The strong believers in this church they would have benefited from this teaching Think about it the weak believers whose Christian race was more like a walk or a slow walk They would have benefited from this teaching But the unbeliever is not even in the race of the Christian life They would have heard the evangelistic call to come to Christ to be saved So who is in the race?

Actually and truthfully only the true believer is in the race of the true Christian life and second How how is it to be run? Notice the English standard the legacy standard the new American basically say the same thing Let us run with endurance see that word endurance the King James uses the word patience and This endurance or patience tells us how the race is to be run This means steadfastness this speaks of a consistency This speaks of an endurance.

This is a steady and consistent and constant determination to keep on going even under pressure and Going back to the runner as an example here the author was not thinking of a runner who went out for a quick fast Sprint he had in his mind a long race that required the runner to run with great patience endurance and Determination he had in mind a long race so that the runner had to keep on going and keep on going and keep on going until he got to the finish Now think with me about two kinds of people here here in Hebrews First those Old Testament saints in Hebrews chapter 11. How did they run their race of faith?

All those Hebrews 11 saints ran the race of faith with great steadfastness Constancy and endurance even under great life and death pressure all the way to the end and Then second some of the Jews who profess Christ in this congregation. How did they run the race of faith? some of them profess Christ But when the new war off and the great pressure to go back into life under Judaism came against them they quit the race So how is the race to be run with great patience with great steadfastness Constancy and endurance to the end even under great life and death pressure.

It is a keep-on-keeping-on race to the very end I Have a list a sad list in my mind let me explain in all of the years that I've been saved and Followed our Lord and served in the ministry for 30 years I have seen more and more profess to be saved and Strike out to run the race of the Christian life in some really fast and some very very promising and so many only just quit and fall away Sadly that list gets longer the longer I live And you know something I'll make a comment here as a pastor I'll take the Christian who comes to saving faith and they'll just slowly live for the Lord They'll slowly live for the Lord.

They will endure and they'll just slowly plod along for the Lord I'll take that Christian any day over the one who comes out of the gate running blazing And they just fade away in time But third what is this race? Well, you may say pastor. This is easy. The race is the Christian life You've been saying out all along the race is the life of faith live for Christ You've been saying that all along.

Well, that is right But to see what this race is we need to see the nature of the race and where it is to be found First the meaning of this word race Originally referred to an athletic contest, but it came to speak of any struggle any conflict or demanding Effort and in the New Testament as we have seen it is often used to speak of the strenuous nature of the Christian life so the nature of this race the Christian life is that of a struggle a Conflict that demands effort the Christian life in the race of the Christian life is a strenuous life work And second notice this phrase set before us you see that in verse one Set before us this term set before us shows us where the race is This shows us that a certain kind of race is put before Individual believers now, let's go back to the great cloud of witnesses The race set before Noah was much different than the race that was set before Abraham and the race that was set before Moses Each of these Hebrews 11 Saints the name Saints and the unnamed Saints They all had unique one-of-a-kind calls to a one-of-a-kind life of faith to a one-of-a-kind race.

I Like how one scholar says it He says the idea in the phrase set before us is that of something lying before one It is like a road that stretches out before one's gaze Now right now I call you to look at the Christian life that God has laid out before you Think about it Think about the Christian life that God has laid out before you. Well, that is your race That is your race look saint of God.

It is a Strinuous race and at times it is going to be a seeming impossible race But the race that has been laid out before you that's the race that God has for you And our race may be similar, but yet our race is different My race is different than Jared's my races is different than Nolan's my race is different than Dylan's We all have the same race, but yet our race is different and I think you see what I mean So the author calls us to run the race our race the race that God has laid out before us Now as I close I Want to give us the title and I want to make just a few closing comments about the nature of this race The Christian life this is all about the call to run the race.

Well It's a part one As we have seen from this great cloud of witnesses From verse 1 and from our own race if we have been living the Christian life very long. This is a hard race The race of the Christian life at times is very very strenuous. It even seems impossible and look church We cannot make the mistake of passively waiting through our Christian life We must be actively striving with discipline self-control commitment and great patience and perseverance So are we passively waiting in our Christian life or are we actively? striving in our Christian life Are we passively waiting in our Christian life or are we actively?

Arriving in our Christian life. So this is all about the call to run the race Well, and next week we'll pick up with verse 2 and 3 and finish This out. Let's pray